Ashes

The 2005 Ashes cricket series was notable for many things - England's first victory since 1987; Andrew Flintoff consoling Brett Lee after the two-run triumph at Edgbaston; Ashley Giles noodling England to their crucial win at Trent Bridge. But for followers of the Film Review Show, that was all eclipsed by a feat of the truly remarkable - Mark "what I know about sport wouldn't fill the back of a postage stamp" Kermode reeling off all 10 ways to be out in cricket. (Former England captain Alec Stewart was audibly impressed).

Because the Film Review Show came from both Trent Bridge and the Oval - and happened to coincide with tea both times - Mark's reviews were frequently backed by the strains of Land Of Hope And Glory, Nessun Dorma and the ever-rousing Jerusalem. It was something of a shame that, given such stirring aural accompaniment, the films being discussed were the likes of The Dukes Of Hazzard and Sisterhood Of The Travelling Pants.

At the end of the Oval Test programme - during which Mark found the covers going on and off more interesting than Last Days - Graham Thorpe gave Mark a copy of his book Rising From The Ashes to review, though Mark's verdict is unknown.