Aussies find Beer at bottom of the barrel
Friday was the oddest day of the Ashes so far. England produced their worst cricket on tour, dropping five catches in the tour game against Victoria, and yet there was much more ammunition to question Australia, whose selection policy is beginning to show all the military precision of a campaign managed by Captain Mainwaring.
It should have been a great chance to turn the guns on someone like Chris Tremlett - the man expected to replace Stuart Broad at the Waca went wicketless at the MCG. Instead, Australia's chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch got both barrels.
All he had done for his troubles was to profess his fondness of beer... Michael Beer, to be precise. But the vacuum into which all national spin-bowling talent has escaped since Shane Warne's retirement is not really a laughing matter at all.
After the solemn realisation at the age of 12 that I might not be good enough to play cricket for England I decided that the next best thing, writing about cricket, would have to suffice as a career. That's what I've been doing for the BBC Sport website since 2001, in which time the sport has changed immensely. You can also follow me on 