A winning streak

So India have completed a 2-0 sweep of the Commonwealth Bank Series final against Australia. Well done to them and in particular to Sachin Tendulkar who followed his hundred in the first final with 91 more today. If this is his last tour of Australia, what a way to end it. Generally, most genuine Australian cricket lovers are big fans of Tendulkar and the little master has been well received everywhere he has gone this winter, regardless of the ructions between his team-mates and certain Australians. He carries himself with dignity, which is no easy thing given the adulation he has had for almost 20 years. The next generation could learn more than just how to bat from him.

But yet again the cricket could be overshadowed by a hearing in the referee's office. The culprit this time is Andrew Symonds, who faces a possible five Test ban (some are even claiming a lifetime's ban is a possibility) for shoulder barging a streaker during the match. Here we go, watch in awe:

Someone give that man a place in the Wallabies back row.

Now, I'm not Symonds's biggest fan, as I have often admitted here, but I'm with big Roy on this. If you can't shoulder barge an idiot who is waggling his genitals at you while you are trying to win a big match for your country, when can you? And I'm not criticising the streaker either. The po-faced administrators try to crack down on streaking with threats of £1,000 fines in this country and dire repercussions, but generally crowds like to see streakers. They just like it even more to see a streaker get walloped and don't care whether it is a steward or a player who does it. I saw a streaker clobbered once at Twickenham and it was beautiful.

Of course, the player must be careful he doesn't go the way of Terry Alderman, who dislocated his shoulder once rapping a streaker. I almost found myself in similar hot water at school when a careless younger schoolboy ran across the wicket during a game of playground cricket. I swatted at him with the bat and had the misfortune of clipping him across the head. Despite little obvious harm, the child complained to the headmaster but I was saved punishment by the testimony of one of my friends, who said that if I had been genuinely trying to hit the child on the head, there was no way, given my lack of skill, that I would have connected successfully.

A couple of weeks ago, The Atheist posted a Top Ten Streakers on his blog, which is well worth a look. I think Symonds's mate will have to sneak in to the list somewhere, possibly instead of Erica Roe, who was surely a rugby streaker.

Finally on this theme it is worth remembering the words of John Arlott, nominated in 2006 as one of The Times's 25 best pieces of sporting commentary, on the day that Lord's had what he called a "freaker":

"We have got a freaker down the wicket now, not very shapely as it is masculine, and I would think it has seen the last of its cricket for the day ... He has had his load, he is being embraced by a blond policeman and this may be his last public appearance. But what a splendid one. And so warm!"

Comments

[Ann]

"streaker - every bit as tall as Symonds and quite obviously very fit, ran directly into Symond's strategically-placed shoulder..." -- hardly. Symonds raised his elbow and shoulder quite deliberately. Having seen the pictures, I say this was the sort of thuggishness that vindicates my opinion of Symonds as a stupid yob.

[The Atheist]

Thanks for the link, Patrick. Although, I think that Roy should be punished.

Denying someone's freedom to self expression is a series office. Streaking is a perfectly normal way for an artist to express himself. Freedom of speech is enshrined in the Human Rights and many international instruments.

Perhaps Roy should be sent to the Hague?

[Patrick Kidd]

Anil, thanks for your comment. I'm not sure why you think I've been subdued on this post. If you'd been reading this blog for any length of time you'd know how bored I am of one-day cricket. For once, yesterday's match was an interesting game and it was good to see that both sides managed to restrict venting their anger and aggression to members of the public. But what were you expecting, a blow by blow tale of how the match unfolded when I watched no more than the last ten overs?

As for saying that Australia are my favourites, that's not fair. I've tried to be balanced throughout this wretched winter when what had promised to be an entertaining Test and one-day series evolved into repeated mud-slinging. But it seems that you can't be allowed to criticise India without being seen as backing the other side. The fact is that despite the hysteria over the jelly beans last summer, I still expected India to be the more mature side. We all knew what Ponting and Hayden can be like, it's just a shame that certain Indian players felt they had to go the same way.

The other reason I may seem subdued is that I have a stinking cold and don't feel too well. So gloat away while I sip the Lemsip. I'll post on England's play shortly.

[Oscar the Grouch]

Patrick - in late breaking news, we have a serious contender for the Pillock of the Month and Hero of the Month for March. Same guy.

For Pillock of the Month - the streaker who ran into Symonds' shoulder. If you are going to run into a truck, pick a soft one.

