Australia vs Pakistan: first Twenty20 international – live | Australian cricket team

Hello Sam MacAulay! This sausage seems to be useful for blocking any lightning that comes your way. No further comments, Your Honor.

Use the beer mugs sparingly, we may still have a job to do here. If we get to the park before 8:30pm local time we can get to a five over game. (hic)

I won't have that. As if things didn't feel apocalyptic enough right now…

A hard raiiiiiiiin will fall?

Bob Dylan was in London the other night and really enjoyed this review.

An artist who described himself as libertine in 1963 seems disinclined to stick to any script 61 years later. It's best to stay close to the person responsible and keep an eye out for clues as to where they're headed. As they belligerently follow his unpredictable vocal phrasing and a piano style that's at once flowery and abrasive – Art Tatum on Les Dawson – he's still able to catch them off guard: there are moments when you could swear , that the band starts to peak or slow down to a conclusion, only to find out that their leader has other ideas.

There are reports of thunder at sonic boom heights around the stadium. Are you within earshot, are any OBOers on site and keeping an eye on the storms? Write us an email as usual, links on the left side of this page.

Some reading in wet weather? Martin Pegan is here for you as he explores how time waits for no one, not even Australian cricketers:

Australian cricket has been reminded numerous times that Father Time remains unbeaten. The lasting impact of the end of every cricketer and every era has been clear in recent decades, as fallow years have been followed by a bumper crop of all-conquering Australians. However, it remains to be seen whether the lessons of the past have truly been learned as the current men's Test team begins another summer of cricket heading towards a cliff edge.

Batten down the hatches, Mr. Binnacle!

Throw delayed due to lightning hazard

preamble