MIDWINTER BLUES

The midwinter solstice is history for yet another year and all at the shed are wildly rejoicing. Apart from anticipating waxing the board and cracking open the home-brew, lengthening sunshine allows for an extra over or two in the backyard before the batsman begs for mercy and a bad light decision. The countdown has begun and there are only 108 days to the beginning of the Australian domestic season. In the meantime the national squad will play the Twenty/20 World Cup and a 7 match ODI series in India but unless the editors of this fine publication generously adjust their priorities, the crew at the shed will be watching those matches on the flat-screen.

With blue skies and warmer days approaching it is time that your correspondent faced what he has been deliberately ignoring for most of 2007. Impermanence, like the snow melting into the rocky earth of Kosciusko has taken some months to sink in. It’s time to accept that the retirements of Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne will forever change the make-up of Australia's bowling stocks.

Pigeon was the rock on which the pace attack was constructed. Shane was an automatic selection for 15 years. Many pundits have opined that they will be impossible to replace and Australia will now come back to the field in international cricket. Here at the shed we are not convinced but like all things, time will tell.

When the Australian selectors, mo mafia David Boon and Merv Hughes, solicitor Andrew Hilditch and apprentice Jamie Cox, named the contracted squad at the beginning of May, this malady was in the forefront of their collective minds. Over an unshaven frothy glass with Boonie through the week he enlightened the Thunder to the process. Players were chosen on their form from last season and the likelihood of national selection over the next 12 months taking into account who Australia plays. The balance of the side and the need to ensure the future development of the Test and one-day international team was paramount.

The batsman picked themselves and four wrist-spinners, White, Bailey, Hogg and Macgill were selected to cover for Warne’s absence. Eight fast bowlers were chosen blending youth and experience, left and right arms, swing and seam with both red and white ball.

With the cold, hard truth staring us keenly in the eye, the occupants of the shed ran the rule over the squad of quicks and present for our cherished and beloved visitors our collective wisdom for your leisurely perusal.

Brett Lee - Age 30
499 international wickets
This summer is the defining season in Brett’s career. Now that McGrath is retired it will be up to Bing to become the leader and spearhead of the attack. Injured and bitterly disappointed at missing the World Cup the blonde speedster will want to make up for lost opportunities by terrorizing the Sri Lankans and Indians who have never been entirely comfortable on the hard bouncy pitches on the Australian continent. Often brilliant in the 50 over format the jury is still out when it comes to the longer form of the grand game.

Jason Gillespie - Age 32
402 international wickets
The not-so-old stager deserves his place in the squad after a solid domestic season playing in a poor South Australian team. Obviously needed for his experience and guile, Dizzy would be a welcome inclusion not only for his tight bowling but for his resolute batting. Lost a yard of pace but has adjusted in the last 12 months and is expected to teach the younger more inexperienced bowlers what is required for a long career at the international level..

Nathan Bracken - Age 29
128 international wickets
Regarded by some as a one-day specialist Bracks like all his team-mates had a great World Cup. Has only played 5 Tests to date but with 25 Test matches to be contested between now and December 2008 he is sure to play a few more. His skill at reverse swing and his newly developed clever changes of pace has made him a difficult prospect in all conditions.

Stuart Clark - Age 31
84 international wickets
A late bloomer Stu has excelled in Test matches and will be the obvious replacement for McGrath. From the same Sydney grade club as Pigeon he has modelled himself on the great man and will be the first bowler selected when Australia’s next Test rolls around in November.

Shane Watson - Age 26
65 international wickets
The big hope of Australian cricket. If Watson can fulfill his potential he may eventually be regarded as Australia’s best allrounder since Keith Miller. Will allow Ponting an extra pace bowling option and will more than likely bat at 6 or 7 and eventually replace Gilchrist as Australia’s premier allrounder.

