George Cazenove

So about *The Queue*….my father was in the queue yesterday. He’s a 75-year former Coldstream Guards and Parachute Regiment officer but spent most of his career in the City.

Renshaw returning from a three-year Test exile to score a career-best hundred, followed by a stunning 134-run ninth-wicket partnership. Australia going from 124-6 to 390. Markram batting for over 200 balls, displaying extraordinary resolve. Josh Hazlewood producing a sensational spell to register his career-best Test figures and put Australia 1-0 up. Boland, playing his first Test in South Africa, ripping through their top three before eventually claiming a five-wicket haul in the second Test. South Africa showing incredible fight, putting together two century partnerships after losing their sixth wicket for the first time in their history. Bavuma producing one of the finest Test hundreds you'll ever see. A career-best knock, built on immense tenacity against a relentless pace attack. South Africa going from 110-6 to 425. Marco Jansen unleashing a destructive five-wicket haul to bowl Australia out for 99. Travis Head producing a resolute hundred, with Boland showing extraordinary bravery to face more than 160 balls and keep Australia's hopes alive. South Africa roaring back to level the series despite losing two days to rain. South Africa making a strong start in the third Test, only for Starc's sensational six-wicket haul to drag Australia right back into the contest. Inglis, returning to the Test side after almost a year, smashing a sizzling 132-ball hundred to give Australia the lead and the upper hand. With just six wickets remaining, South Africa batting through the entirety of Day 4, as Rickelton and Mulder both scoring hundreds to wrestle the advantage back. Rabada striking twice in the very first over of Day 5. And then Harmer claiming his first ten-wicket haul in a Test to seal a famous series victory for South Africa. Every Test had drama, going into the fifth day every time. Every Test had its twists and turns. Every Test had a story to tell. Test cricket, bloody hell, eh?

Brilliant. I wonder if England will EVER learn that a finger spinner bowing loads of overs in championship cricket is a really really good way to learn your trade. Harmer’s well earned success is Essex’s success too. And congratulations to SA. They were brilliant.

Simon Harmer takes 6/16 as Australia collapse to defeat in Cape Town decider. South Africa win by 176 runs as Australia are bowled out for 111. World Test Champions South Africa go to the top of the ICC Test Rankings. #bbccricket #SAvAUS

Impressive performance by West Indies as they win the First Test in Bangladesh by 8 wickets. bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/scor… #bbccricket #BANvWI

NEW: UK Foreign Secretary @Ed_Miliband has told Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov that he and his government are responsible for killing innocent civilians, condemning Thursday’s attack on Dnipro railway station Speaking directly to Lavrov at a meeting of G20 foreign ministers in the US today, Miliband said: "Let me say this directly to the Russian Foreign Minister: we all know who the aggressor in this war is. Let's talk about what happened at Dnipro railway yesterday. Only yesterday your drones attacked and killed 15 people. And there are countless examples like this of you killing innocent civilians throughout this war. We all know you are the aggressor. We all know you started this war four and a half years ago with the full scale invasion of Ukraine. " "And Putin thought then he would win this war easily. But you are are not winning this war. Thanks to the courage of the Ukrainian people and the solidarity of countries round this table, you are not winning. If you had the courage to tell the truth and to do what is right you would tell Putin that he is not winning this war and will not win."

WHAT. AN. EPIC. SERIES 🍿

Calm after the storm

JUST IN: Nic Maddinson’s omission from Australia's XI for the Cape Town Test has been confirmed, while Steve Smith faces a fitness test on his troublesome neck. Maddinson and Sam Harper will leave Australia's squad to be available for upcoming Sheffield Shield games

Owen Jones has, for the last three years, revealed himself to be a man of enormous courage, integrity and truthfulness. No one should think for a minute that his relentless defence of Palestinian rights and historical truth is easy or comes without heavy personal costs. Throughout the genocide in Gaza, Jones remained a tireless bur rigorous and supremely decent voice. I suspect part of what initially moved him was the strong displeasure in being treated like an idiot by the official propaganda – a noble motive in itself – but there is no question he has been genuinely touched by the images of suffering arriving daily from Gaza. And yet, how does his intellectual fixation on a battle between left and right help us understand the horrors of Gaza, or move us to stop them? My impression is that the opposite has happened. People look at what is happening in Gaza and ask themselves what a person on the right or on the left should think. In many cases this is ideology. In most, simply careerism and group association. Jones shows how limited the perspective really is. How about, like the author himself, asking how a human being should feel? How about returning to the world of facts and feelings rather than our endless Marvel franchise? newstatesman.com/culture/boo…

Owen Jones has, for the last three years, revealed himself to be a man of enormous courage, integrity and truthfulness. No one should think for a minute that his relentless defence of Palestinian rights and historical truth is easy or comes without heavy personal costs. Throughout the genocide in Gaza, Jones remained a tireless bur rigorous and supremely decent voice. I suspect part of what initially moved him was the strong displeasure in being treated like an idiot by the official propaganda – a noble motive in itself – but there is no question he has been genuinely touched by the images of suffering arriving daily from Gaza. And yet, how does his intellectual fixation on a battle between left and right help us understand the horrors of Gaza, or move us to stop them? My impression is that the opposite has happened. People look at what is happening in Gaza and ask themselves what a person on the right or on the left should think. In many cases this is ideology. In most, simply careerism and group association. Jones shows how limited the perspective really is. How about, like the author himself, asking how a human being should feel? How about returning to the world of facts and feelings rather than our endless Marvel franchise? newstatesman.com/culture/boo…

I signed this open letter in the @NewStatesman. Sally Rooney is a writer, not a terrorist newstatesman.com/cover-story…

Further to my comment two days ago… Nic Maddinson has got guts and sometimes, as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman says, guts is enough. #SAvsAUS

Just bizarre from Marcus North and @ECB_cricket. Leach averages 27 in f/c cricket in 1st division; Rehan averages 38 and Bashir averages 49. But let's not pick Leach. Weird.

Just bizarre from Marcus North and @ECB_cricket. Leach averages 27 in f/c cricket in 1st division; Rehan averages 38 and Bashir averages 49. But let's not pick Leach. Weird.