As much as the previously colonised among us enjoy seeing England beaten - this utterly objective reporter included - there is much to be taken from their victories.

The Three Lions were indeed rampant in their handsome win over Sri Lanka in the Champions Trophy in Johannesburg on Friday. England delivered a well-nigh flawless lesson in Cricket, How To Play.

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This week I was invited to watch some County Championship cricket at Northampton. It was the first cricket I’d seen since the last day of the Ashes, as I could not have been less enthused about the prospect of seven one-dayers against Australia - a position that I suspect I shared with many of the England squad.

Our broken national side have now been whisked away to the southern hemisphere to play three warm-down games, and have taken many of our cricket journalists with them. But there are still a few days of cricket that actually matters being played out on our home soil. Durham may have yomped off with the Division One Championship some time ago, but the battle for promotion from Division Two will go to the wire.

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Oscar-winning actor Jeremy Irons discusses the joys of cricket with Edward Craig

I played cricket when I was at school. I suffered indignity after indignity. I used to sit there on the boundary for hours, trying to make grass burn with a magnifying glass. I would make the sandwiches for tea. That was what I did, more of a helper.

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