Australia have retained the Ashes due to the final two days of the fourth test being virtually wiped out by the weather.
Without rain, England would have won the match and levelled the series at 2-2, leading to an exciting final decider at The Oval in a few days' time.
But the weather has denied us that excitement and nailbiting final game which now becomes something of an irrelevance.
Something has to be done to stop this shambles and it doesn't take a genius to work out a few things that would improve the situation.
1/ Each day consists of either 90 overs or an end time of 6.30 whichever comes first. Usually this means that play ends with only around 80 overs being bowled. Easy solution - a day should consist of 90 overs and should continue until this has been completed providing the light is good enough.
2/ On day four of the current test, play didn't start until the afternoon. But the players still stopped for a tea break. At the time they went in it was not raining. By the time they finished munching their sandwiches it had started to rain. With rain forecasted the tea break should have been put back. The crowd want to see cricket and not players drinking tea, something they could have done until the rain stopped.
3/ Schedules should be changed to allow overflow days. A Test match should consist of an initial five days with 90 overs a day or 450 overs in total. If after five days only 350 have been bowled, an additional day of 100 overs should be bowled. Obviously it might continue to rain but if two additional days are set aside we might at least get more genuine results.
Losing the Ashes through rain is a farce and I would say the same if England were winning and Australia were denied fighting back by the weather. We want competitions to be decided on the field and not by the rain Gods.
This situation is almost as farcical as that of Formula One racing when there has been a crash and the safety car is brought out. You might be 30 seconds ahead of a car but when the safety car is in place the driver behind you will be brought right up just a few yards from your back bumper.
I still remember the farce that lost Lewis Hamilton the World Championship a few years ago. He was coasting to victory with the race almost complete when there was an accident and the safety car was employed and Hamilton lost the title. That made a farce of the sport and I haven't watched a grand prix since.
Enough about sport. I won't mention that all I did yesterday afternoon was watch the Open golf on TV - at least it wasn't raining here.
There are days when I lack motivation and I'm sure that's the same for everyone. I did spend the morning pretty much finishing off the August edition of Hethersett Herald before self vegetating ahead of another busy week.
I had wanted to do some more editing on my book of early lockdown blogs but just didn't have the necessary acutrements.
I refer to the famous Round Tuit. Very few people own one. You know this because they are always saying things like "I never seem to get a Round Tuit." Or "I'll do it when I get a Round Tuit."
So just what is a Round Tuit? Has anyone ever seen a Round Tuit? Obviously it's round but I'm not sure what a Tuit is. And is there a square or an oblong Tuit.
When I was working as a reporter in Beccles one of my jobs was to attend and report on Worlingham Parish Council. They were a jovial lot which can't always be said of local councils.
I seem to remember that the chairman was Aubrey Foreman. I tried to check this on the internet but didn't find anything. The local rector whose name escapes me wrote about Round Tuits in the parish magazine and even had a picture of one which looked suspiciously like a 50 pence piece. And of course 50p pieces aren't round anyway.
Apart from the Round Tuet I have another memory of Worlingham Parish Council. It must have been their first meeting after my wedding. They met me at the door and helped me to my seat. In other words I was now seen as an old married man! (That's the only exclamation mark in this particular blog and that's a reference to a recent blog).
I mention the above because today is my 47th wedding anniversary. Now how's this for a coincidence. It's the other threequarters' 47th wedding anniversary today as well. She must have been married on the same day as me.
That means I have put up with her for 17,166 days. Actually let me put that a better way. She has put up with me for 17,166 days.
I have thought about getting her an anniversary present but won't be able to until I can get hold of a Round Tuet.