Strollers players Paul Lupton and Andrew Humphrey supporting England at the Brisbane 'GABBA', were unable to prevent a comprehensive victory to Australia. Here is (an edited version of) what they had to say about their days at the Test...

View from the Gabba

G’Day lads n’ lasses - Aggers N’ Luppers (finally reporting from Queensland) ‘The Smart State’. Regretfully as you all know, we got thrashed today, but I’ll try and concentrate on the positive side of what was and enjoyable test match from a tourists angle.

Also apologies for not reporting sooner - things just didn’t work out on the technology side and several attempts were spurned (by crashes etc.) a little bit like England’s fielders!

Day 1 - Nassa suffers sun stroke

I have never witnessed the pasting Nassa took after making us field in what were to even my partner Jan the most perfect battin’ conditions. Isn’t it a bit hot she said to be getting such a long sun tan? The papers read ‘God save the Queen coz he can’t save the cricket team'. Local lad Mattie Hayden cashed in and the rest is history. We had effectively lost the match before bowling a ball. Aggers and I were in Sydney [Syd] and met up for a few ‘swifties’ that evening to discuss what a farce Nassa had made of it and critical we were we took some hellish stick from the bar staff especially when they thought by Day 3 they’d still be battin’. Not a start the HQ lads are familiar with eh Skip ?

Day 2 - Aussie middle-order flops (again) [The Courier Mail] - Aggers reporting - The Empire Strikes Back !

Arrived in Brisbane (Briza) at midday and looking forward to the match. Dumped my gear, and got in around 2.30pm at just about at half Time. The pleasure of watching a day at the test is that by that time I only had to shell out about $6.00 (2.20 in English) for the privilege. So I parked myself in the Barmy Army - a good decision to get straight into the speculating attack.

For all you POMS back home you have to understand that Oz is financially the promised land. Everything seems pretty cheap and wherever you seem to go prices appear to be standardized to a national rate so you always know how much things are likely to be. Schooners of beer are (the reasonable currency test standard) are virtually free and the service here (everywhere) is second to none. So imagine the delight of my position.

"God save the Queen" was a favourite song all afternoon especially as we had the words in large letters for the Ozzies to read out of our Sports Pages. Other unmentionable songs also ebbed as the effects of the very hot sun took its toll on thirst fans. Actually the Aussies loved it and came back with their one song a Max Boyce number we all wished they’d forgotten.

As for the cricket - we had started to get it together and we were by this stage enjoying ourselves at the crease having effectively bowled the Aussies out for 120 their innings closing at 492. Warnie was out for 1, everyone in the ground knew it and had Mattie Hay lost most of his runs on day one this match would have been quite different. However, we finished well and after Nassa’s judgment error of Day 1, ably supported by the lads in the field, this was a different team and growing in confidence - we had arrived and the Aussies weren’t being generously praiseworthy but almost content that we could play a bit.

Day 3 (Sat) - If only - Luppers reporting

I feel it only fair I tell you how the day began.

Pleasantly surprised at our 2nd Day, I took Jan for a celebration concert at the Opera House - sublime. This was romance of the highest quality and I felt is was good preparation for the next day in which my partner would effectively be abandoned to a City we’d never seen. The orchestra - The Sydney Symphony, played Beethoven and Rachmaninov.

Late into the early hours I completed our flags. The Stroller’s one was done in an aboriginal style I convinced myself. So I took pride in the fact Aggers and Adrian (from the Civil Service FC) would be suitably impressed. The flag read (coz where you were you probably didn’t see it) "HQ - The Strollers CC" and was a traditional JJB Sports St. George’s affair. To get back at Cardiff fans for the flag waving at Blackpool’s new ground the other week, Jan had lent me her Welsh Dragon flag which proudly read ‘Blackpool FC’ in suitably seaside garish n’ tacky yellow electrical tape. Unfortunately this meticulous preparation meant I couldn’t sleep at all and got up at 5:45 to watch the dawn.

Dawn over Sydney Harbour is quite something on Matchday. I felt like I was about to play. It was a bit like going to the most awesome Cathedral service where you felt so meek and out of place you couldn’t participate in the prayers, recitals or songs. I had lumps and jitters everywhere. Several others were on the roof top with me some swimming and some soaking in the Jacuzzi. The Hotel had laid on coffee/tea and biscuits all free and quite superb.

