Barmy Army on alert to upset Ponting

England’s tour rolled into Sydney for the first day of the game against New South Wales and the tourists had plenty of support. Brian Brownstein writes in the Sydney Morning Herald about the Barmy Army, who are hoping to fly over Gary Pratt to annoy Ricky Ponting.

In the same paper Peter Roebuck targets England’s decision to ask for a 14-man-a-side warm-up.

A nation that recently dismissed an accredited international tournament as an irrelevance dared to treat a state team with a proud tradition as a mere plaything. England wanted a glorified net. In the traditions of hospitality, and through gritted teeth, Cricket Australia bowed to their wishes. The result was a bogus match played before a bemused crowd. From the start, it was a rotten idea.

One of the peripheral players in the Ashes has slapped himself with a media ban. Things are getting serious for Billy Bowden.