In short
The Sky Sports Cricket Podcast episode previews the third Ashes Test in Adelaide at Adelaide Oval, with discussion of pitch conditions, match tactics, and team selection. Greg Blewett (Adelaide-born former Australia batter) and the hosts debate whether Adelaide’s day test (first in 10+ years) suits the city’s social scene, and how England should adapt from “Baz Ball” to Australia’s bouncy, seam-friendly conditions.
Key claims
England must be aggressive but “pick their moments,” adjust to bounce/seam and later spin/footmarks; Australia will benefit from Nathan Lyon and a potentially dry pitch; Steve Smith will handle tactics while Pat Cummins returns.
Notable examples
England’s earlier struggles on non-flat pitches; Adelaide Oval redevelopment and heritage scoreboard; Blewett’s Test debut here (100 on debut) and his 1997 Ashes hundred at Edgbaston.
Guests
Greg Blewett—former Test cricketer, Adelaide local, later coach (South Australia).
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOCricket Memories and Rivalries
0:10 to 1:15
Discussion about past cricket experiences and rivalries between hosts.
“We played and commentated there lots of times.”
Cricket Memories and Rivalries
1:50 to 3:16
Discussion about past cricket experiences and rivalries between hosts.
“Before we get on to this great city and this great ground, I just wanted to check that you two are all right.”
The Adelaide Test Match Experience
3:16 to 6:20
Insights into the unique atmosphere and features of the Adelaide Test match.
“Now, this is a big week for your city, isn't it?”
Memories of Playing at Adelaide Oval
6:20 to 9:13
Hosts share their first memories and experiences playing at the Adelaide Oval.
“We've got a great Premier now as well who's really proactive in getting things done.”
England's Cricket Strategy and Performance
9:13 to 14:00
Analysis of England's current cricket strategy and performance in the Ashes.
“Because obviously he came to Lanks and played with us.”
Analyzing England's Game Preparation
14:00 to 24:02
Discussion on England's game time and preparation strategies ahead of the Tests.
“And then the only thing I've been disappointed is game time.”
Ath's Cricket Journey and Experiences
24:24 to 28:00
Ath shares personal anecdotes about his upbringing and cricket career.
“Let's go back a bit to your, you mentioned your dad who played here for South Australia.”
Early Cricket Experiences
28:00 to 29:30
Discussing memorable early cricket experiences and influences.
“And I was looking at him for a while, and I said, mate, after a while, I said, what are you doing?”
Debut Test Match Reflections
29:30 to 31:19
Reflections on the excitement and nerves of making a Test debut.
“It was a bizarre, before you talk about your 100, it was a bizarre game because we were down to 11 men.”
Career Insights and Regrets
31:20 to 33:20
Discussing career performance, regrets, and lessons learned.
“46 test matches, how would you sum up yourself?”
Show all 13 chapters
Comparing Captains: Taylor and Waugh
33:20 to 35:26
Analyzing the differences between captains Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh.
“So just about every game that I played him, we had some good success.”
Injury Stories and Golf Aspirations
35:26 to 36:51
Sharing stories of cricket injuries and aspirations in golf.
“You sat here with this ridiculous pot on your foot.”
Ashes Series Predictions
36:51 to 39:44
Predicting the outcome of the upcoming Ashes Test matches.
“Somebody said to me, you're the best cricketing golfer since Ted Dexter.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00Nas:This episode of the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast is sponsored by Tourism Western Australia, a part of the world we love, isn't it Ath?
0:09Ath:Sure is. We played and commentated there lots of times. It's always a place I've enjoyed going back to. How's your swimming, Nas? You ever gone snorkelling? I have, and Western Australia is the perfect spot for people who love being in the water. It is, in particular, the coral coast north of Perth, home to the crystal clear waters of the World Heritage listed Ningaloo Reef. You can go diving or snorkeling or even get out on a glass bottom boat.
0:37Nas:I've seen people swimming with whale sharks and hundreds of different types of tropical fish. It looks spectacular.
0:44Ath:Leave the everyday behind, get away from the well-known and the well-trodden and reconnect with something unspoiled, even a little wild, in Western Australia.
1:14Nas:England have hope. Put the beer away. Put the champagne on ice. 24 years of pain in Australia. Finally, they're beaten at home by England.
1:26Ath:OK, the Sky Cricket Podcast has come to Adelaide and we're up in the Sky City, Adelaide, on the eighth floor. A magnificent panoramic view of this great city and, of course, one of the great cricket grounds in the world, the Adelaide Oval, which is just behind us on the other side of the River Torrens. We had to go local, of course, So delighted to welcome Greg Blewett, born and bred in Adelaide. Welcome to the Sky Cricket Podcast. Thanks, Athos. Nash, good to see you. Before we get on to this great city and this great ground, I just wanted to check that you two are all right. Because after he caught you on the bounce slip at Old Trafford in 1997, I don't know whether you two have spoken since.
