Monthly Archives: July 2013

The Ashes, Second Test: 5 Keys to Success for Australia

July 17, 2013 By in Shumpty Speaks Tags: , , , 1 Comment

The second test of the Ashes kicks off on Thursday at Lords. Australia comes into this game off the back of a heartbreaking loss in the first test and, to state the obvious, will need to win this game to even countenance having a chance of returning the urn to Australia at the end of the series.

Here are the 5 keys to success for Australia in this second test (in my opinion):

Can someone please score a hundred?

It has been 4 test matches since an Australian top order batsman (or any batsman for that matter) has scored a hundred. Michael Clarke’s 130 in the first innings in the first test at Chennai seems a very long time ago. More concerning for Australia is that the only other centurion for Australia’s current top order in the last 12 months is Ed Cowan arising out of his performance at Brisbane in November last year. Someone from the top 6 MUST score a hundred in this test match if Australia is to win.

Neutralise Jimmy Anderson

There has been much discussion across social media as to whom is the best fast bowler in the world at the moment: Dale Steyn or Jimmy Anderson. I decline to enter that debate. What I have been consistent in stating is that Jimmy Anderson was a class above the fast bowlers in the first test match. Australia must find a plan to deal with Anderson’s reverse swing because that will put their other bowlers under pressure and open up opportunities for Australia to get on top.

Strong first half hours with the ball

Generally speaking, Australia was not disgraced with the ball in the first test at Trent Bridge. That said, at times, particularly at the start of innings or after breaks, our bowlers seemed to take some time to get into the rhythm of the game and presented some easy opportunities to the English batsmen to get in and score. Good starts with the ball and the pressure that flows from that will be vital for Australia.

Agar Factor: second test syndrome?

Ashton Agar had an excellent debut of that there can be no doubt. All of us: fans, pundits and players alike have placed massive pressure and a heavy weight of expectation is now on him. How he reacts to that weight and performs at the home of cricket will be a key to Australia’s chances. We need him to take wickets: it is as simple as that!

Lords: Australia’s home away from home

Before England’s 115 run victory in 2009 Australia had not tasted defeat at Lords since we lost by an innings and 38 runs in 1934. The myth of Lords and Australia’s dominance there can only be a positive for this team.

Thursday 8pm can not come quickly enough. Every test match at Lords is a special test match. This one has the potential to be one of the most absorbing contests at Lords in some time.

Mickey Arthur and Cricket Australia: where to from here?

July 17, 2013 By in Shumpty Speaks Tags: , , , , 1 Comment

Big news in cricket over night: Mickey Arthur has filled a Statement of Claim with the Fair Work Commission claiming, it would seem, damages for unfair dismissal. The claims made, if they are true, are scandalous and allege that Mickey Arthur was racially discriminated against among other things.

It is important here to forget the more salacious details (again alleged but not yet actually proven) of the statement of claim. The fact that an allegation is made in civil proceedings does not mean it is true: all it means is that the particular alleged at some point will need to be proven by its proponent.

It is striking that Mickey Arthur has bemoaned that he has tried to keep his claim confidential BUT others have not given him the courtesy of doing so. Either he is poorly advised or naive however documents such as a statement of claim are public documents. To think that they would not be disclosed is just ridiculous and smacks of someone who was not prepared for what might follow from making a claim.

Obviously, not every employee who makes a claim to the Fair Work Commission has the circumstances of their departure from their job but, then again, not every employee has already has the circumstances of their departure publicised for all to see.

So now that Mickey Arthur’s statement of claim has been filed: what are the next steps? As I have written before: this is not like the legal shows you see on TV where the claim is made on Monday and you are in a trial on Friday. It just doesn’t happen that way!

The Fair Work Commission website (www.fwc.gov.au) provides a great overview for the steps in an unfair dismissal claim. Those key steps are:

1. Employee sends an unfair dismissal application to the Commission.
2. The Commission sends a copy of the application to the employer.
3. The Commission sends the employee and employer a written notice with the date and time of their conciliation.
4. The employer is required to respond to the application and submit any jurisdictional objections, and send their response and jurisdictional objections to the employee and to the Commission
5. Conciliation takes place with a Commission conciliator (usually by telephone) to try to resolve the matter
6. If unresolved at conciliation, the application will be determined by a member of the Commission at a formal conference or hearing.
7. Whether a formal conference or hearing takes place depends on the nature of the claim and whether there are any questions of law to be determined.

