Adelaide: 2-0 And Counting!

There's something special about travelling to see a cricket match away from the comfort of your own surroundings. It's that feeling of not really knowing what's behind that grandstand, that feeing of not exactly knowing which way the ground is from your hotel and that feeling of uncertaintly about the best place to sit and where the closest pub might be for an after match drink. Now having said that, there's nothing much better than watching a Test in your own town. Adelaide is my home, always has been and I've had many people tell me the Adelaide Oval is the most beautiful place to sit back and relax and watch a cricket match....so who am I to argue hey?

There's something special about travelling to see a cricket match away from the comfort of your own surroundings. It's that feeling of not really knowing what's behind that grandstand, that feeing of not exactly knowing which way the ground is from your hotel and that feeling of uncertaintly about the best place to sit and where the closest pub might be for an after match drink. Now having said that, there's nothing much better than watching a Test in your own town. Adelaide is my home, always has been and I've had many people tell me the Adelaide Oval is the most beautiful place to sit back and relax and watch a cricket match....so who am I to argue hey?

One has to wonder though what other people think, especially those who have come from afar just to watch the cricket. The Adelaide Oval is not a new ground by any stretch of the imagination. It may not have stadium feel to it like the MCG or Gabba, it may not have all the trimmings of the SCG or the vast history of Lords, but it is certainly a ground that would have to make anybody from out of town feel instantly comfortable and relaxed. The classic heritage listed scoreboard, the grassed areas and the mix of old, new and semi-temporary grandstands, together with the River Torrens, the city skyline and the old Cathedral as backdrops, all seemlessly fit together to paint an irresistable picture that one has to experience for themselves.

So who better to ask that my flag waving companians for the summer. Steph and Belinda made the trip for their first Test match at the Adelaide Oval and on my arrival at the Cathedral Hotel after the first days play that I listened to on the radio whilst driving home from Pt Lincoln, I was greeted by a mixture of smiles, sunburnt faces and half a dozen Coronas under the belt which led to a very entertaining evening at a classy Indian resturant that would only be full every four years when India play a test in town, then down to Glenelg for a Coopers or two. On all accounts the Adelaide Oval gets the two thumbs up!!

My Ashes assult began Friday morning with the very real prospect of a fifth days play or heaven forbid....a draw? England's first day, was easily their most productive of the tour thus far with the only negative being the dismissal of centurian Michael Vaughan for a brilliant 177 on the third ball of the last over of the day. He did have his fair share of luck, and was given a life by 3rd umpire Steve Davis on 19 but to Vaughn's credit, he did make the most of it to post a big score for his country. Looking back now, that dismissal was crutial in the context of the match. From that point onward, Australia dominated the game and finally hammered the final nail in the coffin just before 4pm on day four, ironically under the dark miserable skies which would have been the mood in the English camp as they sank once again without resistance to another innings defeat. (Below: England supporters make their presence known easily!)

Friday was a magnificent days play. Our vantage point in the South Eastern pocket of the ground put a new perspective on things for me as I had actually never sat there before, but will make it a regular thing from now on. My usual antics have seen me either in the Sir Donald Bradman Stand or on the hill in front of the scoreboard depending on whether I actually wanted to watch some cricket or not. Australia almost too easily accounted for the last 6 wickets by lunch time mainly thanks to local boy Jason Gillespie who at one stage had 4/10 for the day!! Following the adjournment Matty Hayden and Justin Langer belted the English attack all over the park and reached another century stand. We all thought they would run away with it and score Englands 342 on their own but their wickets falling not long before tea, slowed the frantic scoring rate as Ponting and Martyn saw tea, then stumps with out much trouble at all. Drinks were required by all after sitting in the sun all day, so it was off the the Cathedral Hotel once more then for a bit of a drive to show my guests a bit of Adelaide while it was still light and we were treated to a rather nice sunset over the foreshore at Glenelg.

Saturday arrived with a slight headache and a nice breakfast in Rundle Street followed by a lazy stroll to the ground in the already warm sun. We claimed our spot and were joined by two of my mates Mikey and Gooser, who were hell bent on getting drunk on West End Gold....not an easy task I can tell you and not to mention that it is easily the worst tasting beer in Australia, if not the world, but to their credit gave it a good shot and were very entertaining by about halfway through the 2nd session and almost asleep by stumps!! Great work fellas!! A highlight of the day was chatting to Mikey's brother Greg in London when he rang to soak up a bit of atmosphere while shivering next to the radio early on a cold London morning. The anticiaption of creating a big lead, Steve Waugh, Adam Glichrist and of course hometown hero Darren Lehman getting a hit was evident right from the first ball as Ponting and Martyo picked up from where they left off with the latter bringing up his half century not long into the days play and the former posting his second hundred in as many matches much to the approval of a very healthy third day's crowd.

Lunch came, for and for the second session in a row England had not taken a wicket and the score board looked very daunting if you were an English supporter. Martyn fell just five runs sort of back to back hundreds in Adelaide and not long after Ponting was dismissed for a brilliant 154. A standing ovation for Punter, but was nothing compared to the shiver that went down my spine as Darren Lehman was annonced when he stepped on the feild to bat in his first test match on home soil. It was a very special moment, but unfortunately didn't last two long as brother in law Craig White dismissed the Australian number six. Boof must have been shattered, as was I....I hung my head in the terraces. I really though it was going to be his day. Steve Waugh's return to form against the Redbacks last weekend in Sydney continued with a flurry of boundaries until he was caught in the gully by Butcher for 34. After tea Gilchrist, Warne and Bichel slogged the attack at will, ultimately putting the game out of reach from England reaching 9 declared for 552, an overall lead of 210.

