Saturday 17th August, 2013

If there's one thing we've been incredibly lucky to experience on this Ashes tour, it's a glorious English summer. Many of the locals have told us that it's one of the best they can remember. However in the last week or so we've seen increasing cloud-cover and intermittent showers, and at times the conditions have been rather grim. Some may not like me saying so, but the mood around our group has felt a little similar on this last leg of our journey. Things have quietened down considerably since the majority of our tour buddies have now returned to Australia and those of us whom are left are seeing a little less of each other socially.

The city of Newcastle is where the Australian Cricket Team/Family were based for the duration of the Durham (fourth) Test. There were no suitable accommodation options in Durham for a group of our size (the English cricket team were already occupying the only viable venue) so instead we were fortunate enough to be accommodated in Newcastle, a half hour's drive from the ground at Chester-le-street. For those who aren't familiar with this beautiful city, it has a very 'Sydney-type-feel' to it with a smaller version of Sydney's Harbour Bridge crossing the river that runs right through the main part of town. Newcastle's architecture is absolutely gorgeous and from our limited experience of the local restaurants, shops and cafes, we were also very impressed by the service and the friendly locals.

If you've had your head buried in the sand over the last week and managed to miss the Australian or UK news, we officially lost the Ashes in Durham. At the beginning of day four it looked as though we were about to win but as wickets began tumbling late in the afternoon, a number of us watched the game unravel on TV in our hotel rooms, frozen in shock and disbelief. Again, I wasn't around when the boys' bus arrived back at the hotel and to be honest, I didn't want to be. What would I have said to them as they got off the bus? I couldn't possibly imagine how disappointed they must have been so I stayed holed up in our hotel room and kept well away from the hotel lobby bar where they all congregated for an hour or two later that evening.

Today I write from Northampton where the second and final day of the last tour match looks as though it may be rained out again. Later this afternoon we'll travel back to London and stay at the same hotel we were in for the Lord's Test. I think we're all quietly pretty pumped about this as it's a rather luxurious hotel situated in the heart of one of London's great shopping and dining districts. We're now on the home stretch and with one final Test match to be played at The Oval, the series we all waited so long for will very soon be over. I still have my fingers crossed that we will win this last Test match convincingly and be able to share at least one or two genuine, celebratory drinks at the end of what's been an incredibly long and demanding adventure.