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Test Cricket today. Hurray!
By Scott 3 years ago, mid-December, 6 Comments »
Tests are the best!
Australia take on South Africa in the First Test at Perth. South African captain Graeme Smith is ‘braced for bullies‘ and given that his side lost to a weak West Australian state side by an innings, the Australian urge to kick sand in South African faces is strong.
A personal confession, here. I loathe South African cricket, which has done nothing but bombastic boasting, boring and unadventurous captains and hilarious World Cup chokes since they were re-admitted in 1992. The last two times Australia toured the place, we heard a great deal in the South African press about how they were going to stuff us, and Australia responded by crushing them by an innings in the First Test. I suppose I owe it to my readers that I can’t be entirely objective about South Africans, and should bear that in mind when they read my stuff.
South Africans must be pretty anxious about the crowd because Andre Nel says that they aren’t worried about being abused by the crowds. If you weren’t worried about it, why would you talk about it? It is not like South African crowds are prim and proper-Johannesburg is not known as ‘the Bullring’ for nothing.
Australia have included Nathan Bracken in the lineup, instead of Stuart MacGill, and South Africa are likely to be missing Jacques Kallis. He is one of the few South Africans with a proven record against Australia so they will miss him.
Australia have never lost a series to South Africa since readmission, and have not lost a series at home since 1992-93. I do not think South Africa have the bowling attack to change those facts. Also, Smith does not strike me as the sort of cool figure that can lead his side to an upset victory. But it’s Test cricket so hurray!
6 Comments »The Irish sweets of the Englishmen
By Will 3 years ago, mid-October, 12 Comments »
Cricinfo ran a story on Nathen Bracken making suggestions that England’s control (use of) reverse-swing wasn’t, erm, entirely legal. (When has reverse-swing ever been entirely legal though?) Bracken suggested the England team might have used mints/sweets, and the sugar contained in them might have assisted the Irish swing, which bowlers like Simon Jones and Andrew Flintoff used to such great success in the summer. And I thought the whinging Aussies had finished their diatribes by now…
A few hours later, Mr Bracken retracted his comments…
And while on the Irish theme, here’s a joke for you. Try to say these four words without sounding like an “astonished” Irishman: Well, Oil, Beef, Hooked.
12 Comments »