2:03Nas:No, we have. We've worked together. I've only had a catch. That's all we've spoken about, to be honest. Did you catch it or not? Look, I looked last night on the replay, and it was one of those classic ones where it bounces up in your fingers. and then into the palm of your hand. And it looks bad real time and on the big screen, but it was definitely out. If you'd reviewed it, it was gone. I reckon I was one of those players that was just easy to give out. Honestly, I reckon we've probably all got our own stories right, but I just remember going, and I'd already been shafted a couple of times before that as well, and then including, I think it was the sixth test at the Oval.
2:39I'm sure I was not out both times in that test match as well, but I just remember at the time. Yeah, that's right.
2:44Nas:It's something we got in common then. I got some shockers. And the grubber. You got the grubber and I got the Carl Hooper. Who was the famous one for you? Kirtley. Kirtley. So they showed that the other day, actually, with Ducats dismissal and he got the teapot out. And I did the same when Kirtley got me out first ball or the second innings. I got that one. But, yeah. Anyway, I'll take Nasser on, you know. Honest. Honest cricket. I don't think he was honest Nass. But I was fuming. Like, I don't normally get razzled too much. But anyway, that's a long time ago, Nash. We've made our way.
3:16Ath:We'll come back to that eventually. Now, this is a big week for your city, isn't it? I mean, it's a big social occasion, the Adelaide Test. Look, I'm obviously biased, and Lords is a great Test match. Don't get me wrong, but this is, I don't reckon you can beat the Adelaide Test match. I know the Boxing Day Test is the Boxing Day Test, and it's like a coliseum. But for everything that this Test match has to offer, and particularly out the back of the members. And then you can just walk up to town. You can head the other way. You can go to North Adelaide. But a lot of people just head into town.
3:48And I'm wrapped that it's back to a day test match as well. I was going to ask that.
3:52Ath:What would the local, like the members, the restauranteurs, because it's been a day-night test essentially. This is the first Ashes day test for 10 years or more. What would they prefer, do you think? I think they prefer a day test. But the membership is split, I reckon. I mean, I've been asking around a little bit. I think the pink ball offers something very unique to Test Match Cricket. But I think for a state in general, and particularly, you know, all the pubs and the cafes and the restaurants and that, would probably prefer a day test, you would think, because everyone just floods into the city.
4:28Having said that, I think a lot of the day-night test, a lot of people come in and have lunch. Lunch first. And then head in. Or breakfast sometimes. so it's always a long day in Adelaide but yeah the pink test has done a lot for test match cricket in Australia and the Adelaide Oval but I wouldn't like to think we're locked in to the day-night test match I like to spread it around a little bit and I grew up with a day test here in Adelaide so I'd prefer that it's better for me because a lot of my great mates are coming from overseas and interstate as well and I never really get to see them when you're finishing work at 10 o 'clock at night.
5:05And they've, you know, so socially it's a lot better for me.
5:10Nas:And the ground itself, I mean, when we were here a long time ago and I heard they were doing this great ground up, I was a little bit, don't mess it up. It was a wonderful ground, you know, that grass bank, the old scoreboard, but they've managed, like Lords, they've managed to do it up and keep the old and the new. And just looking over your shoulder now, it just looks spectacular, doesn't it? It is just a great cricket ground. They've done it well. They nailed it, didn't they? And I think I was a little bit the same because the Adelaide Oval was the Adelaide Oval, right? It was still brilliant, the old one.
5:41And, I mean, I was still playing for South Australia and they got me to voice a couple of their ads to try and get the vote over the line. And I can't remember the exact figure. I think we needed 80 % of the members vote to get the development over the line. But I'm glad we did because I was thinking about it the other day. I don't think, I can't think of another thing happening in our city that's transformed our city and our state as much as the redevelopment of the Adelaide Oval. Now, people listening to this might think, I'm sure there's other things as well. But what it's done now with the Riverbank precinct and there's other stuff going, the city's flying.
6:18And I think that was the start of it. We've got a great Premier now as well who's really proactive in getting things done. But I don't know. I agree. They've nailed it. They've still got a bit of the old, obviously the scoreboard. Which is listed. Heritage is listed, isn't it?
6:32Ath:So they can't touch that. That's right. And I think the Morton Bay Figs are as old as the scoreboard. That's right. And this is the last hill still. There's no hills around the other ground. What's your first memories of this ground? When did you first come? Oh, jeez. Well, my dad played first-class cricket for South Australia. So I remember coming down and David Hooks, every time I came down, he'd sort of mess my hair up and say hello. So that was probably my first. memory and then I was lucky enough to play a bit of underage stuff for South Australia so we trained here and then fortunately got into the first class system here and that was it.
