Pitch Not An Issue in an Even Contest for 2nd Test

Round two begins in Perth today, and the intrigue and interest in this series between Australia and India raises to fever pitch again. So many questions burning for answers, and perhaps after this Test many of them will have an answer.

It is the first Test match played at the new Perth stadium, and with the character and conditions that one usually associates with the wonderful W.A.C.A Ground now not being utilised. The groundsmen have prepared a pitch that appears not dissimilar in colour and texture as the outfield, and with certain statements having been made there looks to be collusion between the authorities and the staff in order to prepare the fastest pitch possible (though Cricket Australia will deny that until the end of time). Two things strike me about this. One is that Perth has always prided itself as having the fastest wicket in Australia, so surely there is no problem with that being attempt to be attained again? The other is that rather than being an advantage for the home team, it is most likely going to help both teams’ bowling line-ups. If Adelaide showed anything, it is the batting line ups that need help, not the bowling. If it is fast, then it will be exciting to watch, but not with an advantage to either team.

India are now front-runners, but the loss of Rohit Sharma and Ashwin will affect their preparation. With their young opener still not fit to play India have only one choice to move into the team as the final batsman. The green pitch may well open the door to an extra paceman being picked, but the most likely option is for Jadeja to slot straight in to offer his left arm orthodox and slashing blade down the order. The tactics may well change completely in this Test now they are 1-0 up. Going in with an aggressive mindset rather than trying to build an innings may well be their way of combating Australia’s quicks on this surface. If it comes off they could be unstoppable, though the danger is of course of an implosion that could stifle their plans.

Australia goes in with the same team, and given the fight the back order made with the bat in Adelaide they will be hoping that the top order can do the job this time around. Both Finch and Handscomb will be looking to make the most of their opportunities and help lead Australia to much more competitive totals. Harris returns to his original home state and Marsh plays at his new home ground and both will be looking to make a big impression in front of their family and friends. Mitch Starc has been under the gun of the media in recent days and whatever the reason for his slightly lethargic Test in Adelaide he now needs to deliver. All three Aussie pacemen have backups taking wickets at Shield level looking to get a chance, and any failure to penetrate may see them given a little rest over the festive season – as highly unlikely as that actually is.

All looks set for another great Test match. Australia is behind, but with a little more fortune this time around can still get to Boxing Day on an even keel. The batting must make more runs though, so if they are contained the the Indians could be in a perfect spot with two Test remaining. If we get a game as good as Adelaide no one will be grumbling.

Should the Lessons of 1986 Be Revisited in 2019

Discussion about Australia’s current form and player depth being the worst it has been since the mid-1980’s or even as far back as World Series Cricket bears some investigation and discussion, if only for the fact that sometimes you just have to accept that there are periods in this game where your players just aren’t as good as those from other countries. Identifying problem areas and finding a way to fix them and identifying the players who are coming into the system and have the chance to play a major role in the future are where Australian cricket may be at as we approach the end of the ‘annus horribilis’ that has been 2018. 

What the past nine months has shown up glaringly is just how much Australia’s batting relied on two players. There’s no doubt that most of us already knew this, but while they were still in the team, saving our bacon on a regular basis, we didn’t have to worry about what would happen if they WEREN’T there. This has been glaringly exposed now in all forms of the game. The good news is that unlike in the past where the retirements of most of our best players at once or the subsequent banning of a large group of players for going on a rebel tour of South Africa, these three banned players will be available again in a matter of months. While this will plug some theoretical holes Australia still needs to find a way to come out of this situation stronger than it went in to it. 

Does this require the same sort of foresight and hard-nosed attrition that those in charge back in the mid-1980’s went through in order to unearth the players they needed to return the team to a position of dominance? By their own admission, they sought out young cricketers with ability but also with the right attitude on and off the field to do so. The selection panel led by Lawrie Sawle and the person who had been appointed in the newly created role of ‘coach’ Bob Simpson, mixed and matched to find the right people. They came up with Geoff Marsh, an unfashionable opener who blunted the bowling but rarely dominated it; Merv Hughes, an unfashionable huffing and puffing fast bowler whom some loved and others felt was overrated; Bruce Reid, an unfashionable gangling tall left arm fast bowler who proved as difficult to play as it was to keep him on the field; Steve Waugh, a teenage wunderkind whose all-round skills made him a valuable asset, if he could ever score runs, and later Ian Healy, who was plucked from being Queensland’s #2 wicket-keeper into the Australian job and Mark Taylor as another accumulator at the top of the order with a smart head on his shoulders. Meshed together with David Boon, Dean Jones, Geoff Lawson, Craig McDermott and their indomitable leader Allan Border, over a three year period this investment in ‘the right player’ brought the reward of winning back the Ashes, and provided the platform for the team becoming the best in the world. There was no lack of trust required with the selectors having to stick with each of these players through lean times in order to reap the eventual rewards, and it was tough time to follow Australian cricket for those of us who are old enough to have lived through it. But the result of that hard work paid off for almost two decades. 

Is this where Australia needs to go again? Is it time to draw a line in the sand and start investing in certain players over the next 2-3 years in order to rebuild our team into a world class outfit? If it is, then there is not as much work ahead as there was between 1985-89. Australia’s bowling attack is world class, and with back up in the form of players such as James Pattinson, Chris Tremain, Jhye Richardson and Jackson Bird just to name a few the pace bowling stocks are overflowing. The spin bowling isn’t quite as talented but Jon Holland, Steve O’Keefe, Ashton Agar and Adam Zampa have all had international experience to call on if required. And if a wicket-keeper batsman was needed, then any of the State team incumbents could fill the spot worthily. 

