Melbourne often gets a bad rap for having the worst weather in Australia. Some north of Lake Hume sneeringly refer to the southern capital as “Bleak City” due to the grey, wet winter skies and temperatures in single digits; a bleakness that reminds you of Manchester or Leeds – possibly in high summer.
While English cricket broadcaster and wine connoisseur John Arlott once referred to Sydney as “Manchester by the Sea” – maybe he was connoisseuring a bit heavily when he took the tram to Bondi – the Emerald City generally experiences more sunshine and an ameliorating sea breeze. However, Bureau of Meteorology records are clear that Sydney has a greater annual average rainfall than Bleak.
MCG curator Matt Page confers with umpires at the MCG on Friday night.Credit:Getty
For cricket fans, the record also shows that more playing time has been lost in SCG Tests than those at the MCG. OK, the weather has been pretty darn soggy the length of the eastern seaboard this year and the conduct of cricket matches hardly important when considering the damage to homes, crops and lives lost, but maybe cricket can shine some light where there has been only darkness.
This 2022 T20 World Cup comes sprinting downhill behind the 2020 edition staged just last year due to COVID. It begs the question of just how often can you hold a world cup before it ceases to mean much besides revenue for the ICC.
A central theme in the preamble to this current edition was that of “too much cricket”, especially of the 20-over variety given the aforementioned ’21 tournament and the preponderance of domestic franchise competitions.
However, there exists a core of fans for whom too much cricket is never enough, and thank goodness for them. They have turned up to watch Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, Ireland and Namibia and everyone betwixt and between. They have held the faith for the game, and the game has responded.
The Bleak City weather held for the “greatest T20 game of all time” between India and Pakistan last weekend. The players provided the skill and the energy and the passion for competition. If you could bottle what Virat Kholi provided then the world is your eternal oyster. Winning and losing happens on a regular basis in professional sports, and international contests are often more precious than who takes the W or L.
Fans enjoy the atmosphere during the India-Pakistan match.Credit:Getty
The fervour of India v Pakistan was palpable. The sweat and tears bled through the television screen. New Zealand beating Australia was piquant for the Black Caps and sour for the Aussies. Ireland downing England was a slow burn as the rain grew heavier and the Irish from both sides of their border prayed as one for a final squall. They got their wish, were awarded the points and opened up their side of the draw.
Ireland’s tie-breaking net run rate left them ahead of Australia, whose NRR is worse then that of Afghanistan, who are bottom of the group but were only one point behind top-placed New Zealand before the Black Caps’ match against Sri Lanka on Saturday evening. Australia play Ireland and Afghanistan next and must win both and improve their NRR following the wash-out against England on Friday night.
This MCG match was billed as “grab it or go home” for both teams, which wasn’t quite true given the mathematical convolutions at play. Yet the sentiment was accurate. England, who are nominal favourites for the trophy, had been owning Australia in recent matches and the home team have been spluttering along with indeterminate batting orders, an out-of-sorts captain and a bowling attack that has been under attack itself.
Their fielding has not been up to its usual stellar level; a sharper game needs honing, and that may involve a change in the starting line-up. It is irritating watching Steve Smith and Cameron Green squirming on the bench while their teammates struggle out in the middle. Australia could not be written off at any stage even after their first-round loss in the 2021 tournament, but at the moment they look to be held together by bailing wire and chewing gum. Perhaps they prefer to work under pressure rather than breathe the clear air of frontrunners.
Whatever Friday night at the ’G was about to deliver, besides Matthew Wade keeping wickets in a surgical mask, has become moot. The rain has given Aaron Finch a reprieve, but it has not helped solve his form problem. No doubt he would have loved to make a score on his home ground to prove doubters wrong but more importantly prove himself right and get his team back on course for a title defence.
The Bleak weather has had its say. Arlott got the wrong capital. Australia and England both now have their work cut out to get through to the semi-finals, and each of their upcoming opponents is capable of an upset. The cricket fans, the players, the officials all want the rain to stop, but not quite as much as the farmers and the homeowners who have their lives ruined by water on the driest continent on the planet.
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