At the first Test Match to be held at the Rose Bowl

A Sunday off from church today as Klynn and I spent the day at the Rose Bowl, Southampton, watching the fourth day of the Third Test Match between England and Sri Lanka - the first Test Match ever to be staged at this prestigious new cricket ground.   We set off at just before 8.30 a.m. and arrived at the Park and Ride site near Southampton Airport at around 9.15 a.m.  The bus whisked us off to the Rose Bowl arriving at about 9.30 a.m.  We wandered around the ground, had coffee and a bacon butty before the game began, on the dot, at 11 a.m.  We had good seats but being in the open we were subject to the odd shower of rain and cold wind.  Despite being nearly at the point of mid-summer, the weather never really got very warm and we did suffer the odd small shower.  Luckily the rain was never sufficient to call off the game and we had uninterrupted play all day.  England increased their first inning's lead to 194 before declaring just before tea after the fall of two successive wickets were taken for 0 (Prior and Broad).  Bell managed an astounding 119 and Morgan 71.  It was great to see a Test Century, a Test half-century and a century partnership all happen in the space of a couple of balls.  I was surprised that England declared so soon and by the end of the day Sri Lanka had managed a score of 113 for 3 (only 81 runs behind).  It is almost impossible for Sri Lana to win the game but England may also struggle to win tomorrow if Sri Lanka continue to score runs without loss and the predicted rain arrives in the afternoon.  The Rose Bowl is selling tickets for tomorrow's game for just £10 but, unfortunately, I have a busy day ahead and can't go.  Sara cooked a lovely roast chicken supper tonight and the children bought me some Weight Watchers' cookies and two lovely book-marks (in fact one of the bookmarks was from Sara).  The house is in even a bigger mess as Mary has now moved most of the contents of her bedroom into the Family Room and tomorrow looks like being chaotic with the plumber coming down to look at moving the boiler.  Peter will also be here.  I must not get too distracted as I have to finalise my talk on Titanic for the University of the Third Age tomorrow.