7:11So I don't know, when did you guys first come here? So I was on long time ago.
7:15Ath:We came in 1988 to play an under-19 World Cup semi-final against Australia who smashed
7:22Nas:us by... Smashed you, I got 67.
7:24Ath:You got 60, but we lost by seven or eight wickets. I'm trying to think who you'd know in that team. Stuart Law. Yeah, Stewie. Alan Mulally, who obviously ended up playing for us. The captain was a guy called Geoffrey Parker from Victoria. He's in the AFL system now. He's the list manager for Port Adelaide. And we were talking about this the other day. We had seven players who went on to play test cricket in that team. Australia only had one, Stuart Law, who only played one test. But you absolutely smashed us, which in a way showed the strength of the system here, but also how difficult it was then.
8:03Ath:And presumably now we're just six states to actually get in and have a career in cricket. Yeah. Well, it is it is pretty brutal. I don't and being honest, I don't know how hard it is now being out of the system for so long. I mean, I helped coach South Australia for three years. And, you know, you hear a lot of people saying, oh, yeah, first-class cricket's not the same as what it used to be. That's wrong. Like, it was still – Still strong. Oh, yeah, still played very fiercely. So – but in terms of, you know, junior cricket and having to earn your stripes, there's a few other ways to get in there, right?
8:40I mean, there's T20 cricket, which gives other people that probably aren't as strong in first-class cricket a bit of a chance to maybe perform at that level as well. But it was bloody tough in my time because there was – I can't believe we haven't got the Cricket Academy anymore because that was so good for my career. No, I think I was the second or third. Warnie's lot. I was in Warnie's. Well, Warnie got kicked out. He did about half of it. But who else? Damien Martin and Justin Langer.
9:14Ath:I reckon Jason Galleon was that. Jason Galleon. Because obviously he came to Lanks and played with us. Yes. So that was brilliant. And what it did was create this great depth for about 10 years, I reckon, and particularly in batting. So, yeah, you had to score a bloody load of runs to get in. But having said that... The depth was incredible.
9:36Nas:We played... AF declared in, where was that, Australia A?
9:40Ath:Yeah, Hobart.
9:41Nas:Hobart, and then you chased down 380 or whatever.
9:44Ath:I remember playing against Australia A in the triangular. You beat us.
9:46Nas:Yes. Often the final will be Australia against Australia A while we're watching at home in our hotel rooms.
9:53Ath:We'll go back in time a little bit, but let's talk about what we've seen so far. First of all, what can we expect here? Because obviously we've been to Optus, very bouncy pitch. Day-night game at the Gabba, bouncy pitch. bowling conditions traditionally here a bit more batting friendly and it being a day game yeah i don't reckon it's as flat as it used to be in our time drop in i mean the first couple of years of drop-ins here we they just couldn't get a result like they were all the shield games were were draws but now definitely the last 10 years and as i said my experience with the south Australian team and Chad Sayers was particularly very good for us and taking wickets by just bowling stump to stump there's not as much bounce as what there is in the first two test matches but it does nibble around a little bit with a new ball so I think England are going to have to pick their moments which I don't think they've been great at for a while now but so I think I think they've got to stick to the guns with the aggressive style that they play because this ground will suit England with the shorter boundaries on the side as well.
11:01So if Australia goes short, I think they can take the short boundaries on. But I still think they're going to have to pick their times when they can play aggressively. Like they can't be one-dimensional. So, yep, when the ball gets old and with the hot weather around as well, I mean, I'm hoping that it's good for batting and the bowlers are going to have to work hard.
11:20Nas:What have you made of England in general? Not just in this series, but watching from afar and all the chat of Baz Ball and McCollum and Stokes. What have you made of them? Have you been impressed? Have you been thinking, well, we were playing Baz Ball years ago in Australia with the likes of Gilchrist and Hayden and et cetera? Look, I was very impressed early, but it was pretty plain to see that it could only really work on dead flat pitches. They were on basically one-day pitches. So I was very intrigued to see how it was going to go in Australia. like the pictures that we've seen in the first couple of test matches particularly Perth like you know with that extra bounce I know there was some good bounce in Brisbane as well but and I'm sure you guys have covered it already you know but driving on the up with a bit of seam movement I mean they just can't do it so I was going to see if they were they're able to adjust their plans accordingly which they haven't so that's the crux of the problem for me is that test match cricket you've got to go up and down the gears right and and that's why we love it um but i've you know what you're going to get with england and i've just been disappointed that they haven't been able to adjust their their game plan enough to suit their different sessions of the game because that's what i was hearing before they came out was that yep they're being a little bit smarter just being a little bit smarter with how they're i think that the general game plan is great like we all love attacking cricket but some of it's just plain dumb i reckon yeah um
12:48Ath:One of the criticisms around, or it seems to me, is that some Australians don't see this England team as a serious cricket team. You know, the preparation before the first test, not going to Canberra, going to Noosa, whatever. I mean, is that fair enough or is it simply a matter of just being smarter and a bit more adaptive? I've never really been into buying into the preparation. I mean, I think everyone's different how they want to prepare. you might have been different to Nass. And I'm not one of these guys that are like Marnus and Smithy having hit a million balls. And Travis Head doesn't, right?
