Farewell to Bellerive Oval in Hobart. A local boot manufacturer has acquired the naming rights for squillions of dollars, so this famous Tassie cricket field will now be known as the Blundstone Arena. Since their elastic sided workboots are known by all Aussies as Blunnies, that’s what it will probably come to be called.
But I am delighted to say that many people have sworn to continue to call it the Bellerive Oval; I’m one of them.
Exactly the same team for the second Test, so look out for Dave Warner opening in T20 style, Phillip Hughes nicking the ball to the slips before he’s reached double figures, and Punter failing to reach a decent score once again.
The majority of Australia’s Test cricketers are now on the injured list, so there’s little doubt that we’ll lose resoundingly to India in the four-match series, but can we squeak another win over the doleful Kiwis in the next five days, weather permitting? Probably not. 😦
There is some good news – Cricket Australia have agreed to a radical reorganisation of its structure. This should improve things considerably over the next few years.
Boadicea's Chariot 
Hi, Bearsy.
You’re getting positively Jockinese and ‘it must follow, as the night the day’ doom-ridden in your prognostications, amn’t you?
I genuinely believe that Punter has turned the corner and that his myriad England-supporting fans can look forward to several more happy years of watching him sport the baggy cap with that inimitable style and grace.
I would also be very surprised if you did not stuff the Kiwis again.
Two games is still not a Test series.
Hee Hee,
There‘s nothing worse than a stadium changing its name, Bearsy, believe me. In my youth I memorised the 92 Football League grounds (I should really have been studying English and Maths, never mind) only for most of them to change in the 90’s and 00’s. July 2011 saw Brighton and Hove Albion move to Falmer Stadium. Previously they were renters for a decade at the Withdean Stadium and before that they long played at the Goldstone Ground. You just can’t keep up.
Onto the cricket. I’ve got the day off tomorrow so sleep permitting I hope to catch two sessions instead of my regulation one. As a self-proclaimed neutral and avid fence sitter I’ll be hoping for a Kiwis win. 🙂
Yup, I guess you’re right, JM.
6/83 at lunch is a pretty poor showing by the Black Caps. 😯
Thanks Ferret, but you dropped a ‘d‘. Close, but no cigar. 😀
Very poor indeed by NZ, especially when you consider that it is mostly rookie bowlers they’ve been facing.
To cheer you up even more, Bearsy, in the studio on Sky UKTV is Jeremy Coney who has continually called the stadia “Bellerive”.
Good for him!
Whoops, they’re just about to come out again. Catch you later. 🙂
Well, Dean Brownlie managed to make a very respectable 56, showing the rest of the Kiwis how to bat. But then, he’s actually an Aussie from WA who moved to Christchurch a couple of years ago. 🙂
I gather that Lords is going to be renamed ‘The MacDonald’s Cricket Ground’. It has a certain ring to it, don’t you think?
Ah, so you mean he is a Kiwi!
Phil Hughes should never, ever be selected for a test team again. He was out in exactly the same way as he has been in 21 out of his last 30 innings. He cannot, or will not learn, so he must be dropped.
Bloody rain. 😦
Sipu – He probably isn’t, yet. Aussies and Kiwis have the right to live and work in each others countries, but I doubt that two years is sufficient residency for him to have acquired Kiwi citizenship.
But, as I’m sure you realised, what I meant was that he learnt his cricket in Australia. 🙂
Not long before players are given their sponsors’ names too, maybe. Any suggestions?
Howzit Bearsy
I don’t have a problem with sponsors naming stadia but I do think that the whole of the original name should be retained.
My beloved St. George’s Park received a title sponsor a year ago from an Internet company, the new name? Axxess St. George’s Park, I never refer to it as such but I can live with it. The media of course have to use the full name and do, 2 extra syllables isn’t difficult to insert by a bunch of commentators who frequently give us more waffle than substance anyway.
The Hobart ground could quite comfortably have continued to exist as the Blundstone Bellerive Oval, it’s probably still shorter than most Sri Lankan cricketers surnames and would have been a win win.
