***
Earlier on Day 5, Shane Warne was captaining the English bowlers from the commentary box: just be patient, be patient, don't try and force it, don't get ahead of yourself, let it come, it'll all come, it'll come in a hurry, relax…
Sorry, where were we?
I'd heard of the "fog" that Warney was able to create in batsmen's minds, but as much as I love Warney—and I love Warney—I hadn't really extrapolated this to other areas, crediting him with more enthusiasm than sensitivity in such domains… until now. I've said enough. Too much. Area Shane!
Conspiracy theory 1
Not only does Nathan Hauritz's haircut appear to be a DIY job but Brett Lee's blonde is also an unpleasant urine-like shade suggestive of self-administered treatment. Have the English, recalling that Warney only started taking serious wickets once he lost the mullet, set up a secret Julio Embargo blocking professional hairdressers from approaching the Australian team? (Whereas Hilfenhaus appeared to get a proper haircut between the 1st and 2nd Tests, presumably before the embargo set in, and his fitness has—THUS—been preserved.)
Conspiracy theory 2
SBS's music selections have taken a confusing turn. They usually play snatches of uptempo songs from hip young Australian bands, eg. Temper Trap's "Science of Fear", which I haven't read too much into since I've just thought it was SBS being modern and Australian and uptempo—until NOW: these lyrics are the world's worst vote of confidence/terrifyingly prescient/might have a lot to answer for. They seem to describe the experience of a car crash happening in slow motion. Hmmm.
On Day 4 they started playing U2's "I Will Follow" – a little confusing, my brain started projecting follow-on situations that didn't exist and didn't really fit the song anyway. But this was nothing compared to Day 5's WTF multi-trumpet instrumental of "Frère Jacques".
Phil Jaques, obviously, but why? And why trumpets? I've heard the ACB can be less than direct when communicating with players, but... ? Theories welcome.
The way I remember it, the English words to Frere Jacques were something like 'are you sleeping, Brother John'? I think it was intended not for Brother John but for John's son, after Mitch's somnambulic showing, and the trumpets were to wake him up. Sorry - that's all I've got - but you did remind me that I had completely managed to forget Phil Jacques ever existed. Nice chap, but not Shane Watson's bootstrap as an opener...
ReplyDeleteYes, in English it's "Are you sleeping (x2)/Brother John (etc.)/Morning Bells are ringing/Ding dang dong", and the French is "Brother Jacques/Are you sleeping/Ring the morning bells/Ding dang dong". Either way, someone is sleeping on their watch, or, according to Wikipedia, maybe dead. It doesn't sound good, but then it could just be the SBS crew struggling with the late nights and someone's getting a bit of a nudge.
ReplyDeleteSo you reckon Watson's cementing himself as an opener? Or at least until he bumps into something again?
PS. Googling Mitchell (because I am a bit slow and thought you were saying Mitchell's DAD was called John until my brain went "that's a bit funny to be called John Johnson... oh!"), I came across this video of his fabulous 26 from one over in RSA and shed a little inner tear for the fallenness of his mightiness: http://tinyurl.com/kp47mv
ReplyDeletePlease oh please wake up, Son John!
I am watching Watson - who I proclaimed long and loud would be a total flop - make his way towards a third consecutive 50 as an opener. Bit hard for me to make out the tv, however, with all this egg on my face...
ReplyDelete