The View from the Doodle Cooma Arms

Among many views of the Second Test, this next is among my favourites: an email from Tom White, a great servant of the Henty & District Cricket Club, who play in the Holbrook & District CA. I wrote the foreword to the club's history a few years ago: it is a little classic of its kind, populated by such legendary personages as Hulky, Daisy, Sticks, Slabba, Wilba, Maggot, Hooters, Rusty, PP, the Axeman and the Terror. I always enjoy Tom's perspective on the game - in this case, that of the hard-pressed man of the land....

"Whilst listening to the reflections of Peter Roebuck the other day on the wonderful twists and turns on the last day of the test I though once again about the old chestnut,” does life reflect cricket or does cricket reflect life”? We have had a lot of time to think lately, us farmers in Australia, and in particular those in the Riverina, (the food bowl of the nation? Not this year mate).

"I was thinking about how you can plan as much as you like and just nothing seems to go right, the conditions appear to be against you, blunting you best hopes. Australia on the first day. So you throw out the plan and do something completely foreign in the hope that someone else will do something for you. A government hand out possibly. So, you bowl round the wicket, outside the leg stump and wait??? Australia on the second day.

"Then you get back to some sort of basics and do want you know has worked in the past. Press on with some dependable tactics. Ponting, Hussey and Clarke on days 3 and 4. Then on the last day you get the luck and the rub of the green that’s been apparently missing for a while. Warne, Lee etc bowling well, decisions going your way and things again turn out OK.

"Therefore, Australia’s farmers, many who have been glued to the cricket as a form of release from the despair of the last few years, can look forward with some hope. We tried our best for a few years with not much happening. We’ve bowled round the wicket and hoped that someone else with make some decisions. We gone back to basics and pressed on regardless for a couple of years and managed to be still in the game somehow.

"Now, maybe next year will be our “last day”, when things go our way again. Some lucky decisions, possibly good old fashioned seasonal conditions to the fore, winding up with a big harvest, good cattle prices and a party at years end that puts many others to shame? Bring on Perth I say!!! So does cricket reflect life or does life reflect cricket?? I only did Ag Science at uni mate, not philosophy!! Keep up the good work Gideon, many people I know enjoy it lots. As a postscript I can hear Guru Bob mumbling in the background about the English having some difficulty in retaining the Ashes back in our lifetime? What do you reckon?"

I'm a Geelong supporter, Tom. Anything is possible.