< 1 minute readWe were reading about Australia’s latest call-up, Daniel Trevor Christian today. Aside from wondering whether a West Indian cricketer could trade him a surname for one of his first names, we were also struck by his use of the phrase ‘the ball is coming out of the hand well’. We
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James Pattinson and Australian desperation
2 minute readIt’s been a great period in Australian cricket. There have been so many poor performances that the nation attained that blissful state where everyone’s running around screaming ‘do something!’ without any agreement as to what that something might be. It didn’t matter who was right and who was wrong, just
Continue readingDavid Warner’s Twenty20 reputation
2 minute readWe’ve some sympathy for the young, millionnaire cricketer, David Warner – and it’s not just because he’s Australian. We feel that sympathy – just a small amount – because he’s been branded a Twenty20 player. Warner’s done well off the back of Twenty20, but he’s always going to have to
Continue readingAustralia pick the wrong bowlers
< 1 minute readWith New Zealand 176-5, you may disagree with that. That’s not really our point. Our point is that we haven’t got anything to say about James Pattinson and Mitchell Starc. We were hoping Ben Cutting would get the nod. His training revolves around distance running, not weight-lifting – an approach
Continue readingMichael Clarke’s support for Mitchell Johnson is getting ridiculous
< 1 minute readMichael Clarke concluded early on in his tenure that his man management of Mitchell Johnson would involve unconditional love, no matter what the tufty-haired purveyor of left-arm ineptitude did with the ball. Johnson hasn’t taken many wickets recently, but Clarke’s been steadfast in his support. Someone should tell him he
Continue readingBack to what’s important
< 1 minute readWe’ve got behind Australia to a quite sickening degree in recent days. We’ve intimated that South African defeats can be enjoyable and we’ve sympathised – SYMPATHISED – with Australians when they weren’t able to win a Test series after one little catastrophe. Well enough of that. Let’s get back to
Continue readingA two match Test series that was a success on every level
< 1 minute readAustralian defeats, South African defeats, brilliant fast bowling, feisty batting, 47 all out and everyone feeling profoundly irritated at being massively short-changed by there only being two matches – this was the perfect Test series. It was better than anything. It was better than turning up at a restaurant and
Continue readingWhen the fifth day of a Test match has the right ingredients
< 1 minute readThe fifth day of a Test can be dreadful. It can also be the best thing ever. When you get the right ingredients, it’s rich and intoxicating, like a creamy mustard sauce laced with smack. The second (and final) Test between South Africa and Australia is set up perfectly. South
Continue readingOne down in a two Test series
< 1 minute readIt’s a generalisation to say that long-term cricket fans gravitate towards the longest format, but it’s not an outrageous generalisation, like saying that all left-handed people are agents of Lucifer. We’ve twice this year had perfectly civil interaction with someone who has later revealed themselves to be sickeningly wrong-handed, but
Continue readingThere is nothing big or clever or grown-up about wallowing in other people’s misery
2 minute readSo says Bert, who continues: Fortunately, nobody here has ever claimed to be big or clever or grown-up? Anyone like to take a guess at what the following sequence of numbers is? 245, 304, 268, 309, 98, 258, 280, 281, 273, 210, 411, 316, 488, 284, 47 Yes, that’s right
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