Coverage of the Ashes

England’s performance in the Ashes is dire.

The First Test was over in two days and the second at Brisbane may not last much longer.

The coverage on TMS and TNT matches the poor performances. TMS have recruited Daniel Norcross – a buffoon – and, if you are really unlucky his analyst is Alex Hartley, who talks about herself and the food she ate.

Over at TNT, Ebony Rainsford Brent is amused by the Aussie banter.

Is she aware of the “White Australia” policy, or that John Howard was elected Premier on an anti-immigration ticket, or the shameful treatment of the indigenous Aborigines, some of whom had their babies taken way to white families?

Yes, we are the “whingeing Poms to be abused” even though we were the first country to abolish slavery and have never had an institutionalised bar on race.

I was originally going to go out to Adelaide but am now pleased to have cancelled. I could not trust myself to stay quiet in the face of Aussie rancour .

Australia are much the stronger team – no doubt about that – but their finish in the medal table in the Olympics is inferior to ours, the Wallabies are a weak international rugby union side and the era of Australian tennis domination (cue mention of Lew Hoad, Ken Rosewall, Rod Laver, Roy Emerson and John Newcomb)e is long gone.

Yet their media and crowd remain chauvinistic …