Posts Tagged ‘Melbourne’
Curse of IPL
Posted on: January 5, 2009
Finding it hard to find answers for Australia’s mediocre show in 2008, a leading newspaper in Melbourne said that top players suffered from slump after playing in the inaugural Indian Premier League and associating with the lucrative IPL was like a “pact with the devil”.
‘Sydney Morning Herald’ wrote it could be coincidence but Australian cricketers who played in the IPL in April-May last year were either “injured, worn out or found themselves distracted by intoxications of India”. It then said those who were not lured by IPL money like Michael Clarke and Mitchell Johnson has been the “saviour” of the team, which is in the danger of losing the world champion tag.
“Whatever the cause, Australian cricketers, at Test and first-class levels, have struggled since their return from last year’s inaugural Twenty20 tournament on the subcontinent. Could it be cricket’s version of the pact with the devil — every incremental increase in the bank account is matched by a corresponding fall in your figures?
“Gone, or at least severely impaired, is the ability to score runs and take wickets. Call it the curse of the Indian Premier League,” the newspaper wrote. “Australia’s elite spent only a short spell in the IPL. It may just be pure coincidence. Cause and effect are notoriously difficult to establish within a cricketer’s career,” it added.
Among the “list of the fallen”, the newspaper named Matthew Hayden, Michael Hussey, Andrew Symonds and Brett Lee who “have figures showing a remarkable decline in productivity when the year before the IPL and the nine months since are compared”.
World welcomes 2009
Posted on: January 1, 2009
Sydney defied predictions of a gloomy 2009 with its biggest ever New Year party and midnight fireworks display on Wednesday (December 31), watched by an estimated 1.5 million revellers on the glittering harbour and surrounds.
The theme for the celebrations was “Creation” and the centre piece was a pyrotechnic storm over Australia’s biggest city, with firework simulations of lightning, thunder and rain, all linked to Aboriginal creation myths put together by creative director Rhoda Roberts.
About 120,000 firework shells and shooting comets exploded in the $3.45 million display. They were launched from barges, buildings and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. he party, one of the first to kick off New Year celebrations around the world, comes against economist warnings that up to one million Australians will be unemployed by the end of 2009 as joblessness spikes from 4.4 percent to near 8 percent.
Melbourne, Australia’s second-biggest city, was also seeking to defy the rocky economic outlook and rival Sydney with a $3.2 million sell-out “oak of love” dance party attracting 40,000 revellers dressed in white to an indoor arena.
Acting Prime Minister Julia Gillard said she would not be joining the main celebrations as the centre-left government looked ahead to dealing with the fallout of the financial crisis and protecting jobs in 2009.
An hour later it was Auckland’s turn to celebrate as thousands of revellers packed the CBD to witness a dazzling fireworks display, which exploded from the city’s 328 metres high Sky Tower.
Virtually admitting that the days of their absolute domination is over,
Australia captain Ricky Ponting today said it would take a few years before the side returns as the same ruthless force which ruled world cricket with an iron fist.
“We’ve had an amazing run as a team . We have dominated world cricket for a long period of time,” Ponting said after his side went down to South Africa in the second Test in Melbourne yesterday.
“I’m still very positive and very sure that with some of these younger guys coming on that in a few years time we can get back up there and be dominating world cricket once again.
“It’s going to take a little while, there is no doubt about that. You can not expect young guys to come in and have sustain success. The young guys are the ones who generally lack consistency,” Ponting said.
“The gap between our best cricket and our worst cricket has been too big and we have to make that smaller if we want to win the next Test and if we want to stay in that top group of Test-playing nations,” added Ponting.
Ponting admitted it was a strange feeling for some of the players who have been used to wins only but felt there was no reason to press the panic button yet.
“A lot of players in the team aren’t accustomed to losing Test matches let alone Test series. We’ve all got to remain upbeat. There’s no time for panic or as (chief selector) Andrew Hilditch said, chop and change,” Ponting said.
In what is perceived to be the end of a cricketing era, world champions Australia were comprehensively defeated by the South Africans on Tuesday (December 30) in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. This win has given the Proteas an unassailable 2-0 lead in the on-going Test series Down Under.
