One dream conquered! SCG

Sydney Australia, a fascinating inspiring city for me. This was my second trip to the city & I was excited to be in the midst of it once again. The place is just too awesome & if I had to choose a big city to live in it would be my first choice always. The place has one of the best quality of life if one has a decent job & a bit of money. Downtown has all the life one needs & north some fantastic beaches just off great residential areas. The locals love their sport no matter what so I could blend in anywhere, I hold the distinction of even having watched Curling on TV during the Olympics!! Ok Ali my old mate back home & a few beers in the pub might have something to do with it.

My main reasons for visiting this beautiful city was to catch up with an old friend Clarebelle & to watch the Test match between Australia & India. I met Clarebelle through a friend 5 years ago just as I was splitting up with my wife. She was & still is a soft hearted soul that can give a lot of love & needs a lot in return too. Timing my boy is everything in life, just as we were getting to know each other in London, Clare had emigrated to Sydney. My first trip to Sydney had been just after she had moved there, I needed a break from all the pressures back home & she had needed someone to carry the kitchen sink that she was planning on taking with her to Sydney! Then again I am no one to comment on how many shoes or dresses does a girl need? Back home in Leicester I had my wardrobe spread across three rooms until I cleared out just before leaving.

Both of us just did the things we loved doing together, drink some great wine & cook for each other or eat out & talk & talk. For those of you that know me well, I love nothing more than a good bottle of wine whilst cooking or being cooked for is even better. One of my favourite places in Sydney is not a beach or the waterfront near the bridge or Opera house but the fish market! Yes the fish market. The whole place is a buzz of activity & the freshest seafood that one can buy & eat, I have never seen so many different variety's of shrimp in my life. For a seafood lover like me there is no better heaven. The day that we were there one Mssr Tendulkar was also flaying the Aussies on a lil know cricket ground nearby by hitting another test hundred. The big kid in me was truly in heaven, add in some fine wine a posse of bronzed Brazilian women & you could have killed me & I would not have noticed.

New Years eve was spent in true Aussie style with a picnic & some wine down by the seaside at Cremore point just across from the Opera house. The place was packed with families & kids all just chilling out in the summer sun taking in the fantastic vibe of the city. We stayed till the kiddies fireworks at 9pm then walked up to the flat where we had some Champers chilling & watched the main fireworks from the balcony. I could have done with a mad club down in the Kings Cross area of downtown Sydney but then again this was so different from any other drunken new year eve celebrations that it was great for the change.

Alas a childhood dream came true but still left me with a lump in my throat. As a cricket mad family with an International player in it (my Sis Renee no not me) we are very passionate about our cricket & a rare breed that could easily watch not just a 5 day test match but an entire series if we had the opportunity. As kids we had dreamed of seeing a test match at the Sydney Cricket Ground with my late farther & I had tickets for all 3 of us for day one of the test match. The best seats that I could get of course, right behind the bowlers arm, you only do something's once so do it right.

The morning of the test match was frustrating as Clare & me could not find Renee where we had planned to meet up. Our rendezvous point or instructions were far to vague & the railway station had far too many exits and naturally we were at the opposite ends. Thank god for mobile phones and a very anxious mother back home in Hong Kong who kind of conducted proceeding from there & we managed to hook up & ride the bus down to the ground. Man if looks could kill I was dead & buried there & there after being cremated!!

First impressions matter a lot & the SCG even though being touched up & under construction like a middle aged Californian women was graceful & sat proud in an open setting. Unlike all the cricket grounds back home in the UK there was so much space around it with plenty of parking & gardens around. The grounds back home & especially Trent Bridge a ground I know so well felt as if they were from the dark ages. The ganduer of the old pavilion in Lords does match up to the SCG's beauty but sorry the setting does not. Once inside the place did not disappoint either, the old pavilion & the ladies pavilion sat just as I had seen it in many a pictures & on TV only better as this was the real thing. The only thing that I would have loved was if Yabba hill was still there & I was there with a bunch of lads swigging amber nectar & giving the Aussies some great banter back which all of us know they cannot handle. They are more passionate about their sport than any other nation I have know, they love to dish out the banter but boy oh boy give some back & they just cannot take it.

The cricket on the day did not disappoint either, before tea India had the Aussies on the rack with about 120 for 6 if I remember correct but as is the case with a lot of test matches played against the Aussies some one always sticks their hand up & rescues them. This time it was Andrew Symonds, born in Birmingham but plays for Australia. It must be the first case of an import from the UK for the Aussies, its normally works the other way mostly in English sport. The day did get a bit marred with some inept umpiring decisions The game had it all with India losing on the final day by loosing 6 quick wickets worst of which were to the part time spin of one Pup Clarke. The aftermath of the game was worse with the Bajjigate scandal, accusations from both sides, pointing bashing by his own media & India flexing its financial clout in the game by taking a stand by planning to boycott the rest of the tour if the accusations were not lifted. So all in all my experience of my first test match at the SCG had it all even though the result could have been better. The shinning light through all the mist was the demeanour & voice of none other than Mr Kumble the Indian Captain. He choose his words & actions very carefully & left many a lasting impressions in the game, a true statesman of the game & never to be found again.

So my second trip down under to Sydney left me with wanting more of her. I will visit there again I am sure of that & cannot wait till I am back there for another jolly. This trip was a short one & I left Clarebelle just as she was planning for the arrival of her Mom & Mick & I am sure you guys had a fab time together. Till next time my friends I will be back among your midst. Take care & may the sun always shine the fridge be full with chilled wine & throw another shrimp on the Barbie.