You’re eleven years old. Cricket is everything.
Australia have always been the ones. The winners. The dominators.
It’s an Ashes series, at home. You were too young too remember much of the last one at home, too young to stay up for the last one away.
You’ve barely had the chance to see Australia play tests before. It doesn’t matter, you know all the players, all their stats, all the lore.
You know who you most want to watch.
England are the best they’ve been in years, decades even, but he’s at the top of his game too. There’s a sparkle in his eyes when the ball is in his hand. He has them all on a string. He spins the ball further than you can imagine possible. But just as much as the turn, it’s the personality that bowls them out, too.
He’s captivating.
When he has the ball, something happens.
You can’t look away.
You weren’t born when he bowled the ball of the century to Gatting. He bowls another one to Strauss while you watch, open mouthed, asking how it’s possible.
That’s just one of 40 wickets he takes that summer. Of 195 he takes against England. Of 708 he takes overall.
Bowled, Shane.
