Illustration: John Shakespeare

AUSTRALIAN expat Jason Donald took his eight-year-old son along to the first day of the fifth Test at The Oval and was there in time to see the Australians warming up. As the team left the field, of course there was a scrum of fans trying to get autographs and, as young Alec is not of the pushy-shovey type, of course he got rather pushy-shovey-ed aside and finished up tucked between the fence and a security bloke. And who is this striding forth now? Why, it is Ed Cowan, who has had something of a tough Ashes campaign, but knows a young Australian far from home when he sees one. Waving to the security guard, Cowan asks him to let the little kid with the Australian cap to come on through, onto the field. Now taking off his gloves, Cowan kneels down, signs young Alec’s autograph book, and then gives him the gloves and says, “Mate, we are three-nil down in England, so you deserve these.” Alec beams, the crowd cheers, the game begins, and Shane Watson scores 176 runs! A great start to the Test.