Clarke is finished, Clarke is king, Clarke is a Martian
At the end of play on Tuesday, Michael Clarke's career was over. By Wednesday he was cricket's dominant human. You wish people could make…
Expert
Joined June 2010
888k
Views
300
Published
5.4k
Comments
Geoff Lemon is a writer, editor and broadcaster. He's the host of cricket podcast The Final Word, and author of the book Steve Smith's Men: Behind Australian Cricket's Fall.
Published
Comments
At the end of play on Tuesday, Michael Clarke's career was over. By Wednesday he was cricket's dominant human. You wish people could make…
David Warner shouldn't have been able to play that innings. The clean intensity of his attack, its consistent tempering with restraint. His progress from…
For a grim fortnight cricket has been on everybody's minds, but no one has been thinking much about the cricket. There's a relief to…
This is not the script. It's all I can keep saying, impotent against the weight of fact bearing the other way. The script didn't…
It is hard to know what to think. A Tuesday night and a young man lies in a coma, our expectations in a crumpled…
It's hard to decide what's weaker: Stephen Milne's behaviour for the past 10 years, or the supposed punishment it received. In being sentenced for…
For once Australia's cricketers should be grateful for their insane schedule. After a T20 series win against South Africa, the memory of that scalding…
It would be fair to say that the first Test against Pakistan was not much fun for Australian fans to watch, but I have…
For weeks I have insisted that Richmond would not make the finals. On Saturday Richmond made the finals. In the last Winners and Losers…
AFL finals will start early after results set up some knockout games for the last round of the season. Twelve teams can still make…
Last Sunday, Melbourne Football Club played one of the worst AFL games I've ever seen. Think World War II Italy crossed with the dying…
It's a fine time to be an AFL fan, with two rounds to go in one of the closest and most exciting seasons in…
The final phase has begun. The time in an AFL season when hopes are vindicated or demolished, wishes bestowed or ignored, and fortune can…
The Hawks went top, the Crows went bust, the Blues went close, the Pies went back, the Cats went on, the Power went out.…
With five rounds to go, the top four remains up for grabs. The rest of the top eight remains up for grabs. The wooden…
Bye, bye, boilover. Get the spuds off the heat because the pan is frothing. There were upsets galore across the AFL, and we only…
No doubt: Round 17's biggest losers were Port Adelaide, followed closely by Port Adelaide, Port Adelaide, and the teal-and-black boys from the Power. Next…
BREAKING: Gary Ablett's shoulder injury will cost him the rest of the AFL season and a chance to see his Gold Coast Suns into…
A fortnight back, three AFL sides looked to be galloping away with the top three spots in their keeping. But a couple of big…
Last week I said Adelaide's AFL season was done. In Round 15 they extended a middle finger in my direction, at the same time…
Haha. That’s all good, it sold a lot more than expected, so no worries if a few end up as discounts. Hope you enjoy both copies.
Glorious. Mediocre. Sublime. That's the story of the 2019 Ashes
Sheesh. There’s more projection going on here than at the Twilight Cinema.
Tied and tied again: How the greatest-ever World Cup final was won
Employers do tend to distance themselves from a hitman if things go poorly.
Why Matthew Wade is better off not playing for Australia
That old chestnut. Two of the last five have been Tasmanian.
Why Matthew Wade is better off not playing for Australia
For me, the domestic 50-over comp just doesn’t has much relevance. For anything. It’s run and won in 10 days, and guys can have a flyer or a dud accordingly. Players who’ve done well there haven’t necessarily done well when picked for Australia months later – take Lynn or Short. As for coming in late and down the order, Wade has played some gems for Australia in ODIs doing exactly that. His BBL work is replicating what he’s done in the other format.
Why Matthew Wade is better off not playing for Australia
G’day Bushy. I meant Liebke, not me.
While confusion reigns, Sri Lanka could knock off Australia at home
My only takeaway from this is that you’re annoyed at a satirist for making fun of things.
While confusion reigns, Sri Lanka could knock off Australia at home
The schedule wasn’t to do with India not wanting to play at the Gabba, it was to do with India not wanting to play a day-nighter, and CA wanting to schedule India at Adelaide regardless as a marquee game. Brisbane was the only day-night option so had to be reserved for Sri Lanka, and Brisbane draws poor crowds whatever the schedule.
