Phakathi kokuphazanyiswa kukhenketho lwe-Ashes kuza enye ibhombu yenyikima - umntu ohamba phambili kwisingesi sesiNgesi kwisizukulwane esinike itikiti lakhe.
Ewe iyinyani- uGraeme Swann uxele umhlala-phantsi wakhe kwangoko. Yintoni ilahleko enkulu. USwann wayengumdlali obalaseleyo, okhuphiswano, umlo kunye nomntu ojikeleze iqela. Akwazi nokuba abe ilulwane ngendlela efanelekileyo ngeenxa.
Ukuba uyithathile 255 iiwiki kwimisebenzi yakhe yovavanyo emthunzini ophantsi 30 ipisi, irekhodi yakhe khona ukuze yonke ukubona kwaye izakuba nzima kakhulu ukuba indawo kuye. Njengamaxesha onke eNgilani akukho mgceni wabakhenkethi bevala umnyango ukuya endaweni yakhe. Ngaba oko kuthetha ukuba sibuyele emva kwimihla yokuhlala sikhetha i-twirler xa isitayile sivumela kunokukhetha kuqala?
Ngokuqinisekileyo kujongeka njalo - uMonty ngaphambili ubonakalisile iimpawu zokuba ngumntu ogcwalisa indawo. Kodwa umva lowo awayeka? Elula impendulo ngalo mzuzu kuba akukho mntu.
Iphakamisa umbuzo oxhalabisayo malunga nokuba kuqhubeka ntoni kwigumbi lokunxiba laseNgilane. Baye banikezela nje uthuthu kwaye ndiyazibuza ukuba ingaba omnye okanye abanye ababini banokulandela umkhondo weSwann. Kukho ngokucacileyo ukungoneliseki. Swann ngasekho. UTrott akanakuze abuye. Ingaba Pieterson elandelayo? Ngaphambi kokuba usebenze kakubi kwaye ulicala elingalunganga le 30. Ngaba yena saphetha kwakunye? Mhlawumbi noJimmy Anderson njengokubheja ngaphandle?
Lonke uqikelelo lwekhosi kunye nethemba lokuqagela elibanzi kumanqaku. Nawuphi na umlandeli waseNgilani onqwenela ukuba yenzeke kufuneka ajonge kumzekelo wecala lase-Australia eliqaqambileyo elaphulukana nabona bakhonzi babo babalaseleyo ngexesha elinye kwaye ngokukhawuleza bazigxothe iingcinga ezinjalo.. Ngama-Antipodeans aphumeleleyo, IHayden, Langer, Gillchrist, UWarne noMcGrath bonke bashenxisiwe kwaye icala lasokola kakubi ngenxa yoko. Indaleko hayi inguquko yinto efunekayo. Umlo wokuthatha indawo yeSwann uza kuba ngumlo onzima ngokwawo-ndiyathemba ukuba ngenxa yeqela akukho nzima ngokuba endaweni yesiqingatha seqela.
“Ibhola epinki ibonakala ingwevu / luhlaza ngombala obomvu / oluhlaza, kuxhomekeke kubukhali bayo. Ndenze ulinganiso ngobumfama bombala…”