Sunday, December 27, 2020

The Wrap - Rexona Umpiring

1. Test Cricket. Australian Test Cricket batting has been bad for twelve months. Burns is a laughable selection. I am sure that if you were an opener in Shield cricket you would be none too pleased. Daniel Hughes, Nick Larkin, Marcus Harris? Steve Smith single handedly kept us afloat, but as for some of the others. Wade is not a Test opener either. There just seems to be too many excuses for mine. Green needs more guidance, but has the goods bowling at 140kph+...impressive numbers  He needs to watch his hands hold up.

I would like to see Tim Paine be a little more attacking at times. He can be negative with one less slip or no leg slip. The only way we win is to take wickets.

Jadeja is an old pro cricketer who knows what is required and when. He plays key moments better than most other cricketers world wide. Rahane was brilliant!

2. Test Cricket Fumbles. There was some really poor catching on Sunday which cost Australia. None worse than that effort by Travis Head at the end. Honestly. So poor for a Test player. He disappoints too often, yet has a lot of talent. He is in trouble if he doesn't produce in the second innings.

3. Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc. As good as they both are, is it harsh to say that neither seem to get wickets when we need them most? Lyon rarely gets first innings, upper order wickets. Maybe because he doesn't open the bowling, but interesting stats below...





4. Kane Williamson. How good is this bloke? 22 Test tons at 52.50...not bad. He is hard to toss. Non-descript...like the bloke who reads your gas meter!

5. The BBL. Slowly picking up impetus. Nicholas Pooran (West Indies) was awesome on Saturday night for the Melbourne Stars. A big hitter and crisp! One to watch. Daniel Hughes was amazing too in reply. Liking this young Oliver Davies for the Sydney Chunder as well. A clean hitter of the ball. The Renegades were awful. The Sydney Sixes will be hard to beat again. They bat deep. Does there need to be so much noise from the ground MC at these games? Chris Lynn has more injuries than Eric Grothe.

Loving the shoe wear in season 2020-2021... Faulkner looks like he is wearing his school shoes, Rashid Khan looks like a tourist in Bali for the first time with his blue shoes and Chris Green's blue shoes are just shocking against the fluro outfit. Maybe a kid who visited the Nike shop for the first time.

6. BBL Umpiring. These BBL umpires are terrible. The number of howlers is extraordinary. You have to laugh that they then go to Hawkeye for the commentary team! What about for the players and crowd? This Nathan Ellis could become an Australian player.

The BBL umpires are worse than the umpire's decision in that Rexona advert where the umpire rules against his boss. Clearly too far forward and a shocking decision. He would get a start in the BBL with that!

7. NRL. We didn't have to wait long...an arrest of David Fifita and then a wedding cancellation from Mitchell Pearce. Poor Mitchell, his decision making has been questionable at times on and off the field, especially under pressure. 

8. EPL. Arsenal burst back to life and knock over Chelsea which is terrible from them. Leicester continue to sparkle while Man U and Man City circle ready to strike Liverpool. 

Sunday, December 20, 2020

Wrap - Paine Staking

1. Skipper. Tim Paine really staked his claim as the longer term skipper with an innings when it mattered in our first innings v India, something he has been a little poor around since his arrival to be frank. He stamped his arrival when it mattered this time in the first Test of the summer. The batting of Travis Head is under the microscope. He under delivers frequently. Not sure Wade is a long term solution, but he fights hard which we all admire. Everything about Cameron Green looks good - especially his humility.

Joe Burns was shocking to be honest. In the first innings awful and then the same early on in the second innings. The only one off the middle was one off his shoulder. He was squaring up terribly to the short of a length ball. Lunging to the fullish ball too. As soon as he started playing shots (something Langer did well in his career when under pressure to be fair), he transformed. Nice to see his aggression against the short rubbish from India. 

Warner in for Burns I suspect. Wade will be nervous as that will be it for him if dropped.