13:27So there's different ways of preparing. And then as a team, you've got to buy into the way that the coach wants to prepare his team. So if that's the way they've gone down. And I'm all for playing golf as well and trying to find different ways to relax. And no one likes sitting in a room. Well, I didn't anyway. Like I had to get out of my room and take my mind off it. If I sat in a room thinking about the game, I felt like I was going crazy. So in terms of preparation, like go about it however you want. And I'm sure it's left up to each individual to try and prepare the best they can for each game.
14:00And then the only thing I've been disappointed is game time. You know, just those hours where England get themselves into great positions. And I've seen it in other test matches as well, not just here in Australia, but just nail it. Once you get into a strong position, that's what test cricket's all about.
14:18Nas:Just be a bit more ruthless. Do you think that's where they messed up a little bit? Not so much in between these tests, but before the first test, to play amongst themselves at Lila Hill, as opposed to playing a tough... Now, who knows what opposition Australia would have put up for them, but they would have been tough cricketers and they would have had tough cricket. I remember coming here, playing at the WACA, warm-up game. It's not just about the standard of the opposition, but they come at you and you can't replicate that in a little warm-up game against the Lions. I think England have been a little bit surprised and Stokes mentioned it, you know, Australia is a place for tough men and at times they've been lacking that toughness.
14:57Yeah, I mean, I watched that game at Lilac Hill and even Stokes, he's getting his six for and I couldn't tell where the fielders were but just about everything was like they were holing out to square leg or deep backwards square but you could just see the conditions were going to be nothing like. that first test match and I'm I mean I again everyone's got their own preparation but I love playing preparing in the middle and I know that they say oh yeah we've got game simulation and that sort of thing but there's nothing like playing against you know rigid edge opposition and I know different countries around the world have been um stitched up over the years with the opposition leading in the games but there's no and I know we had shield cricket going on as well at the same time but I can guarantee you we could have dished up some really good opposition over in Perth on a good hard bouncy pitch definitely.
15:49Ath:And what about spin we haven't seen any spin at all really in the first two tests obviously Lyons coming back for Australia England are debating the Bashir Jacks thing presumably going to need some spin here. Yeah oh yeah 100 % and with the forecast as well. You're going to need some quality spin. So, yeah, Nathan Lyon will obviously be in for Australia. There'll be footmarks with, you know, Mitchell Stark, and that's what's worked for Australia over a long period of time. So, yeah, I'm hoping it's quite a dry pitch, and we all love a bit of turn and bounce out of the rough especially. So, yeah, I think spin will be a big factor here.
16:30Ath:A broader range of skills will come into play. What about Australia? Obviously, Cummins coming back is a big moment, really, because he's not played since when, June, July in the Caribbean. Steve Smith's done really well, hasn't he? He kind of got the side and taken them to two wins. Will Cummins just leave the tactics and the strategy to Smith on the field? Now, when he's got the ball in his hand, will he just say, you kind of get on with it? I think that's happened a bit anyway in the past. So a lot of us thought with Pat missing what's going to turn out the first couple of test matches, I don't think we thought we were going to miss out on anything from a game sense or a tactical point of view because you've got Stephen Smith there.
Read the full transcript
17:12Obviously, his cricket was horribly missed and I can't believe we're 2-0 up without him. But from a tactical point of view, yes, Smithy, I think, is great. and I was fortunate enough to be with the team when he was captain and he was, you never really had to worry too much about how he was going about it because he's got a great sense of how the game goes. So, yeah, I think we're going to get stronger. I mean, you know, Pat comes in, Nathan Lyon will come in and then I think Stephen Smith is always sort of, you know, from a tactical point of view, still had a fair say in what's going on with Pat's there, a captain.
17:49Nas:What are you doing with Usman Khawaja? And, I mean, Travis Head has a fabulous record at this ground in Test Match Cricket. He's got 300s here. Yeah, average is over 70. What are you doing with the Kawaja situation? I'm leaving him out. Oh, yeah. Yeah. I love Uzi. I'm good mates with Uzi. But from a... You were a good mate. I know, because they do. They see everything. They'll go out and twink them straight away. That's anything we'll use. Look, I just don't think in a series like this, you've got to take the emotion out of it, I think. and until we are 3-0 up, then I'm being as ruthless as I can.
