Second Test Preview

All eyes will be on the newly redeveloped Adelaide Oval for the beginning of the Second Ashes test tomorrow. Surprisingly given pre series predictions, it is Australia which will go into the match favourites after a domineering performance in Brisbane. England has been rocked, first by their massive defeat, and then by the loss of stalwart batsmen Jonathan Trott. Who takes his place at number 3 is subject to much conjecture, though it is generally accepted that Ian Bell and Joe Root are the main contenders for the spot. On what is expected to be a flat pitch good for batting, both teams choice of line-ups will be under the microscope.
Australia has announced it will go into the match with an unchanged team, some welcome stability given the constant chopping and changing of the 11 during recent years. England meanwhile will have a gap in the middle order to fill, likely to be taken up by either Jade Bairstow or the Zimbabwean born Gary Balance, coming off the back of a solid performance in the tour match at Alice Springs. Paceman Chris Tremlett is likely to be dropped after a lacklustre performance in Brisbane, either for Tim Bresnan, who has recovered from injury, or potentially a second spinner in the form of Monty Panesar. If the pitch is flat as expected, spin could play a key role, and Nathan Lyon will be expected to bowl plenty of overs for Australia. He’ll be hoping to replicate a successful outing in Brisbane where he claimed a number of crucial English wickets, helping break the back of the English middle order during their disastrous first innings.
There’s sure to be some fire in the contest after the heated scenes at the conclusion of Brisbane test. It remains to be seen whether or not the unfortunate departure of Jonathan Trott will cause the teams to rethink their on-field antics. It seems unlikely given the importance of this test match. Last series in Australia, after a draw in Brisbane, the English blew Australia away in Adelaide. There’s still a long way to go in the series, and this is anyone’s game.

First published at theinfinitive.com.au

Spite, sledging and stress- Thoughts on the First Test

Australia, at least temporarily, looked like the dominating side of yesteryear when it finished off England in the early evening on Sunday. Not just in the sense that the victory was comprehensive. Australia won big, but it also won ugly. The world-beating side of the golden era commencing in the late 90s and finishing a few years ago but was universally respected, but most definitely not liked. Visits to the match referee were a common occurrence for dissent, sledging and other acts of miscreancy. This was a side which pushed the envelope. And so as Michael Clarke dished it out to Jimmy Anderson in the dying light on Sunday, it was a case then of everything changes, yet everything stays the same. Clarke, in his abuse could so easily have been a fired up Ricky Ponting, or Matthew Hayden tossing obscenities from the slip cordon. This was not to say England were without sin. Indeed, what saw Clarke hauled before the match referee and forced to dip into his change purse was not so much the sledge itself, but his misfortune at having it captured by the stump microphone and broadcast to millions of viewers. Much more unseemly, at least when viewed in hindsight, were David Warner’s remarks about Jonathan Trott’s performance at the crease.

The sad story of Jonathan Trott, of course, has in the end come to overshadow Australia’s unexpected victory. Trott, having made a rather unconvincing 10 and 9 in two knocks, returned home to much surprise on Tuesday evening, with what was euphemistically described by England medical staff as a stress related illness (read depression and or anxiety). It, perhaps all makes sense now; many remarked upon Trott’s constant taking and retaking of his guard as obsessive-compulsive. Now, it seems that perhaps this was symptomatic not of the pop culture definition of OCD; someone who is perhaps habitual or a little neurotic, but rather of the actual debilitating, soul destroying clinical definition of said condition. Clearly, Trott’s condition was affecting his cricket; he looked a far cry from the batsman who was central to England’s destruction of Australia last time England visited. Whether or not his condition had all that much to do with his cricketing performance, at least in terms of cause and effect, would be to speculate emptily. For all we know, Trott could very well have suffered from such conditions since before he even picked up a cricket bat. It is just as likely the lack of runs followed the depression as that the depression followed a lack of runs. The England medical staff and coach Andy Flower acknowledged that it has been a long running issue for Trott. The way having been cleared by other players who acknowledged their own suffering, most notably Marcus Trescothick, hopefully Trott shall now receive the help and understanding he needs. As Michael Clarke demonstrated on Sunday, it can become very easy to forget it’s just a game of cricket.

