MERRY CHRISTMAS

But more importantly. Only one more sleep until the real thing I've been waiting for all year.

WHAT DID YOU SAY!!!!!!!??????

A fair bit is being said about the revamped, tougher talking and walking Aussies at the moment, and why not? Self belief and attitude are such integral parts of a winning performance in sport.

Firstly i'll start that Hey-dids has spoken out in the media saying England should, "Get over it!"
I don't know if he is that correct in doing this. I have read both KP and Cook saying it ok, not out of control, part of the game and basically expected from Australia so they aren't upset. Maybe that is their return of serve, "Doesn't worry me!" to counter any benefit that it seems Australia get from being lippy. But i don't think so.

Many a commentator laments the lack of, 'going into the oppositions change rooms for a beer after the game'. Be that as it may, many were not professional or played the later parts of their careers in the very under-paid professional era. The Ashes is the closest thing to war for our countries and the media and public glare are intense- positive results are paramount and socialising can come after the series or careers.

If England expect Australia to go verbal out of habit, they must have been stunned at the timid attitudes they received in the first 2 Tests. CA's wrist slapping and finger-waving after the heated Indian summer brings into sharp focus how little they understand the needs of their own team.

India were bloody big sooks that tour, prepared to let their players mutter barbs but threatening to take their bat and ball and go home when said player should have been pulled into line. Instead, we have our players dragged over the coals and subsequently their standard MO of playing affected; NOT GOOD ENOUGH CA!

Sure we are renowned as verbally hard when it comes to 'gamesmanship', and i'm not saying stepping onto the turf permits carte blanche remarks, but even professionals normally have a pretty good idea of where the line is, and if India and CA don't like the way we play- TUFF_TITTY!
CA have done SFA of late and India can hold their top ranking (after RSA, do they still) another way, sans pissing and moaning.

To their credit, i have not heard Poms carry on about it in the media (maybe a bit on the field but that just looks like them trying to play the same game) -correct me if i'm wrong- and if it lifts our guys MORE I SAY!

We here so much about other longer established nations "cultures", well this is clearly part of ours. i have experienced it at every level and type of sport i've played, and quite frankly it has no effect on me. i don't dish it out only because i'm slower than a slug on rohypnol and would only embarrase myself and then loose my cool and concentration... but i don't care what anyone else says.

this has been another session of
stoph verismo
for
down the wicket

We have cricket

is it the right colour 4 days out?

Well after our dodgy and unsure start, we are in the gate!

My apologies to Lefty for causing him the stress of flying over to an uncertain outcome, but now the job is done.
Let's talk cricket.

I didn't do a wash up of the last test, but if i had to sum it up in as few words as possible, i'd say, "Thank you Cameron Sutherland!"
A great test track, that had everyone -including the Poms- say it.
Something for everyone.

Now the issue of the team selection for Melbourne- what a dilema!
With the ball, no one did anything that puts them in the, "please take a seat, mate" catagory.
Hey-Diddle didn't get wickets, but was tight and applied the torniquet, Hilf was much the same, and Jono and Rino were very very good.
So, does the G need a spinner? i like beer at the G, but would be prepared to give up Beer for the test.

Hauritz with another century must be... well, we all know what he thinks his chances are.

Pontings finger must be giving Kwahaja (must learn to spell that!)the drools. Will he, won't he? Punter has a habit of missing the od Boxing day, given i think it is his last chance, i doubt he will miss out this time.

Short and sweet today- there are many more things to be covered, but i need to do that which i'm paid for!

stoph verismo
Down the wicket

ps. who says you can't win a test with only 3 batsman... as long as you can get 20 wickets!

Boxing Day

Apparently it’s going to be a packed house at the G on Boxing Day. A look on Ticketek has yielded only single seats in the platinum area ($145) which in isolation is not too bad but if you add in the $300 I dropped on Adelaide and drinks it makes for a very unhappy wife.

Obviously standing room will be the option but the view at the G is nowhere near as good as Adelaide from those areas which raises the question. “How early would we need to get there to get the last of the general admission seats?”

I think in retrospect we should have anticipated the popularity of tickets and planned ahead….

Out, Not Out

The umpire review system has been fully utilised in today's play and has highlighted an issue that will raise it's head more and more until it is addressed. Should technology be used in umpiring?

Run outs, unless by half the pitch are seldom adjudicated by the on field umpires. That transition was almost seamless. As soon as the technology was available it became almost common practise for the call to be made upstairs. The review system was brought into the game to eliminate the howlers but is more and more used to decide the close calls.

