Geoff Lemon's Blog, page 35
November 24, 2022
Justin Langer’s endless grudge threatens to cloud new cricket summer | Geoff Lemon
Justin Langer is still angry at being deposed as national coach. But with every outburst, the Test great turned television commentator kicks holes in Pat Cummins’ current team
And so the Justin Langer grievance tour rolls on. A lengthy podcast interview spinning off into an online article and back pages across the News Corp stable, revisiting for the umpteenth time that the former Australian cricket coach is still not happy about his tenure finishing up nine months ago. It feels like the Gabba Test in 2015, when retiring bowler Ryan Harris got a lap of honour on the back of a ute when half of the stadium was closed. By now Langer’s circuit has gone on far too long, leaving a lonely figure waving at empty seats.
In February his resignation letter said that others wanted a fresh direction and that “I respect that decision”. By May it was clear that - spoiler - he did not respect that decision. He spoke at Western Australia’s Government House about a gruff concreter tearily lamenting his absence, then broadsided Cricket Australia during a speech to the WA Chamber of Commerce. Both before and after resigning his former teammates were his allies, with everyone from Ricky Ponting and Shane Warne down through the ranks using their media jobs in a campaign that shifted from reappointment to disappointment.
Continue reading...
Justin Langer’s endless grudge threatens to cloud new cricket summer
Justin Langer is still angry at being deposed as national coach. But with every outburst, the Test great turned television commentator kicks holes in Pat Cummins’ current team
And so the Justin Langer grievance tour rolls on. A lengthy podcast interview spinning off into an online article and back pages across the News Corp stable, revisiting for the umpteenth time that the former Australian cricket coach is still not happy about his tenure finishing up nine months ago. It feels like the Gabba Test in 2015, when retiring bowler Ryan Harris got a lap of honour on the back of a ute when half of the stadium was closed. By now Langer’s circuit has gone on far too long, leaving a lonely figure waving at empty seats.
In February his resignation letter said that others wanted a fresh direction and that “I respect that decision”. By May it was clear that - spoiler - he did not respect that decision. He spoke at Western Australia’s Government House about a gruff concreter tearily lamenting his absence, then broadsided Cricket Australia during a speech to the WA Chamber of Commerce. Both before and after resigning his former teammates were his allies, with everyone from Ricky Ponting and Shane Warne down through the ranks using their media jobs in a campaign that shifted from reappointment to disappointment.
Continue reading...November 22, 2022
Australia v England: third one-day international – as it happened
3rd over: Australia 15-0 (Head 10, Warner 3) Overturned on review! The luck is running for Head. Woakes nails him in line with the stumps, and Pistol Reiffel pulls the trigger, but Head was up on his toes and has cause for concern about the height. As it turns out, the review shows it pitching a millimetre outside leg stump, so the ball-tracking doesn’t even come into it. Warner demonstrates to him how to play a leave after that, then all but chips a catch to mid off, landing just wide and short. Which is also a description of the batsman.
2nd over: Australia 12-0 (Head 9, Warner 1) Head: dropped! And England drop heads. Willey the bowler this time, from the Members End. Another flash from Head, another edge, this one fine enough to hit the second slip, but above his head. Dawson in that spot, tips it over the bar and away for four runs.
Continue reading...Australia cruise to ODI whitewash after England collapse at near-empty MCG
After T20 World Cup weeks in which the MCG held crowds well on the way to filling it, we came to this. Melbourne turning on another unseasonably cold November day, scattered rain breaking up preparation and play, a Tuesday afternoon before schools were on holiday or workers were bunking off, and an embarrassingly paltry turnout for the third and final one-day international to watch Australia thump England by 221 runs.
Walking through Yarra Park less than an hour before play, the approach was so quiet that it felt like going to a Sheffield Shield match. Nobody was lining up, the parking areas were open grass. There were fewer than 5000 people in the ground for the first ball after England won the toss and chose to bowl, and fewer still remaining after the visitors were all out for 142 in reply to Australia’s 355 for five, the target adjusted for rain to 364.
Continue reading...Australia v England: third one-day international – live
3rd over: Australia 15-0 (Head 10, Warner 3) Overturned on review! The luck is running for Head. Woakes nails him in line with the stumps, and Pistol Reiffel pulls the trigger, but Head was up on his toes and has cause for concern about the height. As it turns out, the review shows it pitching a millimetre outside leg stump, so the ball-tracking doesn’t even come into it. Warner demonstrates to him how to play a leave after that, then all but chips a catch to mid off, landing just wide and short. Which is also a description of the batsman.