Shaun Tait - Age 24
33 international wickets
Prematurely selected during The 2005 Ashes, the injury prone paceman has recently had elbow surgery and hopes to recover for the Twenty/20 World Cup. If he and Lee are ever fit at the same time the selectors will be tempted to play them both. Ponting has made no secret of his desire to have Lee and Tait bowling in tandem at the world’s best bats. A frightening and most entertaining prospect and if it ever occurs Australia will have a 21st century version of Lillee and Thomson.

Mitchell Johnson - Age 25
26 international wickets
Identified and fast-tracked through the system by Dennis Lillee left-arm Johnson is another youngster of which much is expected. Quick, tall and accurate, Mitch may have to wait another season or two to cement a place in the first XI. He will be competing with fellow left-armer Bracken for a place and could probably do with another solid season for Queensland under his belt before he is ready.

Ben Hilfenhaus - Age 24
3 international wickets
Incredibly Ben was laying bricks for a living less than 12 months ago. After taking a record number of wickets in a domestic season and with his laconic rural Tasmanian demeanor, Hilfenhaus is already a cult hero through out the continent. An intelligent quick who can swing it both ways as well as being a master of seam and length Ben regularly took top order wickets and was the key to Tasmania winning it’s first ever domestic 4 day trophy. Many good pundits within the cricket community think that Hilfenhaus may be one of the Baggygreen’s all-time greats. There is a lot of pressure on the lad and it will be interesting to see how he develops over the next 18 months.

Combined Warne and McGrath snared 1949 international wickets. Their absence does leave a great big hole in Australia’s bowling set-up. Of that there is no doubt. In the next 12 months it is likely that all eight selected quicks will get an opportunity to push for permanent selection. Only Stuart Clark at this stage is certain of a place at the beginning of the next Test series against Sri Lanka. Watson, if he can stay fit, will play as a batting allrounder. Macgill will be the spinner and so that only leaves two spots for the other six contracted pace bowlers to fill. Competition will be fierce and it is going to be very interesting witnessing the evolution of Australia’s next generation of bowling partnerships.

THE AUSTRALIAN METHOD

In the ten weeks since the conclusion of the 2007 World Cup every Test playing nation with the exceptions of South Africa and New Zealand have replaced or are in the process of replacing their head coach. Some transitions have been seamless. Other plans have come embarrassingly unstitched. However, one constant thread weaves its way through each and every country's coaching dramas, dilemmas and decisions. Australians. They were either departing, long-listed, short-listed, coveted, seduced, rejected or appointed. It would seem that cricket administrators the world over consider a coach in possession of a passport emblazoned with emu and kangaroo an important ingredient on the road to success.

Late last week Sri Lanka hired their fifth Australian coach in a decade when they recruited New South Wales incumbent Trevor Bayliss to replace the reluctant Tom Moody. The self-professed high-powered Sri Lankan selection committee, comprising such luminaries as Aravinda de Silva and Duleep Mendis, interviewed current Queensland coach Terry Oliver and John Buchanan's assistant Jamie Siddons before being captivated by Bayliss' presentation. After witnessing Trevor's salesmanship first-hand SLC secretary Kanangan Mathivanan said: "When we knew how good he was, we signed him up immediately because there are a lot of countries head-hunting for coaches at present."

Bayliss' good fortune at landing such a plum coaching position now leaves NSW without a mentor for the up-coming 2007/08 season. Former NSW coaches Geoff Lawson and Steve Rixon would both enjoy the opportunity of replacing Bayliss at the SCG but Cricket NSW administrators would be wise to wait for the Pakistan board to appoint their coach before they make a definitive decision.

Under tight security, Geoff Lawson flew to Islamabad on Saturday to personally submit his application as Woolmer's successor, while Rixon appears uninterested despite several advances from Pakistan chairman Dr. Nasim Ashraf. Former ICC high performance manager Richard Done and 1996 World Cup winning coach Dav Whatmore are also in the mix to become Pakistan's next coach.

