The Grade Cricketer 180. The Cricket Starts Now, with Ollie Pope
The harsh blue (grey) hue of the Brisbane sky, blazing sun, golden sponsors and Cameron Green’s size means we’ve finally arrived at The Ashes. Pez and Higgos reject a cold, clinical look at form and instead go big on things like feeling, vibe, narrative, stereotype and jingoism – for the optimal way to enjoy the Ashes is to couch it in colonial, cultural terms, rather than anything vaguely objective or fact-based.
As a result, we conclude Australia will cruise: despite not having won a Test series for a very long time, leadership in general tumult, and Smith changing his grip. The Visceral Minute returns and reflect this general approach to things “on both sides”, to invoke D Trump (who played 3s for Manhattan). We speak with Ollie Pope – who played Sydney Test Cricket with some distinction – and afterwards decide that we want him to play, because we are now known to him and want to lamely attach ourselves to his success like the weak little cucks we are.
Mt Foxmore’s Shane Warne sledges Mitch Starc again, Langer visits Paine, and Cummins is an astronaut. Meanwhile Ajaz Patel takes 10fer and we ask: what grade would he play here? The Sixers also beat a team with Zampa, Maxwell “and some clubbies”, because if you lose a BBL fixture it follows that you are carrying clubbies.
We pay tribute to Rob Aitken for his feat of 500 first grade games, a first-class player if there ever was one.
We include a special chat with CEO of Budgy Smugger, Adam Linforth, on building a proud Australian company and tubbing with the NSW Cricket Team.
#AskTGC is an overwritten lecture from the pulpit about the harsh realities of life as a millionaire sportsperson. We agree with the general premise.
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