IN the past few weeks, even me, who doesn’t sleep much anyway, may have appeared a little more fatigued than usual. There is a simple explanation; The Ashes is currently taking place Down Under.

Try as I might, the attraction of watching ‘just another over’ means that more than once during the first two Tests, I have thought, ‘well, for the sake of another couple of hours, I might as well watch it through so stumps,’ with grave consequences the next day.

I qualify for ‘avid’ status when it comes to The Ashes, especially in Australia. Years ago, there was something magical listening to the MCC on radio through the night, then catching up with the highlights literally a day later. For the record, I failed the Norman Tebbit test as for me, England were never that exciting, compared to the likes of Lillie and Thomson, Warne or Adam Gilchrist.

The latter is now part of BT Sport’s excellent commentary and analysis team. But I am a traditionalist, and that means watching TV, but listening to the BBC’s Test Match Special commentary on the wireless. I know, it’s not been called that in ages. But in this series,

I have even reverted to listening to an old analogue tranny just to get the digital TV pictures to synchronise. It never used to be this troublesome

WATCHING and listening to the Second Ashes Test, there was a classic piece of chat between Jonathan Agnew and Geoffrey Boycott on TMS, as the latter explained how he’d been filming a masterclass session with Ricky Ponting and Michael Vaughan for BT Sport, focusing on defensive batting.

Apparently, it was the first time Boycott had dabbled with a bat in hand for 30 years.

“I could hear the producer shouting to Michael, “get him to play a few shots.”

Agnew’s riposte was quick and clean bowled Boycott.

“Well to be fair Geoffrey, he isn’t the first to shout that at you!” quipped Agnew, making reference to the Yorkshireman’s legendary belligerence.

I noted this week that former Newcastle, Spurs and Rangers star Paul Gascoigne had pulled out of ‘An Audience With’ event in the North East due to illness.

Gazza had been due to appear with former team-mate Peter Beardsley in Dunston, near Newcastle, but cancelled the engagement.

Imagine, a man battling alcoholism and with several other health issues, calls in sick.

That does happen from time to time, even with healthy folk. It just doesn’t make the same headlines.

LAST Sunday I was providing commentary at Knockhill on the Beatson’s Building Supplies Stages, third round of the MSN Circuit Rally Championship, where the brother and sister team of Josh and Tamsyn Davey - who had travelled all the way from Truro - dominated the event in their Darrian T90.

Unfortunately, they were denied victory when the gearbox seized late in the day. “It looks like the Darrian has blown up - a bit like Tynescastle yesterday,” I said referring to Darian MacKinnon’s wrestling match with Austin McPhee during Hearts v Hamilton.

It earned a few thumbs up from spectators at Knockhill, showing some had been paying attention to events elsewhere.