Here’s My match report….
Got tickets for the first three days when they came online prior to Christmas…. Thanks Cricket Australia earlybird booking option. Row 1 or 2 in the David Boon Stand.
Tuesday 4th. Positive RAT test result after feeling crap for a day or so and having to drive all over town to find a test kit. Bugger…
Thursday 6th. Finally get a positive PCR test. Into definite isolation. Snotty nose and feeling crap for a few days (im triple vaxxed, all good).
Thursday 13th, 8:15 AM. TasHealth Text, you’re clear to go…. No symptoms, but takes me until 11:00 every day to get mobile.
Friday.
Day1, The big day. Meet up with family who have flown in from Melbourne to attend. Bay 13, front Row. Right next to the Channel 7 commentary set up on ground. Mel is cute…. Huss very friendly. Warny and Vaughney both engage with the crowd. You have to give Warny some slack, like him or not, he had kids queuing up along the fence in a line 30 long for selfies, he did each one before leaving.
Brother in law asks what I reckon is a Par Score, I answer 250. At 3 for 12 he says “do you want to change that prediction”. I stand by it.
Warner 0, Ussy 6, then Smith 0. Pitchis seaming, which it does down here. Yes, the outfield was underwater a week out, but the bigger issue was that the curator couldn’t uncover the centre square until 4 days out. The pitch preparation was 3 days delayed. The outfield was immaculate, Bellerive is one of the best drained ovals in Australia.
Head played a blinder. Afterwards he said he played like he was in England on a seamer. Question – why coudnt the Poms do the same for the entire game? The pitch most like their own they failed dismally most of the game. Green did well, and the GOAT knocked a few out of the park.
Play suspended because of “rain” as Wood reckoned he couldn’t bowl without falling over after delivery. FFS, the Poms play in these conditions all spring..
Saturday.
Day 2. The Aussies make it to 303. Told you so, I say….
Poms bat.. During the early afternoon. The best batting conditions.
Burns Run out for 0. Great start. The rest get a start, but no real application.. Warney drops Woakes on 0. He top scores with 36 FFS.
Late evening… Were back in again…. Wood is on fire. Warner another donut. He’s negative 36 for the match. Zip runs in 2 spells and gave Woakes another 36…. Ussy unlucky. Brute of a ball. Barrel Boland arrives and sees out the remaining time.
Sunday.
Day 3.
Now seated in the Bay next to the main Wet Area Bar. A few characters here:
A couple of big guys engaging with Mulan and Robinson over the fence, along with subs (fine leg). Quite a lot of banter, but Security had a few issues here and they are on the lookout for trouble.
I sit here quietly amongst them, knowing that this is exactly the place I don’t want to be when my daughter arrives later in the day. She’s a Hurricanes supporter, and has been out to a free work lunch with drinks… (many). The canes crowd enjoy a good time.
She arrives, and instantly connects with the guys in front. FML… No one can whistle like my daughter except perhaps my wife who taught her to whistle before she bad to get a false bottom plate…..
Wood still on fire, but seriously, why cant we put the hook shot away…
Steve Smiths dismissal was an absolute disgrace. Picture the field.
Deep forward square leg on the boundary.
Deep Backward square leg.
Deep fine leg.
The keeper.
Crawley near us at long stop. I have never seen a long stop in test cricket before….. We asked him if their keeper was that bad….
A gully. No slips at all.
Smith has a look around the field, including all those behind leg, and next ball hits a bumper straight to Mulan at deep backward. He did not move in inch to take the catch.. Another FFS moment… The whole crowd could see what the set up was.
Security officer comes and sits in front of our Bay. Ask daughter to stop encouraging blokes around her. Get the “have fun dad, you only live once lecture.” The mum of one of the blokes on the seat behind us (my age) taps her on the shoulder and says good to see you are enjoying yourself dear…
Carey lucky, bowled of a no ball – crowd erupts. Then he gets a favourable DRS. Crown go mad.
155, missed opportunities.
Poms up.
The daughter goes to catch up with friends. Blokes seem to have reached their limit, or the bar has closed…..
0-68. Heck, this is not looking good at the moment. Burns going ok. He has an unusual stance, and moves his upper body a long time before moving his feet. Seems to be working. Nearly tea… Next ball, the red light bails go flying…. Pi##er.
The next 2 hours I can only explain as the most inept batting display I have ever seen. Root was unluck, he got a shooter, the first one for the match.
So there we go.. A memorable match. Had the Poms stuck it out it should have gone well into day 4. I feel lucky to have attended, considering the circumstances. Im still stuffed. Thank goodness I can still work from home…
PS.My Dad was a POM. He had no reservations being called one.
