Posted by jrod on March 19, 2008 under VIC | 
Well that is it from me for this season.
I will hopefully be back next year to cover the bushrangers as best I can.
Perhaps next year the VCA may grant me the Interviews I asked for.
Depending on what happens with Cricket With Balls I might even have more time to write and watch the Vics.
I would like to thank all the people who made this blog possible and the ones who supported it.
Big Daddy for all but suggesting it.
Sime for telling me it was the important blog,even though he never read it.
To the pseudo couple I stalked.
All the Victorian players who google their own names.
The cricket slags who tried to work out if the players had girlfriends.
Nice Bryce, Dirty Dirk & Future PM for the way they play the game.
To Banh, Moses, Sarah (even if she did delete some of her comments), Nashy and all the others who commented.
The Vics for giving me such a season to follow.
As for me, Cricket With Balls will continue unabated, and also some of you may not be aware that I also have an afl blog.
It’s called footy on ice, so if your interested pop on over.
Because a day without blogging is a day without venting about crap no one wants to listen to on the bus.
Cheers.
Uncle J Rod.
PS Thanks to Ken Piesse as well. Not that I’ve ever met him, had advice from him, or any sort of contact at all. But thanks.
Posted by jrod on under NSW, VIC |
Is it over?
Can I return to normal programming?
My boys have been humbled.
There is a passage from V for Vendetta that sums up how I felt before the game.
Dominic: What do you think will happen?
Finch: What usually happens when people without guns stand up to people *with* guns.
Victoria has a very good team, but not a great team, NSWales has an armoury.
The pain of the situation is the false hope that you build up.
If NSWales were 2 for 400 on the first day, I could have said, well ok, they are too good, the deck is too flat, we aren’t up to it.
But on the first day Peter Sizzle and Dirty Dirk threw Nswales around a little.
Siddle was damn near unplayable, and Dirty Dirk got out some very handy batsmen with some very good bowling.
Even the batting looked good whilst the big three were around, but once they went, Victoria went into collapse mode, and that as they say, was severely fu©ked up the ass.
Nice bryce got thrown around the crease like a blow up doll.
Dirty Dirk was fast but not particularly virile.
Future Pm David Hussey was assassinated and then performed seppuku.
The Big Bear and the X man got some small grooves happening in the second dig, but were down right ugly in the first.
And SOT Jewell was awoken from his slumber, but still couldn’t quite get up the hill.
Course there were good things.
Peter Sizzle took 9 wickets with a shoulder that Jesus couldn’t fix. (His shoulder reco is next week).
Brett Lee did not make a hundred, Stuey MacGill got slapped around.
We made them win the game.
They only made 280 in the first dig.
Three finals in one year.
From this side we only lose 1 player for next year.
Bryce McGain gained good experience, always good for a young chap like him.
But please.
Next year, oh for fu©ks sake, let it be next year we win, please aliens let us be good and win the shield next year, or let us be sh1t and for it not to matter by January.
Thanks boys, been a pleasure following you as always.
Never boring.
Posted by Moses on March 18, 2008 under NSW, VIC |
Dave Hussey is all that stands between the Bluetongues and holding the Sheffield Shield aloft for the 45th time. As far as obstacles go, he’s a fairly monumental one. On the cusp of Australian selection, he takes his brothers reliability and makes it look interesting.
One scenario that plays out is Mr Junior making 300 while his team falls all around him. I’d like to see that, as I reckon he really should be in the Australian side. Not because he’s Victorian – he was born in Perth and in 2005 asked to be transferred back to play for his native Western Australia but was knocked back by Victorian Cricket even though they had dropped him – but because he brings a reliability that is missing from our middle order, and is more than handy with the ball. Perhaps we can drop Punter for him.
I almost felt sorry for the Victorians this morning – seems that Uncle-J is taking it pretty hard, and while still optimistic of chasing down the 533 on a 5th day SCG wicket against Lee, Clark, Macgilla, Bracken, Casson and Clarke, is starting to repress his inner monologue.
Then I remembered that he’s Victorian, and the sympathy quickly passed. Bring it home blues.
Posted by jrod on under NSW, VIC |
I know Victoria have no hope of winning the pura Sheffield cup Shield.
I’m not stupid, although once I spent 8 minutes trying to get my headphone jack into my ear whilst holing the earplug in the other hand.
No one is going to get over 600 runs to win a final.
It just aint possible, Don Bradman couldn’t do it, Natalie Portman couldn’t do it, and neither can Future Pm David Hussey.
But, that hasn’t stopped him trying.
Not only that, but he has managed to wake up Nick Jewell as well, who apparently wants to play one day cricket next year.
They put on 52 to runs in just under 9 overs against Bracken and MacGill.
Hussey hit two sixes in an over off MacGill, ok so that is so out of the ordinary.
But Nick Jewell hit the ball regulary off the square and played attacking cricket shots.
That has to mean something, doesn’t it.
To me the whole Hussey and Jewell slogathon reminds me of the end of the wild bunch, when the outlaws all look at each other, nod and stroll calmly to their death by shedding as much blood as physically possible.
