Jonathan: My post-match interview with Ben Stokes has attracted a great deal of attention. It is fair to say that he did not agree with my assessment that England’s batsmen played poorly and would benefit from playing in the day/night, white ball match in Canberra which has been organised as preparation for the second Test in Brisbane.

Those interviews are very challenging for all involved. Stokes was absolutely frazzled. He and his team had just been thrashed and humiliated in front of 50,000 people. They lost a match they should have won and within moments of walking off the field, Stokes is compelled to be interviewed live on television and then by me. Let’s be honest, it is the last thing he feels like doing and I don’t blame him.

I dread it too. I have nowhere to hide - I am standing there alone with a microphone and have to ask hard questions, which must be delivered respectfully. I chuckle when I read some comments on social media about being soft: if I asked the questions they demand, Stokes would not want to talk to me again. It is a very delicately balanced relationship. Again, I use the word ‘respect’.

As for the point I was making, I do find it astonishing that England are, as I write, still determined to duck out of this preparation match. The batting was woefully inept, with dismissals to precisely the shots we had anticipated: booming drives to balls well wide of the off stump that should be left alone. If I were an England batsman I would want to play at Canberra: this is the chance of a lifetime and surely you would want to give yourself every chance of succeeding? Alastair Cook has said that he would go, rather than hang around in Brisbane.

Ironically the best exhibition of ‘Bazball’ was given by Travis Head. The big difference being that he took time to get himself in before playing expansive, attacking shots without the recklessness and lack of control demonstrated by England.

Stokes still has time to change his mind, and take his team to Canberra. It would not represent a backwards step, but a determination to get things right. England showed in Perth that Australia are vulnerable and can be beaten. That might happen in Brisbane. But defeat after shunning the chance for practice will result in another ugly interview after the match.

The countdown to the start of our flying adventure has well and truly begun. We have two aircraft: I am piloting a Cessna 182 with the assistance of Mark, my instructor from home, who is in the air as I write. Mark is very experienced and a vital safety net which has at least given some confidence to Emma (who arrives tomorrow) and Jim Maxwell, who will both be strapped in at the back. Orange is our first stop on Thursday, and from there we visit Narrabri, Fraser Island, Brisbane (2nd Test) Moree, Bourke, Louth, Parachilna and finally, on December 15th, we arrive in Adelaide. It is all for a vital Australian cause.

Emma will be assuming control of this blog with daily reports, photos and video of our trip around the east of this wonderful country. Do sign up and follow our progress.