greyhound punter
All Australian
- Feb 1, 2023
- 938
- 1,145
- AFL Club
- Essendon
- Banned
- #1
I have always felt Australian cricket moves in cycles and waves. Much like a tide ebbing in and out.
1999 - 2007 World Cup
Australian cricket at its peak: CH 9 commentary, Billy Birmingham, the arrival of Ponting as a batsmen, the ladies swooned over Brett Lee, Warnie up and about in all respects. This era will never be repeated. It all came together in an intoxicating combo. It wasn't all smooth sailing: 2001 v India (away), 2004 (India at home).
Forgotten wins (not with this writer) that never get mentioned including bowling Pakistan out for double figures twice in a test match (2002) and beating South Africa in ODI's 2002 after the Waugh brothers were dropped after the disappointing VB series in 2001/02.
1999 WC, 2003 WC (undefeated), 2007 WC (undefeated).
Notable Test Series Victories: 2004 India Away, 2006/07 Ashes whitewash
1999 - 2001: 16 game winning streak (tests)
2005-2007: Another 16 game winning streak (tests)
This era ended after the 2006/07 Ashes and the WC that followed immediately. Just like that, it was gone.
2008 - 2013 Ashes
A disappointing era of Australian cricket - punctuated with sporadic victories that stirred the soul.
Have always felt the 2009 series win over South Africa away was the highlight of this period - the Champions Trophy win in 2009 and the ODI series thumping win over England in the same period were soothing balms to a disappointing Ashes series. A Ponting straight six off Sidebottom in the same series remains the greatest shot this writer has ever seen.
Australia remained competitive at home during this period, a ODI series smashing of England in 2010/11 (post a disappointing home Ashes series) was followed by a so-so world cup campaign.
A win over Pakistan at the SCG in 2010 remains shrouded in controversy to this day. 2009, 2010/11 and 2013 Ashes series were lost (2-1. 3-1, 3-0) respectively. All could have been won had luck gone our way, but the sure thing about luck, is it always changes.
Starc, Smith, Hazlewood, Lyon and Warner all hit the scene. At our darkest ebb, the green shoots were already taking hold.
2013 - to 2023
Australia barreled back onto the world stage with an absolute hiding of England. The 1st day of the Ashes was probably England's best day of the tour. Johnson went to work the next day, and England never knew what hit them. It remains one of the few times that top order batsmen feared for their safety. This was ferocious fast-balling at its absolute peak. Every man, women and non-binary will never forget if they were at the ground when Johnson tore the life out of England at Adelaide.
Previous fog-horns, such as Matt Prior, who always had a word to say, fell eerily silent. Word was that Prior was ready to take his lyrca and pushbike and ride home rather than face Johnson. The Big Cheese he called himself according to KP. 10 years on, Prior is still reeling towards Square Leg. Periodically seen taking barbs at Aus cricketers from the safety of his twitter account. This series win remains the sweetest of them all.
2014 win in South Africa followed, 2015 World Cup victory. Alas, the good times soon turned sour with losses to Pakistan in 2016 and South Africa at home in 2016/17.
A good thrashing of England soothed the soul in 2017 - which was then followed by the insane over-reaction to ball tampering that resulted in our two biggest drawcards taking 12 months off to appease the woke mob. Warner and Smith both would have been within their rights to stick their two fingers up at CA and ride off into the sunset and play T20 cricket. But they always wanted to return to the fray.
When the big two returned it was a glorious sight: Smith single-handedly smashed England to all corners of the UK, and into France as well. Warner had a shocking series but stirred the English as only he could. Australia retained the Ashes, and then won the everything else including the T20 World Cup in 2021 followed by the ritual smashing handed out to a pathetic English who disgraced themselves, the baggy green, and our great country by turning up and not giving a stuff.
Now this era, win, lose or draw is coming to an End with, what will hopefully be one last hurrah.
Warner, Usman Khawaja are almost certainly playing their last handful of test matches.
Hazlewood and Starc are likely to call it quits before the next Ashes series in Australia in 2025/26 and seek pastures in the T20 circuit.
Steven Smith is no certainity either - he will be 36 next Ashes in Australia. Nathan Lyon will be 38.
England are in the same boat.
Anderson and Broad will not be making the tour in 2025/26.
Stokes will likely have long retired from test cricket - his knee is shot and probably has 10 or 15 test matches in him left, tops - the t20 circuit awaits him as well.
Root, Mark Wood and Woakes are all most probably playing their last Ashes series as well.
Win, lose or draw.
