Quintin Jardine's blog

Fortunately, I believe  the New Year Honours List is past praying for as far as the England cricket team is concerned. In any event you are right. Best wait for another few days, in the hope that you can grind their faces deeper in the dust. But when you do so, remember that they have a long history of being better than you and will surely rebound. They may even win the last test and square the series, although at the moment the odds on a draw are better than those on an Aussie victory. Even if that happens, the triumphalism will only be toned down a little, and the Barmy Army will sing just as loud. (Why is it that at the heart of such gatherings you will always find a tosser in a tall hat, making the most noise?) You can bet that among all the media praise, little mention will be made of the significant South African contribution to the current England batting line-up. Take Pietersen, Prior, Strauss and Trott out of the picture and the result might have been different. Okay, you can keep the captain and the wicket-keeper, but KP only left South Africa in a huff, and Trott played for  them at Under 15 and Under 19 level. But let’s not be churlish; England’s success is meritorious, if for nothing else, because it will force Kevin Bloody Wilson to re-write his notorious song, They Beat Me.