Wrap - A Kick In The Gus

1. Big Bash. Surely the fact that a game is on every night and there is a reliable viewing habit established, makes it the huge success that it is. People watch regardless of the team and quite frankly very few care who is playing...they will watch anyone. The love of cricket.

Why Channel 9 did not show the vision to snap it up is beyond me. Would Kerry Packer have missed out on that? No.

2. Khawaja looked in great nick. His hitting down the ground was impressive. How anyone can say that that T20 form sets him up well for Test performance is beyond me. Shaun Marsh cannot be in the team, even though he has hit form against the equivalent of a first or second grade team in the Windies?

 

3. A League. Starting to hot up. Some big crowds are returning now. Wanderers are carving it up consistently, despite their away draw in Perth, but Melbourne Victory will challenge again despite their recent slump. 

 

4. Chelsea. New coach....GUUUUUS...has come to save the sinking ship. Hard to believe the players have not been tanking. Watch them turn it around now.

 

5. Kane Williamson and BJ Watling look likely to win yet another test together. This time v Sri Lanka. A good test!

 

6. How fat is Jaques Kallis? He has eaten a lot of sheep...Still has it however!

Wrap - Training The House Down

1. West Indian cricket seems to have just one problem for mine. Lack of heart and spirit. Forget academies and basketball (How many West Indian NBA players are there? Surely no more than the Aussie crop!). Watch the old tapes and see smiling assassins who knew how to win - and smiled doing it. These current blokes are spoilt brats who don't care generally. The self indulgence starts with the bangles and necklaces...but cricket form and ability is a nonsense. What they really need is some experienced leadership to bring a few of these raw talented blokes through.

I saw that two fast of their bowlers were refusing to bowl into the wind. What a joke! Banish them to the Afghanistan league for a short while. That may smarten up the whole show...and quickly I suspect.

2. Are there any NRL clubs 'training the house down' and 'ready to rip' in 2016? I am sure that there a few...all the underperforming ones...Tigers, Titans, Knights, Eels....A great 2016 awaits. Had to laugh that Parramatta were interested in James Roberts. Another bloke who has had a brush with the police and courts. How many can one squad hold? Is it just me or do Penrith get everyone they want? Hiku is a tidy player. A great signing.

3. Let's not get too excited about Shaun Marsh just yet. More shots along the ground and down the ground are required for mine yet. He should replace his brother or sit on the bench. Joe Burns is not the answer as opener. Gets bowled too often for mine. Adam Voges has been exceptional. A strong leader.

4. Western Sydney Wanderers. Great to see the fans back. From what I can work out, the fans achieved nothing, soccer achieved nothing and the game goes on...sound familiar?

5. EPL. How Leicester City are at the top is beyond me, but they are there...and Bournemouth keep beating leading teams. Is Alex Ferguson available to return to Man U. They have had a week from hell losing the unloseable!

6. Simon Katich risks becoming a permanent goose in the minds of many. He discloses that he held the power to sing the team song and preferred not to do so. Clarke gets upset and Katich exults in his brief fame...Go figure. Clarke is petulant as we all know.

Wrap - Windies Protest

1. What a cracking venue for a Test match - Tasmania. Any chance Cricket Australia knew it was going to be a frightful dud? Maybe they should have barred BBL appearances from Windies players to assist their test strength? The Windies are terrible. I suspect they need a Super League type war and get the stronger more sensible leaders together. However we have been saying this for twenty years. They are horrible and may be dropped from world top tier test cricket soon. Enter Afghanistan. How many Ladies Stands are at their minefield of a cricket ground?

What price a draw on the back of drizzle, rain, sleet or similar at the map of Tassie?

2. NRL Truce With the Clubs. Thanks Dave McGuiness for getting this off the sport pages. It is boring summer time reading too. Nearly as boring as watching Sevens Rugby. This is the 20-20 Cricket equivalent and could not excite a feral cat.

3. India v South Africa. Rahane hit twin tons in a really low scoring game. Some sort of effort on another low turning deck. South Africa look weaker than our test team at present. No Philander. No Steyn. No joy.

4. V8's at Homebush. Looks a bit like harness racing to me. Once someone gets in front, no chance to overtake them!

5. An exciting finish in the Australian PGA with Nathan Holman in a play off. Tough conditions, but a few stumbles too. How bad was the touring pro and former legend Brandt Snedeker. Must have been on the drink to miss the cut. He hit an 84 on the Gold Coast...a few boys weekenders do better than that!

6. Love a fan protest. They are right up there with player strikes. The A League is a cracker. Remarkably, and quite surprisingly...the show goes on regardless! Who would have thought...?

It seems like a never ending dummy spit for mine. Interesting to see the list and pics of banned fans - I taught a couple of them years back!

7. Not hearing a lot of outrage at Hopoate's imminent move from Parramatta. A bit like when Willie Tonga left and the Bulldogs turned him into a sensation. Hiku is a great talent if they can snare him. Manly are making a big error there. Another long year at Parramatta. They won't need a fan shut out with another year like last year...it will just happen in July as usual.