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Geoff Lemon is a writer, editor and broadcaster. He's the host of cricket podcast The Final Word, and author of the book Steve Smith's Men: Behind Australian Cricket's Fall.
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In a lot of ways, Ashes series are like birthdays. Not in the sense of coming around twice every four years, and not in…
The great games don’t necessarily tell you they’re great at first. Two-thirds of the way through the tied World Cup semi-final of 1999, South…
Name your most iconic World Cup cricket duo. For South Africa, how about all-rounder Jacques Kallis and former Everton winger Steven Pienaar? For Pakistan,…
You can keep your tied semi-finals. Don’t bother me with iconic hundreds in deciders. Don’t even start about batting revolutions in the first ten…
This season, Tasmanian wicketkeeper Matthew Wade has become the emblematic hard-luck selection story. But is he actually lucky instead? There’s never any shortage of…
When the Test season wrapped up in Canberra this week, I mentioned the achievements of some Australian players. People promptly pointed out that they…
It shouldn’t be contentious to say that Mitchell Starc is far from his best with the ball this summer. But saying so can draw…
Chew on this: Kusal Mendis has made three Test centuries in the past year. Australia’s entire cricket team has made one. If you’ve never…
In my time following cricket, I’ve never known such a fevered atmosphere around selection. Belatedly, the national panel has recognised that fact. Cricket supporters…
The unfortunate thing is that it’s not Marnus Labuschagne’s fault. But the latest selection for Australia’s Test team is embarrassing for those who made…
It’s alive. Aliiiiiive. The Boxing Day Test has been a dead affair for years, but finally we’ve got one that counts. In truth, Boxing…
We keep hearing it. That Australia needs to play hard cricket. Or tough cricket. But not one person who says it can define what…
The triple century is cricket’s rarefied tier, the area of the stats sheet where mortals dare not tread. To cross the mark of 300…
Adam Gilchrist’s career was always about being fearless. As a batsman, he just came out and took the bowlers on, almost regardless of the…
For the rest of Mitchell Johnson’s life, the defining moment of his career will, of course, be the 2013-14 Ashes, with the early 2014…
Some moments, you always remember where you were when they happened. On the last day of the Adelaide Test in 2006, I was at…
Occasionally, it isn’t a matter of hyperbole to talk about something in terms of the best or worst ever. This is one such case.…
'Worst Ashes team to inflict a whitewash', was a description people started proposing in 2013. Now there's a contender in the works. The current…
It seemed fitting that international cricket should exit the WACA with a comedy of errors. Make no mistake, we’ve just seen its final Test.…
In Test matches, we love to look for symmetry. For England's loss and Australia's win at Brisbane, look no further than the two captains.…
Haha. That’s all good, it sold a lot more than expected, so no worries if a few end up as discounts. Hope you enjoy both copies.
Glorious. Mediocre. Sublime. That's the story of the 2019 Ashes
Sheesh. There’s more projection going on here than at the Twilight Cinema.
Tied and tied again: How the greatest-ever World Cup final was won
Employers do tend to distance themselves from a hitman if things go poorly.
Why Matthew Wade is better off not playing for Australia
That old chestnut. Two of the last five have been Tasmanian.
Why Matthew Wade is better off not playing for Australia
For me, the domestic 50-over comp just doesn’t has much relevance. For anything. It’s run and won in 10 days, and guys can have a flyer or a dud accordingly. Players who’ve done well there haven’t necessarily done well when picked for Australia months later – take Lynn or Short. As for coming in late and down the order, Wade has played some gems for Australia in ODIs doing exactly that. His BBL work is replicating what he’s done in the other format.
Why Matthew Wade is better off not playing for Australia
G’day Bushy. I meant Liebke, not me.
While confusion reigns, Sri Lanka could knock off Australia at home
My only takeaway from this is that you’re annoyed at a satirist for making fun of things.
While confusion reigns, Sri Lanka could knock off Australia at home
The schedule wasn’t to do with India not wanting to play at the Gabba, it was to do with India not wanting to play a day-nighter, and CA wanting to schedule India at Adelaide regardless as a marquee game. Brisbane was the only day-night option so had to be reserved for Sri Lanka, and Brisbane draws poor crowds whatever the schedule.