Whatmore recently finished his 4 year Bangadeshi contract with his already impressive reputation intact. Although invited to extend his tenure, Dav declined, choosing instead to apply for the unadvertised position as the chief of Team India. That he was not considered for the short list, or the long list presumably, must have been a shock. The BCCI in their wisdom instead offered the job to recalcitrant South African Graham Ford and bizarrely interviewed John Emburey rather than talk to Dav. It appears that Bangladesh's victory and subsequent elimination of India at the recent World Cup has cut deep in Indian cricket circles.

Whatmore's best chance of an international job now lies in the Pakistan appointment but the fact the PCB were very keen to speak with Lawson after interviewing Dav doesn't bode well. Perhaps Whatmore will be offered the NSW top job after the international coaching positions are filled. But then again, perhaps not. The Blues have always employed one of their own as leader and as Dav has Victorian ties it would be a surprise if he landed the job.

Whatmore's assistant and Bangladesh U/19 and ‘A’ team coach, Darwin grade legend Shaun Williams, was appointed as the young Tigers interim boss for the soon tour of Sri Lanka. In a logical decision that led to an easy transition, Williams won out over highly regarded Australian team performance analyst Richard McInnes. The BCB general secretary Mahbub Anam stressed that the Williams posting was on a series to series basis and that the board were hopeful of Dav’s return. He stated at a mid-week press conference, "Our door is still open for Whatmore. He is a great coach and the Bangladesh team has improved a lot during his four-year tenure." Reports have also indicated that the BCB have created a vastly improved salary package to induce Whatmore back to Dhaka if he fails in his bid to secure the Pakistan position.

Current English tourists, West Indies, replaced former Queensland and Australian Academy coach Bennett King after a dismal World Cup with assistant David Moore. Moore a former NSW wicket-keeper has been Bennett’s right-hand man since his Academy days and he has a tough job ahead of him to create a winning environment within the disparate Caribbean structure.

Assuming Pakistan choose Lawson, Whatmore or Done as coach, five of the nine Test playing countries will have an Australian at the helm of their international squads. The infatuation with the Australian way has been a cricketing trend for well over a decade with only South Africa and England not employing an Australian as head coach in that period. It should be noted, however, that Rod Marsh and Troy Cooley made a significant impact on English cricket during their terms as Academy chief and fast-bowling mentor respectively.

This fetish for employing coaches from the Australian system raises an interesting question. Do Australians manage cricket teams better than other nationalities? Most Australain coaches of overseas sides have had mixed success. In fact no country with an Australian at the helm, Dav Whatmore’s Sri Lankans excepted, have defeated Australia in a Test series or World Cup match. The evidence suggests that having an Australian coach is no panacea for success but rather a nostrum, especially when playing the four-time World Champions.

It would appear cricket administrators are under the impression that the Baggygreen sheen will rub off on their own squads by the mere association with Australian methods and personnel. Ricky Ponting while visiting Bangladesh and India this past week put that myth into perspective.

“A coach is only as good as his team.” Punter said during a corporate function to promote Run Ricky Run, a charitable venture he is conducting with the sponsorship of a leading Indian bank. “He needs to be a good man manager and know his players but as for coaching, I’m not convinced. For example there is not a coach on Earth that could teach Anil Kumble how to bowl a better leg-break.”

After further questioning Ponting then debunked the myth further when he said, "If the national side hadn't been playing as well as it had been doing over the past few years, I don't think Australian coaches would have been much sought after. What a team needs is a man manager. Someone who manages time well, thinks outside the sphere of cricket and challenges the players everyday."

He then went on to say that the selectors role in managing generational change is more important than the work of the coach, "I think the Australian selectors handled it very well. Whenever there was a group of players of the same age on the verge of retirement, they brought on youngsters regularly."

Upon hearing of Ricky’s sentiments Australian selector Merv Hughes agreed and humorously quipped during his regular Sunday morning television appearance, “No coach in the game of cricket should be regarded as a genius. A genius is somebody like Norman Einstein”.

With men like the moustachioed Mervyn masterminding the Australian method, is it any wonder that the burly blokes from Downunder are desired across the globe for their cricketing expertise?

