Australian Cricket

[David Nicholson]

Sad news will be released tomorrow about the death of Australian cricket. AC has been ill for some time and the condition has recently been diagnosed as terminal. It is normal, in these circumstances, to praise the fight to hang on to life but in this case the patient folded without much struggle. It is hoped that AC's wider family are able to come to terms with their sad loss  and will, no doubt, be aided in this by a larger than normal consumption of amber nectar 

[shelagh]

Keep your fingers, toes and eyes crossed David and don't tempt providence.

[Maggi Young]

Keep your fingers, toes and eyes crossed David and don't tempt providence.

Good advice! I would add.... put on your crash helmet.... I think I hear the sound of flying bricks from the Aussies!

[Maggi Young]

Keep your fingers, toes and eyes crossed David and don't tempt providence.

Good advice! I would add.... put on your crash helmet.... I think I hear the sound of flying bricks from the Aussies!

[Lesley Cox]

NZers are pretending to mourn for our friends across the ditch but in reality are hoping there is no miraculous resurrection before we next meet them. Not counting on it though. That nice German word again, Schadenfreude.

[John Kitt]

Reporting a local comment on Australia's performance - "England is a third rate team and now Australia is one too."

I don't subscribe to that view. Clearly England has outplayed Australia all summer. As usual, irrespective of teams and countries "heads will roll".

[Paul T]

I always hate to see the comments about "worst team ever" or "death of" type comments...... they actually put down the team that beat them.  England outplayed Australia this season, no ifs buts or maybes.  If we say they're the worst team ever (reported in todays papers apparently) then we're saying the England didn't necessarily play well, but Australia played badly.  I think England played brilliantly, which is why they won, not that Australia necessarily played badly (if you know what I mean).  The best team won, and I wish people could just leave it at that.  Our media commentators over here give me the irrits at times, in case you hadn't guessed. 

I think I've said it before as well, if a country/player is on top of the game consistently then it is bad for the game.  For so long Federer dominated the tennis, and everyone was effectively playing for second.  When you go into a tournament like that, it isn't good for the game.  The fact that the Aussies are not presently dominating cricket is a good thing, because it is nice to see a competition rather than an "automatic whitewash" which is what it was like a few years back.  Congratulation to England, they played positively brilliantly!  Well done to them, they most definitely deserved their wins!!!

[PDJ]

They say ASHES are good for the garden but are in short supply Down Under.

[ArnoldT]

Ok, since we're on the topic.

Why is it called "The Ashes".  Did the cup have someones remains in it?

[John Kitt]

Arnold,
It is part of the long history and tradition of the England - Australia cricket competition.
The exact details I will leave for cricket aficionados but basically when Australia defeated England for the first time, the "DEATH OF ENGLISH CRICKET" was announced in the press and the stumps/bails were cremated and the ashes collected and placed in the urn which now never leaves Lords.

Hence the tradition of playing for the Ashes.

[David Nicholson]

Sorry Paul my bit was meant to be a skit on the ashes creation story.

I think the difference between the two teams boils down to youth at the end of the day. We have a team with the vast majority of members of it at the commencement of their test careers and your lot, give or take one or two are nearing the end of theirs. They shouldn't be but this is, in my view, the result of far too much cricket being played today at test level. The test series is now followed by umpteen one day internationals and 20/20 games (or pub cricket as I call it) simply to generate cash and to suit the sponsors, normally Sky television and it's competitors causing early "burn-out" in good players. No one these days is able to maintain the length of career that Bradman, Border and their ilk could mantain. The same will happen to members of the England team in time.

[Maggi Young]

early "burn-out" in good players

  Burn out in cricket players seems extremely unlikely to me and early burn out even more so..... cricket has to be one of the most relaxed sports ever invented.... there are long periods of precious little happening, VERY short bursts of activity.... to my mind an averagely fit octogernarian could play the game.... what on earth is there in cricket  to cause burn out? Boredom, yes, in players and audience but  burn out? I doubt it!

[Mick McLoughlin]

The ashes story from Lord's:

http://www.lords.org/history/the-ashes/

No mention of the actual burning of the stumps though?

[Anthony Darby]

Wash your mouth out with chocolate Maggi!

[David Nicholson]

Obviously a distorted feminine view, and a Scottish one to boot, and can therefore be discounted