A spring day in the Long Room

Nice to take the familiar walk to Lord's this morning, past the block of flats I used to manage, past the pub that Brakspear's bought and regretted, and past the shop advertising a tuna massage(!). This time, however, for the first time proudly bearing a press badge for the Adidas launch of England kit.

Free refreshment in the bar whilst the Long Room was awash with technicians and marketeers and a scaffold gantry for curtains to keep the sun out. Presentation by Hugh Morris (ECB) and Robin Money of Adidas who talked of ForMotion and ClimaCool (helping with movement and heat control).

Very smart the new kit is too, modelled by Cook, Collingwood, Sidebottom, Pietersen and, later, Bell, Anderson, Broad and Ambrose. White with smaller logos for the Tests and blue trousers with blue tops for ODIs and red tops for Twenty20. A nice touch is the red piping to represent the Wales bit of ECB.

Much nicer touch is that the women's kit (similar colours) is the first (we were told) ever designed specifically for women. The models here were Edwards, Brunt and Guha.

The important questions were answered for me by Cook - comfortable? - yes but cold (he'd drawn the shirtsleeves version for outside photographs) and Ambrose, who was allowed what looked a very thin sweater but in new materials - warm? - yes, but not too hot.

So there we have it England in new comfortable kit giving no excuses for poor performances in future and high hopes for the technologically designed boots which should prevent all the quick bowlers' feet problems - which would be well worth the effort on its own.

Oh! And the ECB have now heard of Cricket Burble!