Far more sad than any of this is the continuing stupid bitter nonsense about the umpires. Australia wins cricket matches because it outplays opponents, utterly. Being unable to face up to shortcomings the umpires get the blame. The thing is, if a player from Pakistan or nz get a decision going their way no one notices because the player will not go on and capitalise on the opportunity. In contrast, Adam Gilchrist makes the opposition pay for not being definitive in their attempts at dismissal – it is clear to the world how the umpires decision has affected the game. Umpires are as athletic as any cricketer and make judgments as fine as any judgment any player makes, these judgments have an impact. A batsman builds an innings out of thousands of minor decisions, a bowler constitutes his spell in the same way. A fielder captures, restricts, redirects the flight of the ball. An umpire’s decisions are only ever as minor as all the other decisions that make a game of cricket function. Sometimes the tiniest error by the batsman is fatal, sometimes a much larger error has no effect. Nothing is able to be calculated. An umpiring decision does not decide the game. It is a minute element in a massive series of minute elements. Pakistan and nz lost to Australia because they played poorly, and they have both responded poorly to their insufficient performances. To blame the umpire is grossly offensive, disrespectful and displays a lack of ability to take responsibility for their own flawed decision making. The umpires do not blame a poor decision on the sun or the pitch. Its a rant but fuck it it has to be said & said.

From a stupid Pakistani coach to a Pakistani superstar. Shoaib is facing an inquisition!

To the greatest pm Australia has ever had?

Over the last week, since Matty Hayden was dropped from the one day side for the vb finals, every night on the news he has appeared in a different airport, with the same grumpy face, clinging to, or resting his head on the same pillow with little red flowers on the pillow case. There’s something delightful about it.

But today he was named in the one day squad to tour nz and he was on the news upright and smiling and claiming to be more hungry than ever. Will nz flesh be able to satiate him? Lambs to the slaughter. It won’t be a matter of Matty trading the sweet pillow in for something more intimadating, he will retain its delicacy and let it infect his batting which will be remade no less powerful than before only the power will be less blatant and far harder for the nz lambs to counter. He will take the pillow out onto the pitch with him and rest his head between balls, drawing on its soft intricacy between dispatches to/over the boundary.

On the other sad hand (though it had to be) Lehmann has been overlooked. He has taken it very well. So well that the decision is clearly the right one. Lehmann doesn’t really mind if he plays cricket for Australia anymore or not, hasn’t for a while. We will miss the geography of his head and his utilisation of the crease.

I was just waiting for this moment. Mutterman has finally brought up his one-day international century. 100 runs in only 201 games. It is in honour of the mutterman that I too raise my bat and acknowledge the applause of my readership, revelling in my 100th entry.

Last night Kerry O’Keeffe was claiming that McGrath is a better bowler than Lillee ever was, and at least one journalist has named a corridor after him.

Now, to take the 100th entry to the heights it deserves – if you look at the picture in the right hand corner, its frikkin Derrida playing backyard cricket!!! He’s using a Kookaburra bat and his technique is decidedly rudimentary. He looks fabulous.

As do the Reds.

I was so glad that Andrew Symonds won the one day player of the year prize despite his 6 ducks in the last 7 games. After watching him field v Pakistan on Sunday night I don’t really mind if he never scores another run in his life, he needs to be on the team. Frankly he deserves the medal for just looking so damn good anyway. If only it was Dizzy with him in that last picture, Dizzy was resplendant as well – as usual. They would make the absolute perfect couple. (Enough of those blonde haired cricketers and their blonde haired escorts!)

Justin Langer cut a lone figure and was talking himself up to win the most handsome cricketer award. He was right on the money.

For all the drama and the wonder of the evening, the VS Medal really is the most awkward few hours of television you could ever possibly watch.

Channel 9’s 3D wagonwheel of Lara’s mega innings v Pakistan yesterday was probably the most moving, beautiful graphic that Channel 9 have ever produced. It was a true supernova. I am developing a plan to make a sculpture of it using pipe cleaners. Or maybe a cake. I probably wouldn’t be able to afford that many pipe cleaners but it is a nice dream. There has long been something astronomical about Lara.

I love it when Brett Lee’s taking wkts for his country.

One great thing about the West Indies is that they aren’t a country. They can have no national day or national anthem. This picture is altogether mysterious – its caption is misguided.

