Anza Magazine Article - Burning Issues

Burning Issues

Waiting to go in to bat can be a tortuous affair. Some, such as Sir Viv Richards, use the time to catch up on much needed sleep, or in Sir Ian Botham’s case, recover from the night before. Others are restless to get out there but at the same time don’t want a(nother) wicket to fall. So to pass the time there is often much discussion on the sidelines; some about the game, some about recent social gatherings, and (surprise, surprise) some about professional cricket, especially as world cricket’s main event, The Ashes, is about to get underway.

While, the recent South Africa-Australia series produced some of the most enthralling Test cricket for a long time, for many Australians and Englishmen alike this is the series that matters. The Aussies are looking to redeem themselves in England after the 2005 series, while the Poms are hoping to put some ointment on the scars of their 5-0 drubbing in Australia 2 years ago. Add the fact that play starts at 6pm Singapore time (should be televised, so long as Starhub bothers to get the rights), and it is little wonder that the series has been a major topic of discussion around the club.

Thus far, the Australian batting, barring a run of bad form here and there, has provided little discourse. On the other hand, the inexperience of the Australian bowling line-up and its suitability to English conditions has loomed large, with some selections raising more than a few eyebrows. As for England, preparations for the Ashes appear to have been ideal. Their bowling was ‘thoroughly’ tested against a West Indies batting side that would have struggled against Bangladesh; while their batting, with the exception of Ravi Bopara, showed that the art of the English collapse had not been lost. Sadly, the series result has ensured the club’s English contingent, albeit dwindling of late, has become all the more confident and noticeable. Although a little too much faith seems to have been placed in the sticky tape used to keep Andrew Flintoff’s joints in place!

Of greater importance (at least to ANZACC) have been the off-field selection issues. These have ranged from possible David Boon Challenge contenders to who will take Warne’s position as poker king when rain inevitably stops play. The major talking point, however, has been the commentary team. Many feel Richie Benaud’s retirement as Commentary Team Captain has left a huge hole to fill and have been tempted to mount a Facebook campaign for The Twelfth Man to take over. At the same time, many cannot wait to see Geoff Boycott and Michael Slater teaming up again to instil the finer points of batting (with a healthy dose of schizophrenic decision-making) into England’s cricketing youth.

While his Indian passport may prevents him from playing for either side in the Ashes, it has certainly does not stop July’s SunSense Man of the Month, First Division wicketkeeper and opening-batsman Kennie Kishore, from contributing both to these debates and on the field. His explosive hitting has helped the firsts get off to many flying starts as well as close out many an innings on a high. Recently he made 96 against one of the competitions top teams and tried to hold the innings together as ANZACC attempted to chase a massive target, but alas his efforts proved to be in vain.

Attention, Players Wanted!
ANZACC is always on the lookout for new members, so if you’ve just moved to Singapore and are looking for a game or are interested in taking the game back up and want to dust off a few cobwebs or just want to join the debate, come on down to nets at the Ceylon Sports Club on Thursday nights (write to us at join@anzacc.org.sg for further details). We welcome players of all skill levels and look forward to seeing you there (batsmen especially!).
Phil McNicholas