When participating in the viewing of cricket, or rather sport in general, you naturally align yourself to one side/individual over the others. It could be for such rudimentary reasons as the colour of a shirt or the fact that you just like the cut of their jib.
The axis of evil?
So, what a conundrum is posed when two sides clash that you don’t really care too much for. Is it a case of simply supporting the side that you dislike least? Well, almost, but not quite.
The current Australian tour of South Africa is a fine case in point. For me, at least, as an Englishman, that is. The rivalry between Australia and England is well established to the point where it is the greatest cricketing rivalry going.
So I should plump for South Africa, right? Wrong. I’m cheering (I use that term in the loosest sense possible) for the Old Enemy. Those pesky convicts have my support against the repugnant Saffers.
I don’t hate South Africa. I just strongly dislike certain members of their national cricket team. Graeme Smith, for example. Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher, Morne Morkel; they all wind me up.
They are all, also, very good cricketers born of a generation that has ensured one or two members of the England side are in the England side. It may be considered odd to go against the country that has given the side of my own supporting such great recent success.
But surely Smith and Kallis poses faces only their mothers could love? Am I the only one who would like to tear Kallis’s hair implants out?
That’s not, of course, to say that the Aussies are minus a core of players who I’m not smitten with. Shane Watson, Brad Haddin, Brett Lee, Michael Clarke, Michael Hussey; they’re worse than the bloody Saffers!
And I haven’t even mentioned Ricky Ponting’s wretched name in that list!
But the thing is, I’m comfortable in the knowledge that England are a much better side than Australia. We’ve thrashed them in the past two Ashes series and defeated them in the World Twenty20 final. They do not have the same fear factor of Australian sides of yesteryear.
The South Africans, unlike the Aussies, pose a very real threat to England’s number one status. They are a good side, perhaps as good as (better than?) England. This is my primary reason for supporting Australia.
Hopefully the Aussies will defeat South Africa and soften them up a wee bit ahead of their English adventure next summer. We know we can beat Australia and if Australia can beat South Africa then we must be able to beat South Africa as well…
The South Africa tour of England next summer is one that I am looking forward to immensely. It should prove top be a clash of the world’s best teams, very much in contrast to the embarrassing wreck that was the India team that turned up this year.
I’m expecting South Africa to run England very, very close; I just hope they don’t win. Defeat to Australia would certainly cast doubt over their aspirations of defeating England in 2012. That’s the main reason for my supporting Australia.
By Miles Reucroft
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Haha, nice one.
As a South African some of that was hard to stomach, but agree with your sentiments about Graeme Smith and Shane Watson. I can’t stand Watson.
I’m also looking forward to the SA vs Eng series; I always consider England as my ‘second’ team, and the way they’re playing at the moment will make for a brilliant contest.
- Rory
Thanks Rory – it was all written with tongue firmly in cheek! My main reason for disliking Smith so vehemently, though, is that I still have restless nights thinking of that summer when he came to these shores and couldn’t stop scoring double hundreds – hopefully he won’t repeat that trick next summer! Will be an awesome series next summer and Aus Vs SA is the perfect warm-up this winter…
I’m glad I never named any of my sons MILES. Life is hard enough without being tagged a jerk because of your name. The reason for this point is reasonably solid. Do you think that the Australians are NOT rebuilding? And if they do beat S.A. and you DON’T, hmmmm well it will be a bit like your asprirations at the London olympics. Expectations are one thing, delivery another!