Hussey would be a great man in the wild west, he would eventually die spectacularly, but on the way he would take down about a hundred guys, and he doesn’t have nearly as gay a walk as John Wayne.
I see Nick as the straigh laced gunslinger whom all the baddies think is crap, but is obviously good by the way the director shoots him.
Then he helps the hero right at the end, without getting his suit dirty.
This game is deader than Alan Ladd, but why not kick some ass on the way out.
If beating NSWales is not possible at least make their millionaires look like clowns for 5 minutes.
Or let the Huss go down with one hell of a bang.
Posted by Moses on March 17, 2008 under NSW, VIC |
and there you have it, seems Katto was waiting for Lee to get his maiden 1st class hundred.. poor Binga had other ideas though and will be looking forward to that text message you just know that Warney has sent..
So, the sporting declaration comes leaving the Mexicans 108 overs to bring up the target of 629. 5.8 an over should be easy as.
Course they could try and hold out for a draw, but then we win anyway so presumably they’ll go for it.
What a great sport Katto is. Were it up to me I would have batted all day and maybe given them two sessions to get 850.
Posted by Moses on under NSW, VIC |
This was just posted in the crocinfo commentary:
Ross emails “Why would NSW declare ?? Bat for the rest of the match and let Casson and Lee get maiden first class centuries and keep the Vic’s in the field for as long as possible. Isn’t that the whole idea of finishing on top of the table, have the final at home, need nothing but a draw !! “
which poses an interesting point. If this games a draw then we win. So the Vics HAVE to bat for a win regardless of how long we give them to bat.
That said, there’s been a marked improvement in the scoring rates since lunch, we’re going along at over 6rpo so I think the pre-declaration slog is in motion. Another 20-30 minutes should see that lead over 600 which I dare say will be a number too high for the Vics in 4.5 sessions. Still, if it guarantees bring home the trophy, lets bat till stumps.
Posted by jrod on under NSW, VIC |
Now I know that the Vics are foxing.
Surely no one would allow Beau Casson to make runs unless they were playing with the minds of the opposition.
I said if he made a hundred this game it would take 5 days, he has certainly proved my point for me.
Congrats to Peter Sizzle on getting 8 wickets in this match so far.
That is a hell of an effort, if only someone else could take wickets as well the Vics might actually finish this innings.
The good news is Brett Lee might make his maiden (I’m assuming) first class hundred.
I am still pretty confident Victoria can score up until 900 runs, but any more than that and we might struggle a bit.
Posted by Moses on under NSW, VIC |
Some would say that a lead of 428 is enough and we should have a bowl. I’m not one of them. Bring on the 550+ lead then we can grind them into the ground. After all, we might have to actually dismiss future PM Dave Hussey this time.
Still, with the Aussie attack on our side less the short of a length outside off Johnson to waste the shine, you’d fancy us to wrap them up pretty quickly. Lee’s probably getting a bit of attention from side-siddle as we speak, nothing like firing him up to really do some damage when he does get the ball in his hand. Perhaps the Binger Beamer will make a re-appearance – and no that’s not the one that Lara gets when there’s a cold draft.
Apparently “the pitch is too slow” as cricinfo informs me. not really sure what that means but supposedly Macgilla and speciallist batsman Beau Casson can have a bit of fun out there.
Lets push on for the next session and a half and really make a lead of this. At the very least I want to win by 300, really put it beyond doubt.
Posted by Moses on March 16, 2008 under NSW, VIC |
Buggered if I know wtf the mighty Bluetongues are thinking. The recent flurry of wickets have all been lost with what appears to be a goal of having a bowl tonight? The IPL doesn’t start for a few weeks, so I’m not quite sure why they want to wrap this game up with a day to spare.
Our leads approaching 400 now, which you’d back the Vics to get in 4 sessions. There’s 6.5 sessions left, so why are we throwing our wickets away? The Bluetongues had been trotting along at a very respectable 3.6 an over, I’d have been happy to do that to stumps then come out blazing tomorrow morning.
I’m all for attacking cricket, and when it comes to the pre-declaration slog I’m it’s biggest fan.. however I’m not going to be comfortable with less than a 600 run lead, lest we forget.
Anyone have any clues as to why we accumulated through the 70-79th overs, then as soon as that new rock came out Clarke saw red and started belting every ball for 4.
First step was to run out Kattich on 92, poor bloke hasn’t had enough centuries to celebrate this year, what with that 1506 runs he’s scored.
Then he tries what sounds like a Courtney Walsh special – “Clark looking to attack, backs away and looks to cut it through the off side, gets the edge to Crosthwaite behind the wicket” to bring about his own undoing, and exposing two new batsmen to the new ball.
Haddin figures anything pup can do I can do better, playing on for 4 off 3 balls. Now it’s up to specialist batsman Beau Casson and Dominic Thornley to try and reserrect our half-gig total. Then we can slog.
Posted by jrod on under NSW, VIC |
All you need to know about this session is that Victoria took alot of wickets.
Yay the Vics.
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