My mother is the least jingoistic Australian person I know. But when Michael Clarke was run out (in another freakish manner) she threw her hat down in disgust. Even the English thought this was funny.
All the other Aussies swore. Multiple times. We are still swearing, although some are crying as well. All are drunk.
I am writing this straight from the pub. Three of my party managed to watch the game until we lost; my mate went into the city and bought cheap DVDs. He couldn’t handle watching Australia lose.
Most of the day it was the English fans who were nervous. No fans (of any sport) think their team can lose from such a winning position than English ones. Even at five wickets down they were shitting themselves.
I gave up on Friday afternoon, and then again on Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon and Sunday afternoon.
At times it looked like Australia could win, but Michael Hussey took a risky single and Ricky Ponting was ball watching. Game over.
Australia could have still done some damage at that stage, but when Michael Clarke was run out by leg slip — that was it. Even if the English fans didn’t think so.
Two run outs had to win this Ashes. No team is good enough to win with wickets, but run outs seemed fair. Not long after Marcus North forgot where is crease was and all chances of Australia winning slipped away.
It was intoxicating to be in the crowd, and that was as someone who hated being there more than anything else. The English crowd were confused whether to cheer for Freddie (One run out, one catch) or England winning the Ashes, so they cheered harder to cover both.
Michael Hussey (who woke him up?) seemed to be fired up by the run out of Ricky. Before that he was scratchy and ugly, but once he realised he had contributed run out Australia’s best batsman, and had something to do with Australia’s match losing mini collapse, he fired up.
From there he never looked like going out. This is his second hundred in 22 Tests. Some will say it should save him, but Australia needs to look ahead of a 34 year old who has averaged 31 in his last 22 Tests. As great as his innings was (any century that comes when you are in rubbish form is special) the majority of his good work came when Australia had very little chance of winning.
My mum still says it was a great day of cricket. Not all of us feel the same.
*Listen to Crikey’s Leigh Josey and Jarrod Kimber’s “I can’t believe England won the Ashes” podcast
7 Comments
I HATE LOSING TO THE POMS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I just don’t understand how we can beat the South African’s a few months ago, but now can’t beat their Second XI?
Couldn’t help feeling the draw in Cardiff would come back to bite us. Great to have an exciting series again (despite some ordinary cricket), but how it sucks to lose!!! I’m stunned!
I don’t understand how we beat the South Africans in South Africa a few months ago, and now they are top of the ICC rankings while we are fourth!
Yes, but they beat us at home, so it cancels out.
Why couldn’t Mr Cricket make runs in the FIRST innings! I think with his form reversal they should make him captain. And Chairman of Selectors. And bring back Justin Langer while they are at it.
I play second X1 park cricket in Melbourne if they are looking for someone to replace Haddin.
Why are people saying the selector’s omission of a spinner was the reason we lost the test, when it seems to me the failure to make a decent first innings total is the major reason for the loss.
One Trackback