The batting needs some serious thought going forward, and absolutely every cricket fan in Australia has an opinion on what should be done, and who should or shouldn’t be chosen. I’m no different. 

A lot of time has been spent on bringing on Mitch Marsh as the answer to the apparently necessary all-rounder position. His record so far in Test cricket is well known and less than exemplary. Most pundits think he should be jettisoned. But can Australian cricket afford to cast aside a 30 Test player who has only just turned 27 years of age? It is easy to say he’s had his chance – a number of them – but he has been the selectors project player for some time. Theoretically if the selectors are looking to form this kind of pattern, he still has to be a part of it. 

Travis Head has been another long-time project, lauded since his debut for South Australia. He has been a part of the one-day setup since the last World Cup, and now through vacancies opening up he has played the last three Test matches. In that time, he has shown fight and grit, with flashes of his natural flair as well. Like Ricky Ponting before him, he has had a good grounding in International cricket through the ODI format before he was exposed to Test cricket. His initial success is something the selectors will be hoping to see continue. He is certainly one that they need to retain faith with now he has been given his opportunity. 

On the other side of the page however is a player like Matt Renshaw. Thrown in at the deep end during the last Australian crisis after the Hobart debacle against South Africa two years ago, he succeeded beyond expectation, especially in India in 2017 when he batted time with patience. Then for some unfathomable reason he was cast aside twelve months ago and has been in a holding pattern since. His form has suffered because of this, and he needs some sort of reassurance that he is still in the mix in order to help him regain the form he had to make the team in the first place. He was not a project player when initially chosen but surely needs that kind of faith and help now if Australia is to see the best of him again in the future. 

Beyond these three recent examples, how soon is too soon to be giving the future generation of batsmen their opportunity at the top level? Without try to put too much pressure on them to succeed, when should the next kids be pushed to being given a chance? Australia stuck with Steve Waugh for three years without a Test century because his bowling was so valuable and his batting showed the toughness and temperament required to succeed. The 1989 Ashes tour saw him come of age, three and a half years after his debut. Even so, it really wasn’t until 1995 and the series win in the West Indies, some nine years after his debut, that he became the great batsman everyone now knows him as. People often forget his tough years, they just remember the golden age. 

Will Pucovski won’t be 21 years old until February. He has already taken time away from the game for a mental health issue. Yet after only eight first class games he averages 49 with the bat and has two centuries. Not little ones either – 188 against Queensland in February and 243 against Western Australia in October. Just as impressive was his 67 in the second innings of this week’s Shield match, his first game back since his break. It showed a toughness and resilience that is not dissimilar to a young Steve Waugh 30-odd years ago. He excelled through under age cricket and second XI cricket. When you watch him bat he looks like a batsman, one with the technique and drive to succeed. 

Jason Sangha is only 19 years old, and captained Australia’s Under 19 team in the World Cup in February. A couple of months before that he scored his first century in first class cricket in a match against the touring England team. This season he and fellow Under 19 alumni Jack Edwards have been given their chance in the New South Wales Sheffield Shield team. Sangha started slowly and was being batted at seven. He was chosen to play in the Prime Ministers XI team against South Africa, and Sangha’s 38 was significant as he and skipper George Bailey got the team to victory. From that point his season has gone forward, being moved up the order to number five and scoring his second century the following week, 117 against a Tasmanian team skippered by Bailey. He also has played 8 first class matches, averaging 31.38 with two centuries, but his extra bow is that he bowls good part time leg spin, and took 3/80 against Victoria in October. He has batted to the occasion for the Blues this season, in more than one innings throwing his wicket away in the quest for quick runs. 

I’m not suggesting for a minute that these two young men should be thrown straight into the fire now and given national selection. Neither is ready, and Australia’s situation is not so dire as to go down that path. But given the chop-and-change attitude of the selectors in regards to our batsmen in recent years, is it not time to take a measured approach and start looking ahead to the next 3-5 years and see where we want to be at that time, and which players may be a part of that. There is no quick fix. Within weeks the three banned players will be available for selection again, and no one would doubt that all three will be in Australia’s Ashes squad in six months' time. To all intents and purposes, THAT will be the ‘quick fix’. What comes beyond that though, especially if (please no) we lose the Ashes? How soon do we start to look to build up our next generation of star batsmen? An Australian Test summer against Pakistan and the West Indies? Twelve months is a long time in cricket – look where Australia was this time last year. Maybe the time for the next generation is not that far away.

1st Test Day 5: Bowling Cartels Fight Tooth and Nail as India Goes 1-0 Up

It’s not the first time that as Australians we have thought – if only our batsmen showed as much fight and heart as our bowlers did when they batted, we’d win a lot more Test matches. Gone are the days when batsmen 9, 10 and 11 just fell over to get the innings over and done with quickly. These close finishes always become the domain of the bowlers, and on them falls the anguish and pain when they fall short. Those of us watching know better, and the top order should be feeling the greatest disappointment.

Another day’s great Test cricket may not have gotten the result most Australians were looking for, but it showed that the team was not lacking in fight for the cause. As they did all through the Test however, India managed to get a wicket every time Australia threatened to get a partnership that could shake the result their way. The demise of Head and Marsh in the first session both came at crucial times and were both good pieces of bowling rather than poor strokes that came from Khawaja and Handscomb yesterday. From that point it was always going to be difficult not matter how much one may have hoped for a miracle.

