The Way It Is Now - Garry Disher

 

New novel by Australian author THE WAY IT IS NOW 

out from Viper Books 4th August  

WHO SHALL INHERIT THE SINS OF THE FATHER?

This thrilling novel is set in Australia and tells the tale of a mother gone missing and how suspended policeman Charlie Deravin tries to solve the case following the discovery of two bodies in a local building site.

Disher weaves a clever tale throughout here, making sure you understand the motivations of his characters whilst taking the time and not rushing unnecessarily. He follows Deravin from counselling following his suspension to the difficult family relationships - his mother and father were going through a divorce at the books beginning in the year 2000 where the book begins. His mother is reported missing and we jump forward to Christmas 2019 and the beginning of the global pandemic which would engulf us all.

The book is prominently set in a small seaside town of Swanage, which for this reader is a lovely notion of kismet as I spent significant formative summer holidays with my family in the English seaside town of Swanage, Dorset. So anytime I read that name, I myself am transported to those wonderful halycon days of beaches, ice cream, cricket and Punch and Judy.

Disher writes effectively and with great nous throughout, short chapters keeps the reader engaged and while it might not be to everyone's taste it kept my attention nonetheless. And you would expect nothing less from a writer of over 50 titles, this is the first time I have encountered Disher and I am sure it will not be the last.

My thanks to Viper Books for the opportunity to review a new title at short notice and the copy sent in the post.

Happy reading one and all

Cycling to the Ashes

Oli Broom was a chartered surveyor, but he found the idea of making money for other people whilst failing to save money for himself was disheartening.  He was the right side of 30 still and wanted one more adventure before he finally settled down with a family and a full time job.

The idea for an adventure came to him from his friend Becca one night, why not cycle to the Ashes and especially the first test in Brisbane in November 2010.  Cycling had been a passion of his since his year in Spain when he dreamed of cycling down to the southern border and across the Northern part of Africa.  The idea of doing this trek would be an adventure and rekindle his fitness which had long been lost under some city desk.

With little or no money in his savings, and little or no sponsors it seemed like he had no hope of gaining the necessary funds.  However, light came in the form of main sponsors Betfair and Mongoose cricket coupled with the support of the Lords Taverners.

The book which has been released during another intense Ashes summer yet the greatest cricketing rivalry ia a light at the end of the journey, a reason to get to where he is going. Cricket is paramount to his journey and yet it is as much a book about cycling, traversing and encountering people who have little or no knowledge of the sport, yet respect his passion and desire in this seemingly impossible journey

Cycling to the Ashes is that rare book that is part memoir, part satire and part travelogue, helped by the cynical Englishman lost abroad facet we have seen from Michael Palin or Alan Whicker before him.  When he encounters an Australian backpacker in South East Asia, Oli finds out that he is travelling around for one year and does not know where he will end up, Broom makes the observation that he could not do that sort of journey without a sense of purpose or direction.  Broom's resilience and stubbornness are apparent in equal abundance; the tenacity to get to Brisbane in time is a marvel.

What becomes apparent is how fortuitous Broom has been or how willing he has been to trust strangers when he is more of a stranger in these strange lands; at one point going to Goa for a few days and leaving his bike unattended with a man who owns a dhaba, a roadside cafe. He comes back to a bike cleaner than ever before, this is just one of many episodes where people offer lodgings and food just because he looks tired. Broom is amazed at the Samaritan he finds in passing strangers.

India seems to cost Broom is sanity at one point, odd considering that cricket is a religion in that over-populated country and how small he felt in a country of 1.3 billion people.  The breakdown he suffers at a sign saying Kolkata 997km is very strong, in marked contrast to the elation he feels when he finally sees the first sign of Brisbane 1695km.  A photo of himself with this sign shows him in a new light, it may seem like a lot but it seems so near to him after nearly 13,000km pedalled already.

Broom writes with a real fluency and happiness recalling his experiences, none more so than when he is remembering his encounters with his friends in every country none more so than Laszlo, a Hungarian man who becomes his best friend, filming his times in Eastern Europe setting him up with film-makers in Turkey and Africa, before meeting up with him for the last 1000km or three weeks into Brisbane.

You wonder how Broom would have done the trip had he been truly alone, but sometimes the power of community and friendship can help one man do things he never thought he could do, that were beyond the realms of possibility.  Some people (and those people are probably the Neanderthals who thing that football is the one and only) may think why do this just to see a cricket match.  Myself, being a cricket fan for so long can attest to that, cricket is the sport that taught me about the globe, places to travel to and all for a game that may not end in a result.

Oli Broom has written a wonderful book full of incident and accidents without a hint of allegation or circumstance - the book is funny and touching in equal measure, and the feat all the more astonishing and memorable considering he did not know how far he would go, and so it becomes a tale of one man exceeding himself and going further than he thought.

