the importance of being Pup

Canine fanciers,

The importance of MJ Clarke’s knock at Leeds can’t be overestimated.
In fact, when he got out to a lazy shot to a sub-standard delivery, found myself exclaiming, “well bugger me, Pup’s just gone and won the Ashes single-handedly”.
Never mind that he didn’t reach triple figures, by then the England bowlers were toast -- well and truly cremated, put through the grinding machine, and turned into a fine dust.
Sure, all credit to the North Kiddie on another ton, but North is a collector of runs, rather than a scorer of runs, who was expertly managed by Clarke with tip top strike rotation in a 150-run partnership.
You have to remember when Pup arrived at the crease at 4/151, nothing was certain, and after losing the toss on day one, he never expected to be batting anyway.
Would have much rather continued to graze on lamingtons in the pavilion.
On day two, Pup dispatched anything a millimetre outside middle down the leg side with a cracking leg drive, or stylishly pulled away the rubbish to the boundary.
Never troubled for Best in Show.
Carrying a dose of Shagger’s Side Strain would have reminded him he was alive after every stroke, and getting donged on the head is always a good wake up call during an innings, too!
Probably said to himself as he rubbed his forehead “mmm, better keep watching the ball”.
Forget those who will tell you it was a more balanced Strayan bowling attack that won the match – you still need the runs, and plenty of them, on the board.
Of course there are calls for a witch hunt to determine which selector[s] voted against playing Clark No-E from day one at Cardiff, but the Pom batting line up at Headingley always looked terribly terribly weak on paper, with a very very long tail, and so it turned out to be in reality.
No Freddie. No KP. No cigar, Engerland.
It’s as simple as that.