Lads,
Phil Hughes. A tremendously sad passing of a cricketer hit in a freak accident. Not the first or the last bloke to be hit, but surely the most tragic. A bloke who was dropped more often than most. Talented, but somehow limited as a batsman too. A square cut from hell. Unbelievable power. Immense potential and always destined to play a lot of tests. Great in the field too.
I think we can all remember Andy Roberts hitting Hooksey, Ambrose nearly took Graeeeeeeeeme Wood's head off at Perth one year, we recall Geoff Lawson, Sandeep Patil...Jenner, McCosker...there are plenty of them. Bill Woodful springs to mind.
In a funny sort of a way it was often seen as 'fun'..Thommo style...to hurt a few batsmen like Tony Greig and others. Never fun if you were facing it. Suddenly no fun at all. In fact, I read with interest that Lennie Pascoe is advocating for silly batting shots to be outlawed so bowlers don't look to get more reckless...a hard argument to mount when a standard short ball hits someone playing a regulation pull/ hook shot.
It really makes Brett Lee look bad after that fiasco at Melbourne when he bowled full tilt at that Pommie journalist. And it makes that journo even more stupid than he was. Was it Ian Chappell who was fronted by that journo who said "sorry Ian, I don't think I've met you..." to which he replied..."yes, I know you. you're a dickhead".
And so it is that the number 63 will be remembered fondly for ever more.
I am not sure how young Sean Abbott bounces back. He is a cracking batsman too (even if 20/20 is not his batting go), so maybe this like others before him (eg. SR Waugh), he will retire the bowling one day and make it as a number 6 for Australia. But he too is in the prime of his life...succeeding and achieving.
The game itself will plough on. Hopefully helmet technology will improve too. In this game and in others like baseball too. Maybe a few park cricketers may pull their collective heads in and show a bit more sense at times.
Perhaps helmets may become mandatory in some competitions - or mandatory in every kit in every club - and a standard helmet style/ standard is dictated by the governing body.
Would the ICC do that between counting their cash? Is anyone listening?
Sunday, November 30, 2014
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Wrap - Smith Clicks
1. I think I said it a week or two back that Michael Clarke should retire from ODI's. Steve Smith was absolutely superb on Friday night. He is a special talent. His ability to improvise and crisply hit the ball is something else. Captain? Two weeks ago he was mixing the cordial! Aaron Finch needs to step up soon in the Test arena. Too talented not to figure heavilly, but I suspect he may have been branded a short form player.
Is it just me...why would you declare at 0/17..Got me beat. Surely you either declare at 0/1 or you bat on. Great to see the same corrupt spirit of Parramatta cricket prevails under their dreadful leadership as it ever did. They then got to 120 and declared...dumber...surely you bat on til lstumps and take a big lead into week two when Clarke turns up in his Porsche.
Richie Benaud or Doug Walters was their last star. Sad. They have a great knack of turning players to other clubs and states. Short odds that it rains next Saturday.
2. Is Danny Weidler's article in the Sun Herald the most boring article known to media worldwide? If he's not trumpeting SBW or the Man Mundine, he is defending Paul Gallen, his mum, his mates, his ex mates or his grandmother. Bring back a Matt Rogers tatoo story...please!
3. Reni Matieu is hard work. He belts taxi drivers and nite club bouncers. He has one of the worst off season records in the NRL. Where's Blake Ferguson when you need him?
4. Love a coach sacking and Mike Mulvey from the Brisbane Roar is the best one for a while. He won the comp last year and now he goes after six rounds! Tough markers. Must have lost the car park.
5. Dan Cullen's brother wins the Australian Golf Masters. Is this better than playing one lone Test v Bangladesh like Dan did?
6. Nick Phipps scored two tries v Ireland and needed to. His intercept was a killer moment when on the attack. The Aussies have competed, but I am seeing L's not W's!
7. I'm starting to think that we are not going near a World Cup of Soccer for some time. Our depth has been tested and we have come up empty. We are done for a few more yet and won't have to worry about the heat and sand of Qatar.
Is it just me...why would you declare at 0/17..Got me beat. Surely you either declare at 0/1 or you bat on. Great to see the same corrupt spirit of Parramatta cricket prevails under their dreadful leadership as it ever did. They then got to 120 and declared...dumber...surely you bat on til lstumps and take a big lead into week two when Clarke turns up in his Porsche.
Richie Benaud or Doug Walters was their last star. Sad. They have a great knack of turning players to other clubs and states. Short odds that it rains next Saturday.
