The lingering haze that is the Australian summer of cricket continues, where the Australians methodically dominate the visiting side, the visitors finding themselves suddenly exposed in the blazing southern sun, and all just not going right for the foreign big stars.
Australians find this exciting. They like to see their Aussies win. I don’t. It bores me.
It bores me by its predictability, the constant repetition, season after season, the winning, the easy winning, and the huge gap in scores by the end of the first innings.
It’s all capped off by the ensuing constant gratification of the public, the love of watching Australia win so easily.
I liken it to the child, who gains only pleasure out of winning. How the child wins makes no difference to the pleasure of winning. Cheating, unfair conditions, made up rules to suit, doesn’t matter, a win means smiles.
In Australian cricket it’s the same; win means smiles.
I wonder if the opposition had to play with only three in the field, would the public notice anything wrong, would it irritate them or would they just still cheer madly, Australia wins, ‘woop woop’?
It’s like Orwell’s 1984, where the public love their government despite obvious reasons not to, buying the hype and just not thinking about it too much.
Yes the hype, it worsens the condition, especially with the English, ‘they’ll put up a good fight’. Of course they don’t. But it’s always promised.
Remember the last Ashes series here? Same story, and the Aussies went on to white wash the most boring series of cricket I have ever seen in my life. The public loved it.
And here we go again.
I sit here and watch this dominating batting period of Hussey and Haddin, middle order centuries for both of them, they’ve put on some 250 runs or something. Some good solid methodical constructive batting innings. The bowlers have lost the edge from a small period of something. The sun burns at their necks, all confidence is gone.
It spells the death of hope of a contest and I reach for my medication, the ones that sedate me, for my fear this might just happen has come true, again, and I get aggravated. I hope I’m wrong, hope its just false pessimism, but it hasn’t been for some 15 years now, one tends to lose hope.
I know, I know, you’ll bring up examples of fine cricket by visiting sides, South Africa won here didn’t they? Good, but so what, it hardly represented a decline in Australian dominance. There’s been a few blips on the heart monitor that competitive cricket may return, but nothing more than that.
In fact, most visiting big names fail in Australia. Sachin, never did too much here, I’d have to say I’m largely unfamiliar with his apparent batting prowess. Murali, the world leading wicket taker, never did anything here at all.
Lara was the last visitor to make a spectacular impact here, and I don’t get the feeling we are going to see the likes of those performances soon.
Most seem to loath this now apparent decline, that the Aussies are no good no more. The drop to fifth in ranking (not a statistic I believe neither), Pup not maturing accordingly, bowling crisis, all this bad stuff.
I was hoping it was real, because only then can cricket fully recover in interest stakes. That is, when we get a decent competition.
A battling Australian side is far more appealing than the methodically effective one it is now. These Aussies, they are somehow just so… boring.
And just a footnote, was that Ian Healy in character as that ancient cricketer? That’s not embarrassing at all if you were wondering, just funny.
Geoff Lemon
Expert
I thought we were only supposed to be served goose on Christmas day? Tendulkar has scored six hundreds and five fifties in Australia, including at least one century on every tour he's been on. You must have been hiding under the bed. Not to mention England racking up 1/517 on the same day you wrote this piece...
Sports Writer
Guest
For the sake of The Roar, please, I beg you, take your ridiculous opinions somewhere else
Republican
Guest
Cricket as with many sports is suffering from over exposure. Yes, it is a game that to the uninitiated, appears boring, but so too does American Football and Baseball. Cricket now has three version of itself and supporters can follow these all year round. I believe this over exposure is one significant influence on an increasingly disaffected public. Consumerism is an affliction of epidemic proportion throughout the developed world and sport is NO exception. We are prosaic in our insatiable obsession for more of everything, however we so often compromise the substance and quality of experience or product for want of a better word, to this end. We are a culture that would benefit greatly from slowing down from time to time, in watching the grass grow/wither over the course of a five day aging pitch - to be sure.
David
Guest
Stupidest article ever. Australia has no dominance anymore in world cricket? Australian fans aren't flocking to the stadium to cheer anymore as we're getting low numbers of attendance. Do you even follow cricket at all?
chop
Guest
That was 5 minutes of my life I'll never get back....Have you ever walked off a sporting field after being beaten and thought it was good for the game? Why should professional cricketers playing for their country? But yes it was Healy dressed up.
Crazy Dave
Guest
So, I guess you enjoyed the 1st Ashes Test then....? And I guess you spoke too early about Australia dominating cricket.... especially seeing as we aren't even No.1. in the rankings anymore....
