By Megan Hustwaite Hustwaite, an award-winning print journalist, has taken out eight national and state industry prizes for newspaper pieces on cricket, AFL, basketball and baseball. A swag of Cricket Victoria media awards have also recognised her enviable list of sports contacts, knowledge of the game and intuition in seeking out the best news yarns for her readers. About Megan Hustwaite
Forget the disappointing 3-1 series loss to England because the Test whites have faded into the background and the bright colours and lights of the T20 and ODIs are in the spotlight. And the exciting shorter forms of the game are lighting up a ground near you.
Tonight sees the first KFC T20 International of the summer, at the Adelaide Oval.
New skipper Cameron White takes the reins of a team that features proven performers Dave Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Shaun Tait, David Warner and Shane Watson, the returning Brett Lee, and up-and-comers Tim Paine, Aaron Finch, James Pattinson, Steve Smith and Stephen O’Keefe.
The T20 show then rolls into Melbourne on Friday where a huge crowd is expected at the MCG for the first ball at7.35pm.
The Commonwealth Bank One-Day International Series follows the T20 fixtures, launching in Melbourne on Sunday.
The seven-match series then heads to Hobart on January 21, Sydney on January 23, Adelaide on Australia Day, Brisbane on January 3, Sydney on February 2 and wraps up in Perth on February 6.
Sunday marks a significant milestone for One-Day Internationals; it is the 40th anniversary of the first ODI, contested by Australia and England at the MCG in January 1971.
When the first three days of the third Test in 1971 were washed out officials decided to abandon the match and, instead, play a one-off one-day game consisting of 40 eight-ball overs per side.
The home side won the toss and elected to bowl in the impromptu inception of limited-over cricket.
England racked up 190 and John Edrich top scored with 82. Ashley Mallett and Keith Stackpole took three wickets apiece for the Aussies.
In reply Australia reached 191 for the loss of five wickets. Batting at No. 3 Ian Chappell made 60 in his side’s five-wicket win.
Looking back it does seem a lifetime ago, with ODI cricket now one of the constants of an Australian summer.
One of the current Cricket Australia advertisements captures how times have changed, reflecting: “When we first smashed the Poms in One Day Internationals a hard-drive was a summer holiday with three kids, two dogs and a bung wireless.”
So get to the MCG on Sunday and come dressed in your best ‘70s gear for the chance to score some free merchandise.
Don the sweat bands and gold chains, team them with a yellow hat, bright shirt, and channel the old school cricketer within while watching the next generation of Australian stars shine.
Limited tickets are at a 1971 price of $19.71 and can be purchased at cricket.com.au. Online of course was where you hung the washing back when we first thumped the Poms.
