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Loading ...I think for sheer theatre, no series comes close in recent memory. To realize that there are still alot of people out there who are very passionate about game of cricket made my summer.
Silencing the pom-bashers
By Will 5 years ago, at the end of August Add your comment below
I suspect the rivarly between Indian and Pakistani cricket sides is far fiercer than that of English and Australian ones, but that’s not to underestimate the Ashes battle. This series has demonstrated just how much that little urn – it really is tiny – means to Britons and Australians.
Aussies, especially their cricket teams, have historically always hated this country, despite them coming in their droves to live and work here (who can blame them?! Friendly banter there, don’t you be taking any offence now). So I was intrigued to see a headline at The Age of: Put Pom-bashing aside and give England credit. [link]
I was then put into instant shock when I saw the author, none other than Michael Vaughan. Alas, it is not he-who-looks-like-an-accountant-but-actually-captains-England-with-great-imagination fame. For so long now, 18 years, Britons and English cricket fans have suffered at the hands of the fervent Australian cricket fan. Simon Jones, famously, was called a “weak pommy bastard” after ripping/tearing/snapping his knee on the last winter Ashes tour on those shores. And he still talks about it, as well he might; not only has he transformed himself into a superb exponent of reverse-swing, but his side are now able to silence these pommy-bashers who for so long revelled in England’s limp Ashes efforts. There’s nowt limp or weak about this English side, as Michael Vaughan (the author of this article) concedes:
The Australians have beaten all-comers over a long time, but this time they have been comprehensively outplayed, despite the close finishes, and it’s about time we put aside our penchant for Pommy-bashing and delivered credit where it’s due.
As much as it pains me to say it, England is the new Australia. Matthew Hayden is a good example of the out-of-form/outplayed conundrum.
To those Australians who question why I’m making such a deal of gaining the respect of Australia as a people, you have to understand what Britons have been through. It isn’t so much the losing that we hated, nor being outplayed. Every. Series. It was the total lack of respect Australia showed us. “England didn’t deserve it!” you cry. Maybe, but lack of respect arguably hurts the most, and it is perhaps this reason alone which makes this summer taste all the sweeter. Glenn McGrath’s comments of a 5-0 whitewash. Hayden’s uber-confidence which, remarkably, has continued unabated even at this late stage of the series. Mark Waugh writing England off (“seen it all before.”). Peter Roebuck saying, well…you can well imagine.
As I’ve said all along, whatever the end result may be, let us just earn the respect of Australia. And we’ve done it. That’s what’s made my summer.
As an Australian, Indian, Icelander, Englishman, West Indian or any other nationality, what about this series has made it for you?
Tags: australia, england, glenn-mcgrath, mark-waugh, matthew-hayden, michael-vaughan, pom, the-ashes |
49 Responses to “Silencing the pom-bashers”
August 30th, 2005 at 11.49 pm
August 30th, 2005 at 11.59 pm
You know Will, when you talk to people over here about the Ashes, they hate it that we’re losing at the moment. They especially hate it that we’re losing to England. Many still appear to have ‘bruised egos” over it all (like the Australian sides performance is a personal slight on them??). But when you really talk to people, or at least people that really know cricket, there is a lot of respect for the way the bowlers are attacking things, and Vaughan’s approach.
With regards to respect, to get a true picture, try focussing less on the by-play of the likes of McGrath and Warne, and listen to someone like Richie Benaud, or one of my favourites, Jim Maxwell. I think they speak very respectfully and diplomatically. They are just as excited over England’s great performances, and ready to criticise or condemn Australians. (And they are Australians remember)
It’s like me basing my opinion of English cricket on the Barmy Army – I wouldn’t even bother posting here. I agree to some extent though that Australia’s image overseas in general, hasn’t been helped by the “confidence” this extended period of success has bred. Maybe that is about to change 
Remember, its only a game. In other places around the world they use missiles and machine guns instead of a bat and ball. Enjoy sledging us Ausies and make up for the last 15 years, but don’t take it too personally if you can help it.
