Almanac Cricket – NZ v Aust, First Test: Day 3 – Get Lyon on the line!

GET LYON ON THE LINE

 

Tony Greig need not have worried about getting ‘Lyon on the line’ as the excellent Australian spinner of that name did it himself to demolish New Zealand this morning.

Overnight there were many people who were looking forward to the locals putting up a great fight at the wonderful cricket ground at The Basin.

Unfortunately for the wonderful crowd that attended, very similar for all four days, felt very early that a fight back was going to happen.

The very, very impressive Rachin Ravinda (59) was the key to the day but unfortunately the key did not work and he fell to Lyon with the addition of only 8 runs to his total. From thereon in it was a procession as Lyon continued to weave his magic for the remainder of the innings. Despite some heavy hitting by the tail he finished with the wonderful figures of 6/65, Halzewood a couple and Head and Green a pole apiece.

I sat with fellow almanacker, the Blood Stained Angel, and his wife Sue who was having a unique experience of going to the cricket. He must have been in raptures as wickets fell all around her and her pie for lunch looking very promising.

It must be notesd that you cannot buy a pie with sauce at the ground but a very entrepenurial baker just outside the ground had them on his menu.

We spent the early part of the morning watching a game of cricket taking place on the asphalt in front of us between a grouup of boys no older than eight. They were wearing the full gear whether it be the Aussies or the Black caps and they mimicked every player there has ever been. We were particularly impressed with a rolly-polly Shane Warne who tried to make every ball a winner. They were not the slighest bit interested in what was going on behind them. Their game was the ‘full Monty’ and we thoroughly enjoyed it along with a heap of other people.

From my completed vox pop I can now declare The Basin in Wellington New Zealand as the favourite ground of people who love Test cricket. Those in attendance could find no fault with anything. What ground in the world for example can you walk out onto at lunchtime just to stare at the pitch, give your opinion to the person standing alongside you and then walk back to your seat?

You can also walk completely around the ground, stop in the meadows and plonk yourself down. There are very attendants or security as as my good friend Chris ‘Demon’ Cullinan from Nar Nar Goon aptly said, “There is more security at a Nar Nar Goon versus Garfield game at the ‘Goon than at The Basin”.

I think that is another reason why people love the ground so much. You are not hassled by anybody, anytime, anywhere unless of course you want to run naked across the oval. He only coped a $5,000NZ fine or 3 months in jail. I reckon he took good odds to do it, pay the fine and finish up on top. Just for taking his clothes off.

Now onto Christ Church via the ferry and a train journey that I hear is wonderful. I will let you know.

Cameron Green was the man of the match but Tony Greig’s Lyon must have been a close second.

 

 

 

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