Tuesday, December 5, 2006
The second test has been the biggest English cricketing disaster of all time. No team in history has lost after declaring on a higher total than England's 551-6 batting first in a Test. In history.. Period. That was the most dismal second innings in history.
Where did it go wrong?
The dressing room.
Every leader in every walk of life, whether it be sport, business, politics or any thing else needs the ability to motivate. While the England team are sitting looking at the tiled floor in their changing room with the Aussies screaming with joy next door, Freddie should pick himself up, chest out and read them the following quotes from real leaders:-
“Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.”
Sir Winston Churchill
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." Martin Luther King, Jr.
Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall.Confucius
Although, I suspect that judging by the last couple of days action, he is reading the following by David Brent:-
“I thought I could see the light at the end of the tunnel, but it was just some b*stard with a torch, bringing me more work.”
“If at first you don't succeed, remove all evidence you ever tried.”
“If you can keep your head when all around you have lost theirs, then you probably haven't understood the seriousness of the situation.”
So, after this, what next? The series can still be won, ok, I am being optimistic but it can. We can win the next three tests but we need to sort out the bowling, we need to do that now. Once the bowlers are taking wickets, the heads will stay up. Look at KP near the end today, he overthrew a ball and gave and extra four runs. This was purely frustration and that must not be shown again.
Me, I live in France, ski season has just started and is getting coverage on TV, I guess i’ll have to watch that..yawn..
Friday, November 24, 2006
I decided to stay up and watch the highlights show, then listen online to BBC Five Live's coverage. I fell asleep at 12.00am French time..Couldn't even make the first ball in the highlights show.
I woke up this morning at 5am French time (4am UK)and was determined to listen to the match unfold, live, on the radio. I went straight back to sleep and woke with the alarm at 7am. So yes, I have officially seen nothing and heard the final twenty minutes of the first two matches.
I am still searching for some live streaming online, it is totally boring listening to cricket on the radio. If you have never tried, don't. It is worse than listening to a party political broadcast. Terrible.
I am hoping that somebody reading this, and there are loads at the moment, can offer me some salvation. I need to watch the cricket live!
Tonight, I am going to try to see if my local Irish bar (always an Irish bar!!) has sky. I want to know if anyone has watched it live in the pub, you know, 24/7 drinking must make this possible? If so, I am considering flying back to watch some.
So, todays cricket..
Australia 602-9....WHAT?? The third highest total ever at the Gabba.
How did that happen? Who is to blame?
Apparently not Freddie, even though he is still recovering from the ankle surgery, he was our man of the match.
Harmison? 1-123..123 runs..God help us. Chin up Stevie..
I heard that Ponting 'out-captained' Freddie. That the Aussies had prepared for the match, mentally, physically and tactically, and that us 'Poms' didn't/haven't.
Now, it's not all doom and gloom. We only have to get 403 to save the follow-on.
That's right..only 403!! England are now 14/1 to win the ashes 2006. Now before we carry on, look at the odds in 2005 and how they changed..
So, as you can see, after the first game in 2005, England's odds were 12/1. What happened then?
Back to the todays game:-
53-3...When Warney bowled his one and only over, I heard fear in the commentators voices. He threw six balls!! We are in trouble, even though the wicket is still in our favour, we are in big trouble. As I predicted yesterday, we rolled over and died today too.
Only Freddie seems up for it, now it is time for KP to roll up his sleeves, take a deep breath, feel e passion flow, grit his teeth, dig deep and start smashing the ball out of the ground.
Come on!PS. Bring Monty on next game???
Let me know what you think....I will let you know if I actually get to watch some tomorrow.