Originally written for theinfinitive.com.au

First Test- Match Report

Australia is on a high after recording a crushing defeat in the 1^st Ashes test in Brisbane. As is so often the case in Test cricket, the outcome of five days of cricket can be traced back to just one session, on the afternoon of the 2^nd day when a fiery Mitchell Johnson, combined with the guile of Nathan Lyon tore England apart. The unexpected result, combined with the malice between the two teams exhibited throughout the match has set the scene for an enthralling series.

Having won the toss and batted, it appeared at first that normal transmission had resumed when Australia was 5/100 after the loss of Bailey. The England bowling attack, whilst far from sublime, made regular inroads in the Australian first innings, spear-headed by Stuart Broad, who was eager to rebuff a hostile crowd. Wickets fell not so much on account of sublime bowling, but sustained pressure from England. Clarke was found out by a well-directed short ball from Broad, whilst Warner who was the pick of the batsman early in the day was dismissed tamely, hitting a ball straight to short cover on 49. Johnson and Haddin batted well to add 114 for the 7^th wicket, but in the end Australia’s first innings total of 295 appeared somewhat sub-par on a good batting track. England appeared relatively comfortable at 1/55 before Johnson, bowling with both pace and malice dismissed Trott on the stroke of lunch on day 2.

It was then that a session which will doubtless be remembered as seminal in the outcome of this series began. A fired up Johnson, reaching speed in the high 140s bullied his way through the English middle order. It was in fact the rather innocuous dismissal of Pietersen by workhorse Ryan Harris which began the slide, as Pietersen chipped a ball to midwicket. Johnson then unleashed a barrage of quality pace bowling, with judicious use of the short ball. First, he dismissed Carberry, who had looked solid for 40. Then, at the other end, the oft underestimated Lyon claimed two wickets in two deliveries, having both Bell and Prior caught by Smith at short leg. Root then went to an ill disciplined shot, before a fearsome Johnson softened up the tail, claiming one further wicket in mopping up the tail along with Harris and Siddle.

The second innings for the Australian’s commenced with some players having question marks over them. Warner, having played well in the first innings for 49 was clearly eager to prove himself as a test batsman, whilst all eyes were on Clarke and his ability to deal with the short ball after his first innings dismissal. The two responded superbly, silencing their critics with a 158 run 3^rd wicket partnership. Clarke commenced his knock by calmly dispensing two short balls to the boundary, and by the time Warner fell caught behind for 124, the game was just about out of reach for England. Clarke silenced his doubters with a comprehensive 113.  Bailey had his first decent test knock, making 34, before another stellar partnership between Haddin and Johnson set up a declaration on the 3^rd evening, with England set an unlikely 561 runs for victory.

For the second time in as many days, the atmosphere at the Gabba was electric, as the Australian bowlers went after the English top order in the late afternoon in Brisbane. For England, the only real positive to be had was survival to stumps, whilst the Australian’s smelt blood in the dying light. Carberry went first, unlikely blocking a ball which bobbled back on to his stumps. This brought out the out of sorts Trott, who David Warner had described rather tactlessly as having ‘scared eyes’ in the first innings. A barrage of short pitch bowling ensued, which ended with Trott caught at deep square leg from Johnson.  Cook and Pietersen survived to the end of the day’s play, but by then the damage had already been done.

England resumed on the fourth day attempting to maintain at least a façade of hope. Cook and Pietersen batted well in the first hour before Pietersen fell, yet another Englishman caught in the deep to a Johnson short ball. Bell batted well for 32 before falling caught behind to Siddle. A heavy storm which included hail caused a delay of over an hour with England four down, but when play resumed, so did the demolition. Lyon again proved his worth, dismissing Cook with a bouncy delivery caught behind, before outsmarting Prior, caught at leg slip. Johnson then dispatched Broad and Swann with more well directed pace, leaving England in tatters. Rain then again stopped play, seemingly delaying the inevitable to a 5^th day, with England 8 down.

It was not to be however, with the players getting back on the field at 5pm local time. In spite of the seemingly dead state of the match, there was much malice exuded between the two teams, which along with the resurgence of Johnson will be amongst the talking points heading into the next match. Tensions flared with the field close in and Harris and Johnson bowling with their tails up. Johnson and Anderson engaged in heated discussion after the latter came to the crease. Matters came to a head with Anderson allegedly threatening close in fielder Bailey, leading to Clarke remarking, as overheard on the stump microphone, the Anderson should prepare to receive a broken arm from the fired up and angry Johnson. A short time later he was caught and bowled from a rising delivery from Johnson, who responded with an exaggerated celebration, before receiving an earful from Peter Siddle as the Australians celebrated.

