England v Australia: The Muppets Show- Live!

I'm really not in the mood for this, but the ludicrous spectacle of Englands collapse in the 2nd Test of the Ashes, is too serious not to be amusing. What is it about England and the aftermath of a major sporting victory (Rugby World Cup, Ashes), the almost total collapse of any form of forward planning and consolidation, brings tears to the eyes, not just in the losses but the manner in which England's players almost revel in their mediocrity and even when they seem to play beyond their own meagre expectations, suddenly recoil in shock at their bewildering pretensions at competence and blissfully lapse into soothing ineptitude.

Snatching defeat from the Jaws of Victory does not quite capture the full picture, goodness me no! But the enduring image shall be the confusion at the Wicket between Bell and Collingwood and the myriad dropped catches.

Now, lets take something positive from all this, if you were an Australian or lets be neutral a Japanese Cricket Fan, admit it, you'd have laughed your conkers off, it was hilarious. Lets take the characters in turn,

Duncan Fletcher- With his deadpan droopy expression, bringing back reminiscences of Sam the American Eagle- puppet in the Muppet Show, I guess we can describe England's performance at the Ashes as the Muppets Show Live (...whatever dude, I found it funny). His selection would make Ricky Tomlinson's character in "Mike Bassett- England Manager" look like Alf Ramsay by comparison. No-one will understand why Monty Parnesar is on the sidelines.. apart from Duncan.

Kevin "The Cockerel" Pietersen" His laughable antics pre ashes, including a Nude photo shoot, well fairplay though, if you've got it flaunt it I guess, WG Grace would probably have been pissed off not on any moral basis, but out of jealousy (he made the Michelin man look slim) but he would never have made the clanger Pietersson made on the final day of the 2nd Test

Freddie "Flintstone" Flintoff- Now England know the value of Michael Vaughan, whose tactical thinking and quiet strategising is greviously missing in this series. The enduring image shall be Freddie walking unto the pitch in shorts and vest covered in tattoos (The contrast being Cricket's Formal White starched Shirt convention), after being well beaten in the 1st Test, never before seen at this level. Come on, don't be so serious it was a laugh chaps, lighten up.

The best is yet to come, I don't see how England can come back from this and the ridiculous post match Interviews don't make things better with all the false optimism.

Anyway rant over, lets have a laugh at least.