Cycling to the Ashes is out now from Yellow Jersey Press for £16.99 in Hardback

www.cyclingtotheashes.co.uk
www.olibroom.com

In praise of...Ricky Ponting

Ten years ago, I would not have been able to write this column.  Ponting was the archetypal Australian cricketer - pugnacious, tenacious and a pain.  His natural talent and combative leadership were sometimes blinded to me by the fact of his nationality, and his ability to score run after run and ton after ton.

However, as he retires from first class cricket today he does so on his terms.  Embattled and crucially undefeated as he walked off the Kia Oval on Thursday 11th July for the last time in his whites with a score of 169 not out as the Nottinghamshire bowlers could not make inroads to the Surrey second innings to bring about a low total to chase.

Ponting found himself with his back against the wall, and he responded with the sort of commitment to the cause you would expect from someone who has scored over 13,000 Test runs.  The stage was set at the close of the previous day's play when Ponting was fed a leg side long hop that he dispatched with his trademark pull to end on 41 not out.  He then progressed to complete his 82nd first class century in his last innings.

The change of opinion in my eyes came through not a masterful innings, but more so the character he showed in defeat when Australia lost the Ashes to England in 2005.  A series full of moments and lore for more than one book, the tone was set on the first morning at Lords when Steve Harmison gave Ponting and Justin Langer some chin music; both required on field treatment.  

In the third test at a sold out Old Trafford, England were primed to take a 2-1 series lead with Australia wilting under a seam bombardment from Harmison and Andrew Flintoff. Yet Ponting, captain of the team stood firm and resolute with an astounding 156 that helped save the match as Brett Lee and Glenn McGrath saw out the vital draw.  England would ultimately regain the Ashes, and Ponting slowly morphed from pantomine villain to plucky loser; in spite of him mouthing off to Duncan Fletcher for utilising specialist fielders like Gary Pratt during the series, an episode that led to Ponting's second innings dismissal for 48 at Trent Bridge.  Ponting was booed, Pratt adored yet Ricky endured.  He scored 8 Ashes centuries.

He recovered from knockbacks with his dogged determination, none more so than during a home test series versus Pakistan in January 2010.  Ponting had not scored a test century since the Cardiff test of the 2009 Ashes series in July, with more single digit scores than half centuries.  The Pakistani pace attack by the then reputable Mohammed Amir had seemed to figure him out, with a golden duck in the previous test at Sydney.  Ponting needed a knock, and he found it at his home ground of Hobart for the third test.  Ponting was helped by a mis-timed pull being dropped in the deep when on nought.  Ponting made Pakistan pay by scoring 209 and then 89 in the second innings.  Ponting had his doubters and he proved them wrong time and time again.

Ponting retires with a test average of 51.85 and 41 test centuries, a mark only surpassed by Sachin Tendulkar a player who is most likely the equal of him.  Yet in One Day Internationals, Ponting was just as adept scoring 13704 runs in 375 games with 30 hundreds, none were better than his knock of 140* in the 2003 World Cup Final in Johannesburg versus India, a knock of power, precision and poise that made it too much for India too chase and started Australia's nine year dominance of the format with three World Cup victories.

Ponting was that mixture of a leader who fittingly led, yet bounced back from knockdowns earlier in his career when his wayward drinking could have cost him his career.  He became the model professional something Andrew Symonds refused to adhere to and which cost him.

Ricky Ponting can enjoy his farewell tour now, ending in the West Indies 20/20 tournament as an overseas and marquee player.  A player of our time - in your face but who could back it up, he deserves his retirement as he can happily rest on his laurels.

Thanks to ESPNcricinfo whose Statsguru was indispensable for this article.

Rugby's Teething Problem

Rugby Union has been professional since the mid-1990s and has had a lot to contend with during the intervening near two decades of changing landscape for the sport. However, the sport is seemingly going through an unseemly change on the field, the like of which we did not expect to happen in the ugly sport played by gentleman.

In the last two weeks of rugby action there have been three incidents of note, all with a direct impact upon the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia - the last bastion of amateur ethos in this professional age, where you get a combined sense of four nations coming together for a shared purpose away from the glare of homeland media.

Rugby Union is finally becoming undone by the age of professionalism, as the grind of continual play and the need of victory anyway possible over the style or substance of the play; a type of feature more prevalent to the round ball game is now infesting the oval ball game.

It all started in late May during the Premiership Final at Twickenham between eventual champions Leicester and finalists Northampton, with the comical antics just before half-time.  Dylan Hartley, the Saints captain, allegedly called elite referee Wayne Barnes, a f***ing cheat, the sort of coarse, industrial language which is apparent in everyday culture but not the sort of thing you ever say to someone in a position of authority, the final result - Hartley is sent off, the first player to be sent off in a Premiership final. His resultant ban of 12 weeks meant he was not available for the tour of Australia.

