the final countdown do do do dum dum dum

The Sheffield pura Shield cup final is fast approaching.

Well not fast, its approaching about a day at a time.

I will need to find myself a couch that sits in front of a foxtel TV in order to see any of it.

The thought that Victoria, a proud and beautiful state, could lose to NSWales, a vicious pack of heathens, sickens me.

Victoria, gentleman that they are, have decided to use the players that have been available all year.

NSWales, vile scum that they are, have selected a bunch of ring ins.

I suggest they leave them out, last time I saw Lee And Clark bowl for their state they looked ordinary.

But they have nothing on our Bryce.

There is some contention over whom shall be picked, out of Quiney and Mash.

Even though I think Quiney is the better batsmen, Mash can dig himself into the crease and hold on, where Quiney is more likely to play the flashy innings.

But we have a middle order full of people who can play the flashy innings. Also the few times I have seen Quiney play spinners, it has never been that impressive to me.

With the bowlers according to the dailies the last place is out of Dirty Dirk and Clinton Mckay.

Sure I am biased by the fact Dirty Dirk is involved, but he is the logical choice out of these two.

Clinton has a very good recent record, looks in decent form, and is taking wickets.

Dirty Dirk is an angry growling warrior who would stab you in the eye with a pen to get your wicket.

For a Final I know who’d I prefer.

I’ve looked over NSWales side quickly and I have seen some problems for them.

Their bowlers have not taken a lot of wickets for them this year, and a few of their batsmen haven’t made many runs for them either.

There are some new names in there, Clark, Clarke, Bracken and Lee to name a few, but they only sound impressive if you say them out loud.

I suggest you don’t do that.

Instead I suggest you artificially find some reason to think we can win, like Bryce is a better bloke than Stuey, or Brett Lee will disrupt the team with his constant singing in Hindi.

350 odd

I could give a detailed report of the game where Victoria smoted NSWales.

But really, the game was over the minute Future PM David Hussey (sign the petition) went out to bat.

NSWales lost the toss, and the 5 spinners they had were never going to concern such upstanding citizens as Hussey, Hodge and Quiney.

The good news is that Tasmania will have seen us make 350, Dirty Dirk and Harwood got through the match unscathed and will be better for the runner.

This is most I’ve seen of Darren Pattinson, and he worries me, not as a bowler, as a bowler I like him, but on the way in to the wicket he seems to almost close his eyes, I’m afraid he’ll do himself a mischief.

Now onto Tasmania, to play against the butler and his crew.

Perhaps we will even have a fit crew for once.

rain and bricks defeat vics

I had a long report written form the G today.

I sat there all day, watching the Vics in total control, and then, some careless batting and one really good spell and the Vics lose.

The careless batting was from White and Hussey, maybe careless isn’t the word, they let the game drift, the run rate was only 6 and a half an over, but then Hilfenhaus bowled a top spell that completely dried the runs up.

I say dried the runs up, cause it happened as the rain fell, all of a sudden White and Hussey realised they were a long way behind the par score and started attacking the Tigers.

For 2 overs it was great, they both got some big hits away, and even though I knew it couldn’t last, either by wickets or rain delays it was pretty cool.

Then Hilfenhaus got both of them in one over, and the par score was gone and so were the Vics.

Best of the batsmen was Quiney, it was a shame he got out when he did, because before then he seemed to be scoring at a run a ball without a problem.

Best of the bowling was Siddle, was lively, troubled all the Tassie batsmen and out balled Nannes who is in top form.

McGain took 3 for, not bad for a pensioner, but I have seen him bowl a lot better.

There was a lot more to report, but Hilfenhaus has sapped all of the Victorian spirit out of me.

rain

The rain came down and the game was drawn.

I am now not sure if I was harsh on the blues for batting slow yesterday, or whether I should be equally tough on the Victorians today.

The rain did have the final say, but the Victorians produced a run rate that was similar to that you would expect from Atherton and Crawley.

Especially as I saw with my own eyes, only a few days ago, Quiney destroy Lee and Clark. And yet today he went along at a Mails pace.

