Cricket: 1/517. That's all I'm going to say. Details here.
Rugby: How many times in Rugby history can a front rower be lauded the hero of a 40 point drubbing? At least one now thanks to Wallaby bench prop Ben Robinson. He came on with Australia locked in a 13-13 struggle with France in Paris, having just conceded a penalty try because of typically atrocious collapsible scrum work. Robinson proved the missing link and was able to keep the pack standing, then promptly scored the first try of the second half after diving across the line from a metre out. That took Australia to a 20-16 lead and with newfound confidence they went on to a rather surprising but thoroughly impressive record demolition, the final score 59-16.
Football: David Beckham showed his usual sense of generally being kind of average on a football field in Saturday's showcase against the Newcastle Jets. In all fairness however he was carrying at least one, perhaps several niggling injuries throughout the game and showed glimpses of his best, a best that remains comfortably beyond A-League class. However for the second visit from two the Galaxy strangely found themselves on the losing end against a team with an incomparably smaller and capped salary pool. The Jets coming from 1 goal down to win 2-1.
Tennis: At the end of one of the worst years of his illustrious career, former world No.1 Roger Federer has finally won only his 5th title of 2010. However this happened to be the most important-non grand slam tournament in the world, the ATP tour finals in London. What's more, Federer achieved the success, his 5th at the year end championships, with a mighty display over an equally in form world No.1 Rafael Nadal. The result reminds us that when both on their game, Federer remains comfortably the better hard court player and consequently should be favoured for January's Australian Open.
Cricket: In light of the flat beast the Gabba wicket became this week, Hobart has reminded everyone why it is so underrated as a test venue with a juicy pitch allowing South Australia to beat Tasmania by 43 runs in the Sheffield Shield despite only making 55 in their first dig. Can you imagine this at Adelaide?
Football: The A-League is beginning to have a distinctly 2 horse race feel about it, with Adelaide United's 2-1 win over the Gold Coast being backed up by a 5-1 thumping of the Central Coast Mariners dealt by the top of the table Brisbane Roar. The losing teams are 3rd and 4th on the ladder, now more than 7 points behind Adelaide on 34 points, while Brisbane dominate on a mammoth 40. Is it worth noting however that Adelaide are notorious grand final chokers and Brisbane are as yet unproven on the big stage. This is still any one's league.
Rugby League: Timana Tahu. What the hell? One has to wonder where his mind is at around this time. After a controversial year involving Andrew Johns' and then his own dunderheaded racial slurs, he had seemingly disappeared off the face of the earth. Tahu had yet to show to practice sessions for the Parramatta Eels and coach Steven Kearney admitted he couldn't guarantee his playing future. Yet it turns out he spent last weekend playing in a charity touch competition apparently without any visible signs of physical injury or emotional distress.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Strauss and Cook turn the tide
Australia vs England, 1st Test - Day 4
Sunday November 28 2010.
England - 260 (Bell 76, Cook 67, Siddle 6/54)
Australia - 481 (Hussey 195, Haddin 136, Finn 6/125)
England - 1/309 (Cook 132 n.o, Strauss 110, Trott 52 n.o, North 1/22)
Full scorecard here.
The first two days of this opening Ashes test at the Gabba featured captivating to and fro Test cricket. The unfailing curatorial genius of Kevin Mitchell Jr has produced another sensational pitch in keeping with Brisbane's reputation as having the best pitches in the country. The balance between bat and ball had set up a fairly even contest before yesterday, Michael Hussey and Brad Haddin blasted away any lingering thought that the pitch was anything other than flat and true for a well set batsman.
To the despairing chagrin of Australia, England openers Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook vehemently reinforced this fact today. Cook is a strange case, going about his business quietly and usually at a slow pace and rarely being talked of with the sort of respect afforded to many players far less deserving. Here is a 25 year old man who has just achieved his 14th Test hundred. Few of even the greatest all time players can lay claim to such a tally at that early age. Today saw if not his greatest innings, certainly his most important. Cook batted through the entire day, starting slowly but ending unbeaten on a near chanceless 132.
Captain Andrew Strauss played the more exciting but also more danger-fraught innings. While Cook battled along, Strauss, after a slow start, surged past 50 and onwards on the back of devastating cuts and drives through the off side field. Ricky Ponting did his best to help the English cause, with some astonishingly petulant captaincy, at times changing his field after every ball to combat the latest inevitable English boundary. Australia's bowling was too short at times and inconsistency but, similar to England yesterday, not all that bad. Even Johnson looked better although he remains frustratingly short of spectacular best. Strauss and Cook were merely too good. Strauss brought up his hundred with a sublime cut for 4 off Xavier Doherty, who again bowled tidily and consistently but was slightly too full and fast to be truly effective on the unique Gabba surface. Marcus North, who bowled impressively for 12 overs, showed the more appropriate line and length with good flighted off spin. It was North who got the eventual breakthrough, ending the opening partnership on 188 when Strauss skipped down the wicket in a rather ungainly fashion, missed the ball as it spun away, and was calmly stumped by Haddin for 110.
This was only the beginnings of Australia's woes however, with new batsman Jonathan Trott immediately on the attack, just as Cook upped the ante and increased his scoring rate. 121 more runs came by the end of what was all in all a thoroughly depressing day to be an Australian. England go into the final day leading by 88 runs with 9 wickets in hand, with a draw now looking the most likely result.
Highlights
*** - The wicket. It is a testament to what a terrible day for Australia this was that this is the best I can do for a three star highlight. It was a sublime piece of bowling from a supposed part timer though.
** - For all my unabashed patriotism, kudos must go to England's 3 batsmen who played with great patience and judgement on a pitch that still has a bit in it, and whose cracks are really starting to show.
* - Ben Hilfenhaus. Hilfenhaus for mine was the best of the Australia bowlers, and the only one to consistently get his length right. Like James Anderson yesterday he toiled all day without luck.
Lowlights
*** - Where to begin. Although it is acutely mainstream and boring to always berate poor Ponting for his captaincy, it is with reason today, not so much for specific tactics as for his general lack of self assurance.
** - Mitchell Johnson. Poor Mitch. It's just not his Test match. First an average first innings bowling effort than making a duck. He bowled a lot better today but had the misfortune of dropping a catch off Strauss when he had 69. It wasn't an easy chance, above the head at mid-off, but it was one that should have been held.
* - This may be a bizarre point to make, and of course remaining positive is the most obvious way to keep yourself from feeling stressed and under pressure and therefore playing worse, but I was frustrated today by the happiness of the Australians, as strange as that sounds. While England smashed them to all parts of the ground, many of the Australian players, particularly Ponting, Clarke, North and Siddle seemed to be having a great laugh a great deal of the time. I admire that the Australians, for all their history of being over-intense sledgers, are showing that they can enjoy their cricket and have fun regardless of the situation. It is good to play in the spirit of the game like this but Jesus, when the opposition is 1/300 there needs to be more anger, the kind of anger that leads to a steely Aussie determination to win games of Cricket.
Sunday November 28 2010.
England - 260 (Bell 76, Cook 67, Siddle 6/54)
Australia - 481 (Hussey 195, Haddin 136, Finn 6/125)
England - 1/309 (Cook 132 n.o, Strauss 110, Trott 52 n.o, North 1/22)
Full scorecard here.
The first two days of this opening Ashes test at the Gabba featured captivating to and fro Test cricket. The unfailing curatorial genius of Kevin Mitchell Jr has produced another sensational pitch in keeping with Brisbane's reputation as having the best pitches in the country. The balance between bat and ball had set up a fairly even contest before yesterday, Michael Hussey and Brad Haddin blasted away any lingering thought that the pitch was anything other than flat and true for a well set batsman.
To the despairing chagrin of Australia, England openers Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook vehemently reinforced this fact today. Cook is a strange case, going about his business quietly and usually at a slow pace and rarely being talked of with the sort of respect afforded to many players far less deserving. Here is a 25 year old man who has just achieved his 14th Test hundred. Few of even the greatest all time players can lay claim to such a tally at that early age. Today saw if not his greatest innings, certainly his most important. Cook batted through the entire day, starting slowly but ending unbeaten on a near chanceless 132.
Captain Andrew Strauss played the more exciting but also more danger-fraught innings. While Cook battled along, Strauss, after a slow start, surged past 50 and onwards on the back of devastating cuts and drives through the off side field. Ricky Ponting did his best to help the English cause, with some astonishingly petulant captaincy, at times changing his field after every ball to combat the latest inevitable English boundary. Australia's bowling was too short at times and inconsistency but, similar to England yesterday, not all that bad. Even Johnson looked better although he remains frustratingly short of spectacular best. Strauss and Cook were merely too good. Strauss brought up his hundred with a sublime cut for 4 off Xavier Doherty, who again bowled tidily and consistently but was slightly too full and fast to be truly effective on the unique Gabba surface. Marcus North, who bowled impressively for 12 overs, showed the more appropriate line and length with good flighted off spin. It was North who got the eventual breakthrough, ending the opening partnership on 188 when Strauss skipped down the wicket in a rather ungainly fashion, missed the ball as it spun away, and was calmly stumped by Haddin for 110.
This was only the beginnings of Australia's woes however, with new batsman Jonathan Trott immediately on the attack, just as Cook upped the ante and increased his scoring rate. 121 more runs came by the end of what was all in all a thoroughly depressing day to be an Australian. England go into the final day leading by 88 runs with 9 wickets in hand, with a draw now looking the most likely result.
Highlights
*** - The wicket. It is a testament to what a terrible day for Australia this was that this is the best I can do for a three star highlight. It was a sublime piece of bowling from a supposed part timer though.
** - For all my unabashed patriotism, kudos must go to England's 3 batsmen who played with great patience and judgement on a pitch that still has a bit in it, and whose cracks are really starting to show.
* - Ben Hilfenhaus. Hilfenhaus for mine was the best of the Australia bowlers, and the only one to consistently get his length right. Like James Anderson yesterday he toiled all day without luck.
Lowlights
*** - Where to begin. Although it is acutely mainstream and boring to always berate poor Ponting for his captaincy, it is with reason today, not so much for specific tactics as for his general lack of self assurance.
