Australia try their hand at hurling

Do you know how to hurl? Neither did many of the Australians until they were given lessons by one of the legends of the sport. Ricky Ponting’s team, which is currently in Ireland, play the hosts in a one-off ODI in Dublin on Thursday. But on Monday, the Australians as well as the Irish team indulged in a spot of hurling at Clontarf under the guidance of one of the greats of the game, Kilkenny’s DJ Carey. Both teams played a Long Puc competition at Croke Park. The Australians started off with mixed results but got into the groove soon enough with big-hitting Cameron White looking the most natural. “They can certainly adapt,” Carey told Irish Times . “They’re very athletic and the eye-hand coordination is there.” Ponting, being competitive as ever, couldn’t wait to improve on what was a sluggish start at hurling for him. “I’m itching to get back out there and have another go,” he said. “It wasn’t the best start with the first couple of hits.”