You are here

Gabba day one: Great moments in press licensing, er, freedom

Submitted by rickeyre on November 10, 2007 - 9:58am

Ah yes, the home Test cricket season has begun. All the familiar trappings of the opening day.

The quiet buzz of the crowd still finding their seats as the first ball of the day is bowled. The sedate crack of willow on leather which echoes around the stadium as the ball is struck defensively to the leg side. The same act repeated five more times as Phil Jaques blocks Chaminda Vaas' inswingers. The return of the drizzle at the end of the over, the covers are driven on as the players and umpires walk off.

Yes, it's summer again. None for none after one over, rain stopped play.

As Phil Jaques continued the quota requirement of two Sutherland players in the Australian eleven, the player of the day was off the field, a former Victorian fast bowler whose name is Sutherland.

Cricket Australia's CEO James Sutherland was in humble pie mode after his media officer said that News Limited newspapers were robbing community cricket to fill the coffers of Rupert Murdoch.

"No, no, Rupie, don't strike me down with lightning," is a summary of Sutho's remarks.

The underlying problem here arose when News Limited, Australian Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse all refused to pay Cricket Australia's Absolutely Fair And Reasonable Licensing Fee, payable for publishing news reports about the Test online.

This ABC Online report on the contretemps includes a photo of News Limited and AFP journalists at work on the Gabba Test in the Alternative Media Centre, otherwise known as the footpath. (The ABC is a paid-up broadcast rights holder.)

Reports from Peter Lalor (The Australian) and Robert Craddock (The Courier-Mail), while Reuters has plenty of cricket in India and South Africa to concentrate on. Thank goodness Elmo is not affected by the troubles.

Stumps, day one: Australia 242 for 3. Phil Jaques 100 and out. Mitchell Johnson baggy green 398. Muralitharan 703 not out.