It's an Australian tradition to give everthing silly names, and it's an Australian tradition to play, watch, cheer and talk about sports. Thus is should come as no suprise to anyone that it's a great Australian tradition to give our sports teams silly nicknames. All you have to do to be in the running for the prize is tell me what games these various Australian national teams represent the country in internationally. Please don't look up, consult with others or attempt to divine the answers, or you may well find yourself followed by a crowd of sledging Australians forever after.
What sport do these teams play? (Women's teams playing male-dominated sports score double)
1. Wallabies
2. Kookaburras
3. Baggy Greens
4. Steelers/Wheelabies
5. Diamonds
6. Sharks
7. Matildas
8. Jackaroos
9. Outbacks
10. Opals
Place your answers and a lungbusting team chant in the comments. All chants must be able to be approximated after numerous hours of drinking Australian beer.
Tuesday, 28 September 2010
Thursday, 23 September 2010
A little bit of cricket trivia...
Are you sick of cricket yet? If so, I'm afraid it's going to be a LONG summer. My inane ramblings about cricket and other sports fill me with joy.
An interesting thing happened in the game between Chennai and the Port Elizabeth on Wednesday, which does happen occasionally but is still pretty amazing when it does. On the way to losing the game by little enough to knock Victoria out of the finals spot, Warriors captain Davey Jacobs played a defensive shot to a ball which then spun back and hit his stumps at speed. Luckily for him, though the bail was dislodged it fell back into place. According to the MCC Laws of Cricket:
Reading on in the laws of cricket, because I do that sort of thing, I came across this little gem:
South Australia will be playing the Warriors on Saturday night Adelaide time, and with that, the other semi tonight, the final of Sunday night, the SANFL preliminary final on Sunday arfternoon, the endless speculation about the coming commonwealth games and a little thing called the AFL grand final on Saturday afternoon it's going to be a big weekend of sport for South Australians.
An interesting thing happened in the game between Chennai and the Port Elizabeth on Wednesday, which does happen occasionally but is still pretty amazing when it does. On the way to losing the game by little enough to knock Victoria out of the finals spot, Warriors captain Davey Jacobs played a defensive shot to a ball which then spun back and hit his stumps at speed. Luckily for him, though the bail was dislodged it fell back into place. According to the MCC Laws of Cricket:
The wicket is put down if a bail is completely removed from the top of the stumps, or a stump is struck out of the groundThus Jacobs survived and went on to score an impressive 32 to add to his swag of other tournament runs. More impressive than that freak occurence was the action of Indian captain and wicket-keeper MS Dhoni, who playfully removed the offending bail with his glove and appealed jokingly to the square-leg umpire, if was one of those moments that makes crickt people laugh, and everyone else wonder what the hell is going on, and how they were conned into watching a game of cricket in the first place.
Reading on in the laws of cricket, because I do that sort of thing, I came across this little gem:
The disturbance of a bail, whether temporary or not, shall not constitute its complete removal from the top of the stumps, but if a bail in falling lodges between two of the stumps this shall be regarded as complete removal.One wonders how many times this incredibly unlikely event had to happen in a game for the rule to be codified in the laws.
South Australia will be playing the Warriors on Saturday night Adelaide time, and with that, the other semi tonight, the final of Sunday night, the SANFL preliminary final on Sunday arfternoon, the endless speculation about the coming commonwealth games and a little thing called the AFL grand final on Saturday afternoon it's going to be a big weekend of sport for South Australians.
Tuesday, 21 September 2010
Wednesday Quiz in Exile IV: Birds and Beasts
Michael5000 still hasn't caved in, so the Australian cousin of the Wednesday quiz is back for yet another week. I've got plenty more where this one came from, Michael, but I don't want to have to use them.
This week's quiz is on the exotic, glamourous and frequently lethal fauna of Terra Australis, possibly the most recognisable and known thing about the country both at home and abroad, utilising photos cribbed as always from that great hub of creative commons licensing, wikipedia. Avoid the tempation to look up the answers, or there's a chance of winding up stabbed through the heart by vicious sealife next time you go swimming. Not a big chance, but it's been known to happen.
Name that/those creature/s.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Post your answers in the comments, but watch out for drop bears and make sure to check your shoes for spiders first.
This week's quiz is on the exotic, glamourous and frequently lethal fauna of Terra Australis, possibly the most recognisable and known thing about the country both at home and abroad, utilising photos cribbed as always from that great hub of creative commons licensing, wikipedia. Avoid the tempation to look up the answers, or there's a chance of winding up stabbed through the heart by vicious sealife next time you go swimming. Not a big chance, but it's been known to happen.
Name that/those creature/s.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Post your answers in the comments, but watch out for drop bears and make sure to check your shoes for spiders first.
Monday, 20 September 2010
Monday Sports Wrap-Up
Cricket is naturally the main event this week, but first it's worth mentioning that:
-The Villains drew with Bolton 1-1 in the Premier League, the new manager starts next week.
-The Workington Reds were lucky to beat Worcester City 2-1.
-Lleyton Hewitt is injured after his doubles vistory on the weekend leaving Peter Luczak and Carsten Ball to play the reverse singles against Belgium in the Davis Cup rubbers. If one of the two of them can win, Australia is back in the world group after being knocked out way back in 2007.
A full annual report on the seasons of all the Leaflocker favoured teams will be along in a few weeks once the cricket is over.
Now on to the main event:
The Southern Redbacks have gone 3-0 in their first three games of the ICC Champions League, and are facing up against the unimpressive Guyana on Tuesday night, so can be expected the sweep the board. Unfortunately, I have been instilled with the old spectators superstition that my team won't win unless I watch, so I've got a few more late nights to go until the end of the tournament. Rest assured that we're right behind you all the way, boys.
