By Steve Ingham DEAR SANTA… On the flight home from Adelaide, I happened to peer over Ricky Ponting’s shoulder to see him seeking some devine intervention! I managed to memorise it word for word and bring it to you all, exclusively for you! Dear Santa, I know that in the past I may have made […]
Andrew Starkie’s Ashes Diary (6)
December 15, 2010 by 5 Comments
ASHES DIARY Entry 6 Tuesday December 14, 2010 Sorry, mostly a negative rant today; with a bit of positivity at the end. If I was confused by Australian selection policies before the Brisbane Test, things aren’t any clearer as we head to Perth. Consider Doug Bollinger. Instructed by Cricket Australia to play the IPL in […]
The cheapest of suits
December 14, 2010 by Leave a Comment
2nd Ashes Test Adelaide Oval by Steve Ingham Day 2 People the world over can’t speak highly enough of the Adelaide Oval, so myself and 11 friends headed off across the border and back the 20 years and 30 minute time difference to find out just how good this ground really is. After having spent […]
On Our Selection: Perth, Ready Or Not
December 13, 2010 by 10 Comments
You were hoping that our Ashes predicament was too bad to be true? Expecting that those charged with running a multimillion dollar enterprise were possessed of calm minds, steady nerve and clear vision? That they would have ready answers to what currently ails us? So how reassured are you by the events of the past […]
Ashes Status Update: Any Bright Ideas?
December 9, 2010 by 24 Comments
In the wake of a nightmarish Adelaide test, local hopes for a tightly contested summer are appearing decidedly on the optimistic side. A 1-0 series score line wouldn’t normally prompt such widespread despair, but in this instance the trend line is hard to ignore. Featherbed wickets aside, it’s hard to put a positive spin on […]
Choose your own ending
December 8, 2010 by Leave a Comment
In Australia there are few truly sacred rituals and days, but I defy anyone reading this to say that the first day of the first test isn’t one of them. On other websites this might be a dangerous, or at least provocative, assertion, but I feel I am on solid ground here at footyalmanac.com.au. But […]
Andrew Starkie’s Ashes Diary (5)
December 7, 2010 by 1 Comment
ASHES DIARY Entry 5 Monday December 6, 2010 The armless Ethiopian taxi driver picked up Adrian and I from Adelaide Airport, Saturday morning. We eased along Sir Donald Bradman Drive, skirted the edges of the city and headed into the inner southern suburbs to our modest, one ply toilet paper, clunking air-conditioner motel. In the […]
It’s all gone so horribly wrong
December 7, 2010 by 8 Comments
by Darren Dawson I would hazard a guess that there is not one Australian supporter out there who, prior to the Ashes series commencing, had the vaguest inkling that it could all go so horribly wrong. Sure, the batsmen were not exactly at the peak of their form and, yes, a few of them were […]
Adelaide Test – Day 3: whatever.
December 6, 2010 by 10 Comments
Heavy skies greeted the heavy hearts of the Australian fans as they came to (half) life this Sunday morning. The cathedral bells rang out across the parklands as we trudged, lemming-like, down the hill, dodging the Moreton Bay figs, towards the light of the tents and bars which had drained our wallets (at $7 for […]
Tough day at the Adelaide Oval
December 4, 2010 by 3 Comments
Adelaide Test – day one – December 3, 2010 By Peter Argent It had been a tough day, in the early morning Qatar destroyed an Australian world cup 2022 soccer dream. There had been issues including Kevin Peitersen’s “Tweet” gate, some texts that inferred when Mitchell Johnson was dropped, he wasn’t told face-to-face. Interesting exchanges […]
Caught Behind 2/150
December 3, 2010 by Leave a Comment
by Steve Ingham An opinion piece on Australia’s favourite summer sport A HERO IS BORN… LONG LIVE THE HERO When Peter Siddle charges in, with the whole country behind him, there is little doubt he could be the next Aussie Bowling Hero. The former woodchopper with the southern cross tattooed on his back can captivate […]
Ashes Blog: 2nd Test, Adelaide
December 3, 2010 by 152 Comments
It’s no surprise that Mitch Johnson has paid the price for his poor Brisbane performance. But should Marcus North also have been dropped? And what of England? They too struggled for wickets in Brisbane. Can either of these two sides take the 20 wickets required to win on an Adelaide pitch that, by all accounts, […]
Andrew Starkie’s Ashes Diary (4)
December 2, 2010 by 5 Comments
ASHES DIARY Entry 4 Wednesday December 1, 2010 Now the dust has settled on an un-Brisbane like pitch that didn’t offer its usual Australian victory, what did we make of the first Test? Although we never looked like losing, many believe there were more negatives than anything else for Australia. Is it all doom and […]
“Need a new Johnson Rod”
November 30, 2010 by 10 Comments
by Andrew Gigacz The knives were out before the start of Day 5. The general thrust was that Australia do not have an attack capable of taking 20 wickets in a match, and therefore can’t win the series. And I think there’s a fair bit of truth in that. But as the players took the […]
No mojo
November 29, 2010 by 3 Comments
by Hamish Townsend Day 4 There was not a moment of Day Four which will be remembered in any highlights reel, next to nothing happened for the entire day. However, when the story of the 2010 Ashes is written day four at the Gabba will be marked as the day Australia discovered, unless they change […]
Andrew Starkie’s Ashes Diary (3)
November 28, 2010 by Leave a Comment
ASHES DIARY Entry 3 Sunday November 28, 2010 In a Test bossed by bowlers over the first two days, there was always the chance this match may be ultimately determined by batsmen. Bell, Cook and Pietersen threatened big scores on day one, only to be stopped by Sidds’ slice of history and debutant Doherty who […]
Gabba Test: Day 2
November 27, 2010 by 2 Comments
Australia took the points on Day 2 of the First Test at the Gabba. But in the tight struggle which took place in showers-always-possible conditions England would have had her arm raised had it had a knockout blow, and had Michael Hussey not been such a counter-puncher. He played one of his finest innings. When […]
Ugly Ducklings
November 26, 2010 by 6 Comments
by Dave Nadel For most of my life, at least until 1995, “Swan” was the name of an iconic bird, a rather ordinary beer, a very unsuccessful VFL/AFL team and a large river in Perth. I had only ever heard of two people named Swan, coincidentally both were first named Billy. The American Billy Swan […]
Andrew Starkie’s Ashes Diary (2)
November 26, 2010 by Leave a Comment
ASHES DIARY Entry 2 Thursday November 25, 2010 How many North Melbourne supporters claim an Ashes hat-trick on their birthday? None. Before today. Sidds will dine out on this for the rest of his life. When long retired and trawling the country sportsman’s night circuit, he’ll be introduced as the quick who got a […]
Happy Birthday Pete
November 26, 2010 by 1 Comment
by John Butler 1st Test Brisbane: Day one- England 260 Australia 0-25 The anticipation of this Ashes summer comes not from any great expectation of consistently brilliant cricket, such as Australian fans have feasted on for most of the last two decades. Rather, it’s the prospect of a real tussle between two evenly matched sides […]
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