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Ashes Confidential: Ashes stage celebration, plus tennis star Eugenie Bouchard has a hit with Aussie cricketer George Bailey, gets unusual gift

ASHES CONFIDENTIAL: The Ashes have finished on a sour note with Australia slammed for a ‘classless’ victory celebration following their Ashes triumph, plus Canadian tennis star Eugenie Bouchard meets her match.

Staff writers
4 min read
January 8, 2018 - 3:58PM
Eugenie Bouchard poses with a cricket bat.
Eugenie Bouchard poses with a cricket bat.

AUSTRALIA has reclaimed the Ashes.

But the series, which has at times been plagued by on and off-field nastiness, ended on a sour note.

Aussie captain Steve Smith walked up on stage to collect his player-of-the-series award after smashing a series-high 687 runs at 137.4 from his five Tests.

But it was the backdrop on the dais, which had some bullish nature to it, that caught the attention of cricket fans.

A giant blue hand - coloured like the Australian flag - holding up four fingers was behing Smith. On the other side of the stage was a closed fist - indicating a zero - in England’s colours.

The backdrop certainly didn’t go unnoticed.

The bold move had some on-lookers wondering: Was Cricket Australia even prepared for a draw in the fifth Test?

Yes, CA was.

A hand holding up three figures was found at the SCG, just in case Australia’s bowlers failed to pull off the day-five victory.

Still, even to have the series result represented by two hands on the end-of-series-dais was a confident move by organisers.

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MITCH Marsh must’ve been watching Richmond’s premiership celebrations very closely in 2017.

Because the emerging No. 6 batsman pulled off a celebratory move that would’ve made Tigers AFL star Jack Riewoldt proud.

When the Tigers secured their drought-breaking premiership in September last year, Riewoldt was snapped sneaking in a cheeky circle game sign.

Jack Riewoldt's cheeky sign after winning flag.
Jack Riewoldt's cheeky sign after winning flag.

The game, made famous by show Malcolm in The Middle, involves tricking people into looking at your finger and thumb shaped into a circle. If you looked, you’d cop a punch to the arm from the sign-maker.

So come the post-game Ashes celebrations — Aussie cricket’s equivalent of winning an AFL Grand Final — Marsh channelled his inner Riewoldt.

Check out the arm over Pat Cummins’ right shoulder in the below picture.

Well played, Mitch.

GENIE MEETS HER MATCH IN AUSSIE STAR

SHE’S one of the most glamorous tennis players on the planet, but Eugenie Bouchard is unlikely to make a code switch to join the WBBL any time soon.

Bouchard has, however, become the Big Bash’s latest high-profile fan — even if she doesn’t know what to do with her latest gift.

The Canadian star is in Hobart for the Hobart International as she continues her preparation for the Australian Open later this month, and she’s been warmly embraced by the Hurricanes and skipper George Bailey.

The pair hit the court for a spot of tennis — with Bouchard reportedly impressed by Bailey’s potent backhand.

“I was told this would be an easy hit, and he plays great. I was starting to sweat. He said he used to play and I could tell,” Bouchard told the Hobart Mercury.

The former Aussie T20 skipper then presented the world No.83 with a couple of gifts.

Needless to say she was a little confused by the late Christmas presents — a Hurricanes jersey and a cricket bat.

“Proud new owner of a cricket bat! Have no idea what to do with it, as per the confusion on my face,” she posted on Twitter.

“Thanks to @HurricanesBBL & George for the bat and jersey and quick swing lesson.”

The Hurricanes — who have risen from the bottom of the ladder with back-to-back wins and remain in the hunt for a finals spot — have certainly welcomed Bouchard into the family.

And she is firmly on board, even if cricket is far from her first-choice sport.

“Cricket is not a big thing where I am from, but I know it’s huge over here and in some other parts of the world. Whenever I travel, I see the hype,” Bouchard said.

“The bat is pretty heavy – it’s heavier than I expected. I’d love to go on a field and try it out some day. It’s super cool.”

ENGLAND’S PRE-GAME SOCCER STRATEGY QUESTIONED

ENGLAND start every day of play with a game of soccer as their warm-up - it’s as much a team-bonding exercise as it is a way to get the body limber for a day of Test cricket.

But the decision to run around chasing a soccer ball in the warm-up before days four and five at the SCG - the warmest they’ve faced all summer - left one England great scratching his head.

The mercury reportedly hit 57 degrees in the middle of the SCG on Sunday, but the players didn’t waver from their regular plan.

“They were playing football yesterday in the heat. I know it’s nice to play football in the morning, but go and get in the aircon, chill out and get your minds ready to bat,” Ashes-winning skipper Michael Vaughan said as England warmed up on Monday morning.

“...on a morning when you’re thinking about batting for a long period of time (it doesn’t make sense).

“You’ve got Moeen Ali, he’s running up the left wing there, you’ve got Jonny Bairstow up front. Yeah, nice football but I’d be in that dressing room having a cup of tea.”

Former England off-spinner Graeme Swann indicated there would be a bad reaction from the players if they were banned from playing soccer to start their day.

“Part of it is a camaraderie thing though – it’s a long tour. Trust me, I’ve been there when football gets banned,” Swann said.

“If you want to get a bit of ill feeling and ill discipline into the camp, these guys were ill disciplined enough at the start of the camp without making them even worse.”

Originally published as Ashes Confidential: Ashes stage celebration, plus tennis star Eugenie Bouchard has a hit with Aussie cricketer George Bailey, gets unusual gift

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Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/cricket/tennis-star-eugenie-bouchard-has-a-hit-with-aussie-cricketer-george-bailey-gets-unusual-gift/news-story/5a76ad55e943e23886d3c763614ccd6e