Racingandsports.com calls Trent Bridge Australia’s ‘house of horrors.’ This, even before their opponents WI, threatening to bump out the Aussies, fetch up on Thursday. Memories of their warm-up game are nightmarish enough: Usman Khawaja was taken to the hospital for scans on his jaw after a Russell screamer, and David Warner too copped a thunderbolt on his glove from Oshane Thomas.
Racingandsports.com calls Trent Bridge Australia’s ‘house of horrors.’ This, even before their opponents WI, threatening to bump out the Aussies, fetch up on Thursday. Memories of their warm-up game are nightmarish enough: Usman Khawaja was taken to the hospital for scans on his jaw after a Russell screamer, and David Warner too copped a thunderbolt on his glove from Oshane Thomas.
But it’s the ground of their second match against old World Cup rivals West Indies that’s been seen as a voodoo venue. On Australia’s last visit to the ground, England smashed a world record 481/6, and the gold and green were thrashed by 254 runs, their biggest ODI loss.
“I remember walking down to the gate at the end almost wanting to give all the boys a hug because it was brutal,” coach Justin Langer had said. There’s also a 60 off 111 balls in Tests from 2015, Australia’s briefest stay in the first innings of the 5-day format. Another howler of 117-9 before Ashton Agar and Phil Hughes launched some rearguard counter, makes Trent Bridge not the most gleeful venues. Racing and Sports puts Australia’s last win at the ground to 10 years ago in 2009 in an ODI against England. Carlos Brathwaite has baited Australians with his: “people that can’t swim don’t drown,” hoping they get lured into pulling and hooking the 140-145 kph projectiles from a team that’s invoking Calypso comparisons from 40 years ago. Australia have played subcontinental teams the last 25 games, and though both India and Pakistan boast a good crop of quicks, Australia are preparing for a barrage that only the West Indians can dish out.
Sandpaper bat
David Warner and friends have resigned to the inevitable sandpapergate boos and jeers that would follow them wherever they’ll travel during their long English summer that includes the World Cup and Ashes. The other day in Bristol, a few dressed as 3M bright yellow sandpaper and kept booing them through their fixture against Afghanistan.
The Barmy Army has penned lyrics to mock them, and grand plans are laid to mentally disintegrate them. While coach Justin Langer reckons it would only fuel them, after his pleas to not mock them went unheard, several others have suggested ignoring them.
Former skipper and World Cup-winning skipper himself, Allan Border, has urged them to embrace the hostile crowd. One of his suggestions included David Warner standing on the Lord’s balcony and cleaning his bat with sandpaper. “Even be seen on the balcony at Lord’s sandpapering his bat or something. You know you’re going to cop it so just run with it and hopefully that is the better way, rather than being antagonistic,” he was quoted in the Australian media. That would be quite daring.
The Whatever Insult
Pat Cummins has come up with a new form of sledging, or name-calling: the accidental type. To make it even more orthodox, the Australian pacer started off with a compliment for Chris Gayle, before forgetting what the big-hitting West Indian’s self-styled moniker, was.
“It is always a great challenge playing against…” so far so good Pat, ‘Mr Worldwide,’ or whatever he calls himself.” It’s an unforgivable error to have forgotten the name of one of the greatest patrons in the six-hitting industry. But then again, for a player who has played and tormented bowlers in the Australian Big Bash, IPL, Caribbean Premier League, Bangladesh Premier League, Pakistan Super League, English County, and even Canada, maybe ‘Mr Worldwide’ isn’t such a bad name after all. Over to the Universe Boss.
No pain, no gain
West Indies’ supporters got what they desired in the opening game of the World Cup as their team executed a thumping seven-wicket win over Pakistan. As Windies prepare for their second game against five-time Cup winners Australia, the supporters are eager for another top-notch performance from their team. The supporters in the Caribbean will have to sacrifice their precious sleep to again follow the match. The match starts at 10:30 in England which translates to 5:30am in the Eastern Caribbean and 4:30am in Jamaica. But the big man Andre Russell has promised the pain would be worth it as his side would make sure they don’t “ruin your sleep and then disappoint you”. “We won’t allow you to wake up so early in the morning and ruin your sleep and then disappoint you. We’re trying our very best. We are here to win the matches for our West Indies fans and take it all the way to lift the trophy at Lord’s. Stay with us… believe in us. We will do it for you, our loyal fans.”
Salute like Cottrell
West Indies bowler Sheldon Cottrell’s march and salute celebration is quite a hit on the social media. And the tall bowler would be hoping he gets those wickets against Australia today and treats his fans with his unique celebration move. But if and when he does, the pacer may have a bunch of kids from the stands imitating him. After all, they learnt the military-style move from the big man himself during a coaching clinic in Nottingham yesterday. In a video posted by the official handle of the Cricket World Cup, Cottrell can be seen teaching a group of around 20 kids the process step-by-step: the march, the salute and tilted-back open hands celebration. Cottrell’s salute is so popular that it has been named the “official meme” of The Hundred, a 100-ball cricket league in England and Wales slated for July 2020. “It’s a military-style salute. I’m a soldier by profession. Me saluting is just to show my respect to the Jamaica Defence Force. I do it every time I get a wicket. I practised it for six months when I was training in the army,” he told the BBC.
