The greatest soapie of all!

Great to have test cricket - the longest running soapie - back on the telly.

Some are moaning about the lack of competitiveness of the West Indies - not me! Remember Garner, Marshall, Walsh et al and the losing series after losing series we played against them.

My favorite moments against the West Indies are the fact we had them 4-10 when Lillee bowled Richards with the last ball, Boxing Day, 1981 and the classic 1975-76 series - apart from the second test in Perth.

So, great to see those old themes reappear - flashy batting, woeful collapses and happy hooking.

And the bonus rest days.

New ways to lose

After perfecting the collapse we are now experimenting with ways to lose the tight game.

Rhett Lockyear - it wasn't enough so you cannot play in the Shield just because you can hit a century!

Tigers the best team in the Shield!

The Tasmanian Tigers are the best team in the Weetbix Shield - for collapses anyway. We can out play any team in this department. Witness the game against Queensland.

We got through to day 4 - an achievement - and then threw it all alway with one of the best collapses we could deliver.

Imagine the agenda at team meetings - 1) at which point will we collapse?, 2) why not collapse earlier? 3) improving our collapses - ways to get out earlier.

Can we please recognize our unique abilities to collapse in the points system? If so, we are on top of the ladder!

We have a chance today to perfect this technique against the Bushrangers. Let's hope we bat second or the game could be over before dusk.

Cut Deeper, Damian!

Great news from Tigerland! The first changes made by Coach Hardwick and his new regime of list surgeons promises an uncompromising approach to building for a sustainable future.

This might mean a few more years near the cellar but its a promising start.

See the whole story here

We can lose the short (well shorter but not as short as the really short) game too!!!

Tassie Thylacines almost extinct? A loss to Queensland. I guess though the team may have been in shock. How come Graham Manou was picked before Brady Jones to replace Tim Paine?

What are the Aussie selectors thinking?

Time to walk that dog again Andrew!

Tassie Selectors Shock!!!! Unchanged team

Fresh from a crashing defeat to the lowly South Australians - minnows if ever there were minnows - the courageous Tassie selectors have "resisted the temptation" to change the team for the next Pura Cup game. No, why change a losing formula?

For the game against Queensland we are unchanged. So, I suspect, will be the result.

I can only ponder how our own expat Kerryl Grey will take the news in Timor-Leste!

Still he was successful in his one man campaign to rid Tassie cricket of the influence of Dene Hills - now he is at the Australian Centre of Excellence for Cricket in Brisbane! Nice one Kerryl!

And a slightly larger fish!!!!

This was one of two caught by the master of the Valley - those with a good geographical and topographical knowledge may be able to identify this particular spot.

Click on this photo to enlarge the fish!

Fishing in the Fingal valley

Here is something to feast upon:

Click on this photo to enlarge the fish!

Tasmanian Tigers - they're a victory machine!!!

Remember the words to the old Tasmanian Tigers theme song. Well, for some time there has been something very wrong with the machine.

Not too long ago we won the Pura Milk (National Foods) Cup. Since then it has been all downhill - apart from the odd 50 over victory. If we are going to continue to play like we did in Adelaide this week perhaps we should give up our spot in the competition.

What happened to our new opening combination? Why was our middle order so poor - apart from Bailey's 90 - second innings though it was? Our bowling was ordinary - Gerard Denton was a better bowler for Victoria than for his home State.

Each year we hear that they boys have had a great pre-season. Well Tim, it is time to do better once the season actually starts.

I think the contract system has made it all too cosy - you can plod along with the odd 20 or 30 and stay in the team while being well rewarded and promoted as a celebrity - you could make a string of 100s in grade cricket and be ignored. Bring back picking on form -something that has largely disappeared from the national scene too.

I'm dreaming up a new theme song - something like

" we're gone,

we're beat,

our innings is complete,

we're no good as a team,

we're just a thylacine!"

Tomorrow of course with Painey and Hilfy in the team may be a different story altogether.

Mind you our new keeper Brady Jones now has a higher Shield average than Painey!

Bring on the T20 competition.

Spring

Just something I snapped a week ago.

Season Wrap Up

The Mighty Taroona Pirates (under 15 version) attended the Youth Presentations today - a good time to reflect on the season just gone. The only team to beat the team that won the comp and the team that stopped the second team - Huon Valley from winning the comp by coming back from the dead to draw 3 all after being 3 nil down at half time and playing the game in a swimming pool. Not a bad result - in all the Taroona team under the Master Chef Geoff were a competition POWER BROKER. A Graham Richardson of the FFA - or more a John Faulkner - solid, reliable and sharp - making the significant moves.

James the Artist Cherry won the coach's award for his all round contribution. Will the Wall Hunt picked up the best and fairest. Well Done James and Willo.

Next year the Masterchef will go around again .. another year over hot pots and pans cooking up scenarios that would astound Peter Temple. Bring it on - after a long glorious summer (Yeah Right!).

Return to the blast chiller

Masterchef Geoff last sent us to the blast chiller for the game against Nelson Eastern Suburbs. So for the return game we reprised that experiment but using a more fan forced chiller than before. Again a similar result - three goals to Taroona and two to the opponents.