The West Indies do not represent a State. They can play for nothing but the team. The supposed national anthem must be nothing but a team song. When I grow up I want to play cricket for the West Indies cricket team. On the team’s ensign there is a sun, a palm tree, the sea and a set of stumps.

The only thing better than seeing Brett Lee take wkts for his country would be seeing him take wkts for the West Indies.

Today in the newsagent’s I came across a little black book with ‘Collins 2005’ etched in gold across its top righthand corner. It is, I believe, an omen. Within the next 11 months Pedro will attain the greatness anyone who is called Pedro & plays cricket for the West Indies deserves. 2005 belongs to Collins.

There are two very important articles on baggygreen today.

The first is an agonisingly sad interview with Michael Slater.

When Pakistan last toured Australia in 1999 Slats built up a momentous combat with Shoaib Akhtar. Now it is the man who took Slater’s place at the top of the order back in the 2001 ashes series who is haunting Shoaib’s dreams.

Slats & Shoaib both love their Ferraris.

Justin Langer would never drive a ferrari. More likely a holden ute. This assertion has nothing to do with analogies based on speed, its simply all in the stance. On the paddock Justin has a holden ute stance. For Matty Hayden this could be awkward territory but he’s never seemed to mind all that much.

(Shoaib is such a superstar)

My research team has just provided me with the latest match report from the timeless contest between the Sherlockians and the Wodehousian Golden Bats – with functional pics.

& a report on the recent(ish) thriller played out between the Golden Bats and the Dusters from Dulwich. (Oh my god, check out the teas).

The picture of Clarke’s century gives a much more thorough joy than the agony of watching Ponting manufacture it for him. It is not by chance that the picture is more a picture of Ponting than Clarke, and that Ponting seems to be in greater ecstasies than Clarke. The 100 was after all largely Ponting’s work, as he refused to run, took singles only with extreme jurisdiction, and played out maidens in order to make sure there would be enough runs left for Clarke to build his total to three figures. There is something in the way Ponting spreads his arms in celebration that sets him apart. There is no Steve Waugh controlled raising off arms hands open high above the inclined head. Ponting’s arms spread wide and their is an exuberant sense of achievement as his fists clench the air. Steve really raises his bat, for Ponting the bat is either extraneous or totally assimilated – and if rises it rises only because it is anatomically there. It is Ponting’s redeeming feature really. He has terrible teeth and bad hair and an arrogant swagger, but when the excitement takes a hold the little boy spreads his wings with irrepressible fervour, wide, wild joy – Ponting is the boy living the dream of being captain of the Australian cricket team. Ordinarily he puts on airs of maturity to command respect but when the successes bite the boy bursts free and deliriously enjoys them. Clarkie’s response was more of relief, gratitude and a bit of self ridicule. But there’s a symmetry between the two boys in the pic, their blades dramatically crossing as the distance between them is shortening into a fervent embrace. I have no doubt that Ponting is a Miyazaki hero too. His celebration is the celebration of the victory of his peers against all the odds, almost a spectator but deeply embroiled in the passions of the moment. There’s always a bevy of townspeople and kids from the villages lining the boundary in Miyazaki films, celebrating the incredible, vital victories of the protagonists – heroes of the people. (Perhaps no one ever celebrates like this in Miyazaki films really, maybe it is just how I feel after watching them). So eventually I’ve come to the conclusion that Ponting isn’t the hero here, Clarke is undoubtedly so and Ponting is just a boy from the valley looking on and relating so intensely with his role models that he could not possibly bear to see them acheive anything less than ultimate success. He will work whatever small manoeuvres he can to assist the one who has, as it is written in the oracles, come. & he will feel their triumph in ways that they are way too cool & heroic to feel them.

Other highlights:
There is more drama yet in Watson’s hair.

Lee floats and across the Tasman Murali flies.

There is little more fascinating in a game of cricket than watching the rain fall on a covered square, and watching with such an involvement, anticipating the breaks in the weather, absorbed with every slight letting up in the downpour. Turning over in your mind the possible effects the delay may have upon the resumption of play and the new, surprising directions the game may take from here. Is the pitch sweating under those covers?

finally the blog has comments. all comments have been attracted to the one entry and are along similar lines. it may be the beginning of a mountain, the initial sediments have been deposited.