by Steven Lynch at Sydney
Thursday, January 2, 2002

The Sydney press-box, perched high in the Bradman Stand near the pavilion, is one of the few where the newspaper journalists sit cheek-by-jowl with the broadcast boys. At Melbourne, for example, the Channel 9 TV team is hermetically sealed several floors away from the print media.

So when there's an interval, there's a steady flow of former Test players lining up for the tea and pies. At Melbourne, Merv Hughes's girth suggested he'd been tucking into most of the latter, but here it was possible to assemble a pretty handy England team from the assembled diners.

There's Mike Atherton (Lancashire and Channel 4) to open, along with his longtime sparring partner Graham Gooch (tour host). Perhaps with Mike Gatting at 3 – Gatt, another here with a tour party, typically arrived in the box just as tea was laid out.

Sublime batsman turned Sky anchorman David Gower would be next in, with Tony Greig (Channel 9) at No. 5 and that Botham fellow (Sky) to follow.

Sky-high Sky man Bob Willis would have to take the new ball, with the newspapers to provide the back-up seam – perm two from three of Angus Fraser (Middlesex and The Independent), Mike Selvey (Middlesex and The Guardian) and Derek Pringle (Essex and the Daily Telegraph). Dean Headley was another to smell the food, so Jonathan Agnew (BBC) and Paul Allott (Sky) would have to take it in turns to be 12th man.

All we need is a wicketkeeper – maybe David Lloyd (Sky) could be pressed into service, although Bob Taylor is knocking around somewhere with another tour group. We're also a bit short of spin, but the pace attack might do a passable impression – they're not quite as sleek as they were in their heyday

The opposition? Well the Aussies do have a keeper, in Wisden.com's own Ian Healy, and a handy spinner in Richie Benaud. The batting isn't too shabby either – Channel 9 provides Mark Taylor, Bill Lawry, Ian Chappell and Mark Waugh.

Pacemen? Geoff Lawson (ABC Radio) is knocking around, as is Simon O'Donnell. Kerry O'Keeffe, now an ABC commentator himself, can help Richie out with some leggies. And Merv's thought to be here somewhere, which may explain that missing plateful of pies ... Now there's a Test that's crying out to be played on a computer. No shortage of commentators to describe it, either.

Steven Lynch is editor of Wisden.com.

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