Jarrod Kimber's Blog, page 84
January 1, 2011
Ricky, Natalie and I
You have your youth as long as you can hold onto it, unless you are one of those types who were born 32 years old. For the rest of us we cling onto objects and icons to stay young. The two that always stood out for me were Ricky Ponting and Natalie Portman.
Ponting started his test career when I was 16. He was the young pup way before there was even a pup.
I followed his career through dodgy LBWs at the WACA, scratchy knocks at number three, not wearing a helmet to face Curtly, a fight with a fence at Sydney, a fight with someone else in Sydney, a dropping from the team, that terrible goatee, getting wickets with gentle outswing, the face of Milk in Tasmania, the centuries coming in, vice captaincy, bhajji, runs, world cup finals, grumpiness, backing his team, captaincy, bad captaincy, over rate problems, losing an ashes, winning more world cups, more runs, more bad captaincy, losing faith in spin, losing another ashes, losing the number one spot, winning a pointless trophy, losing cricket matches to every one, and losing the Ashes again. I saw the best and worst of him.
Ponting and I have a few similarities, leaving school early, flirting with the idea of becoming groundsmen, quick to anger, hugely defensive when criticized and painfully working class upbringings. Even with this we're probably nothing alike, and I doubt we'd ever be friends, but there is some sort of link there from me watching him for half my life.
As a batsman he was one of the best I have seen, or will ever see. When he was in control of his game, he was in control of the test match. He didn't bat for time or records, he batted for his team, and there are few champion batsmen like that.
As a captain he got better as his team got worse. When he started he was a confused man with a lot of help from others, then he learnt how to trust himself and became a modern test captain with little flair, trust in his bowlers or need to attack.
On the last day of the boxing day test he walked off the ground to the foo fighters singing "there goes my hero". At the time the song was being played for the English team as they sprinkled their way around the ground to bathe in the glory that Ponting has not seen for a long time.
The song wasn't for Ponting, he probably didn't even here it being played, but for so many fans of Australian cricket you couldn't have picked a better song. Ponting will always have something that Michael Clarke, or any of the next generations of captains, won't have. Aussie cricket fans felt like he was one of them. Even if they didn't like what he said or did, they had that same bond with Ponting that I felt. For so many they felt an instant connection with them that never left.
When he played the worst shot I've seen from him the day before, I felt sick, not bullshit sick, but really ill. My stomach tore up, I got a headache, and wished I was somewhere else. I thought that was the last time I'd see him bat in a test match.
For years I have abused him for his captaincy, boy's club, misuse of bowlers, and the bubble he lives in. I've called him the hairy armed troll, doubted that he wanted to win as much as he said he did, and got angry with so much of what he had to say. As a captain, I could never get completely behind him, so I wouldn't miss that.
It was as a batsman I'd miss him. From the first ball I saw him face I've always treasured watching him bat. His batting is Australia to me. Not Australian cricket, but all of Australia. You couldn't see Ponting bat and think he was from anywhere else. His batting says more about Australia than the national anthem or Australia day. It is my Australia.
There will be those who pick Trumper, Ponsford, Harvey, Bradman, Border or Waugh, but for better or worse, Ponting is mine. We picked each other. He was my Australia, the best and worst of it. The Australia I love and despise.
At about the same time Ponting did a dirty drag on, Natalie Portman's pregnancy was tweeted around the globe.
Portman and Ponting really came into my life at about the same time. In many ways I wanted to be with one and wanted to be the other. Those days are long gone.
Portman's pregnancy didn't really affect me at all. Ponting's bad shot and exit from the G hurt me. This was my ground, and I felt like a part of me was leaving it for the last time.
Ponting might be back in test cricket, he could even play again at the G a few more times. He is someone who I'd never write off, but the best of him is gone. I felt older when he went out than I ever have in my life. The Ponting I grew up with doesn't exist.
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December 29, 2010
England are better than Australia
I take notes. That will surprise some people. But I do. Often I can't read them. Yet they sit next to me.
I had a quick look through them during this morning. I wasn't looking for anything in particular, but I put some of them together.
England are better fielders.
Graeme Swann is a better tweeter than all Australian cricketers combined.
England's bowlers are better.
Th whole Ashes preparation for England was better.
The English coaches are far better than the Australian coaches.
The Barmy Army are better organized, execute their skillsets and band together far more than Australian fans.
The English batsmen handle almost all kinds of pitches, green tops of brown tops, better than the Australian batsmen.
Lord's has better food than the MCG.
The white whites of England look better out on the ground than Australia's creams.
England are better at handling the pressure.
Natalie Portman's pregnancy announcement on the same day as Ricky Ponting last time batting at the G makes you suddenly realise your youth is dead.
