Tour Diary
The lure of rugby
There are perks of living in a motel next to the Waikato Stadium, but not when the Chiefs v Blues rugby game is scheduled one-and-a-half hours after India win their first Test in New Zealand in more than 33 years
Sidharth Monga
25-Feb-2013
There are perks of living in a motel next to the Waikato Stadium, but not when the Chiefs v Blues rugby game is scheduled one-and-a-half hours after India win their first Test in New Zealand in more than 33 years. One wants to watch the match between the teams from Hamilton and neighbours Auckland, but there is stuff to be filed for the cricket.
Seddon Park and the Waikato Stadium are not far from each other. It’s just a seven-minute walk, enough to tempt one into the rugby match, too. The rugby fans are different from those at the cricket ground. They won’t be taking portable chairs, crosswords and tea thermoses. They have beers and whistles and other noise-making instruments. The atmosphere they promise is not bad for a change.
Stadium Motel, home for the last week, is one drop kick – not to be confused with the wrestling move - away from where all the action is headed. The road leading to Willoughby Street – where the stadium and the motel are – looks different today. There are police officers managing the traffic and pedestrians. One of the policemen was also seen at the cricket ground. Going to both cricket and rugby isn’t a luxury others can afford.
There is a crane, about 40-foot high, placed just outside the stadium, a man atop it is using a chainsaw to create noises similar to the bikes in the Well of Death. During the game, the crowd’s volume rises in a crescendo with every move by the Chiefs. And there are quite a few of them in the Chiefs' 63-34 win. It’s impossible to keep sitting inside and write on a game that is long over. One has to go out to catch a glimpse of what is happening. Twice in five minutes the ball lands in the front yard, as the crowd goes delirious with the scoring.
Full postAn intimate area for the World Cup final
The SCG is staging a press conference for the England and New Zealand captains ahead of Sunday’s final
Jenny Roesler
25-Feb-2013
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It was at first a surprise that the women had been overlooked for having their final at New South Wales’ premier venue. A grand cauldron, if not quite the MCG, it is impressive enough with a ring of green seats sweeping round the ground.
But the reasoning was that North Sydney Oval provides a more intimate arena, with the audience closer to the action. At the conference, New Zealand captain Haidee Tiffen stated she preferred to play at a smaller ground rather than one that could potentially be “hollow”. The TV cameras are also already in position for the final at North Sydney – transferring them to the SCG would cost just too much to warrant the switch.
The ground has looked good on television already and with a crowd of a few thousand expected tomorrow, the stage is set for a thrilling final. Had Australia been in contention, the numbers may have been even larger and the local media interest – which had started off strongly – even greater.
Full postNZ and Pakistan fans make some noise
Team bonding can take many forms
Jenny Roesler
25-Feb-2013
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The t-shirts are black with, in white, the emblematic fern and TEAM WHANAU blazing proudly across them. Team Whanau – meaning ‘Our team of family’ – was made up internally; with their elders, they're a more sedate version of the Barmy Army – more like Calmy Army. Of course, their support is gratefully appreciated.
The parents have arrived whenever possible with work and other commitments. One mother and father in particular have a good excuse for only arriving for the Super Sixes. Their son, Peter, has been playing for New Zealand. The McGlashans caught his debut at Wellington and his unbeaten fifty at Hamilton but have had to catch his other matches on TV. They then flew to Australia to watch allrounder Sara. They are certainly clocking up the road miles and airmiles and “surfing the television channels in between times,” says Peter, smiling.
Both brother and sister played soccer, but Sara’s choice of cricket was made for her when she was injured. Peter could see he had more of a future in cricket.
Full postGreg and Ian do their bit
The past week or so has shown that women’s cricket is in good hands in Sydney, with host clubs enthusiastically embracing the opportunity to stage World Cup matches
Jenny Roesler
25-Feb-2013
Ian Healy is on the ticketing gate at Drummoyne Oval today – or at least, for a split second, it appeared so. In fact, it’s his brother Greg, chairman of the club.
The other Ian and Greg may the more well-known Australian brothers, but cricket is a rite of passage for the Healy clan – Ian’s famously so, while Greg made the Queensland squad and their other brother Ken had two games for the state. The family’s legacy is now being carried forward by Greg’s daughter Alyssa Healy, a member of the Shooting Stars.
Having lived in New South Wales for the last 14 years, Greg’s eight-year involvement in Drummoyne came when Alyssa moved to the club to take advantage of learning from such international players as Michelle Gosko and Leonie Coleman. The stellar roll call of former players includes Julie Hayes, Lisa Keightley and Belinda Clark.
And, unlike some women’s grade clubs, who rarely get to play on the top square, the women play on the beautiful ground every Sunday and, should other men’s matches arise, they still take priority.