The Redbacks have got themselves into this position mainly on the back of some incredible opening partnerships from Daniel Harris and Michael Klinger, who've had successive 100+ run partnerships, an almost unheard-of event in Twenty20 (there's only been a total of 16 opening 100+ run partnerships in Internationals, but I don't have data for domestic level), and excellent fielding and catching by the whole team. Our bowling has been solid, but we've bowled too many wides for an international competition, maybe our boths are suffering from nerves a little, nevertheless we've managed to bowl out the opposition in two of our three games, so we must be doing something right. Let's have a quick run through the team, because I'm sure you're as interested in all this as I am.
Michael Klinger had never played a Twenty20 game for South Australia at the beginning of this tournament, but his strong performances in the other forms of the game led to him being appointed captain for this campaign, and he hasn't disappointed the SA selectors. His bowling changes have been inspired and often led directly to wickets, the attacking fields he's set have almost brought a tear to my eye, and most of all he's led the team with the bat. In three innings he's scored three half-centuries, he batted right through the recent innings against Bangalore, and he remains the tournament's highest run scorer by playing careful dependable cricket but not being afraid to hit the bad ball. This is a guy who couldn't get a regular spot in the Victorian team three years ago, and now he's leading SA in what has been an excellent tournament so far.
Daniel Harris was slow and unimpressive in the first game, but has redeemed himself with two fast half-centuries in the last two games, showing why he was SA's top run-scorer in the domestic season. Though getting very lucky with dropped catches, he's made the bowlers pay, and comes up as number 8 high-scorer for the competition. He also functions as SA's option bowler, but has been pretty unimpressive, with 0/31 from his four overs. He's also taken four catches in the three games, and looks like a pretty solid all rounder who has really matured well in the last couple of years.
Graham Manou is the team wicket-keeper, and is generally a handy batsman, doing pretty well but not outstanding with the bat during the domestic season. He's recently lost the captaincy of the team but seems to be taking it well, and apart from the occasional lapse his glovework has been up to scratch. It's no easy job keeping to the erratic SA attack, that's for sure.
Callum Ferguson forged a strong partnership with Klinger in the first game to get the Redbacks home, and has amassed a respectable 74 from 47 balls for the tournament. It's this fast scoring that made him a regular fixture in the national side before his injury last season, and he'll have to keep it up against quality bowling sides if we're going to do well in the finals.
Cameron Borgas scored a quick 14 not out of of just in the final overs of the last match against Bangalore's international-class bowling attack, but we've barely seen him bat in this competition. In fact, from this point down the match practice becomes negligible since the top-order has hogged so much of the match time.
Dan Christian is the top wicket-taker in the competition thanks mostly to his 4/23 against Bangalore. He's been the most solid of the bowlers in the SA line-up, without the raw pace of Tait but with excellent line and length. Batting at number six, he's been called on to score quick runs and has done so well, but it'll be interesting to see how he fares in a longer innings.
Tom Cooper struggled when batting at number 3 in the domestic season, but his experience batting for the Netherlands shows that he has it in him to make some big scores. He's only faced 7 balls all competition, but sent three of them for sixes (including the first ball of each of his innings) and one for a four, giving him the highest strike rate of the competition. An exciting batsman who could change a match if he gets to bat for a while.
Aaron O'Brien has taken advantage of captain Klinger's faith in his bowlers and delivered the goods. He's taken four wickets including that of Sachin Tendulkar, but he's gone for a lot of runs along the way. That said, he's taken on some of the difficult overs, bowling early on during field restrictions and later on when the batsmen are going after everything, so his figures of 4/109 runs from 12 overs probably don't show how well he's bowled.
Gary Putland has varied all over the place. Potentially a very dangerous bowler, his tendency to bowl too full and too wide have caused him to have some very bad overs. Good captaincy has taken him off when he's needed it and to Putland's credit he's always come back and bowled well later in the innings. His 3/94 from twelve is nothing to be sneezed at, either.
Cullen Bailey would seem to be the weak link in a five man bowling side without an effective 6th option. Leg spin is always a high risk for any team, and a leg spinner has to be absolutely on the ball to avoid being carted all around the park. Unfortunately for Bailey, once cosidered one of Australia's best spinners, his bowling so far this tournament has been inconsistent and the South African pitches haven't been forgiving, so he's been punished for it.
Shaun Tait hasn't been at his fastest this tournament, but even now he's more than a little bit scary. His 6/86 shows what a force he is in this form of the game, and his fielding has been impressive too. With the way he's bowling, he could legitimately expect a recall to the Australian team soon, and probably an IPL contract as well, especially if he manages to stay injury free, always a concern with bowlers of his pace.
----------
So that's the team. After Guyana, the Redbacks will most likely be playing the second-place in group A of the tournament, which will be the Warriors from South Africa, Super Kings from India or even fellow Australian's Victorian Bushrangers (if they can beat Wayamba by a lot and Chennai beat the Warriors by just as much). Stay tuned to this station (or better yet to your television set), for more cricket news as the tournament unfolds.
-The Villains drew with Bolton 1-1 in the Premier League, the new manager starts next week.
-The Workington Reds were lucky to beat Worcester City 2-1.
-Lleyton Hewitt is injured after his doubles vistory on the weekend leaving Peter Luczak and Carsten Ball to play the reverse singles against Belgium in the Davis Cup rubbers. If one of the two of them can win, Australia is back in the world group after being knocked out way back in 2007.
A full annual report on the seasons of all the Leaflocker favoured teams will be along in a few weeks once the cricket is over.
Now on to the main event:
The Southern Redbacks have gone 3-0 in their first three games of the ICC Champions League, and are facing up against the unimpressive Guyana on Tuesday night, so can be expected the sweep the board. Unfortunately, I have been instilled with the old spectators superstition that my team won't win unless I watch, so I've got a few more late nights to go until the end of the tournament. Rest assured that we're right behind you all the way, boys.
The Redbacks have got themselves into this position mainly on the back of some incredible opening partnerships from Daniel Harris and Michael Klinger, who've had successive 100+ run partnerships, an almost unheard-of event in Twenty20 (there's only been a total of 16 opening 100+ run partnerships in Internationals, but I don't have data for domestic level), and excellent fielding and catching by the whole team. Our bowling has been solid, but we've bowled too many wides for an international competition, maybe our boths are suffering from nerves a little, nevertheless we've managed to bowl out the opposition in two of our three games, so we must be doing something right. Let's have a quick run through the team, because I'm sure you're as interested in all this as I am.
