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Last updated on May 20th, 2017 at 10:24 am
Australian fast bowler Jason Gillespie announces his retirement after 71 Tests and 259 wickets – and one memorable double century. Meanwhile, his former opponents Bangladesh are doing it tough against Seth Efrica.
UPDATE. Peter Roebuck attempts a cut shot:
Just for a moment it seemed that Jayasuriya might produce one last hurrah. It was not to be. Before long he was late on his shot, whereupon he trudged from the field looking about as happy as a News Corporation journalist.
In journalism as so often on the pitch, Pete picks the wrong line.
I’ve said it before. The Australian team should have shirts made up with WILD DOGS on the front. And wear them with pride.
Roebuck’s fulsome tribute to Gilchrist on his retirement in January – a full three weeks after calling for his sacking and libelling him as a cheat – is the single most nauseating column I have ever read.
Posted by The Mongrel on 2008 02 29 at 10:22 PM • permalink
I’ve watched the greatest game ever invented for 16 years (as a “seppo-zee”, I only began to understand it after about three years of watching closely and reading everything).
Jason Gillespie is one of my very favourite cricketers ever. Put stats like 259 test wickets (at 26.13), or a two-tonner against the Bangles to one side for a moment.
The man was a brick wall in defense—as a tail-ender or night watchman.
One of my greatest moments of vicarious pride came with his stalwart 26 to seal/secure a draw at Chennai in 2004-05.
Why he did not get MotM, I’ll never know.
If McGrath could be described as almost robotically consistent in line and length, then “Dizzy” was loose as a goose—making the ball “do too much”—but I swear I’ve never seen any bowler induce the swing-and-a-miss from as many batsmen as did he.
This is Dizzy as his 7 for 37 at Headingley forced more than one Pom to spoil their Y-fronts!
I’ve missed him for a while, now.
After his many stubborn fightbacks from injury during his career, I sincerely wish him a comfortable, happy and very well-earned retirement.
MentalFloss
Posted by MentalFloss on 2008 02 29 at 11:00 PM • permalink
Oh, and Roebuck’s hyper-critical, self-righteous sanctimony; his canting, near desecrative cavil and his pharasaic presumption that he is privy to what his betters’ motives for and feelings at retirement might be—well, it makes me want to reach for a thesaurus, it really does.
Posted by MentalFloss on 2008 02 29 at 11:36 PM • permalink
From The Daily Telegraph/Wiki:
“It was not appropriate to administer corporal punishment to boys of this age in circumstances such as these. It seems so unusual that it must have been done to satisfy some need in you.”
Ian Fenny prosecuting said:
“Roebuck then pulled the boy towards him, in what appeared to be an act of affection. He then asked if he could look at the marks on the boy’s buttocks, something which he in fact did.”
What’s the leftist equivalent of being as ‘Happy as a News Corp journalist’? As gay as a Fairfax hack?
- #8
An incident in Oxford Street tonight and who will produce the Herald?
#9
But timmeh plays front on, while roebuck plays behind.Posted by stackja1945 on 2008 03 01 at 02:42 AM • permalink
#5 Fantastic tribute to Dizzy mate, he will be missed.
As for Roebuck I have a suggestion – instead of those Boony/Beefy/Warnie talking dolls how about a Roebuck one. It would just sit there on the tele and come out with astounding pithy comments such as:
“What a pack of wild dogs.”
“He should be sacked.”
“He should be spanked.”
“He should be spanked then sacked.”
and so on until you have the pleasure of crushing the rotten thing beneath your heel. Might not make a lot of money but the crushing part would feel so good.
Goodness me the wikipedia entry for Roebuck is a ripping good read.
Instrumental for getting rid of Joel Garner and Viv Richards which ultimately caused the resignation (in protest) of Ian Botham from the Somerset county club. Nice trifecta there mate. Somerset then went from strength to strength from that point – well they weren’t doing so well before anyway but no doubt gate attendance might have dropped a bit with those three guys gone.
Of course the other thing he did in threes was the spanking of three South African cricketers under his tutelage – three short sharp strokes each. After which he asked to see the marks he made on their buttocks.
The latest three up of course was his calling for the sacking of Ponting, Hayden and Gilchrist.
So keeping in line with his form the next time anybody sees this creature – give him three swift kicks. You will put a smile on his face – I guarantee it.
Gillespie is the only Australian to be dropped from the Test team after scoring a double century. Happened to Geoff Boycott once, but he was only suspended for one match because he refused a captain’s order to speed up his scoring.
So Gillespie scored a double century in his last Test innings, only the third player to do so.
- #5 Mentalfloss, an ex-seppo who has learnt to love the greatest hard ball game [yes, including golf]!
A rare and great feat of adaptability and judgment .. well done.As for Dizzy, his aboriginality is never given much attention simply because he doesn’t flaunt it – a great example to other similar achievers, but much less likely under Rudd.
- I protest that a great injustice was done to Hayden because of language difficulties.
‘an abnoxious little weed’ was a bad mistranslation. The first part was a stutter by Hayden, really ‘an, er a..’ What he really meant to say was ‘a noxious small weed’.
This was actually a compliment, because ‘a noxious weed’ is a persistent plant that pops up everywhere and is difficult to get out. It is always troublesome when covering a lot of ground in the field.
So Hayden was really praising the cricketing qualities of Harbhajan, and ignorant people on the CA Board have crucified him for his botanical knowledge and metaphorical skill.
Did DG ever meet the “petalants”?