Like many life-affirming moments, it happened in a pub. One Friday evening, after a few drinks in my favourite local, I announced to a few friends that I planned to cycle around the world. Laughter… followed by silence, perhaps as they saw that I was serious… and then more laughter as they realised the absurdity.

They all knew me too well. My lack of any sort of savings, complete absence of cycle-touring experience and famously spindly legs were all offered as reasons that I wouldn’t begin such a mammoth journey, let alone finish it.  They also didn’t believe that I could cope without playing cricket for a year. But they didn’t know that my mind was made up. After six years behind a desk in London fulfilling very few of my childhood dreams, it was time to tackle some.

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With Captain Floyd Reifer (that’s R-E-I-F-E-R)

I thought we were a bit unlucky against Pakistan but we proved right from the start that we can compete at this level, when I called correctly at the toss. There was a bit of awkwardness before the match this morning when I said “hello” to the reserve umpire Billy Bowden and he tried to give me an autograph but once I explained who I was that all got cleared up. Afridi told me that Bowden apparently tries to give everyone his autograph so I didn’t take it personally.

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First the ECB were going to get rid of 40-over cricket next summer, then they brought it back. Then they realised perhaps they should keep the 50-over tournament instead and ditch 40 overs after all. Then the counties moaned and it was kept. It was the biggest will-they-won’t-they farce since Ross and Rachel from Friends. I’m sure I even heard Giles Clarke mutter a “we were on a break” excuse for the debacle.

You’d have thought that after all of that fuss the ECB 40-over tournament (no longer the Pro40 because that was scrapped, remember) would have a fitting finale. Well, the final is at Lord’s at least. But it is also scheduled for September 18.

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