There isn't really much to be said, SA lost to Australia in the semi's and they are now on their way home. Everyone accepted that a loss was possible, but I can't accept the manner in which we lost.
What a bunch of idiots! After winning the toss, the mission would have been simple. See off the new ball and then start the attack - but no! Not Graeme "the Shrek" Smith. It's pretty obvious that his mom never completed his dosage of Ritalin when he was younger. The boy suffers from A.D.D. and the sooner the selectors see this the better it will be for SA cricket. I was standing 20 metres away from a 42 inch plasma and I could see the prodigious swing that Bracken and McGrath were achieving. Why would Shrekkie then March down the wicket to a ball directed just outside off stump? I'll tell you why....A.D.D.!
The coach and captain kept talking about how calm all the players were before the match. He said he had never before seen such confidence and calm before such an important match. Was that really a good thing? Are these guys normal or is the team doctor medicating them? Who the hell feels this calm before a semi-final in a world cup? Especially when you're facing the best team in the world!
I still believe that Shrekkie should step down as captain and "concentrate" on his batting instead. He's been at the helm for nearly 4 years now and there's not even an inkling of hope to suggest that he's going to become a true leader. In a press conference (http://sport.iafrica.com/news/808947.htm) after the defeat he stated that the SA team desperately needs a quality spinner in the side if they ever want to win a world cup, Sri Lanka and Australia have one. WTF?? Let me rephrase....What The Fuck!!! Talk about diverting from the issue at hand! He does go on to mention that he played like a doos on the day but made it seem secondary.
Unless Shrekkie get fired or steps down, I promise that this will be my last cricket post.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Riboville
I had the pleasure of going to one of Cape Town's fancy restaurants this past weekend.
Riboville (http://www.ribovillerestaurant.co.za/) is located in the old ABC branch of Standard Bank in Adderley street - a 123 year old building according to their website. While they have extensively renovated the building to accommodate the restaurant, they have still managed to retain most of the original structures and relics. There's no mistaking that you're dining in what was once a huge banking hall with high ceilings.
The old bank vault was transformed into an expansive, and very impressive, wine cellar. We were fortunate enough to be taken on a tour of cellar by a rather well informed and pleasant fellow.
This was truly great dining experience, despite the fact that I wasn't too impressed with the food. I had the sesame prawns starter and roasted duck as a main. The starter was raw and the main overcooked, but having said that my fellow diners had no complaints. In a competitive industry where one would expect success to be measured by taste and price, it was rather refreshing to have an enjoyable time surrounded by relics of the past and excellent service. The fact that we were a table of 13 added to the enjoyment and made the good service even more impressive.
Riboville was a perfect ending to a rather indulging week:
Sat - Dinner @ a wedding (Suikerbossie)
Sun - Lunch @ Famous Butcher
Mon - Lunch @ wedding (Suikerbossie)
Tue - Primi Piati
Wed - Pigalle
Thu - Nando's
Fri - Butlers Pizza
Sat - Riboville
Sun - Elle (the wife) made Chicken Pie
Mon - Started Gym!!!!
Riboville (http://www.ribovillerestaurant.co.za/) is located in the old ABC branch of Standard Bank in Adderley street - a 123 year old building according to their website. While they have extensively renovated the building to accommodate the restaurant, they have still managed to retain most of the original structures and relics. There's no mistaking that you're dining in what was once a huge banking hall with high ceilings.
The old bank vault was transformed into an expansive, and very impressive, wine cellar. We were fortunate enough to be taken on a tour of cellar by a rather well informed and pleasant fellow.
This was truly great dining experience, despite the fact that I wasn't too impressed with the food. I had the sesame prawns starter and roasted duck as a main. The starter was raw and the main overcooked, but having said that my fellow diners had no complaints. In a competitive industry where one would expect success to be measured by taste and price, it was rather refreshing to have an enjoyable time surrounded by relics of the past and excellent service. The fact that we were a table of 13 added to the enjoyment and made the good service even more impressive.
Riboville was a perfect ending to a rather indulging week:
Sat - Dinner @ a wedding (Suikerbossie)
Sun - Lunch @ Famous Butcher
Mon - Lunch @ wedding (Suikerbossie)
Tue - Primi Piati
Wed - Pigalle
Thu - Nando's
Fri - Butlers Pizza
Sat - Riboville
Sun - Elle (the wife) made Chicken Pie
Mon - Started Gym!!!!
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Cheers!
This blog isn't meant to be all about cricket, but it is a rather pertinent topic right now so please indulge me.