Nambucco Deliria
Guest
517-1 shpuld have had you stimulated then?
Phil Osopher
Guest
What are you people talking about? Im primarily talking about the summer of cricket in Australia here, not your tours overseas. Says that first paragraph. Right here in this country, the cricket that most of the australian public actually watch, its the only cricket on free to air tv save the english ashes. This last 3 year period you all talk about, that Australia has been a lightweight, what has happened on our fatal shore in that period? 09/10 West Indies demolished, Pakistan demolished, 08/09 NZ walkover, South Africa beat us, 07/08 Sri Lanka, walkover, India beat, not really that close either. So there's one loss in 3 years, and if that satisfies your need for competition than you're easily pleased, and if you dont call that dominance then I just dont know really. Your gloom that Australia has lost a few recently has perhaps allowed you to forget that, but that may happen when you love watching Australia win. Secondly the reference is to the last 15 or so years. Im talking about history, your talking about very modern history. In that modern history period you have become traumatised by the losses Australia has suffered on tour. Despite these losses they have always dominated at home, and bored us all - well me anyway, everyone else seems to enjoy it - to tears, this is the point.
Lolly
Guest
Has this article been in moderation for four years?
Black Diamonds
Guest
Struggling to comprehend this article - as are others. Last time Australia played Pakistan - we lost, and couldn't beat them in a series Last time Austrlalia played Pakistan in Australia - we only won because they threw the game! If they hadn't thrown that game - we'd have been toast, no doubt about it. Last time we played England - we lost, yep, we lost the Ashes. 2/3 times we've lost the Ashes now, could soon be 3/4. Last time we played Sri Lanka - which was here in Australia, we lost the ODI series. Last time we played South Africa here - we lost. Couldn't get them out - a familiar story. Last time we played India we lost - in India. Last time we played them here, we couldn't beat them - the series was drawn, and we were lucky to escape with a draw. Where on Earth is this "dominance" you speak of? I haven't seen it for about 3 years! - Yes, the 2006/07 Ashes!
Betty B
Guest
yes, fabulous batting - but shows the mentality. They could have had a fair crack at a win with a more positive attitude (read earlier declaration), but they're happy with the draw. I actually thought this article was about the NSW rugby league side, but their dominance is about as dated as the writers views.
Fisher Price
Guest
Well, I happen to love the game. Now if you don't mind, I've got a very important article to read.
M1tch
Roar Guru
For England to bat 2 days and only lose 1 wicket (i think easily) could have happened, I thought that would hurt australia more.. England will take this as a win for them no doubt, 1-517 incredible
Ben
Guest
Decent chance of that happening with Aus' mental state right now, depends if Aus go out all guns blazing trying to reach the target, although it looks like Ponting is playing for the draw, would have liked to have seen Aus just go for it, draw is almost as bad as a loss for Aus at this stage.
M1tch
Roar Guru
Could they take 10 wickets in 40 overs? I highly doubt it, although 1 down so far..
Ben
Guest
England want to win it, declaring after tea wouldn't have given them enough time to bowl them out.
M1tch
Roar Guru
296 from 43 overs..me thinks aussies can still win, england shouldnt have declared until after tea!
oikee
Guest
The only people who find this exciting is the 1000 poms who bothered to turn up at the Gabba today, unfortunately. Lets face facts, the deals have been done, the corparates have gone back to work, the people who really follow cricket are out in their masses today at the Gabba, which is Buckley's and none, not a women in site. Cricket is as boring as watching paint dry in the summertime. The Gabba today, after the corparates had their meetings, done their deals, and come Monday, could not care less about the game, is all there to enjoy now, a few drunken poms on tour downunder, thats it, have a look. Lets be honest. I am not down on cricket, it's a great pastime, sport is sport, cricket, golf, and other sports, even tennis, are becoming less attractive. Sport in general had better pull its fingers out, i want to be entertained, if you think i am down on this sport, go look at my posts on rugby league, it's also is turning into a boring sport. At least at the cricket you get the Barmy army to keep you amused. Apart from that, its dead. Australia should learn from America, at least with their football, they keep the crowd intertained. Something that Australia has not yet embraced, but i can guaratee, they will. I sat at the 4 nations final a few weeks ago and nearly fell asleep. What would a sheilla do at the cricket, sunbake. Let's being honest.
Whites
Guest
No. I suspect (b).
Walt
Guest
When I read an article on cricket, I would like to assume that the writer actually has some idea about the sport. It is now clear that at the acme of annual cricket excitement for Australians, The Roar doesnt have enough contributors - so we end up getting articles like this.