Slow and steady doesn't win the race

It looks like the Aussies might have let the trophy get away from them in the last session yesterday, and I put the blame firmly at Ponting's feet. Not because he tried to keep the over rate up, though, but for letting it slip to start with. Bowling the appropriate number of overs in a day is a requirement of the playing conditions and code of conduct. Deliberately wasting time can and should be considered cheating. Those who have observed the Australian team's fondness for other "sharp practices" would reach the conclusion that he bowled part-timers not for the sake of the spirit of the game, but so that he would not be banned. But surely such motivation is the point of the penalties in the first place. Would we be happy if players decided to run on the pitch near the end of a game, because the series was in the balance and the next game didn't matter?

So, some questions, firstly for the Australian selectors:
Can we please keep Ponting as a batsman, and choose a captain who doesn't spend an eternity making each (usually bad) bowling or fielding decision? The over rate issue might suddenly disappear!

And for the ICC:
Why aren't other dodgy practices mentioned in the code of conduct punished as rigorously as over rates?

And for the MCC with the ICC:
Is there a way to sensibly implement penalties in a way that affects the match in question, to avoid any conflict between following the rules and winning the game? It hasn't been done with over-rates, and the ball-tampering rule suggests that it can't be done well.

Cricket team again

Not having Casson is bad enough, but picking White ahead of Stuart Clark?? Clark was a big missing ingredient in the second test, and took quite a few wickets "from the other end" in the third. The selectors have a lot to answer for.

Customer service

Words heard frequently in office conversations:

Coogee Bay Hotel
Melbourne Cup
gelato
cancer
faeces
36 degrees
waste

The Sydenham Dash

You can't have a real trip from Town Hall to Marrickville without it. It probably makes the trip even quicker than the direct train in the morning. Especially when the train gets stuck in the flying crossovers. Particularly when it avoids getting stuck by suddenly taking the City Circle via Museum...

Australian cricket team

It's looking quite different to previous years. They might regret not taking Beau Casson.

In a glasshouse

As you may be aware, there is a problem with the air-conditioning...

It would be hard not be aware! At least the building overheating when it's hot outside is a change from my office in London, which usually overheated in winter and required gloves in summer.

Disenfranchised

A year ago, I was enrolled to vote on two sides of the world, one where I wasn't a citizen and one where I didn't live. This year, there's no voting for me at all. Whatever the state of the electoral roll, I had left London by the time the city elected the wacky Bozza Johnson as Mayor. Now, with local government elections in New South Wales, tomorrow, I find that I moved into my council area after the rolls had closed. Even if I were inclined to vote at my previous address, I couldn't, since the current council has been re-elected unopposed.