The first game of the Lions tour was held in Hong Kong versus the Barbarians, as capitalist a statement in honour of tour sponsor, HSBC, as ever seen with the players competing in near 90% humidity all in the name of a quick buck.  The stadium was not even sold out because the ticket prices were far too high for the casual fan.  The match descended into a one-sided contest as expected.

During the game, Owen Farrell was given the chance to stake a claim for the No. 10 fly half position ahead of Jonathan Sexton.  Yet Farrell's play was overshadowed by his altercation with Saracens team-mate Schalk Brits (playing for the Baa-Baas) who punched Farrell and prompted a heated response, which was warranted.  Yet the fall out of the incident has focused more on Farrell's reaction rather than the malicious nature of Brits' original act which caused the reaction - has Brits been cited and banned, whereas Farrell's chance of starting a test has been blindsided before it has started owing to his natural reaction.

Thuggery has always been a part of rugby union, yet sometimes the players police matters themselves yet the unsavoury scenes last year involving Chris Ashton and Manu Tulagi in a Premiership match led to many citations and bans.  However, no sportsman should act like Brits did and you wonder why he chose to have an altercation with a club team-mate in Hong Kong, why did he not wait until pre-season to make a statement.

Warren Gatland has reiterated that the Lions need to maintain their composure for the tour as they face the wily Wallabies who will needle and upset the tourists at every opportunity they can get.  Gatland would not have been pleased by the actions of prop forward, Cian Healy.

Healy has been cited for allegedly biting Brett Sheehan on the finger during the breakdown. Sheehan complained to the match referee, and the video referee stated that Healy had a case to answer after seeing alternative viewing angles.  The angle most legible shows Healy was in possession of the ball when he bit Sheehan, prompting the question, why bite someone to ward them off, why not just recycle the ball?  Healy faces a 12 week ban, which is of little relevance following the ankle injury he sustained, his tour is over one way or another.

Biting is barbaric, as we have seen with the incident in football involving Luis Suarez and Branislav Ivanovic at Anfield in April that prompted to a multiple match ban for the controversial Uruguayan.  Whilst Suarez has previous in this action, for Healy it is most unusual and not what Gatland would have wanted.

You can imagine the Australian coverage focusing again on the unsavoury nature in a Lions win, rather than the dominant victory helped by Brian O'Driscoll being his influential self at centre and the exceptional kicking of Leigh Halfpenny whose kicking may be the difference between a series win or defeat.

Rugby has a problem with this ever increasing professionalism happening in their ranks from grass roots up; you have youngsters starting at 17 and 18 who are getting good money far too early and feel they have made it, whereas professionals like Chris Robshaw and Nick Easter (neither who made the Lions squad) still live by the code and for the glory of the game.  What glory is their in a game when you can make good money being pretty average?

The old adage is that football is gentleman's game played by hooligans, and rugby is a hooligan's game played by gentleman.  Yet too often, rugby is making the news for the wrong incidents. When you are told about a specific incident about a game, before the scoreline is mentioned, then something is not right. Luckily rugby union is smart enough to turn this around - and at least they are quick to dish out punishment for illegal actions, in stark contrast to association football which takes forever to throw the book at people, probably because they are still reading it.

Unfortunately, and much like everything in life, once you throw money at anything it all becomes ugly and that class distinction from the outside looking in is getting smaller to differentiate.

Follow me @JamieGarwood

The 300 Club's newest member

January 5th 2012, Sydney, Australia.  Michael Clarke, the Australian captain, joined an illustrious list of men as he completed the 25th score of 300+ in Australia's first innings score of 659-4, as he declared on 329*, the 14th highest individual score in Test cricket and only the 6th Australian to achieve the feat - joining countryman, Sir Donald Bradman (twice), Bob Simpson, Bob Cowper, Mark Taylor and Matthew Hayden.

Although many thought the declaration come at an odd time with many observers believing he would obviously have overtaken Mark Taylor and Donald Bradman's score of 334 and with many thinking he would have had a chance to attack Brian Lara's record of 400* on such a benign and flat SCG pitch.  Tellingly, post-innings Clarke gave the impression that the need to win the match was more important than personal milestones, he also declared when Michael Hussey had just reached 150*. Clarke can rest with the knowledge that he has scored the highest Test score at the SCG as it celebrates its centenary this year.

However, much is made of the landmark as a mythical figure that is rarely attained, it should be remembered that many of the scores come in boring draws where some teams do not even reach their second innings. 

Clarke himself was at pains to say that he had scored a better century in South Africa when his team were 37-3 and he faced down the onslaught of Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel to give Australia a competitive first innings total.  Clarke himself is finding runs easier to come by now he has the captaincy, as when England toured last winter his form all but deserted him.

