Clear away the debris, it's time for a short order cook with body plates to serve 63. During the summer, England were not the only ones being pulverised as they saw their first whitewash defeat at the hands of the Australians for the first time in over 86 years of The Ashes.
National holiday road toll target numbers, up last year an astonishing event from that of 2005, left the mark high to hit for the close out in 2007.
With the creep toward the lock down of numbers, and with the spotlight looming, it even takes the little ones to jump into the wreckage to help with the overall numbers. Sadly, too little too late like an English rush at the bails. It just wasn't cricket.
New South Wales, long standing champions of the road tolls, continue their mark on the pole position with nineteen, one down from the last period. A number held in the previous by Queensland, and unfortunately for them, plenty short as they rolled in their carcasses to thirteen, down for six.
Victoria held steady like the unsteady nature of the many taken in by fatigue, speed and wayward ghost lights on their travels. Sixteen for the state that likes to lose people.
Taking out fourth with a drop in two, Western Australia on seven. Tails watched closely as the Tasmanians were picking up the charred to find numbers to seat a four-passenger as they doubled up over 2006.
Most disappointing turn around came from South Australia. With big numbers in the last tally to dozen, they were sorely missing the missing as they flipped over for a three to round out their body count.
Northern Territory escaped last place as they notched a single fatality to jump ahead of the ACT, still on zero.
Written on Sunday, 7 January 2007