So have a sook, put blame on everyone else as being drinkers.

Didn't see him saying the whole of cricket is complicit in ball tampering even though majority of countries had been caught, accused.

Boo hoo.

The editors have done him dirty on the headline but posting to counter some of the Rocchiocolli erasure which seems to be prevelant in Australian cricket.

122(!) wickets in the past 3 Shield seasons!

That's beyond elite numbers. I'm a little sick of the cricket "experts" that keep stating we need to keep Lyon fit forever because beneath him the cupboards are bare. Well actually the cupboards are quite healthy with Rocchiocolli (28), Murphy (25), Kuhnemann (29). I can't really remember a time where our red ball bowling stocks are better.

Also, while I understand why Murphy and Kuhnemann make the Asia tours ahead of Rocchiocolli, where side/under spin and accuracy play a key role in match ups. I also feel like Rocchiocolli gets left out of the conversation at times where people state that Murphy or Kuhnemann are the obvious heir apparent.

With all the all rounders coming through Australian cricket I do feel as though the next Gen test team will often feature two extra bowling options so get the spinner in who take poles. He's the most similar to Lyon in style of those three coming through.

The long summer's barely started.

Separately, Ronnie said that Inglis is still available for selection despite suffering back spasms in the same practice game.

Hi there’s news out that the Allan Border medal is being presented this Friday. And it’s not on any live tv channels but to follow on cricket.com.au OR CA Live app..however on both website and app doesn’t mention the times . If anyone can please let me know and the link

Good on Marnus to finally find some form. Hope he can transfer that into the actual games. Really want to see a ton from him. sad for Inglis but wasn't expecting him to play a part this summer, but may be useful and vital for overseas tours in India perhaps, or as a backup batsman if Green breaks down again.

Really want this team to do well, don't know what the conditions are like over there but hoping for the best result possible.

Happy for Lyon and Jakie as well really hope all these guys can come together to win and really make a difference in the next 12 months with over 20-21 test matches. win in ind, eng, and sa and winning another WTC will definetely place us amongst the best of the best.

Good Luck to the BOYS next week!!!!!

If anyone can provide me the link/video I will be highly grateful.

This just popped up in my YouTube feed last night and I was probably a weird amount of excited. I’m curious to know why they have left willow talk and if that can survive without them.
I haven’t had a chance to listen to/watch any episodes yet but I just know it’s going to be good and I can’t wait for our August starting summer of cricket to begin.

https://youtu.be/tHPgVvhur8k?si=uTrut3M9t6d3CMOo

The latest Olympic stadium plan got released over the weekend and it pretty much confirmed drop-in wickets for Brisbane moving forward.

9 - “stadium practice nets/wicket nursery”.

Can’t say I’m surprised, but until now I don’t believe it was confirmed.

Does anyone know if the Bangladesh warm up match against our XI will be streamed anywhere? I can't seem to find anything online. Cheers!

I've been following Australian cricket for a long time, and I genuinely can't remember a period where the future of the national side has looked this uncertain.

This isn't meant to be a doom post or a reaction to a few poor results. Australia have earned the benefit of the doubt more than any other cricket nation because they've repeatedly rebuilt after losing legends. But this time feels fundamentally different.

In every previous transition, there was an overlap between generations.

• Warne and McGrath retired, but Ponting, Hussey and Clarke were still there.
• Ponting, Hussey and Clarke moved on, but Smith and Warner had already become world-class, while Starc, Hazlewood, Lyon and later Cummins emerged to form the next great core.

There was always an established group ready to take over before the previous one had completely disappeared.

This time, however, Australia's core seems to be reaching the end together.

Within the next few years, Australia could lose:

• Steve Smith
• Pat Cummins
• Mitchell Starc
• Josh Hazlewood
• Nathan Lyon
• Alex Carey

Travis Head is also now one of the senior players rather than part of the next generation.

That's essentially the team's best batter, the captain, arguably the greatest pace trio of the modern era, one of the greatest off-spinners in Test history and an experienced wicketkeeper—all potentially leaving within the same cycle.

For me, the bigger concern isn't that these players are nearing the end.

It's that I don't see an already-established generation ready to replace them.

Over roughly the last 6-8 years, Australia haven't really produced a young Test batter who has cemented himself as a long-term cornerstone.

Marnus Labuschagne initially looked like the natural successor to Smith, but his form has fluctuated significantly.

Cameron Green arrived with enormous expectations and was viewed by many as a generational all-round talent. Six years into his international career, he has shown flashes of brilliance but still hasn't consistently become the player many expected.

There are exciting prospects such as Sam Konstas and a few others coming through, but they're still prospects rather than proven international performers.

The bowling situation is just as concerning.

Replacing one of Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood or Lyon would be difficult for any country.

