Good one!

But there is an obvious lack of films about cricket. The test arena would surely provide great drama, especially when you think what can be achieved in character and development over five days. I’m not surprised the Americans haven’t made one since it is still a minority sport over there but I’m surprised nothing has emerged from the UK. Perhaps UK production companies are afraid of the value of such a film overseas (particularly America) even though, strangely enough, baseball (one of the USA’s biggest sports) is played only at a semi-professional level in England and gets no TV coverage at all, yet we love a good baseball movie. The same could be said for American Football.

Unsurprisingly India has made a number of cricket films over the last ten years although I have yet to see them myself.

For me personally, the greatest cricketing moment (and one worthy of a movie) was the 2-1 Ashes win in 2005. I didn’t expect it, I don’t think anyone did, so it was a great achievement. It was even better knowing how good that Australian team was – hence the whitewash 18 months later! And yes, we rode our luck!

You are right in your observation that someone should make a film about Oz cricket. Personally, if I was a writer type, I’d do something on the 1981 Ashes series in the UK, when Botham (arguably the greatest cricketer ever to have walked the Earth) threw in the captaincy after match 2 and then more or less won the whole thing single handed. What was interesting from an Oz POV was:
(1) The selectors chose some really dud players for the tour (including Trevor Chappell)
(2) They didn’t play the right guys at the right time during the first three matches (namely Martin Kent and Dirk Wellham)
(3) The whole thing was, in part, orchestrated to disgrace fill in Oz captain Kim Hughes.

FYI, I reckon the best cricket team ever assembled (outside of the West Indies circa 1975-1988) was the English one that won the fifth test of the 1981 series against Australia. Talk about depth of talent.

@ Mark – Howzat screens later this month (or early next, there’s no word yet – only “after the Olympics”) but I’m over it already. I totally forgot about Bodyline, which was a great mini-series and well worth a look.

For example, how’s this piece of classic dialogue:

Upset English Captain (Jardine?) to Aussie Captain: “One of your players called me a bastard”

Aussie Captain (to his team in the dressing room) “Okay, which one of you bastards called this bastard a bastard?”

They don’t write them like that these days.

Am I right is saying the biggest sports – most watched/supported – in Australia are Aussie rules football and cricket? Where does rugby factor in? While making this list I couldn’t think of any films about cricket…surely there’s scope for a good against all odds story…

(10) The Club

(9) Coolangatta Gold

(8) Phar Lap

Yeah Rodney, you’re right – that’s about it… there are, however, a couple of miniseries that help make up the shortfall, namely:

(7) That one about Bradman and Bodyline (it might have been called Bodyline)

(6) Howzat … not sure if it’s been on yet, but I’m not sitting thru another show about Kerry Packer after the Womans’ Weekly thing.

Still not there. What about some possible Aussie script ideas:

(1) Alan Jones coaching the nation’s rugby side back in the 1980s (where he makes all of the players wear tight black shorts)
(2) Ben Cousins and his fall from grace (where he gets dad to stand at a bus stop at 4 in the morning while he goes off looking for drugs)
(3) Something about the winning of the America’s Cup in 1983 (this may have already been done, being culturally significant and all).
(4) Something about how the Chappell brothers helped stab cricket in the back (now that would be good).