There’s no doubt that the was not a lot in the pitch for the bowlers, and Ashwin went the entire day without adding to his two wickets for the fourth day. But why should it be that the bowlers were able to look so much more composed with the bat than Australia’s top order? Even against the second new ball, Cummins, Starc, Lyon and Hazlewood managed to bat with relative comfort despite the pressure on them to retain their wicket and to also score runs. They were somewhat agricultural in their approach with plenty of runs through and over slips, but they still looked better than their batsmen on occasions. The fact that they managed to get within 31 runs of victory with 104 runs coming from the final three wickets should be weighing heavily on the batsmen in the team.

India fully deserved their victory. They were patient, never panicked, and kept to their plans even when the partnerships threatened to get out of hand. That they had plenty of runs and time to play with in their chase to victory was to their benefit, but they did everything to the letter. Shami and Bumrah in particular nagged away all day while Ashwin just bowled like a metronome. They won without a huge contribution from their captain with the bat and they will be pleased with that, along with the feeling that they will need to bat better in Perth if they are to continue on their winning way. 

Australia’s fight will give them hope going forward, but they cannot hope to get back into this series without runs from the batsmen. Each batsman lost their wicket at least once in this Test by a false shot that needed not to be played, and that is where the problem lies. Starts were made and thrown away, and they proved to be costly. Finch, Marsh and Handscomb in the first innings were awful dismissals, while Khawaja and Handscomb in the second innings cost the team any chance of starting day five with a realistic chance of victory.

Australia has picked the same squad for the opening two Tests, so there is little chance of a change in personnel, especially as Mitch Marsh failed in both innings of the Shield game in Melbourne. It means this same team has the chance to redeem themselves, both as a team and as individuals. All the batsmen showed glimpses of form and will be looking to make more of it in four days time. The bowling group will need to rest up, perhaps more from their batting than their bowling. Both Starc and Cummins in particular will be looking to find something they lacked in this Test to make more of an impression at the bowling crease. They looked underdone and perhaps they will be better for the run. Let’s hope so. 

What we did see was a fantastic advertisement for Test cricket, again showcasing why it is the ultimate form of the game of cricket. India’s victory now means Australia must come from behind if they want to win this series, and will need to find every piece of their ability in order to do so. India will be wary of over-celebrating and taking their opponents too lightly in their quest to become the first Indian team to win a series in Australia. Perth awaits, and another classic contest appears in the offing.

1st Test Day 4: Shaun Marsh holds the Key to Australia's Chances of Victory

Day Four of this most enjoyable 1st Test between Australia and India pretty much went the way you would have expected at the start of the day. India pushed at their own rate in the first session while Australia nabbed a couple of wickets. The second session saw quick runs and wickets, while Australia lost a wicket right when they looked to have survived until tea. The third saw attritional cricket from Australia, while India picked up wickets at regular intervals which kept them ahead of the game and well in the ascendancy at stumps.

Australia’s bowling was not at its best on the day, even though the wicket was also offering nothing for the quick bowlers. Nathan Lyon again seemed more focused on the small patch of rough outside the right handers off stump and for awhile seemed to forget about everything else he could be bowling at. There’s no doubt that just about everyone in Australia though he should have a silly point to all batsmen, but after hearing Shane Warne say this endlessly for 24 hours it began to get a bit much for the casual viewer. Lyon eventually made the breakthrough to get Pujara after another 200-ball innings by bowling his best over of the Test, with each ball into the right spot. He then cleaned up, finishing with 6/117 as the Indians offered chances as they tried to hit him out of the attack. He didn’t have much luck in this innings but he also wouldn’t rate it as his best bowling performance either. 

Mitch Starc took perhaps the worst 3/40 in Test cricket. He sprayed the ball everywhere giving Tim Paine nightmares and seemed incapable of getting the ball in the right spot. Even against the tail who he specialises in dismissing he wasn’t great, and though he did get those final wickets and didn’t leak runs (off the bat at least), his 3/40 off 22 overs really does make him look better than he bowled.

Pujara was rightly lauded for his innings, and Rahane also did well for his 70. It will be interesting to see how they go for the whole series as both were not lucky but had some fortune along the way. The way the day unfolded suited the Indians rather than the Australians, and despite the fact that they finished well ahead by setting 323 to win I’m not sure the Indian leadership will be completely happy with how the innings progressed. 

With the pitch not a genuine fourth day wicket and still looking okay to bat on, Australia needed to find a way to get through to stumps with few wickets lost and as many runs as possible. It didn’t need the batsmen to allow themselves to give their wickets away, and yet that did happen again. Aaron Finch had another day will be tough for him to assess, being plumb LBW second ball but saved by Ishant Sharma’s no ball, and then caught in close right on tea which he didn’t review on advice from his batting partner, yet all evidence suggests that he didn’t get glove on it. It’s a tough one because you don’t want to be seen to burn reviews, especially at the top of the order. That won’t make Finch feel any better about it. What followed though was the onset of pressure to score when becalmed, and the loss of your wicket as a result. Harris tried to cut a ball that wasn’t there for the shot and was caught behind. Khawaja tried to hit over the top and edged to deep cover. Handscomb pulled in the air straight to mid-wicket which had been set for the shot. These dismissals in such a situation were well executed by Kohli and his bowlers, and the batsmen involved will be considering their consequences well not tomorrow. 

Shaun Marsh has made it to 31 not out and Travis Head to 11 not out. Marsh simply cannot afford to fail. Australian cricket has invested too much time in his continued selection for him to fall over quickly tomorrow morning. He needs to justify the faith that has been shown in him and lead this team by his bat and at least give his team a chance to pull off a victory. Head helped saved the 1st Test against Pakistan two months ago and has shown he has the grit and determination to be a part of a historical chase. So too Paine and Cummins. It would be nice to see, but the head suggests that Ishant, Bumrah, Shamion day five to lose from this position. 

