Whether you're a fan of cricket or not, nobody can really say that this summer's ashes ended on a damp squib, despite the fact that, when the last day started on the Sunday of the August Bank Holiday weekend, that's exactly what it looked as if we were going to get.
Day four had been washed out, and day three had been (perhaps necessarily) turgid as England (and Wales) sought to grind their way towards Australia's impressive total which had been set during the first two days.
Day five, then, promised more of the same as the "follow on" (a number of runs that need to be achieved to prevent the opposing captain from asking the team batting to bat twice in a row and risk being bowled out for less than the total they were chasing) still had to be avoided, and the time available to complete four innings in the match was fast running out.
England (and Wales), then, would most probably grind out another 45 runs, then try to get as close to the Australian 492-9 declared as they could, and Australia would bat again until the close of play when everyone could shake hands and congratulate each other about a summer's contest well played.
Instead, a blistering final day brought the spectators at the Oval 447 runs and 17 wickets over the course of the extended day, one which started late due to drizzle and, for an exhilarating couple of hours after the unexpected tea-time declaration of Michael Clarke on 111-6 meant that England (and Wales) were chasing 237 in 44 overs for an unlikely win and, for a time, really looked as if they might actually manage it.
Sadly, the strange new rules about bad light intervened, and the game did eventually end in a draw with just three overs to go and 21 runs still required and five England (and... Oh, I think you've got THAT point by now...) wickets still intact, and the celebrations of a three-nil home Ashes series victory could begin, with most of the players, pundits and fans agreed on at least one thing, that the Ashes is a rather special sporting contest, at least for those of us who enjoy a good game of cricket.
So the series eventually ended up three-nil but even the most partial of observers might have to admit that the series was actually far closer than that scoreline would suggest, and, but for the weather and a few dubious umpiring decisions and a few surprising interpretations of all of the new technology at their disposal, things might have been very different.
I always find the last day of a summer's test cricket is a rather melancholy day. It means that Autumn is on its way and Winter is just around the corner and, for me at least, it always feels as if summer is well and truly over when TMS signs off and the last "Soul Limbo" of a series drifts onto the airwaves.
Oh, I know that there are still T20 matches and one-day games to be played, but to me, they're really not the same...
However, this winter, in about three months time, there's another Ashes series to be enjoyed as the second part of this rather unusual situation of having two series back-to-back without a decent eighteen month interval kicks off, this time in Australia, and you can bet a Dollar to a dead Dingo that the Aussies will be seeking revenge and this time England will be playing in their back yard and might just have a far tougher time of it.
It's going to be fabulous and I can hardly wait, even though I know it'll mean long restless nights trying to keep a signal on my listening devices whilst not waking the rest of the household, and some long tired days to stagger through after the fact.
I can hardly wait for November the 21st to come around...!
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