The bastardised, shortened future of Australian Domestic Cricket is here again, and with the lack of sport on at a decent time and a free channel, it is a welcome addition to the drudgery of weeknights.
Not that we don’t like the format of T20 and the change up of city based franchises instead of state based teams, it’s far better than the predictable 50 over dross on offer. Except for games at North Sydney Oval where any score can be made and chased.
So as with most things here at The Gurgler let’s look at the pros and cons.
PROS
– It is only 20 overs a side which means less attention space, and less resistance from others in the household who dislike cricket. – It is not on Channel 9.
– Hence, it will not feature Michael Slater in any form.
– Brad Hogg
– You get to follow teams wearing colours like Teal, Electric Green and Magenta.
– The flashing stumps are a welcome addition.
CONS
– It is still domestic cricket, and all the hip hop dancing, flame throwers and Viv Richards can’t polish a turd if the game is all but over after 5 overs.
– The many, many, many KFC ads, including that truly awful HCG tripe.
– Mark Howard, who does his best attempt at being more annoying than Michael Slater.
– The back patting society of the commentators, which whilst not as bad as Channel 9, seems just as bad due to the lower level of achievement of their collective.
– Awful team nicknames.
There’s big international names coming to the comp this year, including Freddie Flintoff, Kevin Petersen and Dwayne but not Darren Bravo. All of them will hopefully provide as much action as their reputation and ego demands. But The Gurgler aren’t concerned with the big name stars, as ever we’ll highlight our man to watch for each team in our gallery below.
At the end of the day, it is still sport, and sport is there to be enjoyed with a beer, and side bet, with many of the internet based companies providing more options than you can throw a game at. So, along the lines of A League coverage on SBS, set your expectations lowish, and enjoy.
For the record, it looks like a Brisbane victory, with a Perth or Sixers final. Melbourne Stars, overburdened with stars, will choke like every year. Don’t forget, that the winner of the comp has come from third or fourth in the regular season in the first 3 editions, opening up a Stars choke nicely.
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