18:27Ath:Inglis or Webster then? I'm going Inglis. I'm sticking with the same batting line-up and I'd leave Inglis at number seven. So there's a bit of talk around about Boland. Do they rest Boland? But again, until I've secured the ashes, I'm saying let's work all that out until we've done that. So that's just the way I'd go. So, I mean, Usman hasn't fired a shot, really. I mean, he took a couple of catches in the first Test match and then obviously he was playing with his injured back and didn't play the second Test match. So Australia have done well without him. So I don't see any reason why they'd go back.
19:02Nas:I think, England, the same, going back to your spin question. I think you've come into a stage... I mean, I interviewed Joe Ruge yesterday and he said, we can go on a run, right? Joe's played 16 tests in Australia, hasn't won a single one of them. So let's put into context what they need to do. They need to win three. And a lad who's won, played 16, won none. So you've got to take emotion out of it now. So the emotional thing would be Bashir. Bashir deserves to come back in. He's the one they've built up. You've just got to say, who is your better spinner come Wednesday here? It's going to be 38 degrees on Thursday.
19:35Nas:It should spin. There's footmarks there for Stark. Who is going to be hitting those footmarks? Is Jack's bowling better spin? We know he's a better batter. Is he bowling better spin than Bashir? That's the only decision. who's your better spinner.
19:47Ath:Which is not straightforward, actually, because from what I've seen, there is not much between... Well, if there's not much, then you should pick Jacks. You go for the extra batting.
19:56Nas:But now it's all about taking emotion. Have you taken the long-term planning of we've built Bashir up to be... We're into last-chance saloon now. It must win games. And an opportunity on a flatter pitch to show what you're all about. If you think Bashir is your better spinner, pick him. What are you expecting with your batting line-up? I saw the press conference...
20:15Ath:He said yesterday, pretty much. unchanged. He didn't absolutely say it, but he hinted strongly it'd be the same. Top seven. So really now it's time for Pope and Crawley, I think. I mean, I was particularly critical of their dismissals at the Gabba. I'm Brooke in the first innings, but Pope and Crawley in the second innings. And they're guys who've played 60 tests now, and that's a lot of test matches. What did you play? 45? 46. So they're not kind of kids anymore. So I think it's time for them to stand up and really show what they're about. I mean, traditionally, Australian selectors have been ruthless, haven't they?
20:53Ath:And one of the criticisms of this panel is that they just have let things slide a little bit, not in terms of results, because the team is obviously outstanding and the results are good, but they're giving people a chance to go out on their own terms. Is that a fair criticism? We would have loved that, wouldn't we? I mean I felt like I was always looking over my shoulder because I mean we've mentioned the depth so one of the great things about playing international cricket is when you get into those moments in your career where you feel really embedded into the team so I really like the fact that both teams have gone down that path the only thing I worry about at times is is like the the Australian team is is very old there's no doubt about that and I think the world test championship has just sort of clouded the way that the Australian team has looked at in terms of you know how we're going to stagger all these retirements over the next few years and I think Australia have been ruthless like we just series to series we want to win every test match we want to play that championship final so I think I'm a lot like a lot of other people that work in the media just a little bit concerned that they haven't got the balance right between phasing guys in and out.
22:09But having said that, I mean, a really mature team and a really experienced team in series like this is gold. But I think we're all worried now, what does the next couple of years
22:19Nas:look like? I mean, if someone said to you, Cummins and Hazelwood wouldn't play the first two tests, and Lyon wouldn't play one of them, and you'd be 2-0 up. You'd be like, okay, we've done all right there. That's right. So, you know, we were all a little bit concerned as Aussie fans and ex-players about how the series was going to go. And then, you know, Pat goes down, Hazelwood goes down. No way. You know, we were watching him bowl in the white ball series against India, and I haven't seen him bowl better. And at least we got Josh around. And then he went down as well. So Australia, I feel like Australia have dodged a bullet.
22:53There's no doubt about that. And then you come to Adelaide, 2-0 up. But having said that, you know, it should suit England as much as any ground in Australia. You think England should go full baseball here, don't you?
23:06Nas:Stick to their guns and go.
23:07Ath:I mean, with all the caveats about picking your moments, being smart, not driving on the rise against the new ball, whatever. But if they don't try and play aggressively, what is this team? That is in their DNA. That's what's got them to this point. What I don't want to see is them retreat into their shells and play as we might have played once upon a time, fearful cricket. So be smart, but be aggressive because that's what this team is, I think.