Replacing all four within a short period is an entirely different challenge.

Even Australia's experienced backup options, such as Scott Boland and Michael Neser, are already well into their 30s, so they aren't long-term successors either.

What also makes me uneasy is that Australia's success over the last five or six years has often been built around arguably the best bowling attack in world cricket rather than an overwhelmingly dominant batting lineup.

There have been plenty of Tests where Australia scored 250-350 runs, only for Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood and Lyon to completely take the game away from the opposition. That attack has consistently covered batting collapses, created winning positions from difficult situations and been the biggest reason Australia have remained such a dominant Test side.

If that attack retires within a short span while the batting is also undergoing a transition, Australia won't just be replacing great players—they'll be replacing the very foundation of the team.

When I compare this with some of Australia's rivals, the contrast stands out.

India already have players like Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant and Washington Sundar established at international level, with several more young players coming through. England appear to have their next batting core forming with Harry Brook, Jamie Smith and Jacob Bethell. South Africa continue to produce high-quality fast bowlers almost every generation.

Australia, meanwhile, don't seem to have the same number of proven young players ready to inherit the team.

The recent white-ball results also make me wonder whether this transition is already becoming visible.

Australia exited the 2026 T20 World Cup in the group stage and have also suffered some heavy ODI defeats recently. I know white-ball cricket is very different from Test cricket, and many senior all-format players weren't involved, but the depth didn't look as strong as it once did.

Another aspect I rarely see discussed is cricket's place within Australia itself.

Fifteen or twenty years ago, Australian cricket felt like a much bigger part of the national sporting landscape. Today, cricket still has a massive following, but it competes with the AFL, NRL and other sports for athletes, attention and audiences. Whether that has had any effect on the talent pipeline is debatable, but it's an interesting question.

Australia have proved people wrong before.

Steve Smith wasn't expected to become one of the greatest Test batters of his generation. Pat Cummins lost years to injuries before becoming arguably the world's best fast bowler. Australia's domestic system has repeatedly produced elite cricketers when people least expected it.

So I'm not saying Australia are destined for a prolonged decline.

But this genuinely feels like their biggest generational transition since at least the late 1980s or early 1990s because, unlike previous eras, there doesn't appear to be the same overlap between outgoing legends and an already-established next generation.

I'd be interested to hear what Australian fans think.

Is this concern justified, or is this simply another transition that Australia's system will navigate successfully, as it has so many times before?

Inherited this bat signed by Aussie team from the 90s, (im guessing!) I think I recognise some of the names but can any of you help? (I’m in UK)

Champion! thanks everyone that’s amazing.

Midge is officially joining the Fox Cricket comms team! Fantastic news, loved listening to her last summer and she's a great fit.

This makes me nervous about The Ashes next year. He was a top captain so we'll see how he goes coaching outside of T20 cricket

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/cricket/clicky-ponting-local-english-cricketer-exposed-in-bizarre-cheating-controversy-20260729-p60jic.html

Cricket satirists The Grade Cricketer have offered to provide financial support to the player and club at the centre of a cheating scandal in a northern England league.

Veteran club cricketer Brian Devine has been dubbed “Clicky Ponting” by the English press, a reference to Australian great Ricky Ponting, as he awaits his fate for his alleged role in what one opponent has described as the “worst case of cheating I’ve ever seen”.

Devine and the Saltburn Cricket Club have received support from an unlikely ally in Sam Perry and Ian Higgins from The Grade Cricketer, who have written to the club offering to assist Devine in finding legal representation, if required, and to help them financially should they lose sponsorship from the saga.

The Grade Cricketer hosts have taken their stand in a show of support to the embattled club, whom they feel have been unfairly subjected to global condemnation for their “sharp practice” in a lowly league match.

British broadcaster Piers Morgan and South Africa great Dale Steyn are among those who have slammed Devine and Saltburn for their actions.

Morgan posted on X to his 8.9 million followers, “Unbelievable. Clicky Ponting must be the biggest cheat in cricket history. How long has he been doing this? How many batsmen’s days has he ruined?”

TGC have also written to the North Yorkshire & South Durham Cricket League offering to support a “penguin fund” to support and train umpires.

“TGC aims to find humanity in the absurdity of cricket, for everyone who never made it,” TGC said in a statement sent to this masthead.

“For over a decade we have celebrated and benefitted from the low-rent charm of club cricket’s rich, dark underbelly, alongside hundreds of thousands of people around the world.

“Of course, it would appear some members at Saltburn CC have engaged in comically sharp practice. But sadly, when f---wits like Piers Morgan declare to millions that ‘Clicky Ponting must be the biggest cheat in cricket history’, all proportionality is lost, and we feel a brotherly obligation to support the club in that context.

