What's in a poll?

This the latest poll from the Herald Sun, just one of a plethora of Australian newspapers in huge admiration over Murali's Test record, I'm sure you'll agree! What is strange are the results over the last few days. Perhaps a case of sub-continent ex-pats refreshing the page, or have the Aussie public suddenly realised the freak nature of Kandy's spin king over their own Shane Warne? Below left is the same poll from two days ago, from After Grog's Blog.




But then there is this quote from former Cricket Australia chairman and Test umpire Col Egar, who once no-balled Australian paceman Ian Meckiff for throwing. "I couldn't care less about him. As far as I am concerned they should have a separate record for bowlers with illegal actions. Warne deserves the record and in my book he will always be the record holder. I've got a photo at home of Murali's arm bending at 48 degrees. The tests they did on him were rubbish. The only tests that matter are those conducted under match conditions. The administrators of the game have got to take the blame for letting his action go."

All-round party pooper

I missed this one, but the trans-Tasman rivalry continues in earnest. Word has it that the Black Caps' greatest all-rounder Richard Hadlee was overlooked by Cricket Australia and not sent an invite to the upcoming Chappell-Hadlee series. Oh well, at least he was invited to bulldoze the infamous Bay 13 at the MCG a few years ago; he must have done such a good job back then that CA have finally got one back on NZ's chairman of selectors.

Nevertheless, this is a chance for the Nutley to relive some classic anecdotes involving Hadlee and Australians:

He once received a letter from an inmate in Auckland jail asking for some memorabilia. He wrote that it was difficult to get to the grounds at weekends because they preferred to keep him in on both days. Hadlee then said the letter finished: "P.S. If it helps, the house I burgled was owned by an Australian." Another Hadlee anecdote involved a lady who went up to the Kiwi a couple of times during an autograph session. "Haven't I seen you before?" said Hadlee. She said: " Yes, but when I get 10 of yours I can swap it for one Dean Jones."

Healy magic moment

From the Sydney Morning Herald's The Tonk blog:

Fifteen years and 702 Test wickets have passed since Muttiah Muralitharan made his Test debut against Australia in Colombo, but Ian Healy remembers the occasion well. When Muralitharan was introduced into the attack for the first time, the then Australian wicketkeeper was positioned at the non-striker's end as Border took strike. According to Healy, Border played and missed throughout the over, then sought a centre wicket conference to discuss the rookie "leg spinner" and his unorthodox action. "Umm, I think he's an offie, mate," Healy retorted, much to Border's bemusement.

It's a lock out

The Australian writers who were locked out of the ground in Brisbane need not worry if the media dispute over images and online use makes it to parliament. Old John Howard will surely sort it out. Cricket has a funny habit of making the headlines when it comes to disputes such as this. Perhaps it is the slow pace of the game that allows the splash, as opposed to the Rugby and Soccer World Cups when governing bodies relent and everyone is happy.

The bottom image is Aggers famously reporting from Galle.

Mumbai meltdown

Last copy from The Australian's correspondent in Mumbai:

"Twenty20 is perfectly suited to India's young men who smash the ball with incredible ferocity and can sustain such efforts for the short period needed, although they do find themselves exposed over longer forms of the game.

"Australia fielded badly and conceded 24 extras - and that didn't include the two fives the fieldsmen gave Gambhir in run-out attempts that resulted in overthrows.

"The visitors looked tired and eager to get home and drove the route to the airport a few hours after the game. The Indians drove the reverse route four weeks back in front of a million or so people.

"It was an amazing scene then and one that steeled a couple of the Australian players to take them down a peg or two.

"Those celebrations were reprised to a lesser extent when the Indian players clambered aboard Gambhir's new car and did a lap of honour of Brabourne stadium.

"If you looked up in the stands as they did you could almost see the ghost of English captains past, wondering what on earth these colonials had done to the game."

Hussey's the man

Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer mustered many a run against Test bowlers throughout their time together. Now it's the turn of Australian Test selectors to find a replacement for Langer as they approach their summer and I'm sure looking ahead to the Ashes 2009.

Over the last few seasons a few names have been thrown into the hat: Mike Hussey, Phil Jaques, Chris Rogers and even South Australia's Mark Cosgrove, but his time might be scuppered since he was once suspended for being a touch overweight.