(Getting off the soap box now…)
August 31st, 2005 at 12.02 am
I wait until after the next test to let you know what made it for me…hopefully, it will be, “bowling England out on the last day to retain the Ashes” 
August 31st, 2005 at 12.10 am
Aussies don’t hate England/Great Britain, mostly just the people
What’s made the series for me is the total enjoyment of watching an ashes series with a difference. Previous Australian teams had at least a psychological lead which, despite their bravado, has left them and fluttered away and settled nicely into the England squad. The expected outcome for the Australians is now never further from realisation, and they know it. The best bit though is they are fighting for their lives still, and that’s what keeps me watching.
If the weather holds out, the Aussies can still retain the ashes. Can’t wait to hear the reaction to that!
August 31st, 2005 at 12.11 am
The banter is great but just simple pom-bashing and Aussie-bashing is boring and pointless.
August 31st, 2005 at 12.25 am
Good one Chris – I think everyone appreciates a truely witty sledge, even at their own expense.
August 31st, 2005 at 12.28 am
The best bit about this series, more than any that I’ve watched (bar the mis-matches of Anyside vs Zimbabwe/Bangladesh) is that England have been able to keep up their relentless pressure – whether batting or bowling – for entire matches. The two sessions of Lord’s were a taste of things to come (perhaps England didn’t know their own strength?), and since then we’ve never let up in attacking Australia. I’ve never felt they were on top since then.
And I think in the overall scheme of things, it’s damned exciting. Sure, Pakistan will be a different prospect this winter, but no-one will take us lightly us any more. And that, and you’ll know this if you ever play poker, gives you the upper hand to start with.
August 31st, 2005 at 12.28 am
yeah ok we all get carried away at times.
August 31st, 2005 at 12.30 am
None more than me mate.
August 31st, 2005 at 1.12 am
To understand the deeply ambivalent relationship Australians have with England, which finds expression in the Ashes competition, you need only look at the vote they had on whether to become a republic. Right at the last minute they could’t bring themselves to sever those ties with the “Mother Country” that they love to hate. To Aussies, England is the parent they love to hate but deep down know has given them pretty much everything in terms of culture, morality etc. the hate side of the relationship is given free rein in the relatively harmless sphere of sport and in particular pommy bashing over the Ashes, but when the chips are down most Aussies will admit the ties that bind them to England are far stronger than to any other country.
August 31st, 2005 at 1.43 am
I was born in 1973 so I was 8 for the 1981 Ashes. I can remember them as if they were yesterday. Basicly my first sporting memory was of England and Australia battling it out and Botham became my first hero. I was probably 20 before I met my first Aussie. I think a large part of my whole perception of Australia and Australians is based on The Ashes series over the years.
I reckon I could name about 30 non-cricketing Australians but over 100 players. The Ashes are part of the history between our 2 great countries.
August 31st, 2005 at 3.58 am
As a bit of a lurker on and lover of this site I’d like to chime in on this one. Where I am living in Oz at the moment there are 3 passionate cricket loving Poms that I see on a daily basis (a lot of your lot end up living here too Will, and who can blame ‘em) and the banter and discussions we have add a lot to my Ashes experience. Personally I’m thrilled that the English team is showing so much brilliance finally, and am quite willing to cop it on the chin now that we’re losing if it means the series is so exciting. It was a Pom who sent me cheeky ‘Ashes update’ text messages on Saturday night because I had to be out for dinner, and I’ve watched the last of the play late Sunday night with the same Pom twice now. Much more fun than with a bunch of one eyed Aussies. I hate this sore loser whinging by Ponting at the moment, it does none of us any favours and I wish they’d all just shut up and play like they mean it. While I agree with Galvo that we all really love each other deep down, the reason the Republic didn’t come off was because the question was not about whether we wanted one, it was about the process of goverence if we had one.
August 31st, 2005 at 4.17 am
I was born in England in the 1950’s, have lived in Australia for 40+ of the last 50+ years, and have Australian parents. We travelled back and forwards a couple of times in each direction while I was still a child.
One of the consequences of this sort of childhood, of course, was that I was always a “bloody pommy” in Australian schoolgrounds and “bleeding Aussie” in English ones. (The Australian kids, by the way were always far more agro about this stuff than the English ones though)
I played my first cricket in England, and , as a primary school kid in Sussex used to wander down to the Hove oval after school to watch the likes of Ted Dexter and Jim Parks and even saw a young fast bowler by the name of John Snow play his first game there.