Our cricketers have been accused of getting sloshed after the New Zealand game. They've been seen acting drunk and disorderly in the early hours of the morning. Other than the win over West Indies, this is the best thing that they've done since the world cup began. I'm certainly not going to begrudge someone for having a few, now I feel more in touch with all of them. Well done lads, I certainly hope you enjoyed the Jamaican Rum and the subsequent sticky popo's. Damn! I wish I was there - I can just see the regular misfits downing one Jager Bomb after the other.
Once again, well done lads!
Our cricketers have been accused of getting sloshed after the New Zealand game. They've been seen acting drunk and disorderly in the early hours of the morning. Other than the win over West Indies, this is the best thing that they've done since the world cup began. I'm certainly not going to begrudge someone for having a few, now I feel more in touch with all of them. Well done lads, I certainly hope you enjoyed the Jamaican Rum and the subsequent sticky popo's. Damn! I wish I was there - I can just see the regular misfits downing one Jager Bomb after the other.
Once again, well done lads!
Sunday, April 15, 2007
From Cramp to Crap...
Saturday's loss to New Zealand was very disappointing and as much as I cursed the squad, I understand that the game of cricket goes like that. If we fail to qualify it won't be because of Saturday's game - it will be because of the loss to Bangladesh...that was unacceptable.
I do have a rant however, this time it's aimed at Mr Graeme Smith. I'm sorry, but the boy is not captain material. He cannot accept failure and almost always looks for the positives - even when it makes him come across as a complete idiot.
Before the Sri Lanka game, he told the media that a loss wouldn't be the end of the world - there were still many games to play. I'm sorry, but at a world class event such as this, you would expect every single game to be vital.
A day before the New Zealand game Cricinfo quoted him as saying that he was not worried about SA's poor net run rate...WTF? We have the lowest run rate of the contenders and after yesterday's loss it could very well be a determining factor. We now have to depend on beating the English, not quite a cake walk if you consider the built up aggression and resent Mr Kevin Petersen (world's no 1 ODI batsman) still harbours for being overlooked by his birth country.
At yesterday's coin toss, when Michael Holding interviewed Graeme, he said that the coin toss wasn't that significant because "we probably would have had a bat first". Dumbass! Surely you know what your intentions are before you come out for the toss. Furthermore, every single report and commentator commented on the state of the pitch and said that the team that wins the toss should definitely opt to bowl first. What the hell were you thinking Graeme?
I think it's time this arrogant neanderthal steps down and we find ourselves a player of at least average intelligence to lead the team.
I do have a rant however, this time it's aimed at Mr Graeme Smith. I'm sorry, but the boy is not captain material. He cannot accept failure and almost always looks for the positives - even when it makes him come across as a complete idiot.
Before the Sri Lanka game, he told the media that a loss wouldn't be the end of the world - there were still many games to play. I'm sorry, but at a world class event such as this, you would expect every single game to be vital.
A day before the New Zealand game Cricinfo quoted him as saying that he was not worried about SA's poor net run rate...WTF? We have the lowest run rate of the contenders and after yesterday's loss it could very well be a determining factor. We now have to depend on beating the English, not quite a cake walk if you consider the built up aggression and resent Mr Kevin Petersen (world's no 1 ODI batsman) still harbours for being overlooked by his birth country.
At yesterday's coin toss, when Michael Holding interviewed Graeme, he said that the coin toss wasn't that significant because "we probably would have had a bat first". Dumbass! Surely you know what your intentions are before you come out for the toss. Furthermore, every single report and commentator commented on the state of the pitch and said that the team that wins the toss should definitely opt to bowl first. What the hell were you thinking Graeme?
I think it's time this arrogant neanderthal steps down and we find ourselves a player of at least average intelligence to lead the team.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Cramp in the Camp
South Africa's top batsmen have been suffering from severe cramps lately. Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers have all been affected at crucial stages of the World Cup tournament. I found it rather strange that the Proteas have been affected so badly when no other team has even shown a glimpse of discomfort. Dehydration and heat exhaustion are the obvious underlying causes but all the teams are playing in exactly the same conditions. Furthermore, we live in a country that experiences extreme warm weather conditions similar to that of the West Indies - I'd understand if the English players were all pulling up with cramps, but that's not the case.
Sportswriter Stuart Hess claims that the South Africans are not as fit as they would like everyone to believe, I tend to agree with him. Surprisingly though the team's physio, Shane Jabaar, has slammed those claims. I say 'surprisingly' because one would expect the fitness coach, Adrian le Roux, to be answerable to these claims. Shane says that each case is unique and cites the following reasons:
Graeme - He hardly had time to eat before he went out to bat against South Africa. Bullshit! That sounds like a school boy excuse - not something you would expect from the Proteas' captain. I hosted a braai at my place on the 24th of March and 10 of us managed to prepare and scoff at least 3 boeries each during the innings break. We also managed to wash it all down with a few Windhoeks before the 2nd inning started.