** - Mitchell Johnson. Poor Mitch. It's just not his Test match. First an average first innings bowling effort than making a duck. He bowled a lot better today but had the misfortune of dropping a catch off Strauss when he had 69. It wasn't an easy chance, above the head at mid-off, but it was one that should have been held.
* - This may be a bizarre point to make, and of course remaining positive is the most obvious way to keep yourself from feeling stressed and under pressure and therefore playing worse, but I was frustrated today by the happiness of the Australians, as strange as that sounds. While England smashed them to all parts of the ground, many of the Australian players, particularly Ponting, Clarke, North and Siddle seemed to be having a great laugh a great deal of the time. I admire that the Australians, for all their history of being over-intense sledgers, are showing that they can enjoy their cricket and have fun regardless of the situation. It is good to play in the spirit of the game like this but Jesus, when the opposition is 1/300 there needs to be more anger, the kind of anger that leads to a steely Aussie determination to win games of Cricket.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Heroic partnership gives Australia command
Australia vs England, 1st Test - Day 3
Saturday November 27 2010.
England - 260 (Bell 76, Cook 67, Siddle 6/54)
Australia - 481 (Hussey 195, Haddin 136, Finn 6/125)
England - 0/19 (Strauss 11 n.o, Cook 6 n.o)
Full scorecard here.
Australia resumed on Day 3 of the 1st Ashes test at 5/220, 40 runs in arrears of England's first innings effort. With exactly 80s overs bowled Jimmy Anderson would start the day with a brand new ball in hand. There was a sense of tension, that the game was at a vital crossroads. If England bowled sufficiently well they could take early wickets and restrict Australia to a score close to, may be even below 260. As it proved they bowled extremely well, and did take an early wicket, and yet the day was so utterly and convincingly Australia's. Only one run into the day Michael Hussey was plum LBW to Anderson for 82. Hussey logically reviewed the decision, his wicket at this time was too vital not too. The ball was straight, low, hit him line and clearly careening into the stumps. But it also had pitched marginally outside leg stump, and so Hussey was saved. 82 had become 83 when Hussey was struck on the pad again. This one was completely out in every way but in his first blemish of the game, umpire Aleem Dar did not raise his finger and with Andrew Strauss' having wasted England's two reviews wastefully on 50/50 calls, nothing could be done. So it was that the newest tactical consideration in international cricket, a captain's Decision Review strategy, defined a day's play.
None of this early fortune can detract from the partnership of Michael Hussey and Brad Haddin however. They came together at a precarious 5/143 on the 2nd afternoon, pushed through to stumps adding 77 runs came out this morning with the game potentially in the balance. England's quicks, particularly the luckless Anderson bowled fabulously in the early overs, according to Haddin it was "the hardest bowling of [my] career." But they saw this period through and remained together. Lunch and Tea would come and go before they would be parted with the score at 450. The pair added 307 runs, the first ever triple century Test stand in Brisbane and the 2nd highest Australia 6th wicket stand of all time behind the legendary 346 of Jack Fingleton and Sir Donald Bradman in 1937.
Hussey's innings was a masterpiece, potentially the greatest of his career even with lady luck's early help. The emotion he poured out upon reaching his 12th century spoke of the stress and frustration of his extended lean patch and the questions over his place in the team. But he wasn't finished, moving effortlessly for 195 before falling sadly short of a maiden double hundred when a rash pull shot from Steven Finn was caught by Cook in the outfield. Haddin's contribution hopefully will not be forgotten amidst the magic of Hussey. After an excruciatingly lethargic start, Haddin took off once he reached 25 and easily outscored Hussey. As he sat on 94 with Graeme Swann tossing the ball up enticingly, no-one was surprised when he brought up his hundred with a devastating straight six. Haddin went on to 436 before finally becoming the first wicket of the day when he edged Swann to Paul Collingwood who took a pearler in the slips.
Australia's tail showed a slightly worrying lack of resistance. When 307 of 481 runs comes from one partnership the nation can't rest easily. Mitchell Johnson lumbered for half an hour without a run then was promptly bowled. Peter Siddle made 6 before a Finn bouncer fired off the back of his bat to Swann at slip. Xavier Doherty on the other hand looked very solid and continued a good trot with the bat for Tasmania by moving quite gracefully to 16 before hitting out and being caught. All these wickets fell to Ashes debutant Finn, the 21 year old taking a rather unexpected but still deserved six wicket haul.
England, with a demoralising 221 run deficit, at least managed to survive scratchily to stumps at 0/19 from 15 overs, although Strauss tried his best not to, leaving the first ball of the innings only to see it straighten into his pads. Had it been a few centimetres fuller Strauss would be going to Adelaide next week on the back of two ducks.
Highlights
*** - Michael Hussey. If Australia win this Test match, and go on to win the Ashes on the back of it, Hussey's 195 may go down in Australian cricketing folklore. As such it is already probably the best innings of his career. Hussey has been fundamentally struggling in his mind, irrespective of fluctuating performances, for the best part of two years. He has made hundreds in that time but few in the first innings and none with the kind of vibrant panache showed today. His potentially career-saving Sheffield Shield hundred for Western Australia last week looks to have profoundly shaken him out of what was starting to look worryingly like a permanent psychological rut.
*** - Brad Haddin. It is amazing to think that today was only Haddin's 3rd test century. The years he spent waiting in the wilderness for Adam Gilchrist to retire have been followed by inconsistent performances by team overall, denying Haddin the potential conditions to make more runs. Then his 2010 was ruined by chronic tendinitis of the elbow. Today's 136 for Haddin was every bit the all time defining career milestone as Hussey's innings, the question is whether it will forever be his greatest innings, or if it will open the floodgates to more hundreds.
* - Mr Doherty. The mannerisms and general excitement of Xavier Doherty's father as he watches every ball of his son's overall rather impressive test debut have been a heartwarming quirk amidst the drama of the match. Today he showed extremely good humour and grace in dealing the thorough embarrassment of the Channel 9 cameras and commentators (whom he was listening to via the ground's cheap radio devices) when they saw fit to watch him in the stands with his wife more than actually follow the action on the ground.
Lowlights
*** - Although not a specific namedrop so much as a castigation of pretty much the entire batting order, people must remember to consider through all the hype surrounding Hussey and Haddin's mighty partnership that the entire team only scored 172 runs outside that partnership. Australia got away with bowling England out for a total lower than they are usually likely to make in the 1st innings. Our batting must be far improved to have any chance of regaining the Ashes.
** - Mitchell Johnson backed up his uninspiring bowling effort by steeling his resolve with the bat in hand. Boosted by a recent shield century Johnson is determined to show his worth as a genuine all-rounder, he needs to considering he could very soon be out of the team if his bowling is the only selection criteria. In this conscious attempt to be a serious batsmen Johnson showed a mature watchfulness in his innings which quickly descended into gratuitous pretentiousness. 33 minutes passed without a run before he was comprehensively bowled, his technique looking pretty much flawed throughout the innings in a fundamental way. Johnson needs to revert to the old idea of his carefree batting being a happy bonus for the team if he wants to score the kind of runs he did in 2008 and 2009.
* - Kevin Pietersen's moustache. Somehow in three days its awfulness has escaped by mention. But no more.
Saturday November 27 2010.
England - 260 (Bell 76, Cook 67, Siddle 6/54)
Australia - 481 (Hussey 195, Haddin 136, Finn 6/125)
England - 0/19 (Strauss 11 n.o, Cook 6 n.o)
Full scorecard here.
Australia resumed on Day 3 of the 1st Ashes test at 5/220, 40 runs in arrears of England's first innings effort. With exactly 80s overs bowled Jimmy Anderson would start the day with a brand new ball in hand. There was a sense of tension, that the game was at a vital crossroads. If England bowled sufficiently well they could take early wickets and restrict Australia to a score close to, may be even below 260. As it proved they bowled extremely well, and did take an early wicket, and yet the day was so utterly and convincingly Australia's. Only one run into the day Michael Hussey was plum LBW to Anderson for 82. Hussey logically reviewed the decision, his wicket at this time was too vital not too. The ball was straight, low, hit him line and clearly careening into the stumps. But it also had pitched marginally outside leg stump, and so Hussey was saved. 82 had become 83 when Hussey was struck on the pad again. This one was completely out in every way but in his first blemish of the game, umpire Aleem Dar did not raise his finger and with Andrew Strauss' having wasted England's two reviews wastefully on 50/50 calls, nothing could be done. So it was that the newest tactical consideration in international cricket, a captain's Decision Review strategy, defined a day's play.
None of this early fortune can detract from the partnership of Michael Hussey and Brad Haddin however. They came together at a precarious 5/143 on the 2nd afternoon, pushed through to stumps adding 77 runs came out this morning with the game potentially in the balance. England's quicks, particularly the luckless Anderson bowled fabulously in the early overs, according to Haddin it was "the hardest bowling of [my] career." But they saw this period through and remained together. Lunch and Tea would come and go before they would be parted with the score at 450. The pair added 307 runs, the first ever triple century Test stand in Brisbane and the 2nd highest Australia 6th wicket stand of all time behind the legendary 346 of Jack Fingleton and Sir Donald Bradman in 1937.
Hussey's innings was a masterpiece, potentially the greatest of his career even with lady luck's early help. The emotion he poured out upon reaching his 12th century spoke of the stress and frustration of his extended lean patch and the questions over his place in the team. But he wasn't finished, moving effortlessly for 195 before falling sadly short of a maiden double hundred when a rash pull shot from Steven Finn was caught by Cook in the outfield. Haddin's contribution hopefully will not be forgotten amidst the magic of Hussey. After an excruciatingly lethargic start, Haddin took off once he reached 25 and easily outscored Hussey. As he sat on 94 with Graeme Swann tossing the ball up enticingly, no-one was surprised when he brought up his hundred with a devastating straight six. Haddin went on to 436 before finally becoming the first wicket of the day when he edged Swann to Paul Collingwood who took a pearler in the slips.
Australia's tail showed a slightly worrying lack of resistance. When 307 of 481 runs comes from one partnership the nation can't rest easily. Mitchell Johnson lumbered for half an hour without a run then was promptly bowled. Peter Siddle made 6 before a Finn bouncer fired off the back of his bat to Swann at slip. Xavier Doherty on the other hand looked very solid and continued a good trot with the bat for Tasmania by moving quite gracefully to 16 before hitting out and being caught. All these wickets fell to Ashes debutant Finn, the 21 year old taking a rather unexpected but still deserved six wicket haul.