For me the decision must be taken away from the players altogether.

The umpire should be the only ones to ask for a review. If he is uncertain if the batsmen hit the ball or it pitched outside leg then he should be able to call upstairs for confirmation. The way it is at the moment is almost a joke. The umpires should not be proven wrong rather they should ask for assistance.

At the moment the umpires confidence is being shot with every wrong call. How difficult must it be to detect a faint edge that Hotspot shows up so glaringly? That is not a mistake. Don't even get me started on Eagle Eye.

The technology should only be there so the umpire can confirm that what he saw was correct. Not for reversals due to a technicality and definitely not so a batsmen can clutch at straws.

Apropos Whoa

Great 1st day of the Perth Test... for Pom spectators!
10 Aussie wickets and the Aussie bowlers wearing themselves out doing the work the upper order should have done; perfect!

I love the Perth Test, because it starts 1/2 hour before i gt home from work and goes into the evening, TOPS! But on the down side, i tend to watch more of it than listen on the radio so i am subjected to the "commentary" of the ex-caps and uber brats more than the excellent Grandstand call of the game.

So what did i see?
I saw the best "Perth" track I've seen in years. Lively but consist ant, who'd have thought that waving your bat at lifting balls outside of off was going to get you caught by those blokes standing way back there!
Maybe it is because of the mundane nature of our production line pitches that had batsman confused as to how to face up on a pitch that was wished for by our team, but in reality proved too much and just what the 6 foot 20 Poms wanted too!

I'll let you guys comment on Hughes, hmmmmffff!
Watson, good ball.
Ponting- more about you later, great catch- but you take them when you believe in yourself.
Clarke...
Hussey, thank you so much...again.
Smith- what did i say about outside off?
Haddin, as per Hussey.
Johnson, well done! i hope the self beliefs continues with your bowling- the 2 overs looked good, keep it up.
Harris, 3x better than your last 2 knocks!
Siddle, it's not your responsibility, but thank funk you did that.
Hilf, same goes to you.

A bit has been said about the need to get a wicket before the close of play, and about Australia's lack of penetration for not getting one, but over all i think that was a good display of tight and thoughtful bowling, apart from Harris going a bit dearly.

part 2

I've made no effort to watch Warnie, but due to it being straight after the days play i left the box on to see what it was all about and to see if the local lad had to say to Ponting.
Warne was adequate in the roll of interviewer; his 6 spinning questions was quite contrived, and it was obvious that Clarkson knew his craft better than Warne, but the real interest was the dynamic between Warne and Ponting.
For mine it was clear Warne was determined to come across as not just out and out ripping into Ponting, but someone that was prepared to ask the hard question, respectfully. Except it was clear that Punter was uncomfortable, and that Warne was toying with him as he did that hapless South African batsman.

To be fair, i liked several of Ponting answers, namely about nurturing people and being a mate to all- but i liked them only on humanitarian grounds. As a captain, he showed why he is going to lose this 3rd Ashes. You are not there to be a "friend of the people" Punter, you are there to be sporting but ruthless, and WIN!

While Warn stated at th start of the show that he was honoured to be considered viable to play in this series, but that he was bowling double bouncers and that he was not going to play, after his interview with Ponting, i wonder if he could be lured back if he was give the number one cap? It was easy to see who was the boss!

stoph verismo

down the wicket

Whoa!!

This just in.

SEN - Ponting says captaincy is out of his hands but does admit that he might not see this Ashes series out as skipper...

Lose this test and I tend to agree with you Ricky. Perhaps you should have fallen on your sword before the series?

Put Up, Or Shut Up.

The time has come gents to put your testes on the line and make a bold prediction for the third test in Perth. My prediction for Brisbane was spot on…..for the first three days then went Down Syndrome. Will Australia pull themselves out of the mire or will the Poms finish it all after three tests? Can Beer take wickets or will he crash and burn. Will Smith get some runs, or Ponting, or Hughes? Step right up and put your reputation on the line. I’m not just after a result, I mean a day by day account. A six pack to the man who is the closest…

Day 1 – England bat – 3/285
Day 2 – England 10/488, Australia 1/84
Day 3 – Australia 7/366
Day 4 – Australia 10/445, England 4/201
Day 5 – England 8/308dec, Australia 6/255

Bell 165, Hussey 155, Swann 2/85 & 4/66

Match drawn. Hopeful yes.