Jacques - Suffered from an infection a few days before the Sri Lanka match. Here Shane is once again playing the role of another colleague, that of team doctor Mohammed Moosajee. Please elaborate? Was he still suffering? Should one not play any sport after you've recovered from an infection?
AB - He had not had a long innings before in the tournament and thus his body was struggling to adapt at the end of the innings. This one makes absolutely no sense. Is there not an expectation to bat as long you can? Once again, this situation is not unique - what about the other players in the tournament?
Shame Shane, while I understand that it's the physio's job to repair the damage - you shouldn't have to answer to other people's inefficiencies.
Sportswriter Stuart Hess claims that the South Africans are not as fit as they would like everyone to believe, I tend to agree with him. Surprisingly though the team's physio, Shane Jabaar, has slammed those claims. I say 'surprisingly' because one would expect the fitness coach, Adrian le Roux, to be answerable to these claims. Shane says that each case is unique and cites the following reasons:
Graeme - He hardly had time to eat before he went out to bat against South Africa. Bullshit! That sounds like a school boy excuse - not something you would expect from the Proteas' captain. I hosted a braai at my place on the 24th of March and 10 of us managed to prepare and scoff at least 3 boeries each during the innings break. We also managed to wash it all down with a few Windhoeks before the 2nd inning started.
Jacques - Suffered from an infection a few days before the Sri Lanka match. Here Shane is once again playing the role of another colleague, that of team doctor Mohammed Moosajee. Please elaborate? Was he still suffering? Should one not play any sport after you've recovered from an infection?
AB - He had not had a long innings before in the tournament and thus his body was struggling to adapt at the end of the innings. This one makes absolutely no sense. Is there not an expectation to bat as long you can? Once again, this situation is not unique - what about the other players in the tournament?
Shame Shane, while I understand that it's the physio's job to repair the damage - you shouldn't have to answer to other people's inefficiencies.
Teaze with the Sleaze
The former Teazers owner will now be performing lap dances for his fellow inmates. Michael Jackson (ex Teazers Boss) was found guilty of murdering a street child outside the Cape Town branch of Teazers. Incidentally, he only became the "former boss" after the shooting - obviously an attempt to distance the Club from the fiasco.
Initially his defence vehemently denied that he had shot the boy but after being found guilty, they contended that the shooting was not premeditated. Wankers!
I also recall reading an article in the Sunday Times a few month ago where Lolly Jackson (owner) admitted that he charges his black clientele more. The entrance fee at the Rivonia branch is normally R100 but black clients have to pay R250. The additional R150 was meant to be a prepayment for a lap dance, whether they wanted one or not. He furthermore claimed that it was not in the black man's culture to go to strip shows. How arrogant?
I really wish that Lolly Jackson's empire would crumble after this murder trial. The man is a law unto himself and it's obvious that our systems (or lack thereof) are allowing him to get away with it. I've had the opportunity to visit 2 similar establishments in Cape Town recently (thanks Dee), namely House of Rasputin and Mavericks, and as far as the "sleaze" factor goes, these two rate far lower than Teazers.
Anyhow, I'm just glad that Lolly's money can't buy his brother's freedom. Looks as though Michael will have to do without his brother Lolly and settle for a brutha's Tollie!
Initially his defence vehemently denied that he had shot the boy but after being found guilty, they contended that the shooting was not premeditated. Wankers!
I also recall reading an article in the Sunday Times a few month ago where Lolly Jackson (owner) admitted that he charges his black clientele more. The entrance fee at the Rivonia branch is normally R100 but black clients have to pay R250. The additional R150 was meant to be a prepayment for a lap dance, whether they wanted one or not. He furthermore claimed that it was not in the black man's culture to go to strip shows. How arrogant?
I really wish that Lolly Jackson's empire would crumble after this murder trial. The man is a law unto himself and it's obvious that our systems (or lack thereof) are allowing him to get away with it. I've had the opportunity to visit 2 similar establishments in Cape Town recently (thanks Dee), namely House of Rasputin and Mavericks, and as far as the "sleaze" factor goes, these two rate far lower than Teazers.
Anyhow, I'm just glad that Lolly's money can't buy his brother's freedom. Looks as though Michael will have to do without his brother Lolly and settle for a brutha's Tollie!
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
...Rate this
On the subject....this morning's Cape Times runs with this lead story: "28 Council members owe city R480k, while government departments owe R218 million. The total arrears stands at R3.6 billion." I know a little about finance, and it would appear as though the city's having some serious cash flow problems. It seems as though the best way to make up for the shortfall would be to collect more from the obedient residents by increasing property values and, in turn, municipal rates. This would certainly be far more cost and time effective than pursuing the defaulters.
Assholes!
Assholes!
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