On the ball

It's official! Australia has reclaimed cricket's Ashes. And while the final ball will remain in the memory banks for years to come, for me there was another moment that summed up the series.

An attempted sweep by Geraint Jones made no contact. The ball rebounded off his pad and Shane Warne (aided by team-mates) launched into an enthusiastic appeal for LBW. While all this was going on, Ricky Ponting scooped the ball in the direction of the stumps. Jones, seemingly paralysed by the fear that the umpire's decision would extend his series of low scores, had not regained his ground. The result? LBW appeal - not out. Run out appeal - OUT!


It's moments like these that see Australia winning the series quite comprehensively. Whether taking crucial catches rather than dropping them, or reacting to momentary chances, the key to Australia's success is being on-the-ball and taking opportunities. It's not as if England don't know the rules - Australia are just more "keyed in".

Chatting with a friend about Jesus's "Love one another" statements, my friend commented that it's not exactly rocket science. I kind of agreed. With the exception of incredibly selfish individual, most people can grasp the concept of loving one's fellow human beings - after all it's simpler than the rules of cricket ;)

But it's putting it all into action that is the key. Just as in cricket, the challenge is to be alert - see the opportunities - and make a difference.

Out the Window

A few of the boys were throwing a few different games around in the changing rooms then, but they all go out the window as far as I'm concerned. That's the best test win I've ever been a part of.

This was the reaction of Australian captain Ricky Ponting after his side's amazing victory in the 2nd Ashes Test against England. I can understand his thinking. At the start of the day, a draw looked by far the most likely option, but somehow, Australia managed to bowl England out with enough spare time to score the required 168 runs to win.

However it must be said that England did not do a great deal to help their own cause. 10 runs from 13 overs in the first hour was incredibly slow, and it didn't get much better. By lunch another 20 runs had been cobbled together, and when the tenth wicket fell, the day's effort was a tedious 70 runs from 54 overs.

There are several theories as to what England were doing. Perhaps they were trying to secure a draw, or perhaps the Australian bowling was just to good. But at the end of the day it seemed that they just had no plan, no purpose and no direction. As a result, they went nowhere.

I think the same is true in life. There is a saying that "If you don't know where you're going, any road will lead there." But if we can work out what our goals are - and ways of getting there - we can achieve so much more.

Of course (just as in cricket) not everything is within our control. Things will change, and sometimes this means changing our plans. But it's better to have to adjust tactics than to not have any to start with.

Ashes - Day 1

It was 14 months ago that the Australian cricket team watched on as England claimed cricket's most prized trophy - for the first time since 1987. Australian players say that day was the first day of the campaign to regain "The Ashes".

62 weeks later, and the first day of the Ashes series went overwhelming in Australia's favour. The excitement was almost tangible as Australia piled on the runs to vigorously take the upper hand at the very start of the series.

Of course, no-one knows what will take place over the remaining four and three-quarter matches of the series. But if the first day is anything to go by - it would seem that the focus, the enthusiasm, the determination and the single-mindedness of the Australian team over the past year and a bit will serve them well during this summer's series.

While the Australian team is an exceptional group of people, I think the same philosophy applies to many people. Having a purpose, and passionately pursuing it, can bring about some extraordinary results - and that doesn't just apply to the cricket field.

Holding Out for a Hero

It all started with two words. One started with F and the other with C. Delivered by the Newcastle Knights' Andrew Johns at one of the match officials was enough to see him suspended for two matches.

In the aftermath of that decision, there were the usual discussions about what is and isn't acceptable sporting behaviour. People talked about 'heat of the moment', the competitive nature of professional sport, and the adrenalin rushing through players' veins.

There was a lot of talk about respect for officials. There were rhetorical questions about whether the standards are different for local sport compared to national top-level televised sport. This led to the old favourite "What message does this send to young kids".

The theory is that youngsters admire Andrew Johns for his football ability, and spend their Saturdays (as well as countless afternoons and school lunch hours) trying to emulate his feats. So when the guy swears at a touch judge on national television, people are concerned that young players will also copy that behaviour.

Ideally, these kids would be able to separate the good skills from the poor behaviour; adopting one and steering clear of the other. However, this expecting a lot from young minds.