While confusion reigns, Sri Lanka could knock off Australia at home
G’day Troy. My take: Head was second-highest scorer in a very low-scoring series. It flattered him. And at least half his dismissals were to horrible loose shots – caught twice in a Test at third man? That sort of approach won’t fly in England, and he can’t be retained if he doesn’t show he’s learned from it. I like him as a player, but he’s a long long way from having nailed down a spot.
While confusion reigns, Sri Lanka could knock off Australia at home
Yep, people are unusually united on the question by now. It’s only fair to give him a shot.
In the face of public anger, Australia's selectors finally back down
Thanks Spruce – it was a pretty hectic schedule touring South Africa and then getting the book done, so I’m glad you enjoyed it.
In the face of public anger, Australia's selectors finally back down
They can, in theory, and they almost never do. Which indicates that the short-pitched bowling referred to in the original post is legitimate.
Australian greats can't see the 'good hard cricket' lie
I think there’s a huge amount of that: justifying their own eras and legacies. Because the honesty about Australian cricket’s flaws exposes the flaws in their eras and leadership. There are plenty of Williamson-type examples through the game’s history, at all levels. The myth about aggro being necessary is just about people justifying their self-indulgence.
Australian greats can't see the 'good hard cricket' lie
Yeah, the fetishisation of it came with Waugh. My guess is that Whateley was referring to a period where Clarke tried to regenerate it, to fake it, after it had died away for a while. And Clarke was certainly the one who started winding up Warner and defending him whenever he went wrong.
Australian greats can't see the 'good hard cricket' lie
Thanks Mitcher. If we needed one simple definition, I’d say talking about someone’s cricket is alright. Talking about anything else probably isn’t. And if you’d be embarrassed to have your comment picked up on a stump mic, you shouldn’t be saying it.
Australian greats can't see the 'good hard cricket' lie
Agree with that point. A team full of great players doing what they do is a fair bit more demoralising than if they mouth off in the process. That only serves to put an asterisk next to their achievements.
Australian greats can't see the 'good hard cricket' lie
“Stood up to a player who was bullying his teammate” is a good gag. Anderson was bullying Bailey while batting at No.11, on his own surrounded by 11 opponents, with one wicket to fall to lose the Test, facing Mitchell Johnson in the dark. Mmm-kay.
I agree with your other points, though.
Australian greats can't see the 'good hard cricket' lie
Thanks James. It seems like a lot of the people involved are deliberately vague about the nature of what gets said and what’s ok.
Australian greats can't see the 'good hard cricket' lie
Short-pitched bowling is part of the game. Batting is balancing the need to protect your wicket, add to your score, and preserve your safety. It’s not about the danger of the action. It’s that the cricket part of cricket is kind of necessary. Mouthing off isn’t.
Australian greats can't see the 'good hard cricket' lie
There have been 19 successful chases of more than 322 runs in Test history, across 2300 Test matches. Saying that Australia didn’t succeed because they weren’t ‘tough’ enough is … just silly, really.
Australian greats can't see the 'good hard cricket' lie
Hazlewood may open the bowling, but I’d still argue his role is closer to Siddle’s. Play the straight man, give nothing away, support the two more attacking bowlers. He fulfils that role with a bit more venom than Siddle did, but it’s still basically the same job. Cummins comes on to push for wickets and bowl express.
Ashes to Ashes: Would Mitchell Johnson's Ashes team beat Mitchell Starc's?
Merry Christmas to you too, James. Hope it was a corker and you’re watching some cricket.
Ashes to Ashes: Would Mitchell Johnson's Ashes team beat Mitchell Starc's?
Agreed, Rogers played a number of important innings in that series. And suited Warner well as a partner.
Ashes to Ashes: Would Mitchell Johnson's Ashes team beat Mitchell Starc's?
A little something to wash down that chip on your shoulder…
Don't be fooled - we've just seen the last WACA Test
“The author” didn’t rewrite anything. The author was at the ground watching it live, and relayed what he observed.
Glorious. Mediocre. Sublime. That's the story of the 2019 Ashes