In late breaking news, NSW chief executive Dave Gilbert announced this afternoon that NSW Second XI coach Matthew Mott will succeed Trevor Bayliss as NSW senior coach for season 2007/08.

FISHING WITH ROY

This week an eerie hush fell over the shed. Even the cockatoos were absent from their morning routine of squawking raucously while ripping the verandah rails to shreds. Still, news has filtered through of Shane Warne’s five-for in a losing team at the beautiful Arundel Castle. Also Phil Jaques did his hopes of filling the vacant Australian opening slot no harm, scoring 124 in Worcestershire’s massive record equalling first innings total of 701 for 6 declared. Marcus North scored a fine century and snagged four wickets with his gentle off-breaks in an exciting match at Gloucester, while Victorian captain Craig White scored a ton playing for Somerset in their thrashing of Leicestershire.

In one-day action Brad Hodge continued his run of good form with 119 not out for Lancashire and the ever impressive Warne was influential with ball taking 3 for 30 from his 10 overs in Hampshire’s 2 run win against Kent.

With the off-season shenanigans in full swing and little to report on except roadkill and torrential rain, your nomadic reporter was favoured indeed when his mate Davo popped by the shed for a few cold ones. Not only did Davo have the compassion to fill the fridge but he also brought with him a DVD of a pilot television program made recently in Brisbane with the apposite title of Fishing with Roy.

In a Googly exclusive your Australian correspondent has been fortunate enough to view the show and although Davo reckons it is top secret, I am permitted to share the basic plot and a few of the gags with the good readers of the Thunder Downunder.

It begins on a perfect Queensland morning with a zooming wide-shot of a zinced-lipped Andrew 'Roy' Symonds chatting amicably with a grinning Matthew Hayden as the two big men stroll down a long wharf, tackle box and esky in hand. While boarding a spanking new 7.6 metre executive vessel at a luxurious Gold Coast canal marina, Symonds looked straight to camera and confidently exclaimed, ’G’Day. This morning on Fishing with Roy we're heading out to Stradbroke reef to rustle up some tucker that my mate Matt’s gonna cook-up for us a bit later on.’

The sparkling sunshine sprinkled transient natatorial diamonds as Roy and Haydos wrestled jocularly over the wheel. A friendly argument broke out until Andrew reminded Matt of the sinking of Our Lady. Matthew then reluctantly relinquished his hold on the wheel. Our Lady was Hayden’s 4.8 metre fishing boat that he capsized and sunk on the Stradbroke bar in 1999. That Roy was his passenger at the time and they had to swim for 90 minutes across the treacherous waters of Moreton Bay had not been forgotten. Roy finished the exchange with, ‘Look mate you almost killed us the last time you were skipper.’ Smiling a broad white-lipped grin he continued, ‘And when we swam through that school of pilchard I was secretly hoping a hungry shark mistook you for a fat seal.’

That sorted, Symonds took the wheel and charted the boat towards the Pacific Ocean. Before entering the vast aquatic wilderness Roy slowed the vessel so Matthew could lay a couple of pots in strategic locations along the river. As Matthew talked to camera about rancid flesh being irresistible to crayfish, Roy snuck up behind him as he was laying the last trap and pushed him in the drink while laughing hysterically. It became clear very early on who was the alpha male on this ship.

Cruising out to sea, salty dread ropes blowing across his face, Roy educated on various methods of tying hooks and the appropriate way to maintain your reel. He spoke with genuine excitement about different types of rod and bait selection. He was especially keen to show off his tackle box of home-made lures. His favourite a red, green, purple and white iridescent creation was made from feather of corella, lyrebird and rosella and the wing cuticle of a long dead Christmas Beetle. It was a sight to behold as he twirled it between his forefinger and thumb for the viewers, and his own, kaleidoscopic delight.

Matthew resplendently ridiculous in lime-green board shorts, yellow sponsor’s singlet, florescent orange life-jacket and sandals, reminded about the importance of the laws concerning water safety. With a wide smile he told a few anecdotes and Ricky received a grand bollocking about his comb-over and much deep chucking mirth followed.

