Ian Chappell comments

I watched an amazing afternoon's cricket today between Australia and Sri Lanka at the SCG. Australia lost 3 early wickets and then Ricky Ponting and Andrew Symonds came in to take the score at stumps to 5 for 368. Their aggression was stunning. The game was eventually convincingly won by Australia. A record high one-day total with Symonds achieving a record maximum score at the SCG. With a partnership of 237, Ponting and Symonds surpassed Australia's previous one-day best of 234. Michael Clarke cracked an unbeaten 54 and Mike Hussey added 23 from eight balls. On the negative side for Sri Lanka, Muthiah Muralitharan, perhaps one of the world's greatest spin bowlers (although probably a chucker) got smashed about the ground for career-worst figures of 0 for 99 off 10 overs.

But bloody Chappell. He may have been a great batsman but intelligent cricket commentatior he isn't. With Ponting and Symonds both batting, both having got their centuries, he opines gravely, "Sri Lanka really must break up this partnership..." and he sounds so private-school serious about the deep meaning and significance of such obvious statements. Even Bill Lawry's "cool as a cucumber" and "got him" inanies drive me less crazy than bloody Chappell.

Am I already a cranky bold man? Commentators like Chappell annoy me more than people paying money for bottled water or refrigerators that connect to the Web. His inanities detracted from my pleasure at the great Australian performance.