Michael Klinger had never played a Twenty20 game for South Australia at the beginning of this tournament, but his strong performances in the other forms of the game led to him being appointed captain for this campaign, and he hasn't disappointed the SA selectors. His bowling changes have been inspired and often led directly to wickets, the attacking fields he's set have almost brought a tear to my eye, and most of all he's led the team with the bat. In three innings he's scored three half-centuries, he batted right through the recent innings against Bangalore, and he remains the tournament's highest run scorer by playing careful dependable cricket but not being afraid to hit the bad ball. This is a guy who couldn't get a regular spot in the Victorian team three years ago, and now he's leading SA in what has been an excellent tournament so far.
Daniel Harris was slow and unimpressive in the first game, but has redeemed himself with two fast half-centuries in the last two games, showing why he was SA's top run-scorer in the domestic season. Though getting very lucky with dropped catches, he's made the bowlers pay, and comes up as number 8 high-scorer for the competition. He also functions as SA's option bowler, but has been pretty unimpressive, with 0/31 from his four overs. He's also taken four catches in the three games, and looks like a pretty solid all rounder who has really matured well in the last couple of years.
Graham Manou is the team wicket-keeper, and is generally a handy batsman, doing pretty well but not outstanding with the bat during the domestic season. He's recently lost the captaincy of the team but seems to be taking it well, and apart from the occasional lapse his glovework has been up to scratch. It's no easy job keeping to the erratic SA attack, that's for sure.
Callum Ferguson forged a strong partnership with Klinger in the first game to get the Redbacks home, and has amassed a respectable 74 from 47 balls for the tournament. It's this fast scoring that made him a regular fixture in the national side before his injury last season, and he'll have to keep it up against quality bowling sides if we're going to do well in the finals.
Cameron Borgas scored a quick 14 not out of of just in the final overs of the last match against Bangalore's international-class bowling attack, but we've barely seen him bat in this competition. In fact, from this point down the match practice becomes negligible since the top-order has hogged so much of the match time.
Dan Christian is the top wicket-taker in the competition thanks mostly to his 4/23 against Bangalore. He's been the most solid of the bowlers in the SA line-up, without the raw pace of Tait but with excellent line and length. Batting at number six, he's been called on to score quick runs and has done so well, but it'll be interesting to see how he fares in a longer innings.
Tom Cooper struggled when batting at number 3 in the domestic season, but his experience batting for the Netherlands shows that he has it in him to make some big scores. He's only faced 7 balls all competition, but sent three of them for sixes (including the first ball of each of his innings) and one for a four, giving him the highest strike rate of the competition. An exciting batsman who could change a match if he gets to bat for a while.
Aaron O'Brien has taken advantage of captain Klinger's faith in his bowlers and delivered the goods. He's taken four wickets including that of Sachin Tendulkar, but he's gone for a lot of runs along the way. That said, he's taken on some of the difficult overs, bowling early on during field restrictions and later on when the batsmen are going after everything, so his figures of 4/109 runs from 12 overs probably don't show how well he's bowled.
Gary Putland has varied all over the place. Potentially a very dangerous bowler, his tendency to bowl too full and too wide have caused him to have some very bad overs. Good captaincy has taken him off when he's needed it and to Putland's credit he's always come back and bowled well later in the innings. His 3/94 from twelve is nothing to be sneezed at, either.
Cullen Bailey would seem to be the weak link in a five man bowling side without an effective 6th option. Leg spin is always a high risk for any team, and a leg spinner has to be absolutely on the ball to avoid being carted all around the park. Unfortunately for Bailey, once cosidered one of Australia's best spinners, his bowling so far this tournament has been inconsistent and the South African pitches haven't been forgiving, so he's been punished for it.
Shaun Tait hasn't been at his fastest this tournament, but even now he's more than a little bit scary. His 6/86 shows what a force he is in this form of the game, and his fielding has been impressive too. With the way he's bowling, he could legitimately expect a recall to the Australian team soon, and probably an IPL contract as well, especially if he manages to stay injury free, always a concern with bowlers of his pace.
----------
So that's the team. After Guyana, the Redbacks will most likely be playing the second-place in group A of the tournament, which will be the Warriors from South Africa, Super Kings from India or even fellow Australian's Victorian Bushrangers (if they can beat Wayamba by a lot and Chennai beat the Warriors by just as much). Stay tuned to this station (or better yet to your television set), for more cricket news as the tournament unfolds.
Tuesday, 14 September 2010
Wednesday Quiz in Exile III: Food, Glorious Food
Michael5000 continues to keep up the masquerade that he's not writing quizzes, so the unceasing Australiana continues this week. The question is which of us can keep up this facade the longest, and my money is on me, but I may be influenced by the promise of half a potential lap-quilt.
The last two weeks of quizzes that have been maybe a teeny-weeny bit difficult, so here's one on a topic that everyone knows something about. Food. These twelve little bundles of deliciousness are all Australian icons (please note a number of these items may or may not have actually been invented in New Zealand, but it's an Australian tradition to claim everything from our island neighbour as our own, so I've done so with glee). Please don't look up the answers or consult with others, those that do are running the risk of being baked in a pie.
Name that foodstuff.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Leave your answers and a recipe for baked goods in the comments.
The last two weeks of quizzes that have been maybe a teeny-weeny bit difficult, so here's one on a topic that everyone knows something about. Food. These twelve little bundles of deliciousness are all Australian icons (please note a number of these items may or may not have actually been invented in New Zealand, but it's an Australian tradition to claim everything from our island neighbour as our own, so I've done so with glee). Please don't look up the answers or consult with others, those that do are running the risk of being baked in a pie.
Name that foodstuff.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Leave your answers and a recipe for baked goods in the comments.