Australia go into day five at 4/104, still 218 behind and with a mountain to climb to win the game. If the pitch does not deteriorate it is still within the realms of possibility, but it will require two or three innings of a lifetime from those left in order to achieve it.

Ellyse Perry Dominates as Sixers Reclaim Favouritism in Week 2 of WBBL04

The second weekend of WBBL04 saw some more excellent performances and perhaps saw the emergence of the better teams taking more control of their early season, highlighted by two terrific performances by the reigning champions on their favourite ground. 

The Scorchers are struggling, and without Elyse Villani they would be shot ducks. Their batting so far has been exposed, and it hasn’t given their bowlers much chance to win them. They were cruising at 1/108 off 11 overs against the Sixers and should have made somewhere between 180-200, but consistent wicket losses in the second half of the innings meant they only managed to score 9/167, which at North Sydney Oval was well within the Sixers range, and this is a game they will look back at and know they should have won. Then after a short turnaround they fell over against the Heat, managing only 8/103 off their full complement, and the Heat knocked them off with little concern. Villani was the rock at the top in both games, scoring 32 and 45. Meg Lanning’s absence due to back stiffness was unfortunate and obvious, and they need the Australian captain back and firing quickly if they are to recover from this average start to the season. 

The Sixers were able to reverse last weekend’s loss against the Stars, on this occasion pulling back the Scorchers in the same way the Stars had pulled them back, and then having a brilliant century getting the team home in the chase. This time it was Ellyse Perry who timed her innings to perfection, showing once again that despite her demotion down the order in Australia’s World T20 victory she is still one of Australia’s best batters in all forms of the game. With the ball though it was the South African pairing of Marizanne Kapp (1/29) and Dane van Niekerk (3/32) that dragged the game back with crucial wickets. Then on Saturday they overpowered the Thunder in the Sydney Smash once again due to the brilliance of Perry. She batted through the 20 overs batting first, anchoring the innings with 74 not out and keeping the team above water when it felt as though they were flailing, along with a great innings from Erin Burns who scored 44 off 22 deliveries. The Sixers scored 36 runs off the final 14 deliveries, and this turned out to be the difference in the match. The Thunder probably missed a trick batting their international superstars Stefanie Taylor and Harmanpreet Kaur at 5 and 6, as Kaur’s 45 from 28 balls probably conceded. Lauren Cheatle found her mojo after two lacklustre games to take 2/15 while Perry added 2/11 to her brilliant start to WBBL04. The Sixers may have lost their first match when they should have won easily, but they have made up for it over this weekend. 

In the final North Sydney match-up, the Heat blew their chances of beating the Thunder through poor catching, with four sitters being dropped off the Thunder openers Priest and Haynes, which allowed them to dictate and dominate the opening overs. Their opening partnership of 89 off ten overs gave the team the platform to a big total that should never have been given. Priest with 49 from 28 and Haynes with 36 from 34 finally departed, but then it was Kaur and Blackwell who dominated in a similar fashion. As she did on Saturday Kaur was sensational, hitting 56 from 26 deliveries including six fours and three sixes, while skipper Blackwell finished the innings with 33 not out off just 18 deliveries. Harmanpreet Kaur is a star, and the one to watch for the rest of the summer in my opinion. Despite the loss of Beth Mooney early, Grace Harris never dies wondering, and she gave the fans what they wanted to see scoring 54 off 28 deliveries before a brilliant diving catch from Kaur ended her dominance. Her demise also meant the end of the Heat's chances of victory, and they will be ruing those dropped catches all the way back to Brisbane. 

At St. Kilda the Renegades and the Strikers played a weekend double header. On Saturday the Renegades pulled off an exciting and unexpected victory over the Strikers, with Claire Koski needing a boundary off the final delivery of the match to ensure a victory, which she duly delivered by taking a ball from two feet outside off stump to the square leg boundary. The Strikers top order of Suzie Bates (54), Sophie Devine (39) and Tahlia McGrath (33) led the Strikers to 7/153, a defendable if not safe total. Danni Wyatt smashed 62 at the top of the order for the Renegades before Amanda Wellington’s leg spin curtailed the chase, taking 3/27, and with the Renegades at 4/92 in the 13th over the Strikers looked the winners. Koski with 39 not out and Erica Kershaw with 30 not out negotiated themselves to within sight of the finishing line, which they were then able to crest. 

On Sunday at Ballarat rain intervened to possibly change the outcome. The Renegades had crawled along to 4/83 off 14.3 overs when the rains came down, after Megan Schutt had taken two early wickets, but Sophie Molineux was 44 not out. The revised conditions meant the Strikers needed 78 runs off eleven overs, but the rain came again and at 2/27 off 4.3 overs the game was declared over and the points were shared. 

The other double header of the weekend occurred in Burnie where the Hurricanes hosted the Stars. On Saturday the Hurricanes made a competitive total of 6/158, thanks in the main to Heather Knight who smashed 82 not out off 55 balls, including nine fours and three sixes. The Stars were in some trouble in reply at 3/23 but another great role from Mignon du Preez with 59 not out and Erin Osbourne with 67 from 46 balls got the Stars home with a ball to spare. 