2. Indian Batsmen. The Indian batting effort in the second innings was curious. All out for 36 is a complete embarrassment. Very few if any Indian players put the boot in however in the media. They are very reluctant to bag their own players. They will never get into the lucrative inner circle if they criticise. Instead there is the hollow compliment to the Australians. So many batsmen got edges it was amazing. The bowling length really troubled them. Hazlewood getting 5/8 is so much like U/10s it is scary! Not to mention the pink ball which was seaming around like a tennis ball with tape on it!

No Kohli will make for an interesting tour from here on. He is a gun.

3. COVID. Where is Peter V'landys when you need him? As the COVID-19 pandemic hype grows, the Sydney to Hobart yachting race has been canned, talk of the SCG New Year's Test being canned... All the while, the MCG Test continues without a whisper. I bet there is no one at Cricket Australia talking to V'landys. They need an overhaul. The A-League is also floundering without too much of a plan. 

4. Golf. Young Charlie ('The Cub') Woods is looking like his old man Tiger and playing like him too! A great swing for an eleven year old.

5. Boxing. Paul Gallen was fortunate and probably should have been knocked over. Lucky to get the decision. On the other hand Tsyzu looks to be capable of some serious international inroads. 

6. Raelene Castle. She keeps landing the big gigs. SportNZ CEO now. She must have some talent.

7. NRL. No outrageous scandals this week, but maybe because it is Christmas!

8. EPL. Liverpool are warming up now with a 7-0 victory. Arsenal have been terrible with Everton dusting them. Liverpool well poised, but a few teams are huddling up close to them. Very interesting this year.

Sunday, December 13, 2020

Wrap - Can Openers

1. Openers. The lack of decent opening batsmen at present is a big concern. Joe 'Carpet' Burns surely can't play after 5 runs in four innings against the Indians this summer. They have his measure! Then genius Coach Langer (who is under pressure) suggests Shaun Marsh should play. That would be Marsh's seventh call up to the team! Staggering that Langer's allegiance cannot be separated from the future of the country's team. Is the answer not simple... Green has to play. Then we need one opener and we need to convince one of our current top six to open as well!

If Green plays we only need one opener... Marcus Harris = Opener 1 and Labuschagne, Smith, Head, Wade, Green, Paine, Cummins, Starc, Lyon, Hazelwood. 

When the bouncer is outlawed, openers will be in plentiful supply! The pink ball Test cricket is farcical as well and will die off soon. Too much night time advantage to the seamers. 

2. BBL - T20 Batsmen. The fascination with all rounders in cricket is mystifying. Although Cameron Green is a special talent. Rare, but most teams simply do not have enough batsmen. Often times, does it really matter who goes 0/30? Hard to think it does. I noticed another all rounder, Roston Chase in the Windies Test team picked up a pair on the weekend...not enough batsmen!

3. BBL Standards. The standard of players is a problem...I am with the TV executives here. Too many old names and no current ones. Why have we not got an IPL window so our best play? Can we not also have an Indian or two in each side? Our imports are sub standard. The ratings are tumbling already...except if you have the Cricket Australia calculator. Not a publicity campaign in sight either. 

Added to that, no DRS as it costs cash and the integrity of cricket is at an all time low. Hopeless joke.

4. Australia A. A complete disgrace. They got hammered and were awful. No spine. They all need to be asterisked. Joe Burns is woefully out of touch mentally and Swepson was horrible too. Thumped and belted on Saturday night. Again, not enough batsmen and an obsession with underperforming all rounders who bowl mostly.

5. EPL. ManU v Man City. Is the fierce rivalry waning? A tame draw.

6. Boxing - Gallen v Hunt. Gallen could be ended here once and for all! Hunt will not be a pushover.

7. NRL Rules Changes. Still the two biggest rule changes needed in the game go untouched: (1) When the ref rules a try...time off until kick off. (2) Throw the ball away or delay surrender of the ball (any situation) = a 25 metre penalty with quick tap permitted. These time wasting tactics need to be eliminated.