Monday, 13 September 2010
Monday Sports Wrap-Up
The South Australian Redbacks won out last night in magnificent style, posting a slow-starting but quick-finishing 180 on a good batting wicket and miniature oval in South Africa last night after being sent in against the in-form Lions, who were suprise (but not unwelcome) winners against the big-name Mumbai Indians on Friday night, and then destroying the South African team with the panache we've come to expect from them in Twenty20 cricket.
It was largely down to South Australia's best-ever 3rd wicket partnership between captain Klinger and vice-captain Ferguson, who scored a very respectable 97 runs off of 63 balls, making Klinger the highest-scorer in the competition to date (which isn't saying much as almost every team has only played the once). Although the others didn't do much, the batting promised a high standard for the rest of the tournament, even if we missed our big-name internationals from the domestic season. It was well and truly worth staying up late into the night to watch, as I was on the edge of my seat the whole time (and that's not a great idea when it's a recliner).
The bowling was led by the pacy Shaun Tait, the thinking Dan Christian and the tricksy Aaron O'Brien, who were supported by good fielding which resulted in some excellent runouts (including a double play, which doesn't net you two wickets, but isn't something you see every day) and ultimately leading to a solid victory (I don't think we fielded as well as the Lions, who were amazing, but we did ok) against an impressive opposition. I wasn't convinced by wicketkeeper Manou, whose glovework was well below that we've come to expect from him, but he still managed a good stumping and a run-out throw, not an easy thing to go when wearing wicketkeeping gloves.
Next game is on Tuesday night my time against the Indians, who'll be smarting after their loss to the Lions, so we'll just have to see if we can keep up the pressure. If we can beat them, we'll be looking very good for a finals berth. The other Australian team, the Victorian Bushrangers, are playing tonight. As an Aussie cricket fan, I'll be hoping they do well, but as a South Australian of good conscience, I'll be barracking for the other team.
It was largely down to South Australia's best-ever 3rd wicket partnership between captain Klinger and vice-captain Ferguson, who scored a very respectable 97 runs off of 63 balls, making Klinger the highest-scorer in the competition to date (which isn't saying much as almost every team has only played the once). Although the others didn't do much, the batting promised a high standard for the rest of the tournament, even if we missed our big-name internationals from the domestic season. It was well and truly worth staying up late into the night to watch, as I was on the edge of my seat the whole time (and that's not a great idea when it's a recliner).
The bowling was led by the pacy Shaun Tait, the thinking Dan Christian and the tricksy Aaron O'Brien, who were supported by good fielding which resulted in some excellent runouts (including a double play, which doesn't net you two wickets, but isn't something you see every day) and ultimately leading to a solid victory (I don't think we fielded as well as the Lions, who were amazing, but we did ok) against an impressive opposition. I wasn't convinced by wicketkeeper Manou, whose glovework was well below that we've come to expect from him, but he still managed a good stumping and a run-out throw, not an easy thing to go when wearing wicketkeeping gloves.
Next game is on Tuesday night my time against the Indians, who'll be smarting after their loss to the Lions, so we'll just have to see if we can keep up the pressure. If we can beat them, we'll be looking very good for a finals berth. The other Australian team, the Victorian Bushrangers, are playing tonight. As an Aussie cricket fan, I'll be hoping they do well, but as a South Australian of good conscience, I'll be barracking for the other team.
Thursday, 9 September 2010
Carn ya 'Backs
Tomorrow marks the start of the 2010 Champions League 20Twenty competition, in which my beloved South Australian Redbacks are one of the two teams representing Australia in what I've always thought of as our national game, cricket. Sure, it's not real cricket, it's a cut-down version designed for the modern sports fan, dancing girls and rock music and all, but it's still a big deal for South Australian cricket, as the Redbacks haven't won anything since I was in primary school. Not that they're likely to win this or anything, but there's always an outside chance, so I'll probably be having a few late nights watching the action in South Africa in the coming couple of weeks.
In case you're one of those crazy people that don't follow cricket, the Champions League is like the Champions League of Association Football (soccer), where the winning teams from the domestic competitions around the world in the previous year face off for glory, honour and national pride, and a nice paycheck to boot. Unlike soccer, though, cricket is not played at a high level in all that many countries, and not all of them are competing this year, so this year the league is made up of three Indian teams, two Australian and South African teams, and one team apiece from New Zealand, Sri Lanka and the West Indies, leading some to suggest that it's not a very big deal, but if SA has a chance of winning then I can't help but be supportive. How very biased I am.
Since the chances are that you're not a supporter of any of the other teams in the competition, you should tune in on TV (if it's available in your country) and support the SA Redbacks. Why? Well, aside from them having the most dashing and gallant fans around and having pretty swishy bright red uniforms, they really deserve a break. If you're a cricket fan, you're sure to be impressed by the quality of this tournament, which features lots of big-name players from around the world as well as a bunch of exciting rising stars, and if you're not you might just be by the end of the tournament, as your new favourite sporty types in the fancy red shirts play some of the most exciting and interesting cricket you're ever likely to see.
For those that aren't swayed by such emotional appeals, here's some pros and cons on SA's chances:
A rose-tinted view of why the Redbacks can win:- Some of Australia's best and most experienced domestic batsmen, consistently high-scoring and exciting but underrated players like Mike Klinger, Graham Manou, Tom Cooper and Callum Ferguson.
- Brutal terrorist of a pace bowler Shaun Tait is probably the scariest thing a batsman can ever face.
- Brilliant fielding side including the simply incredibly glovework of Manou behind the stumps.
- Australian teams tend to stack up extremely favourably against foreign teams, our domestic competition probably has the best home-grown quality in the world.
Why we probably won't:
- Lack of an actual budget has prevented SA from hiring any big-name international talent, while almost every other side is rolling in it. The best we can claim is Tait and Ferguson, who have played for Australia in and amongst injury, and Cooper, who is a staple of the Netherlands team by virtue of his mothers country of origin.
