Wrap - The Show Goes On

1. The ODI Show has been re-packaged clearly at the strict instruction of the Indian cricket masters (who else would get away with defying DRS?). Again, like always when they come to Australia, we are meant to produce featherbed wickets for them so that viewing audiences can watch all day and all night. And so it backfires on them! The Australian chases have been extraordinarily good. George Bailey and Steve Smith have been superb. Aaron Finch who lumbers around the field like an overweight cow in high heels at times, better watch out when Warner returns...Shaun Marsh has impressed. The Big Show has finally turned it on. I suspect that the Australian players play a lot harder against India. There is a hell of a lot riding on it financially. A big innings can equal IPL $$$$.

2. The Big Bash. It has been very entertaining and sure beats the IPL. The commentary of Ricky Ponting has been the best. Clipped and serious, but insightful. Mark Waugh yaks, Fleming tries to be too funny, Gilly too serious and Freddie Flintoff is a goose. He should go home and stay away and drink his Lipton Ice Tea in a jungle somewhere. The Lipton Ice tea is an old tactic to get a decent fridge into your shop so you can stock the stuff people want to drink.

3. Stuart Broad. His ability to win a Test match as a bowler is staggering. he has done this many times, including v South Africa on the weekend. They will smash us in the next Ashes if he is still around. When does he retire? He never rests, rotates or gets injured. He is exemplary. The best in the Test cricket world without peer. Accurate, fast and aggressive.

4. Trevor Bayliss. He can coach. Quiet and purposeful. His record with England is hotting up.

5. Essendon. How can a club, its administration and management be so dumb? How can the players be even dumber? Just quietly, is there a more boring world sporting topic?

6. Perhaps only the tantrums of Tomic and Kyrgios. Neither have changed a thing, despite the trumped up pathetic commentary by a few of the old Australian tennis dingbats. The sport is full of spoilt brats who deserve little from the public. The true champions deserve a lot of respect from the public. Djokovic, Federer and Nadal...three of the best ever.

7. The Sydney A-League Derby. Love a passionate crowd (and a few flares, darts, fire crackers and numchakas between friends). Graham Arnold is a big occasion coach without parallel in Australian football/ soccer.

8. Australian Open Tennis. Is there any prospect of having half the current number of players in the draw? Add a few fast tennis games in as well....Looking forward to seeing some foot faults at clutch plays...love a good tennis umpire stoush.

Wrap - Daryl Brath-weight

1. If you had to choose a 'Big Bash T20 All Stars (Aussies)' team for this season, who would you choose? Here's mine:

Aaron Finch
Tim Paine
Shaun Marsh
Chris Lynn
George Bailey
Travis Head
Dan Christian
Cameron Boyce
Brad Hogg
Jason Behrendoff
Clint McKay
Andrew Tye

2. Is it just me or is Stephen O'Keefe the best non-turner of the cricket ball since Ray Bright gave birth to the legend of Tom Hogan. Can you imagine the fear in the Indian batsmen? He is simply not the answer.

3. Women's cricket. Great skills showcased. The fielding in particular can be quite spectacular. A few of them bowl quicker than the blokes. Your beefy middle order bat is a popular 20-20 boundary option. Chris Gayle might get a start at number 7.

4. Third umpire. Checking the Andre Russell catch for the Thunder v Hobart Hurricanes. Are you kidding? Third umpires are a joke. Their commentary on their own decisions only highlights their stupidity of self justification. Sounds like they become overawed with their own self importance. Was it that bad before third umpires? I don't think so.

5. IPL - big contracts ...James Faulkner. He has declined significantly since his brush with the law! That ODI team looks terrible.

6. 80,000 at MCG. Phenomenal. Stars v Renegades. The Renegades need some bowlers. Doherty is done. Terrible. Peter Handscombe is one of the smartest players in the league. Top pressure player. Technically crisp. George Bailey too.

7. Fielders are too deep at MCG. Teams lose the plot. They would be 30 metres closer at any other ground. Make them hit over your head! Surely. If you looked at the boundary length of most other grounds the fielders would be well in the crowd.'

8. The stupidity of some players under pressure has been amazing... Think the Chris Hartley run out for the Thunder v Hobart Hurricanes. The pressure does it. Rimmington was terrible too against the Stars. Abbott struggled v Strikers too. Some big atmospheres!

9. How did Parra miss out on signing Russell Packer and James Roberts? Great wrap when players say they don't want to play at your club because there is no hope of a premiership. If they had kept Jacob Loko the whole side except Foran would have felt the leather of the seats inside of the court room. Enter Michael Jennings (?). Surely not. Another near miss jail bird.

10. The NRL top eight has almost been finalised for mine:

1. Broncos
2. Roosters
3. Cowboys
4. Souths
5. Bulldogs
6. Manly
7. Storm
8? Sharks, Saints, Warriors, Eels...Raiders, Panthers, Tigers, Titans and Knights.

11. BBL - A lot of "squirting" of the ball these days...plenty of bowling "shape" and "in good areas". Some have had some frightful "tap". Looking forward to Daryl Braithwaite opening the bowling for the Windies soon...."How - zat, you messed around I caught you out howzat?"

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.

Wrap - Bad Hands

1. What an unlucky club net bowler who was hit while bowling in the nets. Mitch Marsh middled one! He looms as our next Shane Watson. Can surprise, but disappoints more often than most. How fat is Swampy? He has some guts now.

Mitch Starc injured again. When did we have a summer when all bowlers stayed fit? Not since McGrath, Kaspo, Lee...these blokes didn't fall apart. Gillespie even. Merv lasted.