Accordingly I’ve always felt a bit closer to England in the cricket than to Australia, even though I actually got briefly meet most of the Australian tourng team at Hove in th early 60’s. (The same doesn’t apply to Rugby Union, Rugby League or Tennis – all of which I first played in Australia and about which I’m ferociously Aussie!).
In recent years this leaning towards England in the cricket (or, at least, away from Australia), has become far more pronounced. I guess it has been the growing arrogance, the racist sledging, the off field shenanigans, and, perhaps more than anything, the “bad loser” side of Australian cricket that has pushed me way beyond a slightly off centre “neutrality” on this stuff.
There never seems to be a series these days where the Australians don’t start publicly whingeing whenever anything doesn’t go their way. Ponting’s latest episode is just one of many. The sub continent wickets are different from the Australian ones (tell me some that aren’t!) so if Australia loses over there then the pitches are rigged. Or the bowlers are all chuckers , or the umpires are biased. If its not this sort of thing then the ball must have been tampered with, etc etc etc.
The rants never end, the players play an active role in keeping them going and the tabloid media splashes the stuff all over the place with gay abandon. Nobody ever seems to reflect on the fact that any loss (yes, there have been a few , even during the Australian period of dominance) might be due to the other side actually playing better cricket on the day!
Its actually reached a point where a remarkable number of Australians I know also reckon its not a bad thing for Australia to be on the receiving end for a change, especially to a team that is clearly superior in almost all departments. Lets hope the Aussies learn to lose with a bit more dignity than they have managed on such occasions in recent times.
As I’ve said elsewhere here, there is nothing worse than a whingeing Aussie!
Cheers
Rod
August 31st, 2005 at 4.28 am
Trouble is Rod, each of those things have been prooven. Is that still whinging? Australia, until now, won regardless, so they can’t really be called bad losers? Or could it be that when you’re consistently beaten you look for something else to criticise?
Maybe it’s cultural. I’ve played local cricket for 20 years and see just as bad behaviour every Saturday afternoon – doesn’t make it right but maybe quite misunderstood, is mis-channelled agression.
August 31st, 2005 at 6.40 am
What’s done it for me?
The shee closeness of the series is what makes it awesom for any fan, more so the neutral one.
Watching England, the perennial underperformers (esp in The Ashes), up their game to such a high level, and play with a passion and fire that matches their ability on paper.
Watching Warne.Watching Warne.Watching Warne.
I supose some part of a cricket fan would feel good that the (almost boring) domination of Australia is coming to an end- irrespective of the series result- but its sometimes not good to see them struggle.
August 31st, 2005 at 7.55 am
I think Aussie crowds, media and players have always had an arrogant air about them. Admittedly, their sides have performed well enough in the last decade or so. But they rarely dish out credit.
Until 2001, Australians rarely ever cared about winning in India. Mark Taylor’s 1998 loss most certainly did not get the coverage & mileage Steve Waugh’s 2001 loss did.
The essential difference was perhaps that in 1998, Taylor’s side came to India not expecting to win. In 2001, Waugh’s side came to India on the back of 15 test wins in a row and (was) expected to thrash an opponent who had suffered greatly as a result of the match-fixing scandal and had undergone dramatic changes of personnel, management, coach etc. If winning in India before 2001 wasn’t thought of greatly by Aussies, after 2001, it became a “must have” on their CV.
I suspect that it was only after 2001, and during the 2003/4 series in Australia, that they began to respect India as an opponent. I’m fairly sure that England will be treated with a lot more respect.
I’m perhaps not alone in thinking that England sides in the last decade or more had barely done enough to earn Australia’s respect, just as Indian sides pre-2001 hadn’t done anything noteworthy.
The critical part for England would be to ensure that the momentum is maintained and not lose their way over the next two years, as India have ended up doing.
What’s a post/comment without a parting pot-shot?! Just winning at home would not do. They’d need to at least draw a series in Australia before they can match India’s achievements against Australia 
August 31st, 2005 at 8.37 am
>Trouble is Rod, each of those things have been prooven. Is that still whinging?
Sorry, Stu, but I simply won’t buy that.
Pitches that favour Aussie quicks are just as regularly found in Australia as ones that favour spinners on the sub continent. Umpires leaning towards the home side are just as common in Sydney or Melbourne as they are in Bombay or Birmingham. Brett Lee’s action has been questioned on occasions and so forth. There have been “ball tamperers” here there and everywhere since people first discovered that you could make a cricket ball spin or swing.
