The national obsession with the boys in white brought many workplaces to a halt on Monday. The upper ranks of education and government were as tightly gripped as any.
At lunchtime, John Dunford of the Secondary Heads Association broke off from his press conference on head shortages, reached for his mobile and announced: “144 for 5. That’s from somebody at the match.” A bit later, the future of English cricket was still on a knife-edge when the Prime Minister arrived at the City of London academy to give his speech on the future of education. Top dogs, including Lord Adonis and Cyril Taylor of the Specialist Schools Trust, had to break out of their huddle round the telly when the PM entered the hall. He apologised for interrupting, raced through his speech, then added without visible briefing: “And now for the important stuff: England are 227 for 7 at tea. Pietersen is 105 not out - that’s the good news in the short-term.”