Eventually, the fishing began and Roy was pulling them in from port and starboard, stern and bow. His knowledge of nomenclature, piscal anatomy and habitat was impressive. Matt elucidated about the environment, biodiversity and the need to leave something behind for the 2051 Ashes squad. Roy also demanded that he clean the fish. Matthew objected to this chore so Roy looked him square in the eye and said, ‘What’s the show called, mate. Fishing with Roy not Fishing with Boofhead’. With those words ringing in his ears Hayden clinically disemboweled a gasping mackerel with the same fury and ferocity he normally reserves for the new ball.

They enjoyed a beer or two and a chinwag on the return leg with a hilarious exchange of views concerning the poopdeck and touring India with Warnie. After clearing the craypots Roy expertly pulled into the wharf of a palatial Gold Coast mansion. There was much merriment as it was explained that it was Damien Martyn's place and he wasn't expecting them.

Matt sparked up the red-brick barbeque while Roy sneaked through Marto's back door, camera in one hand, tempestuous snapping lobster in the other, and punk'd him showing his cut shot to a lively Queensland wannabe supermodel. After the initial shock and some coaxing out of the bedroom, a rueful Damien put his disheveled lass in a cab and joined the boys out the back for a feed.

Hayden all spices and sweat, cooked up a storm whilst sucking on a stubby. He displayed with an easy-going charm how to fillet, marinate and cook the meat to perfection. He chopped herb, bulb and seed with the skill, dexterity and soft hands required to play the latest of late-cuts and then dressed the fish with the imagination of a culinary tailor. It was obvious that he was just as comfortable with blade, tongs and fire as he is with willow.

Martyn, wearing loud pink Hawaiian shirt, khaki cargo pants and his ever-shining Hollywood grin, whipped up a tasty salad that his Mum taught him to make while being sledged repeatedly for his earlier dalliance with his amorous anorexic acquaintance.

The show ended with the three of them tucking in at an outdoor table on the patio as a red sun descended into the Darling Downs. Davo’s mail is that the TV executives were impressed and some episodes will be recorded professionally between the Twenty/20 World Cup and the start of the Australian season.

It was a great show for a first effort and a terrific advertisement for the Queensland way of life. It was laidback and the blokey affection Roy and Matt displayed was genuine and heartwarming. Busting Damien Martyn was special and Davo and I agree that Shane Watson attending the hairdresser would be the perfect next target to get Roy'd.

THE LONG ROAD TO 2011

Another busy week in the Thunder sheds with Greg Blewett and Shane Warne spitting the dummy, Adam Gilchrist contemplating retirement from the one-day arena and Damien Wright breaking down - not for the first time - on an off-season mortgage lopping adventure in Wales.

The editors were startled at the response to the debut column last week but were a bit miffed to have to sort through the hundreds of emails that arrived in their inbox. (Thanks Mum but from now on send them to my address. Or better yet, Dad’s.) So impressed were my generous employers that they provided a one-way ticket on the Ghan and a single complimentary meal voucher to the Darwin Harbour fish and chip shop for the week long ICC World Cricket League Third Division qualifying tournament for the 2011 World Cup played last week in the tropical Northern Territory capital. With no accommodation provided I fortunately discovered a luxuriant mango tree to sleep under outside Marrara Oval. The tree was laden and your correspondent was victorious most nights in a fierce nocturnal tropical fruit battle with a colony of flying fox and a concupiscent possum. The spoils were sticky and organically delicious.

Despite my benefactors best efforts I survived and hitched a ride back to the sheds with a shotgun toting, ute driving, flannelette and denim wearing Anglican vicar named Brenda, who kindly lent me her hair-dryer to exsiccate the guano off my notes when we stopped for a dip at Mataranka. While soaking in the hot springs and staring at the starry desert sky, my sky-god loving companion, resplendent in crucifix pendant and Akubra, pointed out the irony of fighting sharp-clawed arboreal beasts to survive in a town named after the legendary evolutionist.

