Almanac Cricket: Cricket snicks from fine leg
A VIEW FROM FINE LEG
Gee I love my cricket.
No sooner had India Bhurat sent Australia to the retirement village that 2 Test matches can be seen on television.
- What a treat for me I have witnessed Kohli, Bumrah and the new wunderkind Yashhasvl Jaiswal live then my other favourite Kane Williamson appears. At the time of writing he looks like scoring another ton against the Poms in NZ
- Ben Stokes is getting more like a Viking everyday although he also has the Vincent Van Gogh look about him as well. Have we seen the best of him?
- Hagley Park, my nemesis with Covid, what a great ground to watch cricket from as long as you bring your own chair.
- What a pleasure it is to see New Zealand sticking with the traditional colours of international cricket the creams. Both India and England where the insipid white that only reminds me of when I started playing 70 odd years ago. Could not wait to get my Fletcher Jones creams. Lucky we had a dry-cleaning business (see A View From Fine Leg) and all the grass and sheep/cow shit could be removed fairly easily.
- Talking about cricket attire. England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka I have observed do not have cable stitching on their jumpers. Come On! Cable stitch is part of the purest game in the world. As for the bowlers having their shirts out, not all of them – its not cricket . I believe CA have also finished their long association with a woollen clothing company.
- Could cable-knit woollen jumpers be a thing of the past?
- Who? Beau Webster looks certain to make his debut for Australia. He makes the second player who did not make the who’s who of Australian cricketers in the Summer of Cricket Guide. The other was Nathan McSweeney. Just shows you that the people at CA are not in-the-know about players. Perhaps there are (a) to many players as “likely caps” or to many people running the show from headquarters. I personally think a bit of both.
- My how we Australians like to win. Have never seen so many critics of the players and the selectors in my time in cricket. Everyone is having their say and most of it is not too complimentary. I plead guilty as well.
- My book is selling well and many thanks to my friends at Footy Almanac. Had the pleasure to sit with the thespian Peter Baulderstone in Perth. By does he have something to say.
Do yourself a favour and grab a copy of Bob’s book by emailing Bob: [email protected]
More from Citrus Bob can be read Here
If you would like to catch up with Bob Utber, and some of the regular Almanac lunch crew, for lunch on Day 3 of the Adelaide Test, please let us know by emailing John Harms HERE.
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About Bob Utber
At 86 years of age Citrus Bob is doing what he has always done since growing up on a small farm at Lang Lang. Talking, watching and writing sport and in recent years writing books. He lives in Mildura with his very considerate wife (Jenny) and a groodle named 'Chloe on Flinders' and can be found at Deakin 27 every day.
Now I understand why you put that hearing aid lanyard ring around my neck every time we meet. I thought you were a big vague in some of your responses and seemed to be paying more attention to the cricket than my diatribe. I put it down to your advancing years, but now I understand you hit the “off” switch on the receiver in your pocket after 5 minutes.
You’ll be hearing (or reading) from my lawyers.
PB – and I never thought you would get it! My lawyer friends at Douwe, Cheetham and Howe are on stand-by just in case
I forgot to mention that I was also watching Sri Lanka v South Africa as well. Love a 5 test series against the Springboks, sorry, Proteas.
Keep up the good work Peter even though the sound is down!
Some keen observations here Citrus Bob. I like the format too,
Webster and McSweeney not in Cricket Australia’s guide to the summer? No coincidence that they’re both based outside the NSW-Vic-Qld nexus, methinks. Always made it that bit harder to come to the attention of national media and CA.
BARRY – thanks for those comments I will se what I can come up with in Adelaide that would be interesting.
MARK – That says a lot about cricket at the moment. I see another publication has come up with 25 “future names”. Well I don’t know everything about cricket but just how many players are “future” champions? I have never heard of most of them. To be fair to CA the tour guide was probably ready to go to press back in July. There where quite a few Indian players missing as well.
Our cricket factory needs to go bush and find some genuine champions who don’t need to be honed as batters or batsmen .
INTERESTING – Good to see the first Jewish person as chief honcho of CA. Toddy Greenburgh has even represented Australia t cricket.