Some observations following the third Test

1. DEAR SRI LANKA

By now you might be looking back on a series you lost three-nil and thinking, “We could have won that.”
You almost held on in Hobart, and you would have but for some incorrect umpiring decisions and your own poor judgement when it came to referrals.
You were crap in Melbourne.
And if you’d held your catches and used the referrals better you would have won with a seriously under-strength team in Sydney.
Now I’m no expert but I reckon I have the secret to success for you in Australia in the future. It’s simple; you must play more lead-up games in Australia before the Test series begins. This time you were playing a team that had just played three Tests and you took them on after one half-arsed game. You had no hope really but, as I’ve pointed out, you weren’t that far off.
If you like you can cc this message to India, Pakistan and New Zealand… that make the same mistake.

2. DEAR MATTHEW WADE

Nice century in Sydney… you were a bit lucky but you know that and you know that’s cricket.
I just wanted to mention that run out attempt in Sri Lanka’s second innings. That would have embarrassed a fill-in park-cricket keeper, but these things happen and I don’t want to go on about it.
What I did want to point out was that it was a bit pathetic of you to have a go at Herath for getting in your way as you… what would the coaches say… failed to execute the run out opportunity. Come on mate, that stuff-up was all you.

3 DEAR CHANNEL NINE

I remember watching cricket telecasts in the old days when, like you do now, they ran interviews during play. Adds a bit of colour and all that.
I remember interviews with Clive James and Michael Parkinson, people like that. They, and the interviewer, would keep an eye on play and as the bowler ran in they’d stop talking and respect the important thing – the game.
Now you have interviews with people like bloody marketing managers of sponsors and they just talk through the play… in fact even you commentators do when they’re commentating and some anecdote from the past or a promo for some upcoming Channel Nine show is more important than the game at hand.
Can I humbly suggest that you show some respect for the game?

About Les Everett

A Footy Almanac veteran, Les Everett is the author of Gravel Rash: 100 Years of Goldfields Football and Fremantle Dockers: An Illustrated History. He is the footyalmanac.com WAFL correspondent and uses the money he makes from that role to pay for his expensive websites australianrules.com.au and talkingfrankie.com and fund the extravagant Vin Maskell at scoreboardpressure.com

Comments

  1. Richard J. says

    DIDN’T get innarested enuf to watch any of the 3 Lankan Tests on the Goggle Box, Les.
    But we were there in person for Day 2 of the MCG 3-day fiasco. Watto and Pup occupied the crease (s) for the morning session — with their respective ailments, running between the wickets wasn’t a strong feature!
    Afternoon sessions: main attraction was the crowd. Ground invader did a great job with a few dinky little sidesteps early in the run around the coppers and security guys.
    Huge snakes made of empty mid-strength beer—rum and coke drink containers did their circuits. Plus innumerable inflated beach balls, of course. De rigueur at the G.

    But as with footy and cricket, Les, never go WITHOUT a radio. These days, minute appliances or even earpieces connected to iPhone.
    Big step-up from reasonably bulky tranny perched on shoulder, circa 1959-1960 !
    Occasional tune-ins this summer to Jimmy Maxwell, Skull O’Keeffe etc… on ABC radio were my methods of keeping in touch.

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