Mitchell Johnson is the new Harry Houdini

In December 2009, Sulieman Benn, Brad Haddin and Mitchell Johnson were involved in a downright ugly altercation at the WACA test. Johnson wasn't really the trouble-maker then, but less than three months later, during the Napier ODI against New Zealand, he was the instigator.

After being smacked for consecutive boundaries by Scott Styris in the last two balls of his 10-over quota (46th over of the innings), Johnson totally lost it.

He screamed at Styris and definitely head-butted him (see video #1 and video #2).

There were only two reasons why the situation didn't get worse - Styris was wearing a helmet, and Brad Haddin pushed Johnson away from the scene.

Again, as was the case at Perth, the umpire did nothing!

After the game, Ranjan Madugalle, the match referee had a man-to-man talk with Mitchell Johnson and Scott Styris and fined them 60% and 15% of their match fee.

Johnson was charged with a level 2 offence (2.2.4 dealing with inappropriate and deliberate physical contact). Styris was charged with a level 1 offence (2.1.8 dealing with actions contrary to the spirit of cricket, bringing the game into disrepute).

So let's go back in time. In December, Johnson brought the game into disrepute and his actions were contrary to the spirit of the game. At that same time, Sulieman Benn was given suspension points and missed two ODIs.

Yet, while Benn got suspension points, the ICC media release makes no mention of Johnson getting suspension points. I'm definitely not making the case that Benn got a harsh punishment. But the point here is around how somehow the ICC match referees tend to close at least one eye when it comes to judging Australian players' behaviour.

One suspension point means the player misses an ODI or T20 international. Two suspension points means the player misses a test or two ODIs/T20 internationals.

Clause 7.3 of the code of conduct deals with repeat offences within a 12 month (not calendar year) period. A repeat of a level 1 offence results in a fine between 50-100% of the match fee and/or 2 suspension points. A repeat of a level 2 offence results in between 2 and 8 suspension points.

In December, Johnson was hauled up under a level 1 offence charge. Last week, he was hauled up under a level 2 offence. But in both situations, his act was the same - inappropriate physical contact. Given the recurrence, it seems fairly obvious that he should have been suspended for at least 1 ODI, in addition to a monetary penalty.

Since he pleaded guilty early on, thereby escaping the match referee's wrath (?), I hereby anoint Mitchell Johnson the new Harry Houdini.

What's your opinion?

How did Mitchell Johnson get away without being banned for at least 1 ODI?
	He knows Ranjan Madugalle's dark secrets and is blackmailing him
	There was serious plea bargaining
	Ricky Ponting demanded that Madugalle take his word that Johnson was not guilty of anything
	Mitchell Johnson is the new Harry Houdini
	He's Aussie

Labels: australia, ban, behaviour, benn, chappell-hadlee, houdini, icc, johnson, match referee, new zealand, spirit of cricket, umpires

Thus spake Jagadish @ 12:07 am | Sledge/Read 3 sledge(s)
Did you like the post? [ Subscribe to the blog feed - | | Tweet ]

Will the match ref step in please?

There's absolute carnage going on in the Australia v New Zealand opening one-dayer of this season's Chappell-Hadlee series.

Chasing 255 in 50 overs, Australia are 58/0 in 6 overs.

The match referee should be empowered to step in and declare Australia winner by knockout.

Then again, that'd mean around 80% of Australia's, Zimbabwe's and Bangladesh's games are declared knockouts by the 10th over, and that includes test cricket!

Labels: chappell, chappell-hadlee, hadlee, match referee

Thus spake Jagadish @ 1:30 pm | Sledge/Read 0 sledge(s)
Did you like the post? [ Subscribe to the blog feed - | | Tweet ]

Australia do it again

Australia have just been beaten 3-0 in the final game of this year's Chappell-Hadlee trophy. New Zealand have chased down 347, which would mean that the top four run-chases in one-day international history, including the 438-thingie game, have been against Australia. This is also Australia's fifth consecutive one-day loss.

All this makes our poll more relevant than ever! So go ahead and vote!

Update: I do need to rub it in. Here's a comparison of two Australian national cricket teams. One of them has lost 5 in a row. The other has has won 9 in a row!