The difference is not that Australia is “pure” and the rest of the world are “cheats”. The difference is simply that nobody other than Australia makes such a song and dance about such things as an excuse for their losses.
>Australia, until now, won regardless.
Well, sorry, but again, no, Stu. Its not when Australia wins that they are at their most offensive (though the claptrap that then emerges from the media and the occasional player about whether any other side is really worthy to play against them becomes a bit tedious).
Its when they lose. You may not have noticed , but Australia has managed to lose several test series (three against India alone), drawn a couple, and actually lost plenty of test matches in the last decade. It on occasions such as these that the sort of thing that I’m talking about inevitably come to the fore. Don’t get me wrong. The Australian team has played some brilliant cricket during much of this period. But it has also regularly soured its reputation in the eyes of many others by bleating interminably whenever it loses a game or a series. This is probably why it has nevr quite achieved the respect of its predesccesor as the dominant power in cricket, the West Indies, or received the same accolades of the great Australian teams of the Bradman era.
Cheers
Rod
August 31st, 2005 at 9.29 am
“To those Australians who question why I’m making such a deal of gaining the respect of Australia as a people, you have to understand what Britons have been through. It isn’t so much the losing that we hated, nor being outplayed. Every. Series. It was the total lack of respect Australia showed us. “England didn’t deserve it!†you cry.”
I know exactly what you mean. Australia went through exactly the same thing in the 1980s.
August 31st, 2005 at 2.41 pm
Several things make this Ashes series great for me: first of all, the sheer excitement of the power struggle between the teams, the twisting plot and the complete inability to guess what the hell is going to happen next!
Also, thanks to the Internet, this is the first series where I have been able to follow almost every single ball. The last Ashes Test in England, I had to rely on text messages from England to keep up with the score. So the excitement is there – gasp- all the time!
Third, I have been able to share all this with friends and all of you fine people worldwide. I now score for the Bonn cricket Society and the lads shake my hand and congratulate me on England as if I had something to do with their success! Awesome!
And I have to admit, have waited a lot time to see this, but am enjoying seeing the wheels slowly coming off the Aussie death machine, double enjoyment for it to be England loosening the screws on said wheels.
August 31st, 2005 at 3.36 pm
As a rare American fan of cricket, it’s really good to see cricket regaining popularity in England.
When I visited England in 2003, there were good crowds at the test matches, but the county matches were almost empty, and away from the cricket grounds it was clear that cricket was not nearly as popular as soccer (football, if you prefer) and rugby. When Sky contracted to eliminate the terrestrial cricket broadcasts this year, I feared the situation would get even worse with no hope of improvement (as I come from a country where cricket is not appreciated because you can’t see it on tv without paying extra – I’ve ranted about this on my blog), but this series seems to have revived England’s love of the sport. So, to quote a famous poem:
“Hail, cricket! Glorious manly, British Game! First of all Sports! be first alike in Fame”
August 31st, 2005 at 9.06 pm
As a longtime England supporter, there have been quite a few highlights. Two stand out. First, the repeated failure (not really an isolated incident then) of Hayden and Gilchrist to make many runs. These guys have been the twin totems of Australian dominance during the past few years, humiliating bowlers the world over as they despatched them to all parts of the ground. Our bowlers have made them look very ordinary. Suddenly Buzz Lightyear can’t fly.
That leads me to my second highlight, which has been the bowling of Simon Jones. How did he get so good? Not only did he reverse swing it both ways at Old Trafford. He then made it go both ways with convential swing at Trent Bridge. That is class. Here’s hoping that the oxygen tank does the trick.
August 31st, 2005 at 11.50 pm
While we may disagree on some of the finer points Rod, I have to agree that Australia’s main weapon has been it intimidation which has also manifested itself as arrogance or “prattish” behaviour. The 1980’s West Indies manage to intimidate, Viv was as arrogant as they come,but you’re right, they didn’t become offensive about it.
Question though, aren’t England modelling themselves on the successful Australia team, (apprach and attitude). Seeing Flintoff strutt down the pitch, arms out, beckoning all to bow before him will wear just as thin as McGrath curseing, Warne appealing, Steve Waugh being sirly etc, mark my words, it’s just a novelty at the moment.
