Too Easy!

If you had told me that Australia played an entire match where Jason Gillespie faced more balls in a single innings than any other Australian batsman, I would have said Australia might have been in some trouble. But that was obviously not the case with New Zealand being swept aside by 9 wickets again.

As in the first Test, a “ticklish” target (164) was dispatched with consummate ease by Ponting and Langer. In fact, with the weather closing in, the end seemed to come with a twinkling of an eye. No need for a fifth day. Man of the match, Ponting followed his first innings century (105 from 110 balls) with a smashing 82 from 84 balls.

Man of the series, Gilchrist made another assault (60 not out) that only ended when he ran out of partners. Gillie may well have become the first Australian since Jack Fingleton in 1936 to score centuries in four consecutive Test innings. The Kiwis must hate the site of Gillie (more even than South Africa. Or England. Or Pakistan…). In this summer, he has played five Tests against New Zealand, playing just five innings of 126, 50, 121, 162 and 60 not out. That’s 519 runs at 129.75.

McGrath (18 @ 15.72) and Warne (17 @ 22.00) were the stand out bowlers for Australia, with McGrath making it to 499 wickets. He even flew Jane in just in case. The lifestyle of a cricketer has changed in the past fifty years! Thankfully, there were no red boots to be seen on McGrath.

Kasper and Gillespie’s figures of 8 wickets @ 39.87 and 7 wickets @ 45.71 could leave the selectors wondering if there is a place for Brett Lee. Not that I’m calling for the axe but watch this space.

And let’s not let Michael Clarke slip under the radar. He made 38 runs @ 12.66, coming in ahead of only McGrath (0 runs @ 0.00) in the averages. Still, he managed to stay in the all rounder class (by keeping his batting average above his bowling average) taking two wickets at 12.00 apiece.

We now have to wait a few months for the Ashes.

In other arenas, please be aware that Pakistan squared the three Test series with India, following a dramatic win in the third Test. Inzi, playing his 100th Test made 184 but was outshone by Younis Khan who made 267. They shared a partnership of 324, starting with the score at 2-7. Not bad. The drama unfolded on the final day with Pakistan taking 9 wickets after lunch, claiming the last one with just six overs remaining.

And the West Indies embark on a tour of South Africa minus Brian Lara, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Chris Gayle. In a sponsorship fiasco to rival the “Dream Team” saga at the Atlanta Olympics, the West Indies will be without Lara etc owing to conflict in their individual contracts with Cable and Wireless and the new team sponsor Digicel. Lara, who was later invited to join the team by the board, declined pending the selection of others left out for similar reasons. Only in the Caribbean!

A Blue day for the Bulls

Old news I know but for those of you on another or planet, or who simply don’t care much about the Pura Milk Cup, The Blues have taken it out in a thriller.

I write especially as the match was drama packed.

First drama was the Brett Lee “situation”. It seems Ponting and Lee wanted Lee to play in the Pura Cup final for the Blues. The Blues probably wanted him too (except for one of the Blue’s quicks). The trouble was that as twelfth man for Australia, Lee could not be released until the Test actually started and the Blues didn’t want Lee unless he could be there from the first ball – and the matches started on the same day. Now, NZ is 3 hours ahead of Queensland but as it turns out, the first day of the Test was washed out.

Furthermore, the Blues put the Bulls in on a sticky Brisbane day and the Bulls were rolled for 102, with Nathan Bracken swinging the ball up to a metre and taking six!! Lee wasn’t really missed.

The Blues took a lead with 188 on the back of 68 not out from Haddin – the only player to pass 40 at the half way point of the match.

Queensland made a match of it by making 268 (Love a splendid 116) and setting the Blues 183 for victory.

The Bulls were in it, taking wickets regularly for the first 97 runs. Then NSW consolidated with a 61 run partnership between Haddin (45) and Packman (25 – not bad for a prehistoric computer game!) and looked comfortable at 4-158.

Then an almighty collapse. The Blues lost 5-3 in 17 balls including two golden ducks. It seemed that the Bulls would win the day with the Blues needing another 22 runs with just one wicket in hand, and the all of momentum with the Blues.

But MacGill (11) and Bracken (11) held firm and saved the day. But not before a final twist. Seccombe grassed a diving catching with the score on 181 in what turned out to be the penultimate over.

Congratulations to the Blues on winning the Pura Milk Cup.

As a postscript, it was not surprising that Michael Bevan, now a Tassie Tiger, was named the Pura Milk Cup player of the year. He scored an incredible 1464 runs in 9 matches at 97.60, including 8 centuries and 2 fifties. Next were three Blues: Thornley and Jacques both topped 1000 runs for the season and were a major factor in the Blues making the final. Haddin was next best with 902 at 60.13. He is an impressive cricketer, out of the same mould as Gillie and must be the front runner for the keeper’s job should Gillie ever need to retire, God forbid.