The details are a bit hazy, but the last time the Spin put finger to keyboard a fortnight ago it might have suggested England had absolutely no chance whatsoever of reaching the CB Series final, let alone winning the thing. Well, thanks to a few emails from readers who donned their 2020 hindsight goggles, the Spin has now seen the error of its ways. But it is still struggling to get its cyber-head round the fact that a team of belittled and humiliated no-hopers suddenly strung together four one-day wins in a row against serious opposition for the first time in nearly a decade. As sporting comebacks go, this is - as they say - right up there.
Some observers have traced England's new-found resolve back to Ed Joyce's century against Australia at Sydney on February 2. (Would England still be a laughing-stock had Shaun Tait accepted Joyce's generous offering at deep backward point when he had six? Probably.) But what about the previous match against New Zealand, when England were 184 for seven chasing 319 and looked odds on to concede another confidence-sapping bonus point. Up stepped Paul Nixon, who was averaging under seven from his first five ODIs, to hit 49 and, with the help of Liam Plunkett, drag England to 260 for eight. Sometimes it takes only the smallest spark, and this might have been it.
After that, a few things happened. Andrew Symonds, a bullock of a batsman and inner-ring fielder, injured himself trying to hit the ball too hard (how else?); Paul Collingwood finally emerged from his post-Adelaide depression to underline his value as one of the gutsiest cricketers around (sorry, Paul, but branding you the workman seems to be the surest way of firing you up); and - the key part here - Australia grew complacent.
Yes, there is no other conclusion to be drawn. John Buchanan set the ball rolling by ignoring the perils of hubris and telling the world that Australia weren't being sufficiently tested. After that, England did to Australia what Australia did to England throughout the Ashes: they fought their way out of trouble spots and won the crucial mini-sessions. Yet for all this, there is a freakishness about England's double recovery in the first of the finals that defies rational analysis. Australia might never again lose a game in which they reach 170 for one after 30 overs and then reduce the opposition to 15 for three.
So where does this leave England's World Cup hopes, a noun we can now use without a smirk? The bookies have insured themselves against a flurry of patriotism by installing them as joint-second favourites, but that feels like over-egging a particularly sweet pudding. The truth is that England have almost stumbled across a team which can now join the group of eight genuine challengers for the title and which will - fitness permitting - include Michael Vaughan at the top of the order in place of Mal Loye.
Andrew Strauss might miss out to Ed Joyce, although the Spin does not feel strongly either way, and Plunkett - whose competition strike-rate of just under 25 was the best in the series - now seems certain to play as part of an attack also comprising Jimmy Anderson, Monty Panesar, Andrew Flintoff, Jamie Dalrymple and Collingwood. And we haven't even mentioned the fact that Kevin Pietersen will be back and desperate to regain several shafts of the spotlight.
But let's not get carried away. England have been a very average one-day side ever since they lost the 1992 World Cup final and four successive wins do not change that. However confident they will be feeling right now, it will need a successful Caribbean campaign - defined by a semi-final spot - to get rid of the nagging concern that what has happened over the last fortnight could just be one hell of an aberration.
Taken from the Spin, Guardian Unlimited's weekly take on the world of cricket.