2. Is Danny Weidler's article in the Sun Herald the most boring article known to media worldwide? If he's not trumpeting SBW or the Man Mundine, he is defending Paul Gallen, his mum, his mates, his ex mates or his grandmother. Bring back a Matt Rogers tatoo story...please!
3. Reni Matieu is hard work. He belts taxi drivers and nite club bouncers. He has one of the worst off season records in the NRL. Where's Blake Ferguson when you need him?
4. Love a coach sacking and Mike Mulvey from the Brisbane Roar is the best one for a while. He won the comp last year and now he goes after six rounds! Tough markers. Must have lost the car park.
5. Dan Cullen's brother wins the Australian Golf Masters. Is this better than playing one lone Test v Bangladesh like Dan did?
6. Nick Phipps scored two tries v Ireland and needed to. His intercept was a killer moment when on the attack. The Aussies have competed, but I am seeing L's not W's!
7. I'm starting to think that we are not going near a World Cup of Soccer for some time. Our depth has been tested and we have come up empty. We are done for a few more yet and won't have to worry about the heat and sand of Qatar.
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Wrap - Second Stringers
1. NZ rugby league beat the Australian team and did a good job on them really. Our forwards were too small and our lack of spark around the halves was a problem. How much did we miss Thurston? In fact..no Hayne, Slater, Scott, Tamou...a whole heap of blokes. Suddenly Steve Kearney is a legend again. He should hang around the Titans as they may call him up real soon. There is no doubt about the Kiwis...they know how to butcher an event on TV...why is their production so far behind the times? It was like watching something from the 70's. No replays and no spontaneity. Surely that botched effort in the corner late deserved a super slo-mo moment!?
2. The Australian ODI batting order needs Steve Smith in it. Clarke should bring forward his ODI retirement to this week coming and just stay in tests. Not a form thing - just a body fitness thing. Stupidity to prevail - but then again..having said this, by that measure Watson would have retired ten years ago. Smith is a winner through and through.
I was going to write that Josh Hazelwood needed to perform better or he'll be a memory...I note he got five late wickets!
Has Jackson Bird defected to Russia? What about Pattinson? Where are these blokes? Maybe on John Cougar Mellancamp's ranch.
3. Rojit Sharma. 264 in a ODI is something out of this world. It may never be beaten - ever. His hitting was exceptional and all off some 180 balls only! Some of the bowling was colour comp stuff. It was quite an extraordinary display...like the Lara score - or the South African 500 they chased down v Australia all those years ago. Massive moments in world cricket.
4. Union. Beale back in a flash...funny that. Chieka actually looks like he enjoys the game and making things rugby centric...not egos and reputations. I suspect players may well want to play for him and he may actually attract players to the game. Strategically, Folau is tied up too after the Tahs Super 15 championship this year. However, lazy forwards dropping the ball is still a curse.
5. Andy Murray. How bad is he going? He was down 0-6 and 0-5, 0-30 v Federer before getting to 1-6. No one is too concerned. He may have to be satisfied with four Bentley's not five. In contrast Federer is on fire - and Djokovic. Federer's longevity is something else.
6. Love to watch that Adelaide United coach - Gombau. He coaches with spirit. Another bloke who brings fun into the game through structured freedom. I will never forget his controversial statements when he arrived at a club rife with in-fighting and back scratching. He was overheard on FOXTV saying loudly to a team official who was trying to get a family favour..."Your son...well...he is a shit goalkeeper...shit". Love the honesty. It had to be said.
7. Did anyone see that pathetic Sepp Blatter try and smother the corruption in his sport? He is abysmal. A world game with no spine and who scrape the filfth of the world and deposit it neatly in their pocket? The famed report over the Qatar fiasco will now never be released. Don't want the lid being blown on the excess and bribery. Some should retire and join the IOC instead.
2. The Australian ODI batting order needs Steve Smith in it. Clarke should bring forward his ODI retirement to this week coming and just stay in tests. Not a form thing - just a body fitness thing. Stupidity to prevail - but then again..having said this, by that measure Watson would have retired ten years ago. Smith is a winner through and through.
I was going to write that Josh Hazelwood needed to perform better or he'll be a memory...I note he got five late wickets!
Has Jackson Bird defected to Russia? What about Pattinson? Where are these blokes? Maybe on John Cougar Mellancamp's ranch.
