Waking up to Ashes lag
If you are reading this in Australia, then you maybe suffering from Ashes lag? Or perhaps you burned the midnight oil to watch Mark Webber become the first Aussie in over a quarter-century to win a Formula One grand prix (which is all the more impressive since he broke his leg in a charity bicycle race in Tasmania last November). Maybe it was Le Tour that got us staying up late into la nuit. Doubtless, some racked up a night-time hat-trick, flicking furiously between all three.
For the armchair sports fan, it's not the tyranny of distance that's the problem during the northern summer, but the trickiness of the time difference - nine hours between the east coast of Australia and the south coast of Wales. Sports-induced sleep deprivation. I wonder how much it costs the national economy? At least it combines two of Australia's great passions: the love of sporting world-beaters and, the following morning, the love of world-beating coffee.
Confessedly, I fell asleep with my earphones in at about two in the morning, and then went on to have the cricketing equivalent of a new father's interrupted sleep - awoken by screaming commentators, rather than a screaming baby. So since there was no further wicket in the final 40 minutes of play, I was away with the fairies when the England bowler, James Anderson, needed all those glove changes, the time-wasting tactics which provided the early morning headline: Ponting Slams England's Sportsmanship.
With characteristic bluntness, this is what the cricket writer Malcolm Conn has had to say on the matter: "The England captain is either a weak leader,'"said Conn, "or has no idea about the spirit of cricket." Ricky Ponting's press conference comments are also getting a frequent airing. He described the time-wasting tactics as "pretty ordinary" and not in the spirit of the game.
But for all its controversies, the dramatic end to the First Test showed that hopefully we are in for another classic series - lacking the high quality of the 2005 series, perhaps, but filled the same high tension.
Overall, I thought the first test in Cardiff reinforced a few points in some of the last few blogs and undercut some of the others. There was further evidence of the cricketing celebritocracy, with the Australian WAGS in prominent attendance (some traditionalists, veteran players among them, have argued they should not have come over until much later in the tour). We've also heard from the cricketing MAGs - mothers and girlfriends. In the tabloid press and on tabloid tv, Mitchell Johnson's mum has complaining about the influence of his fiancé, the model Jessica Bratich.
For all that, the Aussies showed a lot of the toughness, doggedness, bloody-mindedness and team spirit that were the hallmarks of the Waugh, Taylor and Border eras. They made England field for more than 12 hours, after all, and piled misery upon misery by racking up four individual centuries. The fear factor might have been diluted, but Ricky Ponting's new-look side showed itself to be formidable nonetheless.
The cricket writer Gideon Haigh also highlighted one of the great flaws in much of the pre-match commentary. When Australia's bowling attack was compared with England's bowling attack, it was thought to be weaker. But the true and relevant comparison should have been between Australia's bowling attack and England's batting line-up.
I thought the television and radio coverage of this Test Match reinforced one of the points made in the "Pom influence" blog and how the broadcast media, in particular, reinforces it.
Readers outside of Australia might be surprised to hear that the two television stations covering the Ashes, SBS and Fox Sports, both rely on the commentary feed from Sky Sports in Britain. Similarly, ABC Grandstand is relying upon the BBC's Test Match Special - although, happily, ABC's Jim Maxwell is an integral part of the team.
As a Pom, it's always comforting, and faintly nostalgic, to hear the commentary of Jonathan Agnew and Henry Blofeld. But perhaps if Kerry O'Keefe was on hand, his cackle would have made it all but impossible to fall asleep...
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Hi Nick,
As an ex-pat I'm loving Bumble et al on the SBS commentary and it brings into sharp relief the weaknesses of Australian pundits, commentators and sports journalists. I guess in the UK with the home nations, there is a more even analysis of sports events so to not alienate sections of the audience. Here I have to have a ready supply of pillows, rolled up socks and other soft projectiles ready to hand in order to fling at the telly when the jingoism rears its head during the breaks and before English commentary resumes.
Australians are very good at sport but the English are much better at the punditry. Ok, less annoying anyway.
