Australia owe their seniors a debt of thanks, says All Out Cricket’s Englishman Down Under, Paul Winslow.
And just like that it was over. No, not England’s second innings against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi, but the guts of the Australian cricket season. On the same day that Australia completed a series whitewash over India, the Big Bash also reached a conclusion with Sydney Sixers’ victory over Perth Scorchers.
Of course, that isn’t really the end – there’s the obligatory mishmash of international ODIs and the domestic game will move on from the Twenty20 competition to its less glamorous day job of Sheffield Shield cricket – but the “cricketathon” that has seen my girlfriend struggle to comprehend just how much cricket one man can watch has now been reduced to a level that she can just about get her head around.
There has been something of symmetry to the storylines in the Test series and the Big Bash. While India’s batting stars are being accused of being over the hill, Australia’s victories have been based heavily on the renaissance of a man of whom the same was being said six months ago. And Ricky Ponting – who averaged 108 in the series – has been ably supported by a fellow wrinkly Mike Hussey at over 58 (his average not his age).
Meanwhile, a quick rundown of the best players in the Big Bash includes spin seniors Stuart MacGill, Shane Warne and Brad Hogg, who has remarkably forced his way back into Australia’s Twenty20 side at the age of 40. With the bat, my new favourite Aussie Brad Hodge starred, Matty Hayden scored plenty and the most successful international import was Herschelle Gibbs. This, it seems, is indeed a country for old men – as long as they aren’t Indian.
Undoubtedly there are some great young prospects in Australian cricket – James Pattinson, Pat Cummins and Dave Warner are enough to excite anyone, the improvement in Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus has been remarkable and the form of skipper Michael Clarke has been awesome. But the batting strength has been largely reliant on a couple of old timers, and bringing a 40-year-old into the Twenty20 team suggests something is missing.
But in the opinion of the Aussie press, the only thing missing is another Ashes series. 503. Apparently that’s how many days until Australia get the chance to play England again in Test cricket. The Australian performance combined with England’s demise in the UAE has seen them forget about recent history and they’re now confident of reclaiming the urn, Clarke is the best batsman on the planet and they possess the most lethal bowling attack in the world. In short, they believe they’re ready for England.
But there is so much hyperbole. Such an assessment conveniently ignores a top three that failed on numerous occasions against a toothless bowling attack, the fact their keeper is struggling with both bat and gloves and that Warner – as astonishing as his innings was at Perth – appears to have an Achilles heel in the form of spin bowling.
Australia are without doubt a better side than the one that got trounced by England a year ago but there is plenty of work still to be done. To be fair to Clarke, there has been no tub-thumping from him. He’s safe in the knowledge that the Aussies are on the up, but realistic enough to know they are far from world-beaters. At some point he’ll be hoping to share a matchwinning stand with someone who’s his junior. For now though, Australia are just thankful to their old guard.
Paul Winslow is a freelance journalist based in Melbourne. Check out more of his work at www.thewinslowboy.com.au
No Country For Old Men – Unless The Old Men Are Australian
Australia owe their seniors a debt of thanks, says All Out Cricket’s Englishman Down Under, Paul Winslow.
And just like that it was over. No, not England’s second innings against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi, but the guts of the Australian cricket season. On the same day that Australia completed a series whitewash over India, the Big Bash also reached a conclusion with Sydney Sixers’ victory over Perth Scorchers.
Of course, that isn’t really the end – there’s the obligatory mishmash of international ODIs and the domestic game will move on from the Twenty20 competition to its less glamorous day job of Sheffield Shield cricket – but the “cricketathon” that has seen my girlfriend struggle to comprehend just how much cricket one man can watch has now been reduced to a level that she can just about get her head around.
There has been something of symmetry to the storylines in the Test series and the Big Bash. While India’s batting stars are being accused of being over the hill, Australia’s victories have been based heavily on the renaissance of a man of whom the same was being said six months ago. And Ricky Ponting – who averaged 108 in the series – has been ably supported by a fellow wrinkly Mike Hussey at over 58 (his average not his age).
Meanwhile, a quick rundown of the best players in the Big Bash includes spin seniors Stuart MacGill, Shane Warne and Brad Hogg, who has remarkably forced his way back into Australia’s Twenty20 side at the age of 40. With the bat, my new favourite Aussie Brad Hodge starred, Matty Hayden scored plenty and the most successful international import was Herschelle Gibbs. This, it seems, is indeed a country for old men – as long as they aren’t Indian.
Undoubtedly there are some great young prospects in Australian cricket – James Pattinson, Pat Cummins and Dave Warner are enough to excite anyone, the improvement in Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus has been remarkable and the form of skipper Michael Clarke has been awesome. But the batting strength has been largely reliant on a couple of old timers, and bringing a 40-year-old into the Twenty20 team suggests something is missing.
But in the opinion of the Aussie press, the only thing missing is another Ashes series. 503. Apparently that’s how many days until Australia get the chance to play England again in Test cricket. The Australian performance combined with England’s demise in the UAE has seen them forget about recent history and they’re now confident of reclaiming the urn, Clarke is the best batsman on the planet and they possess the most lethal bowling attack in the world. In short, they believe they’re ready for England.
But there is so much hyperbole. Such an assessment conveniently ignores a top three that failed on numerous occasions against a toothless bowling attack, the fact their keeper is struggling with both bat and gloves and that Warner – as astonishing as his innings was at Perth – appears to have an Achilles heel in the form of spin bowling.
Australia are without doubt a better side than the one that got trounced by England a year ago but there is plenty of work still to be done. To be fair to Clarke, there has been no tub-thumping from him. He’s safe in the knowledge that the Aussies are on the up, but realistic enough to know they are far from world-beaters. At some point he’ll be hoping to share a matchwinning stand with someone who’s his junior. For now though, Australia are just thankful to their old guard.
Paul Winslow is a freelance journalist based in Melbourne. Check out more of his work at www.thewinslowboy.com.au