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24:33Ath:Let's go back a bit to your, you mentioned your dad who played here for South Australia. So the son of a first class cricketer, was he a pushy dad? Did he kind of push you into the game? Did he drill you hard like Nassar's dad drilled him? Not really, no. I think his dad was pretty hard. Like he was, how many did you get today? He'd hardly ever come and watch me either. Like he was still, he was one of these cricketers that couldn't let the game go. So he was still playing himself. you know we grew up in the Barossa Valley he was still playing up there I think past the age of 40 um so how many did you get oh I got got 30 yeah okay so why didn't you get 40 you know he's one of those sort of dads right probably only got 28 by the way up to 30 or whatever that's right um and then he I remember sort of once I started progressing through first class cricket and And then into the Australian team, he tried to get a bit more involved again.
25:31I'm going, Dad, mate, come on. I think from my understanding, he was a good player, but just an average player. But I got to that age, and it was probably one of my downfalls. I wasn't a great listener anyway. So I wouldn't say he was a pushy dad. I was very sporty. I played all sports. Loved my footy, played tennis, golf, basketball, little athletics, everything. So mum was the one who sort of, you know, facilitated all of that. Dad was, you know, doing his thing. So I wouldn't say he was a pushy dad, but he was pretty hard on results. You know, he was result driven.
26:11Ath:Prospect Cricket Club was your club here, wasn't it? Yeah. Well, I changed clubs a couple of times. So I followed dad around. So dad was, he coached at district level as well. So when we moved back down from the Barossa, he coached Prospect. So I was still at school. So it was a lot easier for me to get home from – so I'd catch the bus to training and then go home with Dad. And then he changed clubs. So – sorry, we started East Torrance, East Torrance to Prospect. And then I followed Dad from East Torrance to Prospect. And then when I got a bit older, all my mates moved away from Prospect because the facilities were bad.
26:47And they're still bad. They're still the same, Athos. And I know you've got a connection. Yeah, yeah.
26:51Ath:The people I was billeted here with for that Under-19 World Cup, Peter and Deborah Cross, I'm sure you'll know them. They're all Prospect guys. So my great mates moved away. And then when I was sort of playing cricket for Australia at that time, and any time that I came back and played great cricket, I just wanted to play with my mates, you know, have a good day. And so then I ended up moving from Prospect to Kensington, but that didn't go down very well at the time with everyone at Prospect. Which is Bradman's old club, very historic club. Yes. So now my boys, it's a very good club. and they're just about to knock the old club rooms down there and get some new ones up there.
27:27So my two boys who are 9 and 10 are playing up there as well. So, yeah, Kensington Browns.
27:32Ath:You did a little bit of cricket in England before you played test cricket. You played a bit at Rishton, I know. I did. I had one year. How was that? It was good. It was – geez, I remember getting this little green car and then I lived upstairs from someone opposite the ground, actually. But I'll never forget the very first night I went into Richston, into the club rooms, and there was a guy at the bar. And he had his pint like that, and he was cupping both hands around his pint. And I was looking at him for a while, and I said, mate, after a while, I said, what are you doing? He goes, oh, the bloody beer's too cold.
28:09I'm trying to warm it up. What is going on over here? I mean, there's no such thing as a beer too cold. But the cricket was good for me because it was pretty –
28:21Ath:What were you, 19 at this point? I reckon I was 19, 20. So I toured England with the Australian under-19 team. And that was brilliant as well. I had a great time and I thought, no, I want to come back to England and play some league cricket. It's a well-trodden path for cricket. Exactly. Exactly. But the weather was **** ours. Freezing cold, playing on these little dibbly-dobbles. I had the bowl. I think we played 46 over cricket, and so I bowled 23 overs from one end and then opened the batting, and I bowled little outswingers, so I'd get the Knicks and everyone would drop them. So the standard wasn't the best, but I had a really good time.
28:59The responsibility to be able to try and win games for your team each day. We played Saturday, Sundays. But Michael Bevan was playing. I think Damien Fleming was playing because I looked an old scorecard last night
29:12Ath:to prep this. I think Joey Angel was playing in the league at the time as well. And Bevo used to win games for his team all the time. So I was like, I better pull my finger out as well and try and do the same. So, no, good times, good memories. Test debut here. Yeah. What do you remember? I mean, 100 on debut. What a fantastic day. Yeah, I remember losing the game. That was the only thing. Well, I was captain of that game. It was a bizarre, before you talk about your 100, it was a bizarre game because we were down to 11 men. We only had 11 fit players. We had a kind of shoestring team and we were 2-0 down, but what an amazing game.
