Aussie Murali

[Hellgood]

Hey: I'm not suggesting that other Test series aren't important. Far from it - I want the Aussies to win every Test they play in, and that series against Pakistan is damn important.

But I just love the Ashes: for me it's the pinnacle of the sport, and I can't wait to lock horns with the Poms again!!!!

Yeah fair enough, the Ashes are unquestionably the pinnacle for any Australian or English cricketer.

I do think though that we're at saturation point with the Ashes focus. The amount of times the series has been played out over the last couple of years, with yet another coming up next winter leaves me feeling that our cricketing fixture is far too homogenenised. Beating the South Africans over there was a sensational achievement and probably the pinnacle in terms of pure cricketing achievement but didn't really get the recognition it deserved. Tours to the subcontinent to play India or Sri Lanka still represent huge tests of resilience and adaptability, but since we conquered 'the final frontier' in 2004 we don't seem to put a lot of thought into it.

In a way it's kind of like the two team town rivalries in footy - yes it's delicious to defeat your biggest rival, but there's a heck of a lot more out there to achieve.

 

[philreich]

Yeah fair enough, the Ashes are unquestionably the pinnacle for any Australian or English cricketer.

I do think though that we're at saturation point with the Ashes focus. The amount of times the series has been played out over the last couple of years, with yet another coming up next winter leaves me feeling that our cricketing fixture is far too homogenenised. Beating the South Africans over there was a sensational achievement and probably the pinnacle in terms of pure cricketing achievement but didn't really get the recognition it deserved. Tours to the subcontinent to play India or Sri Lanka still represent huge tests of resilience and adaptability, but since we conquered 'the final frontier' in 2004 we don't seem to put a lot of thought into it.

In a way it's kind of like the two team town rivalries in footy - yes it's delicious to defeat your biggest rival, but there's a heck of a lot more out there to achieve.

Mate: well said. That victory in the Third Test in South Africa was one for the ages. The courage shown by Clarke and Harris in particular had to be seen to be believed. Clarke copped a fearful battering from Morkel, but battled through the pain to play one of THE great Test innings. And Harris kept running in for his captain and country when his body was telling him to stop: he refused to accept anything other than an Aussie victory. It's what sets Test cricket apart from other forms of the game: you can stick your T20 where the sun don't shine