One of the major narratives coming out of the First Ashes Test in Brisbane was the supposedly ugly end to the game, with English fast bowler Jimmy Anderson and Australian skipper Michael Clarke involved in a couple of heated discussions on the pitch.
At one point, the stump microphone picked up Clarke telling Anderson that he should “get ready for a broken arm” before facing Mitchell Johnson. He may have also added some colourful language just to reinforce the point.
Considering the heat with which Johnson was bowling, it was actually a fairly astute observation from Clarke.
In fact, after witnessing the venom with which Johnson was hurling down missiles, I had just tweeted “Mitchell Johnson is going to kill someone in Perth”, in reference to the fact the WACA pitch is even more accommodating to pace bowling than The Gabba.
So I therefore wholeheartedly agreed that Anderson would have been wise to show caution when facing the fired up left-arm quick.
Yet we all know that what Clarke was really trying to do was get inside Anderson’s head, along with letting him know that it was no tea party out in the middle of the ground.
A few minutes earlier, Clarke had grown frustrated by Joe Root’s time wasting, with some amateur lip reading suggesting that he had ordered England’s number six to “face up”, while labelling him with a nickname of the sexually active kitty-cat persuasion.
Along with George Bailey getting into some lively banter with Anderson while fielding in close, and a few other chirps from the Australians, it ensured that some people thought the Aussies were being bullies and had returned to winning in ugly and boorish fashion.
What absolute garbage.
I honestly can’t believe that some people wanted to focus on this ‘angle’. It suggests that said pundits know nothing about cricket, or are so sensitive that they should be wrapped up in cotton wool and protected from the real world.
It’s ridiculous that anyone had an issue with the Aussies giving Anderson some verbal hand grenades.
The English seamer would be placed extremely high on the list of international cricket’s biggest sledgers. He’s always chirping, always niggling, and always getting in the ear of Australian batsmen.
In fact, in Australia’s first innings, he went dangerously close to crossing the line when he attempted to (literally) get in Michael Clarke’s face. He invaded the Aussie skipper’s personal space while delivering a few choice words that certainly didn’t look like Christmas present suggestions.
Such acts ensure that when Anderson walks to the crease, he comes in for special attention. And so it was no different on Sunday afternoon, as Australia went about making life very uncomfortable for him.
It would appear they did a good job of it too, with Anderson clearly bothered by all the chit-chat the Aussies sent his way. The Lancashire quick certainly gave the impression that he’s comfortable dishing it out, but decidedly less snug in taking it. In some quarters, that’s called being a hypocrite.
Far from Australia being bullies, this was a case of actually standing up to the bully, and giving him some stick back. For too long Australia have allowed both Anderson and the other English players to dominate them, both mentally and physically.
No more.
England are facing a confident team on their home soil. A team emboldened by coach Darren Lehmann’s no-nonsense approach.
A team sick of losing, and particularly angered by their lack of Ashes success of late. A team prepared to fight fire with fire when it comes to Anderson and his cohorts’ verbal assaults.
The victory and the intensity set the tone for the series: Australia will be no pushovers this time around.
In return for giving Anderson some of his own medicine, Michael Clarke has since been fined 20% of his match fee, providing more evidence that the ICC is heavily invested in addressing the big issues in world cricket.
As I remove my tongue from my cheek, I’ll add that the only thing Clarke did wrong was to have the audio of his sledge picked up by the stump mic. I’d bet my mortgage that much worse was said at other times during the game, but simply went undetected.
In my opinion, nothing that was said or done during the Brisbane game was offensive or ugly in any way. Well, apart from England’s batting displays.
It was good, hard, intense cricket, and at times a little bit fiery. If you don’t like that, go watch tiddlywinks.
This is Test Match cricket, not a cuddle convention.
Clyde Monk
Roar Rookie
Considering I reside in the UK and have done for the past 9 years, thats a very dangerous presumption Bigjohn. I work almost entirely with Brits and Irish. I thoroughly enjoy most sport, have traveled widely to watch it, and dont mind the banter that goes along with it. Could the difference in your experience possibly be that you had children in your presence? I never said the English weren't generally well behaved.. But lets face it.. a fella with kids isn't going to be laid into are they! That said, the notion that the English public en masse show goodwill toward Australian sporting teams is pure fabrication and a cop out statement.
JimmyB
Guest
No worries mate, no need to apologise.
