MCG Test 2010 Part One - A Black Swan Day
Graeme?
By London Leprechaun
January 2 2011
London Leprechaun reports from the MCG, in Part One of a two-part feature on that historic test match. We are so very grateful to London leprechaun for this excellent report. On the dawn of the Sydney test, this superb report should fill Middlesex and England supporters' hearts with cheer for 2011.
From Perth to Melbourne
Australia is a big country. With a three hour flight and a three hour time difference, most of Christmas Eve was spent in getting from Perth to Melbourne. Perth has a very efficient domestic airport with automated check in and bag drop. Unfortunately machines are also unforgiving and told me in no uncertain terms that my baggage was 1Kg overweight. This was mainly because the winter clothing I had worn on a chilly London morning were now packed! So I has to spend time moving stuff around to be acceptable to Qantas, while remembering what you can and can’t put in hand luggage. Which led me to ponder if the point of weight limits is to ensure aircraft are not overly heavy why could I have paid $10 to compensate for the 1KG? How does money make the weight problem go away? Especially as all I did was transfer the 1K from hold to hand luggage. Answers on a postcard please.
Anyway a smooth flight and three hours (or six hours in real time) we arrive to about a 20 degree drop in temperature, though it is still pleasant to walk about in. Melbourne seems big and busy; ten days in Perth has made me a small city person. And the reality of going to a cricket match with 91,000 other people is beginning to hit home – that is an awful lot of people going in one direction – let’s hope the security people do not have the same strange thought pattern as their WA colleagues.
They were testing the lights as dusk fell – just to add to the anticipation.
And another winery
There could be worse ways to spend Christmas Day – lunch in a country house set in a winery – very nice food, unlimited wine and finding another Middlesex supporter in our group. And we didn’t discuss Jamie Dalrymple!
Cricket news
They are building up the anticipation for the match – hourly medical bulletins on that finger – “I am fine but won’t be fielding at 2nd slip” says Ricky; “We’re not changing the batting order” says Andy “I don’t believe in chopping and changing things.” No news of bowling attacks on either side – a rain forecast may mess things up. This could be a good toss to lose!
I am in the great Southern Stand – let’s hope that is not as long as the Great Southern Road, thought to house 91,000 people it just might need to be. That number is beginning to sound scary.
A pink panther and more black swans
Just in case you have not had enough wildlife reports there are black swans in the Yarra river, and now a Pink Panther film is on TV. Well any self respecting Middlesex supporter has to watch that don’t they?
Think Pink!!
Test Match Day 1 – I was there!
I am writing this while the highlights are on so I can make sure that today really happened. It is also after a little time in the bar tonight with happy England supporters and a very magnanimous Australian! And not one wildlife sighting today!
But to start at the beginning: an early stroll to the ground across the yellow bridge road, and then a singing bridge (yes really), meander along the river and finally get to the ground. Wide concourses, good organisation and sensible security mean we are in the ground in plenty of time to savour the atmosphere as the players practised and the ground gradually filled up – it is a lack of members that keeps the attendance below 91,000.
The ground itself is a huge bowl - It is functional and efficient and soulless and around the beer outlets intimidating. Makes the WACA feel homely and Lord’s pretty with its trees and views of a world outside the ground. The MCG is definitely a stadium not a cricket ground.
Big Place
Early in the day it is a cloudy cool morning, and the wicket looks a bit green. The tannoy is as useless as at Lord’s and we need the radio to tell us that we have won the toss and will bowl. Brave after Perth but Melbourne is living up to its “four seasons in a day” tag.
But when Philip Hughes takes ten of Tremlett’s first over with some trademark cutting you do fear a bit. But no fear, Watson is a key early wicket, Ponting looks uncomfortable and out of sorts, Anderson is bowling beautifully with no luck and it is beginning to look like a matter of time before things happen. As they do. Rain delays are no bother, Australia can’t handle Anderson with excellent back up from Bresnan and Tremlett; Prior is snapping up chances like there is no tomorrow, records are on the line and everything England try turns to gold. So why in the middle of a compelling days cricket do people feel the need to bounce beach balls around, antagonise stewards, make snakes with plastic cups and try in vain to get 80,000 people to do a Mexican wave? Which has no other effect but to get you thrown out?
But no matter – England stay focussed and the Australian innings turns to mayhem. Yes they really are all out for 98 – the lowest score against England since the first match ever here at the MCG. I need to take a picture of the scoreboard to make sure.
But of course we still have to bat and the tea interval is a nervous one, But never fear – there are few alarms; England are calm and focussed, Australia are not the bowling attack of Perth, the sun is out, Johnson is making Haddin hop about all over the place, Australian supporters are leaving in droves. Andy Strauss reaches his 6000 Test runs, the openers both reach fifty and they start having fun against Smith.
Yes, it's true
And so the day ends in brilliant sunshine and the floodlights on – how bizarre is that, and England way ahead. Could it really be that good again tomorrow?
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:01:12:06:47:10 by Ged.
Re excess baggage , for some reason it is to cover the extra fuel costs, though quite how moving stuff from you case on to your person or into your hand baggage alters that coefficient I have never understood , just another way for the airlines to screw you for a few dollars more I reckon.
How my 1kg extra in my suitcase when I weigh 12 stone wringing wet should incur a charge and the 18 stone Yank in the seat next to me has paid the same airfare I have never worked our either.
I know what subject I would wish to talk about if I had social skills if I bumped into someone who turned out to be a Middlesex supporter, and I know that the exact same thing is true of Lower Mound. Funnily enough, this subject is a player whose squad number of 20 is the same as the one that Jamie Dalrymple used to wear. I will probably get banned if I dropped any more clues about this subject. Rymps (or JD as Lower Mound refers to him on the rare occasions we talk about him) is not really a subject that often pops up in conversations in our household.
I have never watched any of the Pink Panther films, although I am aware of the recent death of Blake Edwards, who directed most of the films.
I often visit grounds with my other sporting club that are considered as "functional and efficient and soulless".
I would have thought that even if the result of the toss was inaudible, the result would have been displayed on the big screens.
The last I heard, it was against ground regulations in Australia to engage in Mexican waves.
I look forward to reading part two.
However, it seems that the Melbourne Cricket Club have no desire for the MCG to have character or to afford views of the outside.
Those who like grounds with character or soul will be delighted that Sydney, the venue for the fifth Test, appears to have ticked that box to an extent as it has an iconic Pavilion.
Good read there L, I was there too, chin on the fence wondering why our lads just couldn't keep their bats under their chins and vertical!! England bowled well, but really, 98?! Give me a break!