New Year's Eve Doubleheader

CJ departs for the Oval to secure good seats in the Bodyline Bar.  Today's women's match features the three best woman players in the game.  This will be a fun match.

 

Below is the Sydney Sixer's captain Ellyse Perry.  She is by far the best player in the WBBL.  She is an amazing batter and one heck of a great bowler also. In today's match unfortunately she is just enough better than our Sophie Devine to lead the Sixers to victory 

When the home team scores a boundary, either a four or a six, the scoreboard erupts.

 

Carol joins at 1530 for the end of the match and the long wait to the start of the men's match. Steve Boothe's friend is her with his partner, Wendy.  Carol and Wendy have a chat.

Between the women's and men's matches there is a band, the Aboriginal's pay respect to the ground, and the Striker's take the field.

 

We watch the Strikers bat and depart the Oval shortly after eight to beat the fireworks closure of the footbridge back across the river.

 I love these shots where you can see the ball after being hit.

We must leave the Oval around eight in order to get across the Footbridge before they close it at 8:30.  Last year we didn't know about the closure and lucked out.  We entered the bridge two minutes before they closed it behind us.  Shown are the crowds lining the Torrens River waiting for the fireworks

 By the time we cross the Footbridge, Elder Park is full and the bands are entertaining in full swing.

 These are the fireworks barges spaced along the River Torrens.

During the match we are informed that Rashid overnight has lost his father.  Even though he plays his usual great match, everyone can tell he's hurting.  Normally when he takes a wicket he celebrates with his signature airplane move.  Tonight there is NO celebration and quite a somber and reserved attitude.  Striker's fans should be thankful that he has the character to participate and still take two wickets. Damn we love this guy!

We watch the Striker's bowl from the apartment on television.

The evening is rounded out with Adelaide's 9pm and Sydney midnight fireworks at 1130 Adelaide time. The Sydney fireworks are the most impressive we've ever seen.  They seem to get better every year.

 

 

There is a massive line of taxis running the length of North Terrace.  The longest we've seen before this evening is just below our apartment.  This evening the line continues up North Terrace under the Morphett St. bridge, past the UniSA building and the University of Adelaide building; and that doesn't count the taxi drivers cutting the line.

At both 9pm and midnight the Adelaide evening sky erupts; just off our balcony.  We've rarely had this view of fireworks.