The Sunday game was the match of the weekend, as the Hurricanes became the first team to really cash in on a great start. Hayley Matthews and Smriti Mandhana put on 98 in nine overs for the second wicket to obliterate the Stars attack, and it was only halted when Matthews slipped and severely injured her hamstring and was run out for 42. In other games this season for all teams this has triggered a collapse but here the Hurricanes kept going, with Mandhana scoring 69, and Knight, Hall and Maloney all scoring 23’s to get the Hurricanes to a total of 6/196. Lizelle Lee then hit the first three balls of the Stars innings for boundaries before falling off the fifth ball. The Stars went hard but kept losing wickets, with Knight’s 3/10 the best in a great all-round bowling and fielding performance. The Hurricanes will not only be disappointed not to have won both games, but the injury to Matthews could be vital to their prospects as well.

The Line, the Bubble and the Pursuit of Redemption

For what it’s worth, my opinion remains as it has for some months

The back-and-forth over the past week over the perceived attitude of the Australian Test team on the field in the recent white ball cricket and how they should conduct themselves over the upcoming Test series at least filled a void in the cricket scheduling as the public waited for this Test series to begin. It also gave Michael Clarke some valuable airtime given he will be missing from our TV commentary teams this summer. While nothing seems to have been solved during this little spat, it shows just how much the incident at Newlands in March has affected both our national cricket team and those that follow it, because opinion remains divided to the point that a desire to improve the behaviour of the team in aspects of their actions is being interpreted as becoming meek on the field and thus enraging some of our past ‘heroes’.

The current squad led by Tim Paine and Justin Langer have probably made a couple of errors along the way. The requirement to have a written preamble that the team wishes to abide by came across as a lame statement that was unnecessary. Words were unnecessary, actions is what this team would judged upon, as more than one former cricketer suggested. Few Australian supporters could deny that watching our national team play had become uncomfortable in recent times, often cringing at the way some of our cricketers carried themselves on the field against their opponents. Not only did it seem that it was an all-out offensive to berate opponents, but it became much worse when the team was suddenly under the pump and unable to be in the ascendancy. It was obvious in India, it was obvious in Australia, and it most definitely reached a crescendo in South Africa.

As Andrew Ramsey wrote last week on cricket.com.au, “… belligerence is no longer an acceptable manifestation of passion. Instead, anger directed at opponents when luck runs dry and events conspire to deny is interpreted as arrogance and, at worst, an ugly excess that reeks of privilege.”

Just so.

The culture of the team had to change. The players often spoke of ‘the line’ and ‘knowing where the line is’ and ‘not crossing the line’ – all of which was based on THEIR interpretation of this 'line' and where it was. This appeared to differ significantly from what other people interpreted it as, and it seemed to move depending on the situation they were facing. One wonders just what position ‘the line’ was at when it came to deciding that ball tampering was a perfectly reasonable thing to attempt. We have still received no answer from Cricket Australia or its players as to how it was possible for a member or members of our national cricket team to reach the conclusion that it was an acceptable thing to ignore the laws of the game completely, and take sandpaper onto the cricket field with the sole focus of altering the condition of the ball in complete contempt of the game of cricket. And here is where the difference in belief and perception over the past week comes from.

The former players in Clarke’s corner this week believe these two things – ball tampering in a Test match and an aggressive in-your-face attitude on the field – are separate and not related to each other. They see what happened and are obviously completely against the fact that it occurred and fully in favour of sanctions being handed down against the perpetrators. However, they also cannot abide by an Australian team toning down its intensity on the field as a result of this incident because they fear Australia will become a rudderless ship, unable to strike fear into the hearts of the opposition if they do not play hard and aggressively. This is where the accusation of ‘being in a bubble’ is close to the mark. It is obvious to (almost) everyone that the increased aggression that some Australians were showing on the field and its volatility, and the fact that it was not being kept in check by anyone – the captain, the coach, Cricket Australia – was a major factor to how we got to the point that ball tampering was seen as a solution to winning a cricket match. And as this was a symptom of what eventually happened, then it was absolutely vital for Australian cricket that this was terminated immediately. Not the playing hard to win, or standing firm against your opposition, but removing the idea that swearing at someone to their face because they played and missed at a ball, or running in and gesticulating wildly at a batsmen when they are dismissed is an acceptable look for Australian cricket.

When all is said and done, I believe Australia will be hard and tough in the Test series starting on Thursday, but without the overt public slanging on the field that was most certainly a part of at least the previous 2 years. There’s no doubt that our bowlers will not take a backward step in attempting to win matches. They will not be backward in bowling fast and short if they feel it is necessary. Unfortunately, it will still be the talk of the summer should Australia not perform on the field. The cricket itself will be of the highest intensity, and should India prove to be too good it will not be because Australia are not sledging their opponents enough, or that our players are not vociferously in the faces of their opponents enough, no matter what some of our past champions may say.

WBBL04 Kicks Off In Style With Lee and Devine

The first weekend of WBBL04, with all eight teams playing in four matches held at the Junction Oval at St. Kilda, not only welcomed back our World T20 winning team and players but provided a great showcase of the women’s game in Australia, but with most of the highlights provided by the international players who have come to play for the next two months.

Sophie Devine was divine in her innings of 89 from 55 deliveries, which was the driving force in the Strikers victory over the Heat. She was superb, flaying the ball to all parts of the ground, and the Strikers total of 7/172 always looked to be too many. In reply two early wickets halted any momentum, and the Heat’s Beth Mooney (63*) and Kirby Short (62*) actually batted out the innings, and even as the run rate kept climbing, they couldn’t get the ball to the boundary, nor could they get themselves out to do so. It was comical at the end seeing a team lose by 36 runs but be only two wickets down.