29:47Ath:But you got 100. I did. And that was like at the start of that summer, to think that I was playing Test Match Cricket, I just would have said, no way. But it was because of the Australia A stuff. And I came in and did well in that. And then I started to, because I was going well, I used to love reading the papers. And then I started to see, oh, yeah, Greg Blewett might be a chance to play in Adelaide. I'm like, no way. and then sure enough got the phone call and bang I'm in but I was just batting you know every time I batted I felt like I was going to get runs so it was a great time to you know make your debut in very familiar conditions on a very good pitch so I mean extremely nervous walking out the bat like I'm sure we all were but all your mates had turned up had their family everyone yeah tickets It's galore.
30:37And we played over the Australia day-long weekend too. So it was sort of mid or towards the end of January and the weather was hot and it was just brilliant. And I remember walking out and Angus Fraser bowled me my first ball. And, you know, he used to bowl, what, 120, 125? Downwind, downwind. And I remember thinking, first ball, he's going to bowl me a bouncer. He's definitely going to bowl me a bouncer. Anyway, sure enough, a bouncer. and I was sort of ready for it, went underneath it and somehow, yeah, got through my first sort of 10 deliveries, got off the mark and then away I went. You know, again, I was in great form and then once I got going, got over the nerves, it was just like another game of cricket.
31:19So, yeah.
31:20Nas:How would you sum up your career? 46 test matches, how would you sum up yourself? And looking back, was there anything you'd do different? Yeah, a lot. I'd do a lot differently. I mean, from a technical point of view, I was always really late with my – I was one of those guys that had the bat down. As everybody did. Yeah, as everyone did. But I was really late. And I did tinker a little bit towards the end of my career. I wish I had a little bit more time. I was definitely late at times. But just a lot of starts. I think I ended up with 400s, a couple of 99s. So I just had them on. So 600s. And I think I got 1550.
31:59So that's what killed me in the end. was that I got a lot of good starts, contributed from time to time, but I just couldn't turn a lot of those starts into big scores, which I had to do to stay in the Australian team.
32:14Ath:It was a great team. That's right. One that moved from Mark Taylor in charge to Steve Waugh. I mean, what were the differences in those two? I had Tubby a fair way ahead of Steve Waugh in terms of captaincy, and there's no doubt and, you know, looking back at my career now and I recently did a talk at the MCC so I actually had to go and dissect my career and I'd forgotten a lot about it. But I played my better cricket under Tubby than what I did Steve. But Steve was great as well. Like we had some very good partnerships but I just liked Tubby's style a little bit better than Steve. A bit more relaxed.
32:55I felt like Steve was a bit more, yeah, uptight and that sort of fed through to some of the team as well. I think his first tour was to the West Indies, and that's where Warnie got dropped for the last test match, and there was all sorts of stuff going on there. That didn't go down very well with SK. But it was great. And the other thing too was that we were so successful. So just about every game that I played him, we had some good success. So regrets in the – probably, yeah, like I didn't evolve my game enough, Nass, I reckon, throughout my career and a lot of starts that I didn't turn into hundreds, which sort of –
33:36Ath:You mentioned the maiden hundred here in the Ashes, but of course your first three Ashes tests all produced hundreds. I mean, amazing. You went to Perth and got on the next test. And then when we played you again at Edgbaston in 97, you got a hundred there. Nassar got big runs.
33:53Nas:That was a minefield. I did absolutely. And remember, Tubby was struggling going into that game. He was under a huge amount of pressure. I remember the media. And he got second innings 100, yeah.
34:02Ath:The media presented him with that seven-foot wide bat. Do you remember? The sun or the mirror. That's right. He only got 100 the next game. Yeah, well, that was my first game batting at number three for Australia as well. So I'd come from South Africa where I'd had a decent tour there and we needed a number three. So I went from six to number three. And then, yeah, I got 100 in that second innings. But I had to put up with Tubby. I've never heard. That was the first real time, because he used to get out so early all the time. I'd never really batted with him in test match cricket. But, look, I'd never heard so much whinging throughout in innings.
34:41You know, like, I'd play a nice cover drive for four, and Tubby would come down and go, like, I was expecting him to come down and go, oh, Bluey, great shot, mate. But he'd come down and go, why can't I get any of those half-foldings? why am I getting all the unplayable deliveries? Why do you get all the crap? All right, mate, you're just playing and missing it straight, Jerry. But yeah, and Thorpey, of course, got a big 100 as well. We sort of fought our way back into that game.
35:09Nas:Second time round, he got flat and Tubby got 100 and then we won. But then you fought you back into the series. McGrath, we went to Lourdes and McGrath bowled us out for nothing. Yeah, that's right. But we drew that game, didn't we, because it was very rain affected. But I only realised recently because of that talk at the MCC that that was a six-test series, which I just thought it was a five, but there was six test matches. That's what we needed. Six tests against Warner McGrath.
