Start refining those alibis. For England supporters, this Saturday calls for careful planning, meaning how to dodge earlier plans and household duties. As many as four national sides will compete, and catching every contest demands patience, focus, and smart use of a recording device. What other approach helps manage the rugby side's Fiji match beginning just 20 minutes ahead of the men's T20 versus India?

Yet with smart stacking of broadcasts and spoiler dodging, a follower holding the proper subscriptions can look forward to 13 continuous hours on the sofa, beginning with the morning session of the women's Test and ending with a late football clash against Norway. England is not alone in the spotlight: three other home nations rugby fixtures await, along with a Wimbledon women's singles final and the Tour de France.

This alignment may seem like a rare cosmic event of stellar contests. Yet looking back just seven days shows another reality, since last weekend delivered all that plus a British Grand Prix. In fact, there was a point last Saturday afternoon when all five terrestrial channels aired sport at once, thanks to Nations Championship games on ITV, qualifying from Silverstone on Channel 4, a T20 at Old Trafford on Five, and tennis covering the BBC.

For those raised in the Grandstand period, those who saw the crown jewels as six summer Tests and a Five Nations championship rather than mere treasures in the Tower, such a flood of events on free-to-air television feels like a welcome return. Still, what we have seen extends past mere nostalgia. This stands as the finest single week of summer sport many have known outside Olympic years.

Set aside the volume for a moment and weigh the caliber. Over seven days, we received a varied spread of surprises, tension, close calls, and thrillers. Viewers saw much-anticipated first appearances, such as India's young batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, and anticipated departures, farewell to Cristiano Ronaldo.

In a standout display from England's footballers, several well-known players delivered at the key moment. They were soon eclipsed by a standout turn from an unfamiliar face. I might still fail to spot Arthur Fery at the counter in Wimbledon Village. Yet the fresh British tennis prospect appears to compete nearly every time the television switches on.

Fery supplied several highlights this week. His win as the last British player standing over Zizou Bergs in the third round would have satisfied on its own. The next five-set battle against Grigor Dimitrov, whose Centre Court recovery would headline any other day, added extra flavor. As for the quarter-final, Fery's straight-sets win proved almost too much even for his father to bear.

When the Wimbledon wildcard was not on screen, Novak Djokovic pursued his own striking path to the semis. It may have been fitting that his long match against Felix Auger-Aliassime overlapped with Argentina nearly falling to Egypt. While a 39-year-old footballer pulled his side back from two goals down with classic Lionel Messi skill, a 39-year-old tennis player showed a rival 14 years his junior how much he retains.

That was not all. This became the longest quarter-final in Wimbledon history, and extra time arrived in the Switzerland-Colombia match before Djokovic hauled his tired frame to victory. Time for sleep? No, a penalty shootout still required attention. One day an art film may capture the remote-control routine we all performed that night, and I will gladly view its full five hours and 15 minutes.

These are the decisions we have weighed each day. Never has second-screen viewing asked so much from so many. Radio offers one option, and in my area car horns often signal a missed goal elsewhere. Even with those sounds, much has escaped notice. Some losses sting less. If England falls to the Springboks in Johannesburg while Jacob Bethell strikes 26 from a Ravi Bishnoi over, does the result truly register?

Cricket may best illustrate how remarkable this week's schedule has been. Five England internationals occurred over seven days across three formats. One was a home World Cup final, the highest-earning women's cricket match ever. Another at Bristol gave the England men their first T20 series win over a vulnerable India. On Friday, Nat Sciver-Brunt guided her side through the Lord's long room for their first Test at the venue.

Any single event would usually dominate talk. This week missing all three would draw little blame. Close followers might still have missed Sunday's British Grand Prix, filled with some of the season's best overtakes. It lifted two popular Britons onto the podium and gave Charles Leclerc his first win in nearly two years.

With so many choices, each person must pick their path; the rest lead to indecision or, for the dedicated, lost sleep. While this remarkable sporting surge lasts, I will stay with it. Apologies in advance for any place I ought to have been.