Tuesday 4 January 2011

Fifth Test, Second Day: Such a fine line between clever and stupid

Cook’s talent scientifically quantified at last: ‘He’s got 600, 650 runs in the series so it’s pretty obvious he's talented. He’s probably more talented than a KP, KP’s so naturally gifted with the shots he’s got and Cooky’s not got that. He relies on the shots that he has got and his mental toughness to get him through. He’s shown how talented he is this trip’ – James Anderson

Sub-editors of Australia unite: ‘Beer goes flat after line ball delivery’ [Australian]; ‘No ball leaves bitter taste for Beer’ [Courier-Mail]; ‘Bitter taste of Beer no ball’ [Daily Telegraph]; ‘Full-strength Beer shows his spirit’ [SMH]

No idea: ‘We’re always trying to find ways to get behind the line. Whether we feel enclosed with the nets being there, I don't know what it is, but I'll still bowl half a foot over in the nets. I don't know how we can fix that’ – Mitchell Johnson

MJ – healing the world one at a time: ‘The boys were upbeat with him and consoling. We've got to keep doing that tonight, just be around him’ – Mitchell Johnson on Michael Beer

Loving us now: ‘Philip Hughes has turned the corner, says Mike Atherton’ - Sydney Morning Herald headline

Et Tu, Victor? ‘For a while Strauss might have been facing David Hasselhoff, a celebrity guest at the SCG, rather than Ben Hilfenhaus’ – Vic Marks, Guardian

3 comments:

Brit said...

Bit of a missed opportunity in those 'Beer' headlines. Some wag on the BBC website commentary did better: "Australia go for Beer instead of Bollinger. I went the other way on New Year's eve and it ended badly for me..."

The Old Batsman said...

Slightly better... there's probably a number o tests that you need to play if you have a punsome surname before the subs lay off it. Bell, for example had lots of 'its the wrong note' etc before they started ignoring it...

Brit said...

Yes I expect there's a formula for no. of Tests vs puns: we could call it The Bell Curve. It's a pity Graham Onions is plagued by injury, he'll probably never get the chance to stop Making Batsmen Weep.

I don't think the Bell Curve exists Down Under though. Cook has been at the crease for approximately 6 years but in the Age and The Australian today he's both been Cooking Australia and giving them Cook's Tour of Batting. Yeesh.