Test Match? What is that?

Australian Cricket is at a point in time where not even a combined rest of the world (including Australia A) would have a chance of knocking off this remarkable bunch of players in a 5 day game. Which leads us to the question ..Can we see a full 5 day test match please?

Well I suppose we look at the recent game as an example. The boys are coming off a hot couple of days in Sharjah where the Pakistani cricket board forgot to inform their team that they were playing a test match, not 2 one day games with a red ball(its hard to see sometimes!)It was beyond a joke for not only Pakistan but for cricket in general.

I mean , us cricketing boys(go the mighty Wests Bulldogs!) gathered round the bar at the indro hotel to watch the cricket, and well after about 40 odd minutes and 3 rum and cokes later the game was over and on comes the world of international darts. And well for the following three nights on the box we get rally car racing, old NCAA football games and replays of some golf tournament from 1999. Tis very entertaining viewing for an evening.

Then we look at the 2000 series out here against the Windies where even they look like Tendulkar's against the struggling Pakis. Bowled out for 80 odd at the gabba, after the first session everyone knew they wouldnt go the distance over the test match let alone the series. I think the ACB must be wondering how on earth they can pre-book tickets on the 4th and 5th day of a test match. Noone buys them because they know they wont see a whisker of quality test match cricket.


And now the poms are coming out this year for what should be an epic battle(hopefully). They will do the usual thing and put up a fight for about the first three days of the series then die in the arse while Mcgrath toys with his bunnies and Warney makes a batsmen cry because they score a bout a THOUSAND runs in County cricket but cant get in to double figures against quality bowling. Darren Gough and Matty Hoggard will talk it up for a while and challenge the Aussies, until Punter, Haydos or Gilly smashes them and destroys their confidence in to little bits and they end up bowling soap cakes that even a second grade line up could get runs off.

I hope that someone from this english lineup that is coming out here , say Michael Vaughan or Robert Key, actually stands up and says "cut the talk, lets play cricket" and gives us some quality viewing for the full 5 days.

After having the greatest series ever in India , followed by the Kiwis (who have put up the best fight yet and actually did their homework) , I for one actually hope that someone, somwhere down the track very soom makes the Australians work.

I couldnt think of anything worse than gathering round the tv , cooking up a bbq, having the boys around for a beer or twelve and then by about mid afternoon the poms are all out for 78 and the Aussies are 1-100...Summer is not the same without test cricket and Richie and the crew. Lets not have repeats of Days of our Lives on a hot summers arvo that replace the enjoyment of watching a struggle between two teams battling it out to the last session of a 5 day game to decide the outcome.