an english view of aussie cricket

[Ken Gargett]

Australia's victory was ascribed to their greater sporting intelligence. "It may be because, as I understand, they come from a higher social class than our own professional players, and so are better educated, or it may be that their climate breeds in them a greater alertness. Whatever the cause, the team when working in the field gave the spectator the sense of intellectual superiority."

this was the report from the guardian when australia won the ashes in a thriller in 1902. who'd have thought it?

[CaptainQuintero]

I know back in 'the day' cricket over here was played by the landed gentry's workers team. Basically a lord etc would play with all of his gardeners, butlers and estate workers so it would essentially be who had the best working class team. That probably died out around 1914 for obvious reasons but I'm guessing that's the reasoning behind the story; players down Oz played because they liked it not because they were rounded up by their landlord and made to play against other towns/villages

[Danston]

I know back in 'the day' cricket over here was played by the landed gentry's workers team. Basically a lord etc would play with all of his gardeners, butlers and estate workers so it would essentially be who had the best working class team. That probably died out around 1914 for obvious reasons but I'm guessing that's the reasoning behind the story; players down Oz played because they liked it not because they were rounded up by their landlord and made to play against other towns/villages

Match fixing was rife then too, I read Simon Hughes' history of cricket which a really interesting book about the characters and cricketers around in old times

[Reevzy]

this was the report from the guardian when australia won the ashes in a thriller in 1902. who'd have thought it?

And now the English are laughing at us!

Who'd have thought it?