Now the time has come to make a decision and The Nutley, although one to keep its thoughts away from the Australian selectors, thinks that Hussey has the credentials to partner Hayden, considering that the burly Queenslander has yet to mention another emotional retirement.

Hussey has opened for Western Australia for the best part of a decade and his move up the order wouldn't really leave a gap in Australia's middle-order. Would it?

The day when Beefy caught in a stew

Further to the last post on Ian Botham's knighthood comes this ironic story from the 1992 World Cup.

The Australian press picked this up from sportasylum, a sports history site, obviously more than happy to relive the story 15 years on. Beefy reveals that he is still incensed over the pre-World Cup final dinner and the infamous Queen impersonator.

The all-rounder and Graham Gooch both walled out of the dinner when the comic joked that the royal family was to be sponsored by Fosters and was to be privatised.

Watch the ITN news item here.

Hayden overtakes Waugh (M)

Memories of Matthew Hayden taking bowlers apart during the World Cup has been no one-off for the burly Queenslander this year.

Hayden has passed 1,500 runs in a calendar year after his knock in Chandigarh. And despite defeat, he has at least become the highest Australian run-scorer, since Mark Waugh scored 1468 from 36 matches in 1999.

Remarkable really how that record has not been broken, such has been Australia's dominance in the one-day game since the '99 World Cup Final. Then again, it does show Australia's great all-round capabilities.

Even more remarkable when you consider that Hayden was actually dropped from the ODI squad last year.

Anyway, here's Waugh taking that blinding catch during his run-spree year.

Faintly amusing

It seems that the sports desk on Australia's Daily Telegraph has secretly been having fun with English cricket for some time now. No doubt it has been some cheeky work experience lad who has been entering cricket stories to media monitoring service NewsNow termed as English "cricket".

NewsNow Previous Top Stories
English "cricket": Flintoff comes crashing down
The Daily Telegraph, Australia 16:22 14-May-07
Sehwag told to cool it Sky Sports 14:28 14-May-07
'Woolmer was not strangled' The Times 17:00 14-May-07
Racist slur follows PM on Zimbabwe The Herald Sun 16:03 14-May-07

Indo-Aus series back on?

As revealed exclusively by this blog in October, it seems that the India-Australia ODI series in North America is getting closer.

Reports suggest that Cricket Australia has been approached by India and it is just a matter of negotiating revenues and dates.

Every so often these stories crop up: namely the big international teams set to play cricket in non-Test playing countries.

And having initially sourced the story, I personally think that the two boards should wait until next year to make their money. The proposed Floyd Bennett Stadium in New York would in no way be ready, while Australia still have a tour to Zimbabwe to think about in June, when the series would most likely take place. It'll still be a sell-out mind you.

Todd in more trouble

Brisbane blues

Several England batsmen are going to have to score some big runs to deny Australia an emphatic first Test victory, with two days left.

I won't be posting for a few days as off to Australia in the morning. I was rueing the decision to fly during the Test but it's not so bad now. In the meantime do leave messages below on your thoughts from the Brisbane Test; maybe there will be some Ashes salvation when I find out the outcome of the game on Monday?

In the meantime, a couple of Aussie links have been sent my way. Firstly, ballooning over Brisbane (possibly to spot Harmy's wayward deliveries) is apparently a great way to see the city and watch Barmy Army regulars stumbling back to their city hotels.

Secondly, an Aussie blog worth checking out here, event though the strapline suggests it being "Virutally (sic) unintelligible to non-Australians". See you in a few days!

By(e) George!

A new cricket blog entered the fray this week. Co-written by a former colleague from the colony, today's entry has a right royal feel to it.

Sportnation's Royalometer post runs the rule over the England squad in its attempt to suggest whether the urn holders have "enough blue blood ... through their veins to reclaim a former glory."

The first to get the treatment is Marcus Trescothick, England's now-departed opener. Now we all wish Tresco well in his recovery but, given the mantle of King George III by Sportnation, there is a certain irony to his regal appointment given the (mad), depressive tendencies of Britain's former monarch.

His father, Frederick, Prince of Wales, actually has the ignominious statistic of being involved in one of the first cases of cricket injuries, dating as far back as 1751. Frederick was struck by a cricket ball to the head, which not only fatally injured him but is also thought to have brought about his death.

More positive posts tomorrow, but is this because I feel Tresco's international career is coming to a halt?