On the other side of the coin, the Sth Africans would have to have the most arrogant demeanor around (outwardly), but with out the success of the Australians, nobody seems to care.
I would still say it’s the extended success that breads this contempt. What comes first, the chicken or the egg?
September 1st, 2005 at 6.00 am
Rod as a cricket lover whose migratory pattern’s seem to shadow yours, i concur with most of your sentiments. I too have never barracked for the country i now happily call home! I disagree that cricket is the sole domain of the ugly Australian, he or she appears in all sports, also you seem to think Australian cricket decline is somewhat like that of the Roman Empire, hubris being a big factor, but surely it’s time has just passed.
Stu your the sort of combative and proud Aussie i have grown up with, and i disagree with much you say, however your passion and patriotism speaks much of why Australia is a great sporting nation.
Arrogance, mean spiritedness, carping and whingeing, are not generally Australian traits, however when an Australian enters a sporting arena these vices often accompany their performance.
I put it down to a sense of abandonment and Geographical isolation, which manifests itself into a cultural cringe, international sport is the greatest venue for it’s exorcism!!!!!
With one test to go this hypothesis may be in the shredder by the end of next.
regardless I wish you all well and hope your cricket god smiles benevolently upon you.
September 1st, 2005 at 7.59 am
Jappady – you are spot on. I couldn’t have articulated it that well. Speaking to Australians, in Australia, you don’t see that attitude as much – and many are horrified that others think these things of Australians, but I agree – once on the sporting field, competitors exhibit all the traits mentioned here. It’s an abandonment and isolation thing – puff your chest out.
I like to think I’m not that combative, but during the actual games, I’m afraid you’re probably right. (Same goes for Aussie rules footy and Rugby I’m afraid). I am married to a Kiwi and she keeps me in line though No-one hates us (on the sporting field) as much as them.
I’ll keep posting, and try to keep the sledging in good humor (and less combative…)
Cheers.
September 1st, 2005 at 9.08 am
I think the “whingeing” seems to be the domain of the team on the bottom at the time.
It was only a few months ago that England were complaining about Ponting’s cricket bat and they were labelled (again) as whingeing poms!!
It seems that it is not called whingeing when you are on top!! I can’t explain why, and I am not at all sure why, but it seems that when you are losing you are not allowed to complain about it.
I do take exception to Rod’s comments about Australian pitches suiting our players. Australian pitches are the same every year and every team knows what they are going to get – Brisbane – a track that seams on the first day, flattens out to be a belter and then turns on the last. Perth – fast and bouncy. Sydney – slow turner. Adelaide – fill your boots batsman. Melbourne – probably the one that changes the most, sometimes good sometimes slow and low. That gives different players opportunities right around the country – and usually it’s the very best that do well everywhere, and the very best are certainly not exclusive to Australian’s.
September 1st, 2005 at 1.56 pm
I think that the main reason for the apparent “lack of respect” shown by us Aussies comes from our very nature. Even from the birth of our small nation, and chance to compete with the Mother Country in sports such as cricket we feel the need to show ourselves as worthy competitors, not some convict outpost.
We rarely tend to give credit because of the infamous “tall poppy syndrome” of cutting down those who demand praise for achievements, which is sadly too prevalent in this country. However I am probably shooting myself in the foot with this line of arguing as it doesn’t always transfer onto the cricket field. As long as we are winning I think a lot of people over here just accept that our cricketers have every right to be as arrogant or please with themselves as they wish.
I think that overall apart from several select incidents (Slater & co in India, McGrath a number of times in his early career, Warne to Hudson etc) as well as some ill advised newspaper articles, the team has not been as arrogant as many people are commenting on. I will probably get 90% of people disagreeing with me on this, but I think if England won a large majority of its games over say the next 5/10 years, would they not be exactly the same? God, two test wins out of four games and the tabloid press are positively rubbing one out for lack of a better term!!
The press do highlight this bad behaviour and press it home a long way but strangely they print nothing for the 99 other occasions where the sportsmanship and competitiveness between the Aussies and who they play is exemplary.
Sorry for the rant but I just thought I’d put my two bob’s worth in… Massively looking forward to the decider!!!
