Be more concerned with your character than with your reputation. Your character is what you really are while your reputation is merely what others think you are.
John Wooden
Monthly Archives: November 2013
Quote of the Day
The real opportunity for success lies within the person and not in the job.
Zig Ziglar
The Ashes: First Test Player Ratings
Australia dominated England in the First Test match completed at the Gabba on Sunday. Here are my ratings of the performances of the players from the Australian side:
David Warner: 9 out of 10
This was the performance Australia cricket fans, particularly those who have doubted Warner’s position in the team, have been waiting for. His first innings 49 had the feel of “same old same old” about when a bad shot induced his down fall after he had scored quickly. His second innings hundred was akin to watching him mature in front of our eyes. His hundred was nothing short of excellent: he did not attack as a means of defence as has previously been his method. Frankly though his performance has been sullied by his comment in the media but this rating is not a rating of that.
Chris Rogers: 4.5 out of 10
It was far from Rogers best game. He never looked comfortable on the bouncing Gabba surface and succumbed, frankly, to two ordinary shots. Will return to conditions more to his liking for the second test.
Shane Watson: 4.5 out of 10
It was also far from Watson’s best game. After doing the hard yards in the first innings, and looking very good, he sparred at the widest ball he received and was caught in the slips. Pumped up in the second innings after an excellent pull shot he had a brain melt and skied one to mid on. Must stop being so impetuous if he is to be a long term option at number 3.
Michael Clarke: 9 out of 10
After his first innings score was probably the most under pressure bloke in Brisbane. He did not put a step wrong thereafter: his captaincy was brilliant and his batting in the second innings took the game away from the English when Australia was in trouble. The plans he has developed with the coach and his willingness to go for the metaphorical throat of the English played a significant part in Australia’s dominant win.
Steve Smith: 5 out of 10
Another player who was looking solid in the first innings before playing a bad shot. A duck in the second innings came after a long partnership when a lengthy spell in the middle from him was required. Was a livewire in the field and his catching was of the highest standard.
George Bailey: 5 out of 10
On debut looked very nervous in the first innings before getting a good ball from Jimmy Anderson. In the second innings, when the pressure was off really, he looked more assured and kept Australia’s run rate up as they chased a lead in advance of a declaration. Missed a run out of Cook late on day 3 which could have played a big part in England pushing for a draw (if they were able to do so).
Brad Haddin: 9.5 out of 10
Australia’s best player for mine. Was called on to rebuild Australia’s first innings and was easily Australia’s most comfortable batsman on the first day Gabba wicket. Through away a hundred in the first innings chasing quick runs and got fast runs again in the second innings as the declaration approached. Haddin was excellent with the gloves this game to boot. His best game for Australia for some time.
Mitchell Johnson: 9 out of 10
In his first game back in the baggy green in 14 months Johnson’s work with the willow accompanied by his bowling saw him tapped on the shoulder by the Channel 9 commentators for man of the match honours. He bowled with pace and hostility and set the Englishmen on the back foot right from his first over. In the middle session of day 2 he lifted his fellow players and the crowd with one of the swiftest spells witnessed at the Gabba in recent times. A “Michelle” in the second innings was a just reward. Now he needs to replicate it.
Peter Siddle: 6.5 out of 10
Relegated to Australia’s 3rd choice seamer, Siddle did a workmanlike job without setting the world on fire. His ball to dismiss Bell in the second innings was an absolute “jaffa” but that aside all that could be said about Siddle’s work was that he did the job his captain asked of him.
Ryan Harris: 7.5 out of 10
Much has been made of Johnson’s bowling but Australia’s best bowler, Harris, bowled an unbelievably good first spell against the English to remove Cook and Pietersen. He looked like taking wickets every time he took the ball and had his status as Australia’s best bowler confirmed by the obvious relief in the body language of the English when he was spelled.
Nathan Lyon: 8 out of 10
Was this performance enough for the selectors to take the foot of Lyon’s throat and give him time in the team? If it was not then he will never convince them of his bona fides. His first spell contributed as much to the downfall of Carberry as Johnson’s bowling and he took big wickets in both innings.
It’s only a game: sledging, stress and hyperbole
I was saddened to hear that Jonathan Trott, the immensely talented top order batsman from England, has returned home from the current Ashes tour in Australia to seek treatment for a stress related disorder. Well I am saddened that he is leaving the tour, I am equally overjoyed that Trott has stuck his hand up and sought assistance when he needed it.
The revalation that Trott has been dealing, for some time, with a stress related disorder and the intense focus in the aftermath of the “sledgegate” from the first test of the Ashes have given me, and should give all sports fans, a moment of pause. The fact is that cricket is a game played between two teams. It is not a conflict or war: it is not a scenario where life and death is on the line. The stakes between the teams are pride, respect and a trophy: not the control of the beach head or the fall of a despot. I think that fact has been lost on fans and pundits alike of late and that must stop!
It strikes me, that moment of pause had, that the reporting of cricket has gotten all a little bit serious and, alternatively, nasty. The reporting of the game in the Courier Mail during the first test has been nothing short of disrespectful and, indeed, nasty. Writing articles that specifically did not name a particular player and then dropping to new low depths to attack the looks of the partners of the English players was, I am sure all agree, the lowest form journalism. No fair minded fan of the game could support the “journalism” of the Courier Mail and, aside from firing up Stuart Broad, it served only to support the point that the reporting of the game has gotten unnecessarily nasty. The conduct of the print “journalists” (though I question that designation for those writing for the Courier Mail) was not sledging. It was nasty hyperbole of the worst order.
