Bank on Sensible Joe to finally get Wizard of Oz tag

IN the hotly-contested battle for the silliest sporting schedule, cricket is a fierce competitor.

- By Andy Dunn

We are barely into August, schools do not reopen for another month but there is only one more day of the Test summer left.

There is some knockabout stuff against the South Africans in September.

However, after what should be a gripping finale at The Oval today, it will be 16 weeks until England's next five-day contest.

There is always a big countdown to an Ashes series but this one is going to be an epic.

And how many times will it be said that Joe Root has not scored a century in Australia?

It has the potential to be the most talked-about sporting anomaly in 2025.