Post your memories of this era of Australian cricket - it's heights matched anything produced by that glorious era of 1999-2007, and who knows, maybe the best is yet to come.
1999 - 2007 World Cup
Australian cricket at its peak: CH 9 commentary, Billy Birmingham, the arrival of Ponting as a batsmen, the ladies swooned over Brett Lee, Warnie up and about in all respects. This era will never be repeated. It all came together in an intoxicating combo. It wasn't all smooth sailing: 2001 v India (away), 2004 (India at home).
Forgotten wins (not with this writer) that never get mentioned including bowling Pakistan out for double figures twice in a test match (2002) and beating South Africa in ODI's 2002 after the Waugh brothers were dropped after the disappointing VB series in 2001/02.
1999 WC, 2003 WC (undefeated), 2007 WC (undefeated).
Notable Test Series Victories: 2004 India Away, 2006/07 Ashes whitewash
1999 - 2001: 16 game winning streak (tests)
2005-2007: Another 16 game winning streak (tests)
This era ended after the 2006/07 Ashes and the WC that followed immediately. Just like that, it was gone.
2008 - 2013 Ashes
A disappointing era of Australian cricket - punctuated with sporadic victories that stirred the soul.
Have always felt the 2009 series win over South Africa away was the highlight of this period - the Champions Trophy win in 2009 and the ODI series thumping win over England in the same period were soothing balms to a disappointing Ashes series. A Ponting straight six off Sidebottom in the same series remains the greatest shot this writer has ever seen.
Australia remained competitive at home during this period, a ODI series smashing of England in 2010/11 (post a disappointing home Ashes series) was followed by a so-so world cup campaign.
A win over Pakistan at the SCG in 2010 remains shrouded in controversy to this day. 2009, 2010/11 and 2013 Ashes series were lost (2-1. 3-1, 3-0) respectively. All could have been won had luck gone our way, but the sure thing about luck, is it always changes.
Starc, Smith, Hazlewood, Lyon and Warner all hit the scene. At our darkest ebb, the green shoots were already taking hold.
2013 - to 2023
Australia barreled back onto the world stage with an absolute hiding of England. The 1st day of the Ashes was probably England's best day of the tour. Johnson went to work the next day, and England never knew what hit them. It remains one of the few times that top order batsmen feared for their safety. This was ferocious fast-balling at its absolute peak. Every man, women and non-binary will never forget if they were at the ground when Johnson tore the life out of England at Adelaide.
Previous fog-horns, such as Matt Prior, who always had a word to say, fell eerily silent. Word was that Prior was ready to take his lyrca and pushbike and ride home rather than face Johnson. The Big Cheese he called himself according to KP. 10 years on, Prior is still reeling towards Square Leg. Periodically seen taking barbs at Aus cricketers from the safety of his twitter account. This series win remains the sweetest of them all.
2014 win in South Africa followed, 2015 World Cup victory. Alas, the good times soon turned sour with losses to Pakistan in 2016 and South Africa at home in 2016/17.
A good thrashing of England soothed the soul in 2017 - which was then followed by the insane over-reaction to ball tampering that resulted in our two biggest drawcards taking 12 months off to appease the woke mob. Warner and Smith both would have been within their rights to stick their two fingers up at CA and ride off into the sunset and play T20 cricket. But they always wanted to return to the fray.
When the big two returned it was a glorious sight: Smith single-handedly smashed England to all corners of the UK, and into France as well. Warner had a shocking series but stirred the English as only he could. Australia retained the Ashes, and then won the everything else including the T20 World Cup in 2021 followed by the ritual smashing handed out to a pathetic English who disgraced themselves, the baggy green, and our great country by turning up and not giving a stuff.
Now this era, win, lose or draw is coming to an End with, what will hopefully be one last hurrah.
Warner, Usman Khawaja are almost certainly playing their last handful of test matches.
Hazlewood and Starc are likely to call it quits before the next Ashes series in Australia in 2025/26 and seek pastures in the T20 circuit.
Steven Smith is no certainity either - he will be 36 next Ashes in Australia. Nathan Lyon will be 38.
England are in the same boat.
Anderson and Broad will not be making the tour in 2025/26.
Stokes will likely have long retired from test cricket - his knee is shot and probably has 10 or 15 test matches in him left, tops - the t20 circuit awaits him as well.
Root, Mark Wood and Woakes are all most probably playing their last Ashes series as well.
Win, lose or draw.
Post your memories of this era of Australian cricket - it's heights matched anything produced by that glorious era of 1999-2007, and who knows, maybe the best is yet to come.