The problem starts when we idolise people who don't deserve it. Don't get me wrong, Johns is a high-quality rugby league player, and deserves respect for that. But when push comes to shove, he's a guy in his 30's, who's barely had a real job, has already been 'through' one marriage, and is looking at number two. For anyone, child or otherwise, to think "This is the guy I want to model myself on", would be questionable.

In my personal opinion, if anyone's looking for ideas on life from a guy in his early 30's, a better place to look might be the life of Jesus. Sure, if you're looking for advice on kicking synthetic rubber around a sports oval, listen to the words of Andrew Johns. But if you're looking for tips on life, it might be better to look in a little book called the Bible, and hear what Jesus has to say.

Pelleton

I was watching the Tour de France. It was the mountain stage, which I can imagine is the most challenging of the tour. At the time, there was a large group of riders (which i'm told is called the "Peleton") and another four riders (more spread out) about a minute in front of the large group.

As the race continued, one of the riders from the large group decided that time was running out and he should make a move. If he was going to win the stage, he could no longer be content to stick with the large group. He had to break away and pursue what he wanted - first place.

Of course, there are reasons why it's usually a good tactic to stick with the group. It's easier to ride in the 'slipstream' of other riders, and the presence of the other riders is helpful in 'pacing' one's own ride. Being in a group of riders can be a good thing.

But, as in life, there come times when we have to be different from the crowd to achieve some thing worthwhile. Sometimes what the crowd is doing is not the thing we want to be doing, could be doing, or should be doing. These are the times we have to have the courage to break free from that the group and be who we can be.

Queenslander!

In rugby league, it has been a great week for Queensland. The annual 3-match series with New South Wales is now level, following a 30-6 win by the Queenslanders. This is exciting for a number of reasons. It sets up a 'decider' in a few weeks time. But there's more to it than that.


The game itself was a wonderful experience (particularly for Queensland supporters). Throughout the history of the State of Origin contests, Queensland is perennially the underdog and this match was no different.

Many said that (in game one) Queensland was lucky to go down by just a point (17-16) and that they had been massively outplayed by the "Blues". With the side for game two considered to be even weaker, due to injuries, some experts (particularly those south of the border) were calling this the weakest Queensland team ever.

The other thing that is consistent throughout State of Origin is the 'Queensland spirit'. It's what keeps Queensland in the contest. It doesn't matter if everyone is writing them off. It doesn't matter if the opposition is huge. It doesn't matter if they have more experience.


Queensland, at their best, just go at 100% and do everything they can. They play well as a team, support each other, and never give up. It's truly an inspiration.

ps. The last time a Queensland team was labelled 'the worst ever' was in 1995. Queensland went on to win that series 3-0.

Socceroos - A Comeback Win

It was with much jubilation that i watched Australia's match with Japan in the World Cup. Of course, most of that jubilation was crammed into the last ten minutes, as Australia scored 3 quick goals to turn a potential 0-1 loss into an inspiring 3-1 win.

A day or two later (the days seem to blur when sleep is just slotted in between soccer matches) i was talking to a friend about the match. We talked about how exciting the match was - and how it was impossible to go to sleep afterwards - even though it was around 1am in Australia. We came to the conclusion that - apart from the great result - it was the circumstances that made it so unbelievably exciting.

If Australia had scored those three goals early in the first half, held a 3-0 lead for the majority of the match, and conceded a consolation goal right at the end, it would still have been 3-1, but somehow not quite as heart stopping. For some reason, winning means so much more when it's preceded by an hour of staring down the barrel at a loss.

Referee!

Last week i was watching the final of soccer's Champions League. It was quite an exciting match, and after Arsenal had taken an early lead, Barcelona came back to equalise, and then to win the match 2-1.

After the game (ie. immediately after) Arsenal complained about the refereeing, claiming that one of Barcelona's goals should not have been allowed, and that Barcelona were allowed to get away with unfair play.

Whether or not these claims are true - I don't know. I'm not an expert on soccer refereeing, and don't claim to be. I am interested more in what wasn't said than what was said.

Earlier in the match, Barcelona managed to get the ball in the net, but were denied a goal. Also a questionable decision - but in Arsenal's favour. In their assessment of the referee, this incident seems to have gone unnoticed.

I find it interesting that as human beings we tend to pay much more attention to the times when we don't get what (we think) we deserve - and not so much attention when we get what we don't deserve.

