At present our cricket has hit such a low that even the elderly ladies who have not seen a bat or ball all their lives start questioning our fraternity, to explain the nuances of cricket to them, is the most difficult and frustrating thing on earth, as a result to divert their minds to more familiar grounds to them, I normally deflect their minds to their new hairstyles or make up etc and my success rate has been more than 90%. These days each and every one has joined this band wagon of criticizing the higher ups but let us stop this and think constructively and hope everything should fall into place eventually, not all is lost and at least we should think that way to ease the depression that is enveloping our minds. So to take my readers feel more tranquil in mind I would delve back to the “Australian Cricket Anecdotes.” So here we go.
LAST MAN STANDING
Australian hopes in the Fourth Test of the 1882-83 Ashes series at the MCG ended up hinging on a last wicket alliance of tailender Jeff Thomson and Allan Border, whose form to that stage had been wretched. But the former stuck round and Border’s form steadily returned when England’s skipper Bob Willis decided to concede him singles.
Counselling his colleague through the day’s last 45 mts, Border began relishing England’s misdirection: ‘When the partnership had started the Poms had been full of the joy of living. By stumps they were showing a little strain.’----
The sight of 10,000 queuing for a day that could end in a ball cheered Border and Thomson next morning - 44 and 8 respectively - as they performed ritual nets.
Willis’ plan remained to defend against Border but, as the scoreboard flashed and the most frugal over, the run requirement at thirty second intervals and a second new ball was survived, confused fielders began colliding.
With the crowd 20,000 just after noon and the target reduced to a single stroke, Willis bowled his fiercest and most frugal over with Border on 60. The left hander glanced a couple to deep fine leg but could not appropriate the strike for Botham’s 26th over. Mid -pitch conferences at 12.20 pm confirmed the air of imminent decision and Thomson took fresh guard pondering the possibility of a boundary.
Border recalls the next few seconds and the uncanny collaboration of Botham and slips men Tavare and Miller with clarity. ’When he hit it my initial reaction was that it was going over the top and for four. Then I thought it’s in Tavare’s hands and we are gone.” And when it bounced out of his hands I thought: ‘beauty we are back in it’. Then all of a sudden, Miller was there. England had won by three runs.
Border recalled Marsh’s dressing room prowl-peering beneath kits, behind doors and in lockers-and its explanations: I am looking for four runs. The atmosphere was no better. Wrote Allan Lamb: ’I know callers expected to witness scenes of absolute mayhem with England cricketers dancing with delight knocking back champagne as if Australia was going to run out of the stuff any moment. Instead even half an hour after the match has finished they found the room like a morgue--- most of us sat around staring into the space hardly saying a word. Now and again one make a move towards the shower and get changed.’- The Border Years (Hughes) pp 54-6
AN EARLY NIGHT
Victorian Dean Jones was selected to make his first Australian tour with Kim Hughes’ team visiting the West Indies in February 1984, and was quickly reminded of his junior status as the First Test approached. Three days before the Test I was rooming with Geoff Lawson who had sinus trouble or something. It was 8.00pm and we were watching TV, when, stuff me, when he gets up and switches off the set. Not a word. When I asked him what he was going on he said: ‘I’ve got a Test Match to play in a couple of days so I am going to have some sleep.’
I’ll always go along with professionalism but it was 14 hours before we had to turn up for training. But that was it; kicked out I had to go and find another room.
HE PASSED AWAY
Hughes found the various rumours of Rodney Hogg problematical, notably when he found 12th man Carl Rackemann fielding in a tour match apparently substituting for South Australia.
‘Hoggy’s gone off,’ said Rackemann.
‘What do you mean off?’ asked Hughes.’ He didn’t tell me. Go and find out where he is.’
Big Carl returned to the field soon after, smiling, and said; ‘He told me to tell you, captain that he’s passed away.’
This wasn’t good enoughfor Kim naturally and he sent Carl again to retrieve Hogg. When Rackemann returned Hughes again asked after Hogg’s whereabouts and Rackemann said: ‘He told me to tell you that he has gone for a drive.’
This was understandably too much for Hughes who promptly found his errant fast bowler in the dressing room and ordered him back on to the field quickly. - Hookesy (Hookes. page 116)
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