Just read the extracts in the MoS from Chris Mullin's new book "Decline & Fall" based on his diaries written in the final years of the last government.

 

Looks like I may have found some reading for the next holiday.

Well done to Pakistan for a deserved victory in the Oval Test Match.

 

Given the problems at home it must be incredibly difficult for the Pakistan players to focus on a game of cricket, however they have performed really well over the last 4 days and have kept the test match series alive.

 

England's batting looked really fragile in this game - Pietersen, Collingwood and Morgan don't seem to be in any sort of form and until the second innings Cook's international prospects looked very limited.

 

I feel certain that the England selectors will keep with the same team for the final game at Lords but you have to think that, on form, there are several batmen not worth their place - starting with Mr Pietersen.

 

There is much to be said in favour of keeping a settled side - especially one that is winning most games - but there are times when an out of form player should return to county cricket for a spell.

 

It's a shame Pietersen can't do that since he has fallen out with Hampshire - it must be very difficult to try to find your batting form whilst playing in the most demanding form of the game and Pietersen clearly is struggling.

 

With the 1st Ashes Test Match now only 100 or so days away England really need Pietersen to find form as he is just about the only world class batsman we have and we will badly need his middle order runs once we go down under.

 

 

Apparently Prezza is trying to be elected as Treasurer of the Labour Party.

 

I hope he wins.

 

As he has bu**ered up just about every job he has ever held this could just about finish the Labour Party for good.

 

Prezza has had an article published on The Guardian website today which is worth a read.

 

I loved the bit where he praised the Labour Party for imposing financial discipline on itself so that they finished the General Election campaign with a surplus.

 

Shame they couldn't have managed the economy in the same way isn't it!

 

I look forward to hearing Prezza praising the new government for imposing financial discipline onto the nation so that we may one day end up solvent again.

 

No, I don't think it will happen either.

 

 

I know that we have had a link to Mark Mills-Bishops website for a quite a while - however I didn't realise that Mark maintained a diary of his civic duties on his site.

 

It's well worth having a quick read - it certainly gives an insight into just how busy the role of the Mayor actually is.

Tomasz Schafernaker has had better days - he is now probably reading the weather forecast in the wee small hours on BBC Radio Shetland..................