It was actually a pretty good game, and it was a shame it was ruined by rain.

So the wash up seems to be

∑ McGain may have proved that 4 quicks at the G is a stupid idea.

∑ Katich and Hussey are a class above.

∑ The shield final could be the two old foes, are very evenly matched.

∑ Cameron White is already being missed.

Quiney, bottle blondes and a pompous fast bowler

These are my disjointed notes on the one dayer between vics and blues.

I got to the ground just after the wild man Dirk Nannes (say it out loud now) finished his spell and 3 New South Welshman.

Shane Harwood came up with a new variation on the Tony Greig theory of straight and full in one day games. He decided to keep the straight, but forget about full and just bounces the batsmen with two men out. Slowed Haddin down, next over he went out forcing a ball that wasn’t there.

Brett Lee was sent out as a pinch hitter. Not every intimidating when a batsman walks out with an arm guard though is it. He then made 11 off 14 before Thornley scorched him. Probably all for the best though, because Moises Henriques came out next.

The kid looks nothing like a cricketer. But he sure acts like one. He could be the complete opposite of Shane Watson. He made 11 off 5 balls, and he made them so damn easy you wonder why they even bothered giving Lee an arm guard and sending him out there. His bowling wasn’t brilliant, but it was fresh and certainly more potent than Thornely’s.

Future PM (next election) took a blinder at long on after miss reading the ball and then plucking it one handed. He then ran in from long on and did a weird rock the baby dance.

Being that I am a MCG member, I sit next to the players area. Which means I get to see all the players girls, families and such. It’s good for a couple of reasons, one because you get to see the players off the field. And where there are fit and talented men there are bottle blondes, which are good to look at. Oh and also Bryce McGain’s mum, who seems like a nice lady.

Is it wrong I sometimes hope Klinger goes out? I’m sure he is a nice guy, and he is talented, but he just aint fun to watch.

Nsw definitely think Hussey doesn’t like it short and fast, I spoke to Sime on the way home and he said on the telly they were saying similar. He actually seemed to handle it ok I thought, and it certainly didn’t get him out.

Hussey has the best wrist work of any Australian I’ve ever seen. Nope scratch that, I remember this chick once, she was a magician.

Quiney is an interesting dude to watch bat. He looks like a club cricketer, he seems to over balance a lot, and he plays these weird guiding shots all the time. Then its like a switch is flicked and he just turns it on. He still bats like a club cricketer mind you, at no stage does his technique look perfect, but who cares, and the boy hits a mean ball.

Just as Quiney and Hussey got their funk on, Katich brought on the power play. Not earlier when the small and diminutive Klinger was batting. Twas odd. It lost them the game, as Quiney and Hussey smashed Brett Lee and Stuart Clark everywhere. Not even Lee’s pompous did I tell you I’m the leader of Australia’s attack slow the Vics down.

In the massacre Hussey charged and then backed away as Lee followed him with a bouncer that he sliced away for four. Don’t try it at home kiddies.

Michael Clarke sat in the dug out, with a tracksuit on, even though it was hot, maybe he has the mumps too. This didn’t stop him giving advice to Katich all game. Auditioning for Punters job are we?

As Nsw lost the game I tried to come up with a traffic pun about them being the Speed blitz blues. Then I realised something, the name is funny enough on its own.

Victoria made light work of an attack with Bracken, Lee, Clark and Hauritz in it.

Quiney especially, the man was brutal, I haven’t seen a non Hussey/Elliott/Jones/Hodge guy dominate for Victoria against a good attack like that. He was unbelievable, he really did treat the bowlers like they were club grade and he needed to get home and feed his cat.

Should I get excited?

Memo to MCG, the sightscreen at the city end makes a weird high pitched screeching noise when moved. Is there anything we can do about it, I know it won’t be a problem during internationals, you know the games with the crowd and such.

Special mention to Dirk Nannes (say it) who tried to imitate Quentin Lynch, the west coast eagle forward by charging at a ball so hard he forgot to use his hands and chested it away instead. Nice work Dirk.