35:35Ath:You sat here with this ridiculous pot on your foot. What have you done? Playing cricket. Playing cricket at the ripe old age of 54. I hadn't played a game for 10 years. And I worked it out, actually. So my last three games of cricket, my third to last, I injured my thumb I ended up having pins in that like basically the top of my thumb came off the bone was sticking out there was a game out at the Barossa Valley I had to walk myself to hospital because I'm looking around with my bone sticking out my thumb going what do I do now right because normally we've got physios and doctors and I'm like so I just walked myself down to hospital and and someone drove me back down to town fix that up then I played a game down in Hobart and I instincts kicked in I'd hit a good shot and then this young bloke came and tried to run me out I tried to stretch out, shredded my hamstring tendon.
36:24And then I thought I'd play the other day, you know, giving back to the game. Guys, you know, went to Melbourne and I was trying to look after myself because I was meant to be playing. I love my golf. I was meant to be playing the Vic PGA the weekend after. So I was worried about, you know, tweaking a calf or a quad or something like that. But very first ball I faced, went to take off for a run and the Achilles snapped. So I had to get carried. What's the lesson? Yeah, don't play. Give it up. Yeah, that's right.
36:51Ath:Somebody said to me, you're the best cricketing golfer since Ted Dexter. What are you playing off? Well, I don't know. When you've got two legs, what are you playing off? Well, I've gone out to four. So I am a little bit embarrassed about that because everyone that I talk to wants to know about my golf. And I've definitely struggled the last couple of years. And I'm very determined to get it back down to scratch. Ricky Ponting's a very good player as well. So a lot of the professional golfers that I did play with, they were all very complimentary of my golf. But I have been a bit embarrassing the last couple of years.
37:23But I'm very determined.
37:25Ath:But your boy, I've seen the videos of him. Sam. How is he going? He's good. He does love his golf. But I've got two boys now, 9 and 10, and they're cricket trejos. So I think the cricket's in their blood. They're starting to come back to golf now, though. I took them out. North Adelaide Golf Links is just over my right shoulder. I thought a couple of months ago, I thought I'd do a little trial run because I've always taken them out to par three courses, being a bit shorter, and their attention span isn't great. So I took them out to a full-length course, and we got to about six or seven holes, and I had to carry them both back in their bags.
38:03So they're not quite ready for membership of courses, but they do love their golf.
38:09Ath:Given your time, would you prefer to have been a professional golfer or cricketer? Team sport or individual sport? No, team sport. Like, I wouldn't change anything. I love cricket and the friendships that they've made. You know, tennis and golf, they are different sort of characters, aren't they, being individual. But I'd like to have thought that if I had taken up golf when I was young and had, you know, tried to make a career out of it, then I might have gone okay. But I was asked that a lot, you know, when I was playing state golf at the age of 40. are you going to have a crack at turning professional?
38:40I'm like, no way. I mean, one, I can't afford it. I mean, I've got two young kids and I need to work some more. But no, it was too late by then.
38:49Nas:Well, back to the cricket. I know McCullum and Key love their golf. But back to the cricket, Ash's prediction. England fans will feel like, here we go again. 2-0 down. We've seen it before. It's going to be 5-0. It's going to be a whitewash. What do you think about this week? And what do you think about the weeks ahead? Is it done and dusted? I think it is, yeah. I'm more worried about you bowling now, to be honest. Like, I just can't see you bowling us out in the time that you need to. So I'm a bit more worried about you bowling than what I was. Obviously, Wood going home is a big blow. Archer doesn't seem overly threatening at times.
39:28I thought with his steep bounce, it was going to be the first couple of test matches. So I do definitely give you guys a chance here, But I think Melbourne's going to trouble you guys again with just a little bit of sideways movement. And then it might be too late by the time we get to Sydney.
39:43Ath:Well, it's great to see you. Thanks for coming on. And obviously looking forward to a fantastic week here at your home ground. And fingers crossed for a competitive game. Yeah, me too. I'm just hoping that we go deep into day five and we see some exciting cricket played over a longer period of time. But good to see you boys again. OK, great to see Bluey. when the test starts myself and Nass as usual we'll be doing our post play wrap for the Sky Podcast
40:16Nas:Hi there Emma Payson here from the Love the Darts podcast on Sky Sports We all know that Christmas means darts and the World Championship takes centre stage for the next few weeks So who is going to stop Luke the New Kalitler from defending his title It is the biggest tournament ever and we'll be there to round up the action for you with daily podcasts from Alexandra Palace. So as you're eating your turkey sandwiches or picking out your favourite chocolates from the tub, why not keep up to date with all the latest news from Ali Pally by making sure you give us a follow. Just search for Love the Darts wherever you get your podcasts.
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