Our new World Cup 2010 stadium here is called The Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, I’d like to see which advertiser has the balls to try and change that one 😉
“Thanks Ferret, but you dropped a ‘d‘. Close, but no cigar. ”
Curses! Drat and double Drat! 😦
😆
Lunch on day 2. Australia decided to see how badly they could play, so they’re on track for being all out for less than 100.
Now I know the wicket is a bit lively, and I’ll grant you the New Zealanders bowled well, but the batting performance by the Aussies would be bad for a village cricket club. For a national team, it’s a disgrace.
How can I continue to support these rabbits?
But I shall, of course. 😦
Peter Siddle the saviour! And the top scorer for the innings! He shows just how useless the high order batsmen are. 🙄
If I were a cynic, I would suggest that the remarkable batting collapses that have occurred in the recent test series in SA and now in Australia are evidence of attempts by the powers that be to ensure an ongoing interest in Test Cricket.
Who would have thunk that after the Black Caps’ dismal performance yesterday they would end up with a first inning lead?
Were I a conspiracy theorist (I am already a cynic), I would agree with you, Sipu. 🙂
Shock! How can the Aussies be so bad? I expect the Kiwis will still lose though. Any talk of Punter retiring yet?
Soutie – the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium looked in fine fettle for the IRB Sevens tourno. Shame there was no crowd though!
Sad thing it is naming stadia after sponsors, but it is the nature of the beast these days – sports can’t support themselves without the cash. So far The Stoop is is unchanged, but as seen by The Oval, sponsors come and go, but the Stadia remain.
Sipu – An update on Dean Brownlie – his dad was born a New Zealander. 🙂
241 to win. Can we do it? No way; it would take a miracle. 😦
Thanks for the update Bearsy.
72 without loss, I think you guys will cruise home.
I see the match referee is fellow Zimbabwean and former Rhodesian player, Andy Pycroft. His brother plays at our Boxing Day cricket game in Franschoek , a match I occasionally umpire.
Ah – if they play tomorrow how they played today, if the pitch doesn’t get lively again, if …
I have little confidence; they are far too good at collapsing. 😦
Latest on Peter Roebuck.
http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/2011/12/11/did-cops-watch-roebuck-die
‘Negative waves’ Bearsy, ‘negative waves!’ (Oddball, Kelly’s heroes) 🙂
It will all be over by tea tomorrow, hope Warner gets a ton.
Much much sterner test coming with Dhoni and his side.
Thanks Sipu. It still sounds decidedly dodgy to me. I wonder if they can prove that they didn’t push him out?
“With a belief system like that, you’d lose anything.” – Boadicea. 😦
We shall probably lose 0-4 to the Indians. If we don’t, I shall be surprised.
Seriously – I thought Warner played very well. A strange mixture of Test caution coupled with T20 execution, but it worked. Hughes, on the other hand, was dead nervous and trying very hard – so hard that Warner had to remind him several times to run. Having just about regained his confidence, it rained. He’ll have to go through it all again tomorrow morning, and I fear he’ll revert to poking edges unless someone slips him a scotch at breakfast.
The Aussies are looking pretty, pretty, pretty good, Bearsy. Hopefully you can knock off the runs early so I can get a good kip. The other night I heard the commentators talking about Tony Greig’s skills with the new technology. Inevitably, I found it on You Tube.
Pretty good? Huh! 😥
What did I say?
What a god-awful excuse for a test team. The Indians will marmelise us.
Afternoon Bearsy, there goes my kip.
It was looking good until some clouds appeared. Bracewell sure swung it.
Nice round of applause for Ricky- shame he never had a good knock.
Still think you’ll make it over the line. Time will tell…
Commiserations Bearsy. Well played New Zealand.
Utterly Brilliant Test Match.
Commiserations indeed. At least Australia is beginning to feel what it was like to be English for so many decades.
Howzat! 😉
Not quite what I expected but accurate nonetheless.
What a shambolic middle order batting capitulation, collapse doesn’t quite seem strong enough for this inept performance. Mickey Arthur must be pulling his hair out, this match should have been dead and buried.
Perhaps it had something to with those ‘Negative waves’ washing up on the Hobart shore from further north!