Special features were a goal to Chris Etherington, a goal to Liam in his own boots, another for Joe and a second half goalie performance from the League's leading goal kicker - the artist James Cherry. Joseph Haddin was almost impassable in defence. Next week to Ranelagh

The team we love to beat - Black and Magenta

I don't mind losing to Carlton. I don't mind losing to the Dockers. I couldn't stand losing to the Black and Magenta boys.

The latest episodes of one of world sport's great rivalries (everyone else versus Black and Magenta) was played out yesterday near Churchill Avenue. A 5-1 victory was a fitting reward for all those hours over summer on the sandhills and all those early morning recovery sessions at Hinsby.

Bring on the South Hobart machine.

Stuart MacGill

Stuart MacGill - not a popular person apparently. I have always liked Stuart. Whenever he lost his temper on the field I got the impression he cared about something - or perhaps about nothing. Either way I sympathised - although I was never sure what I was sympathising with. Passion didn't quite fit the sanitized mould.

Great to see him heading up the Ashes coverage - apparently he also has a wine show on cappo pay per view television. What I like about his approach is that it appears this is the first time he has done this.

Rodney Hogg's great call that no one will get a century in this test is worthy of note too. Does Damien Martyn always look startled? I presume Mo Mathews is still available for test selection - would be good to play him in an inconsequential test some time. Perhaps next time England tour it should be during our winter - we could play them in Cairns and Darwin!

The ACB would do well to give the free to the people rights to SBS for home tests too.

Ich bin Egyptian!!

As I drove to work yesterday morning, cutting through the woodsmoke like anti-Ahmadinejad slogans at dusk in Tehran, I heard numerous cries of "Ich bin Egyptian!".  What a pleasure it was to see Egypt resolve some of our overhanging angst from that game against Italy in the 2006 World Cup .  

In the last few minutes of the game I am sure I saw one player whisper to another "Let's do it for Lucas!" Internationalism is a feature of players of the world game - but I was somewhat surprised that the players took the game involving Australia as their inspiration.  We should ask Egypt here for a friendly - I'm sure we'd get a decent crowd at League Headquarters. (My skills at lip-reading Egyptian improved out of sight as I came to understand the broader sub-plot of the game).

I liked the linguistic reference to the 2006 match too.  (When road testing this post with my tri-lingual work colleague he got it at once!).

Go Egypt - we thank you!

Worth repeating

I read this in the Examiner this morning.

What do you call an Aussie at the T20 World Cup?

A spectator!

Cricket highlights

I had been waiting for this - I remember, yes I am older now, when the cricket highlights included complete overs, even a whole run up, delivery, stroke and running between wickets, even a return to the keeper.  Today I saw a highlight from the Ireland -Bangladesh game - which consisted of a shot of a ball in mid air followed by the said ball landing over a fence. That was it. No bowler, no batsman and the slightest glimpse of a fieldsman - boy we have come a long way.  No wonder I cant concentrate for longer than a few seconds now!

More shocks - when will it end?

Bob Brown will be bailed out by a wealthy benefactor - well I never! It has been said before but what a clever pollie our Bobby is!  Create a sense of urgency - a public holiday Monday media release should get some attention - over an issue that has been alive for some time - then get some more publicity when the urgent problem - which wasn't - is resolved!  Boy - money for jam from our Mercury.

And on the Mercury - well the Sunday Tasmanian at least - the headline "Fears resurface" on Sunday reminded me of the old SEM gem - "Plane kills snake".  I saw a boat near the bridge yesterday - certainly has resurfaced a few of my fears. I now have a nice textured and patterned concrete slab right over the top of them - that will stop the Lake Illawarra getting through!

Symo gone in shock development

Well - what can one say? Who could see the sacking of Andrew Symonds coming?  What next - Haydos coming out in his support? No, surely not...

Nice to see the Dutchmen start the summit of cricket tournaments in style.  Would love to read the British press reaction.

Mesmorised by microwaves

Sometimes it happens.  While watching the turn, the elements equalize leaving the result less pleasant than anticipated until just before that last turn.

A break from the kitchen.

Master Chef Geoff experiments with new recipe in Blast chiller

Well known around West Hobart as a dab hand with the apron and pan, Master Chef Geoff tried a new recipe on Saturday - dabbling in the cook - chill method.  Not content with scorching opponents in the blast furnace that was Kelvedon Park in 2008, Geoff changed tactics to see how quickly he could chill players, parents and opponents alike in the blast chiller that is McKillop Park.

After a curious result from the previous week's visit to the kitchen - a deflating concoction that left a slightly bitter aftertaste - the Master Chef tried a new range of implements.  "Borrowed Boots" O'Donovan responded with three goals - the first a lovely semi circular stirring motion that left the Nelson Eastern Suburbs goalie scrambling to catch up - which he didn't.   James "the Artist" Cherry mixed the other two goals to go to the top of the goal kicking list.  Jack O'Sullivan's searing movement up the right wing in the second half deserved another goal but the Taroona boys know when to stop baking - or in this case - chilling, the cake.