For Hero of the Month, the same guy, for his comments outside the Courthouse after being fined $1500 for his activities, when asked 'will you be taking civil action against Symonds?' said: 'Wake up to yourself'.

Bravo that man for possibly the single most commonsense comment made in the entire summer of cricket. If a few other people, when having made a complete arse of themselves had had the nous to accept it, just maybe we'd have enjoyed the summer a whole lot more.

[Anil Kumar]

This time you are very subdued Mr.Kidd.Is it because your favorites lost.

[Oscar the Grouch]

Patrick - yes, it was good and fair that the Indians won the series, they have generally played the better cricket - sometimes considerably better - than Australia, whose batsmen in particular have mostly looked worn-out and dispirited for the whole series. Much as I never warmed to Buchanan, I feel there is an issue with coaching here that needs to be addressed.

The Indians went for a significantly different team to their test team, with youth and daring turning up some trumps for them, while Australia seemed to mainly fiddle round the edges of the 'old order' and I find it noticeable that Hopes and Bracken - the non-Test players - were for my money the stand-outs for Australia. Our selectors have to be more imaginative, there is talent out there..

Have to say that I am very disappointed that the Indian tour, to which I looked forward with great anticipation, has turned out to be an ugly, unpleasant and overly-protracted event with the focus on everything that wasn't cricket bludgeoning one into something approaching resentment. The good cricket moments - and there were some - have been lost in the morass of the slanging matches in the press and the rancour exhibited by fans from both sides. Ann, I'm sorry that Symonds ran over your favourite kitten when you were young, but sometime you'll have to let it go and get a life.

As to the streaker incident - puhleeze - it's not as if Symonds took a 100-metre dash and set upon the guy in the stands, he was still standing on the pitch in his ground for gawd's sake. The streaker - every bit as tall as Symonds and quite obviously very fit, ran directly into Symond's strategically-placed shoulder... which probably comes into the category of 'self-harm'.

What can one say other than 'glad it's all over'?

[Peter McGuinness]

That was a pretty good game indeed.

Good to see India rally in the finals, because Australia's wonky batting form at present (Hayden aside) probably needed to be exposed. Best of all, Tendulkar left on a high note which was nice.

Hopes has been very good for the Aussies this series - ever the quiet achiever.

You'd think that India or (SA?) may win the WC if it was played right now. Once every four years is quite enough though, thanks very much.

Anyway, the most important question to have come from this entire southern summer Patrick:

WHAT THE HELL HAS HAPPENED TO ALL THE FEMALE STREAKERS?

Now there's something for the Idiotic Cricket Circus to study. Murgs - please advise.

[Ann]

LOL, Kap ;-)))

Patrick: "If you can't shoulder barge an idiot who is waggling his genitals at you while you are trying to win a big match for your country, when can you?" - sorry, mate, but I must say that's nonsense. It's called 'assault', and quite properly is a criminal offence.

Whether or not you like streakers is a personal thing. I enjoyed watching one at the Oval during an England-India Test match a few years ago. He enlivened what was by then a boring afternoon, IIRC (wet, windy, cold). The match may even have been suspended at some point, though possibly not at that particular juncture. He must have been a brave man, unless he came from the Orkneys originally so the weather held no fears for him.

[kap]

Please remove that distasteful photo. If you must show an arse, I would prefer it to be Hayden's face as he was run out.

Thank you, I'll be here all week.

[Patrick Kidd]

Hi David,

The possible ban, which I hope isn't carried out, is because barging a spectator is in breach of the players code of conduct. BBC and others are reporting it:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/7276824.stm

As for the Hussey dismissal, I was watching it in the office with the sound down so I'm not sure what was going on. It appeared quite obvious that Dhoni caught it cleanly a few inches above the ground, but maybe the on-field umpires were unsighted. Don't know why it took so long though. Like you, I thought the TV umpire couldn't judge on snicks.

[David]

Who are the people suggesting Roy be banned? I can't see him being punished, more likely he'll probably get a Pizza Hut ad out of it.

Back to the game, what happened with the umpires when Hussey was out? It was a straight forward caught behind but the matter was referred to the third umpire who in turn took an age to give it. What was the issue? Ian Ward on Sky suggested that the snickometre was used to confirm whether there had been an edge. I thought third umpire only came into play for line calls (run outs and stumpings) and grounded catches. Imagine the drama from the Indians if he'd been given not out! Very strange.