Great Day had by all Photo © Barmy Army

Those who have followed England for any length of time were probably not too shocked at the collapse the team suffered to lose heavily at the Gabba today.

More surprising was to see the Aussies do a lap of honour, during which Glen McGrath and Shane Warne, often the prime targets of the Army's taunts, came over to the stands to shake hands with the assembled English fans.

England could learn a great deal from the Aussies, and not only on the pitch. There is certainly a big "feel good" factor about Australian cricket, which comes not just from winning.

During breaks in play, positive images of Aussies young and old flash up on the big screen constantly, showing a variety of awards and initiatives, and Allan Border even finished his charity walk.

It is in strong contrast to the England team.

The players initially showed no interest in coming out to acknowledge the support of the masses of fans, people who spend huge amounts of time and money to follow them.

Eventually, after chants of "Nasser, bring out the boys", a group of players came over, led by Matthew Hoggard. He enthusiastically waved, clapped and shook hands, and finished with his "monkey walk".

It is Hoggard who has inherited from Goughie the cult status amongst the Army, and he shows full appreciation for the support he receives.

While the team were capitulating on the field, the vocal support intensified off it, in the face of the the mocking taunts from the locals.

As wickets fell, the optimistic "we're going to win 5-0" was replaced by an entirely more realistic "we're going to win 4-1".

And as defeat loomed, a West Ham fan managed to get the entire Barmy Army joining along to his little ditty.

This involved all the things he likes to do on different days of the week, including wanking, having fun and playing rugby.

Not sure what it says about West Ham fans, but the army certainly enjoyed singing and dancing along.

New songs are always welcome, maybe this one will become a regular favourite on tour, unlike the beautifully penned tribute to the unfortunate Simon Jones. Hopefully he'll make a full recovery and the song can be used on future tours.

The antics of the army in defeat were admirable, according to Michael Craig. The landlord of the Gabba Hotel, a popular drinking hole for the Army, was full of praise for the troops.

He fully approved at the way they "sang and danced well into the night," and how they had a conga that went in and out of all the doors in the pub... they were "fantastic".

Michael had a few stories to tell, which will be published later in the week on this website. You will learn about the only problem he faced, two fighting Aussies who couldn't handle their coffee.

Roll on the celebrations if...sorry when, England win a game.

Finally, the local police deserve another mention. Their laid back approach contributed to a fantastic atmosphere throughout the match.

The relaxed style endeared themselves to the England fans, so much so that the "Old McDonald" jibes had been replaced by "You're the best police in the world".

Who would have made such predictions before the start of a tour with the Barmy Army?

Best friends with the police: 12-1 against.

Shaking hands with Glen McGrath: 50-1.

A heavy England defeat: At least 200-1.

Let's hope for better things on the pitch in Adelaide.

© Barmy Army