While confusion reigns, Sri Lanka could knock off Australia at home
G’day Troy. My take: Head was second-highest scorer in a very low-scoring series. It flattered him. And at least half his dismissals were to horrible loose shots – caught twice in a Test at third man? That sort of approach won’t fly in England, and he can’t be retained if he doesn’t show he’s learned from it. I like him as a player, but he’s a long long way from having nailed down a spot.
While confusion reigns, Sri Lanka could knock off Australia at home
Yep, people are unusually united on the question by now. It’s only fair to give him a shot.
In the face of public anger, Australia's selectors finally back down
Thanks Spruce – it was a pretty hectic schedule touring South Africa and then getting the book done, so I’m glad you enjoyed it.
In the face of public anger, Australia's selectors finally back down
They can, in theory, and they almost never do. Which indicates that the short-pitched bowling referred to in the original post is legitimate.
Australian greats can't see the 'good hard cricket' lie
I think there’s a huge amount of that: justifying their own eras and legacies. Because the honesty about Australian cricket’s flaws exposes the flaws in their eras and leadership. There are plenty of Williamson-type examples through the game’s history, at all levels. The myth about aggro being necessary is just about people justifying their self-indulgence.
Australian greats can't see the 'good hard cricket' lie
Yeah, the fetishisation of it came with Waugh. My guess is that Whateley was referring to a period where Clarke tried to regenerate it, to fake it, after it had died away for a while. And Clarke was certainly the one who started winding up Warner and defending him whenever he went wrong.
Australian greats can't see the 'good hard cricket' lie
Thanks Mitcher. If we needed one simple definition, I’d say talking about someone’s cricket is alright. Talking about anything else probably isn’t. And if you’d be embarrassed to have your comment picked up on a stump mic, you shouldn’t be saying it.
Australian greats can't see the 'good hard cricket' lie
Agree with that point. A team full of great players doing what they do is a fair bit more demoralising than if they mouth off in the process. That only serves to put an asterisk next to their achievements.
Australian greats can't see the 'good hard cricket' lie
“Stood up to a player who was bullying his teammate” is a good gag. Anderson was bullying Bailey while batting at No.11, on his own surrounded by 11 opponents, with one wicket to fall to lose the Test, facing Mitchell Johnson in the dark. Mmm-kay.
I agree with your other points, though.
Australian greats can't see the 'good hard cricket' lie
Thanks James. It seems like a lot of the people involved are deliberately vague about the nature of what gets said and what’s ok.
Australian greats can't see the 'good hard cricket' lie
Short-pitched bowling is part of the game. Batting is balancing the need to protect your wicket, add to your score, and preserve your safety. It’s not about the danger of the action. It’s that the cricket part of cricket is kind of necessary. Mouthing off isn’t.
Australian greats can't see the 'good hard cricket' lie
There have been 19 successful chases of more than 322 runs in Test history, across 2300 Test matches. Saying that Australia didn’t succeed because they weren’t ‘tough’ enough is … just silly, really.
Australian greats can't see the 'good hard cricket' lie
Hazlewood may open the bowling, but I’d still argue his role is closer to Siddle’s. Play the straight man, give nothing away, support the two more attacking bowlers. He fulfils that role with a bit more venom than Siddle did, but it’s still basically the same job. Cummins comes on to push for wickets and bowl express.
Ashes to Ashes: Would Mitchell Johnson's Ashes team beat Mitchell Starc's?
Merry Christmas to you too, James. Hope it was a corker and you’re watching some cricket.
Ashes to Ashes: Would Mitchell Johnson's Ashes team beat Mitchell Starc's?
Agreed, Rogers played a number of important innings in that series. And suited Warner well as a partner.
Ashes to Ashes: Would Mitchell Johnson's Ashes team beat Mitchell Starc's?
A little something to wash down that chip on your shoulder…
Don't be fooled - we've just seen the last WACA Test
“The author” didn’t rewrite anything. The author was at the ground watching it live, and relayed what he observed.
Glorious. Mediocre. Sublime. That's the story of the 2019 Ashes