England Did What?

After five months of indifference and performances at the World Cup that a room full of mood disorders would be proud of, England managed to do in twenty five overs of the last afternoon of their first Test against Sri Lankan, what they haven't been able to do in fifty overs of the ODI which have been their sole diet since thrashing Australia last southern summer.

Without Jimmy Anderson and starting their last ditch assault at the Sri Lankans even later than the rain dictated so that Ian Bell could be allowed to raise his thirteen Test hundred, England never the less prevailed thanks largely to inspired spells from Chris Tremlet and Graham Swann, inept batting the Sri Lankans who managed to conjure one of the worst cases of knee trembling imaginable and some creative umpiring from the third umpire, Australian Rod Tucker.

It was another Cardiff day, much the same as the previous four in the context of the cricket. The first session was lost to rain and most of the second but England did resume, finally, at 3pm and Bell wasted little of the time left getting to his hundred with a four glided between the slips and gully and Andrew Strauss declared. The pundits in the various media centres were already groaning about the twenty minutes wasted but then as whingers go, the English media are Peers without peer - never happy to be happy it seems.

Tremlett took the new ball in Anderson's place and in just eight deliveries he had the panic buttons under index fingers in the pavilion as first the obdurate Paranavitana from the first innings edged a low one to Strauss at first slip and then Dilshan, a man of enormous experience and attacking acumen, had bat, gloves, pads and anything else in a great mess and somehow managed to get the ball back to Tremlett in his follow through, apparently from the gloves. Still, with 2-33 at tea and Sri Lanka's best players at the crease and a deficit of only sixty three, this was a match playing nicely to its script and heading for an interesting draw.

Then the first turning point. Five balls after tea, Mahela Jayawardene stretched forward perhaps a little lazily and Tremlett's delivery went to Strauss at slip via the outside edge. This was a body blow for Sri lanka. Swann removed Samaraweera three overs later. Always at you, Swann kept pushing him back until he misjudged, went back to a ball too full and edged onto his stumps. The second body blow came in Swann's next over when the England offie removed Sangakkara with a pearler which was edged to Strauss for his third catch at slip. World's best bowler removes world's best batsman?

Rod Tucker's involvement was justified in the end by technology as yet not accepted for use in referrals. First innings century maker Prassana Jayawardene was marched on review for apparently brushing the ball from his glove to Prior from Tremlett. There was no apparent movement in replays and hotspot was inconclusive. However, as in the first innings when sending Sangakkara, Tucker ruled in favour of the bowler on the noise he heard in the effects mike. Both times, after the event, Sniko proved him right but its a dangerous precedent to uphold, even for an umpire who has a 97% accuracy rate with close calls.

In the end, Sri Lanka gave up the game losing their last eight wickets in just 12 overs after tea. Herath's shot was a disgrace, wildly hoicking across the line to Swann and only Perera's four 4's looked likely to make England bat again until he was snuffed out by a splendid Bell catch at short leg. Each of their players must forever have this match, one where they scored 400 in the first innings, lost nearly eight sessions to rain and still lost by an innings, as a permanent stain on their record. In much the same way as a wayward shot by Damien Martyn against South Africa in Sydney haunted him, this result should haunt them.

For England, their reputation grows. Teams that win from impossible positions always get better because of it. Their strength is such that they can carry Pietersen until the next time the mood takes him and so also with Swann, who was sporadic last Ashes summer, much like Longfellow's little girl. In the first innings he did little, turned little, achieved little and yet, in the second innings he was killer sharp.

Everything smells like roses in Strauss' neighbourhood but to the victor, they say ...

Wet Weather, Dry Tracks

England marched on despite losing three hours of the 4th Day to rain and have ensured they can't lose and Sri Lanka can't win. Without Anderson to swing the ball in still heavy conditions and on a pitch that turns as much as the Eyre Highway, even Swann will be hard pressed to make an impact on the Sri Lankan's after lunch tomorrow.

Cook went not long after the late resumption, out in a familiar way, caught behind cutting at a ball too close to him, sending the keeper, Jayawardene, sprawling to take an excellent low diving catch to his left. This has often been Cook's demise, it's just that he puts so many more runs and batting minutes between dismissal events now. Pietersen came and went, unhappy with having misjudged a ball that shot through from outside off to hit pad first or unhappy with the decision or unhappy with himself ... only the replay proved conclusive. As is so often the case with Pietersen, the source of his unhappiness is as obscure as the cure. All that can be said with certainty is that with pancakes piled high upon his plate, he chose to eat the tablecloth ... oh and that Herath is another slow left armer to send him back to the pavilion in a state of joylessness.