I went on the rooftop to write my memories of the day before but got captivated by the view. The sun was now just over and to the right of the furthest right Opera House fin. I took a picture and nodded solemnly at the vista. Everyone else was at peace too. The hotel we were in was in ‘The Rocks’ area of town and virtually right under the southern freeway end of the Sydney Harbour Bridge – imagine ! I promise I’ll never see anything like it again.

By 6.30, it was ‘Gabba time’. So I launched myself downstairs and began packing for my life. I woke Jan with some coffee and bickies and we checked out catching a 7.30 taxi to Sydney Domestic and caught the 9am flight to Briza. Everything was going like clockwork. Farewell Syd for a few days, Briza here we go.

We landed in Briza early and thoughts turned to making the start time at 10am. Although the flight was 90 mins, we gained time due to time zone changes and met up with Adrian and Kevin our driver by 9.30. He took us to the Gabba. The floodlights were soon in view and Barmy Armie chants were spinning through my head. We got dropped off right on kick-off time and Jan went off to explore the City with Susan - Adrian’s partner.

Through Gate 4, I handed in my Sydney Opera House ticket by mistake and the chap never noticed. Up to Section 47, and in my seat in the 2nd/3rd over. Aggers wasn’t in sight.

‘The Armie’ were immediately on the attack and England batsmen on the cautious defensive. After settling down for 15-20 mins bang, bang. Butcher and Trescothick out in the space of 4 balls. Butcher was like a rabbit in the lights to be fair and I was surprised he’d made 50.

‘Creepie’ came in and looked awful, scratchin’ around and only playing virtually 2 shots on the offside ‘til lunch. We were well happy at 230’ish for 3 at lunch and Nassa at least was getting stuck in (he needed to!) So a healthy 70 partnership in place. We celebrated with some lites and made easy and friendly banter with a couple x-headmasters and a couple from Preston - they loved my Blackpool shirt !

After lunch, Nassa was clearly trying to boss things. He went for his 50 with one of the best hook shots I’ve ever seen receiving only casual interest from McGrath down at ‘Express corner’ (deep fine leg). Great catch by the spectator incidentally who won accolades all around the ground.

We looked set to make a fair total when McGrath (who else) and Gillespie (I thought he was their best player today) struck and a West Indian callapso ensued. I felt Giles wasn’t out but having been in a strongish position we were now panicking and offered a lead of 160’ish and it was game over. 6(7) wickets in under 90 minutes and batting to tea even proved impossible - more extraordinarily the Aussies were out there again and smashing totheir hearts content.

Just like the Aussies if the first 4/5 batsmen don’t make runs the rest sulk and follow, them shoulders drooped like wounded soldiers. Everyone around me (half of us were from the UK out of the 21,000 crowd) sensed the kill was on. Caddick and Hoggard tried but it was all over once Hayden was set.

At tea I caught a TV crew interviewing another Preston fan so I jumped up and down to put him off and explained to the producer that ‘the future was bright !’ which cheered up a few passin’ POMS.

The last session drifted away from us but there was the comfort blanket of the BA. They sang their hearts out. They were never defeated and the Aussies really admired them. One chap (dressed as a ‘Sheila’) was escorted out of the ground. "We’ve got 3 dollars to the pound" was sung over n’ over and boy the beer was flowing over there.

Day 3 - moments of the Day

Champagne moment - one handed catch by the spectator off Nassa’s 6.

Bitter moment - Alec Stewart of Surrey (what’s he in the team for?}

MCC’s MoTM = The Barmie Armie

Oz MoTM = "Mattie Hayden’ the Q/lander and

Loser of the Match = Of course, Nassa - ‘The Bloke couldn’t hurt a fly !’ - The papers said on the morning of the 4th day.

Dislike of the day - Anything we do good or half good gets serious Boos from the Aussie’s - given that on Day 4 there were more than us than them.

Event of the day - our after match BBQ in Carindale, Briza

Day 4 - A day down at Noosa Surf - Luppers reporting

I have to confess I couldn’t stomach the last day but had no idea it was going to be the surrender it proved to be - Aggers may supply more as he went to witness it but I couldn’t face any more. So I went sightseeing down Noosa where the commentary teams were heading on the 5th day. Surely the HQ boys would have shown more mettle - any views from back home?

Conclusion - I have to confess it was a fantastic experience - just when we appeared to be getting back into the match we changed down a couple of gears and the Aussies took over - On to the 2nd test - I hope we get better but all the news reports were broadcasting a 5-0 'kanga-wash'.

TTFN

Luppers