In life (as in soccer) some things go for us, some against us. We can get upset over the things that go against us - and become angry and bitter (no offence, Arsenal). Or we can appreciate that there are just as many 'fors' as 'againsts', that these things generally do balance out - and get on with the game. Personally, I reckon "Play On!"

Up to the Challenge

In recent cricket matches there have been some exceptionally high scores by some teams. It started off with Australia breaking - in fact smashing - the world record for the highest team total in a one-day match. Their total was 434. Until that day no-one had even made 400.


Of course, that record lasted just 4 hours, as South Africa replied with 438 to win one of the more amazing - and perhaps bizarre - games of cricket in recent memory. [scorecard]

And then in the final of Australia's national cricket competition, Queensland declared their innings closed at 900, to defeat Victoria by an innings an 354 runs. A greater margin would be hard to imagine.

So what's the reason behind this sudden run of high scores? What takes Australia from being bowled out for 93, to breaking the world record? How did South Africa manage to surpass such an amazing score? How does Queensland make the highest score ever made in an Australian cricket final?


We could put it down to small cricket grounds or poor bowling, but there's always been a plenty of each of those. I reckon the answer lies in motivation. Australia had trailed 2-0 in that 5 match series. Determined to win the series, and having clawed themselves back to a 2-2 scoreline, it was vital to make a big total - lest all their efforts be in vain.

For South Africa, who had led the series 2-0, it would be heart-breaking to let it slip. The challenge had been set. They knew that to win the match they would have to perform at a level far above that which had ever been required before. And they did!

Queensland, with players away in that Australian side, also had to perform well above their average if they were to win the final. Parts of the state had also been savaged by Cyclone Larry - and the players dedicated their performance to the victims of that disaster. The result was a massive innings in which four players exceeded 150 - the only time this has ever happened in national or international cricket.


So it would seem that phenomenal feats are possible when we put our minds to it. So why doesn't this happen more often. Is it that we (as human beings) are generally slackers? Or is it that under exceptional circumstances we can summon up the strength, focus and determination to do things that would otherwise be impossible? I don't know the answer. I'm not sure i ever will. But i'll tell you this - it certainly makes for entertaining cricket!

Frame of Mind

Saturday night i was watching my favourite footy team play. Now it's been a little while since they have had a win - especially against quality opposition - and it showed.

Despite having the ability to do great things, they just didn't have the confidence to try things out. As a result, the attack was somewhere between conservative and tentative. I am sure that after a bit of success the team will play much better - not through any increase in skill, but just because of confidence.

Later i realised that i can be the same way. People can sometimes tell when i'm not feeling myself, because of the way i act. I'll talk less, and if i do say something it will be very short - sometimes sarcastic. When i'm feeling feeling positive and confident, there'll be a bit more chatter, some stories and some jokes. Granted, the jokes aren't that great (mostly the type that your dad might come up with) but they're there. It's amazing the difference that frame-of-mind can make.

Ready to go?

The other night i was having a chat with some friends and we had been discussing that shark attack that had happened several weeks ago.

Apparently the victim (on her way to into hospital) said that she was "at peace" and ready to accept her fate. We discussed whether we could say the same. The answer seemed to be unanimously "No" - although some of us did feel that we would be more ready now than at particular times in the past. Or, for that matter, times that may be still to come.

It was at this point that it struck me how similar this is to a cricket innings. Nobody actually wants to be dismissed, although every innings must come to an end. There are times when getting out would be tragic, and there are times when it would be slightly less heartbreaking.

There are times when we can accept being dismissed, and times when we are forced to accept it. We don't seek to be dismissed, but it will happen anyway. All we can do is to make the absolute best of our time at the crease.

A Run of Success

During the recent winter olympics, i saw an interview with Australia's gold medallist Dale Begg-Smith, in which he was asked that standard 'what's it like to win a gold medal?' type of question.

To the interviewer's surprise, the response was calm and simple - "it's good". However, when asked to "take us through" that final run, he enthusiastically described minute details, and was obviously excited about doing a great run with no mistakes.

I can't help but think that this is a really healthy attitude.

A gold medal depends entirely on the results of the other competitors - particularly in Dale's case, where he was not the final competitor to take part. Having already completed his runs, should Dale judge himself as a success or failure, based on whether the Norwegian can go 1/100th of a second quicker or slower?