England, with a demoralising 221 run deficit, at least managed to survive scratchily to stumps at 0/19 from 15 overs, although Strauss tried his best not to, leaving the first ball of the innings only to see it straighten into his pads. Had it been a few centimetres fuller Strauss would be going to Adelaide next week on the back of two ducks.
Highlights
*** - Michael Hussey. If Australia win this Test match, and go on to win the Ashes on the back of it, Hussey's 195 may go down in Australian cricketing folklore. As such it is already probably the best innings of his career. Hussey has been fundamentally struggling in his mind, irrespective of fluctuating performances, for the best part of two years. He has made hundreds in that time but few in the first innings and none with the kind of vibrant panache showed today. His potentially career-saving Sheffield Shield hundred for Western Australia last week looks to have profoundly shaken him out of what was starting to look worryingly like a permanent psychological rut.
*** - Brad Haddin. It is amazing to think that today was only Haddin's 3rd test century. The years he spent waiting in the wilderness for Adam Gilchrist to retire have been followed by inconsistent performances by team overall, denying Haddin the potential conditions to make more runs. Then his 2010 was ruined by chronic tendinitis of the elbow. Today's 136 for Haddin was every bit the all time defining career milestone as Hussey's innings, the question is whether it will forever be his greatest innings, or if it will open the floodgates to more hundreds.
* - Mr Doherty. The mannerisms and general excitement of Xavier Doherty's father as he watches every ball of his son's overall rather impressive test debut have been a heartwarming quirk amidst the drama of the match. Today he showed extremely good humour and grace in dealing the thorough embarrassment of the Channel 9 cameras and commentators (whom he was listening to via the ground's cheap radio devices) when they saw fit to watch him in the stands with his wife more than actually follow the action on the ground.
Lowlights
*** - Although not a specific namedrop so much as a castigation of pretty much the entire batting order, people must remember to consider through all the hype surrounding Hussey and Haddin's mighty partnership that the entire team only scored 172 runs outside that partnership. Australia got away with bowling England out for a total lower than they are usually likely to make in the 1st innings. Our batting must be far improved to have any chance of regaining the Ashes.
** - Mitchell Johnson backed up his uninspiring bowling effort by steeling his resolve with the bat in hand. Boosted by a recent shield century Johnson is determined to show his worth as a genuine all-rounder, he needs to considering he could very soon be out of the team if his bowling is the only selection criteria. In this conscious attempt to be a serious batsmen Johnson showed a mature watchfulness in his innings which quickly descended into gratuitous pretentiousness. 33 minutes passed without a run before he was comprehensively bowled, his technique looking pretty much flawed throughout the innings in a fundamental way. Johnson needs to revert to the old idea of his carefree batting being a happy bonus for the team if he wants to score the kind of runs he did in 2008 and 2009.
* - Kevin Pietersen's moustache. Somehow in three days its awfulness has escaped by mention. But no more.
Weekly news wrap: November 21-27 2010
Cricket
Michael Hussey and Brad Haddin are Australia’s latest sporting heroes after an inspired triple century to put Australia into a commanding position of the first Ashes test at the Gabba. For more on the Ashes see my series preview and daily reports.
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
After fighting admirably for ten days to hold Test No.1s India to two solid draws, New Zealand’s cricketers succeeded in thoroughly ruining yet another series for their poor superstar captain Daniel Vettori. A distinctly typical middle order batting farce saw the Black Caps bowled out for 193 and 175, allowing India to amble comfortably to 8 declared for 566 in the interim.
A few thousand Pakistani expatriates, the families of the players and half a dozen local fans gathered in Abu Dhabi’s ridiculous looking cricket stadium last week to watch South Africa’s bowlers thoroughly fail to bowl out Pakistan in the 4th innings for a second consecutive test match. Credit this time must also go to their batsmen however, for their uninspiring one paced effort at a crucial time when aggressiveness was needed.
Chris Gayle once again showed evidence of his completely lack of maturity and responsibility, by immediately celebrating his removal as West Indian captain with a mighty triple century, of rather strong maturity and responsibility. Gayle’s 333 led an admirable Windies team as they had the running of the 1st Test against Sri Lanka at Galle. The substantially higher ranked home team were strangely lethargic and had to fight just to escape with a draw. This week’s 2nd test also finished in a draw, with rain ruining the match but leaving just enough time for Sri Lanka to regain the psychological edge over a less impressive Windies side before next week’s series decider.
Rugby League
The preposterous debacle of Greg Inglis shows no sign of ending any time soon. First South Sydney Rabbitohs owner and general super-spruiker had the intelligence and foresight to reveal the financial terms of Inglis’ arrangement to American late night talk show host and all-round non-Conan O’Brienish Jay Leno. Perhaps Crowe relied on the cluelessness of Australian TV and the inexplicable lack of American variety programming in this country to not disseminate such a howling admission. Unfortunately it seems that David Gallop and/or other league officials once again have shown themselves to possess magical powers beyond any mere mortal, or at least a basic understanding of Internet browsing, and came across the program.
The latest development has seen the Rabbitohs finally submit Inglis’ contract to NRL salary cap auditor Ian Schubert, who has given no indication of being a sure bet to pass the contract at all. To cap it off the Melbourne Storm and Brisbane Broncos have confirmed that should Inglis’ deal fall through, which remains a very real possibility, he will not be welcome back at either club.
Rugby Union
Despite kicking 8 from 9 in the win over Italy last week, Wallabies inside centre Berrick Barnes has been relieved of the goal-kicking duties for this week’s spring tour finale against France. Australian coach Robbie ‘New Zealand’ Deans has handed the duties back to the last gasp hero of our irrelevant Hong Kong Bledisloe win over the All Blacks, 12 year old James O’Connor. Mr ‘Kiwi’ Deans was quoted today as saying Australia’s success on the tour will be judged by this weekend’s result in Paris. I would say unless the Wallabies win 145-0 the tour has already well and truly been judged.
Football
This humble reporter (googling random news articles at 2am on a Saturday night is journalism now right) lives in the (very) humble Hunter Valley location of Toronto, NSW. Therefore the hype surrounding the unprecedented local visit of renowned underwear model and one time decent footballer David Beckham has reached fever pitch. Beckham’s LA Galaxy (or Donovan’s LA Galaxy as known by Landon Donovan) face the bizarrely not bankrupt Newcastle Jets at Energy Australia construction site tonight.
While the Newcastle Jets are busy making a publicity buck, Brisbane Roar and Adelaide United have a golden chance to pull even further away in their two-horse race at the top of the A-League ladder when United face the third placed Gold Coast while the Roar face fourth placed Central Coast Mariners.
The decision as to who will host the 2018 and 2022 world cups is now just a week away. Australia’s bid for the 2022 tournament suffered a blow when Oceania representative and sure fire Aussie vote Reynald Temarii was suspended by FIFA for alleged involvement in yet another now customary bribe-taking and vote-rigging scandal. Our bid still looks to be on good track however, with a detailed analysis of the potential voting patterns of FIFA member showing Australia as unlikely favourites to win the rights to the world’s greatest single sport showcase. A recently leaked FIFA report showed that many on the voting panel are inclined to vote against our principle rivals Qatar and the United States for reasons of extreme heat and unfriendly time zone respectively.
Motorsport
Australia’s much loved and internationally renowned V8 Supercar series has once again lived up to its selling point by providing a series of spectacular accidents over the weekend. Holden Racing Team drivers Garth Tander and Will Davison both had high speed shunts at an absurdly unsafe kink on the Sandown circuit. Paul Dumbrell was the feel good story of the weekend by finally taking his first race win after 11 years in the sport. Dick Johnson Racing’s James Courtney increased his championship lead over reigning champion Jamie Whincup
Young Australian superstar Daniel Ricciardo has ascended to the final step on the ladder below a Formula One race drive, with the Toro Rosso team (sister team to 2010 championship winners Red Bull) announcing Ricciardo will be their third driver in 2011. With the bordering on dangerous testing ban still in place for next season, Ricciardo’s test and reserve role in reality involves very little time in the car and he will remain in the Formula Renault 3.5 series full time. But Ricciardo will gain vital experience when he alternately replaces Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari in one of the two race cars for every Friday morning free practice session. Ricciardo recently dominated a young driver test in Abu Dhabi in the championship winning RB6.
Tennis
After an exciting and unpredictable year of men’s tennis, a disappointingly predictable semi line-up of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray has been set up in the ATP world tour finals. However the juicy matchups, Nadal vs Murray and Federer vs Djokovic promise a grand spectacle for the fans London’s mystifyingly named O2 arena.
Athlete of the week
The ageless and luckless Jacqui Cooper has announced her retirement from Aerial Skiing during the week. The 1999 World Champion was considered a great chance at our first Winter Olympics gold medal in Nagano in 1998 before crashing out in qualifying. Her most infamous heart-break came when she went to Salt Lake City in 2002 as outright favourite but had a violent crash landing in practice a week out from the games, pulverising her knee. A similar fate befell has in Turin 2006 when she entered the final as favourite but crashed twice. She was selected for an unprecedented fifth Olympic campaign in 2010, the first Australian women to attend five summer or winter games. Although past her best at age 37 and unable to challenge for medals, she finally put the Olympic demons to rest with a clean trouble free run to 5th. Cooper’s importance lays in her pre-eminent as Australia first true winter sports star (along with perhaps Stephen Bradbury). Her pioneering status paved the way for the future gold medal success of Aerialists Alisa Camplin and Lydia Lassila. We wish her luck in her retirement. Why I am referring to myself in the plural sense I don’t know.
Michael Hussey and Brad Haddin are Australia’s latest sporting heroes after an inspired triple century to put Australia into a commanding position of the first Ashes test at the Gabba. For more on the Ashes see my series preview and daily reports.
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
After fighting admirably for ten days to hold Test No.1s India to two solid draws, New Zealand’s cricketers succeeded in thoroughly ruining yet another series for their poor superstar captain Daniel Vettori. A distinctly typical middle order batting farce saw the Black Caps bowled out for 193 and 175, allowing India to amble comfortably to 8 declared for 566 in the interim.