Full postSnippets from Sydney
As a Brit, I’m not alone in wanting to see the Sydney Opera House
Jenny Roesler
25-Feb-2013
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As a Brit, I’m not alone in wanting to see the Sydney Opera House. It’s as cliched as kangaroos and corked hats back at home, but also as iconic.
Like a haughty emperor, the building itself defies you to ask for its attention, hidden away from most optical assaults from the city by a cluster of jealously sheltering skyscrapers. Boat-goers and North Sydney dwellers can take their fill.
It nestles at the eastern point of the cradle of Circular Quay, where the best view in all of Sydney is to be had, as your eyes can sweep from House to Harbour Bridge in a breathtaking instant.
Full postA St Patrick's Day out at cricket
Jenny Roesler
25-Feb-2013
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By Jenny Roesler
“Happy St Patrick’s Day,” said a South African man while I was waiting for the bus. He saw my clover green top – must have been a subconscious thing – and noted that I was on my way to Drummoyne, where a large contingent will gather in the appropriately Irish-sounding PJ Gallagher’s pub for the celebrations.
If I was heading to the pub, it was a little bit early for Guinness at 8am. And my destination involved England and West Indies teams though Ireland could have been here had they taken fifth place at the last World Cup instead of West Indies. As it was, they were surprisingly way off the pace, without a single win in the tournament, and missed out on a spot this time through losing to Pakistan in the qualifiers.
Full postOld replace the young
As Suresh Raina, Praveen Kumar, Rohit Sharma, and other ODI specialists left for the airport, to fly back to India, VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid posed for photographs with fans, in the foyer
Sidharth Monga
25-Feb-2013
On this day, 132 years ago, Test cricket was born but it was just another day at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Auckland. But the poignancy of one moment couldn’t be missed. As Suresh Raina, Praveen Kumar, Rohit Sharma, and other ODI specialists left for the airport, to fly back to India, VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid posed for photographs with fans, in the foyer. It was also odd, that such vastly experienced champions were replacing relative upstarts. A sort of reverse changing of the guard.
For the last 25 days or so, facing the camera has been the job of Raina, Rohit, Praveen and such likes. Twenty-five days that have included two defeats for them to start off with, a comeback in the ODIs, introduction to the extreme beauty of New Zealand, sky-walks, harbour climbing, deep-sea fishing, cold days, warm days, rainy days, dry days, and a historical series win.
Over the last 25 days, Raina realised the horror stories from the last tour were just an aberration, and Praveen realised the pitches here needed about as much work as in India. Maybe Tests will be different. But then they will watch the action on the telly. They might choose not to, but the action will go on.
Full postIs there a World Cup on?
Bankstown is as pretty as promised, with a cream picket fence dotted with official sponsors’ boards, and plenty of grassy banks to choose from
Jenny Roesler
25-Feb-2013
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Jenny Roesler
I felt a good vibe about Sydney from the moment I stepped off the red-eye flight from sun-scorched Adelaide this morning. I hopped on a purring train, (reminiscent of the double-deckers in Paris) and smoothed slowly out to the south-west towards Padstow where I was to change for a bus to Bankstown.
The first thing that struck me as the train whispered along is that the rolling, house-lined hills of Sydney are green, very green and quite open; a complete contrast to the clunky Tube ride from Heathrow into cluttered London.
Full postHigh on 420
Dion Nash was not the man for too much water in his playing days
Sidharth Monga
25-Feb-2013
Dion Nash was not the man for too much water in his playing days. But he sells it all right. And he calls it 420. He puts a bottle on the table in the suave conference room of his office, and calls it “his baby”. There are many reasons for that name.
First, the water is packaged by 42Below, a major vodka manufacturer. So you just add a “0”, and get the name. They use the same 420 water in their vodka.
The second is a pretty cool reason. What’s the chemical formula for water? H-2-O. Hence 4-2-0.
Okay, so the water is a hit. They pour 420ml into bottles and it sells in "UK, Germany, France, Netherlands, America, Asia".
Full postA tour to remember
One final airport departure lounge, one final flight
Andrew McGlashan
25-Feb-2013
One final airport departure lounge, one final flight. England’s tour continues with the one-day series, but my stay in the Caribbean has drawn to a close. And what a way it finished, West Indies eight-down hanging on to regain the Wisden Trophy. I hoped for something memorable when I left home and haven’t been disappointed.
Congratulations to them, as well, and it must be hoped that this is the start of better times for the game in these islands. However, I have to admit that my patriotism was bubbling on that final afternoon as Graeme Swann and Jimmy Anderson chipped away at the wickets. It was one of those moments I wished I could have been sat in stands, but from a professional and impartial view West Indies deserved their success.
However, this tour has been about more than just the action on the field. I could hardly have imaged some of the stories I would be covering when I arrived Jamaica on February 2.
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