Drummoyne cricket

Another sunny day in Sydney so decided to go and watch a T20 cricket match but this time as a neutral with no particular allegiance to either side.

A tv crew were down at McMahons Point for the weather forecast. For those that do not know, an Australian forecast consists of reading out today's expected maximum temperatures in your state. There is no actual discussion about the weather.

 

Drummoyne oval used to be beautiful until a concrete tsunami arrived. This was a harbour view.

 

Today it is the NSW Breakers v ACT Meteors

 

Looking over to Drummoyne Park

 

Action on the pitch

 

Drummoyne is quite close to Sydney airport but as the wind was in the north there was just the odd A380 flying over after takeoff.

 

NSW batswoman in the action

 

Here is your typical Aussie girl operating the scoreboard whilst sitting right in front of it so nobody can see it.

 

The ACT Meteors won in a close match. NSW neede to score five from the last three balls. They got one run on the next ball and then two wickets were taken as attempted fours resulted in excellent field catches. This was despite the Breakers having Blackwell, Poulton, Coyte, Healy, Osbourne and Sthalekar in their team, all of whom play for Australian national side.

 

The view from Drummoyne ferry wharf

 

The wharf

 

Nearly home

 

Peewit

Super Servant 3

Over the weekend there was a large and strange looking ship in the harbour. I wondered what it was and why it was moored off Point Piper. I used a great website that shows marine activity to discover what was going on.
The ship is Super Servant 3 and it delivers and collects luxury yachts and motor cruisers from all around the world. It arrived in Sydney and then partially submerges so that all the boats on its previously dry decks can float off and be delivered to their owners. It then takes on a new collection of boats before pumping out its water tanks and rising up like a phoenix. On the the marine website I saw several motor cruisers (one was named Elisa) go down the harbour and merge into Super Servant's deck. It must cost a few bob to transport boats in this way but obviously there are some that can afford to do it

My first sighting of Super Servant 3 whilst returning home on a ferry from Circular Quay. It is the red ship in the distance.

 

Once back home I zoomed in on it with my compact camera

 

A bit later my favourite steamboat passed by my window.

 

On Sunday morning I took a stroll down to Kirribilli and took these pictures along the way

 

 

 

 

Peewit

Lend Lease at Barangaroo

I took this photo yesterday on 28th January 2011.
It was taken from the reserve at McMahons Point and shows the current skyline at Barangaroo and Darling Harbour. The tower is for the Maritime authority and is where the shipping radar is housed.

Barangaroo skyline 28/01/2011

 

Lend lease are about to obliterate the skyline with tower blocks, offices and a hotel despite the wishes of the majority. I will take another picture in one year and we will be able to see the impact of the development. Commercial interests seem to have overcome good sense and skullduggery is afoot to ensure that the project proceeds.

Peewit

V8 supercar driving experience

Part of the Barangaroo wharf was used for a fund raising event in aid of flood relief. The V8 Supercar driving experience was won by members of the public who bid online at eBay for the experience.

The V8 car negotiates the temporary circuit

 

The hospitality area for the auction winners

 

Unfortunately Lend Lease are about to decimate the Barangaroo wharf and turn it into tower blocks with hotels, shops, and offices. The buildings will be so high that they will suddenly block out a lot of currently clear skyline and cause massive shadows across the harbour. The building where I live currently is a bit of a blot on the landscape and I thought that it would not be allowed to be built in current times. It seems that I am wrong and that all sorts of skullduggery is afoot so that the Barangaroo developement is going ahead despite the wishes of the majority.

Australia Day

Wednesday was Australia day. It was a warm and foggy start to the day. The fog cleared to some extent but it was still hazy when the ferry race in the harbour got under way

 

Competitors

 

Flotilla

 

Winner

 

Traffic jam

 

Fog returns to the city

 

Tug assisted turn

 

Hornet overhead

 

F/A-18. I am surprised it turned up. Usually if there is a whisp of cloud the air force chicken out.

 

Red berets

 

Dropping in to Farm Cove

 

Darling Harbour fireworks

 

Peewit

Test match special

I have spent four days watching a test match at Bankstown. It was the Ashes test match between the women's teams of Australia and England.
Bankstown is about a 45 minute train ride west of Sydney. The town centre is a mixture of Lebanese and Vietnamese shops.
It was hot and sunny throughout the four days of play. Having seen on tv the England women play five T20 games against Australia and win the series 4-1, I was looking forward to a good match.

The field of play

 

Bankstown oval

 

The England openers come onto the field

 

After lunch it was time to get back to work

 

At the end of Day One England were 181 for 8 with Charlotte Edwards on 103 not out.

Team photo at the start of Day Two

 

Team talk

 

England were all out for 207 in the first innings with Charlotte Edwards unbeaten on 114.

Lauran Griffiths has to stretch for that one

 

Australia were on 159 for 9 when they declared which was a bit of a surprise.

Our bowlers warm down having had a good day.

 

At the start of Day Three the scores were England 207 & 9 for 0, Australia 159 for 9 declared.
Edwards strikes out

 

Pressure

 

At the end of Day Three the scores were England 207 & 149, Australia 159-9 dec & 29-1

So as the last day began if England needed to get nine wickets and not allow Australia to score more than 168 runs during the day.
Wickets were hard to come by but Australia were scoring very slowly during the morning.
Charlotte Edwards was injured whilst fielding and she awaits to rejoin after treatment

 

At lunch it was still anyone's game.
However during the afternoon we just could not get any wickets despite multiple appeals for LBW and run outs. It seemed like the umpires were giving nothing, unlike the day before when England were batting and they were putting their finger up for everything.
Australia get the winning run

 

It's all over and Australia win back the Ashes

 

Our captain Charlotte Edwards thanks the team for their efforts

 

The England team stand back in disappointment

 

The winners

 

England seemed to be in a winning position for most of the first three days but a hat-trick by Australia turned the game and then we just could not get the wickets on the last day. It was a valiant effort for no reward. At least I will get to see them play again in the UK during the summer.

Peewit