da apostebet： For Australia 2004 was a year of sad goodbyes, glorious hellos, welcome returns and another batch of envious records
da marjack bet： Peter English03-Jan-2005
Steve Waugh walks off after his final Test innings© Getty Images
For Australia 2004 was a year of sad goodbyes, glorious hellos, welcome returns and another batch of envious records. There was also time for stirringcomebacks from a side that has grown used to beingworld champions, and often needs challenges to wakethem. Three times they faced first-innings deficits ofmore than 90 in Sri Lanka that were merely detours onthe way to a sweaty whitewash. Someone always came tothe rescue.Unfortunately, nothing could save David Hookes. Hissad, violent and needless death on January 18 broughtgloom and a respect for his career that would havebeen missing if he had passed away in a retirement home.Two weeks earlier the whole of Australia felt like part of thelounge-room furniture was going to be missing whenSteve Waugh whirled 80 against India at the SCG in hisfinal innings. Waugh enjoyed a countrywide farewelltour while Hookes was remembered through traingraffiti, newspaper tributes and a court case inNovember against the bouncer accused of hismanslaughter.Keith Miller, the former Invincible, also passed away inOctober, and new generations learned about the manytreasured deeds of Australia’s greatest allrounder.Typically for a man with film-star aura, Miller’sMelbourne funeral drew an A-list congregation, andleft only six survivors from the 1948 tour.
David Hookes’s violent end was one of the saddest moments of the year© Getty Images
Australia head to England this winter still marvellingat their predecessors’ unbeaten run. And this is aside familiar with streaks. For the first time a teamwon five series in a calendar year as Australia tickedoff Sri Lanka (twice), India, New Zealand and Pakistan.It was an achievement made possible by programming andan efficient new style under Ricky Ponting’scaptaincy.With Waugh returning to his slippers and home life,Ponting was sitting on the throne tipped for him inhis teens. Despite the overall success, Pontingsuffered an induction of disruption and was aspectator for the year’s biggest thrill – Australia’sfirst series win in India for 35 years. The prizeWaugh wanted most, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, wassealed under the leadership of Adam Gilchrist.Ponting suffered a broken thumb in the Champions’Trophy semi-final loss to England and it allowedAustralia to prepare for the future. After muchdeliberation the selectors settled on Michael Clarkeinstead of Brad Hodge. It was a magnificent move asClarke, 23, gave a debut performance full of wonder,with hints of Doug Walters. He followed his 151 atBangalore with a home debut century at the Gabba, anda team with an average age in the 30s finally had ayoung pup.While Clarke was the discovery in India, Damien Martynplayed the hero with two centuries and a ninety in thesecond and third Tests. Martyn, Jason Gillespie andrain ensured a fighting draw at Chennai, and Australiasealed the series at Nagpur. The celebrations wereanimated and the hangover lasted through the year’splaying blight, a low-scoring dead-rubber loss on anawful Mumbai pitch.
Justin Langer had a glorious 2004, scoring an amazing 1481 Test runs© Getty Images
New Zealand and Pakistan arrived to close the year andwere shut out. Again the cheer was all Australia’s,Justin Langer finishing 2004 with 1481 runs and Martyn with1353, while Shane Warne collected 70 wickets.Warne’s return was spectacular as he chased MuttiahMuralitharan for his world record. Ending his one-yeardrugs ban with 26 wickets in Sri Lanka, Warne equalledMurali in the drawn Test at Cairns, and finally passedhim at Chennai, where he wore red-striped spikes tocolour the moment.Another great also took his first steps after a longlay-off. Ankle operations ruled Glenn McGrath out fora year and he considered retirement before taking fivewickets against Sri Lanka at Darwin. The tentativenessstayed until he reached India but by the end of thetour he was again the attack’s leader, and his 8 for24 against Pakistan at the WACA were the second-bestfigures by an Australian.With Warne and McGrath restored as bowling saviours,Australia’s ageing side was complete. The finalfrontier had been conquered, but in 2005 they mustcover old ground. Finding new motivation may becomethis side’s greatest challenge.Top performersJustin Langer An amazing year for a batsman who can’t lose the tagof gritty grafter. His 1481 runs, including five hundreds and four fifties, were the second-most by an Australian in a calendar year and they amply made up for the relatively lean times that Hayden and Ponting had.Shane Warne A year out of the game at 34 could have forced hisretirement. Instead he landed in Sri Lanka ready tofire and broke the world record in India. His nexttarget is 600 Test wickets; his ability to bamboozleremains untarnished.Peter English is Australasian editor ofCricinfo.