Trott and Bell then went on and on in the protracted 40 over last session at a time of day when a lot of cricket is played in England. They added 160 in 47 overs and had it not been for Bell's acceleration, the scoring rate would have been even slower. Trott is relentless. In style and even looks he reminds one of Dear Geoffrey but his batting doesn't have the obvious self-obsession that Boycott poured into his days at the crease. For Trott, its just the way he bats: compact defence, error free accumulation. England will continue to build their reputation and success around this rock at No 3. Followed as he is by free stroke makers Pietersen, Bell, Morgan and Prior, England has a powerful batting line up - statistically at least, as good as there is in Test cricket.

What was to be a draw yesterday is still going to be a draw tomorrow.

Recent Tests

Wests Indies v Pakistan
The West Indies drew their home series against Pakistan, being soundly thrashed in the second match at Basseterre after winning a low scoring encounter at Providence. Pakistan's win came after they were the only side in the series to make more than 300 in an innings and set up a bridge too far for the weakened West Indies batting line-up. While his side collapsed four times in as many innings, Chris Gayle, like some modern day Nero, watched while the Caribbean burned, more intent on making sure he is well paid. He has a point in that West Indies cricketers are the worst remunerated Test cricketers but to be captain and stand aside whilst your team dies is a concept beyond most.

Devandra Bishoo was the interesting debutant for the Windies. I wonder how long it has been, if ever, that a leg spinner wearing the maroon cap and palm tree badge has bowled the most overs in a home series ? Sure his strike rate isn't marvellous and his average only so-so but nine wickets at 3 runs an over is a fair return for a leggie on those small grounds and against men with not only a heritage of good spinners but a knowledge and willingness to attack them.

For the tourists, Skipper Misbah-ul-Haq was again the stand out batsman. He oozes class in the same way Majid Khan and Zaheer Abass did in the seventies. Despite drawing the series, Pakistan dominated the West Indies batsmen through the off spin of Saeed Ajmal, the left arm orthodox of Abdur Rehman and more offies from Mohammad Hafeez. Even though the West Indies fielded experience in Chanderpaul, Samuels and Sarwon, their batsmen were almost lost at sea against the Pakistani trio.

England v Sri Lanka

In the first of a series of cricket showdowns over the next six months, England and Sri Lanka have started a three Test series in the Mother Country at Cardiff. The weather has played a large role already with three sessions lost to rain and darkness by the end of the third day. Baring catastrophe, the match is headed for a draw after most of the Sri Lankans made contributions in their 400, although a guiding hand by Prassana Jayawardene lifted Sri Lanka to a decent score in the face of some very good swing bowling by James Anderson. England had to make several starts but it was a resumption from where Jonathon Trott and Alastair Cook left off against the Aussies last summer as both initially ground the bowlers down and then tore them apart adding 139 in the final session of Day 3. With only two days left, James Anderson unlikely to bowl again with a strained side and the weather still threatening, the sides will go to Lords square next week.


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A Lost Mate

Generally speaking I use The Cricketragics as a vehicle for the airing of views about first class and international cricket, always with a broader view of what the great game means, but this week, I among others which included many friends and his very closely knit family, said farwell to Bede Ryan, a mate from my playing days back in Armidale. Where I believe licence is due is that not only did this bloke provide two sons to Sydney 1st Grade cricket (Paul to St George and Daniel to Wests) but there is no one I have know who had a better sense of the spirit of the game than Bede and certainly no one who worked harder to promote its ideals. If a salute to his life doesn't belong on this website, then very little else does. Whilst the cricket world salutes Terry Jenner, the rest of us with our feet wet in the basic gene pools of the game will applaude this extraordinary common man's innings.

Bede Ryan 1939-2011

It’s a long way from an austere Uralla orchard on the verge of WWII to the warming sunshine of a late autumn in Brisbane this week. For Bede Ryan, it was a journey he celebrated with friends and family as we gathered in farewell. Unlike most, it was not work or success at sport which was prominent in making his life of note but rather the quality of the relationships he achieved and generously maintained.