Predictions of England's stumps score line were passed around our camp, with some accuracy I might add. We had a 2/42, 3/47 and a 4/37....little did we know...in what proved to be a vey exciting 12 or so overs. Dizzy Trapped Trescothick on the crease for a duck then five balls later Glen McGrath, still ropable after being denied another test century by Steve's declaration, got Butcher absolutely plum in front, so much so Pigeon raised both arms and sprinted to Gilly, not once glancing at Umpire (Dr) Rudi Koertzen for confirmation. Very funny, very arrogant, but I must say I'm not a big fan of Glenn doing it, I've seen him do it before and not get the dimissal go his way, but not to worry still good enough for the days "Chardonay Moment". 2/17. (Below: The Team Snap after a marvellous test victory!)

Nassa and Vaughan hung around through some beautiful bowling from Glenn, Jalason Jilespe and Shane Warne, but when Steve chucked the ball to Andy Bichel clearly to try and get a repeat performance from him in the last over of the day, I wasn't convinced. The South Australian in me came out and I really thought Dizzy should bowl the last over, but I quickly hopped on the Bichel bandwagon when the first delivery of the over sailed past the outside edge of Hussain's bat and was driving it when the second knocked him over with an absolute cracker that flicked to bails on the way through. In one of the most symbolic sights I've seen in cricket, losing his wicket right on the tick of stumps brought the English Captain to his knees, no more evident than on the stump cam replay. It was a magnificent sight which brought the crowd to their feet in pure elation and signalled the end for England.

A great evening was had firstly at the Cathedral debating who got closer to the 3/36 stumps score line, certain punters claiming bitterly the over wasn't complete and I still had 4 balls to for Andy to take 1/1 to bring me a glorious victory!!! Some Coopers from the bottle shop a quick shower and it was down to Bombers for some drinks to decide and debate the days Chardonay moment, with Glenn just getting the nod from Alec Stewarts woefull glove work and the ground announcers interesting way of saying Jason Gillepse. After Luke and Steph had completed their third round of WWF Smackdown it was off back to the hotel via a bar where Belinda kindly donated her moblile for a 'quick' call to Ashes and South African tour veteran Lisbeth in London who was feeling very envious of not being in Australia for the Ashes Series.

Walking to the ground was with a touch of sadness for Belinda and I on Sunday knowing it probably would be all over at some stage of the day if the rain held off long enough, as it was to be Steph's last test away from her beloved SCG. Despite all the ribbing she had copped the night before from everyone and anyone, Steph will be waving the flag for the final time and she opts for the married life and the safety and comfort of the SCG members stand. So with our hearts heavier than the storm clouds that hang over another doomed English Ashes campaign, The Three Amigos walked into a test venue together for perhaps the last time with flags at the ready (ironically I wrote in my Gabba summary that I hoped the three of us would see many more test matches together....less than 2 weeks ago!!) but none of us were preapred for what was about to change our cricketing lives forever. Ticket to the cricket...$24.90 plus booking fee, Chips and a coke to cure hangover....$6.00, Hacking continuously on Steph for getting married and not touring anymore.....free, to see the look on Glenn McGrath's face seconds after he took perhaps the greatest catch in all cricket history.......PRICELESS!!!!

It was the most amazing thing I have ever seen in my time of watching cricket. I still can't believe he caught it, neither can he and the rest of the team I suppose, but it was just one of those magical moments that only a game like cricket can provide. The pigeon has perhaps written himself in history as taking possible THE greatest catch that will ever be taken in any form of cricket, from the backyard, schoolyard, the beach, right up to the international test arena. And we were there to see it for ourselves. That in itself, money cannot buy. Back to Back Chardonay moments for Ohh Ahh, superb effort that!

After THAT catch was taken, there was no real danger of us batting again, and despite the attempts of Steve Bucknor, and the weather, man of the moment and Warnie cleaned up the tail efficiently and methodically to take the homeside to an innings and 51 run victory with four sessions to spare and take a daunting 2-0 lead in the series. While Luke and his flag head west to Perth the rest of us have a month off and the sad task of watching the third test and more than likey seeing the Ashes retained on TV. After being there at Trent Bridge last August I'm sure I'm not alone in saying I'm disappointed I'm not going over for the weekend to read the last rights to the poms who will have a huge task to regain some form and lost pride on a fast track at the WACA that will suit the Australian pace attack beautifully.

To those who came over to Adelaide this weekend, I hope you had as much fun as I did and enjoyed your stay and of course the cricket. To my flag waving mates, thanks for coming over to see the Adelaide Oval and I look forward to Sydney in January when it's your turn to play tour guide!! Hope you had a great holiday, it was a pleasure to see another win with you and I really enjoyed having a holiday and being a tourist in my own town as well. Hopefully this halftime series sickness that feels like a 9 year old's stomach on the last Sunday of summer school holidays passes soon and Boxing Day comes around as soon as possible so everyone except for our "Impossible Princess" Steph, can do it all again on the biggest day on th ACB calender, the Ashes Boxing Day Test Match. COME ON!!!!

Simon Gibb 28/11/2002 22:45:43