malinga!

Lasith Malinga! Hero of the day for taking 4 wickets in 4 balls, a never-done-before feat in a 100 years or so of cricket history, neither in the one days or in the test matches. As the South African next to me said, "damned difficult to face him".

If Sri Lanka lose one more match, then they will have to win everything else to make it to the semi finals. Bugger. wish i was home right now, watching the match and yelling my head off in delirium. Instead am in medieval oxford, on hard backed chairs in an overwrought ballroom. And while it is lovely, and the sky is blue, the grass is green, the daffodils are blooming, everything is so silent and reserved and I want to whoop and yell! There would have been dancing on the streets back home. I love the Guardian which has an over by over commentary, and the funniest commentators who get so bored during the slow stretches and still have to write something. Here's a classic from the 13th over of this match:

"13th over: South Africa: 67-1 (Smith 41 Kallis 24) So in this B movie autobigraphy of my life as an OBO writer, who'll be playing me? Adopt your best trailer voice and try this for size: "He was a proud man, who compromised his personal tastes for his professional ideals". I'm going for Sean Penn, with Vin Diesel as Jacques Kallis and Bob Hoskins as Smyth. Smith meanwhile, steps away to leg and squats as he swats Vaas way away for six over long-off. The first six at this ground, and a really bolshy shot to a man bowling as well as Vaas has been. "

Lastly, as Bill Clinton said "we are defined as much by the opportunities we have lost, as those we have gained".