Perspective

I watched this unfold with a widening grin. It seemed to represent the very best in sport - the unexpected triumph of the underdog - which I had not believed this World Cup had the potential to provide. It doesn't seem very important now.

Sport gets built up in importance to the stage where a defeat in a league game is a 'calamity' and a victory in a five match series leads to open-top bus tours through the centre of London. Keith Miller had a better perspective on the importance of sport: pressure, he said, was 'having a Messerschmidt up your arse'; cricket was fun, a hobby. It's worth keeping that in mind the next time you see defeat in a second round cup tie described as a 'tragedy'.