Yes, the word better appears almost as much as the word obviously does in a Peter Siddle press conference.
It appears so much that this isn't an accident.
The only thing that springs to mind when thinking of something Australia does better is using the referrals, well that and collapsing when they bat.
Even when England shit themselves on the WACA pitch, they looked like a composed side that would bounce back. On the other hand, Australia's win looked like it was basked on a freak occurrence that couldn't be replicated, and it wasn't.
Straight after the loss at the WACA they English back up bowlers were bowling in the middle, they did the same after Adelaide and Brisbane. I doubt that England train more than Australia, they just seem to.
Even if Austalian bowlers were out in the middle after the test ended, I'd just assume England would do it better.
Because they seem to do everything that matters better.
And that is how you in a five test series.
Australia wasn't just beaten; they were outplayed in every aspect of cricket on and off the ground.
This wasn't a knockout, but a slow strangulation from England.
They didn't do it with a brilliant cricket team, they did it with a professionally well drilled and organzied cricket team that were better than there opposition.
In the press conference Ricky Ponting talked about the betterment of the Australian cricket team.
Betterment is a rubbish word.
Andrew Strauss used far better words.
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December 28, 2010
Buy a bit of Bert Sutcliffe- The Last everyday hero
I was unnaturally excited when I heard there was a book on Bert Sutcliffe coming out.
I regard Bert Sutcliffe as good enough to be Victorian. And that is about as high praise as I can give a non-Victorian.
The story about him and Bob Blair's partnership is perhaps my favourite in cricket, it involves death, injury and how even a small victory in those circumstances can become a folk story. Plus, everyone loves a moral victory in a crushing loss.
Because of the Ashes, I haven't read all of this, but I liked the bits I saw.
So you should buy it. In NZ you can get it here, in Aus you can get it here, and shortly the rest of the world can soon get it here.
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Buy a bit of Burt Sutcliffe- The Last everyday hero
I was unnaturally excited when I heard there was a book on Burt Sutcliffe coming out.
I regard Burt Sutcliffe as good enough to be Victorian. And that is about as high praise as I can give a non-Victorian.
The story about him and Bob Blair's partnership is perhaps my favourite in cricket, it involves death, injury and how even a small victory in those circumstances can become a folk story. Plus, everyone loves a moral victory in a crushing loss.
Because of the Ashes, I haven't read all of this, but I liked the bits I saw.
So you should buy it. In NZ you can get it here, in Aus you can get it here, and shortly the rest of the world can soon get it here.
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December 27, 2010
previously at the G
Australia
Were 10 Peter Siddle's short of a cricket team.
England
Batted like the word declaration had never been invented. Hopefully that word has been by tomorrow.
Are the ashes won?
Sure, why not.
Play of the day
Anything Ricky Ponting did. Everything Ricky Ponting did. He was just on fire, bowling Clarke and his dodgy back while Smith and Watson watched on, his chats with umpires and batsmen, his slow cool walk in for a run out that wasn't to be. And just being Ricky Ponting.
Testicular moment of the day
Ranjan Madugalle's effort to give Ponting a 40% fine for stopping the game for let's say 5 minutes, while he complained about a 3rd umpire decision that he thought he saw better from the centre of the MCG than one of the world's best umpires sitting right in front of a screen. Why even fine him, why not just apologise to him for the whole situation. Make Erasmus come in and grovel before him. Give him more money. Find him a good bar. Go out on the bay, catch some fish, scale them, cook them in a garlic and lemon sauce, put them on a naked woman and have them delivered to his room.
Working class moment of the day
Trott plays off his pads well.
Weird factoid of the day
Jonathan Trott is the best invisible batsmen of all time.
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December 26, 2010
previously at the G
Australia
Skinned themselves alive in front 85,000 people, then 25,000.
England
Put the ball in the right area about 12 times, then let the ball come to them or left the balls they didn't want to play. Revolutionizing cricket one test at a time.
Who's in front
England after 72.5 overs.
Play of the day
Shane Watson was dropped 2 on the way to five. Twice. He still walked out like someone had kicked his footy on the roof.
Testicular moment of the day
The England bowling attack get this as a unit, even Swann, just for being there. Bowling teams often lose the plot when they bowl first, and when bowling first in front of 85,000 people calling you an asshole mongrel bastard fucker, it could get to you, Instead they stuck to the right areas and let the magic come to them.
Working class moment of the day
The MCG crowd reminded me of a country who elects a cheap suit as their leader, thinking he is some radical new kind of politician who will change their lives, then early they realize he isn't and they all abandon him. I sure yesterday's cricket proves some political theory. It also confirms why I hate people.
Weird factoid of the day
Right at the moment it is still statistically possible for Australia to win the Ashes.
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