Obviously a former employer can object to an unfair dismissal claim on various basses. They are:

1. the applicant was not unfairly dismissed;
2. the application was lodged with the Commission outside of the prescribed time limits;
3. the applicant is not covered by the unfair dismissal laws or is not eligible to make an application; and
4. the application is frivolous, vexatious or has no reasonable prospects of success.

The remedies that might be available to Mickey Arthur if he is successful are reinstatement or compensation. We all know that reinstatement is not going to happen so compensation is path that Arthur has gone down.

It is impossible to assess whether Mickey Arthur was unfair dismissed at this point and whether the allegations he has made will ultimately be determined to be true. Now that a statement of claim has been made it is incumbent on the parties to take steps to resolve the dispute. Whilst it will not happen: it is also incumbent on the press to report the full facts rather than the sensationalist reporting we have seen to date.

Only time will tell how this matter will resolve and who will come out on top: after all, in every litigious matter there is always a winner and a loser.

Shumpty Eats: Reserve Restaurant

July 16, 2013 By in Shumpty Eats Tags: , , Leave a comment

It has been a long time since I wrote a restaurant review and by the flow of visitors to this blog for some reviews it has been remiss of me to not continue to with the Shumpty Eats series. Henceforth I will try to keep this series going on a fortnightly basis with a review of a particular restaurant that I have eaten at.

This fortnight’s restaurant is a new restaurant I have discovered just out of the CDB of Brisbane called Reserve. Straight off the bat I will say that it is the best restaurant I have eaten at in a very long time and is in the grand final (with Saffron in Arrowtown) for the best eating experience I have every had. I have been there now on no less than 5 occasions since first discovering it so this review really is an amalgam of those visits. I have experienced just about everything on the menu save for seafood and have picked my top dish from each of the four categories on the menu.

The first thing that is striking about Reserve is that its main dining room is cozy and warm with a fire place in the centre and the tables well spaced. The staff are friendly and, impressively, over my visits there in the last month have gotten to know me which shows a higher standard of service than some other places.

The menu is impressive and is at the more refined end of the restaurant spectrum but the staff are excellent and clear in the explanations and recommendations.

Onto the food:

Appetiser: Demi Tasse of Butternut Pumpkin and Truffle Soup

Served in a small coffee cup this appetiser is just about the best tasting soup I have ever had. Rich and creamy and served hot but not too hot this is the perfect start to the meal. If chef came out and said to me that all they had left in the kitchen was this dish I would grab my spoon and demand they send me bowl after bowl. This is a perfect start to the meal.

Entree: Roasted Banyard Quail with Leek and Bacon Stuffing, Sauce Soubise

I am a fan of Quail and anytime I see it on the menu I order it. This Quail dish is an absolute gem. It is the stuffing that sets it apart from most other quail dishes I have eaten: it just sets the meal off perfectly.

Main: Crispy Crackle Pork Belly with Celeriac Remoulabe, Spiced Prunes, Apple Sauce

If you take one piece of advice out of this review it is that this is the main you must order. It is without question the best main dish I have had in any restaurant in Australia. It defies a description that could do it justice. Suffice to say: go and try it!

Dessert: Vanilla Pannacotta with Cinnamon Beignets, Caramel Sauce

I am not normally a fan of desserts but I had my arm twisted to try this one and I was not disappointed. Often I find Pannacotta to be a bit hit and miss at some restaurants but this one was perfect and the caramel sauce the perfect accompaniment.

It would be pretty obvious that I am more than a bit enamoured with this restaurant. Do yourself a favour and check it out ASAP.

Where: Cnr Coronation Drive and Park Road, Milton, Brisbane

Website: http://www.reserverestaurant.com.au/milton.html

Ratings:

Food: 10 out of 10

Staff: 10 out of 10

Room: 9 out of 10

Final Comment: If you are trying to find a restaurant in Brisbane this is the place you must go!

