Category Archives: Ashes Tests

February 20, 2020 · 2:33 am

Whistle-Stop Boosts in Sri Lankan Cricketing History

Nicholas Brookes at https://wisdenblog.wordpress.com/2020/02/06/notes-from-a-small-island/ …. with this chosen title “Play to the Whistle” … with highlighting added and Pix illustrative and not always from such moments

Until 1982 Sri Lanka were stranded on the fringes of international cricket: a small island, marooned. Life on the outside wasn’t easy, but Sri Lanka still had something to make most of the cricketing world envious. You might call it a geographical blessing.

In the days before planes, the only way to get between England and Australia was by boat. It was an arduous journey that could take up to three months and required a stopover. With the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, Ceylon (as it was called until 1972) emerged as the natural point of transit.

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February 3, 2020 · 7:24 am

Bradman’s Last Hurrah! A Duck!

Dan Coliasimone, in ABCnet, 1 February 2020, where the title runs “The inside story of Don Bradman’s final innings duck”

“Out from the pavilion came the short, slight, little figure whose name will still be in bright lights as long as cricket is played.” This is how a contemporary newspaper report set the scene for Sir Donald Bradman’s last innings.

Bradman b. Hollies… 00 — Photo supplied by State Library of South Australia

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September 15, 2019 · 11:06 am

Days 2 and 3 at the London Oval via Dannie Byrne

Dannie Byrne in his element

DAY TWO Smith breaks more records but Archer and Curran swing things in favour of the home side; Day Two at the Oval.

The 50 partnership between Buttler and Leach was completed from 74 balls in the first over of the day when Buttler crashed the final delivery from Cummins to the extra cover boundary. Leach followed this with a lovely square drive off Marsh. Leach edged Marsh at catchable height through the vacant third slip area before Buttler was comprehensively bowled by Cummins attempting to hit the ball into the Pavilion again ( 294 – 9 ). Broad edged Cummins just short of Warner at first slip before Leach played on to Marsh without any additional runs being scored. The home side was all out for 294 from 87.1 overs and Marsh had taken five wickets in an innings for the first time in his 32^nd Test appearance.

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October 31, 2018 · 1:15 pm

An Older Mad Hatter Moment in Aussie Cricket -Mike Atherton in 2017

Michael Atherton, in The Australian, 20 November 2017, where the chosen title is “I’ve never seen a circus like this in 30 years of Ashes cricket

At one stage, it would not have been a surprise to see the Mad Hatter, the White Rabbit or the March Hare on stage. In nearly three decades of involvement in Ashes cricket, I cannot recall witnessing a more bizarre post-match circus than that which presented itself after the conclusion of the Gabba Test.

Cameron Bancroft, left, and Steve Smith following Australia’s Ashes Test win at the Gabba. Picture: AAP.

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October 7, 2018 · 1:36 pm

Neil Harvey: Wonderful Batsman, Simple Man, Modest Earnings

Gideon Haigh, in The Weekend Australian, 7 October 2018

Today, the world’s best batsman is a 29-year-old multi-millionaire with a sizeable portfolio of premium Sydney real estate — he also, of course, languishes under a year’s ban from cricket. Sixty-five years ago, by contrast, the world’s best batsman shared a bedroom with his younger brother. That summer of 1952-53, Neil Harvey had a season even more prolific than Steve Smith’s last: 834 runs in five Tests against South Africa and 1659 runs in 16 first-class matches, a total exceeded only by Donald Bradman.

***Former Australian cricketer Neil Harvey. Picture: James Croucher***

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September 5, 2016 · 2:40 pm

English Cricket Documentary from the Hutton-Compton Era

Tom Farman

This recently unearthed British Council documentary provides a snapshot of English cricket over 60 years ago. Narrated by Sir Ralph Richardson and the great BBC commentator John Arlott, it shows beautiful footage of Test cricket and the theatre surrounding it, as well as the more humble cricket on the village green. There is some splendid slow-motion footage of the Lord’s Test of 1948, featuring such legends of the game as Sir Don Bradman, Sir Len Hutton, Denis Compton and Keith Miller.

Denis Compton hits the winning stroke as England beat Australia and win the Ashes at the Oval, London, 19th August 1953

Bradman in action

The Pathe documentary footage is also very strong on the crowd, the sense of occasion of a Lord’s Test that remains every bit as much of a national event today as it did in Sir Don’s last Ashes tour of England. It is a world away from Hot Spot, DRS and Snicko (and probably none the worse for that) but this video provides a glimpse of how cricket might have loked in 1948

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cricket/international/england/10187355/Ashes-2013-Watch-video-of-1948-Ashes-series.html

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Clearance Sale of Aussie Cricket Bats

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August 8, 2015 · 2:19 pm

October 19, 2013 · 1:01 pm

Thriving Nathan Lyon turns his thoughts to Ashes

Peter Laylor, in The Australian, 19-20 October 2013

Nathan Lyon–Pic by Getty Images

IF selectors are looking for another excuse to drop Nathan Lyon he is giving them none and raising them one as the off-spinner says he wants to play all three forms of the game. Back playing for his native NSW in the Ryobi Cup, the 25-year-old produced a couple of delightful deliveries during a compelling spell against Queensland on Thursday. First he lured Usman Khawaja from his crease to have him stumped and the following ball ripped one back into Greg Moller, who held the bat above his head as the ball crashed into his stumps. Khawaja admitted later that the Bulls decided Lyon was bowling so well he was best seen off — even on the postage-stamp-size North Sydney Oval. Continue reading →

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October 18, 2013 · 11:18 am

Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust — Botham stands by his prediction of 5-nil whitewash of Australia

SEE http://thuppahi.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=10848&action=edit&message=6&postpost=v2 … where Botham reports that his walking training in Scotland and elsewhere has honed his body for the rigours of a long walk in Sri Lanka’s humid heat in support of the Foundation of Goodness’ welfare work in two locations in north and south with support from the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation whose masthead he carries. Continue reading →