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The life of a young Test cricket fan

ikejeffo16 new author
Roar Rookie
27th March, 2017
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One of Test cricket's most famous scenes occurred at Edgbaston - the ground housing the third Test of this year's Ashes. (AFP PHOTO/ALESSANDRO ABBONIZIO)
ikejeffo16 new author
Roar Rookie
27th March, 2017
17

As a teenager, I am often questioned by people about my love of Test cricket.

Whether it’s friends from school or teachers catching me on the cricket websites when I’m meant to be doing work, the questions are frequent. From the comments on how boring it is to the complaints on how long it goes for, I get asked about why I love this game so much.

It’s quite simple. It is the gentleman’s sport. I took my mate to the third day of the Test match here in Adelaide against South Africa last year. A rabid Adelaide United fan, he had never been to a day of Test cricket, his only knowledge was stuff he had learnt off me.

South Africa had hit a boundary and the entire stadium applauded, he looked at me confused, he asked me “Why are they clapping? They’re on the other team”.

I simply answered “It’s Test cricket”.

I’ve grown up in three eras of Test cricket. The Ponting era, the Clarke era and now the Smith era. As a kid I grew up watching Aussie legends like Ricky Ponting, Michael Hussey, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne, Matt Hayden.

There were two players that entertained me like nothing else, Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee. I loved watching the batsmen make runs but watching the fast bowlers run in and bowl with such pace and accuracy was enthralling.

Lee was my idol, I watched every over he bowled, watching every movement. When we played in the backyard I would try to bowl like him and whenever I got my dad or my uncle out I would do his famous chainsaw celebration that I saw so often.

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I see Brett Lee as my idol but I see Glenn McGrath as my teacher. Playing junior cricket in the suburbs of Adelaide on immaculate green top pitches is a dream for a fast bowler. I make sure to put every ball on the top of off stump because that’s how the best bowlers do it. Since McGrath it has been Ryan Harris and Josh Hazlewood bowling in this manner.

Australia's Ryan Harris, Mitchell Johnson and Nathan Lyon. (AAP Image/Paul Miller)

The Clarke era is most memorable for the 2013-14 Ashes series. That Ashes was the series that cemented my love for Test cricket. The way that Harris would bowl every ball line and length perfect, the way Dave Warner would pick apart the English attack from the first ball.

It was a memorable series for every cricket fan in this country. The third Ashes whitewash of all time.

During the end of the Clarke era and the beginning of the Smith era, something big happened for cricket – the BBL went big. Channel Ten broadcasting every game live and free was massive as previously the competition gained little to no interest, the only problem was that people infatuated with T20 cricket wanted nothing to do with Test cricket.

The number of people complaining about the boring and long games of Test cricket became even more numerous because they had all seen the fast paced, six-filled, action-packed BBL. The BBL, is not cricket at it’s true form and I stand by that statement.

Test cricket is the best form of the best sport in the world, that is something that many people can debate me on but I will always stand by that statement. There is no sport in the world that has the quality that Test cricket has, it is impossible for any other sport to compete.

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If you have read this entire article, thank you. I am just a 14-year-old boy who has a passion for writing, this means a lot to me especially since this is my first piece.

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