Reserve Restaurant Milton on Urbanspoon

The Ashes: First test compendium

July 15, 2013 By in Shumpty Speaks Tags: , , , , , , Leave a comment

Well the first test is over and here is a compendium of all of my posts relating to it:

The English team named: https://shumpty77.com/2013/07/07/the-ashes-england-squad-announcement/

The Australian team named: https://shumpty77.com/2013/07/10/the-ashes-australian-team-named/

Reflections on day 1: https://shumpty77.com/2013/07/11/the-ashes-1st-test-day-one-some-reflections/

Reflections on day 2: https://shumpty77.com/2013/07/12/the-ashes-day-2-reflections/

Considering the drama from day 3 and the issue of Stuart Broad’s conduct: https://shumpty77.com/2013/07/13/the-ashes-on-the-question-of-broad-and-walking/

Reflections on day 4: https://shumpty77.com/2013/07/14/the-ashes-first-test-day-4-reflections/

The final day equation: https://shumpty77.com/2013/07/14/the-ashes-first-test-the-last-day-equation/

The five lessons from the result of the 1st Test: https://shumpty77.com/2013/07/15/the-ashes-first-test-the-5-lessons/

The first test player report card: https://shumpty77.com/2013/07/15/the-ashes-1st-test-player-report-card/

It was just a brilliant game of test match cricket that ebbed and flowed throughout. With only 3 days to go till the second test at Lords I can hope that it is half as good as the game just gone.

The Ashes: 1st Test Player Report Card

July 15, 2013 By in Shumpty Speaks Tags: , , , , 1 Comment

After such a brilliant first test match and with the second test match only three days away, it is time to run the ruler over the performances of each player from both teams.

Australia

Shane Watson: 7 out of 10

Dismissed sparring at a leavable ball outside the off stump in the first innings and LBW in his usual style in the second after getting off to a good start. Was a miser with the ball but did not bowl enough to slot into the allrounders roll Australia needs.

Chris Rogers: 7 out of 10

Did the job he was asked to do and showed glimpses in both innings of why he has been tapped on the shoulder for this series.

Ed Cowan: 2 out of 10

Two bad shots and his career is in jeopardy. To be honest they were shots that were indicative of a clouded mind. Will play at Lords but will be on his last chance.

Michael Clarke: 5 out of 10

Got a jaffa from Anderson in the first innings and then wafted at one outside off stump in the second. Never looked set and Australia needs his production to succeed here. Appalling on reviews to DRS.

Steve Smith: 7 out of 10

A solid knock in the first innings was followed by a good ball from Swann in the second innings. Needed to make more his opportunity in the first innings and went hard at a ball that he should have left.

Phil Hughes: 7.5 out of 10

Kept it together in the first innings and had pundits calling him Steve Waugh reincarnate. Maybe number 6 is his position but he looked all at see against Graeme Swann in the second innings and was found out.

Brad Haddin: 7.5 out of 10

A fantastic knock in the second innings probably will do much to mask some frailties with his glove work that have been much made of until his last day stand. Is the old head Australia needs in the middle order but must assert himself more on the field in DRS scenarios.

Peter Siddle: 7 out of 10

8 wickets in the test match was a solid return to form for Siddle. Lionhearted in the second innings and, despite his limitations, continued to lead the attack wholeheartedly when others were starting to wilt.

Mitchell Starc: 6 out of 10

Wayward when we needed him to be on line but is a top order wicket taker and did so in the first innings albeit with a bit of luck. Will need to work on his control for the second test.

James Pattinson: 6.5 out of 10

Read the comments on Starc. Same rules apply to Pattinson. Last wicket heroics with Haddin get him the extra half a point.

Ashton Agar: 8 out of 10

The statement that this was the best Ashes debut ever is hyperbole: Bob Massie wins that battle by the length of the straight. Still though this was an excellent start for the young man.

England

Alistair Cook: 7 out of 10

Solid with the bat without being outstanding and marshalled his troops well when things were going pear shaped on day 5. Was excellent on his use of DRS.

Joe Root: 4 out of 10

Looked a little out his depth at the top of the order albeit scratched out 30 in the first innings. Looks a long term prospect for England if they don’t bugger him up.

Jonathan Trott: 5 out of 10

Looked like he was serenely going on his way to another hundred in the first innings until he played a shocking shot off Siddle (he was not the only one) and got a bad decision in the second innings for a golden duck. Will play a major part in this series at some point.