The Thunder made short work of the Renegades in their clash, but it was the pace pairing of Lea Tahuhu and Tayla Vlaeminck that lit up the late afternoon. The Renegades struggled to reach 8/98 off their 20 overs, and may have missed a trick in having their veteran Kiwi Amy Satterthwaite batting so low in the order. Rene Farrell was excellent with three wickets for the Thunder, who then made fairly easy work of the chase to win by six wickets. However, Tahuhu bowled well and bowled good pace in the mid-120kph range, as did you Vlaeminck on debut, taking all four wickets to fall and closing in on 130kph on a couple of deliveries. The Thunder look as though they could improve on last season’s effort, but the Renegades bowling in particular will be worth watching.

It always felt as though the Scorchers were in control of their game against the Hurricanes, even though it took until the fourth last delivery to deliver the win to the side. Georgia Redmayne was important in the final five overs in getting the Hurricanes up to a competitive total, her 49 from 48 deliveries allowed the Hobart based team to reach their final total of 7/143, which seemed to be about 15-20 short of what would be required. Three run outs in the seven dismissals hurt the team badly. In reply, Elyse Villani got the team off to a great start with 58 from 39 deliveries, but when she departed at 4/99 in the 15th over the Hurricanes were still well placed. However a great partnership from Lauren Ebsary (40*) and Chloe Piparo (26*) of 48 from 30 balls saw their team home to a good win.

The best match of the weekend was the Stars against the Sixers, and had some amazing moments. The Sixers looked to have blown away their opponents from the outset, crashing their way to 0/108 in the 12th over, with Australian stars Ellyse Perry (58) and Alyssa Healy (70) tearing the bowling apart. A minimum score of 200 looked to be their target, but once these two were dismissed the Stars bowlers and fielders shut the team down, conceding just 57 runs from the final 8 overs to restrict the Sixers to a disappointing final total of 7/165. Nicola Hancock was superb with 4/22. In reply it was two South Africans who monstered the classy Sixers bowling line up, with Lizelle Lee crushing her opponents from the opening position to finish on 102 not out off 56 deliveries, with 16 fours and 3 sixes in an amazing knock. She got great support from countrywoman Mignon du Preez with 33 off 27 balls, and the Stars won by seven wickets with almost three overs in hand. It was a massive win for the Stars, and a big wake up call for the reigning champions.

It was a great first weekend for the WBBL, and sets up what looks like it should be a terrific series, and one watched by more people than ever before given the increased national coverage and the World Cup victory.

Albion Park JCC Under 13’s: Match 8 vs Gerringong at Con O’Keefe Oval

Another superlative day met the young Eagles players as they congregated at lovely Con O’Keefe Oval to take on the Gerringong team in their round eight clash of the 2018/19 season. Gerringong won the toss and offered the Albion park team first chance at the crease, which they took with open arms.

A couple of early wickets fell though it didn’t seem to influence the batting momentum. Tom Denyer has shown in recent weeks a touch of impatience at the crease and a tendency to try and hit the ball too hard which has restricted his scoring. Last week he was bowled in such a manner, and today again he unfortunately missed out in the same manner being bowled for 4. Josh Peters just can’t quite seem to get the start he needs to get his innings going, and today again found a good full ball undo him as he was bowled for 2. Perhaps not trying to turn a yorker to leg would be a good start.

Elsewhere however the batsmen thrived. Kynan Barton opened and played a mix of extravagant strokes and textbook strokes. He tested out the fieldsmen on occasions but was positive and showed plenty of intent. Will Schofield once again played well, though a couple of shots where he was looking at the sky instead of the ball gave some cause for concern. When working the ball around he still looks to be the best batsman technically in the team (that’s just my opinion… 😊 ). He retired after his 35 deliveries had brought him 26 runs. Kasey Barton carried on from his terrific innings from two weeks ago, taking on the bowlers and running hard. His square cuts along the ground are a joy to watch, and with no lack of power. His batting with Will was great to watch as they built up the lead. Owen Pickering would have known he wasn’t going to get two bites of the cherry this week and went on his quest to score the team’s first half century from the first delivery. He had some slices of fortune mixed with six boundaries and could conceivably have reached his goal if he had only tried to work the leg side deliveries away rather than try to bash them. He eventually retired after his 35 deliveries had brought another entertaining 37 runs.

Kane Rex got the biggest cheer of the day when he scored his first run of the season with a nice push through mid-off. From here his confidence grew steadily, and as well as supporting Owen in his innings he managed to play some excellent shots of his own, including an all-run three off his bat from a ball that only went to mid-on. If only he remembered to slide his bat he would have no doubt retired not out, but instead was run out for 6 when his bat was still in the air but past the crease line. Lesson learned hopefully. Lucas Brown and Jack Couley were both victims of chasing quick runs in the dying overs. Jack looked to play in his usual flamboyant fashion, and managed 1 run before losing his stumps in trying to up the run rate, while Lucas looked solid again before being called back for a risky second run which saw him either just short of his ground or unfortunate to be given run out when the umpire was still behind the stumps rather than side on – depending on your allegiances. Kynan and Kasey returned to see out the overs, with Kynan remaining 47 not out and Kasey 43 not out, as the Eagles finished their 30 overs at 5/210.

The message from coach Anthony Pickering was to finish the game early, and the boys did their best from the outset, with a run out from a throw by Kynan to wicket-keeper Owen found the batsman short. This was followed by two wickets in two balls from the metronome Aiden Campion, who having been one of the non-batters took out his frustrations on the Gerringong batsmen with perfect deliveries that both bowled the batsmen on length and pace. He missed the hat-trick but finished a superb two over spell with figures of 2/1. Blake Ison has improved every week, and his run up today was as smooth as silk, which gained him a yard of pace and caused the batsmen some difficulty. His two overs were excellent, and he finished with figures of 0/2. Lucas followed, and again showed good pace and a much better length of bowling. He was unfortunate to beat the bat a number of times and suffer from a dropped catch, and his figures could have been much better than 0/2 from his two overs. Kane took the confidence he had gained from his batting, and in the process picked up his second wicket for the season when a skied catch to mid off was well taken by Lucas to be the fourth wicket to fall. Kane’s excellent day was completed by figures of 1/14 from his two overs.

