Responding to Lorenz Pereira’s Reflections, other Sri Lankan Aficianado have presented theri Thoughts …. significant thoughts because they are Not Dinky-die Aussies as such ...EDITOR, Thuppahi
PERTH, AUSTRALIA – NOVEMBER 22: Mitchell Starc of Australia celebrates with Travis Head after dismissing Zak Crawley of England during day two of the First 2025/26 Ashes Series Test Match between Australia and England at Perth Stadium on November 22, 2025 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
SYDNEY FERNANDO in Colombo, November 2025
I must first confess that by the time i started watching on the first day England had been bowled out for 172 and Australia were one down for 20 or less; then, in just about two hours they were 8 for 123.
What I saw was a team trying to play T20 style cricket on the first day of the test. Many dismissals were to rash strokes. Its as if they have limited overs to play with the undoubted influence of T20 and ODI cricket.
There was a time when batsman left balls outside the off stump alone. But, Here, very few were left alone.
As for England they revolutionized the game by scoring fast. In both innings they scored over 5 runs an over. I did not watch them bat so cannot comment but their style of cricket is a gamble. At Perth it failed.
Kind Regards, Sydney
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EARDLEY LIEVERSZ in Sydney, November 2025
Cricket can be dull, boring and uneventful. Yet, it is so unpredictable that it can threw up performances that are so sensational that they make no sense at all.
We were were shell shocked after the first days play. But no one could have predicted England being in the same state at the end of the second day.
At lunch yesterday I expected us to be chasing 300 at least. I even thought that we [i.e. Australia] would struggle to make 200.
Cricket is a team game. But sometimes individuals can make a mockery of precedent.
Long live cricket, particularly test cricket. It can even absorb T20 experiences into it without undermining its traditional components.
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Editorial Comments from Michael Roberts, November 2025
Sydney isa friend who has lived in the west Indias and is now back in Colomob; while Eardley represented Royal College royally and then secured his Anthroology Ph.D via fieldwork in Uva…. Thus, an astute judge.
That he has become An Aussie patriot is not insignificant. Though I favoured Australia during the Aussie/England matches whena schoolboy & undergrad in Ceylon, I am more neutral when watching these series NOW — -in part because of my expereinces during the no-balling of Murali in the 1990s and 2000s.
Again: it so happens that hero Travis Head and Alex Carey are both from Adelaide; and my impression is that Head is of upper class background. Apparently he is from the Craigmore suburb in north-east Adeliade but it is his school and club background that we ned to inquire after.
The wider/broader and more VITAL ISSUES that we must ponder over are these: what inspires the more aggressive and inventive, and even carefree/careless style of batting we see nowadays? …… & ….. Have scoring rates been radically increased and to what extent has bat-technology (size; ingredients in wood) and/or range of new strokes ( e.g. reverse sweep, upper-cut glide) contributed to the improved scoring rates [and occasional collapses !).?
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Pix of Travis Head courtesy of David Sansoni in Sydney
