I'm forever blowing bubbles

England's ODI
selection policy

Fantasy Bob is given to understand that a boffin called Bird and his co-workers spent  three years developing the perfect theory of bubble bursting. They have concluded that a bubble bursting will form a ring of daughter bubbles, which in turn burst and form a ring of daughter bubbles which in turn burst and form a ring.............and so on to infinity like an episode of EastEnders.   All fine and good.  This discovery apparently has several implications for manufacturing processes and the transmission of disease, not that the 2 are connected.

Fantasy Bob can find no equivalent scientific research on the sound of bubbles bursting.  His own experience tells him that bubble gum bubbles burst with a recognisable click as they collapse.  It also tells him that the gum then sticks all over the blower's face.  FB found this bad enough at the best of times, but particularly so when he sported a beard.  He suggests that bubble gum should carry a health warning for people, of either sex, with beards. But, to return to the subject at hand, 'What is the sound of a bubble bursting?' seems a question for the Zen master, alongside 'What is the sound of one hand clapping?'.

Fantasy Bob mentions all this because it may be relevant to the England tour of Australia.  From the high summit of the Ashes triumph they are now on a losing run - has a bubble burst and are daughter bubbles all around?  Are the daughters about to burst?

The second ODI performance was pretty unimpressive.  Australia were on the rails twice but escaped through the batting of Shaun Marsh - er where was he during the Test series - aided by Cameron White and more surprisingly Doug Bollinger.  England then batted like a bunch of bubbles with Bollinger (no pun intended) doing the business including getting KP first ball.  Flower's choice of Prior as the World Cup keeper-opener looked a little less inspired as he was also out for 0.  Oops.

Neither Paul Collingwood nor his sock was available for comment.