A few thousand Pakistani expatriates, the families of the players and half a dozen local fans gathered in Abu Dhabi’s ridiculous looking cricket stadium last week to watch South Africa’s bowlers thoroughly fail to bowl out Pakistan in the 4th innings for a second consecutive test match. Credit this time must also go to their batsmen however, for their uninspiring one paced effort at a crucial time when aggressiveness was needed.
Chris Gayle once again showed evidence of his completely lack of maturity and responsibility, by immediately celebrating his removal as West Indian captain with a mighty triple century, of rather strong maturity and responsibility. Gayle’s 333 led an admirable Windies team as they had the running of the 1st Test against Sri Lanka at Galle. The substantially higher ranked home team were strangely lethargic and had to fight just to escape with a draw. This week’s 2nd test also finished in a draw, with rain ruining the match but leaving just enough time for Sri Lanka to regain the psychological edge over a less impressive Windies side before next week’s series decider.
Rugby League
The preposterous debacle of Greg Inglis shows no sign of ending any time soon. First South Sydney Rabbitohs owner and general super-spruiker had the intelligence and foresight to reveal the financial terms of Inglis’ arrangement to American late night talk show host and all-round non-Conan O’Brienish Jay Leno. Perhaps Crowe relied on the cluelessness of Australian TV and the inexplicable lack of American variety programming in this country to not disseminate such a howling admission. Unfortunately it seems that David Gallop and/or other league officials once again have shown themselves to possess magical powers beyond any mere mortal, or at least a basic understanding of Internet browsing, and came across the program.
The latest development has seen the Rabbitohs finally submit Inglis’ contract to NRL salary cap auditor Ian Schubert, who has given no indication of being a sure bet to pass the contract at all. To cap it off the Melbourne Storm and Brisbane Broncos have confirmed that should Inglis’ deal fall through, which remains a very real possibility, he will not be welcome back at either club.
Rugby Union
Despite kicking 8 from 9 in the win over Italy last week, Wallabies inside centre Berrick Barnes has been relieved of the goal-kicking duties for this week’s spring tour finale against France. Australian coach Robbie ‘New Zealand’ Deans has handed the duties back to the last gasp hero of our irrelevant Hong Kong Bledisloe win over the All Blacks, 12 year old James O’Connor. Mr ‘Kiwi’ Deans was quoted today as saying Australia’s success on the tour will be judged by this weekend’s result in Paris. I would say unless the Wallabies win 145-0 the tour has already well and truly been judged.
Football
This humble reporter (googling random news articles at 2am on a Saturday night is journalism now right) lives in the (very) humble Hunter Valley location of Toronto, NSW. Therefore the hype surrounding the unprecedented local visit of renowned underwear model and one time decent footballer David Beckham has reached fever pitch. Beckham’s LA Galaxy (or Donovan’s LA Galaxy as known by Landon Donovan) face the bizarrely not bankrupt Newcastle Jets at Energy Australia construction site tonight.
While the Newcastle Jets are busy making a publicity buck, Brisbane Roar and Adelaide United have a golden chance to pull even further away in their two-horse race at the top of the A-League ladder when United face the third placed Gold Coast while the Roar face fourth placed Central Coast Mariners.
The decision as to who will host the 2018 and 2022 world cups is now just a week away. Australia’s bid for the 2022 tournament suffered a blow when Oceania representative and sure fire Aussie vote Reynald Temarii was suspended by FIFA for alleged involvement in yet another now customary bribe-taking and vote-rigging scandal. Our bid still looks to be on good track however, with a detailed analysis of the potential voting patterns of FIFA member showing Australia as unlikely favourites to win the rights to the world’s greatest single sport showcase. A recently leaked FIFA report showed that many on the voting panel are inclined to vote against our principle rivals Qatar and the United States for reasons of extreme heat and unfriendly time zone respectively.
Motorsport
Australia’s much loved and internationally renowned V8 Supercar series has once again lived up to its selling point by providing a series of spectacular accidents over the weekend. Holden Racing Team drivers Garth Tander and Will Davison both had high speed shunts at an absurdly unsafe kink on the Sandown circuit. Paul Dumbrell was the feel good story of the weekend by finally taking his first race win after 11 years in the sport. Dick Johnson Racing’s James Courtney increased his championship lead over reigning champion Jamie Whincup
Young Australian superstar Daniel Ricciardo has ascended to the final step on the ladder below a Formula One race drive, with the Toro Rosso team (sister team to 2010 championship winners Red Bull) announcing Ricciardo will be their third driver in 2011. With the bordering on dangerous testing ban still in place for next season, Ricciardo’s test and reserve role in reality involves very little time in the car and he will remain in the Formula Renault 3.5 series full time. But Ricciardo will gain vital experience when he alternately replaces Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari in one of the two race cars for every Friday morning free practice session. Ricciardo recently dominated a young driver test in Abu Dhabi in the championship winning RB6.
Tennis
After an exciting and unpredictable year of men’s tennis, a disappointingly predictable semi line-up of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray has been set up in the ATP world tour finals. However the juicy matchups, Nadal vs Murray and Federer vs Djokovic promise a grand spectacle for the fans London’s mystifyingly named O2 arena.
Athlete of the week
The ageless and luckless Jacqui Cooper has announced her retirement from Aerial Skiing during the week. The 1999 World Champion was considered a great chance at our first Winter Olympics gold medal in Nagano in 1998 before crashing out in qualifying. Her most infamous heart-break came when she went to Salt Lake City in 2002 as outright favourite but had a violent crash landing in practice a week out from the games, pulverising her knee. A similar fate befell has in Turin 2006 when she entered the final as favourite but crashed twice. She was selected for an unprecedented fifth Olympic campaign in 2010, the first Australian women to attend five summer or winter games. Although past her best at age 37 and unable to challenge for medals, she finally put the Olympic demons to rest with a clean trouble free run to 5th. Cooper’s importance lays in her pre-eminent as Australia first true winter sports star (along with perhaps Stephen Bradbury). Her pioneering status paved the way for the future gold medal success of Aerialists Alisa Camplin and Lydia Lassila. We wish her luck in her retirement. Why I am referring to myself in the plural sense I don’t know.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Brave Hussey leads tough fight
Australia vs England, 1st Test - Day 2
Friday November 26 2010.
England - 260 (Bell 76, Cook 67, Siddle 6/54)
Australia - 5/220 (Hussey 81 n.o, Katich 50, Anderson 2/40, Finn 2/61)
Full scorecard here.
Australia
Hussey's aggressive intent from ball 1, particularly on the back foot and against an oddly reticent Graeme Swann was a joy to watch. He came to the crease at the most highly charged and challenging of moments, with a fired up English attack having taken the double break through of Simon Katich and Ricky Ponting to bring the game back to an even keel. Aside from an edge just shot of first slip on the first ball he faced, Hussey looked totally in control. His crucially timed partnership of 77 with Brad Haddin, which will resume tomorrow, tookAustralia
The day started positively forAustralia with Shane Watson and Simon Katich surviving a good spell of pressure bowling from England Anderson
Watson’s dismissal leftAustralia Australia England Australia
The match remains very alive, but save for a big collapse tomorrow morning,Australia Australia
** - Marcus North. I feel quite sorry for North because he's an honest hard-working cricketer and I have a lot of respect for what he does. Once he gets in he can reach Rahul Dravid-like levels of concentration and immovability, usually without the pervasive boredom as well. But he hardly ever reaches double figures nowadays. If he doesn't do something big in the 2nd innings this could be his last test, but I would hope Australia don't find themselves in a last innings position sufficiently desperate to need such heroism.
Friday November 26 2010.
England - 260 (Bell 76, Cook 67, Siddle 6/54)
Australia - 5/220 (Hussey 81 n.o, Katich 50, Anderson 2/40, Finn 2/61)
Full scorecard here.
Hussey's aggressive intent from ball 1, particularly on the back foot and against an oddly reticent Graeme Swann was a joy to watch. He came to the crease at the most highly charged and challenging of moments, with a fired up English attack having taken the double break through of Simon Katich and Ricky Ponting to bring the game back to an even keel. Aside from an edge just shot of first slip on the first ball he faced, Hussey looked totally in control. His crucially timed partnership of 77 with Brad Haddin, which will resume tomorrow, took
The day started positively for
Watson’s dismissal left
The match remains very alive, but save for a big collapse tomorrow morning,
Highlights
*** - Mike Hussey without a doubt. A quality score is never out of the question but the intent and style of his innings was tremendous, possibly his best knock since the vintage of 2005-07.
** - Shane Watson and Simon Katich. Australia's unlikeliest all time great opening pair continue to impress with another solid 78 runs today. Their foundation could prove key to an Ashes winning summer.
* - Movember. I should really have mentioned them yesterday seeing as Australia were bowling, but in all the excitement I scarcely had time to even think about them. But Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus' moustaches are truly fantastic. There is a very pleasing three musketeer quality about Johnson's pornstar look, Hilfenhaus' cut short handle bar hash job (thanks to Mr Hilfenhaus who vetoed the full handle bar) and Siddle's grub which inexplicably somehow completely suits his face. All for a worthy cause too.
Lowlights
*** - Michael Clarke. Yes above Marcus North. I know everyone's allowed a bad day but Clarke's was a particularly awful day today. The demons that kind of an innings can cause don't usually heal fast. A first ball duck would probably have been far less damaging to his confidence and Australia's overall Ashes chances.
** - Marcus North. I feel quite sorry for North because he's an honest hard-working cricketer and I have a lot of respect for what he does. Once he gets in he can reach Rahul Dravid-like levels of concentration and immovability, usually without the pervasive boredom as well. But he hardly ever reaches double figures nowadays. If he doesn't do something big in the 2nd innings this could be his last test, but I would hope Australia don't find themselves in a last innings position sufficiently desperate to need such heroism.