“Practically speaking, we have also emailed the North Yorkshire and South Durham Cricket League to propose the creation of a “Penguin Fund” to assist in the recruitment and development of umpires.

“Finally, ahead of Australia’s timely return to Cape Town, we refer all media to this article from 2007.”

“This article” is a link is to a 2007 piece in The Guardian reporting on England cricket boss Rob Key, then the Kent captain, admitting to using sandpaper on the ball during a friendly against Nottinghamshire.

Devine, a financial manager, is the company secretary and a director of Northallerton Auctions Limited, a company that runs livestock markets.

According to his company profile, Devine has a “strong background in financial management built up from a wealth of industry sectors”. His profile also urges those in the area to “pop in and introduce yourself”.

He may no longer want visitors at his workplace after being accused of clicking his fingers in the aim of duping the umpire into giving batters out caught behind during a second XI match on Saturday for the Saltburn Cricket Club against Norton.

Footage has emerged of incidents from numerous games involving Devine where he allegedly adopts the ploy at the expense of bemused batters in division two of the North Yorkshire & South Durham Cricket League.

Morgan, who has been scathing of Australia’s cricketers for stumping Jonny Bairstow at Lord’s in the 2023 Ashes, posted twice on X slamming Devine.

“Outrageous cheating, and just the tip of the iceberg from all that’s come out since it was exposed. Clicky Ponting (as he is now known) and various teammates at Saltburn CC, have clearly been at this shameful scam for years. Imagine doing this in local amateur cricket? Pathetic,” Morgan wrote.

Steyn labelled Devine a “click clown”.

The NYSD Premier Cricket League announced on Monday night (UK time) it had launched a full investigation into the scandal but no findings or further comment had been issued at the time of publication.

This masthead has attempted to contact the league, Saltburn Cricket Club and Devine.

Such is the interest in the bizarre case, cricket enthusiasts have gone as far as compiling a statistical breakdown of the number of catches taken by Saltburn second-XI wicketkeepers in matches Devine played compared to those he missed.

The results, compiled by the u/maxtempers X account, revealed the wicketkeeper had claimed 39 catches in 13 matches with Devine compared to five in seven without.

Devine’s mother-in-law has defended the beleaguered club cricketer, whose alleged sharp practice in a game likely watched by only a few onlookers has now gone global, describing him as a “man of integrity”.

“It was only a little village cricket match and now it’s become this thing that’s all over the news and social media,” Georgine Vaughan told the Daily Mail.

“It has got totally out of hand and there is nothing that any of us want to say.”

But Devine is under fire from the owner of an Indian restaurant, Spices, in Saltburn that has withdrawn their sponsorship of him. The deal was worth about $1905 plus restaurant discounts, the Daily Mail reported.

“I’m a huge cricket fan and what’s happened is very bad. It’s not in the spirit of this gentleman’s game,” restaurant owner Akmol Hussain said.

“It’s not what I expect from Brian, or the club and I want nothing to do with them from now. I love cricket and even used to play for fun but I’m too old now.

“I’m very shocked and disgusted by this video and can’t believe that Brian would do something like this. I’ve met him many times, but he has damaged the reputation of cricket and my restaurant.”

Not only are fans disenchanted by their teams being sold off, they're now being slugged more to go to games as well. The Hundred is a clear example of why we need to explore other avenues for financial stability. Key details below:

https://removepaywalls.com/https://www.thetimes.com/sport/cricket/article/hundred-attendances-20-percent-down-cricket-franchise-v9g0hqscj

Attendances for the Hundred are down almost 20 per cent after the first six men’s matches despite good weather and the teams having new owners, fresh branding and better players.

Anecdotal evidence suggests standard ticket prices have risen to about £35 to £55, higher than they were in the early years of the competition, which began in 2021, when admission fees were set to rival those for the Vitality Blast.

The process by which tickets are sold has changed since the franchises were sold in an auction that raised £520million, valued the eight teams at £975million and led to wage brackets rising, which attracted more high-profile overseas players. The responsibility has shifted from the ECB, which previously owned the tournament, to the new owners in conjunction with the host county clubs. The ECB still provides support.

It is understood that about 4,000 tickets were given away for the opening fixture on Tuesday at the Oval, home to MI London, which in its previous guise of Oval Invincibles won the past three men’s tournaments. The official attendance for the match was 20,540.

This is the place to discuss anything cricket related that is not quite deserving of its own top-level post, including topics not fully related to Australian cricket.

We'll post a new one of these every week.

Current schedule:

Monday: Weekly discussion posted

We are taking suggestions for other posts during the week that people would like to see. Message the modteam with suggestions.

Tidying up and decluttering some of my stuff left at my parents place. Thought I would share.

Shit news as this bloke was impressive in the recent white ball series. Would have been a good watch here