The Pavilion End

The sightscreen slightly to his right
Old Tom enjoys a perfect sight
Of swing and bounce and turn and flight
At the pavilion end

He never sits beneath the tree:
True cricketers should always be
Behind the arm where they can see
At the pavilion end

The bowling might as well be wide
To those who watch it from the side
Thank goodness they have never tried
At the pavilion end

Next-in batsmen come to say
"What’s the bowling like today?"
The teapot’s never far away
At the pavilion end

Time was when he would turn his arm
With guile, variety and charm
But now he sits beyond all harm
At the pavilion end

Some day when things are not the same
A wooden bench shall bear his name –
"Tom Brown, who always watched the game
At the pavilion end".

By Arthur Salway

And as I write this, Australia are 193-4 in reply to England's 238 in the fourth Test at Durham.