But it’s the ground of their second match against old World Cup rivals West Indies that’s been seen as a voodoo venue. On Australia’s last visit to the ground, England smashed a world record 481/6, and the gold and green were thrashed by 254 runs, their biggest ODI loss.
“I remember walking down to the gate at the end almost wanting to give all the boys a hug because it was brutal,” coach Justin Langer had said. There’s also a 60 off 111 balls in Tests from 2015, Australia’s briefest stay in the first innings of the 5-day format. Another howler of 117-9 before Ashton Agar and Phil Hughes launched some rearguard counter, makes Trent Bridge not the most gleeful venues. Racing and Sports puts Australia’s last win at the ground to 10 years ago in 2009 in an ODI against England. Carlos Brathwaite has baited Australians with his: “people that can’t swim don’t drown,” hoping they get lured into pulling and hooking the 140-145 kph projectiles from a team that’s invoking Calypso comparisons from 40 years ago. Australia have played subcontinental teams the last 25 games, and though both India and Pakistan boast a good crop of quicks, Australia are preparing for a barrage that only the West Indians can dish out.
Sandpaper bat
David Warner and friends have resigned to the inevitable sandpapergate boos and jeers that would follow them wherever they’ll travel during their long English summer that includes the World Cup and Ashes. The other day in Bristol, a few dressed as 3M bright yellow sandpaper and kept booing them through their fixture against Afghanistan.
The Barmy Army has penned lyrics to mock them, and grand plans are laid to mentally disintegrate them. While coach Justin Langer reckons it would only fuel them, after his pleas to not mock them went unheard, several others have suggested ignoring them.
Former skipper and World Cup-winning skipper himself, Allan Border, has urged them to embrace the hostile crowd. One of his suggestions included David Warner standing on the Lord’s balcony and cleaning his bat with sandpaper. “Even be seen on the balcony at Lord’s sandpapering his bat or something. You know you’re going to cop it so just run with it and hopefully that is the better way, rather than being antagonistic,” he was quoted in the Australian media. That would be quite daring.
The Whatever Insult
Pat Cummins has come up with a new form of sledging, or name-calling: the accidental type. To make it even more orthodox, the Australian pacer started off with a compliment for Chris Gayle, before forgetting what the big-hitting West Indian’s self-styled moniker, was.
“It is always a great challenge playing against…” so far so good Pat, ‘Mr Worldwide,’ or whatever he calls himself.” It’s an unforgivable error to have forgotten the name of one of the greatest patrons in the six-hitting industry. But then again, for a player who has played and tormented bowlers in the Australian Big Bash, IPL, Caribbean Premier League, Bangladesh Premier League, Pakistan Super League, English County, and even Canada, maybe ‘Mr Worldwide’ isn’t such a bad name after all. Over to the Universe Boss.
No pain, no gain
West Indies’ supporters got what they desired in the opening game of the World Cup as their team executed a thumping seven-wicket win over Pakistan. As Windies prepare for their second game against five-time Cup winners Australia, the supporters are eager for another top-notch performance from their team. The supporters in the Caribbean will have to sacrifice their precious sleep to again follow the match. The match starts at 10:30 in England which translates to 5:30am in the Eastern Caribbean and 4:30am in Jamaica. But the big man Andre Russell has promised the pain would be worth it as his side would make sure they don’t “ruin your sleep and then disappoint you”. “We won’t allow you to wake up so early in the morning and ruin your sleep and then disappoint you. We’re trying our very best. We are here to win the matches for our West Indies fans and take it all the way to lift the trophy at Lord’s. Stay with us… believe in us. We will do it for you, our loyal fans.”
Salute like Cottrell
West Indies bowler Sheldon Cottrell’s march and salute celebration is quite a hit on the social media. And the tall bowler would be hoping he gets those wickets against Australia today and treats his fans with his unique celebration move. But if and when he does, the pacer may have a bunch of kids from the stands imitating him. After all, they learnt the military-style move from the big man himself during a coaching clinic in Nottingham yesterday. In a video posted by the official handle of the Cricket World Cup, Cottrell can be seen teaching a group of around 20 kids the process step-by-step: the march, the salute and tilted-back open hands celebration. Cottrell’s salute is so popular that it has been named the “official meme” of The Hundred, a 100-ball cricket league in England and Wales slated for July 2020. “It’s a military-style salute. I’m a soldier by profession. Me saluting is just to show my respect to the Jamaica Defence Force. I do it every time I get a wicket. I practised it for six months when I was training in the army,” he told the BBC.