I think not - and Dale seems to agree. Perhaps true success, in sport or in life, has little to do with comparison. Perhaps true success is as simple as doing the best you can do, and being the best you can be.

"Here We Are Again"

I was thinking some more about monday's post, and the great effort by Ricky Ponting and Andrew Symonds.

Suddenly i noticed the similarity to the 2003 world cup match against Pakistan. Again, Australia had been in trouble, when Symonds joined Ponting at the crease. Whatever Ponting said to Symonds - it certainly did the trick. Symonds played better than he had ever before and deservedly won the man of the match award - and many new fans.

So when Ponting and Symonds combined again last Sunday, it may well have been a case of "We've got out of this before - we can get out of it again". Same thing goes in life. There are ups and there are downs. Good patches and bad patches. Somehow we always manage to get through the tough times, and on to better times. The trick is, when we go through another bad patch, to remember that "We've got out of this before - we can get out of it again".

3 Wickets for 10

Yesterday some friends and i gathered to watch the second final of the one-day cricket. Australia had lost the first match of the best-of-three series, so this was the last chance for the green-and-gold.

Second ball of the match, Gilchrist is out for no score. A few minutes later and Katich is lbw. Martyn raced to 8, but was out just as quickly. Three players out for just 10 runs and things are looking very bad. The tv people (as they do) continue to show replay after replay, and by now one starts to feel quite deflated.

Australia, the great team that they are, managed to even up the contest, and continued to take the ascendency. By the end of the innings Australia (somewhat amazingly) had posted 368 - its highest ever team total.

Now, as those early replays are aired again, they take on a whole new meaning. They are no longer reminders of a dire situation, they are the beginnings of a wonderful innings, which may not have taken place without those early setbacks.

I reckon the same goes in life. Bad things happen. Unhappy things happen. Stressful things happen. Sometimes it can feels like a lost cause - but don't lose heart! Hang in there, and there's a fair chance things will get much better. Then those setbacks become part of a great innings.

Fielding Names

One of the difficulties of explaining cricket to people is describing the location each of the fielding positions. Names like mid-off, mid-on, cover, point, cover-point, extra cover, square leg, fine leg, gully, mid-wicket ... what does it mean??

Of course, no sooner has my friend formed a mental picture of the situation, than a left-handed batsman comes into play. Experienced cricket fans know that (for a left hander) the fielding 'map' is reversed. But for people new to the game, it's difficult to believe that the guy who just ran 50 metres is still at fine leg, while the guy who remains unmoved has gone from forward square leg to cover-point.

All of this confusion comes from the fact that the whole thing is centred around the batsman. Each and every fielder can be described in terms of how far (and in what direction) he is from the face of the batsman.

In life, what do we centre our game around? Is it our job? Is it sport? Is it money? Is it our partner? Christians believe the answer is to centre it around Jesus - the guy with two main goals - love god and love others. Sounds good to me.

Boxing Day Memories

Each year in cricket, there is the Boxing Day test match. This summer, channel nine showed snippets of interviews with current players - each player was asked his most memorable boxing day moment.

There were usual answers from players who had done particularly well, or been involved in a great win, until they got to Matthew Hayden. In the last 5 boxing day matches, he has made 4 hundreds, and i expected one of those to be his answer.

Instead he named 1996 against the West Indies. New to the team, he had not scored many runs, and was "under the pump" to stay in the side.

He was bowled for nought and still says he can hear the ball knocking the off stump. Shortly after he was dropped from the team, and it would be three long years before he returned.

Sometimes life can be incrediby harsh (even harsher than being bowled for nought). I guess the key is to get through the bad times and appreciate the good ones. As Hayden says about his tough times, "that's made all the special happy times so much more special".

Electrical Tape

The touch football team that i am in, plays in a social competition. I'm sure that expression qualifies as an oxymoron. I seems like a contradiction in terms to have something that is social (ie. enjoying the company of others) and yet a competition (ie. trying to defeat others).

As we continue to be both social and competitive, the challenge is to not be over-competitive at the expense of the social aspect (we're not playing for sheep stations) and i manage this quite well. As the opposition reaches double figures (and our team is still on zero) suddenly it's very easy to believe that the score is not important.