Kevin Pietersen: 7 out of 10

Is there a better player of the straight drive in the game of cricket? Love him or hate him Pietersen’s second innings 64 was an important precursor to the Bell / Broad partnership that changed the game.

Ian Bell: 9 out of 10

A career defining hundred in the second innings. It was a brilliant innings without which England would not have won the game.

Jonny Bairstow: 6.5 out of 10

Is another player of the future and will be better for this test match. His first innings 37 was vital batting with the tail to get England over 200.

Matt Prior: 5 out of 10

Out to two woeful shots but showed wonderful intent in the second innings when he went hard at the second new ball and got England on top. His glove work was exemplary and his work advising Cook on DRS decisions just as good!

Stuart Broad: 7.5 out of 10

Forget the sore shoulder and the controversy of not walking: this was a solid all round performance from a much maligned player. A quick fire 24 in the first innings when things were going haywire and a staunch 64 in concert with Bell in the second inning in the match winning partnership from number 8 where match winners. 2 key wickets in each innings show his value in this England team.

Graeme Swann: 7 out of 10

A dear in the headlights with the willow but tied up one end for the English while Jimmy Anderson worked his magic. Big wickets at the end of day 4 turned the match the way of the Poms.

Steve Finn: 3 out of 10

Over 5 runs an over in the first innings and then targeted by Brad Haddin the second. Was just too inconsistent with length and line and was the obvious weak link in the English attack. Will struggle to keep his position for the next test.

Jimmy Anderson: 10 out of 10

Just a brilliant performance from one of the best bowlers in the world. He was a class above any other bowler in this game. His 13 over spell to start day 5 was the match winner. A worthy man of the match.

The Ashes: First Test … the 5 lessons

July 15, 2013 By in Shumpty Speaks Tags: , , , Leave a comment

What an amazing first test match of this winter’s Ashes series. That is what test cricket is all about: it is hard fought, it is tense and it is close.

Simply put: the best team won and that was England. Australia fought hard and will take many positives from the game.

Here are my five lessons from the first test:

James Anderson: Superstar

If you ever needed convincing, and I for one did, Anderson’s 13 over spell to start day 5 was just a brilliant effort and showed that he was in a class above the other bowlers in this test match. 10 wickets, the bowlers century, on that wicket was nothing short of exceptional.

DRS: that is the system … live with it

It was inevitable wasn’t it that the DRS would play a role in the end of the game? I have to confess that in real time my first instinct was the Brad Haddin had touched the ball on the way to Matt Prior and I have no cavil with how Umpire Erasmus went about his decision there. The fact is though there are massive flaws in the system. The second fact, which is more important, is that the system is here to stay and can not be changed mid-series. We are going to have to get used to seeing a scintilla of the ball hitting the stumps being deemed “umpires call” and get on with it!

Brad Haddin: Streetfighter

I can not be more complimentary about the innings of Brad Haddin. It was an gritty and hard fought knock that was perfectly paced in almost stole the game. That innings is a snapshot of exactly why Haddin was picked for this series. Strong in mind and strong in will Haddin was perfect in the role of Australia’s almost savour.

Number 11s made Australia look better than we were

Let’s be honest here: Australia was very lucky to be in the position is was in going into the second innings of this match. Additionally, we are lucky we are not sitting here lamenting an 80 run loss rather than a 14 run one. 123 runs out of our number 11 batsman was unexpected and indeed welcome. That said, the success of our lower order has been masking the failures of the top six for some time now and again Australia has finished a test match without a test century from any player. I know finding form takes time BUT everyone in our top six needs to find some and fast! Obviously there are some players more under the microscope than others but this is a whole of order problem.

Test cricket: how good is it?

18,000 fans in the ground at Nottingham and millions around the world witnessed a fantastic first test match in a battle between two proud countries that is now in its 126th year. Obviously, not all test matches are going to be like this but, if nothing else, this test match should have tattooed in the minds of those who believe test matches are a dying form of the game that it is well and truly alive and kicking.

We now have a 3 day break before the second test at the Home of Cricket, Lords. Time to bank some sleep and get ready for round two of this ten round super heavyweight bought.