CoverPoint
Guest
Jimmy, as an Australian, I offer my apologies for the bigoted comments . It seems some of the posters here are very Juvenile. Instead of discussing the issues as they are meant to, they attack the poster. A few bad apples are regular offenders making it unpleasant for the rest.
JimmyB
Guest
By unwashed, do you mean England? I've never said that Australia or Australian's are uncultured, I think you may be projecting there mate. Brendon, no one likes losing, but I came on here straight after Australia won and congratulated you guys and your team on a very comprehensive victory. The English, whether you guys like it or not, are better at losing than you, because we've had much more practice at it. However, I'd suggest that neither side have covered themselves in glory in victory. I don't think that I can be much clearer in my meaning than in my previous posts, but if you choose not to believe my sentiments, that's entirely up to you.
Bigjohn
Guest
And how many sporting events have you attended in England, involving Australian teams. Soccer is the only sport I did not see when I was working over there. In my case , I found that their supporters enjoyed the games, and got over anything that happened pretty quickly. Never felt threatened or concerned even when with my children . I presume that you did not get t your failure and humiliation comment from personal experience.
Tinfoil Hat
Guest
How old are you? 70 +? Fu@k is a key part of Australian culture - be it at the beach, in corporations or in sport. Wash your son's mouth out with soap? So you don't like a word but are comfortable with physically torturing a child on a regular basis. Sick, sick man. You must be religious.
moaman
Guest
Jimmy-Anderson is a sook----I watched him pretty closely during the recent Eng-NZ series and he seemed very petulant indeed whenever things didn't go completely his way....
Ryan O'Connell
Expert
Haha! G'day Bill! Yes, the old man certainly like to pepper his coaching with a few expletives! Perhaps that's why I'm not overly worried about Clarke's sledge?!
Bill
Guest
Ha Ha Ryan, I played ball with you under your father. It was a very influential time in my life. Not sure my ball skills improved much but my vocabulary was certainly "expanded" ;-)
nachos supreme
Guest
Very few of these guys seem to be that clever. I mean they know what they're trying to say but they don't have the big words outside of a sound bite. So mix that with the adrenalin/frustration of the moment and they're bound to say something that doesn't read that well, he got his point across though. . For sure Cricket has it's folklore, full of pithy quips that is handed down through the generations but when you think of the hundreds of hours a year of test cricket played and all the chat that goes with that, there's seems to be precious little of it worth writing down.
JimmyB
Guest
Botham is probably in a little vineyard somewhere topping up his cellar. As far as I'm aware Warne tweeted that Anderson threatened to punch Bailey, then he deleted it seconds/minutes later. It very well may be true, but as I've said he's not particularly reliable. He also used it as the reason why Clarke (his BFF) got involved. Unfortunately the Adelaide test is still some way off, so the faux war will carry on until we get back into a meaningful match situation again. I genuinely hope that we will be able to focus on the cricket, but I suspect that the antipathy that has built up between the two teams will spill over again.
brendon the 1st
Guest
Or could it be you are a one eyed English fan that doesn't like losing to the uncultured? Fair enough to I say, passion is a good thing. Really Jimmy, I wonder if your comments would be the same if the unwashed had won?
AlanKC
Guest
I'm reasonably certain that had Warne's been lying at least one of the English commentators (I'd nominate Botham as first cab off the rank) would have said so by now. The fact that the most that has been said was by Bumble simply underlines it.
brendon the 1st
Guest
Would you like a tissue Tom?
AlanKC
Guest
It happens from Z grade all the way up.
AlanKC
Guest
Pieterson tapping his ears and saying loudly ‘I can’t hear you, I can’t hear you mate’ reminds me so much of my 4 year old with her fingers in her ears and squealing rather than listen to what she was being told... Just more ammunition really.
AlanKC
Guest
I thought the delay came from Ian Chappell's "faux pas x 2" many years ago.
brendon the 1st
Guest
Someone call the fun police, Grandpa's just taken offence to a naughty word. Chill out mate, it's just a word
AlanKC
Guest
I wouldn't say that any of the written accounts of Clarke's personality and or problems have been objective, generally they seem to have been written by someone with either an axe to grind or a barrow to push.
brendon the 1st
Guest
They looked pretty scared to me Sheek, I see no problem with Warner saying it, the fact that it appeared to work as a sledge and then he went out and smashed some runs makes it A-ok in my book. Good on him, in this particular instance at least.