“Dec 29: Makhaya Ntini bowls out first innings centurion Ricky Ponting 1st ball to change the course of a Melbourne test on the 4th morning.”
“Jan 2: Michael Hussey greets the New Year at Newlands with a century after tea during the first day’s play.”
Bizarre match reports, those. Never would they appear on any newspaper. For these two sides are not going to play each other in the Boxing Day and New Year Test matches, certainly not anytime in the near future. Australia and South Africa belong to the southern hemisphere and each year both of them will have a home Test series scheduled at traditional venues at this time of the year.
Which reminds me: around this time 14 seasons back a rookie Test player must have been busy scoring his maiden Test ton for the West Indies – a small matter of 277 whereafter he was dismissed through a run out – to keep his trailing side afloat in one helluva thrilling five-match series Down Under.
“Jan 2: Michael Hussey greets the New Year at Newlands with a century after tea during the first day’s play.”
Bizarre match reports, those. Never would they appear on any newspaper. For these two sides are not going to play each other in the Boxing Day and New Year Test matches, certainly not anytime in the near future. Australia and South Africa belong to the southern hemisphere and each year both of them will have a home Test series scheduled at traditional venues at this time of the year.
Which reminds me: around this time 14 seasons back a rookie Test player must have been busy scoring his maiden Test ton for the West Indies – a small matter of 277 whereafter he was dismissed through a run out – to keep his trailing side afloat in one helluva thrilling five-match series Down Under.
[You can read more on that classic duel between WI & Aus under 'Caribbean Flame' here.]
No comments:
Post a Comment