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Interesting to read all the accusations of unsporting behavior flying England's way. The Aussie's shouldn't even pretend to think that they wouldn't have done the same thing in our position. And besides, these tactics maybe saved us about 5 minutes. England lasted 40 minutes with Monty and Jimmy at the crease, and maybe Australia should be asking themselves how they couldn't get either of these two out in 40 minutes?
Must agree with Witchbox above, Stuart MacGill is the latest in a long stream of dreadful pundits. I can't stand the man with his cheesy grin and wayward eyebrows. Thank heavens for Bumble.
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I have enjoyed today at work, whistling the theme to "The Great Escape". Incessantly. By next Tuesday morning after the test at Lords has finished I may well be whistling Rod Stewart's "I don't want to talk about it" so I am enjoying it while I can
My Aussie colleagues are disappointed and it was a good day for Webber to win his F1 GP otherwise the various media sports reports could have been really depressing
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I thought it was an intriguing match. Yes, the physio was a bit much but then so was the complaint after the game ... take the moral high ground and just get on with it. England does not have a monopoly of playing outside the spirit of the game, do they Ricky?
Anyway the biggest revelation for me was not from Sophia Gardens but from the SBS studio in Sydney. I think Stuart MacGill will grow into a fantastic host and it is so refreshing to hear the dulcet tones of Greg 'Mo' Matthews with some insightful commentary thousands of miles from the ground (Whoa, he got stuck into Strauss for wearing his glasses over his England badge on his cap while the Aussies wore them on the back of the head, that's leadership I suppose). Channel nine should take heed for summer, we need more guys like Mo on the tele, it's great viewing and his excitement in those all-too-brief breaks back at the host studio helps you keep awake a little bit more. The Sky broadcast is very good though, especially David Lloyd, Ian Botham, David Gower and Nassar Hussein as the third man!
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Love TMS - only trouble in Australia is the timing of the broadcast is not in synch with the TV coverage. Makes it difficult!
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I walked into the office in Melbourne this morning in my Lincoln Green with my head held high. Under Arm Bowling was my arrow, Kim Hughes was my bow.
Only 20 more cricketing days of agony left.
PSHINOZ
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Another week and another freaking cricket blog post.
Cricket is just a ball game. And this is supposed to be a blog about the entire nation of Australia, not about a ball game being played on the other side of the world. I know some people may be into all this, but there's a lot happening in this country right now, Nick, that you seem to be totally ignoring. With that in mind I've decided to be constructive, so here are several headlines based on current domestic news that will appeal to your British audience:
"Sydney Penguins Granted Own Milita: Flap flap bang bang, Cobber"
"Swine Flu Devastates Down Under: Gesundheit, Cobber"
"Barmy Bannana Monkey Madness in Oz: Down Under Not Inescapable Prison After All"
"Mad Aussie Minister Rock'n'Rolls Around Rock Walk: Throw Another Proposal On The Barbie, Cobber."
So you see, there's lots of inane same-old rubbish that you could write that would appeal to your British audience and would sufficiently reinforce tired stereotypes and their prejudices. And even that would be preferable to yet another story about a ball game.
My advice is the next time you find yourself nodding off whilst listening to the cricket at 2 a.m., consider that it might be your subconscious acting out of mercy for those loyal readers of yours who would rather sit at home with a pencil in their eye than read another cricket story.
The offer for some backgrounding on the Australian arts industry still stands, Nick. Remember, you live in a country whose most famous icon is an opera house.
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Dear,Mr.Nick Bryant,
Interestingly, i have read of your lengthy writings on sports.
All my close relatives are in Sydney,Australia from 1983.My wife also visited to Sydney in 2005.She was with her mother,her brothers of her visites.
Good country,multi racial atomosphere prevails in Australia.
Back to subjects,You can not say that,English cricket players used some dodging methods ,and not to allow Aussies win in first Ashes test.
Not only from England players,this is common from any countrys players.Otherwise,they have to face much criticism from cricket fans,lovers,sports writers and from her cricket board.
Still,other matches are lively to watch.
All other writings are worth to read,comment and for further pursuit of knowledge.
Please keep your writings goes on lively ways.
All the Best.
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#7
Thank goodness somebody has appealed to my prejudices and reinforced those tired stereotypes. I wasn't aware of my prejudice towards Australia/Australians so, once again, many thanks.
