Sometimes Cricket Is Beautiful

ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | ContactE

After sucking for the past two weeks, cricket is now good again according to a government report.

Some at the CSIRO go as far as saying it’s great after Australia retained The Ashes in England for the first time since the collapse of Ansett.

Combined with yet another stellar performance from Steve Smith and the kennel of fast bowlers, it is of The Advocate’s opinion that cricket is sometimes beautiful.

The Fourth Test had all the natural hallmarks of a great Test match. A series-defining double ton. A supremely-talent opener seemingly on the same road to self-destruction as Michael Slater was. The umpiring was appalling. Bush league standard. The fourth Test even had a part time leg spinner, who received some wisdom from Shane in the hours before play, threw one out into the footmarks to take a crucial wicket at a critical point in the game.

Speaking to The Advocate this morning via telephone, a CSIRO spokesman explained that there are other criteria they use to define the beauty of cricket.

“Think back to when Ricky Ponting came on between Kasper and Binga back in 2005 and managed to get Michael Vaughan caught behind,” said th public servant.

“Or Pup taking those Indian wickets at the SCG to win the game in the dying light. That’s when cricket is great.”

“Arguably, cricket was beautiful when Ben Stokes hit all those runs to win the Third Test at Edgbaston. In saying that, it was also arguably beautiful when he walked last night. It’s hard to define but rest assured, your tax dollars are hard at work trying to find out.”

More to come.