September 12th, 2005 at 6.57 am
you bunch of two faced pommy pricks it was not enough to try to ruin the credibilty of our players in the newspapers, win tests on BAD umpiring decisions (kaspa clearly was not out and the England number was OUT and added 14 to the total with flintoff. We lost by do the math cheats) and calling Ricky a bad sport.
Now it seems that the poms are big cowards who are not prepared to face our attack –> They cry “bad light”. It seems that hte poms did not even want to play the game –> Ghey are scared to take it all the way. We had the guts to face your shitty attck (Shitty they are…look at all their stats over the last 5 years compared to us)and our wickets fell and u dropped catches because of the light but the point is we had the guts to play and once again the poms are found to be spineless (in sport)when placed under the gun.
SO based on the above who is sporting? certainly not England and u are all two faced to think u are.
Deans Jones comments on Australian TV have also started something. He metioned betting and said that “Not this that this happenning but…”
Based on the disgusting umpiring decisions to BOTH teams but mainly Australia it is conceivable that the umps are on the take as I don’t regard them as that incompetent
Corruption or Incompetence?. How insular the cricket world is we will never know..
Not on;y that we have video evidence!
September 12th, 2005 at 7.10 am
One to stop the “Aussie bashing” unsporting pommy bastards!!!!!! Aussie Aussie Aussie OI OI OI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
September 12th, 2005 at 10.18 am
You’ve got to laugh, haven’t you.
September 12th, 2005 at 12.12 pm
Laugh at what? How gutless the poms are for not facing our bowlers.
September 12th, 2005 at 12.19 pm
Mmmmm! The bitter taste of sour grapes, making the finest Aussie whine….
You conveniently forget that:
1. Your openers wimped out on Friday afternoon.
2. If it wasn’t for a day’s rain at Old Trafford the Ashes would already be ours.
September 12th, 2005 at 1.40 pm
Bullshit liar we have the video evidence. This whole page was setup to for poms to bash Australians so what do u expect moron. You bash us and we will bash back.
We are not some convict backwater that you morons are assuming. It might not be directly said but the tones of these postings indicate that you morons see us this way.
The fact remains that we were robbed of a test through bad decisions that were know fault of our own. Even Boycott reflected that these are the worst decisions he had ever
Again we have the video evidence
But lets put this in context. abuse over cricket it might get very heated and trivial but in the grander scheme of things there is one thing we are definately united on is the destruction of all extremist muslims and the “mother fathers” who blew up the tubes –> death to those involved. in other words what happens here is nothing.
But anyway back to business time to bash some more poms (in sport only)
September 12th, 2005 at 4.06 pm
Congrats to England! The better team; a well-deserved series win. And a great thing for cricket and for their nation. Thanks to both teams for a fabulous series.
A happy Aussie.
September 12th, 2005 at 5.41 pm
lol @ bilby…such a whiner you are. you guys were outplayed and just accept the fact that you lost the ashes. nothing wrong in losing to a better side. u’ll have your piece of cake in 18 months.
September 12th, 2005 at 11.14 pm
FUCKING BETTER SIDE MY ARSE YOU GUTLESS POMMY CUNTS YOU WANNA BASH AUSSIES LETS TURN UP THE WICK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
September 13th, 2005 at 6.13 am
Well done England. The youngsters certainly outplayed us throughout the series and have reignited interest in cricket, which can only be a good thing.
Time for Australian selectors to take a good hard look at the team and the coach and regroup in time for the next Ashes series in Australia.
As for Bilby, I hope his attitudes are in the minority. Anybody who watches cricket with both eyes open knows that bad decisions go both ways and if they haven’t gone our way this series there’s been plenty of times in the past years that they have.
Thanks everyone, especially Will, it’s been a great site.
September 13th, 2005 at 11.49 am
How gutless was Ponting not coming down from the dressing room to shake Vaughans hand when the Aussies went off for bad light yesterday. He really should have shown some class and dignity to spot the farce situation at the end. Anyhow how cares about that now. England won as we where the BETTER team.
September 13th, 2005 at 12.30 pm
Not as cowardly as u pommy pricks ….. again this page was setup to bash aussies so u gotta verbal war
Australia did not deserve to win the series but they did deserve to draw the series
again there is video eviddence to prove the point
September 13th, 2005 at 12.42 pm
Why are you so bitter? Your team have lost in good faith, and accepted they were outplayed; why won’t you? If Australia had won, and you’d had English saying “you fucking Aussie pricks, we should’ve won,” imagine what you’d be saying.
