If I was to ask you to pick a number between one and ten, statistically you are most likely to say seven.

If I were to ask you how many one-day matches the series against Australia should involve, I wonder if the statistics would turn up the same result?

I've covered two seven-match series in my time working on cricket for Sky Sports News, on my first tour to India in 2006 and then their return in 2007.

Out of the picture: the No 7 has not brought Ian Bell recent one-day cheer

The first was a walk over for the home team but was full of wonderful experiences off the field. The second was dominated by the quality of cricket on the field and went right to the wire with England coming out on top.

It may be that we have another thriller in this series between England and Australia, however with every match there seems to be the same question coming up - Why didn't they play the one-dayers before the Ashes like in 2005?

To be honest it did prove to be the perfect build-up to the series then and it is a shame that we couldn't have had the same this time around.

Wonders

The number of matches has been criticised, but it has inspired me to look at other things that are inextricably linked with seven. Hopefully it will make you appreciate the number rather than resent it.

Of course, where would we be without the seven days of the week? Well, I'll tell you, we'd be stuck in a horrible world where all we have is 'day' where we wake up every morning like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day longing for something different.

The wonders of the world obviously come in sevens; modern and ancient. It could be argued that the cricket ground's of England also fall into those two categories.

In fairness the ground where I'm writing this blog is one of the most forward thinking, there is one major problem with the Rose Bowl though. If only they had a few Roman mates that could cobble together another road to the ground to ease the perennial problem of congestion. It would put an end to some of the alternative and rather unfair names that have been given to the ground.

Those who are cursing the length of this series must remember that the number seven is associated with a feeling of great joy and satisfaction in the form of seventh heaven.

Having said that, I can guarantee that neither the streaker that was spear tackled by the Green Team, Cameron White who saw one go straight through to his box of tricks or Graeme Swann who went down like he was shot by a sniper on the boundary felt like they were in seventh heaven at the Rose Bowl.

Deadly

Excuse me for a brief moment of seriousness, I was interested to learn that seventh heaven actually refers to the furthest of the concentric spheres containing the stars and constituting the dwelling place of God and the angels according to the Muslim and kabbalist systems. Now don't tell me these blogs are a waste of time. Sorry? Oh ok, fair enough.

One of the grimmest films I've ever seen was Seven - it was predictably about the seven deadly sins. If a cricketing equivalent was made of deadly sins in the one-day game the list would probably read: wearing whites, batting for a draw, bowling a wide, front foot no-balls, Owais Shah-esque running between the wickets, not utilising the power plays and failing to bat your overs.

Instead of Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman, you'd need to get Bumble and Nasser on the case!

Other famous seven's include S Club 7, the Magnificent Seven, the man from St Ives with seven wives, seven swans-a-swimming, the seven year war, 7up, the Seven Dwarves, and of course the many footballers that have worn the number 7.

There is no doubt I'll get grief for highlighting Manchester United's glittering list of 7's (I am a Watford fan incidentally) but they've had quite a few, George Best, Eric Cantona, David Beckham and Ronaldo isn't a bad list.

It would be strange to end on football though. Perhaps it is best to discuss the future of the number seven, and there is a lot to be positive about. We may be less than halfway through this series with Australia, but when England (the Ashes winners) pull on their whites again, there will be a new era for the number 7 and if Stuart Broad can live up to his predecessors popularity then everyone will be in seventh heaven!

back to top