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THURSDAY 9 NOVEMBER 2000
Busy start for Warriors
What an exciting and busy opening it has been to this new first-class
season. The first month has been very hectic and the next month will be
just as frantic. As for the Western Warriors, we've made a solid start
to the season, without setting the world on fire. We have shared draws
in the Pura Cup with Queensland and South Australia and scored an
opening win against South Australia in the Mercantile Mutual Cup. And on
an individual front, I've just come home after also attending an ACB
training camp in Mooloolaba on the Sunshine Coast.
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Adam Gilchrist has been in rare touch
© AllSport & ACB |
There have been plenty of positives to come out of the first month of
cricket for WA. Tom Moody has made a successful return from the back
injury which kept him out of the game for a year. He has been in fine
touch with the bat, scoring a neat half-century against the Redbacks at
the Adelaide Oval. It is great to have the big fella back in action, as
he is an important member of the Warriors outfit. Matthew Nicholson has
been in excellent form with the ball. He has shrugged off the effects of
injury and illness to return to the form which earned him a Test match a
couple of years ago. Simon Katich, Damien Martyn and Adam Gilchrist have
started the season very well with the bat - all having centuries to
their names in the first two matches. Kato and Gilly both got tons to
save WA from outright defeat in our opening match against the Bulls and
then Marto and Gilly (again) scored tons against the Redbacks at the
Adelaide Oval. Gilchrist, in particular, is in rare touch and we all
hope he can maintain that form going into the first Test against the
West Indies in Brisbane in a couple of weeks. Marto was on 71 when Gilly
came to the crease in the South Australian match and yet he still beat
him to the century mark, scoring his hundred in less than a session. He
was particularly savage on spinners Brad Young and Peter McIntyre,
although he was also brutal on anything loose from Jason Gillespie and
Paul Wilson.
The next month of cricket looks very exciting for the Warriors. Brad
Williams, our best bowler last season, is all but over his injury
worries and will be available in the coming matches. Brendon Julian
played a second XI game against NSW and performed strongly. With his
natural ability and experience, Brendon will be an important member of
our team for the rest of the season. Steve Nikitaras and Stuart
Karppinen have started the season very well for their respective club
sides and second XI games, so competition for places is proving very
strong in the West.
Gilchrist, Martyn, Katich, Justin Langer and I - together with all of
the ACB-contracted players from around the country - were required at a
training camp on the Sunshine Coast from October 30 to November 3. It
was a great experience for me to meet players such as Steve and Mark
Waugh, Glenn McGrath and the support staff like John Buchanan (Coach),
Steve Bernard (Manager), Errol Alcott (Physio) and Mike Walsh (Scorer).
The players were lectured on issues, such as racial vilification, social
behaviour, drug policies and career and welfare. Sport psychologists
Sandy Gordon and Phil Jauncey also addressed us, providing a range of
educational information and helping us in getting to know ourselves
better. We had a number of planning and training sessions, which were
challenging and fun.
An address from Wayne Bennett, coach of the Brisbane Broncos rugby
league club, was one of the highlights of the camp for me. His record
with the Broncos speaks for itself, but the messages he passed on were
inspirational. He spoke about being honest with yourself and becoming
the best player you can be.
Many people around Australia believe the upcoming series against the
West Indies is going to be a walkover. Someone has forgotten to tell the
Australian team about it. Steve Waugh and the whole team are very
focused on doing well and there is no chance of complacency setting in.
The Windies have some outstanding players and the Aussies are not taking
them lightly.
The West Indians have started their tour very well, with Brian Lara and
Sherwin Campbell both scoring hundreds at Lilac Hill in the tour opener
festival match. The Windies made an impressive 2/276 off their 50 overs,
before rain set in for the rest of the day causing the match to be
abandoned. There will be a lot of pressure on Lara, Campbell and Adams
to score the bulk of the runs and Walsh and McLean to take the wickets
for the tourists to be successful.
The depth of the Windies will be tested, but one wonders whether a new
hero or champion might emerge from the range of relatively unknown
players in the touring team. I remember back a few seasons ago when the
West Indies toured Australia and a young unknown by the name of Brian
Lara made his mark as a Test star. I think the coming series will be
sensational, although I do think Australia will have too much depth. I
am looking forward to watching the class of Lara against McGrath, Lee,
MacGill and company.
The Warriors have a busy schedule over the next month with matches
against the West Indies, Queensland and Tasmania on the menu, so I'll
undoubtedly be back with much to report in my next article. Until then,
it's goodbye for now.
Mike Hussey
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