Photo: I took this last November and was struck by the grace and movement of the bowler.It's summer and the cricket season is right here, right now. I must admit, I will not enjoy it as much as last summer when we had the pleasure of watching the English cricket team getting marmalised!:)
There is something special about an English cricket tour, not just because of the added edge of the old traditional rivalry between our two countries, but the extra dimension added by what is affectionately known as, "The Barmy Army".
Sure they are loud and like a few beers, but nobody cares because they do no harm - in fact, they do the opposite. One of the biggest controversies of last summer was the attempt by a few stuffed Australian shirts to quieten down the Barmy Army. Newspapers and airwaves were full of the ludicrous decision to put a dampener on what so many Australian cricket fans enjoy and appreciate.
We may not want the English to win, but we admire the good natured, often ironic humour of the English supporters who have done so much to enhance such tours. Heck, if I had a daughter, I would even let her marry one! OK, maybe that's going a bit too far as I may have to go over there and drink warm beer when I meet the in-laws:). I bet I could say that to a member of the Barmy Army without causing offence, and the same principle would apply in reverse - taken in the spirit it was meant.
Yes, there were some who overstepped the mark, but so did a few Australian supporters. But the minority is not a reflection on the majority.
The real winner was the game of cricket, because both nationalities came together to produce a more important result than runs on the scoreboard.
Know what I mean :)