I’d very much like to enlighten you, dear readers, on the machinations of the qualifying system for the 2011 World Cup but unfortunately Messrs Duckworth and Lewis have not responded to my calls or messages. When I do call I hear a computer voice detailing the statistical likelihood of either Mr Duckworth or Mr Lewis being in their office at any given moment in time and space. Currently it is 0.354569874512. I rummaged around the bottom drawer and found the slide-rule and after much cursing and confusion, your correspondent calculated much to his disappointment, that the infamous mathematicians were currently putting on the 13th green of the Belle Mare Golf Course situated on the lush Indian Ocean island of Mauritius.

Suffice to say that of the eight nations represented at this Division Three tournament, the top two go on to the next stage - unsurprisingly called the Division Two tournament - that is contested at Windhoek, Namibia in November.

There were two groups of four and Group A consisted of Argentina, Fiji, Italy and Papua New Guinea. While the Group B participants were Cayman Islands, Hong Kong, Tanzania and Uganda.

Group B was won with relative ease by Uganda winning all three matches by margins of 91 runs versus Hong Kong, 4 wickets in a low scoring contest with Tanzania and 26 runs against second placed Group B nation Cayman Islands.

Group A was far more exciting with three nations Argentina, Papua New Guinea and Italy, each winning two out of three, separated at the end of the first phase by run rate. Argentina topped the group with Papua New Guinea earning the other semi-final place. The luckless Italians, winners of the first and best match of the tournament against Argentina, were squeezed out by an inferior run-rate.

So after a dozen group matches where some good spirited cricket was played and many mangoes on grassy mounds consumed, the confirmed semi-finalists were, Uganda v Papua New Guinea and Argentina v Cayman Islands. These two matches was where the real prize would be decided, a place in the next round of qualification.

In the first semi, the unfancied Argentinians knocked over the pre-tournament favourites Cayman Islands for a paltry 102 runs in 40 overs. The hero was Argentina’s captain and burgeoning heart-throb Esteban MacDermott. The tall and athletic 25 year old MacDermott turned many a ladies head whilst in Darwin and on the hill at the Gardens Oval a throng of tanned local lassies were swooning and yelping as he blew them a kiss after everyone of his 4 crucial wickets.

The Bargies - as they were affectionately nicknamed in Darwin - lost wickets regularly in their chase and at one stage looked in danger of losing when 66-6, but the cool and quiet efficiency of wicketkeeper Alejandro Ferguson saw them home with 4 wickets and 94 balls to spare.

This was a brilliant and quite unexpected performance from the team in sky blue. They were only included in this tournament because of the suspension of the United States by the ICC. Before the tournament began hardly a soul gave the men from South America a metaphorical snowball’s chance of qualifying to Division Two. Many times they were under pressure and responded with spirit, passion and a fierce determination.

Their captain was brimming with pride at the post-match press conference.

“The boys could have easily lost focus or confidence after the one wicket defeat against Italy," MacDermott said, "but they remained committed and stayed on track because they trusted their instincts. This is the reward for their dedication and continuous hard work.

The man of the match then humbly gave credit where it was due and most unusually and perhaps dangerously for a South American called football, soccer.

"The credit for our promotion to Division Two not only goes to the team but to the entire support staff and all those who backed us all the way. Our performance in the tournament shows how rapidly cricket is growing in our country where soccer remains the first-choice sport."

The other semi featured the unbeaten and athletic Ugandans up against the plucky Papua New Guineans. The Ugandans were unbackable favourites in this contest but the Pappies - they love a nickname in the Top End - would not see their World Cup dreams dissolve without a fight. They fought tooth and nail and in a see-sawing contest the Ugandans prevailed by one wicket with 4 balls to spare.