Clarke said the innings was a better knock, whilst this was harder only on a mental and physical scale.  And even though he has joined such an illustrious list, he would rather be remembered for that South African innings.

The same can be said of many on the list who even though they have the milestone for their career achievements all have greater moments in their lifetime.

Graham Gooch's 333 the first one I can remember witnessing in my lifetime, had a far more memorable innings of 154* at Headingley were he carried his bat against a fine West Indian bowling line-up that included Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh in their pomp.

Brian Lara has done the feat twice - 375 and 400* (both at Antigua; both I saw live) - yet his career should be remembered for the 277 he scored against Australia in Perth in 1993, an innings that set him apart from other batsmen of his era.

Virender Sehwag has also done it twice (309, 319), yet his explosive 83 off 68balls laid the foundation for India to chase down a target of 387 set by England in Chennai, 2008.

Even if Alastair Cook had achieved the milestone when he was out for 294 at Edgbaston, he would more than likely be remembered for his immense 227* at Brisbane, or the century he scored against Pakistan at the Oval which saved his Test position and led to him breaking all manner of records on the subsequent Ashes tour.

Odd also when you look at the list, how many of the players who have the accolade can be deemed one-day specialists - Sehwag (twice), Chris Gayle (twice, 317 & 333) and Sanath Jayasuriya (340).  And you add Matthew Hayden (380) the sheer finesse of those men is formidable.

Yet Clarke can be deemed one of the more elegant players to hold the special 300 club distinction along with Mahela Jayawardene (374) and Younis Khan (313).

It is a fuss to be made over, yet like Clarke is able to admit.  He would rather be remembered for winning a test series against a competitive opponent than a personal achievement.

Storm Boy - DVD review

Like Taxi Driver, this little movie from Australia is also celebrating it's 35th anniversary. Winner of Best Film at the 1977 Australian Film Institute awards is released on DVD by Crabtree Films on Monday (23rd May).

Based upon the novel on the same name by Colin Thiele , it tells the story of a young boy who lives alone with his widowed dad in the beautiful coastline of South Australia's Coorong who befriends an aboriginal man, Fingerbone Bill (David Gulpill) who initially scares him and also comes to care for some pelicans who come across his home.

After the pelican mother is killed by hunters, Storm Boy rescues three chicks and cares for them, once they hatch he cristens them Mr.Proud, Mr.Ponder and Mr.Percival. After his Dad convinces him to release them ('All wild things must be set free'), one pelican, Mr.Percival returns to them. Before long though the friendship with Fingerbone Bill and the need to attend school create conflict and the fate of Mr.Percial hangs in the balance.

The father says Storm Boy knows enough, the female teacher (dressed to the nines in a fake fur, and speaking in a posh anglicised accent) says he needs the education and denying him will do irrepreable harm - the difference between urban and the garden is all apparent.

Beautifully shot by Geoff Burton, and with a lovely piano led score the film is a useful nature film helped by the sterling lead performance of Greg Rowe, the young man christened Storm Boy who runs around barefoot and is treated as much of an outsider once he heads to school

Part an indictment of man's destruction of the world he lives in (two fishermen throwing beer cans into the sea) and part love letter to the natural world, Storm Boy is that rare film that wears its heart on its sleeve and in the true Antipodean sense, is not ashamed of it either; a film with a clear message and spirit as powerful today (maybe even more so in today's age) as it was firstly upon release. Treat yourself to a rare Australian piece of timeless cinema, directed by Henri Safran.

Released by Crabtree Films on Monday 23rd May on DVD

AXIS OF AWESOME

Next Thursday 4th November at the Bush Hall, a global YouTube phenomenon will be appearing on stage in London. Axis of Awesome; Australia's biggest comedy band will be giving a full performance of their stagecraft. Having garnered 15million hits of their song '4 Chord Song' where they riff saying that every great song uses the same chord sequence - featuring Natalie Imbruglia, to Enrique Iglesias to Tim Minchin.

It is telling that they riff Minchin in the five minute marathon through pop history; as Minchin along with Axis' fellow antipodean's 'Flight of the Conchords' have brought back comedy rock to the mainstream and to the big theatres - the Conchords sold out Wembley Arena.  Now the history is endebted to Spinal Tap, but comedians always aspire to be rock stars and vice versa, you need not look any further than 'The Blues Brothers' for more evidence.

Following on from three sold out seasons at the Edinburgh fringe and performing at the prestigious Just for Laughs comedy gala at Montreal; they intend to conquer England and this is their first live show in London. It is something not to be missed.

To book tickets call 08432 210 100 or visit www.hmvtickets.com/performances/5385/book. Tickets cost £15, show starts at 7.30pm with support from Marcel Lucont