England is down but not out in the series, and things are set for an enthralling second match in Adelaide commencing Thursday week. England will play a tour match against a Chairman’s XI in Alice Springs this week, with many batsmen eager to find form. They will also have to find a replacement for Jonathan Trott, who has returned home due to stress related issues. The Australians meanwhile will at least for now sit back satisfied with having landed an unexpected blow on the old enemy.

Also published at theinfinitive.com.au

Ashes Preview

The eyes of the sporting world will again turn to Australia for the 68th incarnation of the Ashes. The series kicks off in Brisbane on November 21st, with Australia eager to make amends for its disastrous 3-0 loss in England during the Australian winter. There has been an unusually short break between series, given that the previous series was held a year later so as not to clash with the London Olympics, and the return fixture cannot come too soon for Australia. It shall be a fascinating contest between an England side near its zenith, compared to an Australian side which has often appeared toothless of late, in sharp contrast to the dominance of the Australian side of the late 1990s and most of the 2000s.
In many ways, it was not so much a stellar performance from England, but rather Australian ineptitude which resulted in the 3-0 score line in the previous series. Other than a shining 180 from Joe Root in the second innings of the Lord’s test match, Ian Bell, with 562 runs at an average of 62.44 was the only real standout performer for the English. Big names such as Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott, who devastated Australia during the last Ashes series here, failed to shine, whilst Kevin Pietersen was the second top run scorer, albeit inconsistent, with one century and a total of 388 runs. England is yet to settle on its opening combination, with Alastair Cook having a variety of partners of late; Nick Compton was dropped before the previous series after inconsistent form, whilst Joe Root looks uncertain. Michael Carberry staked a strong claim to the openers spot with a century in the rain marred warm up match against Australia A in Hobart which concluded on Saturday, but that was on a flat pitch against a largely docile attack.
On the bowling front, England will look to regular stalwarts Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad to head the pace attack, with off spinner Graeme Swann again set to bowl plenty of overs. Swann was leading wicket taker with 26 in the previous series, whilst Broad and Anderson claimed 22 apiece. It will be interesting to see who makes up the remainder of the attack. Workhorse Yorkshireman Tim Bresnan is likely to miss the series with a back injury. Chris Tremlett and former Ireland player Boyd Rankin can be expected to fight for places in the attack, whilst spinner Monty Panesar might also play alongside Swann if a curator happens to produce a turning pitch. Matt Prior is to take the wicket keepers gloves, unless a calf injury sustained during the Australia A match rules him out, in which case Johnny Bairstow is likely to keep wicket.
The Australian line-up is amongst one of the less certain in recent decades, with a number of spots up for grabs, reflective of recent poor performances. Good performances in the recently concluded Sheffield Shield match for NSW against Victoria look set to help David Warner retain the openers spot alongside Chris Rogers, who made 88 and 117 for Victoria in that same match. Other than that, Clarke, Smith and Watson (if he recovers from a hamstring injury) are set to feature, with the number 6 spot up for grabs. Alex Doolan, Usman Khawaja and George Bailey, who scored prodigiously during Australia’s recent ODI tour of India all fighting for the spot. Watson (418 runs), Clarke (381) and Rogers (367) were the only batsmen who could be said to have reasonable series in England, but no-one was particularly consistent.
As for the bowling attack, there are again numerous possibilities. Injury prone workhorse Ryan Harris looks set to feature, alongside Victorian Peter Siddle. Other than that, two fast bowling slots and to some extent the spinners spot are up for grabs. The erratic Mitchell Starc, the even more hot and could Mitchell Johnson, as well as players such as all-rounder James Faulkner, the as yet untried Queenslander Ben Cutting, who bowled well for Australia A could all also feature in the Australian attack, or Ben Hilfenhaus. Nathan Lyon appears to have the spinners spot locked in, in spite of relatively lacklustre performances at first class level this season, although given his unceremonious dropping for youngster Ashton Agar before the First Test in England, anything could happen.
One other hallmark of the last Ashes series was controversy over umpiring decisions, particularly in relation to the Decision Review System. All four umpires from that series are set to feature, with Marais Erasmus, Kumar Dharmasena and Aleem Dar set to feature on field, whilst New Zealander Tony Hill, who had a patchy series in England set to be the third umpire for three matches, as part of an ICC push to make the role more specialised when DRS is in use. The big surprise is the appointment of Kiwi Billy Bowden, on field for the Perth test and as third umpire in Melbourne. The eccentric Bowden was dropped from the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires in June back to New Zealand’s International Panel of Umpires. As a member of that panel, he is however still able to be appointed to test matches, and given the controversy during the last series, the ICC has evidently been eager to make use of him to relieve the pressure on other umpires.
It is sure to be an enthralling series. Australia appears to be on the back foot, whilst England looks good, albeit not at their dominant best. In front of eager Australian crowds, with the Australian’s eager to reclaim the Ashes, anything could happen. In spite of that, England is clearly the better of the two teams. My prediction is for a 3-1 victory to England.