8. The Olympics. The Olympics are an expensive waste of money when you allow 'breakdancing' into the games...Sure we have had rhythmic gymnastics, synchronised swimming and a few other odd ones over the years...skateboarding, surfing, taekwondo, BMX biking, beach volleyball, rugby sevens, but surely this tops them all. 

9. The Panthers. Starting to get worried that big heads and big mouths are dominating in the club when big hearts and big reputations were once there. They have won nothing so far and will need to replace Tamou as well. An experienced forward is required to win a comp - Lazarus, Edge, Bugden, Nikau, Webke...it has been ever thus.

Sunday, December 6, 2020

The Wrap - Wallabies Spoon

 1. Wallabies. Great anthem, but same rubbish product. Rugby simply refuses to shift to accommodate the modern viewer. As such, it is a park sport at best (bring back half time breaks in the circle on the field) and will never rake in the dollars that it did, once upon a time. There is a complete lack of patience with stodgy referees who believe the game centres on them.

We also need someone who can kick straight. Reece Hodge step aside. Diabolical draws v the Pumas. Honestly, mark them down as losses. The Spoon is ours again.

2. Cricket. The ODI series came and went and most people were wondering whether Mitchell Starc should ever be selected again. If he doesn't get a wicket in his first two overs, he is shot. Yet to get anything like runs in an ODI too. The frustration of Glenn Maxwell as the talented guy that rarely delivers is another challenge. Finch is cooked too. Far too slow in the field. Liked the look of Cameron Green - big, athletic and a powerful striker of the ball.

3. Justin Langer. Simply put, he should not be the coach of all forms of the game. Ricky Ponting is the best T20 coach in the world. We need to prepare for life after Langer. I am seeing some bad signs. This 'like for like' is the current rule. It suited India to put their replacement in, but it did not mean that our batsmen needed to turn it up when things got challenging. It was our fault and we wanted to blame India! Please. Langer needs to check himself.

In the Australia A v India game, Pujara (54) and Rahane (108no) were amongst the runs and James Pattinson was clearly our best. I suspect we will need every good ball he owns!

4. Captaincy Joke. Fancy putting Matthew Wade in as skipper of Australia (T20) ahead of Steve Smith. Please, when does the bloke get a break? Wade lacks credibility and should not even be in the team. Josh Phillipe is the best performed Australian keeper-batsman. The current CA administration needs a rocket. They can't get a thing correct.

5. NRL. Great to see some off season biff with a Canberra player again. Last year it was Curtis Scott. This year, Tom Starling. He looked like he was being a complete clown and then the biff. Far too common. After Ricky's reaction last year, I will be interested in how Ricky reads this one. And they signed young Hopoate as well. Hopefully his discipline holds.

6. Daniel 'Dry Shoes' Ricciardo. It is almost a weekly mystery how a different excuse seems to be made to explain Ricciardo's poor form. He is an under achiever in F1, despite the fairytale many want. Bring back Mark Webber. 

7. EPL. Kevin Muscat has been sacked from his club as coach in Belgium, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's job looks safe. ManU are back with a bang! Suddenly EPL order has been restored with ManU, Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham all clustered at the top of the table. Sheffield United are almost spent already after 10 games. They will need a miracle!

8. Boxing and UFC Fighting. Every weekend the same story...dodgy officiating, massive injuries and outrage...until next weekend!

9. AFL Draft. Braeden Campbell from my son's junior team and a Swans Academy product looks to be in the frame for a top 5 draft pick. A great effort from a kid from Pennant Hills way. He lacks a little pace, but has steel and smarts.

10. Manny Ramirez. He has arrived to play for the Sydney Blue Sox this season (starting 17 December). He is an absolute legend of the MLB and has already made his mark in the new team. Already gifting his bats to young team mates, like my son. It is the pre-season team party that has me worried. ASADA are already all over the team!