No disrespect to Sri Lanka and the England Ashes effort (well, maybe some) but my Summer starts today with the Black Caps first game in the Commonwealth Bank series (the series formerly known as Benson & Hedges & VB). It helps that these games are on at a time when I can pay them more attention (home all day today with the tv on) but as we approach the World Cup these games start to really mean something.
There was a plan to get to Hobart for these two games (Australia today and England on Tuesday) but financial considerations mean I’ll have my feet up on the couch for the run chase. As I type, the game is but four overs old and we haven’t managed a wicket yet but we always raise our game against the Aussies and on a flat track we should see McCullum get a few more than his usual quick-fire 20 or so.
The brilliant Mark Nicholas is commentating for Channel 9 along with the usual suspects – not sure whether Ian Smith has been tempted over but I hope so.
So, game on.
And, by the way: what are Australia wearing this season?
A bad weekend for all the teams I follow. The horror, the horror.
The Hammers have now lost seven on the spin, haven’t won in eight and haven’t scored in 10 and a half hours 11 hours (a club record); The Lions became the second Wellington team this year to lose a major rugby final; The Knights have also lost seven in a row but at least scored a couple of times in Adelaide; The Black Caps rolled over and had their tummy’s scratched by Sri Lanka in that unwatchable tournament in India and my Dad’s team (Torquay United) have also lost six in a row so there’s no respite at home.
Common sense says, like the crap weather, this has to change but I struggle to see when. West Ham could easily get turned over by Colchester in the Carling Cup on Thursday morning the way we are playing; the rugby season is over; the Black Caps have to beat Pakistan to progress in India and we never beat them when we have to; I can’t see the Knights winning again this decade and the future isn’t promising for The Gulls (sorry, Dad).
Oh, and Newtown Athletic had the weekend off (or a ‘bye’ if you prefer) due to the long weekend. At least that isn’t a defeat…
Alright then, while I am fiddling with css here are some links to amuse and alarm you:
- Cat Piano – I love cats and and yet I still find this idea highly amusing;
- Wim Wenders talks to MovieMaker magazine about what he’s learnt about making films;
- Screenwriter John August on the influence of enthusiast, fan, media on the film-promoting and film-going process;
- The wonderful Nellie McKay chats with the legendary Eartha Kitt for something called Harp (by the way Nellie just reviewed “Great Pretenders: My Strange Love Affair With ’50s Pop Music” by Karen Schoemer for the New York Times but that may already be behind their pay-wall);
- George Bush learns to play cricket in Pakistan with Inzamam Ul Haq (who seems to have borrowed my beard). This is about the most engaged I have ever seen the man, perhaps he should try and run America while dodging bouncers.
There, all of these are weeks late but none the worse for that I shouldn’t wonder.
20/twenty, or 20–20, or whatever they call it officially got my vote this evening. Very cool. As a consumer that just committed to Saturday’s first ODI, I am thrilled at the West Indies fight-back. As a Black Caps fan my response has to be: ????
Other thoughts…
- Chris Cairns was either wearing a shirt that was a little bit too small or he had a very enjoyable Christmas
- I hope they iced Bravo up big-time as I want to see him at his best on Saturday
- Chris Gayle’s afro is awesome – I love it. Like Jimi Hendrix without the headband.
- Nobody can bowl straight under pressure except for Shane Bond!