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. Continue reading “Work-boots !!”
This is an aerial view of Brisbane, looking north. In the fold of the river is the area known as Kangaroo Point, where OZ lived for a few years. The big round thing is The Gabba – which is short for Woolloongabba, the suburb where it’s located. Our Cricket season traditionally starts at The Gabba – the first test of the year is always played here. Continue reading “Ready for a rout?”
Or how about you, Sipu?
Here’s our new Australian Team Coach and Selector, Mikey Arthur.
A Saffer who coached the Proteas with some success until he suddenly left after a disagreement with CSA or Graeme Smith or possibly both.
At the time he avowed that he wanted nothing more than to move to England and coach a County Team, but apparently the Poms didn’t want him and he ended up as coach to the WA (West Australia) Warriors. He has a reputation for being a good man-manager – is that praise, or is it a nice way of saying that his cricket isn’t very good?
Reactions from Aussie fans have been mixed, so far. Some of the derogatory comments included –
This was my preferred position when watching cricket at The Wanderers, the stand wouldn’t have been so high back in those days and the seats (well, we didn’t have seats but rows and rows of wooden railway sleeper benches, complete with splinters) wouldn’t have been as comfortable,
The Wanderers, affectionately known as The Bullring, prior to the construction of the new stands it actually resembled a bullring, is the venue for today’s test match.
And am I looking forward to it. Continue reading “S.A. v Aus, The Wanderers, Jhb”
Before South Africa became the Rainbow Nation, we in the rest of the world were resigned to reading regular reports of how police suspects had unaccountably jumped out of tenth storey windows while being questioned. Steve Biko, for one. One shrugged. What else could one do, it was what the police did in the state of apartheid.
What were they called? BOSS, or something, wasn’t it? Buro vir Staatsveiligheid, that’s the chap. They bullied their way around the world, infiltrating other police forces, including the UK, where they did some very questionable things.
But that’s all behind us, isn’t it?
South Africa is a model state these days, surely.
Well, actually – no.
After several misleading – and in some cases downright false – statements, the world’s press appears to have established that Peter Roebuck (an English-Australian-South African cricket journalist of great renown) “jumped” from his sixth floor hotel room whilst being questioned by a solitary South African police person, allegedly about a matter of sexual abuse. Some accounts report two police persons.
Hah! If you believe that you’ll believe anything.
I would dearly like to hear Soutie’s take on this.
Probably one of the prettiest cricket grounds in the world. Pictured above is where I often sat, round about square leg under the shade of the trees, with the Kelvin Grove end bar within easy walking distance. Continue reading “S.A v Aus, Newlands, Cape Town”
It all seems a bit harsh to me.
They already have career destroying bans from the ICC but imprisonment!
Agent Mazhar Majeed was jailed for two years and eight months for his role in the fixing.
Pakistan Test cricket captain Salman Butt jailed for 30 months.
Former world number two Test bowler Mohammad Asif jailed for one year for his involvement.
Mohammed Amir sentenced to 6 months in prison.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not going soft, in fact I’d lock up the agent and throw away the key, and Salmaan Butt, well he can sit, he should have known better and it appears that it was he who recruited the other two.
I remember the Hanse Cronje scandal, he was quite rightly banned for life, but the guys that he involved, where are they now? Well two of them have just finished playing in the Champions League Trophy in India (of all places).
Sure, the culprits have to be punished, but jail?
Not for me, not today.
The Australians have won by 7 wickets, so this Bear can safely slope off to bed. See ya’. 😀
I only managed to watch the last 30 overs, and I’ll concede that most of the others did their bit, but without Mr Cricket’s unflappability we would have been hard pressed to win the 3rd ODI against South Africa.
From what I saw of it, a great match, with good performances on both sides.
Fair result, Soutie?
Sort of says it all really 🙂
Boadicea's Chariot 
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