* - Bad light delays. As the Channel Nine commentators alluded to, a review is badly needed of the archaic rules relating to bad light. Leaving the field if ambient light becomes insufficient was implemented before the time of helmets and door-sized under-clothes padding specifically as an option if the umpires deemed it a hazard to the physical health of the players to continue. This is hardly a problem nowadays and Bad Light calls have become inherently tactical, especially as traditionally an umpire will 'offer' the opportunity to leave the ground to the batsmen. Late afternoon periods of fading light will always be supremely tough to bat during and no mentally sane batsmen is going to decline a bad light offer. Think of the drama we'd get in Test matches with some nice juicy periods of play in the dusk.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Unnecessarily partisan prediction of the day: November 26
Simon Katich looks every bit a man who could make an enterprising and typically unorthodox looking double century. Clarke and North will surely fail but I have faith in Michael Hussey and Brad Haddin who will go to stumps unbeaten on 123 and a run a ball 62, following Katich's dismissal for 211. Australia 5/412.
Top Ten: Memorable Australian Hat-Tricks
In the wake of Peter Siddle's spectacular hat-trick in the 1st Ashes test at the Gabba yesterday, we are reminded of some of the other iconic Australian hat-tricks, often invariably against the English and with a quite uncanny regularity at the MCG.
Fred Spofforth - Test Match vs England @ MCG, 1879
Notable primarily as the first hat-trick in Test history. The honour of such a landmark was deserved by no man above "The Demon" Spofforth, the first truly great fast bowler in the Test age and the first to 50 test wickets. In just the 3rd Test match , 2 years after the game had debuted in Melbourne, Spofforth clean bowled English middle order batsman Vernon Royle and Francis McKinnon before Tom Emmett was caught by Tom Horan. The trio of wickets left England at a paltry 7/26 and they did well just to reach 113. Australia still emphatically won by 10 wickets, Spofforth going to take 13 wickets in the match and making a valuable 39 with the bat.
Hugh Trumble - Test Match vs England @ MCG, 1904
When Australia's premier off spinner at the turn of the century, Hugh Trumble, dismissed Bernard Bosanquet, Plum Warner and Dick Lilley amidst a match-winning 7/28, he became the first of only three bowlers in Test history to achieve his two hat-tricks in his career. Trumble had achieved his first three peat at the same ground against the same opposition and in the final test series of his long career, the follow-up served as a fitting bow on a glittering career.
Jimmy Matthews (x2) - Test Match vs South Africa @ Old Trafford, 1912
Wily leg-spinner Jimmy Matthews played just eight tests for Australia, all within a 12 month period. But he forever holds a place in the annals of cricket for a feat surely never to be repeated for all of Test cricketing eternity. In the curious Test Triangular Tournament between England, Australia and South Africa in 1912, Matthews took two hat-tricks. This alone is a feat only matched twice in Test history but this is not the reason for its magnificence. Matthews pair came in the same match, and more than that, on the same day. After a big firsts innings from Australia, Matthews took the last three South African wickets consecutively midway through the 3rd day to enforce the follow on. Within the next two hours he took the 5th, 6th and 7th South African wickets with three balls. Completing his stunning achievement was the fact that they were his only six wickets of the match, all six required no fielding assistance (2 bowled, 2 LBW and 2 caught and bowled) and South African wicket keeper Tommy Ward had the misfortune to be the 3rd wicket in both hat-tricks.
Mervyn Hughes - Test Match vs West Indies @ Perth, 1988
The people's favourite, big bustling Merv Hughes became the first Australian to take a Test hat-trick since Lindsay Kline three decades earlier against the dominant West Indians of the 1980s. What made his hat-trick all the more remarkable however, was that it remains the only Test hat-trick ever to be achieved over three different overs. Hughes had Curtly Ambrose caught behind off the final ball of his 36th first innings over, then after off spinner Tim May went for nine runs at the other end, Hughes came back to finish the innings by having No.11 Patrick Patterson caught, completing a five wicket haul. The in-form Hughes was handed the new ball if the 2nd innings and promptly trapped legendary opener Gordon Greenidge with the first cherry.
Damien Fleming - Test Match vs Pakistan @ Rawalpindi, 1994
Australia's 90s swing king Damien Fleming became only the third bowler in history, and only Australian, to take a hat-trick on his test debut in Pakistan in 1994. Fleming had impressed in the first innings of the series opener with 4/75 but Pakistan had fought back from the brink to sure up a draw on the back of a majestic double century from their star batsman and would be disgraced drug cheat Saleem Malik. At a nauseating 3 for 469, Fleming finally got the breakthrough when he had Aamer Malik (no relation) caught at mid wicket by Michael Bevin for 65. Inzamam-ul-Haq was LBW next ball and after the tension of waiting a full over for his chance, wrote himself into history not just for a hat-trick on debut but legitimised his feat as one of true significance by having the immovable Saleem caught behind for 237.
Shane Warne - Test Match vs England @ MCG, 1994
England typified their 90s ineptitude in the 2nd Ashes test at Melbourne when they threw away a potentially competitive position and collapsed to 6 for 91 in the final innings. Backing up a mesmerising 6/64 in the first innings, Australia's newest sporting hero Shane Warne came on and trapped Philip DeFreitas LBW for 0 before Darren Gough edged to wicket keeper Ian Healy next ball. Batting tragic Devon Malcolm came in at No.10, and lunged his burly body forward in an ungainly manner to a ripping wrong'un. The inside edge was caught and David Boon, on his 34th birthday showed the exuberance of youth to make a spectacular diving snatch low to the ground, and help to etch another ironic memory into the Warne folklore.
Anthony Stuart - One-Day International vs Pakistan @ MCG, 1997
This hat-trick makes the cut more because of my own nostalgic bias. It was the first hat-trick I ever witnessed on TV and as a 6 year old boy I was mesmerised by the drama. Stuart was a little remembered but hard working New South Wales fast bowler who never played a Test and featured for Australia only really during this 1996-97 summer of ODIs. With good old honest fast seam bowling, Stuart had Ijaz Ahmed and Mohammad Wasim edging to Healy behind then Moin Khan to Taylor at first slip. The joyous enthusiasm of his celebration was infectious.
Glenn McGrath - Test Match vs West Indies @ Perth, 2000
Perhaps the most memorable and sensational of all Australian hat-tricks (though Warnie would have a case to argue), McGrath ran through a typically hapless West Indian top order during Australia's 5-0 whitewash of a frankly woeful opposition. McGrath came to Perth on 298 Test wickets with much anticipation surrounding his joining of Dennis and Lillee and Shane Warne as the only Australians with 300 Test wickets. In the press before the match McGrath joked about the perfect script being the removal of stubborn opener Sherwin Campbell for wicket no.299, then McGrath's old nemesis and batting legend Brian Lara for No.300. Two beautiful seaming balls on the off stump line fulfilled this perfect prophecy as both Campbell and Lara edged helplessly into the slip cordon. But not even McGrath could have hoped for the bonus that came from Jimmy Adams popping the next ball, an off target short delivery, straight to Justin Langer at bat pad.
Brett Lee - One-Day International vs Kenya @ Durban, 2003
There is no greater example of the power and ferocity of Australia's great contemporary super speedster than the way he rattled the bones, in one case literally, of an outclassed Kenyan top order during a preliminary match at the 2003 world cup. In the 4th over of the match, with Kenya 0/3, Lee banged in a rip snorting bouncer which cannoned into the elbow of opener Kennedy Otieno and cruelly ricocheted onto the stumps. Celebration for the wicket quickly gave way to concept for Otieno however when it became quickly clear that he was a considerable amount of distress. After writing in pain at the edge of the pitch, Otieno was helped from the ground by team-mates, his badly broken arm being gingerly supported. But it takes more than a pulverised forearm to scare Lee off his trade. His next ball was even faster and No.3 Brijal Patel had no idea, snicking it straight to Ponting, and the next ball was faster still, a violent yorker which easily beat a hapless David Obuya and bowled him neck and crop.
Peter Siddle - Test Match vs England @ Brisbane, 2010
With ten years since McGrath took Australia's last Test hat-trick, and seven years since Lee's effort, Australian cricketing fans had forgotten the joy that comes with a dramatic spectacular hat-trick. Siddle's effort could scarcely have been more dramatic, even including the first Decision Review of a wicket in a Test hat-trick. Although Siddle is not the pace of Lee and did not cause any physical damage to the English batsmen, his hat-trick is reminiscent of the awesome toe crushing power of Lee's. Let's hope we have to wait a shorter amount of time for the next hat-trick (Doherty in the 2nd innings anyone?).
Fred Spofforth - Test Match vs England @ MCG, 1879
Notable primarily as the first hat-trick in Test history. The honour of such a landmark was deserved by no man above "The Demon" Spofforth, the first truly great fast bowler in the Test age and the first to 50 test wickets. In just the 3rd Test match , 2 years after the game had debuted in Melbourne, Spofforth clean bowled English middle order batsman Vernon Royle and Francis McKinnon before Tom Emmett was caught by Tom Horan. The trio of wickets left England at a paltry 7/26 and they did well just to reach 113. Australia still emphatically won by 10 wickets, Spofforth going to take 13 wickets in the match and making a valuable 39 with the bat.
Hugh Trumble - Test Match vs England @ MCG, 1904
When Australia's premier off spinner at the turn of the century, Hugh Trumble, dismissed Bernard Bosanquet, Plum Warner and Dick Lilley amidst a match-winning 7/28, he became the first of only three bowlers in Test history to achieve his two hat-tricks in his career. Trumble had achieved his first three peat at the same ground against the same opposition and in the final test series of his long career, the follow-up served as a fitting bow on a glittering career.
Jimmy Matthews (x2) - Test Match vs South Africa @ Old Trafford, 1912
Wily leg-spinner Jimmy Matthews played just eight tests for Australia, all within a 12 month period. But he forever holds a place in the annals of cricket for a feat surely never to be repeated for all of Test cricketing eternity. In the curious Test Triangular Tournament between England, Australia and South Africa in 1912, Matthews took two hat-tricks. This alone is a feat only matched twice in Test history but this is not the reason for its magnificence. Matthews pair came in the same match, and more than that, on the same day. After a big firsts innings from Australia, Matthews took the last three South African wickets consecutively midway through the 3rd day to enforce the follow on. Within the next two hours he took the 5th, 6th and 7th South African wickets with three balls. Completing his stunning achievement was the fact that they were his only six wickets of the match, all six required no fielding assistance (2 bowled, 2 LBW and 2 caught and bowled) and South African wicket keeper Tommy Ward had the misfortune to be the 3rd wicket in both hat-tricks.
