Tie of the Week

Perhaps this post should really be called "Win of the Week", since Sri Lanka did not get close enough for a tie in the final of the Tri Series cricket last night, although for a while there it seemed like it might be a close run thing. "But wait," I hear you say, "why are you talking about the cricket when you should be showing me pictures of ties?" The answer is that I (and my tie, hence the cunning excuse to make yet another post about cricket) were at the game at the Adelaide Oval last night to watch in real life.


I have no idea why this photo is upside down and can't seem to fix it, it's fine in my image library on my computer. Anyway, if you turn your monitor upside down, here's a picture of me, my tie, and part of a kickin' Sri Lankan brass band. We are having a lot of fun and the atmosphere is electric.

Tie Number:007
Designation: The Colom-bow
Provenance: Ian's Stash, February 2012
Manufacture: Unknown
No. of Comments: 7 (High)
Most Favourable Comment: "Nice tie, bra!"
Least Favourable Comment: "Umm...really? A bow tie?"
Observations: Bow ties are cool.

And just 'cause I have the bandwidth so I might as well use it...

Here's the other half of the brass band, one of two Sri Lankan brass bands in the area I was sitting in that alternated in filling the stadium with music. I'm pretty sure that these guys only knew one song, but that was ok, because the other band knew a different one (and I've never heard La Cucaracha sound like that before).

The best thing about standing around in the Sri Lankan section of the ground, apart from the music, is that it was easy to see what's going on, since I was a good foot taller that most of the others around. I am now also conversant in all the Sri Lankan bolwing chants, from the simple "Go Lanka Go...Go Lanka Go..." and "We want Dilshan, We want Dilshan"; to complicated call-and-response numbers like "Maharoof OH NO! You OK? OH NO!" and "We want an-OTHER WICKET. Just like the OTHER WICKET!"

My favourite is still the sublime: "Malinga BOWL HIM NOW!...Malinga BOWL HIM NOW!" which is just great when Herath comes in to bowl "Herath Mudiyanselage Rangana Keerthi Bandara Herath BOWL HIM NOW!" (entire area dissovles into giggles)..."Herath Mudiyanselage Rangana..."

The Australian fans were a little more reserved, we were at the cricket, after all.

In short, these guys made the whole thing a whole lot of fun, adding an element of festivity that Aussie cricket fans don't often see. When I took this photo it was the drink break, equilalent to the intermission in a show, Sri Lanka were four down for nothing and everyone else was taking it easy. Not these guys. It was just a pity that their batsmen didn't really get going, I would have loved to hear some more of their chants.