- Loss of the imports that got us into the competition in the first place, Shaid Afridi, who is currently busy retiring again, and Kieran Pollard, who'll be playing AGAINST for the Indian team with the big bucks.
- Not enough bowling depth. Tait and Bailey are top-class, but the rest of our bowlers are relitive unknowns and pretty unpredictable. Not to rule them out, but we're going to miss Afridi's excellent run-supressing bowling from last season.
Hrmm...maybe not so promising after all, huh?
You should get behind them anyway, because the Aussie underdog is always a good bet, and because I asked so nicely. Their first game is this Sunday night. I'll be watching and you should to.
In case you're one of those crazy people that don't follow cricket, the Champions League is like the Champions League of Association Football (soccer), where the winning teams from the domestic competitions around the world in the previous year face off for glory, honour and national pride, and a nice paycheck to boot. Unlike soccer, though, cricket is not played at a high level in all that many countries, and not all of them are competing this year, so this year the league is made up of three Indian teams, two Australian and South African teams, and one team apiece from New Zealand, Sri Lanka and the West Indies, leading some to suggest that it's not a very big deal, but if SA has a chance of winning then I can't help but be supportive. How very biased I am.
Since the chances are that you're not a supporter of any of the other teams in the competition, you should tune in on TV (if it's available in your country) and support the SA Redbacks. Why? Well, aside from them having the most dashing and gallant fans around and having pretty swishy bright red uniforms, they really deserve a break. If you're a cricket fan, you're sure to be impressed by the quality of this tournament, which features lots of big-name players from around the world as well as a bunch of exciting rising stars, and if you're not you might just be by the end of the tournament, as your new favourite sporty types in the fancy red shirts play some of the most exciting and interesting cricket you're ever likely to see.
For those that aren't swayed by such emotional appeals, here's some pros and cons on SA's chances:
A rose-tinted view of why the Redbacks can win:- Some of Australia's best and most experienced domestic batsmen, consistently high-scoring and exciting but underrated players like Mike Klinger, Graham Manou, Tom Cooper and Callum Ferguson.
- Brutal terrorist of a pace bowler Shaun Tait is probably the scariest thing a batsman can ever face.
- Brilliant fielding side including the simply incredibly glovework of Manou behind the stumps.
- Australian teams tend to stack up extremely favourably against foreign teams, our domestic competition probably has the best home-grown quality in the world.
Why we probably won't:
- Lack of an actual budget has prevented SA from hiring any big-name international talent, while almost every other side is rolling in it. The best we can claim is Tait and Ferguson, who have played for Australia in and amongst injury, and Cooper, who is a staple of the Netherlands team by virtue of his mothers country of origin.
- Loss of the imports that got us into the competition in the first place, Shaid Afridi, who is currently busy retiring again, and Kieran Pollard, who'll be playing AGAINST for the Indian team with the big bucks.
- Not enough bowling depth. Tait and Bailey are top-class, but the rest of our bowlers are relitive unknowns and pretty unpredictable. Not to rule them out, but we're going to miss Afridi's excellent run-supressing bowling from last season.
Hrmm...maybe not so promising after all, huh?
You should get behind them anyway, because the Aussie underdog is always a good bet, and because I asked so nicely. Their first game is this Sunday night. I'll be watching and you should to.
Tuesday, 7 September 2010
Wednesday Quiz In Exile II: Ned Kelly
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so while the Wednesday Quiz pretends to be dead and buried, certain quiz tragics are attempting to keep the mid-week trivia binge alive, even if it means actually doing some 'work' for once.
This weeks quiz is on the life, death and cultural impact of Australia's most famous and iconic folk hero, bushranger Ned Kelly (1854-1880), and his associates. England has kings, Italy has popes, the US has great war heroes and Canada has champion lumberjacks, but Australia has always idolised its criminals. Answer the questions correctly to score points towards becoming the quiz champion and winning the admiration of a grateful nation. As Kelly is such a well-known figure in Australia and not elsewhere, the difficulty of the quiz will be a bit variable, so apologies in advance. Cheaters will find themselves with an 8000 pound bounty on their heads, their legs shot out from underneath them, their misdeeds celebrated in song and story, and not even 30,000 signatures on a petition will save them from their inevitable doom.
Answer (if you dare).
1. What crimes did Ned Kelly commit or be accused of committing? (Name any two)
2. How did Kelly die?
3. Which Australian state did Kelly operate in?
4. Which artist painted his famous Ned Kelly series of paintings of which this is a part?
5. How other members of the Kelly Gang had a set of Kelly's iconic home-made armour?
6. Which British rocker played Ned in the 1970 (giant failure of a) film Ned Kelly?
7. Kelly has appeared on official postage stamps of Australia and which other country?
8. Which of Captain Moonlight, Captain Starlight, Captain Boomerang and Captain Thunderbolt was not a prominent Australian bushranger?
9. Of what was The Story Of The Kelly Gang (1909) the world's first example?
10. What is considered the major cause of the collapse of the Australian film industry in 1912?
11. Ned Kelly (1971) was written by which American Country singer-songwriter?
12. How is a Ned Kelly Pie different from a regular meat pie?
Leave your answers and a threatening letter to local law enforcement in the comments.
This weeks quiz is on the life, death and cultural impact of Australia's most famous and iconic folk hero, bushranger Ned Kelly (1854-1880), and his associates. England has kings, Italy has popes, the US has great war heroes and Canada has champion lumberjacks, but Australia has always idolised its criminals. Answer the questions correctly to score points towards becoming the quiz champion and winning the admiration of a grateful nation. As Kelly is such a well-known figure in Australia and not elsewhere, the difficulty of the quiz will be a bit variable, so apologies in advance. Cheaters will find themselves with an 8000 pound bounty on their heads, their legs shot out from underneath them, their misdeeds celebrated in song and story, and not even 30,000 signatures on a petition will save them from their inevitable doom.
Answer (if you dare).