Kasey again showed off his wonderful bowling action and excellent pace and length in his spell, but again perhaps just missed his direction. You can see his frustration in not being able to pick up wickets, as again today he did everything well, but the batsmen couldn’t get bat on anything EXCEPT the balls that would have hit the stumps. His day will come. Today he finished with 0/2 from two overs. Will bowls much like his sparring partner ‘Wacky’, and he was reared again today for straight full bowling when the batsman spooned a return catch back to him for yet another catch and yet another wicket. The only run he conceded today was a wide, and his figures from two overs was an impressive 1/1. These two were followed by the team’s spin twins who bowled well in tandem. Josh continued to cause a conundrum for the batsmen, tying them up and frustrating their attempts to score. Kynan was able to use this to his advantage and entice the batsmen to open their shoulders. He picked up two wickets, both bowled with quicker deliveries having tossed up some higher slower deliveries to tempt them beforehand. It was good, sensible bowling. Kynan took 2/8 from his two overs, while Josh finished with 0/2. The match was finished off by Jack, who came on late and beat the last batsman with pace to take out his middle and off stumps to finish with 1/2 from his only over and deprive both Tom and Owen from being able to journey to the bowling crease. Gerringong was bowled out for 40 from 17 overs.

It was another good team performance today with everyone contributing. The boys are getting on well together and have bonded excellently this season. The only downside of the fielding effort today was the number of catches that went down, especially as none of them were terribly difficult, as well as some misfields, not backing up and not walking in with the bowler. On this day they didn’t affect the result, but against the bigger teams they will mean the difference between victory and defeat. Switching on at training and concentrating on drills rather than just purely mucking around will help to improve this side of things. Which is probably a bit harsh on Tom because he never drops anything at training.

There are two games remaining until the Xmas break, and hopefully we will see continued improvement in this team as they move into the second half of the season.

Albion Park Under 13's: Round 7 vs Shellharbour White at Con O'Keefe Oval

The Albion Park JCC Under 13 team has started to hit its straps after a tough start to the season against some strong and older teams, and notched their third win of the season on Saturday with an emphatic victory over the Shellharbour White team at Con O’Keefe Oval.

Batting first in tough conditions for cricket, the Albion Park kids all did a great job in advancing the score at a good rate. Lucas Brown was unfortunate to face a delivery that looked for all money to be directed at his head but then died to fall below waist height. The damage had been done as Lucas had flinched away from the ball that then harmlessly fell onto his stumps to be bowled for 1. Very unfortunate. Liam Cergovski replaced him at the crease and showed the value from his practice over the past two weeks, forcing the issue with the bat to go with his already sound defence. He had made two runs before he was beaten by an excellent delivery that clipped the top of off stump. Meanwhile, Will Schofield continued on his merry way with the bat, hitting four boundaries and looking like a huge score was in the offing, before he fell for the two card trick and hit the ball straight down deep square leg’s throat where the catch was taken. Will was dismissed for 17 and he will be ruing his missed opportunity.

The Albion Park middle order took control of the match, but not without some good fortune as a number of chances were spilled by their opponents. Aiden Campion played a terrific innings, especially effective in punching the ball into the gaps and taking the easy singles on offer, while still dispatching the loose ball to the boundary. He retired after his 35 deliveries had brought four boundaries and 36 runs. Owen Pickering went harder and higher, initially retiring after his 35 deliveries had expired, and returning at the end of the innings and chasing a half century. Such a feat would have earned him a promised pizza from his older sister who was in attendance, and his final few deliveries were full of enticing and exhilarating strokeplay. Sadly for Owen he finished just short on 48 not out – but surely Hails will have relented and forked out for that pizza anyway…

Tom Denyer started off very composed and like Will looked as though a big score was coming, but he soon became impatient for bigger hits to add to his five boundaries, and in trying to take a ball from off stump to the leg side boundary instead lost said off stump to be bowled for 28. Both he and Will would have been disappointed not to have gone on with the job. Jack Couley on the other hand was once again immensely entertaining, showing off his wide variety of strokes, both orthodox and unorthodox. He better than anyone took advantage of the lack of fielders straight behind the bowler, and most of his seven boundaries came in that direction. He retired after his 35 deliveries had brought him 40 not out.

Josh Peters looked to get on the front foot early, and though he aimed a forward defensive stroke at the return of the opening bowler, he played around the delivery to be bowled for one, while Blake Ison held up his end nicely, once again working the ball around the field to finish on 16 not out when the innings mercifully came to an end. Albion Park’s final total after their 30 overs was an imposing 5/240, which compensated the crowd somewhat for the 130 minutes it took to bowl those overs.

Sometimes you can tell just how an innings is going to proceed from the first delivery. In this case Blake opened up, bowled a rank half tracker that was pulled with impunity – straight to Will at mid-wicket, who took a terrific catch. 1/0 off one ball. Good start. As it turned out, the Shellharbour team was not going to fold so easily, and started to build the innings well. Blake bowled well in his two overs to finish with 1/9, while opening partner Jack seemed a little over excited from his batting effort and was perhaps a bit wayward, finishing with 0/10 from his two overs. Josh kept the batsmen guessing again with his legspin, and indeed brought out the Peters Family wicket delivery, bowling a long hop that was again hit straight to Will at mid-wicket for his second catch. Both father and grandfather used this delivery often to their advantage. Josh finished with ¼ from his two overs. Tom bowled a really good spell this week, much straighter and fuller than in recent games and without trying to bowl too fast. He enticed a return catch from the number four batsmen which he gleefully accepted, and finished with 1/3 from his two overs.

