Almanac Cricket: Back to the ‘Bishens’

From the Footy Almanac archives we reprise this cracking cricket story by Dips O’Donnell first published on this day in 2010.

Almanac Cricket (Memories): Happy birthday, Peter Siddle!

On his 37th birthday, The Footy Almanac recalls Peter Siddle’s memorable birthday hat-trick in their First Test at the Gabba in 2010.

Australia v Sri Lanka, First Test – Day 1: Australia in another league

Citrus Bob watching the Test in comfort at home with the weather temperature outside a mild 46 degrees is glad he took this option. From what he has seen in the first day’s play the “ordinary” Australian team is miles ahead of their opposition as he reports.

 

Australia v New Zealand – Gabba Test, Day 2: Beach Cricket, Olympics & Bondi

Luke Reynolds on one of the most tumultuous days in cricket history. Really.

Gabba Test – Day 4: One for the ages

Australia’s most successful cricketing Watson (Matt) spent Day 4 with his 20 month old son and the 94yo bloke across the road. It put a zip in their step and a glint in the eye.

First Test review: I looked out over the Gabba, and what did I see? (This is what you want, this is what you get)

Sean Curtain marks the card of the Australian team from the Gabba Test. 3 Distinctions; 3 Credits; 1 Pass (Sidds); 3 Must Try Harders; and 1 Dohhhhhh. Let us know if you agree with Sean’s assessment.

Adelaide, its cricket ground, and The South Australian nation

Thursday morning, December 2010. I am at the table in my Melbourne terrace house, reading a very Melbourne newspaper, The Age. Despite the urbanity it assumes, the pages remain parochial in that black T-shirt, black polo-neck, macciato sort of way. Already there are football stories – in December. There are always football stories: trivial and [Read more]

No country for old men

With the ‘Great Review of Australian Cricket’ just around the corner, I think it is important to address an issue that I’m sure will be at the bottom of the review panel’s ‘to-do’ list – cricketers in their thirties. Cricket Australia have made it quite clear in recent years that there is no place for [Read more]

The Cricket Debate Continues

From: John Kingsmill JTH Don’t want to be a sourpuss but 36 quick responses to your grumpy rave doesn’t suggest a disconnect at all between cricket fans and the CA product. It suggests the complete opposite. Disconnect is not caring at all. Second point. Real cricket people. I have some difficulty with that concept. It [Read more]

Haigh unloads

Gideon Haigh could be speaking on behalf of many at the Almanac with this withering assessment of Cricket Australia’s performance this summer, from Cricinfo. His aim proves much more unerring than Australia’s bowlers. http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/497175.html

Putting it in context

by Dave Bruce Pleasingly, Monday’s game against the PM’s XI where the Poms got 3 for 225 was only the fourth worst day that an Australian team has had against England on this tour, which is not a bad result at all. Even better, there were five other days that are arguably as bad or [Read more]

Brand Bland – Why is the Australian cricket team unpopular?

Was it just me, or were you increasingly aggrieved by those merciless TV ads as the summer of Ashes discontent dragged on? You know the one’s – Vodafone, VB, the bloody Colonel. Over after over. Session after session. Day after day. While a guest spot on The Gruen Transfer is perhaps beyond my capabilities, my [Read more]

Australia Left Only With Questions

Though the weather briefly attempted to emulate dreary Australian spirits, it couldn’t prevent the final rites being enacted on this Ashes series. Steve Smith and Peter Siddle did their best to delay the party, but as English players and fans swung into full celebration mode, it was left to a humbled Australian cricket scene to [Read more]

Andrew Starkie’s Ashes Diary (13)

ASHES DIARY Entry 13 Thursday January 6, 2011 With Walkman in ear, I went for a stroll around the quiet, sunny streets of Reservoir during the morning session, day 4.  Lawn mowers grumbled and old ladies waited for the bus.  The singlet wearing Italian from up the road proudly gave me a few apricots from [Read more]

Cook pops Australia’s bubble

AUSTRALIA v ENGLAND 5TH TEST – DAY 3 Matt O’Connor We caught the Ferry to the cricket. As a Melbourne boy, I don’t get to say that too often. Actually it was something called a River Cat, the river in question being the Parramatta. And if this is a river, then the Yarra needs a [Read more]

And the Australian disappointment continues

Sydney Test – Day 3 The big thing about this Test series is how disappointed cricket-lovers across Australia feel. Not the sort of disappointment that has you lamenting the half a metre of water that is rushing under your Queensland house, but disappointment of a sporting time. This was a series set up for cricket-lovers, [Read more]

Andrew Starkie’s Ashes Diary (12)

ASHES DIARY Entry 12 Tuesday, 4 January, 2011 Australia’s first innings in Sydney was fairly typical of its performances during this Ashes series. Hughes and Watson’s opening partnership should have been a solid foundation.  Johnson and Hilfenhaus’ rewarded swinging at the end either saved or provided further embarrassment for  teammates sitting in the dressing room.  [Read more]

The new Clarke of the course of Australian cricket

by Andrew Gigacz With Ricky Ponting absent, Michael Clarke became Australia’s 43rd Test captain yesterday. Clarke is one of those characters who tends attract the latterly popular term, “polarising”. And in recent times, it seems that many more people have been gravitating to the negative pole than the positive. Perhaps this is the reason the [Read more]

The Making of Michael?

Any boy who has ever played a backyard test match has likely imagined himself captain of Australia, but only a rare few are able to convert those boyhood dreams into reality. When it happens, the anointed one is expected to cherish the honour with the utmost reverence. More people dream of captaining Australia than ever [Read more]

Ashes Sydney Test Blog

The Ashes stay with England. But important questions remained unanswered. Can Australia save face by levelling the series? Is it worth levelling the series, anyway? Should Australia be more concerned with rebuilding for the future rather than winning in Sydney? And with Usman Khawaja set to make his debut, the really big question is just [Read more]