Sledging has been part of the game since its inception at all levels of the game. The fact that Michael Clarke sledged James Anderson and it appeared on Channel 9 (does anyone really think that this was a genuine mistake by the way?) is the only reason that we are talking about it. If it has not been picked up by the stump microphone it would not have been issue and Clarke would not have been charged. I played cricket from the age of 7 and have to say that even in U/12’s cricket there was an element of sledging during the course of play. Frankly: I heard worse sledging directed at me, than what Clarke said, in U/14’s cricket and remember vividly being welcomed to the crease in my first grade cricket game at the age of 15 to a spray of vitriol from the slips, wicket keeper and bowler that would make David Warner blush.
Now all of that sounds a little archaic but the point I raise here is that sledging is part of the game and is, of itself, a reinforcement that cricket is just game. This is because, no matter what was said on the field there was no player, ever, in my experience of playing cricket between the ages of 7 and 19 (with a couple of failed comebacks at 23, 25 and 29) who I did not shake the hand of at the end of the days play or who I wouldn’t have sat with at the end of play with for a chat and a beverage or 10. This is where the reporting of the game and sledging at the moment is missing the point: after the sledging that formed part of “sledgegate” at the end of the game each player shook each other’s hand and each captain in the press conferences said that what happened on the field would stay on the field.
If you love the game of cricket you must equally love sledging because it is part of the game and always will be. It is time for those that report the game to get off their metaphorical high horses on this topic and focus on the game and Australia’s victory.
Returning to Jonathan Trott and his return home to seek treatment: I am an Australian cricket fan and a sufferer of mental illness. My thoughts are with him as he goes through his treatment and I hope he returns to the field when he is ready to do so. The suggestion from some in the media and on social media that David Warner or sledging is to blame for Trott’s condition are as misguided as the “journalists” who write for the Courier Mail. Andy Flower and Hugh Morris have been overt on this point. Regardless of the cause/s Trott’s illness also serves to remind us that there are more important things in life than playing a game of cricket.
In the aftermath of the first test I think we all should take a moment and be reminded of this. The time for the ridiculous reporting of the game in the press and the angst surrounding sledging must stop because it is distracting everyone from the game itself rather than promoting it. Afterall, isn’t that what the media are supposed to be doing rather than inciting angst between the fans and players with their hyperbole?
The Ashes: First Test Recap
Australia has just wrapped up a massive first test victory at the Gabba in a final (fourth) day that had it all: wickets, rain and angst between the players. This was a result that no one expected: as Australian fans we hoped for it, indeed the religious among us prayed for it, but we never expected it would happend. This was not just a win: this was a destruction of an opponent who had rejoiced in holding the upper hand. England did not win a session of the game from the final session of day one until the close of play today.
For Australia, much credit must go to the captain and coach: every plan they put in place worked and players who had been under pressure, real or imagined in the press, like Warner, Johnson and Lyon all played a massive part in what was the most quintessential of team victories.
For England, there is a real sense from having watched this game closely that under pressure they unravelled. I mentioned the infighting seen yesterday and again and again we have seen in this test match wickets of English batters fall to injudicious shot selection to balls they did not need to play or did not need to play in the air. This is a team that bested Australia 3-0 only months ago and yet today, and the last 3 days, they have looked out matched and out of sorts.
Absent injuries (or some Howard / Invers inspired stupidity) the Australian team will be the same for the Adelaide test match as it was for this one and rightly so. The English have some obvious question marks in their team at the moment: Jonathan Trott is out of form and out of sorts, Graeme Swann has lost his edge and was out bowled by Nathan Lyon in this game and the third fast bowler position is a massive worry for them. That last issue is one likely to see a change but the others will stay the same.
It has been mentioned to me by many this week that Australia looked united and came into this game with an intent to make a statement. The outmuscled and out manned a much more fancied line up and with that they won over a subdued crowd that became a roaring mass on Friday afternoon. I have been a monumental critic of Cricket Australia in advance of this series and that criticism remains but boy did the team get the job done on the field.
Aside from today’s crowd which was disappointing to say the least the crowd numbers for the first three days were outstanding and those numbers were without the phalanx of Barmy Army members who will arrive for the Adelaide test match. The Gabba Test as the first test of the summer is a tradition worth keeping, not only because Australia is unbeatable there, but because traditions continue to matter whether Cricket Australia believes so or not.
Next up for the English is a trial game in Alice Springs: personally I hope that the weather is around 40 degrees for the whole time the game is underway. The Australian’s will enjoy a day off tomorrow and then start planning for Adelaide. One thing is certain: we have only seen four days out of a, now, potential 24 days of cricket in this series so there is a long way to go before the Urn is returned to Australian hands. So for now, lets bask in this win, but from tomorrow lets, players, fans and pundits, all get back to the task of winning back the biggest prize in cricket: now is not a time for complacency and ego but a time to keep the eyes of the main prize.
Bring on Adelaide!
Shumpty’s Punt: Sunday Special
After a win yesterday, have decided to get a little more exotic with the multi today and add a line bet and a margin bet to the equation. With risk comes a higher payment which will, no doubt, have me draining my iPhone battery checking NHL and NBA scores throughout the day again!
Here is today’s multi:
Leg 1: Toronto Maple Leafs to defeat the Washington Capitols in the NHL.
Leg 2: Detroit Red Wings to defeat the Ottawa Senators in the NHL.
Leg 3: Philadelphia Flyers to cover the line (-1.5 goals) against the New York Islanders in the NHL.
Leg 4: Houston Rockets to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves by a margin of between 1 and 10 points in the NBA.
Leg 5: Denver Nuggets to defeat the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA.
This multi should return around $35 for every dollar spent. As always: good luck and good punting.
Shumpty Speaks 