The Ballad of the First Ball

GH on that ball

The first ball of any match or series shouldn’t matter any more than any other. If anything, the opposite seems likelier: neither batter nor bowler being quite grooved in their task, it should, by rights, be in the nature of a preliminary, a sighter or range finder. Introduce the first ball to the admixture of the Ashes, however, and everything changes - is intensified, heightened, transmuted into gold.

Ready?

Cricket Australia has heralded a plan for the Ashes to be seen on six hundred public digital screens around the country: ‘This will include iconic locations such as Federation Square in Melbourne, and Elizabeth Quay in Perth, along with several of Australia’s major stadiums where fans can enjoy the excitement of an iconic sports occasion.’ I know, right: time to tax the word ‘iconic’. But I was also struck by the headline on the release - ‘The first ball of the Ashes set to captivate fans across the country’ - as though CA’s minions could begin packing for home once the opening delivery was done with. We’re at the point where if Mitchell Starc or Joffra Archer’s initial offering on Friday does not open a crack in the world revealing a portal to the fourth dimension, there may well be a sense of anti-climax.