Anyway, today’s play has completely invalidated all my arguments from Thursday – it’s game on.

He jokes that he might be ‘a bit of a thug’ because he prefers fighting to golf, and talks about how he severely injured one opponent and moved his orbital bone 5mm – thus devastating his wife, who doesn’t approve of his new hobby. However, you’ve got to respect that fact that the guy is totally honest, and brave enough to do what he loves doing. People will say he’s crazy for taking part in a sport he calls ‘licensed unlicensed fighting’ with no rules etc, but it’s a free world, right?!

The 2009 Windies team, which still included the likes of Gayle, Sarwan, Taylor and Benn, was probably more talented but the 2012 side seems to have a lot more mental strength, which is an encouraging sign for the future.

Seriously guys, get a sense of humour. This is a tongue in cheek article and harmless banter. Hollioake himself has a sense of humour about his love of extreme sports, so why you guys don’t I can only guess. Maybe because the sport you love has a misunderstood reputation as being violent and senseless. I’m not saying I think it is – but that’s the public perception, so people are going to joke about it. Just like people (yourselves included I Imagine) joke about politicians being weak and spineless etc, even though they’re highly intelligent and driven people who have to be strong to survive in the careers they’ve chosen.

For people who love fighting, I’m surprised you haven’t got thicker skins. Next week we might write about ex-cricketers who love sky-diving – and jest they’re mad. Do you think we’ll be inundated with comments from angry sky-divers anxious to prove that they’re actually sane (and the nicest people you’d ever likely to meet)??? Somehow I think not.

Lucikly I really like watching Jimmy bowl when everything is in his favour. The first session of the first day was just beautiful stuff. So much control. He was moving the ball too much of course, but the ball to get Powell… I may not see a better ball this year. It’s often said ‘that would have got anyone out’ but that one really would have.

The weather forecast sounds pretty ropey for Sunday, so let’s hope Strauss isn’t too conservative with a declaration if he gets the chance. A lead of 150-175 should do the trick.

We all thought we were in with a chance but, looking back, every series from ’93 to 2003 was horrifyingly predictable and fairly tedious, using the above criteria.

The West Indies have a great history, and their slump’s only lasted as long as England’s. They play against a background of very difficult domestic circumstances, and I find their fans at least equal to the best in the world. WI is arguable furrowing a more honourable (if less successful) path out of their problems. What would England’s batting line-up look like without Trott and KP?

The churlish lack of respect some people have for West Indian cricket these days is reflected in the dismissive scheduling, always slotting them in in May when we’ve got nothing better on; basically a warm-up act.

West Indies at the Oval in August, I suggest, would be a somewhat better spectacle, and the Windies would earn a bit more from the games which would hopefully help their situation somewhat.

By the way, I seem to remember a line-up of Fraser, Malcolm, Tufnell, Mullally, where Fraser batted 8. 8!!