3. Rojit Sharma. 264 in a ODI is something out of this world. It may never be beaten - ever. His hitting was exceptional and all off some 180 balls only! Some of the bowling was colour comp stuff. It was quite an extraordinary display...like the Lara score - or the South African 500 they chased down v Australia all those years ago. Massive moments in world cricket.
4. Union. Beale back in a flash...funny that. Chieka actually looks like he enjoys the game and making things rugby centric...not egos and reputations. I suspect players may well want to play for him and he may actually attract players to the game. Strategically, Folau is tied up too after the Tahs Super 15 championship this year. However, lazy forwards dropping the ball is still a curse.
5. Andy Murray. How bad is he going? He was down 0-6 and 0-5, 0-30 v Federer before getting to 1-6. No one is too concerned. He may have to be satisfied with four Bentley's not five. In contrast Federer is on fire - and Djokovic. Federer's longevity is something else.
6. Love to watch that Adelaide United coach - Gombau. He coaches with spirit. Another bloke who brings fun into the game through structured freedom. I will never forget his controversial statements when he arrived at a club rife with in-fighting and back scratching. He was overheard on FOXTV saying loudly to a team official who was trying to get a family favour..."Your son...well...he is a shit goalkeeper...shit". Love the honesty. It had to be said.
7. Did anyone see that pathetic Sepp Blatter try and smother the corruption in his sport? He is abysmal. A world game with no spine and who scrape the filfth of the world and deposit it neatly in their pocket? The famed report over the Qatar fiasco will now never be released. Don't want the lid being blown on the excess and bribery. Some should retire and join the IOC instead.
Sunday, November 9, 2014
Wrap - Talent and Greed
1, 20-20 Series. Finally Australia win something. But what have they won and why is this being played? The ACB are greedy. Simple. I am now convinced Glenn Maxwell has no brains whatsoever. His talent is there, but zero brain power and totally impulsve. On the other hand, Cameron White is a much smarter cricketer now (captain?), but clearly has interpersonal issues and is on the nose. Pat Cummins is very bright and if he can stay well, he may become one of our new greats (and don't we need some).
2. Talk of Michael Clarke's demise are way off. Imagine how we would go without him. He is flashy, mouthy and irritating perhaps, but there are plenty in that boat. His press conferences are becoming that little bit more irritating with each one. Less front and more reality might help.
3. Australian Rugby League Team. Have bounced back and the game v New Zealand will be intriguing. That David Klemmer is something else. He will be outstanding and the Bulldogs will dominate soon. What about the brainsnap that is Joey Leiluia? He has no chance of being an Origin player. How that can even happen with a Samoan international is beyond me.
4. Great to see Parramatta in Seattle. For the life of me I cannot understand why you would go there in temperatures less than 10 degrees when we will start the season in plus 25 degrees...All fabulous PR, but is it the real deal or a gimmick to cover for the pending year of decline?
5. Rugby Union. What gives with Wales? It's like Papau New Guinea beating Australia in league. They can't take a trick when they play us. The Chieka era has started like the McKenzie era...hopefully it ends better. Ireland the stars v. South Africa and England are consistently narrowing the gap with the All Blacks.
6. Day-Night Cricket Tests - and day/ night Sheffield Shield/ Pura Cup fixtures. Is this stretching the goose that laid the golden egg? Every sports executive wants to get their product on at night and if they stood back and gave two cents worth of thought, the afternoon audience at the ground and on TV would rival it. The pitches are poor at night but bowlers would be keen to see it happen. The batsmen will be running away as their averages plummet.
2. Talk of Michael Clarke's demise are way off. Imagine how we would go without him. He is flashy, mouthy and irritating perhaps, but there are plenty in that boat. His press conferences are becoming that little bit more irritating with each one. Less front and more reality might help.
3. Australian Rugby League Team. Have bounced back and the game v New Zealand will be intriguing. That David Klemmer is something else. He will be outstanding and the Bulldogs will dominate soon. What about the brainsnap that is Joey Leiluia? He has no chance of being an Origin player. How that can even happen with a Samoan international is beyond me.
4. Great to see Parramatta in Seattle. For the life of me I cannot understand why you would go there in temperatures less than 10 degrees when we will start the season in plus 25 degrees...All fabulous PR, but is it the real deal or a gimmick to cover for the pending year of decline?
5. Rugby Union. What gives with Wales? It's like Papau New Guinea beating Australia in league. They can't take a trick when they play us. The Chieka era has started like the McKenzie era...hopefully it ends better. Ireland the stars v. South Africa and England are consistently narrowing the gap with the All Blacks.
