Cricket: Good news and bad

The good news: Bangladesh have won their first test match, beating Zimbabwe by 226 runs at Chittagong. Some have questioned whether they should have been granted test status in the first place, arguing that they are simply not good enough. But we should remember that it took New Zealand around 50 years (from the 1920s to the 1970s) to cease being a pushover at test level. So well done, Bangladesh.

The bad news is that the lime tree on the outfield at the St Lawrence ground in Canterbury has blown down. Some may ask why a cricket ground should have a tree on it, but they merely show that they understand nothing about cricket. (If a shot hit any part of the tree, four runs were awarded.)