B1 + B2 = A1

Banana skin 1, banana skin 2, job done. There is a nice symmetry to Australia beating both of the unbeaten teams to win the Cricket World Cup, though "nice" probably isn't the word being used in either India or New Zealand at the moment. Need it be said that once a-goddamn-gain I "felt" for the losing side? At least they had some time to get used to the idea, which perhaps was the problem, maybe I was just depressed about a game that seemed finished a long way before the end. The New Zealand team just looked a long way from home, disoriented and alone, a transplant that didn't take.

Every person with a microphone after the game was obsessed with prodding Australian cricketers about whether and how much they would be drinking that night: "Are you THIRSTY?" "Are you THIRSTY?" "I bet you're THIRSTY" "Gunna do some CELEBRATING tonight?" "Gunna HAVE A FEW?" It ended up being a bit leering, like a Bob and Cheryl Ugly nudgey-wink. Or like they were going to cut away to a beer ad.*

* Note added 31/3: Obviously not just me who noticed this then. And obviously a beer ad. Maybe I should use social media for its God-given purpose. In Warnie's defence, I don't remember this being a Warnie thing. Mark Nichols was doing it on the podium, everyone was doing it. Warnie isn't even much of a beer drinker. Having seen the photos of six-packs on the pitch in the photos this morning, this was indeed about sponsors.

Apropos post-match celebrations, when New Zealand won the semi-final against South Africa and faced their own microphones on the pitch, they made reference to the celebrations they would be having without any prompting and I thought: this isn't over yet, you're celebrating too soon and letting off steam that you will need later. Don't say I didn't warn you!

The Hair Part

I was worried about Sachin's hair when he was presenting on the podium - a hint of Elvis impersonator, a hint of Tom Jones perm - but the evidence suggests he is just rediscovering his youth, which is rather sweet:

The Parting Part

Someone on the radio said that Australians and English people don't appreciate what the World Cup means because we already have the Ashes, ie we have a ne plus ultra contest, something of supreme importance that nothing else measures up to. He suggested that the World Cup was for other countries what the Ashes is for us. I don't know whether that's true about other countries, it's true for me that winning the Ashes is more important than winning the World Cup. Specifically, winning it in England. So bring on July and in the meantime I am doing pretty well in an NRL tipping comp.


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