Wisden has nominated Ricky Ponting as the 2003 Cricketer of the year. However, it’s interesting to note that of the top forty cricketers worldwide, fourteen of them are Australians. Included in that list is recently retired Steve Waugh, but what raises most eyebrows is that in that list is recently de-listed players Andy Bichel and Michael Bevan.

I, for one was greatly suprised at this, however it seems to be in an attempt to move on to the future, which is understandable, especially since Brad Hodge and Shaun Tait have both been offered contracts.

Bevan’s role in the one-day side has diminished in recent times with the middle-order physical and mental strength that we’ve seen from players such as Andrew Symonds and Michael Clarke. Yet, it’s hard to forget the matches that Australia played against England and New Zealand in the World Cup, this time last year. In both those matches Bichel and Bevan kept Australia out of the fire with the bat, and furthermore, Bichel took seven-for against England and also took away the Man of the Match award.

Let’s hope the new wave of players are ready for their first ‘challenge’ against Bangladesh in a couple of months time. Unfortunately I don’t see one Bangladeshi player on that list.

Post Scriptum: I read Ricky Ponting’s “World Cup Diary” whilst I was away on holidays. Whilst it was somewhat interesting to see what goes on behind the scenes, it was poorly written - with grammatical and syntatical errors abundant.

Cammeray defeats Old Ignatians in the A-Reserve Grade final over the weekend.

A first innings victory saw a greatly celebrated green and gold win. As bad light closed in on Sunday night, wickets fell, but enough glue was in place to hold the tail together. In fact it was so dark, and with Old Ignatians bowling bouncers and full pitch deliveries, the batsman should have been offered the light as it was getting to a situation that was dangerous.

Bottom line, Old Ignatians were up for 5 premierships this season and didn’t win one. Quite deserving really - we’re still trying to determine whether their administrators ever received the rule-books at the beginning at the season, or have heard of the concept of playing in the spirit of the game.

Well done boys! Now, a few games of winter cricket across the colder months and it’s only six months until the season starts again.

In a rain-affected ODI at the SCG last night, the dogs were barking loudly as Damien Martyn fell yet again for a first ball duck against the Indians.
With the Australians in cruise mode, scoring a breezy 7 runs an over, two wickets fell in two balls, the latter being Martyn.

At the current time, Australia can boast deep batting stocks in comparison with the ravaged and simply damaged bowling supplies. Many talented batsmen in the wings, waiting for their taste of international one day cricket.

Would it merely be a situation of seeing Martyn dropped for say, Simon Katich whom had his first taste of internation one day cricket today, albeit as a replacement for a resting Hayden.

With Gilchrist being rested for a couple of matches versus Zimbabwe in the coming weeks and Haddin his replacement, could we see Gilchrist play as a specialist batsman and Haddin come into the side as a power-hitting number number eight? Thus, elongating the career of Gilchrist and assisting in the prevention of a potential batting demise in several years to come, when the likes of Hayden, Bevan and Gilchrist come to the point of retirement.

Further fuel to the Martyn fire would be his woeful in-field catching over the past weeks - dropping top-order Indian batsmen, costing Australia many runs and the game, the other night in Brisbane.

Messers Border, Hohns and company, it’s over to you.

At the pyjama party version of cricket, every time a new batsman strides to the wicket or a bowling change is made, you can hear the strains of various songs, as chosen by the particular player. Unfortunately, the list of music that the players could select from is at best a collection of top forty hits, most from the past couple of years, with a few exceptions by The Kinks, AC/DC and Kylie Minogue.

Ricky Ponting plumps for Grinspoon whilst Andrew Symonds goes for a John Williamson rendition of Waltzing Matilda, whilst probably the best choices were made by Anil Kumble and Sachin Tendulkar, both selecting silence over a played-out list of commercial music. View the full list of selections.

Personally, I would have thought it to be much better to allow each of the players to choose their own song. It would at least allow the general public to see another side of each player, as one’s musical preference can allow an interesting insight to an individual, especially if the music choice falls outside of the commercial zone.

Now, what would I select? Perhaps, The Art of Stalking by Suburban Knight.

David Hookes - 1955 - 2004

How good was he?

Do you remember these lyrics?

Lillee’s pounding down like a machine
Pascoe’s making divots in the green
Marshy’s taking wickets
Hookesy’s clearing pickets
and the Chappells eyes have got that killer gleam
C’mon Aussie, C’mon, C’mon!

