cricket with balls

In the past you knew you had made it when you made a test century, your teammates relied on you, the biggest paper in the country proclaimed you a superstar.

Those days are long gone.

Now you know you’ve made it when people start googling your name, with the words naked, nude, oiled up.

That is how we knew Tim Southee, Ishant Shamra, and JP Duminy had made it.

Now you can add one more name, Callum Ferguson.

I have had 3 searches come here for that, even though i have never talked about Callum nude, naked, or oiled up.

No offence Callum, I just don’t think of you that way.

Not yet.

But the ladies, and/or gay men, do.

That means you have made it.

Why anyone thinks a 24 year old cricketer who no one knew a fortnight ago would have naked photos up on the internet is anyone’s guess?

But they do, and he don’t.

Welcome to the big league Callum, where your naked form and whether you have a girlfriend is going to be typed into google everytime you are at the crease.

That’s way cooler than the old days, all they did was collect cricket cards, and the players were fully clothed.

Sorry about the pun.

I don’t usually wrap up one day series, and I wont do this one.

I will say sucks to be you New Zealand, 2 zip up, work their way back to 2 all, and then rain fucks up their finish.

That must smart.

This has been an interesting time for the players though, there has been some fresh faces, some character arcs, and forced rests.

Martin Guptil may have a stupid name (it’s not funny or cool to say, yet still odd enough to mention) but he showed on debut he can bat, well last night he showed he can smack, slap, and carry his team.  The rest of the series he struggled a bit, but there is class and dash in him.

Callum Ferguson jumped the queue by finding form at the exact right time, and then kept his spot by getting some of the best luck of any debutante ever. Hard to say whether he made more runs, or got more dodgy LB decisions, but once he was let go at the Gabba, he was a force of furious destruction.

Ben Hilfenhaus has been talked up for a long time, but when he finally gets in he is very up and down. His good is unplayable, his bad is anal fodder, and no one is any surer about him now than they were before.

Tim Southee came into the series with a decent effort against Australia in the test series behind him, but in the one dayers he has been easier to score from than Tara Reid. He also has only 3 wickets in the series, and without the new ball he looks like a change bowler.

Brad Haddin took his chance at the top of the order, the one that most people thought he would have had by now. He really isn’t, and has never been, a good middle or lower middle order white ball batsman. At the top of the order he took over, and Warner might have to wait a while for a recall now.

Iain O’Brien needs a swab. In England he was a medium slow bowler who filled up an end. Now he is almost genuinely quick, and he took 10 wickets in this series, the Australian’s seemed to score off him easily, but if he can keep taking 2 wickets a match the kiwis will keep him around.

James Hopes has gone from a bits and pieces all rounder to the man Ponting throws the ball to during a drama. He has also batted in the top order, and his forehead is still awesome.

The greatest story has to be Grant Elliott, who has managed to turn himself from Jacob Oram’s hamstring replacement, into an international all rounder. No one is sure how, but he has.

One day you might say, “as kiwi as Grant Elliott”.

Australia are well and truly in panic mode now.

They have now picked another player I have hardly ever mentioned before.

And Adam Voges.

All because Ricky needs a break.

For a moment i thought Callum Ferguson had never penetrated these hallow halls.

But i was wrong,

See.

That was October 07.

The memories.

Usually i would be up in arms about such a selection.

However Ferguson has just made runs against the Vics, and i looked at his record this year, and it’s pretty good.

Quiney and Bailey must feel a little aggrieved, both would have thought they were closer to the national side, as they have spread their good work over a couple of seasons, and Quiney has made runs against NSWales at full strength, and Bailey just made runs against the Kiwis.

Ferguson is not a bad bat, but he just never seemed to kick on for SA, obviously al that time with Younis Khan has really given his game that extra edge.

Seems like an odd selection to me, but Voges will probably play ahead of him.

Although knowing Voges he will probably miss out, again.