The Pappies skipper Rava Dikarna called correctly and batted on a well prepared pitch at the Tracy Village Oval. Early wickets were lost as the new-ball seamed around - a feature of this tournament - and at one stage PNG were reeling at 32-4. The beefy Mahuru Dai rescued the innings with an impressive 86 in 93 deliveries. He was ably assisted by John Ovia’s patient 43 and Asad Vala who scored a brisk unbeaten 40 to help the Pappies to the respectable and defendable 203-6 from their 50 overs.

Uganda’s chase under a hot and harsh tropical sun began in the worst way imaginable when young left-handed Arthur Kyobe was adjudged lbw to a booming inswinger delivered by PNG right-arm quick Hitolo Arena. Indonesian umpire Shahul Hammed considered it plum and had no hesitation in raising his wagging index finger. Undeterred by the brevity of the occasion 17 year old Roger Mukasa impetuously flayed the new ball around the park and when he was dismissed for 43 from 32 balls the Ugandans were off to a flyer at 75-2 from 12 overs.

After the fireworks from Mukasa the PNG boys dug deep knowing that all their hopes of proceeding further in this World Cup depended on the next few hours cricket. A superb spell of off-spin bowling by the wily veteran James Brazier triggered a mid-innings collapse and his unbroken spell yielded the impressive figures of 10-4-17-4. Brazier mixed up his deliveries in a masterclass of off-spin bowling and with the help of allrounder Ovia, who chimed in with 3 late wickets, the favourites Uganda were in trouble at 188-9 still needing 14 runs to get off 21 balls. Man of the match Kenneth Kamyuka steered the Ugandans to safety with a mature run a ball 43 not out, and his last wicket partnership with bunny Charles Waiswa where Kamyuka intelligently farmed the strike scoring all 14 runs, proved to be as anxious a finish as you could wish to witness.

The Ugandans were thrilled to progress to the next stage and their captain Joey Olweny told Cricinfo, "Obviously now we want to win the final and have immediately set our eyes at Argentina, but for the time being we want to enjoy this achievement because when we left our shores, the target was to qualify for the final and earn a place in Division Two. It has been a very tense and pressurised match and the boys have more than one reason to celebrate. The boys really deserve it."

The semi-final winners Argentina and Uganda celebrated their qualification with gusto and deservedly so. They will now join Denmark, Oman, United Arab Emirates and the host nation, Namibia in Windhoek in November.

The final played at the pristinely prepared Gardens Oval on a sunny breathless Saturday was a casual affair with only prestige at stake and it was won by the Ugandans by 91 runs keeping intact their unbeaten record in the tournament.

Your correspondent, despite sleeping in the long-grass and battling the fauna for his nightly tucker witnessed one of the most delightful cricket carnivals that has graced Australian soil. Eight teams from four continents consisting entirely of amateurs played their cricket in good spirits with smiles on their faces and the commitment and the desire you would expect from men who have given their time, many at a personal cost, to represent their nations. The cynicism that often surrounds the major nations of international cricket was absent and the ICC deserve the highest praise for creating a path for all 97 countries in the cricketing family to compete for a place at the 2011 World Cup.

In addition the umpires from the Asian and Pacific countries of Indonesia, Singapore, Papua New Guinea, Australia and Japan did a splendid job without technical aids. Not one player was reported for dissent during the whole 20 matches and the Spirit of Cricket was enthusiastically embraced by all the teams.

In other news filtering through to the shed, two Ugandan players, teenagers Patrick Ochan and Jimmy Okello, have been reported missing in Darwin after failing to board the plane with their team-mates on their long and disjointed journey back to Kampala. Few are concerned for their safety with it likely that the lads enjoyed Darwin’s legendary hospitality to its fullest and have decided to continue their celebrations. Who could blame them. The mangoes are ripe, the tropical Arafura Sea is warm and the women friendly and beautiful.

The pessimists are always keen to denigrate the future prospects of international cricket. These myopic mental midgets fail to understand what cricket is really about. It isn’t about corporate boxes or match receipts or politics. It is a game. A glorious and ancient game based on fraternity, competition and equality. This week in tropical Darwin the Thunder Downunder witnessed the future of this grandest of games. Vibrant, egalitarian, sporting and global.