Australia’s media wallowed in the Ashes humbling of old enemy England on Wednesday, saying “they urn-ed it” and the glory days are back.
The triumph was given prominent coverage, with the Sydney Daily Telegraph screaming “No mercy for the dismal Poms” while lavishing praise on Michael Clarke. Cricket writer Malcolm Conn called it the skipper’s finest hour.
“To pick up a cobbled-together side from the wreckage of poor Indian and England tours and reclaim the Ashes in such emphatic fashion is one of the great achievements in Australian cricket,” he said, after the home side took an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the series.
“Clarke and coach Darren Lehmann have not built a side with Australia’s next generation of stars, as Allan Border and coach Bob Simpson did through the late 80s to so surprisingly win the 1987 World Cup and 1989 Ashes.
“Instead, the current captain and coach have dragged a bunch of ageing hard heads out of the Last Chance saloon and given them an unexpected shot at glory.”
An ageing team finally coming good was a theme the Sydney Morning Herald also ran with, while simply stating “It’s ours” on its front page.
“Seldom can it be confidently stated that one moment is a highpoint in a sportsman’s career, but for a lot of this Australian team, nothing will match it because there is so little time left,” wrote Malcolm Knox.