Oh the irony...Shaun Marsh hits one down the ground in a test for the first time and gets run out! Great to see NZ have brought their own Santa (Santner) with them. Merry Christmas!

Shaun Marsh rose to the occasion and hit a lot more frequently down the ground. A gem of a second innings really. Announced his return under immense pressure. The most relieved Marsh is Rod...the ailing selector.

Unfortunately the Windies will be a misery.

2. Pink Ball. Having been at the ground, the ball is fine when it hits the grass, but down the pitch live - hard to see under lights! Not bad on tele. If it can be so influential under lights, it seems more treacherous than losing the toss. Imagine it in India or Sri Lanka when the dew sets in...

Great to see a pitch where batsmen have to work hard. Much more engaging.

3. Interested to see the massage man/ team trainer fielding for Australia in a Test match. Has it come to this? The 12th man - surely they can hang around and learn other skills. Is there not another decent player somewhere? He hung around for ever. The one through the legs would cop a bagging in B10's. This used to happen when playing the President's XI or the Durham Second XI. Unprofessional and wearing some sort of supporter's cap baggy green...disrespectful.

He has plenty of work off the field he needs to attend to...Starc, Warner....on it goes...

Then they bring on a young kid who Warnie thinks may have had a couple of beers after his game earlier in the day at club cricket! Smith needs work on his hands. The captaincy is taking some toll perhaps. Maybe the massage man needed to come on into the slips.

4. What about the world's most boring issue? The TV rights for the NRL. Get it on television and stop annoying us. No one cares. A bit like when the draw is announced! Who cares? Rivalled by the DRS Pommie umpire. A ditherer.

5. Apparently Essendon AFL club are door knocking fans to thank them for their loyalty. Should be a quick afternoon's work.

6. That ex-NBA player in the NBL. No wonder an 83 year old with some disabilities throws beer on him. If he was any good he would be playing over there. Put the old bloke in a rocking chair with a pipe and keep him under house arrest.

The NBA is wildly over achieving with every game shown live on Fox. Hard to believe it.

7. Sight screens. Since when do we need 15 sections of seating covered in white towels/ banners for the sight screen? Plus the useless one with the garage door remote. In the old days it was big news when Joel Garner made them put two feet on top of the black ODI sight screens. Do we need that much extra? Greg Chappell played with kids hanging over the fence waving flags in front of them...and still got runs.

8. Speith is a class act. Composed and calm regardless. However Matt Jones gets the Stonehaven Cup...only $225,000 for the winner. Lucky to see any international players here at that price. This would be ashtray change for most of the stars.

9. How about Klitschko’s nine-and-a-half-year reign as heavyweight boxing champion getting undone today? Some sort of effort!

Wrap - Pork Chops

1. Unbelievable that a 56 year old - Peter Senior - wins the Australian Masters. A phenomenal effort from a crusty old stager. Invented the 'PING' cap and a broomstick stickler. One of the last of an era of golfers with moustaches! Where have all the moustachioed golfers gone? Think: Roger Davis, Craig Stadler...

2. Where the hell was the Sheffield Shield this weekend? The scheduling of that competition is appalling. Zero interest sport on this weekend really, outside of Craig Lowndes and a few of the van Gisbergens and his mates.

Great to see Michael Clarke carry on like a pork chop. There is an absence of affection for him as Australian cricket captain. You simply don't comment on other players. We all know Symonds is a galoot. The spray for Buchanan seems out of line too. While he was not cricket guru, his role was different and he managed some clowns in his time. Surely Clarke's ascendancy into stupidity under Mickey Arthur (think 'homework gate') says it all for Buchanan.

Spoilt brat sports stars definitely grate on the nerves. Why are so many of them so painful? Think Stephanie Rice, Jana Pittman, Anthony Mundine, Kgyrios...on it goes.

3. Mitchell Johnson. Plenty of wickets but plenty of pain for the spectators at key times over the years. Probably a bit like Brett Lee. Good memories, plenty of wickets, amazing fitness and longevity, but truly great? No chance. Seems a lovely fellow. We are now entering some dark bowling days in Australian cricket. Hold on.

I will be in Adelaide at the Pink test on assignment this week coming. Special Wrap report to follow.

4. Shaun Marsh - Joe Burns. Both these players cannot succeed at Test level long term with their techniques. Both play well square of the wicket but look for it all the time. As a result great swing or fast bowlers will pick them up each time. Mediocre medium pace won't. A false dawn. Mitchell Marsh also needs a rocket. He is loose at key times.

5. Jason Taylor and the West Tigers. How can they be serious turning around and offering Farah a new deal...must be seriously front ended to accommodate what he is owed. They are an untrustworthy lot. Clearly they know he has a deal on the table and rather than pay him to play at another club, are now "wanting" him so they pay what is owed while he remains on the roster at the West Tigers. A circus.

6. Barbarians Rugby. Is this the annual joke that England and the northern hemisphere nations think that free flowing rugby stands for? Defence like the halcyon rugby days of human turnstiles. 49-31? Sounds like a Toyota Cup game.

7. Rhonda Rousey. Great hype last week, but UFC is hard on the eye and a crass showcase of ancient gladiatorial instincts. Is she out of hospital yet?

8. Is anyone sick of 'tell all' biographies like Tiger Woods' old caddie Steve Williams? Give us a break. Something sad about his cashing in on that. Maybe he should have been more of a voice of reason at the time and not played dumb.