In the mid 1950’s, he was just sixteen, a stripling and the youngest of a brood of nine. He was already a fine sportsman but had his sharp eyes – his Bedey Eyes in fact – fixed on a spot in the Air Force but the death of his father took away that dream. He had to run the farm.

Bede’s reputation as a cricketer was earned. His flair and natural ability took him into first grade with the dominant Uralla at just 17, in a team of bonafide stars. Bede never forgot the impact older Uralla players had at a time when Uralla fielded two 1st grade sides. By the early 1960’s, he had formed a strong opening partnership with Wally Taylor, regularly peeling off three figure opening stands, including 329 against Waratahs on a February afternoon in 1962.

Bede would later play for St Peters and Waratahs, where he made stacks of runs, took plenty of wickets and won premierships but like most of the talented, the stats meant very little. His main endeavours were directed into developing young players, but with Bede it was more than skills that were taught. As he had learned so he sought to teach and young bloods were painted rich portraits about the game and their responsibility as its new custodians.

In his last days, many of those who sent messages of love and support to him and his family were these same young men who were smart enough to listen on their way to manhood. That alone speaks of his success.

Like many, my experience of Bede Ryan was of a man of great humour, strongly held ideals who didn’t suffer fools but gave them every chance not to become one. He was an honourable man. He was a mate.

Of course he loved golf and his beloved Dragons and most sports but he invested his core in something far more important.

The real story of Bede Ryan can be told by anyone he was close to. At his funeral, sons Paul and Daniel spoke of the simple things a man loves and pursues and symbols of Bede’s were placed as reminders – his dog’s collar, flowers from his garden, his rosary beads and prayer book, a signed canvas by family and friends, a cricket cap and his St.George Illawara Dragons scarf.

Bede leaves wife Denise, children Paul, Louise and Daniel and their families with the legacy his fierce and loyal love created and sustained right until the final ball was bowled. His legacy was in their words, their actions and all over their faces – a legacy we would all envy. It was in the wonderfully fitting touches which so typify the close knit Ryan’s.

After all the words were said and his soul farewelled to God, those present lined the start of his final journey, each with a red or a white balloon in hand. As the hearse crept past, “When The Saints Going Marching In” boomed from it in New Orleans jazz style and seventy five people applauded his innings, then released the balloons in the same manner in which we had just let Bede go and they rose and rose, caught on the breeze and gradually faded from view.

The memories never will.

Speaking Of A Long Lunch ...

It must be a long time since world cricket has had a four month break from Tests cricket but as Pakistan and West Indies prepare to reignite the long game, Australians still have a long time to wait before we can watch the existing skipper, Michael Clarke, in his "new" role.

In the Caribbean, two sides who have been racked with controversy and inner turmoil for longer than the NSW Labor Party, begin a two Test series. As hard as it is to imagine, its Pakistan that appear the most settled and their skipper Misbah-ul-Haq worry free. After a five match one day series in which a Shahid Afridi led Pakistan won 3-2, the tourists have played just one tour match - a two day game game against the Guyanian President's XI. Mishbah peeled of a 132 ball unbeaten hundred as each side batted just once. Its on the basis of these six games that both sides now enter a Tests series. Such is the nature of the modern game.

The West Indies are again all over the shop with Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo and Keiron Pollard refusing to sign player contracts, claiming the contracts would limit their options to make money in other more lucrative parts of the world game. As a result, they have not been invited to play in Providence. Add to the missing, Jerome Taylor, the quick bowler who killed off in England in 90 minutes the last time the The Three Lions toured in 2009. He'd rather play in the IPL. Chanderpaul has been recalled after he was dropped from the one day side, showing at least some common sense is possible after he has averaged 68 in Tests since 2007 but the Windies batting looks brittle.

Pakistan are a long way from being convincing with the willow themselves and the match boils down to which side's bowlers can cause the most damage to the other sides shaky batting line up. The West Indies will likely give the leg spinner Bishoo his Test debut after he was the leading wicket taker in the ODI series but it is the composition of the bowling line up which is causing them the most worry. Sarwan has long been out of form but the side needs his experience. Marlon Samuels may return after three years on the outer after a dalliance with book makers. All of this makes for problems about where to bat wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh. In strengthening the batting, the bowling loses variety and depth.

The match beings tonight Australian time.