Labels: australia, chappell-hadlee, new zealand

Thus spake Jagadish @ 7:36 pm | Sledge/Read 6 sledge(s)
Did you like the post? [ Subscribe to the blog feed - | | Tweet ]

Walter Hadlee dies

Walter Hadlee, father of Barry, Dayle and the little-known Sir Richard, and the patriarch of one of the famous cricketing families, and whose three sons played not one but two one-dayers together, died earlier today, aged 91, after a prolonged illness.

The Hadlee family (and the Chappell one too, obviously!) is possibly the only one to have a cricket trophy named after it, the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy for an annual one-day series between Australia and New Zealand.

Tributes by Richard Boock and Don Cameron.

Labels: chappell-hadlee, death, hadlee, walter hadlee

Thus spake Jagadish @ 11:16 pm | Sledge/Read 0 sledge(s)
Did you like the post? [ Subscribe to the blog feed - | | Tweet ]

Breathless Lee

From providing a whiff of fresh breath to Australian world cricket with his pace when he made his debut five years ago, to spending last year wondering about when he'd play next, to being targetted by fruit throwers last week, Breath Brett Lee has indeed come a long way. In fact there've been allegations that he had breathlessly ruthlessly targetted batsmen with beamers.

For the immediate short term though, he will be Breathless Lee, after was forced out of the final one-dayer of the Chappell-Hadlee trophy because of a breathing problem.

Australia won the trophy, the first time the series had a result after the series was drawn 1-1 last year. But the win didn't come easily.

Andrew Symonds and Michael Clarke put on 220 runs after Australia were struggling at 101/4. Symonds was out in the last over, having blasted the bowling all around the ground in the last few overs to reach 156, his best score in one-dayers. Clarke was not out on 82.

In reply, New Zealand got off to a very good start, with Vincent making a quickfire fifty. While wickets continued to fall till the 30 over stage, Cairns and Oram then put on a partnership at nearly 8 runs an over which ensured that New Zealand could actually think about getting close to the target. Keeper McCullum played a beautiful innings, running lots of singles and twos and struck the occasional boundary.

Michael Lewis, making his debut, had already bowled very well early on, bowled a superb final over. New Zealand needed six to win with two wickets in hand. His first two balls were on the spot and two runs came off them. McCullum was runout off the third ball with Clarke hitting the stumps from a sort of very deep backward point [inside the circle though]. Vettori then took a single. Three runs to win required off two balls and Mills panicked. He patted a yorker a small distance to the bowler's left and ran on a misfield, but Lewis was calm and broke the stumps with Mills marginally short of the crease, leaving Australia winners by two runs, one of the closest margins in one-dayers between these teams.

Lee's contribution was a first spell of 5-0-37-0. His last two overs leaked 29 runs, ensuring that New Zealand got as close as they did. He ended up with an analysis of 10-0-85-1, a far cry from terrorizing the Kiwi batsmen with 6-4-5-3 last week in the first game! One week is a long time indeed!

Labels: chappell-hadlee

Thus spake Jagadish @ 1:56 pm | Sledge/Read 0 sledge(s)
Did you like the post? [ Subscribe to the blog feed - | | Tweet ]

What you hurl is what you get

Incidents of unruly crowd behaviour marred Australia's thumping win over New Zealand in the first one-dayer, at Eden Park, of the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy last week.

There were ground invasions and plenty of fruits thrown at the Australian fielders on the boundary line. Brett Lee seemed to have been a special target, as he saw an apple whizz past him.

I am a pretty big fan of fruit but not past the old head. You don't really appreciate 10 or so pieces of fruit being thrown at your head. I don't mind being sledged or anything. A bit of fun with the crowd is part of it, it happens in every stadium, it happens in Australia. Apples being thrown at your head is something we don't want to happen in cricket.

Perfectly right, Brett. Except that batsmen don't appreciate 160 gram leather balls hurled at head/neck/chest height, regardless of the support you get and the excuses spun.

So how likely is it that the New Zealand spectators were merely retaliating and giving Brett Lee a test of his own medicine?

Labels: chappell-hadlee

Thus spake Jagadish @ 1:20 pm | Sledge/Read 3 sledge(s)
Did you like the post? [ Subscribe to the blog feed - | | Tweet ]

Quote of the day: Adam Gilchrist

In a chat with Trevor Marshallsea after the Adelaide test and ahead of the one-dayers against New Zealand for the Chappell-Hadlee trophy, Gilchrist talked about the stress factor, how it affects him, retirement etc. When asked about his form, he said something priceless and worth preserving forever.

