Whispering_Jack

Well why not? Perhaps something in serialised form? We can call it "Orange & Charcoal". Give me some time to think about it and I'll come up with the opening chapter.

What history? Apart from some Mickey Mouse stuff in the NEAFL last year, they don't have no history to speak of other than the subterfuge involving people we're not allowed to mention around here.

Have those horses finished running yet?

Not quite right Rhino. Max made his test debut in the second test at Melbourne along with Jeff Thomson who was belted around the park and took 0-100 in the first innings. The test started exactly 39 years ago today - there was no Boxing Day test back then. I was there when Thommo opened the bowling with Dennis Lillee who also had a tough time taking 1 fer about 90. Sadiqh and Mushtaq Mohammed carted us all over the ground for centuries in a mammoth first innings score but we still knocked them over cheaply in the second innings. Maxy took 2 in the first dig and 3 in the second and we ended up beating them. Sheahan got his ton in the second innings but that was a year after the John Benaud century. Thommo was dropped for the third test in Sydney which was the one in which Watkins made his debut. The third test was the one in which Walker took his 6-15 in the second innings. I was in Sydney at the time for a family wedding and had a clear day for the last day of the test but my transport from the north shore to the SCG was stuffed up so badly that I arrived at the ground late. The Pakistanis were chasing 159 in the final innings and were about 2-40 overnight. I got to the ground in time to watch the last two wickets to fall, the last to Walker. The catcher was Watkins who did very little else in the match. They were all out for a little over 100. I then had about five hours to spare before I was due to be picked up by my hosts in Sydney which I spent sprawled on the grass at Centennial Park reading several hundred pages of Lord of the Rings. I think I dreamed that night about a Bilbo Baggins taking a hat trick on the SCG.

I was a bit worried that it might be a trick question because of the fact that he was dropped before making his one and only test century. I think Michael Hussey might find it a tough ask to score a ton in this current test but I reckon if they had to name the team for the Sydney test last night, he might have been in the same boat as young Benaud was almost 40 years ago.

Does he have a brother named Richie?

A couple of weeks and the Australian Open Tennis will be dominating the sports media and the footy won't be getting a look in. The next month is usually totally bereft of football. A good time to read thriller novels, go to the movies or listen to your favourite music.

Won't happen for the second test but it's only a matter of time before James Faulkner gets the all rounder's spot. I personally would have had him in this test ahead of Hussey, promoting Haddin to 6 and batting him at 7. I think Faulkner has more penetration as a bowler and is more solid in his batting.

Open up them Golden Gates.

What are the experts' comments about the pitch? It's hard to tell on the tv but it seems that it might become a perfect wicket for batting and, given what we're going to be up against, a big indian first innings score beckons.

Spot on - 12 each. As to the issue of bad luck dogging out of form players, I know the feeling. Dogged me throughout my entire career.

Quick Quiz: Since January, 2008 who has made the most ducks in test cricket - Michael Hussey or Chris Martin?

That's cricket. You can't overrule the umpire in these tests so we just have to get on with the game and get over it.

How does this Ed Cowan go in the 50 over game and the 20/20 stuff?

Here's the selected team for the First Test:- Michael Clarke (capt) Brad Haddin Ed Cowan Ben Hilfenhaus Michael Hussey Nathan Lyon Shaun Marsh James Pattinson Ricky Ponting Peter Siddle David Warner Mitchell Starc (12th man) The battle is between two test sides both flawed and both underperformers of late. One at the end of its cycle, the other in team building phase. Interesting stuff to come. I'm not convinced about the Australian bowling attack against the strength of the Indian batsmen but accept that, in those circumstances, Christian would have had to come in at the expense of either Ponting or Hussey and I don't think the selectors are prepared to do this just yet. The two vets will need to perform if they are to remain in the side.

"we've done banana fritters sir"

I thought the ABC crowd went to Merghellina Pizza a bit further down Glenhuntly Road on Fridays. Best pizza in town (current owner also Steve). I often used to see ABC personalities down there - Noni Hazelhurst, the bloke who played Harold in Neighbours (?). Before she became a parliamentarian we used to see Mary Delahunty. Of course, when I was a kid you could get a sight of the great JO'K.

The long soup with the flat noodles is a special. If this keeps up I'm going to claim some advertising from Steven the proprietor. I have some good stories about the place when I think it was his mother in later years who served and was sometimes a bit forgetful.

WYL - I go there sometimes too. Occasionally, I lunch with some other avid Demon fans as well. Perhaps we might catch up there some time.

I apologise about the annoying subtitles but I think it's important to share the humour around in a multicultural Australia that also has an abundant supply of fruit.

Self-defense against Fresh Fruit is not just humour - it's also strongly tinged with political comment. Nevertheless, is it possible to find the script or better still, the sketch on You Tube?

I think my Truth highlight came about five or six years after I finished school and they ran a story about a former teacher and his involvement in some exotic love tryst that had him in a situation the article described as a "ménage a trois". Unfortunately, the subject he taught wasn't French, which was a subject I detested and had happily given up after Form 2 (Year 8 for those under 50) so I never quite understood what it was all about.

There is a separate thread for that form of the game but I wasn't impressed by last night's game. However, I think they're really for different audiences in many cases. There seems to be a belief that participation in 20:20 has affected the cricket development of many players and weakened the test side. That's the theory but I don't know if that's the reason for Australia's demise in test cricket.

Now that's quite enough people. Redleg, that horse racing stuff encourages people to gamble. We can't have that here except during the Autumn Carnival. And no more political discussion here or any discussion about whether or not what someone says is political. I'll do the moderator's thing and ban it. Now, where were we. Yes. Truth. They had a writer called Brian Hansen who was always very forthright and got some good stories. I suppose he would have retired by now but he seemed to get the inside stories all the time. Anyone know what happened to him?

Mind you ... the Truth was always a good read for a giggle. The good thing was they used to keep the footy stories going throughout the summer when the other papers usually ignored it. I suppose with the Internet and saturation coverage everywhere the Truth lost its appeal.