Aiden once again bowled his excellent line and length making the batsmen play every delivery. He bowled a beauty to clean bowl the new batsman which was a reward for his great spell. He conceded two boundaries in his final over which hurt his overall figures, which he finished with 1/12 from three overs. Liam bowled a spell that contained both gems and allsorts. He conceded some no balls, but also bowled an unplayable delivery that bowled the unsuspecting batsman cold, and finished with 1/9 from his two overs.
Like Aiden, Will bowled a solid spell of bowling based around good line and length and making the batsmen play every delivery. He was unfortunate not to pick up a wicket and finished with 0/6 from his two overs. Lucas was once again excellent and appears to have shaken off his early season rust. Though his first over went for nine runs it was through good shots and not poor bowling. He fixed this in his second over, drawing a top edge first ball that was tracked down by keeper Aiden to take a great catch. Lucas followed this up with a beauty that beat the batsman for pace in demolishing his stumps, and he finished with 2/10 from his two overs. The innings was completed with Owen’s first and last delivery, which was flicked to short fine leg when Tom took the catch, leaving Shellharbour White being bowled out for 76, and a victory of 164 runs. Well done to all the boys who all contributed to the win.

Today’s photo tells half the story. Behind the photographer three batsmen are all being thrown balls by their parents on the outfield. Here however is an Albion Park legend deciding on his own way of giving his son a pre-innings hit.

Albion Park JCC Under 13’s: Match 6 vs Kiama Gold at Con O'Keefe Oval

A good all round effort this morning by the Albion Park Eagles Under 13 team saw them notch their second victory for the season with a solid showing over the Kiama Gold team at Con O'Keefe Oval.

Sent in to bat under cloudy skies and dewy outfield, the Albion Park boys did exceptionally well against a tidy bowling attack to rack up 5/171 off their 30 overs.
Kane Rex opened up the batting and played some promising shots, one in particular against a short ball, before he was beaten by an excellent length delivery and bowled. Here followed a great partnership between Kasey Barton and Blake Ison. It was particularly pleasing to see Kasey get going, hitting the ball sweetly through the off side and along the ground, as well as two wonderful leg glances.He was all class today, and eventually retired not out for 37, a great knock. Blake knocked the ball around in his unflappable way, though was dropped once by the bowler. He managed 9 runs before being caught. Josh Peters came in and had the tough ask of facing his cousin Jett for an over, and the battle within a battle was a great sideline of the game. Josh managed 3 before being bowled trying to hit a short ball into the pool. Another lesson learned.
Tom Denyer continued his good season with the bat, scoring 21 before retiring not out, and looked better today in not trying to hit the ball so hard. Liam Cergovski stuck around with his partners and made a good fist of his innings, scoring 5 runs before being bowled by an excellent delivery. Owen Pickering also followed up his good recent form with another innings that took advantage of some of the looser bowling, finally falling off his final delivery for 33 runs. His wristy drives are a highlight for me every week. Rob Denny and Aiden Campion closed out the innings, Rob finishing on 4 not out and 'Wacky' on 5 not out.

With an huge total to defend, the Eagles then went out and put their best foot forward with the ball and in the field. With the risk of rain coming to ruin a potential victory it was imperative that they took every chance that was offered them. The Kiama batters did well in holding onto their wickets, but the drying up of runs on offer meant they were behind the eight ball.
Will Schofield and Kynan Barton bowled the opening four overs and conceded not one run off the bat between them, Will bowling two maidens for 0/0 and Kynan bowling the opener to finish wih 1/0. Both were excellent with full, straight bowling. Rob Denny bwled two good overs following this, and picked up a wicket with another of his perfect deliveries, the left arm over just fading back in to the right hander and taking the stumps. he finished with 1/0 from two overs. Aiden Campion was his usual metronomic self, bowling one maiden in finishing with 0/4 from his two overs. Liam Cergovski showed great improvement after some coaching tips from Anthony Pickering at training on Wednesday, and bowled two excellent overs in finishing with 0/6, while Tom denyer was again consistent and economical in bowling his two overs for 0/2.
After 12 overs only two Kiama wickets had fallen, but then all hell broke loose and carnage erupted. Josh Peters bowled good lines and beat the bat, and finally keeper Adien Campion found the batsman out of his ground and completed a great stumping.The next ball Josh found the edge that was well fielded by Kynan at slip, and as the batsmen tried to sneak a single he threw down the wickets direct for a run out. This was followed by another great piece of fielding from Kynan in the next over which produced another run out. In Josh's next over a pull shot was beautifully fielded by Will Schofield whose throw was pefect to 'Wacky' who took the bails off for a third run out. Blake Ison bowled the next over, and bowled a beauty to beat the bat and hit the stumps for his own wicket.Five wickets had fallen in four overs through good bowling and superb fielding. Josh finished with figures of 1/1 from his two overs, and Blake 1/8 from his two overs.
Kane Rex was only able to squeeze one over in, before Kasey Barton picked up the final wicket of the innings with his first ball, and left Kiama Gold all out for 46.

A great performance in the field would have been satisfying for coach Anthony Pickering who has been drilling the kids in their fielding in recent weeks, and it is pleasing to see results come from that work. The team will be looking to continue their improvement in next week's clash against Shellharbour White.