This loss for the Aussies means that Ponting became the first Australian captain in 16 years to suffer a series defeat on home soil. Last time Australia lost a series at home was against the West Indies in 1992-93.
Resuming on 30 for no loss, South Africa needed 42 overs to score the remaining 153 runs for a memorable win and the moment came soon after lunch when Hashim Amla flicked Michael Clarke behind square leg for two runs.
In a match where Smith struck two fifties, JP Duminy scored his maiden hundred and Ponting scored 101 and 99, Dale Steyn was adjudged Man of the Match for his match haul of 10 for 154 besides the crucial 76 he scored in the first innings.
Graeme Smith was the lone South African wicket to fall in the second innings. The South African captain was trapped leg before by Nathan Hauritz after making a 94-ball 75 with 10 boundaries in it.
Fellow opener Neil McKenzie (59) and Amla (30) remained not out after guiding the team to a historic win. Ricky Ponting’s Australia are now just one defeat away from losing their world number one crown after South Africa crushed them by nine wickets.
Earlier in the Test South Africa clawed back to avoid a batting collapse posting 459 all out in response to 394. Australia were dismissed for 247 in their second innings setting South Africa a small target of 183.
Dale Steyn was declared the man of the match for his 10-wicket haul and crucial half century. In the post-match presentation Grame Smith expressed joy and a beaming SA skipper said, “I have been smiling since the winning runs. It’s incredible. It has been a team effort and when it’s come to key moment in this Test we’ve stepped up.”
“JP (Duminy) was incredible and the self belief in the team is flowing. It’s an honour to come here and beat a quality unit. We’re going to celebrate and enjoy our New Year and not many of us are thinking about Sydney . After all the hard work this year it’s incredible to be standing here,” Smith added.
His opposite number Ponting was graceful in defeat and he hinted there might be a few changes in the side for the Sydney Test. “We deserved to be in this position and full marks to South Africa . They won very comfortably, a well deserved series win. Things were looking good for us at one stage, but their tail played exceptionally well and Lee went down through injury. We weren’t able to convert our opportunities. Let’s see what the selectors come up with for next week,” Ponting said.
Cricket expert Boria Majumdar expressed himself post this historic win and said, “This is an end of an era from 1992-2008. It started with India and there were criticisms that India won because of the home conditions on their side. But then, this win by the Proteas in Australia says it all that this team’s glory is coming to an end. The team’s bowling and batting is incredibly weak with stars like Brett Lee, Clark etc out of the side due to injury. If South Africa whitewash the Test series at Sydney, this will be the worst thing to have happened to Ricky Ponting and team at the start of 2009.”
“As for South Africa, they have the chance to dethrone the Aussies and claim the world number one spot. Their batting and well as bowling looks complete and the team’s moral will be high as they go to Sydney next,” added Boria.After the historic Test win at the Melbourne Cricket Association (MCA), Cricket Australia spokersperson, Peter Young said that his team is hopeful of making a comeback in Sydney.
Congratulating the Proteas, the CA offical said, “South Africa has played excellent Test cricket after their successful campaing in England. They have played some remarkable cricket and have won their first Test series on Australian soil. I give full credit to them.”
Expressing hope and confidence Peter Young added, “We are hopeful to win the next Test in Sydney. Australians are passionate about their cricket and the people like to see their team succeed everytime. There was a patch when the Aussies lost the Ashes and everyone thought it was the end of an era. But the team under the leadership of Ricky Ponting came back convincingly. The Australians never lay down and give up. We have been playing Test cricket from 130 odd years, so we will make a comeback.”
South Africa’s spectacular run down under continues as a brilliant century from JP Duminy dug them out of trouble to a first innings lead of 65 runs in the 2nd test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne.
Duminy scored 166 as South Africa scored 459 after being 198 for 7 overnight. Duminy and Dale Steyn put on a 180-run partnership for the 9th wicket as they put South Africa in a position of strength after being behind for much of the first 3 days.
Duminy put on valuable partnerships with the lower order with Dale Steyn scoring his first Test half century.There was further bad news for Australia as pace spearhead Brett Lee was injured with a sore leftfoot. Australia played out couple of tense overs in the day finishing at 4 for no loss.
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