http://www.thepunch.com.au/tags/ashes/ Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. en Copyright 2012 The Punch penberthyd@newsltd.com.au penberthyd@newsltd.com.au Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:40 +0000 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:40 +0000 Politics, opinion, world news, sports news, latest news, views, Barack Obama, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Nathan Rees, Malcolm Turnbull, Peter Garrett, Barnaby Joyce, Australian, federal politics, opinion polls, election, The Punch, thepunch, punch ExpressionEngine 1.6.7 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 15 http://www.thepunch.com.au/images/punch-logo-rss.png http://www.thepunch.com.au/ 144 70 Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. Search The Punch keywords http://www.thepunch.com.au/search/ http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/hold-clarke-the-good-guy-trying-to-bust-out-of-the-wanker-suit/ If surveys are to be believed, the vast majority of Australians believe that new Australian captain Michael Clarke is an incurable wanker. On the evidence of the last couple of years, it’s hard to argue. Yet beneath the Sunday social pages facade, I’m convinced there’s a good guy waiting to bust out. And an even better captain waiting to take over. About a year ago, I interviewed Clarke at a photo shoot for Alpha magazine. In a down moment between shots, two Alpha staff members swear they heard him say under his breath “what am I doing here?” Understandably, my colleagues were pretty taken aback by that unexpected comment. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/hold-clarke-the-good-guy-trying-to-bust-out-of-the-wanker-suit/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/hold-clarke-the-good-guy-trying-to-bust-out-of-the-wanker-suit/#item4799 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:40 +0000 The third cricket Test starts today. But whether Australia recovers, England continues to stomp its foot on our throat, or a huge meteorite crashes into the WACA, there’s really only one sports story in town. It’s a story which has spilled well beyond the sports pages, and it shoots off in an exciting new direction each week, enlivening an otherwise flat sporting summer. The story is of course Shane Warne. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/summer-of-warne/ The third cricket Test starts today. But whether Australia recovers, England continues to stomp its foot on our throat, or a huge meteorite crashes into the WACA, there’s really only one sports story in town. It’s a story which has spilled well beyond the sports pages, and it shoots off in an exciting new direction each week, enlivening an otherwise flat sporting summer. The story is of course Shane Warne. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/summer-of-warne/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/summer-of-warne/#item4708 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:40 +0000 The third cricket Test starts today. But whether Australia recovers, England continues to stomp its foot on our throat, or a huge meteorite crashes into the WACA, there’s really only one sports story in town. It’s a story which has spilled well beyond the sports pages, and it shoots off in an exciting new direction each week, enlivening an otherwise flat sporting summer. The story is of course Shane Warne. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/has-ricky-ponting-undermined-his-own-teams-confidence/ When Ricky Ponting returned from the disastrous tour of India in October, a small scrum of media cornered him outside the international airport, asked a brace of tough questions, recorded a brace of defiant answers, then scurried off to file for deadline. Hanging back behind it all was Ponting’s wife Rianna and his two year old daughter Emmy, who must have been busting to hug her Dad. When the last reporter disappeared, Ponting picked up Emmy in one hand, and manfully pushed his overburdened trolley through the car park with the other. He then packed his large, shiny SUV and drove off to his spacious, waterfront home in the Sutherland Shire. In those brief, private moments, the Pontings looked like any other happily reunited family at the airport. Ricky was a dad and husband, not a cricketer and captain. It kind of made you feel all warm and gooey inside. But there’s nothing warm and gooey about the way this summer of cricket is panning out. And that same media scrum, quite rightly, is interrogating Ponting with increasing ferocity. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/has-ricky-ponting-undermined-his-own-teams-confidence/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/has-ricky-ponting-undermined-his-own-teams-confidence/#item4670 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:40 +0000 The third cricket Test starts today. But whether Australia recovers, England continues to stomp its foot on our throat, or a huge meteorite crashes into the WACA, there’s really only one sports story in town. It’s a story which has spilled well beyond the sports pages, and it shoots off in an exciting new direction each week, enlivening an otherwise flat sporting summer. The story is of course Shane Warne. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/ooh-aah.-this-is-gonna-be-one-long-summer/ England has won the second Ashes Test in Adelaide by an innings and 71 runs. But if you think this summer of cricket has been hard to watch for average fans like us, spare a thought for Glenn McGrath. In an interview with The Punch, the great paceman admitted the first two Ashes Tests have been tough going for him too. “There were a few good moments obviously up in Brisbane in the first innings where Sids took the hat trick, but the last two innings watching our boys bowl has been pretty tough,” McGrath said. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/ooh-aah.-this-is-gonna-be-one-long-summer/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/ooh-aah.-this-is-gonna-be-one-long-summer/#item4641 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:40 +0000 The third cricket Test starts today. But whether Australia recovers, England continues to stomp its foot on our throat, or a huge meteorite crashes into the WACA, there’s really only one sports story in town. It’s a story which has spilled well beyond the sports pages, and it shoots off in an exciting new direction each week, enlivening an otherwise flat sporting summer. The story is of course Shane Warne. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/as-the-eucalypt-sprouts-new-shoots-after-a-fire/ The really great thing about us Australians is that we don’t let bad things get us down. A World Cup for Qatar? No worries. It’ll probably save us all a bunch of stadium renovations we didn’t need anyway. Not to mention that we might actually move towards an economy built on more stable foundations than the questionable benefits of global events we host every quarter century or so. Three for two against the Poms in the cricket? She’ll be right. We’ll be 3/94 by lunch once Huss and Watto have dug in. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/as-the-eucalypt-sprouts-new-shoots-after-a-fire/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/as-the-eucalypt-sprouts-new-shoots-after-a-fire/#item4623 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:40 +0000 The third cricket Test starts today. But whether Australia recovers, England continues to stomp its foot on our throat, or a huge meteorite crashes into the WACA, there’s really only one sports story in town. It’s a story which has spilled well beyond the sports pages, and it shoots off in an exciting new direction each week, enlivening an otherwise flat sporting summer. The story is of course Shane Warne. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/time-to-take-a-break-mitch/ Any captain wants one of two things out of his pace spearhead, and ideally he’d like both. Firstly, he wants strike power in the mould of Jeff Thomson, whose famous sandshoe crusher broke both Tony Greig’s foot and England’s resolve in the corresponding match at the Gabba way back in 1974. Secondly, he wants unerring accuracy. He wants to be able to throw the ball to his main man and say “hey if you can’t get rid of them, at least dry the runs up and build a bit of pressure”. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/time-to-take-a-break-mitch/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/time-to-take-a-break-mitch/#item4587 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:40 +0000 The third cricket Test starts today. But whether Australia recovers, England continues to stomp its foot on our throat, or a huge meteorite crashes into the WACA, there’s really only one sports story in town. It’s a story which has spilled well beyond the sports pages, and it shoots off in an exciting new direction each week, enlivening an otherwise flat sporting summer. The story is of course Shane Warne. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/land-of-no-hope-and-vainglory/ Hello England. You’re that island (or portion thereof) adrift in the North Sea somewhere near, gee I dunno, Iceland or something right? England, I’m told you used to be this terrifically confident place which belied its speck-on-the-map geographical status by civilising the world with such benevolent and enduring cultural endowments as the Westminster system, cricket and The Benny Hill Show. But suddenly England, you’ve gone all insecure and snipey. England, I can’t tell you how genuinely shocked I was to read this piece by journalist Matthew Norman in The Telegraph the other day. Here’s the really surprising bit. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/land-of-no-hope-and-vainglory/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/land-of-no-hope-and-vainglory/#item4568 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:40 +0000 The third cricket Test starts today. But whether Australia recovers, England continues to stomp its foot on our throat, or a huge meteorite crashes into the WACA, there’s really only one sports story in town. It’s a story which has spilled well beyond the sports pages, and it shoots off in an exciting new direction each week, enlivening an otherwise flat sporting summer. The story is of course Shane Warne. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/strauss-in-da-haus-but-honours-even-at-lunch/ TEA DAY 2. Welcome back to the thread of a thousand headlines. Australia is 5/168 after England’s good bowling finally reaped rewards. Mike Hussey, who most of us consider over the hill, is showing that experience is exactly what’s required against good bowling. And Marcus North continues to demonstrate his mediocrity. And by mediocrity, I mean utter rubbish. And remember, you can follow news updates of the match here. Lunch Day 2 update. England, especially Stuart Broad and James Anderson, have been keeping a tight line. So far, their only reward is the wicket of Watson, a great comeback by Anderson after he had an LBW overturned on referral the previous ball. I’m in fear of both Broad and Anderson. These guys have improved so much since the last Ashes in Australia. Should be a great middle session. Keep posting all your cricket thoughts here and we’ll have a fresh thread over the weekend. 6PM update. England all out for 260. Six for Siddle and the last two scalps for a deserving Doherty. More cricket tomorrow on The Punch (plus lots of other goodies). I’ve got a feeling 260 may not be such a bad tally at a swinging Gabba… 4.50PM update. Peter Siddle has just taken a fantastic hat-trick. I’m excited. All off great balls too. Share your excitement below!!! In recent Ashes clashes, the first over, and sometimes even the very first ball, has set the tone for the entire series. Who’ll forget Harmy’s shocking wide at Brisbane last time? Or Justin Langer being de-helmeted in 2005? penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/strauss-in-da-haus-but-honours-even-at-lunch/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/strauss-in-da-haus-but-honours-even-at-lunch/#item4564 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:40 +0000 The third cricket Test starts today. But whether Australia recovers, England continues to stomp its foot on our throat, or a huge meteorite crashes into the WACA, there’s really only one sports story in town. It’s a story which has spilled well beyond the sports pages, and it shoots off in an exciting new direction each week, enlivening an otherwise flat sporting summer. The story is of course Shane Warne. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/shane-warne-tv-show-story/ Whether on the cricket field or at the poker table, Shane Warne has never been short of swagger. But last night, in the debut of his chat show “Warnie”, his customary strut was largely missing. That’s not being harsh. Warne himself admitted “I’ve never been as nervous” at the start of the show. Then at the end, in an out-of-character plea for approval, he asked the studio audience “Did you all enjoy it? Did you have fun?” For the record, there was indeed fun and enjoyment to be had. But only in patches. The Sheik Of Tweak didn’t reek. But he wasn’t brilliant, either. Let’s break down a few of the main segments in no particular order. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/shane-warne-tv-show-story/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/shane-warne-tv-show-story/#item4554 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:40 +0000 The third cricket Test starts today. But whether Australia recovers, England continues to stomp its foot on our throat, or a huge meteorite crashes into the WACA, there’s really only one sports story in town. It’s a story which has spilled well beyond the sports pages, and it shoots off in an exciting new direction each week, enlivening an otherwise flat sporting summer. The story is of course Shane Warne. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/punch-on-open-thread-25-11-2010/ Australian cricketer, Peter Siddle was born today in 1984. It’s Thursday at The Punch. What’s on your mind? Share it here. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/punch-on-open-thread-25-11-2010/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/punch-on-open-thread-25-11-2010/#item4548 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:40 +0000 The third cricket Test starts today. But whether Australia recovers, England continues to stomp its foot on our throat, or a huge meteorite crashes into the WACA, there’s really only one sports story in town. It’s a story which has spilled well beyond the sports pages, and it shoots off in an exciting new direction each week, enlivening an otherwise flat sporting summer. The story is of course Shane Warne.