1. What crimes did Ned Kelly commit or be accused of committing? (Name any two)
2. How did Kelly die?
3. Which Australian state did Kelly operate in?
4. Which artist painted his famous Ned Kelly series of paintings of which this is a part?
5. How other members of the Kelly Gang had a set of Kelly's iconic home-made armour?
6. Which British rocker played Ned in the 1970 (giant failure of a) film Ned Kelly?
7. Kelly has appeared on official postage stamps of Australia and which other country?
8. Which of Captain Moonlight, Captain Starlight, Captain Boomerang and Captain Thunderbolt was not a prominent Australian bushranger?
9. Of what was The Story Of The Kelly Gang (1909) the world's first example?
10. What is considered the major cause of the collapse of the Australian film industry in 1912?
11. Ned Kelly (1971) was written by which American Country singer-songwriter?
12. How is a Ned Kelly Pie different from a regular meat pie?
Leave your answers and a threatening letter to local law enforcement in the comments.
Half an hour
Then we will know...
...And now we know. Australia has re-elected Labor in a minority government, supported by the Greens and 3 independents. I, for one, welcome our new Labor overlords, and would like to remind them that as a constituent in a marginal seat I could play a key part in defeating them for re-election in three years, or howsoever as long as they manage to hold on to their tenuous hold on power, should they choose to displease me.
Switch to movie announcer voice:
This spring, one woman is given three years to change the world. Can she bring together the most ragtag bunch of misfits ever seen in Australian politics to deliver stable and effective government?
The stakes are high. The budget is higher.
ALP pictures presents an all-star cast of Julia Gillard...Wayne Swan...Tony Windsor...Kevin Rudd....Rob Oakeshott...and introducing Adam Bandt, in...MINORITY GOVERNMENT. Coming soon to a country near YOU!
...And now we know. Australia has re-elected Labor in a minority government, supported by the Greens and 3 independents. I, for one, welcome our new Labor overlords, and would like to remind them that as a constituent in a marginal seat I could play a key part in defeating them for re-election in three years, or howsoever as long as they manage to hold on to their tenuous hold on power, should they choose to displease me.
Switch to movie announcer voice:
This spring, one woman is given three years to change the world. Can she bring together the most ragtag bunch of misfits ever seen in Australian politics to deliver stable and effective government?
The stakes are high. The budget is higher.
ALP pictures presents an all-star cast of Julia Gillard...Wayne Swan...Tony Windsor...Kevin Rudd....Rob Oakeshott...and introducing Adam Bandt, in...MINORITY GOVERNMENT. Coming soon to a country near YOU!
Monday, 6 September 2010
The First Step
...is admitting that you have a problem:
Hi, my name is Ted and I'm a biblioholic. I'm utterly addicted to the increase of my library, by any means necessary. It's been 2 days since my last bookshop splurge, when the friendly but concerned clerk, recognising me and the considerable amount I seem to spend on a regular basis at the Angus & Robertson in James Place, asked "How many of the books you own have you actually read?". He has a point. Maybe I just buy books to impress my local bookstoe clerk, for the smell of fresh paper and the softness of an uncreased trade paperback, or to look intelligent but not actually to read.
When I went home and looked at my collection, and what I saw disgusted me. I don't have a problem, I have seventy-four problems. Some of them partially solved, some of them new and exciting, right across the spectrum from historical fiction pulp to classic SF, biographies and non-fiction, and it's about time that I did something about it. These seventy-four are a not inconsiderable percentage of my entire library, and while I didn't buy them all I've let them get a little out of hand. So...
No more buying books until I've finished the ones I have now.
(This doesn't exclude me picking up free books or books or really, really good sale, but I won't go looking for them).
Some of you are aware that I've tried this before, but it failed the next time I went into a bookstore with money in my pocket (I managed a few times by making myself poor before entry), but this time it's in writing, and as I am a man of my word, I'm just going to have to knuckle down and deal with my problems, all 74 of them. Then maybe I can start on the other bad habits, like picking things up off of the street and putting them in my mouth.
Just on the off chance that you're interested, the list is:
Aitken, Johnathan. John Newton: From Disgrace to Amazing Grace (birthday present 2010)
Asimov, Isaac. Robot Stories. (bought this weekend)
Austen, Jane. Emma (deceased estate 2008, deceased smoked a lot)
Blainey, Geoffrey. A Shorter History of Australia (free box at work)
Bryson, Bill. A Short History of Nearly Everything (bought early 2010)
Bunyan, John. The Pilgrim’s Progress (inherited)
Burgess, Anthony. A Clockwork Orange (bought 2009)
Chaucer, Geoffrey. Canterbury Tales (2009)
Christie, Agatha. 4.50 From Paddington (inherited)
Christie, Agatha. Mrs. McGinty’s Dead (inherited)
Christie, Agatha. The Mousetrap (free box)
Christie, Agatha. They Came to Baghdad (inherited)
Christie, Agatha. They Do It with Mirrors (inherited)
Clarke, Susanna. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell (bought this weekend)
Cornwell, Bernard. Sharpe’s Revenge (op-shop 2010)
Courtenay, Bryce. The Persimmon Tree (early 2010)
Cupp, Bob. The Edict (early 2010)
Currie, Ron. God is Dead (A&R crazy sale 2010)
Dahl, Roald. Going Solo (2009)
Dickens, Charles. A Tale of Two Cities (birthday present 2010)
Dickens, Charles. Hard Times (deceased estate 2008)
Dickens, Charles. Nicholas Nickleby (deceased estate 2008)
Donaldson, Stephen. The One Tree (free box)
Donaldson, Stephen. The Wounded Land (inherited)
Donaldson, Stephen. White Gold Wielder (inherited)
Durrell, Gerald. My Family and Other Animals (2009)
