SIR FRANK WORREL TROPHY SHAM(E)
December 20th 2009 07:37
So, the Aussies crowed once again today, as they held the Sir Frank Worrell Trophy high, but they did not crow quite as loudly, or as childishly, as Shane Watson's embarrassing performance yesterday, when he stuck it in Chris Gayle's face after bowling him out (caught behind) for 21.
Today, our Australian cricket team won the Test series against the resurgent West Indies, but did we win honestly? Can we, as a nation, sit back and say with our characteristically smug drawl, "Bewdy mate, we beat 'em fair and square!"?
I DON'T THINK SO!
I am an avid supporter of our cricket team, and yell joyously when we win, and hurl expletives at the television screen when we lose, like all arm chair warriors across our wide brown land.
So, what went wrong today, why am I not crowing?
The last men standing, for the West Indian team, K. Roach and G.Tonge, had only 36 runs to beat Australia, after some careful batting this morning, then Doug Bollinger struck, getting Kemar Roach caught behind for 17, the Windies ending up all out for 323, the Aussies winning by 35 runs.
The Windies challenged the decision, made by Billy ' the crooked finger' Bowden, so up it went for the video referee decision, and the decision was upheld.
Trouble was, everyone across the nation and everyone watching in the West Indies, saw the action replayed in slow motion big close up and we saw the snick o'meter and the infra red camera images, and it all came back NEGATIVE!
It was blaringly obvious to anyone with reasonable eyesight and half a brain, that the ball did not come into contact with Roach's bat, he was not out!
How can we, as a cricketing nation, now be taken seriously? If the decision was not referred to the third umpire then, okay, that's cricket for you, but it was referred and no bat to ball contact could be seen, in fact, the close up front on image showed clear daylight between the bat and ball. And yet they still gave Roach out.
This is an utter disgrace! Who were the third umpires? Will anyone challenge them to explain the obviously inexplicable? I doubt it! Australia's cricket performance has been so lacklustre over the last year, are we now so desperate we are ready to cheat at any cost to try and salvage our team's lost reputation?
75 years of winning at Lords, lost. The Ashes, lost.
Today, Australia lost much, much more.
Today, as a cricketing nation, we lost our self respect and our credibility.
Watson's antics yesterday may well have been childish and 'not quite cricket' but it pales into insignificance when compared to the outrageously biased decision given today.
I say, sorry to the West Indian cricketers, you deserved to win, and morally, I say you did.
Bravo too, for the gentlemanly way your Captain, Chris Gayle, accepted the undeserved nor earned defeat. Furthermore, what is the sponsor doing, handing over a phone with a measly few thousand credit? As Gayle justifiably murmured in half jest, after winning Man of the Match and Man of the Series,"Can I take the money instead?"
The West Indies is doing it tough financially, so why isn't the sponsor stepping up to the plate with cash?
Today, the Test was won, not on the pitch, but up in the third umpire's booth.
SHAME AUSTRALIA!!!!!!!!
SHAME ON US ALL!!!!!!!!!!!
Today, our Australian cricket team won the Test series against the resurgent West Indies, but did we win honestly? Can we, as a nation, sit back and say with our characteristically smug drawl, "Bewdy mate, we beat 'em fair and square!"?
I DON'T THINK SO!
I am an avid supporter of our cricket team, and yell joyously when we win, and hurl expletives at the television screen when we lose, like all arm chair warriors across our wide brown land.
So, what went wrong today, why am I not crowing?
The last men standing, for the West Indian team, K. Roach and G.Tonge, had only 36 runs to beat Australia, after some careful batting this morning, then Doug Bollinger struck, getting Kemar Roach caught behind for 17, the Windies ending up all out for 323, the Aussies winning by 35 runs.
The Windies challenged the decision, made by Billy ' the crooked finger' Bowden, so up it went for the video referee decision, and the decision was upheld.
Trouble was, everyone across the nation and everyone watching in the West Indies, saw the action replayed in slow motion big close up and we saw the snick o'meter and the infra red camera images, and it all came back NEGATIVE!
It was blaringly obvious to anyone with reasonable eyesight and half a brain, that the ball did not come into contact with Roach's bat, he was not out!
How can we, as a cricketing nation, now be taken seriously? If the decision was not referred to the third umpire then, okay, that's cricket for you, but it was referred and no bat to ball contact could be seen, in fact, the close up front on image showed clear daylight between the bat and ball. And yet they still gave Roach out.
This is an utter disgrace! Who were the third umpires? Will anyone challenge them to explain the obviously inexplicable? I doubt it! Australia's cricket performance has been so lacklustre over the last year, are we now so desperate we are ready to cheat at any cost to try and salvage our team's lost reputation?
75 years of winning at Lords, lost. The Ashes, lost.
Today, Australia lost much, much more.
Today, as a cricketing nation, we lost our self respect and our credibility.
Watson's antics yesterday may well have been childish and 'not quite cricket' but it pales into insignificance when compared to the outrageously biased decision given today.
I say, sorry to the West Indian cricketers, you deserved to win, and morally, I say you did.
Bravo too, for the gentlemanly way your Captain, Chris Gayle, accepted the undeserved nor earned defeat. Furthermore, what is the sponsor doing, handing over a phone with a measly few thousand credit? As Gayle justifiably murmured in half jest, after winning Man of the Match and Man of the Series,"Can I take the money instead?"
The West Indies is doing it tough financially, so why isn't the sponsor stepping up to the plate with cash?
Today, the Test was won, not on the pitch, but up in the third umpire's booth.
SHAME AUSTRALIA!!!!!!!!
SHAME ON US ALL!!!!!!!!!!!
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