On the sidelines the question was raised. Will the Master Chef do a Morton and wear a suit and tie to this week's foray to the kitchen?  We look forward to a return to a more conventional cooking heat!

  

Post Number 100 = a tribute to the IPL

How good is the Indian Premier League. Nation States have been properly dispensed with - what are they but an expression of ruling class vanity and overreach anyway?

What a great season is unfolding.  A smart move to hold the season in South Africa - I hope we get to host the highest echelon of cricket some day.

I have seen some huge hitting and some clever bowling on the 30 seconds in total coverage I have seen so far.  Murrili's dismissal of Pietersen will stay in my mind for ever - was it better than the ball of the century or is it the ball of this century? 

I have also seen The Haydos hit the odd six - I wonder if he is in this team for pure runs?

I haven't been able to sort out who is who and who plays for who yet but if I see another twenty seconds over the weekend I might.

The IPL is a great creation of the finest endeavours our species can muster - snippets here and there, perfect for our busy life and times.

Apparently the Channel Nine All stars lost an away game to the Pakistan franchise over night - what a great move to bring back Roy Symonds!  

Now for the next 100!

Hobart Tigers Walloped but Good Friday Football a winner!

Just returned from the TCA - the best community football venue I know - where Glenorchy bullocked a gallant young Hobart Tigers team out of the way to the tune of 91 points.  However, it was a great day off the field - loads of people. The Statewide League is back!

Kermandie gone!

I think it started at the Hobart Indoor Bowls Centre in 2001.  After believing all season they were the best team in the comp and even after a grand final mid-game intervention by Stadium Owner Etihad McKibben, the boys from Kermandie of course, went down! 

And the winners were - the Partisans!

Now, the proud boys of Kermandie footy club are no more - was it the Fremantle jumper or the choking tag fixed by Why does He do it Rodd Banks Smith?  No, it was being crushed by the Partisans.

  

Partisan stands for Parliament

You heard it here.  Long term squad member David O'Byrne is seeking ALP pre-selection to stand for Franklin in 2010.

O'Byrne for Franklin 2010!

Fantastic!

Haydos gives advice to Hughes

"there's more to the game than making pure runs"

Thnx Haydos!

More good news

The South African tour on the ABC radio. It feels like the morphine is kicking in all over again!

What good news!

The cricket is back on SBS.  Last time we lost the Ashes. Never mind - at least we will see some of the cricket on free to air.  Something SBS should suggest is an earlier start - it would be good to see the game from say 7.00 pm our time onwards. Channel 9 wouldnt hesitate.

I look forward to Simon Hill heading that ace panel again - no one else seemed to like it but I thought they were very funny - perhaps that was the issue.

I think the tour starts in July - till then!

Phillip Hughes buys a Ford!

And so he has made the team.

But what about Mr Symonds? He made 8 last weekend - surely the basis for a recall given how good he is around the team, and that?

What about it Ban Ki?

On the approach to the Bellerive Boardwalk Australia Day Breakfast this morning I read the following on a monument to our war dead - "Not for self but for Empire" or something similar. It wouldnt have motivated me to head off to the other side of the world to go over the top - I hope!

The overt Australia Day phonomenon continues to grow - a monument to John Howard's rule. I saw temporary tatoos, men draped in flags, flags on cars, flags on blue cowboy hats, vegemite on sale display with flags, tshirts and stubbie holders. Who profits from all this?

Who was it who suggested we move the Australia day holiday to January 26? It used to be much better when we held it on the Monday closest to the 26th. That gave us all the chance to be away for a long weekend - away from all the worthies making speeches. (Yes I know that we had a long weekend this year by accident of the calendar.)

How long before we have a pledge of allegiance we can renew hand on heart at every opportunity?

Any chance we can introduce optional world citizenship, available through the UN? What about it Ban Ki?

(Footnote: I saw three Partisans at the Breakfast)

Obamarama

While it wasn't worth getting up at 3am to watch, today is a significant event whether an Obama supporter or not. Perhaps even more compelling than speculating on the outcome of Friday's ODI? Good news is Mr Obama will be playing third arm on the Partisan's comeback next year.

Thx Haydos!

Eh?

Now we have Haddos!

"I've asked for no favours and I've got none and that's my story and that's one that I really respect."

A quote from Haydos.

I admit, this sort of thing will be missed, but with the culture around the team - on ya Symmo - it wont be long before there is a ready made replacement!

Adios Haydos!

I heard this lovely quote last night and this morning, from Mr Haydos:

"There are more facets to the game than just scoring pure runs".

Vintage stuff Haydos!  What a team man.  He is there for his Catching, Looks, Cooking, Bowling, practical jokes around the team change room, support for Roy, being on the Ford adds, giving advice to our Punter - but not for "pure runs".

Even some impure runs would be good though Haydos!

As has been said before, he has the spot for as long as he wants it!

I wonder if Hilditch, Cox, Boon, Hughes and Sutherland have similar contracts?

Does Phillip Hughes drive a Holden?

Happy New Year Partisans!