When you are 40/5 chasing 350, it’s OK. You were probably going to lose anyway.
When you are 40/5 chasing 110, it’s horrible. You should not be losing. At 40/5, you should probably still be OK. But you know you won’t.
A quiet washes over the whole team, fuelled by the feeling that ice-cold water is suddenly coursing through your veins. All of a sudden, you forget how the hell it was you scored that hundred a couple of weeks ago. The gap between each fielder seems too small to fit the ball through.
After finding the fielder for 3 overs, there is only one option – go over the top. And that is where it all falls down. Try to defend, and you are caught behind. Try to attack, and the ball goes straight up in the air.
You are a deep-sea diver, and someone has cut your air line.
As an England fan, yesterday was a wonderful day, possibly the day when England went from being “decent” to “bloody hell….”. I enjoyed it immensely. But as a cricket fan and player, every time I saw that Sri Lankan dressing room something in my stomach lurched a little.
We have all been there.
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