The Surfer

"Our father owned a small shop of electronic goods. He always encouraged us to take up the sport. He used to tell Shoaib not to be too serious about studies and play cricket."

"We approached him and said we were interested in telling the story, the experience he was going through. Judy wasn't always there and we could see a change in Greg when she'd arrive. She provides a lot of support to Greg on the road and she has a difficult job because cricket is so all consuming and it's hard for us to fully understand that."

Keiron was looking as though he was taking this all in his stride as his typical West Indian gait took him to the batting box. Five minutes later he had not laid bat on ball. He had swung from the hip at every thunderbolt that thudded into Lazo’s catchers’ glove. It was close but no cigar. A smile was slowly appearing on Pedro’s face. Keiron’s eyes grew wider with each delivered strike.

While MacGill will worry the selectors, what is equally concerning is the lack of slow bowlers around the country. That Brad Hogg is considered the next best option, at age 36, sums up Australia's predicament. Good on Hogg for resurrecting a career which seemed dead four years ago. But, really, shouldn't there be a 20-something legitimate wrist-spinning option around? Shouldn't there be a youngster emerging who was inspired by Warne to take up the leg-spinning craft in his teenage years? It appears not.

But comparing Hughes to "Pup", or even fellow Blues opener Phil Jaques, is to overlook his own unique rise from bushie to Blue. An ascension completed with such speed, even Australian Test great John Dyson failed to recognise the debutant when presenting his NSW cap at the SCG on Tuesday.

One Friday night in 1944, Brendan Lyons, captain of Xavier's first XI, was despairing of how to bowl to Scotch's schoolboy prodigy and future Test opener Colin McDonald. In the study hall that night, Lyons "surreptitiously" read a coaching manual in which Don Bradman advised that a fast bowler should sometimes surprise by delivering from a yard behind the stumps. First over next morning, the emboldened Lyons clean bowled McDonald. Doubtless, Lyons' arm is not as high now. Nonetheless, there he was yesterday at Royal Park, bowling a couple of presentable overs into the teeth of a howling northerly and glaring at a batsman who pulled him disrespectfully for four. Lyons, 80, was the most senior of the "world's oldest XI" — average age 75.5, birth certificates provided — which played the "world's oldest second XI", all over 70. These were men who look upon age as a sundry.

Sangakkara was superb. While Sanath Jayasuriya was contentedly clubbing the ball around the ground, he was able to advance at his own pace. In the early hours of his resistance he played a stream of sweetly timed strokes, placements through cover, glides off his pads and assaults on misdirected spinners. When necessary he defended alertly, eye on the ball, biding his time.