Teams dread ghost of Harmison past
Brisbane, Nov. 24: If there is one certainty about the first ball of the first Ashes Test between Australia and England on Thursday, it is that it will not end up unaided at second slip as Steve Harmison’s wide delivery did four years ago.
England went on to lose the series 5-0 and Harmison’s howler at the Gabba has gone down in the annals of the game as the very worst way to open any cricket series, let alone the Ashes.
Australia captain Ricky Ponting joked that he might take the new ball himself if the hosts bowled first and, while accepting that a bad start does not lose a series, is hoping to deal a similar psychological hammer blow on Thursday.
“We’ll be doing everything to win that first hour tomorrow,” he said.
“There’s no doubt that first hour of the last series out here set up our whole campaign.
“We were able to capitalise on some very nervous English players and that definitely gave us a kick start and all the confidence we needed.” England captain Andrew Strauss joked that it was not “overly helpful” to mention Harmison’s errant delivery, even if it was unlikely to be repeated.
“We know pretty much who’s going to be taking that first ball and we know he’s got good control over the ball,” he said. “The first ball doesn’t win you the Ashes, there’s no doubt about that.
“If you want to win the series you need to win a lot more days than you lose,” he added. “The first day is always important and people always look back on it and say this might have happened and that might have happened.”
Ashes clashes
* “You are a damned lot of sneaks.”
England’s W.G. Grace to Billy Midwinter, The Oval, 1877
* “A cricket tour in Australia would be the most delightful period in one’s life, if one was deaf.”
England fast-bowler Harold Larwood, during the 1932-1933 Bodyline tour.
* “Leave our flies alone Jardine, they’re the only friends you’ve got.”
An Australian spectator to England cricket captain Douglas Jardine during the Bodyline tour.
* “England have only three major problems. They can’t bat, they can’t bowl and they can’t field.”
Cricket writer Martin Johnson
* “Mate if you just turn the bat over, you’ll find the instructions on the other side.”
Australian bowler Merv Hughes to England’s Graeme Hick.
* “If it had been a cheese roll it would never have got past him.”
Gooch on Shane Warne’s “ball of the century” which bowled Mike Gatting at Old Trafford in 1993.
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