First published at http://theinfinitive.com.au/sport/cricket/will-urn-returned-australia/1388

The 44th Parliament sits for the first time

Today saw the opening of the 44^th Parliament, with the class of 2013 sworn in and Bronwyn Bishop installed as the new Speaker of the House of Representatives. It was largely a day of ceremony, with none of the usual cut and thrust of question time. Opening remarks from Tony Abbott did however attract much mirth from the Opposition benches, particularly when he called for dignity and civility in the new Parliament, in spite of being one of the main instigators of discord during the 43^rd Parliament.

Bishop was as expected elected Speaker over Labor Member for McEwen Rob Mitchell 93 votes to 56. He was likewise defeated for the position of Deputy Speaker by the LNP’s Bruce Scott, with Mitchell declared Second Deputy Speaker. That was amongst the only real parliamentary excitement for the day, with most of the action coming outside of Parliament. Twice former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was present, but quizzed after a church service to mark the commencement of the Parliament, said that he felt that today at least was a day which was largely apolitical, pointing instead to the gravity of the situation in the Philippines.

The Liberal Party meanwhile had to deal with controversial comments from Tony Abbott’s head of the Business Advisory Council, Maurice Newman, who stated that he feels wages are too high and that Australia cannot afford the Disability Insurance Scheme or the Gonski education reforms. Clive Palmer meanwhile was the main drawcard at the National Press Club, with a wide ranging speech on everything from Karl Marx to wages for journalists.

In the background were ongoing issues surrounding asylum seekers and an increased cooling in Australia’s relationship with Indonesia stemming from that issue, as well as a Liberal Party proposal to raise the debt ceiling to $500 billion, which Labor is set to oppose, instead proposing an increase to $400 billion from the present limit of $300 billion. That issue, along with the Liberal proposal to repeal the carbon tax look set to dominate the opening days of the 44^th Parliament.

First published at http://theinfinitive.com.au/top-news/44th-parliament-sits-first-time/1477 

There’s no such thing as a safe seat

I’ve spent the past couple of months working on the ALP election campaign hence my absence. It was an enlightening, exhilarating and at times infuriating experience, which ended with my local MP losing his seat. I’ve had an amazing journey, especially as I was not even a member of the party 3 months ago! But anway, enough of that. Rather than writing a cheesy welcome back article I thought I’d get right into it.

If you’re anything like me, the silver lining from Saturday has been the close contest in the regional Victorian seat of Indi, where Liberal incumbent and nastiest MP award winner Sophie Mirabella is trailing in a close contest with Independent Cathy McGowan. I think it his heartening to know that, for all the lamenting that is done, the average voter is intelligent enough to know their local MP is a dud, and to vote in a fashion they would not normally. Brand Independent was meant to be dead after Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott backed the Gillard minority government. But the voters of Indi have sent a powerful message- even for potential front-benchers, forgetting to serve your electorate is done at your peril. Unable to overcome her nastiness, Mirabella has spent too much time in the sin bin under section 94A of the standing orders and not enough time representing the people of Indi. And whether or not she holds the seat, they have responded in kind.

The outcome might take several days to determine, but a strong reminder has been sent to the major parties, and to individual MPs. Voters aren’t stupid, and they expect decent representation. That is why the people of Greenway rejected Jaymes Diaz, and why such a stinging rebuff has been delivered to Sophie Mirabella.