Eliot, George. Middlemarch (deceased estate 2008)
Flanagan, Richard. Wanting (A&R crazy sale 2010)
Gaiman, Neil. The Graveyard Book (early 2010)
Gibson, William. Burning Chrome (free box)
Gibson, William. Mona Lisa Overdrive (free box)
Gibson, William. Neuromancer (free box)
Hoban, Russell. Riddley Walker (inherited)
Homer. The Iliad (op-shop 2010)
Homer. The Odyssey (gift)
Joachimsthaler, Anton. The Last Days of Hitler (mid 2010)
Keneally, Tom. Australians – Origins to Eureka (last weekend)
Kennedy, GA Studdert. The Unutterable Beauty (op shop 2010)
Kipling, Rudyard. Limits and Renewals (inherited)
Lehmann, Darren. Worth the Wait (2009) - Read September 2010
Lewis, CS. Out of the Silent Planet (deceased estate 2008)
Lewis, CS. Perelandra (deceased estate 2008)
Lewis, CS. That Hideous Strength (deceased estate 2008)
Martin, GRR et al. Songs of a Dying Earth (last weekend) - Read October 2010
Milton, John. Dramatic Poems (op shop 2010)
Mitford, Nancy. Love in a Cold Climate (inherited)
Nabokov, Vladimir. Lolita (2008)
Orwell, George. Animal Farm (deceased estate 2008)
Owen, Wilfred. Poems (op shop 2010)
Peake, Mervyn. Gormenghast (free box)
Peake, Mervyn. Titus Groan (stolen from co-worker 2009)
Robertson, Geoffrey. Crimes Against Humanity (early 2010)
Salinger, JD. The Catcher in the Rye (inherited)
Selby-Montefiore, Hugh. Enigma (early 2010)
Shatner, William. Tek Lab (free box)
Shatner, William. Tek Vengeance (free box)
Shaw, George Bernard. Three Plays For Puritans (free box)
Stow, Randolph. The Merry-Go-Round in the Sea (early 2010)
Sutherland, John. Curiosities of Literature (birthday present 2009)
Swift, Jonathan. Gullivers Travels and Other Writings (free box)
Thackeray, William Makepeace. Vanity Fair (deceased estate 2008)
Tolstoy, Leo. War and Peace (2009)
Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (2009)
Waugh, Evelyn. A Handful of Dust (2009)
Wilde, Oscar. A Picture of Dorian Grey (2008)
Wilde, Oscar. Complete Short Fiction (2009)
Winton, Tim. Breath (2009)
Wodehouse, PG. A Pelican at Blandings (free box)
Wodehouse, PG. Jeeves in the Offing (free box)
Wodehouse, PG. Much Obliged, Jeeves (free box)
Wodehouse, PG. P. Smith in the City (free box)
Wodehouse, PG. Ring for Jeeves (free box)
Wyss, Johann. Swiss Family Robinson (deceased esate)
Now I've got to read the suckers.
The next step is coming to believe that a higher power can restore me to sanity. I have a feeling that that one might take a while.
Hi, my name is Ted and I'm a biblioholic. I'm utterly addicted to the increase of my library, by any means necessary. It's been 2 days since my last bookshop splurge, when the friendly but concerned clerk, recognising me and the considerable amount I seem to spend on a regular basis at the Angus & Robertson in James Place, asked "How many of the books you own have you actually read?". He has a point. Maybe I just buy books to impress my local bookstoe clerk, for the smell of fresh paper and the softness of an uncreased trade paperback, or to look intelligent but not actually to read.
When I went home and looked at my collection, and what I saw disgusted me. I don't have a problem, I have seventy-four problems. Some of them partially solved, some of them new and exciting, right across the spectrum from historical fiction pulp to classic SF, biographies and non-fiction, and it's about time that I did something about it. These seventy-four are a not inconsiderable percentage of my entire library, and while I didn't buy them all I've let them get a little out of hand. So...
No more buying books until I've finished the ones I have now.
(This doesn't exclude me picking up free books or books or really, really good sale, but I won't go looking for them).
Some of you are aware that I've tried this before, but it failed the next time I went into a bookstore with money in my pocket (I managed a few times by making myself poor before entry), but this time it's in writing, and as I am a man of my word, I'm just going to have to knuckle down and deal with my problems, all 74 of them. Then maybe I can start on the other bad habits, like picking things up off of the street and putting them in my mouth.
Just on the off chance that you're interested, the list is:
Aitken, Johnathan. John Newton: From Disgrace to Amazing Grace (birthday present 2010)
Asimov, Isaac. Robot Stories. (bought this weekend)
Austen, Jane. Emma (deceased estate 2008, deceased smoked a lot)
Blainey, Geoffrey. A Shorter History of Australia (free box at work)
Bryson, Bill. A Short History of Nearly Everything (bought early 2010)
Bunyan, John. The Pilgrim’s Progress (inherited)
Burgess, Anthony. A Clockwork Orange (bought 2009)
Chaucer, Geoffrey. Canterbury Tales (2009)
Christie, Agatha. 4.50 From Paddington (inherited)
Christie, Agatha. Mrs. McGinty’s Dead (inherited)
Christie, Agatha. The Mousetrap (free box)
Christie, Agatha. They Came to Baghdad (inherited)
Christie, Agatha. They Do It with Mirrors (inherited)
Clarke, Susanna. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell (bought this weekend)
Cornwell, Bernard. Sharpe’s Revenge (op-shop 2010)
Courtenay, Bryce. The Persimmon Tree (early 2010)
Cupp, Bob. The Edict (early 2010)
Currie, Ron. God is Dead (A&R crazy sale 2010)
Dahl, Roald. Going Solo (2009)
Dickens, Charles. A Tale of Two Cities (birthday present 2010)
Dickens, Charles. Hard Times (deceased estate 2008)
Dickens, Charles. Nicholas Nickleby (deceased estate 2008)
Donaldson, Stephen. The One Tree (free box)
Donaldson, Stephen. The Wounded Land (inherited)
Donaldson, Stephen. White Gold Wielder (inherited)
Durrell, Gerald. My Family and Other Animals (2009)
Eliot, George. Middlemarch (deceased estate 2008)
Flanagan, Richard. Wanting (A&R crazy sale 2010)
Gaiman, Neil. The Graveyard Book (early 2010)
Gibson, William. Burning Chrome (free box)
Gibson, William. Mona Lisa Overdrive (free box)
Gibson, William. Neuromancer (free box)
Hoban, Russell. Riddley Walker (inherited)
Homer. The Iliad (op-shop 2010)
Homer. The Odyssey (gift)
Joachimsthaler, Anton. The Last Days of Hitler (mid 2010)
Keneally, Tom. Australians – Origins to Eureka (last weekend)
