Australia's geriatric cricket squad
Michael Atherton in the Sport Telegraph yesterday
bemoans the 'aged' selections made for the Australian team to tour
South Africa and what he sees as their 'denial' of the past Ashes loss:
ThisWell Michael you might be right but our batting at least does not seem to be doing too badly as the following account from The Age this morning suggests:
week Australia's selectors announced their Test squad to tour South
Africa and it amounted to little more than an old boys' reunion. The
recalls of the 34-year-olds Damien Martyn and Michael Kasprowicz were
particularly surprising.
....There is one of two conclusions to be
drawn by Australia's theft of the 'Dad's Army' cloak worn by England for
so long: either they are in denial about the Ashes, or the pool of
talent has simply dried up. Either way, with the Australia tour just
seven months away, it is good news for England.
AustraliaPonting's 164 included 14 fours and 9 sixes. Did anyone video this? I'd like to see it.
sped to a one-day international cricket record total of 4-434 in its
bid to save the series against South Africa at the Wanderers ground
here. Australian captain Ricky Ponting top-scored with a fine 164 off
151 balls. Australia eclipsed the previous mark of 398 by scoring 3-400
in the 48th over.
Update: Teach me to be so smart-assed! I had not heard of South Africa's response to the Australian score and assumed they had no chance.
Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!They won with a single ball to spare re-breaking
the world record Australia had set in their innings just hours before.
Maybe we are geriatrics! What a game! The following from the ABC newspage:
SouthDoes putting on a huge score mean the other team has nothing to lose by chasing the score and therefore has an improved chance of doing so?
Africa hit a world record 9 for 438 in the highest-scoring one-day
international in history to beat Australia by one wicket and win the
series 3-2 in Johannesburg this morning. In the most extraordinary
one-dayer ever, the home side's victory was achieved with one ball to
spare and sparked wild celebrations on and off the Wanderers pitch.
Before this match, no side had scored more than 400 in a one-day
international and South Africa's total topped Australia's record 4 for
434 earlier in the day.
Thank you very much for your comments