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nathan hauritz
Gamesmanship
By Will last year, mid-July, 8 Comments »
So, what’s the verdict in the Ponting v Strauss mountain out of a molehill? It’s beautifully divided between the two nations, it seems: Australia are disgusted by England’s delaying tactics; England are flippant and condescending about Ponting’s accusations.
And then the mousy Hauritz decides not to side with his captain, rather ending the whole furore.
I can’t help but feel it’s blown out of all proportion, and Ponting is in danger of letting England and the media get under his skin. As happened in 2005.
You?
8 Comments »Kevin, Kevin, Kevin
By Will last year, mid-July, 8 Comments »
All set to dominate the day, Kevin Pietersen undid all his hard work with a stroke of immaturity, haphazard haplessness and idiocy against the might of Nathan Hauritz. In isolation, the moment mirrors his career as a whole. All set to dominate the world, having cleared the path to greatness, he lets himself down.
It’s happened before, several times in the winter against Benn, and his dismissive attitude to spinners whose surnames are not Warne is fast acting as the hurdle that prevents Pietersen reaching the goal many assumed was pre-determined for him. Fate alone will see him be considered as a great, we thought. He invents new shots and switch-hits Muttiah Muralitharan for six like a left-hander. He struts like a great, he trains like a maniac hungry for more. He is very nearly a great.
But no. As long as he plays crass shots against mediocre spinners, Pietersen will only ever be considered merely excellent; a ravishing entertainer, a renegade sportsman. Or will this latest foray into brainlessness inspire him to make amends and ensure he hits brilliant hundred after brilliant hundred?
8 Comments »Lee injured; Hauritz in?
By Will last year, at the start of July, 10 Comments »
UPDATE – He’s since been ruled out of the first, and possibly second Test too.
This is massive news. Lee looked in terrifying form during the warm-up:
Australia’s first Test preparations have been thrown into chaos with Brett Lee complaining of pain down his left side. Lee was absent from Australia’s training session on Monday while undergoing scans at a nearby Cardiff hospital.
A team spokesman said the extent of Lee’s injury would be known by Monday night or Tuesday morning. But with just two days remaining before the first Ashes Test, the fast bowler must be in extreme doubt to take his place in the starting XI.
If he doesn’t play, will Hauritz take his place? I and the rest of Britain sincerely hope so.
10 Comments »Jackson’s dead. Let’s talk about Hauritz and Flintoff
By Will last year, at the end of June, 3 Comments »
Yeah, so Michael Jackson’s dead. Why isn’t the world talking about the big news of the day, that Nathan Hauritz – Australia’s only specialist spinner – was carted all around Hove like a rag doll in a strong breeze?
I can’t help find it funny. Sure, Australia may blitz us with their four-pronger at Cardiff, but the fact remains they have a hopeless spin attack for the first time in years and years. Most of my life was spent worrying about Warne and his flipper and what it did to our hapless batsmen, so spare me this brief foray into chuckling at his rather less scary replacement.
I’m sure he fields and bats better than Monty, though.
In other news, Alastair Cook cracked a 100 from 57 balls – yes, Alastair Cook of all people – while Flintoff’s found form with 93 from about four balls. I watched a bit of Wimbledon when I got home this evening, and in it Leyton Hewitt was (inevitably) asked about the Ashes. This damned, brilliant series just gets under everyone’s skins. It’s omnipresent – I almost prefer the build-up and the anticipation to the matches themselves. Much in the same way that Christmas Eve was always better than the 25th…
3 Comments »