"We're gone, mate": Inter-generational ecstasy and agony as an Australian cricket fan

Great reflection. My father and I barely got on but cricket was something we could talk about without too many blows exchanged. I do remember that depressing period in the mid eighties when Wood and Darling opened the batting, Hogg and Hurst the bowling. Seemed not much was going right for Australia except Allan Border's stoic batting. My father and I were equally depressed during that time.

Ten plus year olds are indeed amateurs, Jeff, who wear their favourite players name and number on their back when spectating. When p!aying they want to emulate those heroes and score the winning run, make a match winning contribution, take the winning wicket, be in the partnership which stops the opposition bowling them out. Under 12’s up are all aware who has scored the most runs, taken a bag and all rush to the scorer afterwards to ‘see their names in lights’, confirming they made 25 with 4 fours before being forced to retire. I know that from coaching, umpiring, scoring, as I’m sure you have too. The love for the game will not infect every kid who plays, because some are forced out there by zealous parents, but by Under 12’s understanding winning and that you can lose can be taught on field. As can the fact that some days your best effort won’t lead to a win, which as we’re both aware, is a life lesson too, unteachable on a game console with a replay button. Sport administrators have couched all volunteer participation in accreditation now, so the sportsmanship required for children to learn the acceptable responses to success, defeat and team orientation are in the hands of coaches as is the ability to discipline if poor sportsmanship is displayed, such as rubbing anyones nose in anything. As I said in my original post, the concept of cricket as a target driven past-time doesn’t have to preclude sportsmanship. Impressionable kids can be taught, especially when they want to succeed, but by 10 they’re well and truly over saying,’Mum, Mum, I hit a 4 today!’ They do that in the backyard, the grassy hill at Drummoyne Oval, or suburban park when Dad or Mum are playing. Ironically, or is it the real point, in those scenarios they keep score and rub it in, good naturedly or not, but in organised games there’s the structure to stamp it out or mellow it if it goes from ribbing to nasty. Seems to me we’re underselling our kids ability to accept direction.

TR W, Welcome to the real world. There are plenty of Aussie sports fans like you, & not just in cricket, but especially in Rugby union also. I consider myself privileged, or do I mean lucky, to start following sport in the mid-60s, when some Aussie sports were down in the dumps. The Australian cricket team was on a slide. The Saffies smashed us for the first time in 1966/67 by 3-1. Benaud, Harvey & Davidson were now long gone & the team would hit rock bottom right on 1970, losing all 4 tests to South Africa (not to be seen again officially until 1992) & another two to England in 1970/71. But it made the dominant Aussie team of the mid-1970s, & thereafter all the more appreciated. 1970 was a bad year. The Great Britain RL Lions had a mini-renaissance, winning their last since 3 test series against the Kangaroos. But we didn't know that back then. The Wallabies were mostly woeful from 1966 through to 1974. But it made the better days to follow more appreciative, especially the golden years of 1984, 1991 & 1999. In 1969 & 1971, the Wallabies lost 7 successive tests against South Africa (again, not to be seen officially again 1993). Australian tennis was on top of the world in the mid-60s, before beginning a slow but steady slide down the pole. My first Olympics experience was 1968, a swim sprint double to Wenden, there heroics of Doubell & Norman on the track, & the arrival of a n outstanding track sprinter in Boyle. 1972 saw the brief appearance of Gould winning 3 swim medals, & the brilliant Boyle being denied a double gold by drug fuelled athletes from East Germany. But by 1976, Australia couldn't win a single gold medal. And so on it goes. I think you are very lucky if you start following sport during a downturn. because when things pick up, you're more appreciative of the success. The problem with coming into sport when the country is on top is that you get a distorted view of success, & you don't have the skills initially to deal with failure.

