Saturday 9 May 2009

Listen closely

Can you hear that? It's hard over the incessant din of the IPL and the endless, meaningless talk of the Twenty20 World Cup. Hidden away in the psyche of all passionate cricket fans across the Commonwealth is the slow, steady, surging beat of another Ashes battle. It's the five day game personified. Reputations made, and broken. Legends born. Five glorious days times five of pitched battle for the ultimate prize in all of cricketdom. World Cups are used to clean the sprigs, Champions Trophies as a welcome footstool after a long days toil, Frank Worrell's a distant memory. This is what we live for. Early mornings with a cup of Joe, not needed to keep awake but more as a companion in the dark. Wives asleep and unimpressed. It's the lover at 2am that has broken your heart and fulfilled your fantasies. It's cricket at it purest, the way it was intended. All whites and creams, all day, all you've got to give.

2 comments:

  1. Good signs for Eng at the moment too - absolutely smashed the Windies in the first test. Hopefully Eng have found someone in Bopara, also Strauss has batted very well of late. Pietersen has always been one of the most over-rated players but on his day can take the game away from you in a session. That being said he hasn't looked like doing it and the chip on his shoulder he carries could feed Africa. But it's the bowling that has impressed: trying a couple of new guys with Harmison, Flintoff in the wings. Does anyone know where they are at? Simon Jones? Is Hoggard banished to County for good? I hope we have seen the last of Ian Bell! Michael Vaugn is pushing for re-instatement too so perhaps it won't be a 4 nil drubbing.

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  2. that is so well said Nospmas.

    my normal strategy is get up earlier (than the 5am i normally do) and watch the last session... unless it is the weekend, then i put the wogpot on and get wired on esspresso (just for the company, as you said!)

    I doubt Freddie can keep it together for a staring role... unless he inherits shares in a pharmaceutical company!

    Matthew (ugliest man in world cricket with his head like a battered spud) Hoggard is hopefully buried to the neck in a nice fertile soil somewhere in the country!

    Bell...pthooey!Ding-a-ling!

    Yawn...Vauhgn

    3-1 plenty of rain!

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