Author: No Ball

It’s Just a Flesh Wound – Australian Injury List Grows

Another day of the Sri Lankan tour, another Australian injury. Marcus Stoinis is the latest in a long line after suffering from a side strain in the 1st ODI. Did side strains exist before professional cricket? Can you get a front strain? I’ve definitely heard of bottom strains. Stoinis joins Ashton Agar, Mitch Marsh, Mitchell Starc, Kane Richardson and Sean Abbott on the team stretcher. Suss much? I’m starting to wonder if some of the Australian A boys are behind this. I mean sometimes you have to make your own opportunities right?

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Shanaka Brings It While Aussies Lose It

Well, well, well… that was an actual game of cricket. It may have taken two pretty ordinary matches for Sri Lanka to remember what a cricket bat should be used for but boy did they use it well last night. Well to be fair it was their captain, Shanaka, who proved that cricket bats can be much more than a vessel for delivering cricket balls to fielders.

The Australians batted first with Finch looking solid once again and Warner continuing to be Warner. Then came the familiar taste of Australian Apple Crumble as Maxwell fell for 16, followed by poor Josh Inglis who was run out for a first ball yucky ducky (look it up, it’s a thing). Stoinis was looking solid until he out-Hulked himself by looking to hit the ball back to Australia only to be  stumped after forgetting it’s best to hit the thing if you’re going to walk 3 metres down the pitch. What are they teaching kids in school nowadays?

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Matthew Wade Kills The Mood at the Hasaranga Party

The second instalment of the Australia Sri Lanka T20 series was a tad odd. After being sent in to bat, Sri Lanka seemed to draw inspiration from the same poorly written script that underpinned the first game. Lots of balls dollying up in the air, often in immediate reach of some sticky Australian hands (yuck). Glenn Maxwell continued to produce his sneaky magic with the ball (I’m not sure how he gets wickets but he does) and it was pleasing to see Jhye Richardson back on the park, delivering some smart balls (mental note: develop a product called “Smart Balls”). As I watched the innings I found myself thinking, how could Junior (Mark Waugh) have his radar so out of whack with his prediction of Sri Lanka taking out the series. SL found themselves 9 for 124 at the end of their 20 overs. I mean it’s no wonder he’s referred to as Junior right?

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