David Hookes in a coma after being viciously assaulted outside the Beaconsfield Hotel in St. Kilda last night. Our best wishes go to him and his family.

Two things that always springs to mind when talking about ‘Hookesy’. His comments to me when I used to play for his former district club East Torrens in Adelaide. Once when I was hit in the mouth by a bouncer and he told me to get back on my feet and do what the bowler had just done to me. The other was when I cracked a straight drive for 4 in centre wicket practice and he said “that’s 4 on any ground mate, great shot!” As a fifteen year old kid, you’ll remember those sort of words from a sporting hero forever.

Oh, and let’s not forget his flamboyant left-handed batting for Australia and South Australia in the 70s and 80s.

Kumble takes 8 as Dizzy falls short of another 50, this time himself only to blame. Australia fall 231 short of the mark.

Will Ganguly enforce the follow on? Can Australia make 400 to give the Indians a 170 run chase on the final day on a crumbling pitch? Can MacGill fire on the final day? Or will Ganguly bat the day out and try skittling the Aussies on the final day?

Time will only tell.

The Steve Waugh swansong as it was proclaimed by the media. The final test of his career, also the final test of the four test series between Australia and India for the summer. The match was the decider for the Border-Gavaskar trophy, and the series score was 1-1.

I bought two tickets for the match on the same day that Steve Waugh announced his retirement. There was no way I was going to miss this moment of cricketing history.

The tickets were in the upper deck of the Dally Messenger stand, on about a forty degree angle to the pitch, however without any shade I was very happy that I was wearing my new sombrero, and also glad that Kel hadn’t come as she would have been scorched. Even with continuing re-application of sunscreen all day, my forearms still managed to turn a pale shade of pink - thankfully it wasn’t painful the next day.

I sold my spare ticket on eBay and had to wait for the buyer to pick up the ticket at the gate. Finally, the buyer arrived at 1130 and I was able to enter the ground and get on with watching the game. As it happened, the buyer of the ticket was from Adelaide, and had played district cricket over there. In his time he played for Port Adelaide, Glenelg and Flinders Uni, as opposed to myself where I spent most of my time at East Torrens.

As the day progressed, India built solidly on their total, finishing with 3/284 at stumps with Tendulkar on 73 and Laxman on 29. The Aussies certainly had their work cut out for them on Day 2.

It had been about six years since I’ve been to the cricket as my own cricketing commitments usually get in the way. However, I was dismayed with the actions of the crowd. Just because Sehwag rhymes with ‘fag’ and Brett Lee bleaches his hair, doesn’t mean he takes it up the proverbial. Typical behaviour from drunken fools with small dicks who get a little restless because there wasn’t as much positive action from the Australians. The type of sub-grade cricket player who would call you a ‘fuckwit’ on the cricket field as his brain wasn’t capable of coming up with a ‘clever’ sledge. This, in addition to the brawling fools and the idiot who decided to open a bottle of soft drink next to my head as everyone was trying to leave the ground only slightly soured what had been a great day of cricket viewing, watching some excellent batting from the Indians. Adam Gilchrist comments on the poor behaviour.

Four more tests to go. Steve ‘Tugga’ Waugh has announced his retirement from international cricket following the final test in Sydney, January 2004.

Probably the greatest captain to have played the game, his success rates usurps that of Clive Lloyd - the powerful cat and leader of the devastating West Indian outfit through the 1980s. His mental toughness and ice-like composure have ensured that Australian cricket will be a force to be reckoned with for years to come.

The Sydney test will be his swansong, and thankfully I have purchased tickets today. I was lucky enough to see his brother Mark make a test century on debut, and as an ardent cricket fan, I couldn’t miss his final match under the baggy green.

Waugh’s career in numbers speaks for itself. Top 10 career highlights, and an essay on Waugh and the art of fast batting.

Canada were dismissed for 36 against Sri Lanka overnight. Again the discussion rages over allowing associate member nations in to the World Cup. That said, Namibia gave England a scare overnight with the English winning by 55 runs.

Tonight, Australia plays Holland. One can only hope that the results are closer than Australia’s prior matches versus India and Pakistan, but considering that these two nations are far more superior to Holland at the game, and the mere fact that Australia are 2000/1 on to be victorious doesn’t bode well for the Dutchmen.