My fellow Englishmen...

[BoyBrumby]

...& women, tbf.

I've recently experienced a strange phenomenon which has hitherto never happened to me in nearly 30 years as a cricket fan which I thought I'd share:

I find myself feeling quite pleased Australia are doing well.

There, I've said it. Shocking confession to make, but I feel I'm amongst friends here.

Now this is patently abnormal behaviour for any English cricket fan; usually Australian defeats are like oxygen to us; we need them to function. However one noted there was rather a lot of revisionism from some quarters following the 2010/11 Ashes, suggesting Australia weren't actually much good and England were no more than a decent side who essentially had to turn up to win.

Well, now.

Following yer crim's win in SL featuring (count them) no fewer than 9 who played in that series Australia suddenly look a whole lot less turd than one or two might've otherwise suggested.

Obviously one doesn't want Australia to get to the stage where they might beat us again but, inasmuch as it paints our winter wondertour in a more favourable light, I can't quite shake off this alien feeling.

Am I alone? Ill? Have any of my countrymen (or women) found themselves stricken with this malady?

 

[MW1304]

I understand your troubles..

 

[benchmark00]

If it makes you feel better, I still hate all English people.











Tangy aside.

 

[Howe_zat]

I am most definitely not suffering from this.

However one noted there was rather a lot of revisionism from some quarters following the 2010/11 Ashes, suggesting Australia weren't actually much good and England were no more than a decent side who essentially had to turn up to win.

One suspected that this particular line of reasoning was guff at the time. Since then, I think England having gone on to knock the sage & onion out of all but one of the top 6 sides in the last year answers it rather better.

 

[Jacknife]

Agree, they were never anywhere near as bad as what was made out, it is just that England are in top form and have become a very good team that makes good teams look ****e.
As far as Australia goes, the lower they sink the better.

 

[MW1304]

One suspected that this particular line of reasoning was guff at the time. Since then, I think England having gone on to knock the sage & onion out of all but one of the top 6 sides in the last year answers it rather better.

Its true, after all they did go over to India and give a pretty decent account of themselves just prior to our own series with them (as we all know, they should really have finished them off in the first Test), and have now returned to the subcontinent and proceeded to trounce Sri Lanka in their own First Test.

Things like this are often forgotten when England miraculously manage to beat someone - has to be the quality of the opposition in question. I think people are coming round to it now, though, after another demolition job against India.

 

[Agent Nationaux]

Always hate it when they do well.

 

[Howe_zat]

Its true, after all they did go over to India and give a pretty decent account of themselves just prior to our own series with them (as we all know, they should really have finished them off in the first Test), and have now returned to the subcontinent and proceeded to trounce Sri Lanka in their own First Test.

Things like this are often forgotten when England miraculously manage to beat someone - has to be the quality of the opposition in question. I think people are coming round to it now, though, after another demolition job against India.

What's amazed me most of all is the number of world class players found to be completely "out of form" when they happen to play England.

 

[Spikey]

Following yer crim's win in SL featuring (count them) no fewer than 9 who played in that series Australia suddenly look a whole lot less turd than one or two might've otherwise suggested.

but see SL suck more than we do. they literally don't have a bowling attack, we just picked the wrong one in every match

and i've said before on here (i think) that picking two people who shouldn't've been picked in every match perhaps Perth was the biggest reason we lost, so the bolded means nothing

 

[Ikki]

Spikey is the Chomsky of our generation.

 

[Spikey]

but see SL suck more than we do. they literally don't have a bowling attack, we just picked the wrong one in every match

and i've said before on here (i think) that picking two people who shouldn't've been picked in every match perhaps Perth was the biggest reason we lost, so the bolded means nothing

north, doherty
north, doherty
smith, hilf
smith, hilf
smith, hilf, beer

ftr. and then we can talk about hughes, and the fitness of clarke, ponting, katich* & dougeh

*had his injury going into Adl. Suppose it makes you wonder why on earth Watson called that run.

 

[Spikey]

Spikey is the Chomsky of our generation.

listen ****

I have been described as a prominent cultural figure, so what

 

[fredfertang]

I see your point Brumbers, but then I thought of 1989, 1990/91, 1993, 1994/95, 1997, 1998/99, 2001 and 2002/03 and thought **** it the answer has to be no bloody way - keep them down there as long as possible because you just know some Border/Waugh type is waiting around the corner ready to restore normal service

 

[BoyBrumby]

but see SL suck more than we do. they literally don't have a bowling attack, we just picked the wrong one in every match

and i've said before on here (i think) that picking two people who shouldn't've been picked in every match perhaps Perth was the biggest reason we lost, so the bolded means nothing

No arguments about the Lankan bowling; they would have to improve considerably to become dire.

Think you have to give some credit to England beyond Australia's (admittedly rib-ticklingly hilarious) selection policy. In fact one could argue your batting in SL is weaker than it was against England (or in the first two tests at least) thanks to the summary dismissal of Katich. Connoisseurs of irony will have noted that the two biggest scores in the first innings were made by the two batsmen of similar vintage to the great man.

 

[Spikey]

nah ****

 

[Howe_zat]

That and the fact that by far the most important reason why we won the Ashes was keeping Ponting and Clarke out of it the whole time in batting friendly conditions.

 

[BoyBrumby]

nah ****

Chewing a brick, sunshine?

First I'd heard of the "Ponting injured" scenario too. Obviously picked one up in the series, but looked lean and hungry before it started. Was somewhere close to as fit as he'd been.

 

[four_or_six]

Do feel a bit glad sometimes that they're doing a bit better. I think of it as kind of "lol, Australia are so rubbish that I'm even pleased they're doing well" so I'm not too worried about it.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Must admit seeing Australia win in Sri Lanka is not a bad thing as we know we can stuff Australia and will be massive favourites in the next ashes series but seeing a side we thrashed beat a side we are playing soon in the same conditions is quite good as it shows we have nothing to fear.

 

[Spikey]

Chewing a brick, sunshine?

First I'd heard of the "Ponting injured" scenario too. Obviously picked one up in the series, but looked lean and hungry before it started. Was somewhere close to as fit as he'd been.

Well he clearly wasn't fit in Melbourne and it was 1-1 going into that remember, likewise Clarke in Brisbane but obv. didn't matter as much




i don't really know what i'm arguing about tbh - cricket's a professional game, and the most professional team won.