Mervyn Hughes - Test Match vs West Indies @ Perth, 1988
The people's favourite, big bustling Merv Hughes became the first Australian to take a Test hat-trick since Lindsay Kline three decades earlier against the dominant West Indians of the 1980s. What made his hat-trick all the more remarkable however, was that it remains the only Test hat-trick ever to be achieved over three different overs. Hughes had Curtly Ambrose caught behind off the final ball of his 36th first innings over, then after off spinner Tim May went for nine runs at the other end, Hughes came back to finish the innings by having No.11 Patrick Patterson caught, completing a five wicket haul. The in-form Hughes was handed the new ball if the 2nd innings and promptly trapped legendary opener Gordon Greenidge with the first cherry.
Damien Fleming - Test Match vs Pakistan @ Rawalpindi, 1994
Australia's 90s swing king Damien Fleming became only the third bowler in history, and only Australian, to take a hat-trick on his test debut in Pakistan in 1994. Fleming had impressed in the first innings of the series opener with 4/75 but Pakistan had fought back from the brink to sure up a draw on the back of a majestic double century from their star batsman and would be disgraced drug cheat Saleem Malik. At a nauseating 3 for 469, Fleming finally got the breakthrough when he had Aamer Malik (no relation) caught at mid wicket by Michael Bevin for 65. Inzamam-ul-Haq was LBW next ball and after the tension of waiting a full over for his chance, wrote himself into history not just for a hat-trick on debut but legitimised his feat as one of true significance by having the immovable Saleem caught behind for 237.
Shane Warne - Test Match vs England @ MCG, 1994
England typified their 90s ineptitude in the 2nd Ashes test at Melbourne when they threw away a potentially competitive position and collapsed to 6 for 91 in the final innings. Backing up a mesmerising 6/64 in the first innings, Australia's newest sporting hero Shane Warne came on and trapped Philip DeFreitas LBW for 0 before Darren Gough edged to wicket keeper Ian Healy next ball. Batting tragic Devon Malcolm came in at No.10, and lunged his burly body forward in an ungainly manner to a ripping wrong'un. The inside edge was caught and David Boon, on his 34th birthday showed the exuberance of youth to make a spectacular diving snatch low to the ground, and help to etch another ironic memory into the Warne folklore.
Anthony Stuart - One-Day International vs Pakistan @ MCG, 1997
This hat-trick makes the cut more because of my own nostalgic bias. It was the first hat-trick I ever witnessed on TV and as a 6 year old boy I was mesmerised by the drama. Stuart was a little remembered but hard working New South Wales fast bowler who never played a Test and featured for Australia only really during this 1996-97 summer of ODIs. With good old honest fast seam bowling, Stuart had Ijaz Ahmed and Mohammad Wasim edging to Healy behind then Moin Khan to Taylor at first slip. The joyous enthusiasm of his celebration was infectious.
Glenn McGrath - Test Match vs West Indies @ Perth, 2000
Perhaps the most memorable and sensational of all Australian hat-tricks (though Warnie would have a case to argue), McGrath ran through a typically hapless West Indian top order during Australia's 5-0 whitewash of a frankly woeful opposition. McGrath came to Perth on 298 Test wickets with much anticipation surrounding his joining of Dennis and Lillee and Shane Warne as the only Australians with 300 Test wickets. In the press before the match McGrath joked about the perfect script being the removal of stubborn opener Sherwin Campbell for wicket no.299, then McGrath's old nemesis and batting legend Brian Lara for No.300. Two beautiful seaming balls on the off stump line fulfilled this perfect prophecy as both Campbell and Lara edged helplessly into the slip cordon. But not even McGrath could have hoped for the bonus that came from Jimmy Adams popping the next ball, an off target short delivery, straight to Justin Langer at bat pad.
Brett Lee - One-Day International vs Kenya @ Durban, 2003
There is no greater example of the power and ferocity of Australia's great contemporary super speedster than the way he rattled the bones, in one case literally, of an outclassed Kenyan top order during a preliminary match at the 2003 world cup. In the 4th over of the match, with Kenya 0/3, Lee banged in a rip snorting bouncer which cannoned into the elbow of opener Kennedy Otieno and cruelly ricocheted onto the stumps. Celebration for the wicket quickly gave way to concept for Otieno however when it became quickly clear that he was a considerable amount of distress. After writing in pain at the edge of the pitch, Otieno was helped from the ground by team-mates, his badly broken arm being gingerly supported. But it takes more than a pulverised forearm to scare Lee off his trade. His next ball was even faster and No.3 Brijal Patel had no idea, snicking it straight to Ponting, and the next ball was faster still, a violent yorker which easily beat a hapless David Obuya and bowled him neck and crop.
Peter Siddle - Test Match vs England @ Brisbane, 2010
With ten years since McGrath took Australia's last Test hat-trick, and seven years since Lee's effort, Australian cricketing fans had forgotten the joy that comes with a dramatic spectacular hat-trick. Siddle's effort could scarcely have been more dramatic, even including the first Decision Review of a wicket in a Test hat-trick. Although Siddle is not the pace of Lee and did not cause any physical damage to the English batsmen, his hat-trick is reminiscent of the awesome toe crushing power of Lee's. Let's hope we have to wait a shorter amount of time for the next hat-trick (Doherty in the 2nd innings anyone?).
Simple Siddle does the trick
Australia vs England, 1st Test - Day 1
Thursday November 25 2010.
England - 260 (Bell 76, Cook 67, Siddle 6/54)
Australia - 0/25 (Katich 15 n.o, Watson 9 n.o)
Full scorecard here.
The halcyon days of McGrath, Lee and Gillespie and Warne may seem like a distant memory for the Australian bowling unit, but there is life in the old dog yet. What’s more, the sources of this revival in hope and enthusiasm are far from what you’d expect.
For all the talk of an inconsistent, inexperienced attack and their presumed struggle at taking 20 English wickets, Australia has surprisingly healthy pace stocks. The core of Mitchell Johnson, Ben Hilfenhaus, Doug Bollinger, Peter Siddle and Ryan Harris are backed up by the promising young talent of Clint McKay, Mitchell Starc, Peter George, Josh Hazlewood, Trent Copland and Mark Cameron, just to name a few. Meanwhile on the spinning side of things, the plethora of been and gone candidates since the great one’s retirement, while hardly ideal, at least speaks to the depth of near-international quality spin bowling in a country not evolutionarily designed to support the art. But with the developments of the past 12 months, Johnson, Hilfenhaus, Bollinger and Hauritz locked in as incumbents and the vibrant young brigade being given their due, few would have picked Peter Siddle as Australia’s next great bowling hero, and surely none would have thought of Xavier Doherty as the man most likely to take the spin bowling chance and grasp it with both hands.
It is the variety of our quick men which makes them at once threatening and frustrating. The wild, unreliable and dangerous slinger Johnson. The McGrathesque (or maybe DamienFlemingesque would be more appropriate for his prodigious ability to swing the ball and his consistent if always varying spot of minimal facial hair) Ben Hilfenhaus. The left arm new ball specialist Doug Bollinger, with all the cult excitement he stirs up. Peter Siddle somehow appears to be the misnomer, the eggshell amongst broken glass. He is straight up and down, a hard-working, toiling, honest bowler with a mean 140something speed on his day. He’s not quite the gun slinging wild child that is Johnson or the ever-reliable Hilfenhaus. He inexplicably doesn’t even feel remotely like Bollinger, even though they both essentially fill that same intermediary role between Mitch and Hilfy. Siddle, and I mean no disrespect because he is a match for anybody in the world at being so, is one of those bowlers who seems to possess little variety in his arsenal. Invariably he bowls them straight, without prominent swing, at a consistently fast but not spectacular pace, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. While some may have doubted his natural ability, no-one I know has ever disliked Siddle. He is a man whose work ethic would be unmatched even in the most heinous Nazi concentration camp, and if that isn’t enough to miff any survivors of Auschwitz, the indecent joy and happiness with which he seems to do his work every day surely would. Now on perhaps the most important day of his short test career, he’s gotten all rewards he’s deserved for his years of passion, and then some.
A full decade has passed since an Australian last took a test hat-trick (Glenn McGrath against the West Indies in 2000). It is two years longer since the feat was achieved in an Ashes test, by Darren Gough in Sydney in January 1999, a match I was privileged enough to attend, my first as a spectator. Siddle’s hat-trick is reminiscent of Gough’s in that it was the most spectacularly pure and aesthetically pleasing that a hat-trick can get, with two shoe-splitting yorkers firing under Matthew Prior and Stuart Broad’s bats. The ball that got rid of the stubborn Alastair Cook to start the rout was a gem in itself, finally enticing the cautious opener to push ever so slightly outside off stump and edging to the slips.
Siddle’s 6/54 was the hallmark of engrossing day of test cricket at its absolute finest on a beautiful if somewhat sluggish pitch offering a little something to everybody, including the makers and sellers of sawdust. Australia fought hard to dismiss England for 260 by stumps. Simon and Shane Watson ensured Australia’s upper hand by lasting until stumps with the score on 25, Katich looking particularly confident in his aggressive welcoming of Graeme Swann to Ashes cricket at the Gabbatoir.
If the recent tradition of the nerve-jangling opening over providing a glimpse into coming fortunes is anything to go by, Australia are in very good shape. After the interminable pre-series hype and as the climax of the much anticipated first ball began to subside, England’s captain and most important batting stabilizer hit the third ball of the series straight to Michael Hussey. Short outside off stump is not what Ben Hilfenhaus had in mind for his first wicket of the series, but it was nevertheless an extremely clever delivery, deviating back at the left-handed Strauss just enough to cramp his cut shot, a sure fire way of getting yourself caught in the cordon. England 1 for 0. It was the kind of spectacular start that always seemed likely, and for a fleeting moment thoughts of England all out for 30 by lunch flashed through the mind. But a positive start from No.3 Jonathan Trott, and the typical uninspiring stoicism of Alastair Cook began what was a gripping contest all day.