"In my opinion that built a desire to win – not at all costs as many view the Border to Ponting period – but that participation doesn’t cut it. It’s a past-time with an objective and apologising for winning, or administrators forcing impressionable kids above the age of 10 to play a result driven sport while not being allowed to be proud of scoring more runs than the other sides, attempts to stifle human nature." I2I, you refer to gentlemen amateurs which I take as being a reference to the past in the context of top level cricket - but aren't 10+ year old kids also just amateurs? I would dearly hope they are and view the game as "a game". So what is wrong with these kids learning to play the game (90+% of whom will never make it past 16 years of age in terms of playing competitively) in a respectful manner? I don't know where you get the view that kids scoring runs are being prevented from being proud. Re my last sentence, it wasn't about being *viewed* as great players, more-so the respect that they, or their performances, are provided with on the field at the time and thereafter. Cricket's a game. IMO, I'd rather cricket - including at the very junior (10+ age) ranks - embrace the game in the spirit of respect of the opponent and the performances/skills of their opponent/s (i.e. "the gentleman's game"), rather than go down the path of business which mostly, but not always, promotes win at all costs. Doing this doesn't equate to one not being proud of one's own performances. You just don't have to rub your opponent's nose in it when you do well.

I think I wrote the above about my husband Bernard Bruning. I know this is not intergenerational but my children have observed him and may I say some have followed in his foot steps.These comments do not restrict themselves to only cricket but flow on to AFL! Should I elaborate because I am qualified and ready..but do not wish to be an arrogant bore!

Unfortunately I am the inter generation. I grew up during the 1980’s and I never tire of Australian victory.

Different perspectives and expectations are vital to keep moving forward, TR W and different generations need to be challenged by them. Your article contributes to that debate. There will be those who snuck back in and watched the end with the sound off and the old man would never be the wiser, those that were angry the next day and vow never to be so blinkered and of course those who accepted it and do the same thing today. At the end of the day if all those personalities are able to coexist we hopefully come out with a game we all can enjoy. As we both know, that close game you spoke about wanting ('Myself, I enjoy a close match....') was actually on that night.

Good point TR. I’d only suggest that the best 10-year period, as opposed to a single decade, was 1995-2005. Also, things went downhill a bit from the Ashes loss in 2005. In fact, for me losing 5 Ashes series in 10 years 2005-2010 was as humiliating as that bad period in the mid-80s ((When we had excuses - ie the rebel tours to SA).

Sorry Paul, I'm no anarchist, but you seriously can't look at selections based on gentlemen amateurs being the custodians of the game mapping out the next session over luncheon, while their professional teammates have their working class meal in a separate room and see a genteel game of camaraderie? Neither was the pre WWII division of Protestant - Catholic. I don't understand your final sentence either, while conceding I detest the fluoro vests running all over crowd acknowledgement of a ton or 5fa, great players of the last 30-40 years have been touted as amongst the all time greats with Viv, Warne, Murali, Sachin, Lara, Gilchrist, McGrath, Kallis in the conversation as all time greats and innovators of the game.

A brilliant performance by Stokes to get England the win but Australia did so much wrong in that last session. Bowling tactics. Letting Stokes get off strike so often on the 5th ball of the over and leaving Leach with only 1 ball to face. Poor use of DRS (what were they thinking when they were trying to bowl Leach behind his legs, the ball was always going to be pitching outside leg). Dropped catch. Missed run out. Sitting at home, watching on TV it was incredibly frustrating. I can only imagine what it was like at the ground.

Yep - stoopid Headingley.

The Don IS TR W's grandfather. So that would make sense.

I"t’s a past-time with an objective and apologising for winning, or administrators forcing impressionable kids above the age of 10 to play a result driven sport while not being allowed to be proud of scoring more runs than the other sides, attempts to stifle human nature." I can agree with some parts of that I2I, but also think one of the great things about cricket up to about the 70s was the aspect of "the gentleman's game". Of course there were instances where before then when things boiled over on (and sometimes off) the field and maybe the gentleman's game was more evident at the domestic FC level and below in those times, but overall I think that this aspect from the 1800s through to mid 20th Century has been totally lost nowadays and I do feel the game is poorer for it. IMO, the game had far more instances of deference to acknowledging good performances or great players, than it has for the last 30-40 years.

Apparently that was Bradman's opinion of Tendulkar as the player who's batting most resembled his own.

I was there that day!

Yep a concrete half pitch with that black stuff stuck on top. We possibly should have made it a foot longer because many a ball would hit the end and pop up , coming through around head height. Gave the batsman the fright of his life.