6. Day-Night Cricket Tests - and day/ night Sheffield Shield/ Pura Cup fixtures. Is this stretching the goose that laid the golden egg? Every sports executive wants to get their product on at night and if they stood back and gave two cents worth of thought, the afternoon audience at the ground and on TV would rival it. The pitches are poor at night but bowlers would be keen to see it happen. The batsmen will be running away as their averages plummet.
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Wrap - Western Sydney Bling
1. The Western Sydney Wanderers juggernaut rolls on! A tremendous win of gravity and steel and despite many odds. What is it with the World Game? A world of idiots and blatant cheats? This business of shining lazers in a player's eyes is outrageous. Not to mention the spitting in the face of an opponent. That grub should have been belted by a whole heap of players. A disgrace and you watch...he will slink off with no penalty. In the end little old Parramatta gets the first piece of silverware in the suburb since 1986. Nothing from rugby...nothing from league...nothing from cricket...
2. The Barbarians. How does one qualify for this gig? It reminds me of old time rugby when turnstile defence was the norm and brutal forward head clashes reigned supreme. "Winning" an exhibition match is a bit of a stretch to guage form around! The world of Michael Cheika is going to get messy eventually. No prisoners and this hard line might just upset a few precious rugby types.
3. Have the Windies made it home yet after running out of India? What a pack of clowns.
4. Australian Cricket. What is that malarkey? But for Mitchell Johnson last summer, it could have been terrible. I think deep down we know we will face this at some stage. However, how terrible is Chris Rogers to spin? Awful. Looks like he is playing French cricket. Then there is the super talented Maxwell who is a wasteful git sometimes. Throw in the benign Siddle - why does he keep getting selected and when do you ever remember him ploughing through the top order in the last five years? What of Nathan 'Doorknobs' Lyon? The worst spinning record in world cricket almost. How can the Pakis spin it and we can't? He was telling everyone the great Murali was teaching him...moneyback please ACB. Lyon needs to go. We seem to have physios, psychologists, academies, talent squads and hangers on by the dozen...we now need a few blokes who can play. A schemozzle.
Younis Khan is pretty special however. Up there with the great Javed. Is this Imran Khan playing now in this test as good as the great 'Immy'?
5. Australian RL. What gives with those horrid blue and violet jersies? Are we not still green and gold? England league would have a worse record than us at Eden Park I reckon. They are here for a holiday, not much else. Liking Samoa. It will be some sort of upset if New Zealand do not win the thing.
6. Sydney FC. That Graham Arnold has plenty of grit and determination. He makes teams look good. What a performance early with Sydney FC!
7. The San Francisco Giants. An extraordinary perfromance to win the MLB World Series. The October specialists strike. Three rings in five years is unheard of!
2. The Barbarians. How does one qualify for this gig? It reminds me of old time rugby when turnstile defence was the norm and brutal forward head clashes reigned supreme. "Winning" an exhibition match is a bit of a stretch to guage form around! The world of Michael Cheika is going to get messy eventually. No prisoners and this hard line might just upset a few precious rugby types.
3. Have the Windies made it home yet after running out of India? What a pack of clowns.
4. Australian Cricket. What is that malarkey? But for Mitchell Johnson last summer, it could have been terrible. I think deep down we know we will face this at some stage. However, how terrible is Chris Rogers to spin? Awful. Looks like he is playing French cricket. Then there is the super talented Maxwell who is a wasteful git sometimes. Throw in the benign Siddle - why does he keep getting selected and when do you ever remember him ploughing through the top order in the last five years? What of Nathan 'Doorknobs' Lyon? The worst spinning record in world cricket almost. How can the Pakis spin it and we can't? He was telling everyone the great Murali was teaching him...moneyback please ACB. Lyon needs to go. We seem to have physios, psychologists, academies, talent squads and hangers on by the dozen...we now need a few blokes who can play. A schemozzle.
Younis Khan is pretty special however. Up there with the great Javed. Is this Imran Khan playing now in this test as good as the great 'Immy'?
5. Australian RL. What gives with those horrid blue and violet jersies? Are we not still green and gold? England league would have a worse record than us at Eden Park I reckon. They are here for a holiday, not much else. Liking Samoa. It will be some sort of upset if New Zealand do not win the thing.
6. Sydney FC. That Graham Arnold has plenty of grit and determination. He makes teams look good. What a performance early with Sydney FC!
7. The San Francisco Giants. An extraordinary perfromance to win the MLB World Series. The October specialists strike. Three rings in five years is unheard of!
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