Trott looked in fine touch and it needed a jaffa to remove him, Shane Watson seaming a full ball back in through the gap and disturbing his stumps. As ever Watson was penetrating and difficult to play, and it was Watson who recognised the need to be full and straight. With the slow pace and tinge of green in the wicket, a length bordering on the half volley becomes the new good length ball. So it proved as Watson removed Trott with the perfect ball for such conditions, and inspired Siddle when he returned to the attack after what had truthfully been a scratchy opening spell.
Siddle’s full deliveries outside off accounted for Kevin Pietersen on 43, just when he looked ready to take the match from Australia after showing a headache inducing streak of vintage form, and Paul Collingwood for just 4. At 4 for 125, the in form Ian Bell and the defiant Cook fought back, with a partnership of 72 before all hell broke loose. After Cook’s vigil ended on 67 in the waiting hands of Shane Watson, and Matt Prior was comprehensively bowled, Siddle had to wait an extra minute or two for confirmation of his hat-trick as Stuart Broad played the controversial Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS) card to challenge his palpably plum LBW decision. Broad was struck on the toe on the full, not going close to digging out the searing if rather fortuitous yorker Siddle ended up delivering.
Siddle’s 6th wicket was Graeme Swann for 10, another plum LBW and another pointlessly wasted decision review. Pietersen and Ian Bell were the only batsman who looked to have mastered the conditions, and the overall consistent (apart from Johnson arguably) Australia bowling. Bell played perhaps his best innings against Australia, attacking test debutant Xavier Doherty with particular gusto on his way to 76 before rather inevitably become Doherty’s first test wicket.
My judging standard may be particularly low after all the spin troubles we have had, but Xavier Doherty had to me an absolutely sensational debut innings with the ball. His surprise inclusion over Nathan Hauritz and Steve Smith, despite a frankly woeful first class bowling average of 48 over nearly a decade, was said to be the result of a certain big game quality the selectors saw in him. His four wickets on One Day International debut recently against Sri Lanka gave the earliest glimpses of this and rose to the occasion today. Doherty, a containing one-day bowler by trade really, bowled typically tightly and with great discipline, every bit the match of Hauritz’s cool temperament. More than this, for a supposedly straight up and down containing limited overs bowler he seemed to get a notable amount of purchase out of the wicket, turning the ball far more consistently and often considerably further than Hauritz usually managed. He remains unlikely to ever really run through a team and no doubt the pitch offered him an unusual amount of assistance for a Day 1 Aussie test pitch, but given the context of his meteoric rise and distinctly unimpressive average, his performance was nothing short of sensational. The only blemish on Doherty’s day was a tough but catchable chance he dropped from Cook at cover point earlier in the day.
It is easy to get caught up in the hype of what was really a magnificent day of test cricket, silencing the long form’s doubters. But the truth of the matter is that England’s 260, if their bowlers can do the job tomorrow, may not be that far off the mark. Australia has the disadvantage of batting last on a pitch that has shown signs of likely wear and tear as the game progresses. Australia’s performance was far from flawless either. Ponting’s tactics remain decidedly questionable and Mitchell Johnson showed little to suggest he won’t be carted around the country for the next six weeks, although he will surely have one of those inevitable destructive spells in there somewhere. England were in a fighting if not dominant position of 4/197 before Siddle’s hat-trick, and without the collapse could very easily have gone close to 400, an ominous score on such a economical pitch.
These are all petty details though on a day that was first and foremost, enthralling top level sporting competition, and most importantly for the partisan Aussie, overall a very successful and promising day. These Ashes aren’t a foregone conclusion yet for the Poms.
Highlights
*** Siddle’s enterprising fast bowling and sensational hat-trick. Fast bowling of the like has rarely been seen in Australia or the world for the matter for some years. The last comparable spell I remember is Mitchell Johnson’s destruction of South Africa in Perth two years ago.
** Doherty’s mighty mature performance, the perfect foil for Siddle’s heroics.
* Channel Nine reigning themselves back from the uncontained idiocy of the early summer games to present a focused and, unprecedented within the past few years, almost passing for acceptable commentary. Michael Slater is still annoying as a commentator though. And Mark Nicholas is still a pompous idiot.
Lowlights
*** Kevin Pietersen. While his batting at full flight is always a highlight visually, his form today was worrying. It is too early to make elaborate judgements from one innings of 43, but he’s showing every sign of another return to form just in time for the Australians.
** Mitchell Johnson. My constant criticism may seem overly harsh and he didn’t bowl particularly atrociously today, certainly not compared to the trash he can throw down. My concerns remain however. If we get to about the 3rd or 4th test and his consistency hasn’t improved and his devastating spell hasn’t come yet, it might be time to bring Dougie back for Mitch. Hilfenhaus/Siddle/Bollinger is as formidable a pace attack as any. I think I’m just biased against Mitch because a tattoo artist has made his arm look like a charcoaled log after a bushfire. He was so attractive too.
* Mitchell Johnson’s tattoo. There are other Australian problems to bring up but they are not yet sufficient as to cause grave concern. After such a good day of cricket it’s a fitting tribute to only have two genuine lowlights. Besides that tattoo really is bad.
Thursday November 25 2010.
England - 260 (Bell 76, Cook 67, Siddle 6/54)
Australia - 0/25 (Katich 15 n.o, Watson 9 n.o)
Full scorecard here.
The halcyon days of McGrath, Lee and Gillespie and Warne may seem like a distant memory for the Australian bowling unit, but there is life in the old dog yet. What’s more, the sources of this revival in hope and enthusiasm are far from what you’d expect.
For all the talk of an inconsistent, inexperienced attack and their presumed struggle at taking 20 English wickets, Australia has surprisingly healthy pace stocks. The core of Mitchell Johnson, Ben Hilfenhaus, Doug Bollinger, Peter Siddle and Ryan Harris are backed up by the promising young talent of Clint McKay, Mitchell Starc, Peter George, Josh Hazlewood, Trent Copland and Mark Cameron, just to name a few. Meanwhile on the spinning side of things, the plethora of been and gone candidates since the great one’s retirement, while hardly ideal, at least speaks to the depth of near-international quality spin bowling in a country not evolutionarily designed to support the art. But with the developments of the past 12 months, Johnson, Hilfenhaus, Bollinger and Hauritz locked in as incumbents and the vibrant young brigade being given their due, few would have picked Peter Siddle as Australia’s next great bowling hero, and surely none would have thought of Xavier Doherty as the man most likely to take the spin bowling chance and grasp it with both hands.
It is the variety of our quick men which makes them at once threatening and frustrating. The wild, unreliable and dangerous slinger Johnson. The McGrathesque (or maybe DamienFlemingesque would be more appropriate for his prodigious ability to swing the ball and his consistent if always varying spot of minimal facial hair) Ben Hilfenhaus. The left arm new ball specialist Doug Bollinger, with all the cult excitement he stirs up. Peter Siddle somehow appears to be the misnomer, the eggshell amongst broken glass. He is straight up and down, a hard-working, toiling, honest bowler with a mean 140something speed on his day. He’s not quite the gun slinging wild child that is Johnson or the ever-reliable Hilfenhaus. He inexplicably doesn’t even feel remotely like Bollinger, even though they both essentially fill that same intermediary role between Mitch and Hilfy. Siddle, and I mean no disrespect because he is a match for anybody in the world at being so, is one of those bowlers who seems to possess little variety in his arsenal. Invariably he bowls them straight, without prominent swing, at a consistently fast but not spectacular pace, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. While some may have doubted his natural ability, no-one I know has ever disliked Siddle. He is a man whose work ethic would be unmatched even in the most heinous Nazi concentration camp, and if that isn’t enough to miff any survivors of Auschwitz, the indecent joy and happiness with which he seems to do his work every day surely would. Now on perhaps the most important day of his short test career, he’s gotten all rewards he’s deserved for his years of passion, and then some.
A full decade has passed since an Australian last took a test hat-trick (Glenn McGrath against the West Indies in 2000). It is two years longer since the feat was achieved in an Ashes test, by Darren Gough in Sydney in January 1999, a match I was privileged enough to attend, my first as a spectator. Siddle’s hat-trick is reminiscent of Gough’s in that it was the most spectacularly pure and aesthetically pleasing that a hat-trick can get, with two shoe-splitting yorkers firing under Matthew Prior and Stuart Broad’s bats. The ball that got rid of the stubborn Alastair Cook to start the rout was a gem in itself, finally enticing the cautious opener to push ever so slightly outside off stump and edging to the slips.
Siddle’s 6/54 was the hallmark of engrossing day of test cricket at its absolute finest on a beautiful if somewhat sluggish pitch offering a little something to everybody, including the makers and sellers of sawdust. Australia fought hard to dismiss England for 260 by stumps. Simon and Shane Watson ensured Australia’s upper hand by lasting until stumps with the score on 25, Katich looking particularly confident in his aggressive welcoming of Graeme Swann to Ashes cricket at the Gabbatoir.
If the recent tradition of the nerve-jangling opening over providing a glimpse into coming fortunes is anything to go by, Australia are in very good shape. After the interminable pre-series hype and as the climax of the much anticipated first ball began to subside, England’s captain and most important batting stabilizer hit the third ball of the series straight to Michael Hussey. Short outside off stump is not what Ben Hilfenhaus had in mind for his first wicket of the series, but it was nevertheless an extremely clever delivery, deviating back at the left-handed Strauss just enough to cramp his cut shot, a sure fire way of getting yourself caught in the cordon. England 1 for 0. It was the kind of spectacular start that always seemed likely, and for a fleeting moment thoughts of England all out for 30 by lunch flashed through the mind. But a positive start from No.3 Jonathan Trott, and the typical uninspiring stoicism of Alastair Cook began what was a gripping contest all day.
Trott looked in fine touch and it needed a jaffa to remove him, Shane Watson seaming a full ball back in through the gap and disturbing his stumps. As ever Watson was penetrating and difficult to play, and it was Watson who recognised the need to be full and straight. With the slow pace and tinge of green in the wicket, a length bordering on the half volley becomes the new good length ball. So it proved as Watson removed Trott with the perfect ball for such conditions, and inspired Siddle when he returned to the attack after what had truthfully been a scratchy opening spell.
