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Monday, March 23, 2009
Better than 05
Move over 2005 Ashes, we have a new "best series ever".
Three wins apiece. Each won two away Tests and one home Test. The scoreline sums it up brilliantly, but at the same time it doesn't even scratch the surface.
First let's look at what made this better than the 2005 Ashes.
1) It was a home and away series. Both teams had the home advantage at some point. And even better was the touring team won both series.
2) Careers were made, realised and ended. The likes of Duminy, Hughes and North were given an opportunity to transfer their domestic form onto the international stage, and they did so with aplomb. Duminy played so well he kept the vice captain out of the side. Hughes became the youngest man to score twin hundreds. North the first to score a debut century for Australia since Clarkey did it four years ago. At the same time, Johnson, Siddle, Steyn and AB de Villiers dramatically increased their stocks. Johnson evolved into the strike bowler he threatened to be. Siddle showed why he was picked for Australia on the back of 12 first class games over three or four seasons. Steyn proved he could do it against the number one ranked team. And AB just made centuries for fun, showing his value to the team was more than as an electric fielder and back-up keeper. And last of all, we said goodbye to Hayden, and the same could possibly be said of McKenzie. Both openers who struggled, and both made way for the young guns.
3) Six results and still no winner. That is one of the truly astounding things about this series. Each match produced a result, and all but the final Test went to the 5th day. It would have been a TV broadcaster's wet dream.
4) There will be no MBE's and open-top bus rides. Each time knows the magnitude of the their achievements, but they also know it won't help them win their next series.
I'd like to look back at some of the big moments, so keep your eye out for that in the next couple of days/weeks.
Three wins apiece. Each won two away Tests and one home Test. The scoreline sums it up brilliantly, but at the same time it doesn't even scratch the surface.
First let's look at what made this better than the 2005 Ashes.
1) It was a home and away series. Both teams had the home advantage at some point. And even better was the touring team won both series.
2) Careers were made, realised and ended. The likes of Duminy, Hughes and North were given an opportunity to transfer their domestic form onto the international stage, and they did so with aplomb. Duminy played so well he kept the vice captain out of the side. Hughes became the youngest man to score twin hundreds. North the first to score a debut century for Australia since Clarkey did it four years ago. At the same time, Johnson, Siddle, Steyn and AB de Villiers dramatically increased their stocks. Johnson evolved into the strike bowler he threatened to be. Siddle showed why he was picked for Australia on the back of 12 first class games over three or four seasons. Steyn proved he could do it against the number one ranked team. And AB just made centuries for fun, showing his value to the team was more than as an electric fielder and back-up keeper. And last of all, we said goodbye to Hayden, and the same could possibly be said of McKenzie. Both openers who struggled, and both made way for the young guns.
3) Six results and still no winner. That is one of the truly astounding things about this series. Each match produced a result, and all but the final Test went to the 5th day. It would have been a TV broadcaster's wet dream.
4) There will be no MBE's and open-top bus rides. Each time knows the magnitude of the their achievements, but they also know it won't help them win their next series.
I'd like to look back at some of the big moments, so keep your eye out for that in the next couple of days/weeks.
posted by banh # 7:48 PM 
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