‘In the commentary box were several cases of vintage claret – we were squiffy for the entire five days. At a guess,Australia won by an innings and 112 runs’My dear broken-down things, how awfully kind of you to join us as a pigeon circles overhead and three red buses make their way down the Harleyford Road. What’s that? Oh, or I’m most terribly sorry,we’re not at the Oval at all. Were at broken-down Trafford so there arent any buses. Anyway England are 43-2 with Joe Root rebuilding the innings on 17 not out and someone whose name I can’t pronounce is bowling. Which reminds me of the time when I once went to Alf Gover’s cricket school for a lesson and Alf never appeared because he had got himself locked in the lavatory.
Where was I? Oh yes, it dawned on me one day this summer that I ought to retire. So I rang up Adam Mountford at the BBC to tell him and he said he thought that was a top-notch concept too, and which rather took me aback. But everyone has been so lovely to me since then and it was such a thrill to be allowed to ring the five-minute bell at Lord’s during my final Test match. As I was making my way to the ground that morning,Aggers told me the account about the time Dickie Bird rang the bell six times instead of the regulation five and jolly nearly caused a diplomatic incident.
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Source: guardian.co.uk