Grey Fantail

A Grey Fantail, photo taken at Hickey Island, Yamba, NSW. (c) M. Feaver

On a lighter note, I thought I’d share a photo and a fact from my recent trip away. This little chap is a Grey Fantail; these birds are not at all shy around humans, hence my ability to get a good shot. In fact, they apparently exploit the fact that a person walking about can disturb small flying insects to enjoy an easy meal.

News Ltd at it again with FBT beat-up

Running scared that the Labor government might be in with a shot at the upcoming election after Friday’s announcement of the PNG solution, the Herald Sun naturally instead focussed on the tweaking of fringe benefits tax regulations on novated leases as the basis for an attack on Kevin Rudd. It’s only at the bottom of the page in the Herald Scum that one finds the fundamental nature of the change. Drivers are now to be asked to keep a log book for 3 months every 5 years to prove the vehicle is being used sufficiently for work purposes to claim the relevant tax offset. All the government has done is tightened up on the rorting of an already generous tax concession, largely by the middle and upper class, and yet this rent seeking industry built on a tax break is squealing like a stuck pig. I don’t know what’s more pathetic; the media coverage or the pathetic whining of the industry at being taken to task for what is basically the defrauding of average taxpayers.

In defence of Dar

Not as easy as it looks: Umpire Simon Fry signals a wide during a match at the MCG- photo taken by the author

Well, I’m back from an enjoyable holiday, and I thought I’d dive straight into an issue of pressing national importance. The Ashes, naturally. Like former PM John Howard, I am a cricket tragic, and, similarly likewise, a tragic cricketer. So naturally, the first Ashes test match presently taking place in Nottingham has been my centre of attention. It was with interest that I awoke to news on Saturday morning of the controversy surrounding the non dismissal of English batsmen Stuart Broad, having edged the ball, I was informed ‘to first slip’; I quickly came to learn that this meant first slip via the wicketkeeper’s gloves and thigh, and so immediately this seemingly horrific error became all the more understandable. I must admit, my greatest sympathy was for Pakistani umpire Aleem Dar, three times ICC umpire of the year, who doubtless would have had a sleepless night as a result. Having umpired some cricket myself, I can sympathise with the difficulty involved. One is expected to have the skill and composure of a neurosurgeon, and to some involved, exhibit an even higher degree of perfection than the said neurosurgeon, matters of life and death paling in significance to a game of cricket. But, beyond examining the minutiae of this particular situation, greater questions about ethics and indeed about human nature itself are raised.

In a more narrow sense, the vexed issue of cricketing ethics was again brought to the fore. To the outsider, this is a bizarre game with an even stranger code of ethics, whereby, for example, a bowler preventing a batsman from gaining an advantage by backing up too far is considered the cheat should he mankad him. Under this rather ambiguous, unwritten, and quite fluid code of ethics, many were quick to condemn Broad for, at face value merely accepting the decision of the umpire. I would instead condemn not Broad, but the culture which his actions reflected. In this increasingly professional era, except for numerous exceptions, batsmen simply do not walk. In a societal sense, it reflects the fact that many people will do whatever they can get away with, and only express contrition if they should actually get caught. The other issue the situation raises is the double standards that every single one of us apply, whereby we expect perfection of others, but blanch at the thought of looking in the mirror and examining our own faults. And so, much criticism was directed at Umpire Dar, yet every single batsmen dismissed in the match prior to him, and every bowler hit for four, had just like him, made a mistake.

As I final observation, I think it is worth noting that my most noteworthy observation from playing and umpiring the game is that the cricket field serves as a crucible. Out in the heat and dust, you see the true nature of a person. The bowler, rising star Ashton Agar revealed himself as an individual mature beyond his age in response to what would have been his bitter disappointment at the non dismissal. As to the actions of others, I shall leave that up to you to interpret.

Pink batt hypocrisy

The pink batts scandal is once again back in the news, and the aggressive posturing of the Liberals raises some interesting ideological questions. For one, why is the party of individual responsibility blaming the government rather than the cheap, sleazy bastards who sent untrained young men to their deaths in pursuit of a quick buck? Could it be that the said individuals are those small business types with which the Liberals so adore? Furthermore, why is the party of the alleged moral high ground so eager to politicise these tragedies? Food for thought…