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| |  Friday, 10 August, 2001, 21:36 GMT 22:36 UK Cops and robbers  Australia's Justin Langer continues his Ashes diary for BBC Sport Online, explaining why an Adam Gilchrist hundred was just the tonic after a dressing room break-in. Friday 10 August, 2001 Arriving at Hove this morning, our attention was quickly redirected from winning a game of first class cricket. In ten years of playing first class cricket I have never seen a changing room fleeced of its goods like we have unfortunately experienced here. Sadly, many of the guys had bats, helmets, shirts and other personal possessions taken from their bags in the changing room. Incredibly, none of the players had their baggy green caps stolen, although a couple of the boys had their favourite bats taken, leaving a bitter taste in a few Aussie mouths. Cricket players are generally sentimental and superstitious characters and I know that 'Gilly' (Adam Gilchrist) and 'Punter' (Ricky Ponting) were very upset to lose a couple of their favourite bats. The bat that 'Gilly' had stolen was the one that he scored an incredible Test century with in India, and 'Punter's' missing blade was the one he played so beautifully with during the recent one-day series here in England. While they will survive using another piece of willow, their prized trophies will now hang on someone else's wall, rather than in their own trophy rooms back home. The scene in the changing room was like one from a cops and robbers drama.
The saga was still rumbling on by late Friday afternoon, when Ricky Ponting, using one of his other bats, smashed the winning runs in what was a fantastic victory for the visitors. Whether the Sussex police have unravelled the mystery, is a mystery in itself. All we know is that by the time we leave for Ireland on Saturday morning, the chances of our lost gear turning up out of the blue, is about as likely as Adam Gilchrist making this game of cricket look challenging. Beach cricket For about the hundredth time in his career, our acting captain made batting look as easy as boiling an egg. He might as well be wearing a pair of board shorts and a T-shirt as if he was playing cricket on the beach. After all, he is in such tremendous form that he looks like he is playing beach cricket against first class and Test class bowlers. His presence must be demoralising for the opposition bowlers, whose margin for error is about as small as a grain of the same beach sand that Gilly looks like he is playing on. He is providing such entertainment for the English crowds, that cricket lovers in this country will fondly remember him for a very long time. Equally as brutal today was Ricky Ponting, who made the Sussex bowling attack look like one from the local village green. This is in no way an assault on the Sussex attack, which boasts a number of very good first class bowlers.
He was in awesome touch, driving, pulling and cutting the wearing leather ball to every part of the boundary. From the crowd's point of view, I am sure they were delighted by the entertainment of our run chase today. After missing much of Thursday through heavy rain, chasing 330 runs in just over sixty overs was the perfect build up for the fourth Test match. Winning is a habit and we are delighted to stay in a winning frame of mind before next Thursday. To add further disappointment to our cops and robbers problem was the news that Ashley Noffke is to return home to Australia in the morning. After stepping on the ball and injuring his ankle on Wednesday, he is leaving the tour to have further scans and treatment back in Queensland. It will be heart breaking for our young speedster from the Gold Coast, but I am sure the experience he has gained over the last few months will benefit his development as an international player. He is an outstanding prospect who has an excellent work ethic and hunger to succeed. This setback will be a good test of his character but I am sure he will be a name for the future. From Sussex JL | |
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