And don’t bother using the c*** word on here please, not the place for it.
September 13th, 2005 at 12.56 pm
Quote from BBC online covering the parade…..”Australian-raised wicketkeeper Geraint Jones held up a giant inflatable Dalek emblazoned with the words “Aussies exterminated”.
Will, please exterminte bilby comments.
September 13th, 2005 at 1.25 pm
Blogging the parade here
September 13th, 2005 at 11.18 pm
good faith my ass. But gee I’m sorry “petal” can’t handle a swear word in the modern world. Your a real man. Well guess what look at your TV the swearing there. If govt sensoring bodies say it is OK to swear on tv then in my book it’s acceptable wherever i want it to be as a tv could be seen anywhere.
As for being bitter, well obviously u cannot read. People want to bash Aussies in any form u will get it back double.
Again this stuff is only related to cricket and my opinions ARE LIMITED to cricket only. On everything else i am toally aligned with the UK after all we all (well the best people here)decend from ANglo Celt backgrounds.
September 14th, 2005 at 12.32 am
In the words of Alan Border, “winners are grinners, losers can please themselves” – I guess bilby is just pleasing himself. (Don’t tarnish us all with this brush though.)
September 14th, 2005 at 1.31 am
Siding with poms Stu?
What ever happend to brotherhood & loyalty.
As they say here “Love us or leave us”
And by the way there are many people around Australia who feel this way. Obviously Stu does not get around. I have copied quotes from this blog to other sites and you thought my pom bashing is bad. I saw physical threats to other message posters which I saw as totally unappropriate. This forum is for shooting ones mouth not ones guns. My point is there is a lot of upset people over this. I believe Stu to be in the minority with his view. You never take the diplomatic opinions on TV seriously. Go into the Pubs of Sydney and ask the hard core cricket fans. Lots are more vocal me. They just don’t want their opinion made public.
Again I’m not here to start a political wzr only a verbal one over cricket only
September 14th, 2005 at 2.14 am
Not siding with the POMS at all! But I say get even, not mad! No matter how much you swear at them, the result stands 2 – 1. Which says they won. The only way to prove we are a better side is to beat them next time. I don’t think England are as good yet, as we were, but the fact remains, they won. Suck it up and move on.
At full strength (ie a couple of years back) Australia would’ve won despite losing a few tosses and the odd injury. If Kasper and Gillespie were better, losing McGrath would not have mattered. If Hayden, Martyn and Gilchrist made runs, losing the toss would not have mattered.
I love a good sledge as much as the next bloke – but emphasis on the good. Anyone can abuse.
September 14th, 2005 at 3.52 am
Well said Stu.
September 14th, 2005 at 10.53 am
Stu, nattybat, PLEASE ignore this hopeless troll. His only objective is to stir up trouble on this blog, so remember: DON’T FEED THE TROLLS!!
Will: PLEASE get rid of Bilby’s comments and ban him – he’s a waste of space and a blight on your excellent blog.
September 14th, 2005 at 11.24 am
Having been unfortunate enough to witness England losing the Ashes out in Oz first hand in 98 and as a result hearing some of the brainless moranic “sledging” from a section of the more shall we say backward spectators at the MCG and SCG towards England then bilby comments don’t surprise me.
However I’ve also been fortunate enough to be at several days of this Ashes series and sat by a number of Australian supporters. It’s to their credit that at times the banter in the crowd has matched the standard of cricket out in the middle. Bilby, you are the exception not the rule.
September 14th, 2005 at 2.14 pm
It was a great series. I grew up in the era when most of the Australian side was Western Australian (Marsh, Lillie etc) I particularly remember a Windies tour in 1982 were we were thrashed. It has been enjoyable to be winners over the past decade with Border, Taylor, Waugh at the helm and after a bit of salt has been rubbed into the wounds the Australians will rise again. That may take some time but they will examine where they went wrong and make amends in 2007 and 2009.
It is great to see cricket getting so much press even if it is sensational fickle tabloid press.
Long live cricket. And now my hardest decision – who should my dual nationality son play for in 20 years time?
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