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I'm on a minesite in Laos where the only coverage of the cricket is the morning session via "Cricinfo" on a "slow" internet connection. (Morning session only because of time difference and working hours). Close of Play score comes next morning courtesy of ABC 2's "Breakfast" programme with summaries through online newspapers. Despite these "hardships" the Aussies & Poms on site are making the best of it - the banter and insults flow to and fro and nobody gets upset. It'll be the 3rd Test before I get to see any TV coverage.
No TDF on TV either but thankfully the TDF website is good. Did get to see Mark Webber's victory live - courtesy of ESPN - and we'll be having early "marks" on Wed & Sat for the "State of Origin" and 1st Bledisloe - sorry "Whitlamite" but in our circumstances that's our level of culture !!
And yes the Lao's and Thai's look on in amazment at the passion exhibited by their bosses during these events.
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.... and you refer to us as whinging poms ... please don't make me laugh. ... sorry I cannot write any more.. priceless ... thanks..
http://jonnyontheball.blogspot.com/
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So, for those of our friends in Oz who feel hard done by, recall if you will who introduced both sledging and under-arm bowling to Test cricket. C'mon, we do like you guys, but give it a rest please!
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It is inescapably true. England used gamesmanship to secure the draw. Thank goodness! At last the tactics used by the opposition are turned back on them, Heavens cobbers, don't you know the english are at their very very best when their backs are to the wall? Don't you remember your press using gamesmanship for the entire time our rugby team was in your country for that y'know, world cup thingie? Short memories, don't you remember getting them so mad they just had to go out and whup you? Even though your old refereeing south african cobber tried to make it otherwise? What short memories you have! Sportsmanship gentlemen, comes from England. The book of Gamesmanship is of course, an undeniably southern hemisphere publication, with an australian author and a south african publisher. It was YOU in the southern hemisphere who decided that winning was the be all and end all of sport chaps, so don't complain when your own weapons are turned against you.
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I think if we had a decent pitch to play on the Aussies would have without doubt slaughterd us. While I am happy this did not happen I do think however that bad pitches are killing of test cricket.
The groundsman has just explained on Sky Sports the reason why the pitch was so bad and that it will take some very deep digging ( digging up the 1960 pitch for example) before Cardiff can provide us with a decent pitch.
I do feel that fines are in order if the pitch is not up to the standard required for test cricket.
The only thing that will be remembered from this match is the great escape it will go unnoticed that a very slow pitch helped out what was a very poor performance by England.
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Yeah, those honourable Australians would never stoop to gamesmanship to force a draw, would they? Just ask Greg and Trevor Chappell.
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Ricky does seem to be whinging a lot in recenly. Ponting is a English surname (believed of Norman origin). Has anybody checked his family history............ is he one of us?
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Henry Blofeld is a national treasure. I can never stop laughing listening to his commentary.
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People still going on about a ball bowled underarm in the 1980's. Seeing the time which has since elapsed means nothing I wish to voice my own grievance. I think it was outrageous that WG Grace often refused to walk because he had a distorted belief that people only came to watch him bat.
People keep going on about the last 40 minutes. The English team had a go slow from the middle of the third day. If you don't believe me refer back to the much vaunted English commentators talking about Collingwood taking nine minutes to bowl an over. Mind you, I should cut him some slack. The speed at which he bowls a ball means it takes about 30 seconds for the ball to travel from one end of the pitch to the other.
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Ricky Ponting should run for PM. He has shown himself to be an excellent political spin doctor. The talking point should be Hilfenhaus being taken out of the attack after just four overs having taken the 8th wicket. What a bonehead decision! When I played cricket there was nothing better than charging in having just picked up a wicket. Had he stayed in the attack instead of Johnson there wouldn't have been a chance for any gamesmanship.
Well done to Mark Webber, hope it's the first of many.
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This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
Not all British expats or Aussies are obsessed by sport. I am currently sleep deprived because I can not put down Tony Visconti's autobiography. But staying awake to watch cricket or cycling ...?
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re #16 (Pomtidillypompom) -
i heard that Ponting is actually of Chinese origin; he is linked to the Vic goldfields or so i heard.....! Just thought i'd put it out there!
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