But just the other week, a remarkable thing happened - we were winning a game! During this strange circumstance, the referee told one of the players on the other team to leave the field as his playing shirt was un-numbered (it's the rules). Playing on the wing, I heard one of our subs say to the player "I've got some tape in the car" (a shirt number made out of electrical tape is permissible).

While i didn't say anything, i remember thinking "Shut up, Chris! We're in with a chance of winning here!". Of course, i later regained my perspective. Still don't know if i would have gone and got the guy some tape (if i was in Chris's position) but i hope i would have. One thing i do know is that it's a lot harder to not care about winning when you actually have a chance to.

A Bonus Point

Last night i arrived home to see the last 20 overs of the cricket on tv. The batting team was doing quite well, and were headed for a comfortable victory. So comfortable in fact, that they were a chance for a 'bonus point' - an extra competition point awarded to a team who wins by more than a set margin.

With the possibility that an extra point could come in handy later in the competition, the batting team accelerated their efforts, but in doing so several players got out in quick succession. It started to look as if they would do the unthinkable, and 'snatch defeat from the jaws of victory' - losing the match and 4 competition points - all for the sake of this 'bonus point'.

How does this happen? We set out for what's important (like winning a cricket match) but we get distracted. Greed takes over. We want more! And sometimes it costs us the thing we originally wanted.

Fortunately the batting side realised this and settled for an 'ordinary' win. They focussed on what was important, and achieved it. Let's hope we can do the same.

"On The Mark, Player"

On monday nights i play touch football. The thing with touch football is that if you have the ball, and are touched by a player from the other team, you must stop. You then 'play the ball' by rolling it back between your legs for a teammate to pick up - and play continues.

As you might expect, one should play the ball at the point on the field where the touch occurred. The trick is that when running at speed, sometimes it takes a step or two to slow down.

We know we should return to the point of the touch, and then play the ball - but that takes time - it slows momentum - and we're trying to play fast. In our mind, we think "it's probably only half a step ... no big deal". In reality it's a metre and a half and it's a penalty to the other team.

So much for trying to 'play fast'! We've lost the momentum - and possession - and the opportunity to score points - all for the sake of a couple of seconds. "Why didn't i just step back?" we ask ourselves "we'd still have the ball". But all too often this kind of wisdom only comes after the sound of the whistle.

The same happens in life. It's the eternal battle of discpline versus temptation. In theory, we know the best thing to do is to return to the mark. The temptation is always there to sneak an extra metre, to get an unfair advantage (and we pay the price for it). It's about having the discpline to get back to the mark.

Number 11 Batsman

Things happen when a number 11 batsman comes out to bat. Ground curators start to get their equipment ready. Venue caterers start preparing extra food for the impending rush. And spectators start to think about what they might choose to eat during the 10 minute break. Not much is expected of the 'last man in'. And sure enough, he is shortly dismissed.

So, as non-cricket people will inevitably ask, "Why is he even in the team?". Well, batting may not be the strong point of our number eleven. If he ever makes 50 runs, it will be over the course of a season rather than an afternoon. But once the curators have re-marked the lines, and spectators have returned to their seats, it is his turn to shine when the captain throws him the ball. While his batting may have been court jester-like, in bowling he is the king of the game.

If there's anything to be learnt from our friend the number 11 (apart from resilience) it is the knowledge of oneself and one's strengths. The ribbing he cops from his teammates does not affect him. He'll try his best with the bat, but knows it's not his forte. He knows who he is, and is comfortable with it. He knows that others (many others) will be better at batting, but this does not phase him. He's a bowler, and wouldn't want it any other way. Good on you number eleven!

Sport

As a teenager, i really got into sport. I played a lot, and watched a lot. So what? Millions of kids would have done the same (except maybe without the very late nights watching Australia play cricket in England).

But after a few thousand hours of viewing, practicing after school, and many hours fielding on a cricket boundary - you start to think more deeply about the game.

Consequently, the attitude, the psychology, the enthusiasm and the teamwork of sport kind of became my philosophy during those years. That's when i started saying "it's a lot like sport".

Since those days i have become more interested in Jesus, and (no offence to Richie Benaud) but i'm finding that Jesus is even wiser :)

And i reckon the things i enjoy most about sport are the things that reflect Jesus. When immense talent comes with humility. When passion inspires great achievement. When selfishness is put aside for the greater good. When excellence is possible.

This is what is great about sport. I hope you share my joy.