2 minute readPeople forget about the one-day series that preceded the 2005 Ashes, but they were a key part of it. They were ingeniously scheduled before the Test series, so that tension mounted. In 2009, they’re afterwards, like vegetable soup after a six-course meal. Twenty20 match England won the Ashes because they
Continue readingCategory: Australia
Matthew Hayden approves of Phil Hughes
< 1 minute readMatthew Hayden has given Phil Hughes, his successor as Australia’s opener, his seal of approval. We know what you’re all wondering: How has Hayden expressed this? The answer, of course, is ‘badly’: “He’s got all the evidence and the skillsets he needs. His humbling personality and how respectful he is
Continue readingAndrew Flintoff’s strengths as a bowler
< 1 minute readBit of pace, bit of bounce, good control and then there’s what the lazy among us refer to as ‘presence’; or worse, an ‘X-factor’. The concept of an X-factor always pisses us off. It’s not that there’s some mystical, unknowable attribute. It’s just that you haven’t bothered to find out
Continue readingAre there no Australians in London?
< 1 minute readDo you think barbecues should be gas powered, even though they really, really shouldn’t be? Does losing at sport make you want to drink to excess? Does winning at sport make you want to drink to excess? Do you own a vest? If you answered ‘yes’ to these questions, you’re
Continue readingMitchell Johnson and Stuart Clark reveal the extent of institutionalised avian molestation in Australia
< 1 minute read“It’s interesting to see each other’s balls.” So said Mitchell Johnson this week. Apparently the Aussies have been discovering that the balls in England aren’t like the ones they’re used to back home. Stuart Clark explained further: “I think it’s just we’ve grown up playing with Kookaburras for so long
Continue readingRichie Benaud appearing on Channel 5’s Ashes highlights show but unfortunately it’s a no-go zone for viewers
< 1 minute readRichie Benaud is going to be on British TV this summer. He is going to be working as Channel 5’s analyst during the Ashes. We’ve heard that Richie’s recent commentating has gone downhill a bit, but this role must surely be perfect for him and it must be perfect for
Continue readingWhat can Australia do with their fortnight off?
< 1 minute readHaving had a couple of turd matches, Australia find themselves knocked out of the World Twenty20. Before playing Sri Lanka, Ricky Ponting joked about how they weren’t considering failure because the alternative, a fortnight in Leicester, was too horrific to contemplate. Quite apart from the fact that Sri Lanka are
Continue readingChris Gayle is awesome at Twenty20
< 1 minute readAmid all the furore when Chris Gayle said he wouldn’t be all that sad if Test cricket died, one key fact slipped into the background: Chris Gayle is phenomenally good at this form of the game. Why wouldn’t he prefer it? Gayle is an exceptional Twenty20 batsman. Arguably the best
Continue readingThe big news about Andrew Symonds being sent home from the Australia squad
< 1 minute readThe big news is that during the press conference, Ricky Ponting went a little bit boss-eyed. Look:
Continue readingA reason and a half why England have already won the Ashes
< 1 minute readSwing bowling Give an Australian bowler the solidified lump of blancmange known as a Kookaburra cricket ball (which is used in Australia) and he’ll pound in and bowl at off stump until the batsman deliberately misses one to save himself from the boredom. Give an Australian bowler an English Duke
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