[Neil Pickup]

Well, they've been an interesting few days. And no, I intentionally left the last two days as we've been engrossed in the Rich XI v Cloete XI clash which ended up having as much point to it as the proverbial blunt pencil. And Liam still hasn't realised we're in Brisbane, not Hobart.

Can't say I remember too much of Day one, having spent its entirety in the clubhouse and nets, and joining in with the "who-can-hit-Mr-Ponting-in-the-most-uncomfortable-place-with-a-bouncer" competition. He's not the most popular character in the camp at present after the Rosanna farce. Corey won in the end - his first ball, clocked at 151kph, was edged as the batsman ducked, and the next, which registered as 228kph (at least that's what I think the speed gun said before the green smoke came out of the back, and it exploded) before striking Mr Ponting on the full, in the grille, and rendering him unconscious for several hours.

Somehow Rich H managed to pick up a few wickets as Pete (quelle surprise) failed to convert a start into a big score and makeshift opener Bugs did the same. It was left to the skipper to make the runs and he obliged with a 120-ball, boundary-smattered century which was helped by the free pies served up by Hoggy and Corey (with a stump or two flung at high velocity from the former following a cover driven six on the stroke of lunch.

Like the openers, Cloete was bowled by Rich H. How this happened I still don't know - I can only assume they thought the ball was going to spin. Blewy (49 - LBW to Andre of all people) and Reuben added a few middle-order runs, Reuben's knock ending after he gloved a particularly vicious bouncer. Liam executed a stunning Ricardo Powell impression as he lashed his first ball for a one-bounce four through cow corner, swung and missed at the second and deposited the third in Rich T's hands at deep mid-wicket. I can only assume he'd left a joint in the pavilion and didn't want Pete swiping it. Some more agriculture from Sangrah and a not-that-conscious Mr Ponting helped the score upwards before a sensational one-handed diving catch at gully from Anthony McGrath ended the innings on 392, which so excited the scorer that he spelt the batsman's name wrong.

The Rich XI's top order then contrived to bore our arses off for the best part of 150 overs as they stumbled along at around 2.5 an over with a glorious 16 off 93 balls from Rich H being the highlight. The skipper made a not-so-fluent 91 but the real star was the veteran, John "Lucky Eddie" Sanders who made a sensational 101 at number 9 with 23 fours - I believe this may be a World Record - before Sangrah bowled him. Three wickets for him and four for Liam - medium pace trundler town, I think. Have to say, none of them matched the wrong'un I did Marc with. Four feet outside off, expansive leave, goodbye off bail. Ajit and Mr Ponting proved as incisive as the match was revealing.

This left Pete with 22 overs to prod around for an average-boosting 28* following Bugs' run-a-ball 31.

Our coaches are promising something special tomorrow. Can't wait...