2nd over: Australia 12-0 (Head 9, Warner 1) Head: dropped! And England drop heads. Willey the bowler this time, from the Members End. Another flash from Head, another edge, this one fine enough to hit the second slip, but above his head. Dawson in that spot, tips it over the bar and away for four runs.
Continue reading...November 19, 2022
Australia seal series as Starc and Zampa stall England run chase in second ODI
Mitchell Starc knocked off the top and tail either side of Adam Zampa twirling through the middle, bowling out England 72 runs short of Australia’s 280 for eight at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday night.
James Vince and Sam Billings led a recovery from 34 for three and eventually got back in the hunt with an excellent partnership worth 132, needing a further 124 at less than a run a ball. But when Vince fell for 60 and Billings for 71, the chase fell away in a sequence of seven for 52, handing Australia the one-day international series 2-0.
Continue reading...November 17, 2022
Malan century in vain as Australia make winning start to England ODI series
After weeks of Twenty20 cricket, it suddenly felt like everyone had time to breathe. With the luxury of space in the 50-over form, Dawid Malan assembled one of his best innings to carry England to 287 for nine, before David Warner’s typical riposte got Australia off to a running start, allowing them to walk down 291 for four in 47 overs. Starting a three-match one-day international series, the home team left Adelaide Oval leading 1-0.
Discontent from England players about this series arriving so soon after the T20 World Cup has been well documented, and was reflected in the one-day team that took the field. Of those finalists, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Adil Rashid and Chris Woakes were rested. The only ones who played were Malan, who missed the final, captain Jos Buttler, and late-tournament injury replacements Chris Jordan and Phil Salt. The other seven spots in the side were taken up by new arrivals.
Continue reading...Australia beat England by six wickets: first one-day international – as it happened
Steve Smith finishes the game with a six after Australia’s top three ease them to victory, despite a Dawid Malan century.
3rd over: England 9-0 (Salt 6, Roy 3) Another wild swish at Starc, this time from Roy, managing not to edge the ball. He gets off strike and Salt punches two runs through the covers, then has an air swing all of his own. A very muted start for England, but they have so much more time in this format.
2nd over: England 6-0 (Salt 4, Roy 2) And a good first over from Cummins to complement Starc. Hits his length, hits the seam, decks a couple away, beats the edge of Salt’s bat. Into rhythm straight away.
Continue reading...November 15, 2022
Australia v England ODI series: hosts face crucial test to shape squad for World Cup
Three-match series starts in Adelaide on Thursday and is a rare chance to test 50-over tactics before World Cup next year
Like many a distressed film protagonist, you could fall to your knees and lash the heavens with the eternal question: why? When you look at this week’s 50-over international series between Australia and England, with the first match in Adelaide coming four days after England sealed the T20 World Cup title in Melbourne, it is puzzling to see the supposed pinnacle of one format followed by the pedestrian in a slightly different variation. Australia did need to play a series against England for Super League points, to qualify for the next 50-over World Cup – but that series happened back in 2020. This one is an optional extra, the basket of soaps in a hotel.
You can understand then why England all-rounder Moeen Ali confirmed the obvious when asked about it: that heading off to travel and train immediately after raising a trophy, rather than having at least a day or two to celebrate with the teammates who went there with you, is a situation that entirely sucks. Then again, administrators don’t know how deep any team will go into a tournament. England nearly had an early World Cup exit like Australia’s, and with a longer break before the next series would probably have been annoyed at having to wait around so long.
Continue reading...November 13, 2022
England owe T20 World Cup win to mavericks and unheralded heroes | Geoff Lemon
In the end, players who have previously been marginalised, sidelined and discarded came good at just the right time
After days of dire forecasts, it was unexpected to even have a T20 World Cup final. Angry cartoon thunderstorms failed to deliver on a night that felt warm and humid enough to bring them on. India supporters had expected to see their team but their semi-final knockout didn’t have the expected hit on crowds, with more than 80,000 still in attendance at Melbourne’s giant arena. As Pakistan fans filed out, post-match presentations offered a manufactured euphoria of ascending Coldplay choruses while gold glitter covered the grass, shimmering like a fleeting nightclub dream. The real euphoria was among the England squad, whose podium appearance was one of the least expected things of all.
A month ago, England had a claim to be T20 World Cup favourites. This was not the domineering side that Eoin Morgan had led, with Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow wreaking carnage on the regular. Patching had been required. But there was still destructive batting, varied bowling, and the Morgan legacy of aggression. Their preparation saw them go head to head with Pakistan during a pulsating seven-match series, then come to Australia for three matches to beat a second good side on its home turf.
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