I can understand that because of the standards I've set, there's an expectation that it's going to be like that all day every day. The reality is it's not. Does that mean you're out of form? I don't know what form is. The fact is in the last three weeks I've only faced 20 balls.

Well, here's the flash news, Gilly! The West Indian bowlers did not throw their toys out of the pram, pack up their kit, pull out the stumps, wrest the ball and bat from whoever held them and leave the ground, refusing to bowl more than chwenty chew deliveries to you! You got out for 2(4) and 6(18) at Hobart and Adelaide.

Perhaps you were thinking that you'd accumulated enough karma with your walks of convenience on the cricket field. So you hoped that the umpires would be kind enough to let you have last maan gaaji (a term used in cricket in Madras to indicate that the innings only ends when the last not out batsman is dismissed)!

Peter Roebuck feels that Gilchrist must retire from one-dayers. Apparently Gilchrist was set to be rested for the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy, but the selectors' wishes were not heeded.

Labels: chappell-hadlee

Thus spake Jagadish @ 5:50 pm | Sledge/Read 5 sledge(s)
Did you like the post? [ Subscribe to the blog feed - | | Tweet ]

Unfinished business beckons Black Caps

Stephen Fleming feels that in the light of the rain affected 1-1 finish to the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy in Australia, New Zealand are raring to go and are feeling very confident, regardless of whether Glenn McGarth plays or not.

Labels: chappell-hadlee

Thus spake Jagadish @ 6:36 pm | Sledge/Read 0 sledge(s)
Did you like the post? [ Subscribe to the blog feed - | | Tweet ]

Matthew Hayden wasnt quite able to get the big score at the SCG in the second game of the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy but he feels that the big runs arent too far away.

Labels: chappell-hadlee

Thus spake Jagadish @ 4:03 pm | Sledge/Read 0 sledge(s)
Did you like the post? [ Subscribe to the blog feed - | | Tweet ]

Australia whipped New Zealand by 213 runs at Adelaide to win the 3 two-test series 2-0. Australia were never really stretched in both the tests and they really do look all set to set off on another test winning streak. Damien Martyn had the honour of Australia's second lowest batting average with 41.5 while Matthew Hayden was just ahead of him with 44.5 and only Kasprowicz missed out with the bat. Australia's four bowlers were amongst the wickets with Warne taking 11. McGrath was man of the series. For the Kiwis, Jacob Oram's arrival as someone who could bat well [although he really did struggle with the ball], and Vettori's return to form were the only bright spots. New Zealand need to recover quickly, for there are three one-dayers to be fought for the Chappell-Hadlee trophy.

Labels: chappell-hadlee

Thus spake Jagadish @ 11:45 am | Sledge/Read 0 sledge(s)
Did you like the post? [ Subscribe to the blog feed - | | Tweet ]

Even as the Chappell-Hadlee trophy gets underway in a few days, Greg Chappell makes an pathetic excuse explaining why he asked Trevor Chappell to bowl underarm.

Labels: chappell-hadlee

Thus spake Jagadish @ 3:14 pm | Sledge/Read 0 sledge(s)
Did you like the post? [ Subscribe to the blog feed - | | Tweet ]

In a totally ironical announcement made last week, New Zealand and Australia will be competing in an annual one-day series called the Chappell-Hadlee trophy. What's so ironical about it? Well, two Chappells - Greg & Trevor, were responsible for the picture below, an event which nearly caused New Zealand to break off diplomatic relations with Australia.



With 7 runs required to win off the last ball and Australia keen to finish the series as early as possible following a hectic season, skipper Greg instructed his brother Trevor, who bowled the last over, to bowl underarm to Kiwi tailender Brian McKechnie. Greg and Trevor were widely criticized for the act, in spite of the fact that the underarm delivery was legal at that time. As it turned out, it was McKechnie's last ever game!

Current NZC chief executive Snedden was also in the thick of things during the game, when an appeal for an outfield catch off Greg Chappell by him was not upheld by the umpire.

Labels: chappell-hadlee

Thus spake Jagadish @ 7:34 pm | Sledge/Read 0 sledge(s)
Did you like the post? [ Subscribe to the blog feed - | | Tweet ]