Kennedy, GA Studdert. The Unutterable Beauty (op shop 2010)
Kipling, Rudyard. Limits and Renewals (inherited)
Lehmann, Darren. Worth the Wait (2009) - Read September 2010
Lewis, CS. Out of the Silent Planet (deceased estate 2008)
Lewis, CS. Perelandra (deceased estate 2008)
Lewis, CS. That Hideous Strength (deceased estate 2008)
Martin, GRR et al. Songs of a Dying Earth (last weekend) - Read October 2010
Milton, John. Dramatic Poems (op shop 2010)
Mitford, Nancy. Love in a Cold Climate (inherited)
Nabokov, Vladimir. Lolita (2008)
Orwell, George. Animal Farm (deceased estate 2008)
Owen, Wilfred. Poems (op shop 2010)
Peake, Mervyn. Gormenghast (free box)
Peake, Mervyn. Titus Groan (stolen from co-worker 2009)
Robertson, Geoffrey. Crimes Against Humanity (early 2010)
Salinger, JD. The Catcher in the Rye (inherited)
Selby-Montefiore, Hugh. Enigma (early 2010)
Shatner, William. Tek Lab (free box)
Shatner, William. Tek Vengeance (free box)
Shaw, George Bernard. Three Plays For Puritans (free box)
Stow, Randolph. The Merry-Go-Round in the Sea (early 2010)
Sutherland, John. Curiosities of Literature (birthday present 2009)
Swift, Jonathan. Gullivers Travels and Other Writings (free box)
Thackeray, William Makepeace. Vanity Fair (deceased estate 2008)
Tolstoy, Leo. War and Peace (2009)
Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (2009)
Waugh, Evelyn. A Handful of Dust (2009)
Wilde, Oscar. A Picture of Dorian Grey (2008)
Wilde, Oscar. Complete Short Fiction (2009)
Winton, Tim. Breath (2009)
Wodehouse, PG. A Pelican at Blandings (free box)
Wodehouse, PG. Jeeves in the Offing (free box)
Wodehouse, PG. Much Obliged, Jeeves (free box)
Wodehouse, PG. P. Smith in the City (free box)
Wodehouse, PG. Ring for Jeeves (free box)
Wyss, Johann. Swiss Family Robinson (deceased esate)
Now I've got to read the suckers.
The next step is coming to believe that a higher power can restore me to sanity. I have a feeling that that one might take a while.
Elections - The Never Ending Story
More than two weeks have passed since the 2010 Federal election, and Australia is still without a government, with three of those independents we talked about last week (Bob Katter, Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott) still deliberating, while Bandt and Wilkie have thrown their votes behind a Labor Government, making the scoreline 74-73 against the Coalition.
Yes, that's right, after two weeks, anyone could win. Or no-one could. If these 3 guys can't come to an agreement in the next few days, Australia is in for political turmoil and all-round crazy time. Here's how it works.
If the big three come down on the side of the government, Labor will have a 77-73 majority (Tony Crook of the nationals is still insisting he's a party in his own right, but no-one is really listening). Who knows what Labor would have to offer Bob Katter and Tony Windsor to make this happen, but if they could it would make the most stable possible option.
If the 3 go to the Coalition, they could form government, but it's possible that Crook could come into play and block the election of a Speaker. Without a Speaker there's no House, and no government, so that's a pretty drastic move on his behalf. If he doesn't cross the floor, then the Coalition will come into power with a friendly Senate (until July), but only need to lose one vote in the House to block their legislation.
If the 3 split, with Oakeshott to Labor and the other two to the Liberals, we'd be in a bit of a pickle. With 75 apiece it's possible that either side could still form government, but it would rely on a lot of wheeling and dealing in each and every vote for the government to get anything done. It could be a weird time to be in federal politics.
Anyway, if you care at all you know all this, so I'll get to the point. The main reason for this post is that with 80% of the vote counted, it looks like Bob Day might make the Senate in South Australia. It's no sure thing yet, but if he gets in (with only 4% primary vote) I will feel justified for my wild predictions of three weeks ago, and you will have to bow down and pay homage to me as the Election King.
I hope to be able to write tomorrow sometime that we have a government.
Yes, that's right, after two weeks, anyone could win. Or no-one could. If these 3 guys can't come to an agreement in the next few days, Australia is in for political turmoil and all-round crazy time. Here's how it works.
If the big three come down on the side of the government, Labor will have a 77-73 majority (Tony Crook of the nationals is still insisting he's a party in his own right, but no-one is really listening). Who knows what Labor would have to offer Bob Katter and Tony Windsor to make this happen, but if they could it would make the most stable possible option.
If the 3 go to the Coalition, they could form government, but it's possible that Crook could come into play and block the election of a Speaker. Without a Speaker there's no House, and no government, so that's a pretty drastic move on his behalf. If he doesn't cross the floor, then the Coalition will come into power with a friendly Senate (until July), but only need to lose one vote in the House to block their legislation.
If the 3 split, with Oakeshott to Labor and the other two to the Liberals, we'd be in a bit of a pickle. With 75 apiece it's possible that either side could still form government, but it would rely on a lot of wheeling and dealing in each and every vote for the government to get anything done. It could be a weird time to be in federal politics.
Anyway, if you care at all you know all this, so I'll get to the point. The main reason for this post is that with 80% of the vote counted, it looks like Bob Day might make the Senate in South Australia. It's no sure thing yet, but if he gets in (with only 4% primary vote) I will feel justified for my wild predictions of three weeks ago, and you will have to bow down and pay homage to me as the Election King.
I hope to be able to write tomorrow sometime that we have a government.
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