04/19/24
January 05, 2007
Australia complete their 5-0 Ashes whitewash, described over-by-over:: "Any Australians out there I pity you, because you will never experience the true euphoria of one who has hit rock bottom discovering that bottom is merely a door to another purer world. I am zen. I am cricket. I am the ball. I am love." A perfect description of how most England fans feel after seeing the Aussies take revenge for 2005 in ruthless, comprehensive fashion.
Or maybe we're just rubbish at cricket?
posted by salmacis at 02:59 AM on January 05, 2007
Listen to the salmacis man... he knows things.
posted by JJ at 04:45 AM on January 05, 2007
Well, the summer series suggested we're not rubbish, but that we had flaws -- some from injury, some from bad preparation, some from bad playing decisions -- that the Australians picked apart with ease. A lesser opponent might have let us get away with some of them.
posted by etagloh at 02:06 PM on January 05, 2007
combined with their poor showing at the world cup and this embarrassment at the Ashes, its been a pretty crappy year for the english. but hey, atleast a 14 year old kid sailed across the Atlantic.
posted by antwan at 04:08 PM on January 05, 2007
I wonder how the beer wench enjoyed the day she attended (if they found one).
posted by Aardhart at 12:02 AM on January 07, 2007
Australians know all about rock bottom in cricket. It was 1983, and we lost to Zimbabwe (then not a Test playing nation) in the World Cup. The rebuilding hasn't just been about the last 18 months, but cricket in Australia from top to bottom over 20 years. It's still largely Anglo, doesn't always reflect the best the sport and society has to offer, and there are many flaws in administration, but on the field the results speak for themselves.
posted by owlhouse at 01:51 AM on January 09, 2007
I listened to the end, alternating (because of IP blocks) between the Australian and British radio commentary, where the judgement was as one: Australia started preparing for this series the day after losing the Ashes in England; England was weakened by injury and other malaise, prepared awfully, picked the wrong captain, and on the few occasions when they showed an ability to compete, couldn't sustain it. You just had to applaud the way that old heroes Warne and McGrath took their final bows, aided by a supporting cast that'll still be around next time.