Siddle’s full deliveries outside off accounted for Kevin Pietersen on 43, just when he looked ready to take the match from Australia after showing a headache inducing streak of vintage form, and Paul Collingwood for just 4. At 4 for 125, the in form Ian Bell and the defiant Cook fought back, with a partnership of 72 before all hell broke loose. After Cook’s vigil ended on 67 in the waiting hands of Shane Watson, and Matt Prior was comprehensively bowled, Siddle had to wait an extra minute or two for confirmation of his hat-trick as Stuart Broad played the controversial Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS) card to challenge his palpably plum LBW decision. Broad was struck on the toe on the full, not going close to digging out the searing if rather fortuitous yorker Siddle ended up delivering.
Siddle’s 6th wicket was Graeme Swann for 10, another plum LBW and another pointlessly wasted decision review. Pietersen and Ian Bell were the only batsman who looked to have mastered the conditions, and the overall consistent (apart from Johnson arguably) Australia bowling. Bell played perhaps his best innings against Australia, attacking test debutant Xavier Doherty with particular gusto on his way to 76 before rather inevitably become Doherty’s first test wicket.
My judging standard may be particularly low after all the spin troubles we have had, but Xavier Doherty had to me an absolutely sensational debut innings with the ball. His surprise inclusion over Nathan Hauritz and Steve Smith, despite a frankly woeful first class bowling average of 48 over nearly a decade, was said to be the result of a certain big game quality the selectors saw in him. His four wickets on One Day International debut recently against Sri Lanka gave the earliest glimpses of this and rose to the occasion today. Doherty, a containing one-day bowler by trade really, bowled typically tightly and with great discipline, every bit the match of Hauritz’s cool temperament. More than this, for a supposedly straight up and down containing limited overs bowler he seemed to get a notable amount of purchase out of the wicket, turning the ball far more consistently and often considerably further than Hauritz usually managed. He remains unlikely to ever really run through a team and no doubt the pitch offered him an unusual amount of assistance for a Day 1 Aussie test pitch, but given the context of his meteoric rise and distinctly unimpressive average, his performance was nothing short of sensational. The only blemish on Doherty’s day was a tough but catchable chance he dropped from Cook at cover point earlier in the day.
It is easy to get caught up in the hype of what was really a magnificent day of test cricket, silencing the long form’s doubters. But the truth of the matter is that England’s 260, if their bowlers can do the job tomorrow, may not be that far off the mark. Australia has the disadvantage of batting last on a pitch that has shown signs of likely wear and tear as the game progresses. Australia’s performance was far from flawless either. Ponting’s tactics remain decidedly questionable and Mitchell Johnson showed little to suggest he won’t be carted around the country for the next six weeks, although he will surely have one of those inevitable destructive spells in there somewhere. England were in a fighting if not dominant position of 4/197 before Siddle’s hat-trick, and without the collapse could very easily have gone close to 400, an ominous score on such a economical pitch.
These are all petty details though on a day that was first and foremost, enthralling top level sporting competition, and most importantly for the partisan Aussie, overall a very successful and promising day. These Ashes aren’t a foregone conclusion yet for the Poms.
Highlights
*** Siddle’s enterprising fast bowling and sensational hat-trick. Fast bowling of the like has rarely been seen in Australia or the world for the matter for some years. The last comparable spell I remember is Mitchell Johnson’s destruction of South Africa in Perth two years ago.
** Doherty’s mighty mature performance, the perfect foil for Siddle’s heroics.
* Channel Nine reigning themselves back from the uncontained idiocy of the early summer games to present a focused and, unprecedented within the past few years, almost passing for acceptable commentary. Michael Slater is still annoying as a commentator though. And Mark Nicholas is still a pompous idiot.
Lowlights
*** Kevin Pietersen. While his batting at full flight is always a highlight visually, his form today was worrying. It is too early to make elaborate judgements from one innings of 43, but he’s showing every sign of another return to form just in time for the Australians.
** Mitchell Johnson. My constant criticism may seem overly harsh and he didn’t bowl particularly atrociously today, certainly not compared to the trash he can throw down. My concerns remain however. If we get to about the 3rd or 4th test and his consistency hasn’t improved and his devastating spell hasn’t come yet, it might be time to bring Dougie back for Mitch. Hilfenhaus/Siddle/Bollinger is as formidable a pace attack as any. I think I’m just biased against Mitch because a tattoo artist has made his arm look like a charcoaled log after a bushfire. He was so attractive too.
* Mitchell Johnson’s tattoo. There are other Australian problems to bring up but they are not yet sufficient as to cause grave concern. After such a good day of cricket it’s a fitting tribute to only have two genuine lowlights. Besides that tattoo really is bad.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Gratuitously detailed prediction of the day
CRICKET
Australia vs England, 1st Test
England to make 391, bowled out 4 overs into the 2nd day. Both Day 2 and 3 will be rain shortened but provide sufficient time for Australia to make 466. England to collapse from 3/160 to be all out for 193 in the 2nd innings, which is fortunate because Australia would have collapsed chasing a target any harder. As such, Australia struggle their way to 5/118.
Australia win by 5 wickets.
Australia vs England, 1st Test
England to make 391, bowled out 4 overs into the 2nd day. Both Day 2 and 3 will be rain shortened but provide sufficient time for Australia to make 466. England to collapse from 3/160 to be all out for 193 in the 2nd innings, which is fortunate because Australia would have collapsed chasing a target any harder. As such, Australia struggle their way to 5/118.
Australia win by 5 wickets.
Ashes Preview
Australia vs England 2010-11, 1st Test
Wooloongabba, Brisbane
November 25-29 2010
Deja-vu for Ricky Ponting as he hands another
Baggy-green to another untried spinner.
Baggy-green to another untried spinner.
The last time
Pre-series turmoil, uncertainty and ever-widening odds seem to be one of the most favourable conditions to win an Ashes series in recent decades. One can only hope this will apply in 2010-11 considering the stark contrast in the preparation of the two teams.
All the theoretical early running is with
Warne. Even four years after his retirement he’s nearly as talked about as any current player. The word from Ian Healy this morning is that Strauss may seriously consider bowling first merely because of the confidence gleaned from not having to face Warne in the 4th innings. This strikes me as a very big and wild jump. For all the talk of cold temperatures, green tops and potential invitations to the opposition to bat, it would overall be extremely unlikely if either captain did anything other than emphatically choose to bat. Ponting has batted on far greener pitches and would still have nightmares about Edgbaston 2005 when he put
For all the expectation of this Gabba test and all the clichés pertaining to how the first session of a series can often define the final result (or indeed the first ball as in 4 years ago), I can’t help but feel the Gabba test this year might not be so foreshadowing.
Likely Elevens
Australia
Shane Watson
Simon Katich
Ricky Ponting (C)
Michael Clarke
Michael Hussey
Marcus North
Brad Haddin
Mitchell Johnson
Peter Siddle
Xavier Doherty
Ben Hilfenhaus
England
Andrew Straus (C)
Alastair Cook
Jonathan Trott
Kevin Pietersen
Paul Collingwood
Ian Bell
Matthew Prior
Stuart Broad
Graeme Swann
James Anderson
Steven Finn
Journalistic Xaviour
It is the very early morning of Thursday November 25 and twenty-eight year old Tasmanian spinner Xavier Doherty is lying in his hotel room, surely wide awake, preparing for his test debut. Twenty-eight is not a young age for a maiden test in this modern age. The circumstances of the call-up could not be more unexpected, controversial or vitally important. On the same day a 20 year old sports nut, with more experience and years in the field of passion and enthusiasm than any Australian first class player's career today, sits as a budding professional. My debut in the blogosphere is equally as unexpected and as belated.
Tomorrow (or in fact today now I think about it) yet another Ashes series begins. It feels like only yesterday that Stuart Broad's amicable Fast-Medium had magically become an international threat and was running through our hapless middle order. The desperate need of that day to vent, rant, sensationalise and various other forms of opinionated vitriol that passes for journalism nowadays remains just as vivid. Nor do I complain about this bias. I am nothing but walking, talking bias and opinion, and I would be concerned for anyone without such passion for his chosen field. I have that passion and will use this space to talk about the issues of the day in the sporting world, in both its basic newsmaking form and, I openly admit, from the position of the fan and sports lover, enamoured by the most memorable triumphs and miffed by what I find incorrect or worthy of spoken opinion.
Cricket, the local football codes of the great state of New South Wales and the excessive world of international motorsport are of greatest priority in my fancy, but any range of interesting stories will be reported on and dissected. Hopefully with the assistance of others who feel animated or even boringly reasoned in their desire to express views, these stories can be discussed and argued long into merry mornings.
With my primary degree at University now finished and with an eye on a hopeful career within sport in the future, the time is ripe for me to get writing, and what could be a better time to start than on the eve of arguably the greatest contest in all of Australian sport.
Anyone reading this and thinking if I deserve a job in the print media, come on. Look at the title of this post. My command of the punny cliche is second to nun.
Tomorrow (or in fact today now I think about it) yet another Ashes series begins. It feels like only yesterday that Stuart Broad's amicable Fast-Medium had magically become an international threat and was running through our hapless middle order. The desperate need of that day to vent, rant, sensationalise and various other forms of opinionated vitriol that passes for journalism nowadays remains just as vivid. Nor do I complain about this bias. I am nothing but walking, talking bias and opinion, and I would be concerned for anyone without such passion for his chosen field. I have that passion and will use this space to talk about the issues of the day in the sporting world, in both its basic newsmaking form and, I openly admit, from the position of the fan and sports lover, enamoured by the most memorable triumphs and miffed by what I find incorrect or worthy of spoken opinion.
Cricket, the local football codes of the great state of New South Wales and the excessive world of international motorsport are of greatest priority in my fancy, but any range of interesting stories will be reported on and dissected. Hopefully with the assistance of others who feel animated or even boringly reasoned in their desire to express views, these stories can be discussed and argued long into merry mornings.
With my primary degree at University now finished and with an eye on a hopeful career within sport in the future, the time is ripe for me to get writing, and what could be a better time to start than on the eve of arguably the greatest contest in all of Australian sport.
Anyone reading this and thinking if I deserve a job in the print media, come on. Look at the title of this post. My command of the punny cliche is second to nun.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)