well, here we are. i did not have much of a wish to write, or speak, of the Ashes series at all, but i was kind of asked to. some looked at my initial thoughts, which i gave. if you are interested, here you go, a link to it all, look you see. unexpectedly a second post has been called upon. but why not, with this being published on Australia Day.
comments were passed on my initial thoughts. a few, perhaps even many, considered me to be unduly harsh, or even going a bit over the top, with the repeated use of the term "treason" when discussing my thoughts, considered feelings and overall view of the present England cricket team. apparently i was hasty in doing so, what with England somehow recording a valiant (according to some) draw in the fourth Test.
i am not at all sure what it is people wished for me to do with news of the Fourth Test being drawn. the series was already determined, decided indeed, Australia had won (and thus retained) The Ashes. whatever might happen in Test Match Four or Five was, in some senses, redundant. oh, sure, there's all that stuff about "playing for pride" and "seeking to improve", but these were things i had reasonably expected to see in Tests One to Three, thanks.
at the time of writing thinks look further bleak. i write this just some five or six hours prior to the commencement (start) of day three of the Fifth Test. which is likely to be the final day, with England getting another right proper hiding off of the Aussies. this defeat (barring some untold miracle) is even more depressing that the others, for across the initial time of this Test this far the Australians have not even really been trying, they've just been f*****g about, quietly content in the knowledge that beating England does not require they bring their A game. or B, C, D or E game.
just what sort of change of opinion was expected of me after the Fourth Test? i cannot think what. am i supposed to think it's marvelous that two of our bowlers were responsible for batting out a narrow, fortunate and downright lucky draw? should i be demanding that all of the team receive knighthoods for this valiant display? i think not.
up to now (and i really don't expect this to change with what little is left of the series) the only real highlight from an English perspective is how many rain delays we've had. no, these rain delays did not assist or help "save" any matches, but they did allow for Glenn McGrath to speak at length on the radio. on the field he was a ferocious, formidable, brilliant player with few peers in his league; off the pitch he is an eloquent, gifted and interesting speaker.
mostly, then, i believe my comments in the first (or initial) post stand. yes, sure, true, some might say that the view is harsh, but there is no point dressing it up. why scramble for any positives when none particularly exist?
to the best of my knowledge, or at least as far as i am aware, it is at the least the case that we are being beaten in Test Matches alone. for now. due to all that plague business, things have changed. just as soon as Australia have quite finished battering us, our squad can fly home. the usual one day and "twenty twenty" series which would come on a tour shall only happen later in the year, i believe November. by such a time who knows, plague might be beaten, and England might have selected some actual cricket players interested in at least trying to win.
one good friend suggested, quite recently, that in the interest of my health - be it heart, blood pressure, headaches, stress and so forth - that i might wish to consider giving up on cricket, or at the least supporting someone that at least appears to know how to play. no, for England is my team. may the next generation of players selected be better.
be fair dinkum to each other!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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