Qais Ahmed in Alice's Wonderland

G'day

Last week we enjoyed a fascinating holiday in the red hot centre of Australia....Alice Springs. A small town in the midst of  rare desert beauty the tourism highlight being a visit to the wondrous Uluru [previously Ayres Rock] . 

During our stay coincidentally there was a Big Bash fixture at Alice's Traeger Park. My but it was a hot day , a stifling 45 degrees and part of me wondered if the game would be played. Despite the thermometer reading it was not too bad in the sense that the humidity level was low so the match proceeded. 

Cricket Australia have a policy of taking matches to "the country" and quirkily it was Tasmanian's Hobart Hurricanes who hosted Sydney Sixers. Derbyshire recruits w/k Ben McDermott of HH and Sean Abbott of SS faced each other.  I'd had a brief word with Ben at breakfast as the players of both sides were staying at our hotel. He was affable and said he was looking forward to playing for Derbyshire his pronunciation of which was as Americans say Kentucky "Derby" which made me smile.

Abbott bowled well to take 3-20 as the hosts notched 129-9 [20] with Aussie spinner cum pinch hitter D'Arcy Short striking an invaluable 51 on a bowler friendly surface. Sydney Sixers collapsed to an embarrassing 104 all out succumbing to the mesmeric spin of 19 year old Afghan cricketer Qais Ahmed 4-12 who looks a star in the making. Surrey's Tom Curran and Hampshire's James Vince played for Sydney Sixers without making much of an impression. 

The Traegar Park ground is close to the majestic MacDonnell ranges and there were almost 2,000 spectators at the game. 

Cheers,

Andy