Cricket

Ok sports fans... try to make sense of this cricket article (kindly borrowed from Peter Roebuck of www.theage.com.au)-

"Certainly the Australians bowlers have improved under Cooley's stewardship. The bowlers have a wider range of skills at their disposal and are adapting better to conditions.

Reverse swing has been used but it has not become an obsession. Changes of pace and angle have also been part of the plan. Yesterday Brett Lee took a wicket with a slower ball signalled with a hitch of the trousers that brought his slips and keeper edging closer to the stumps. Brendan McCullum obliged by drilling the undetected variation to mid-off.

Nathan Bracken has also increased his repertoire and can send down swingers when the ball is moving, cutters in arid conditions and a mixture when nothing much is happening.

Doubtless, the extra responsibility has helped these long-standing leatherflingers. No longer could the ball be thrown to the old warhorses whenever the batsmen were on top. No longer was Lee regarded as a wild card. Instead he was the leader of the attack, a burden he has worn lightly. Nowadays, he is a handful even when things are going awry."