I promise this is not a post about the game of cricket.
If it were, I know I might run the risk of a sizeable portion of the readership of this blog (I’m thinking here mostly of female and overseas followers) clicking off – maybe forever, never to return.
This is a post instead dedicated to saluting ingenious plot lines in television shows – one show in particular. Before launching into that however, and since I’m already on the general playing field, I thought I’d chance a comment directed at saying how much I enjoyed this summer of cricket’s Ashes series.
For those unaware, The Ashes are a series of cricket matches played between Australia and England. They represent one of sport’s oldest rivalries, the first game being played in 1882. Australia won convincingly the 2017/2018 series 4-0 (one match ended in a tie). Overall, the gap between the two countries for victories is very narrow. Of the 70 Ashes series played down through the years, Australia have won 33, England 32 with five series being declared a draw.
During this most recent summer of cricket, ABC Television had the good sense to run a cricket themed episode of MIDSOMMER MURDERS (a British detective series that’s been going since 1997).
The episode, titled LAST MAN OUT, featured a character murdered by the most unusual means. Fastened sucurely to the far end of an indoor cricket net, a bowling machine set on maximum speed then unleashed a procession of rockhard cricket balls – at ten second intervals – at the helpless victim, unable to move, in excess of 100 km an hour. A direct hit in the heart region is ruled the cause of death by the coroner in the show.
Not sure what a cricket bowling machine is? ALLOW ME
I recall sitting through some pretty creatively choregraphed deaths while watching the slasher flicks of the 80’s (including one where Jason Vorhees (Friday the 13th) picked up by the feet a teenage camper still in his sleeping bag and repeatedly flung him against the trunk of a tree, like you would if you were dusting off a carpet mat. But death by bowling machine? I guess compared to the sleeping bag method you could at least call it a little more ‘team sports’ or ‘high performance’ orientated. If you had to. Compare, that is.
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Scenic Writer's Shack 
Hi Glenn,
It is interesting to know that we are very close in the number of Ashes we have won compared to England. I’m not a cricket fan but I will cheer on Australia in any sport.
I can read about murder in Sci-Fi fantasy novels but find it gruesome in straight murder mysteries…not sure why?
Have you watched any of the Handmaiden’s Tale? It certainly portrays a disturbing society.
Cheers, Michelle
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Apparently, the first season (10 episodes) aired on Pay TV to overwhelming critical and popular acclaim last year and Season Two will air during 2018 – all based on Canadian author Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel.
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Interesting read as always. SWS all the way in 2018!
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I’m waiting for the shirt to come out so I can alternate between the new work polo and the SWS one.
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SWS?
If that stands for SCENIC WRITER’S SHACK I’m with you all the way.
If SWS stands for SEDUCE WITH STYLE I’ll be trying to do that in 2018 as well!
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Would you actually wear a shirt with SEDUCE WITH STYLE on it?
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If it was cheap I would!!
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You’re saying you’re cheap?
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When it comes to clothes I am lol.
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I call that thrifty.
And I respect that.
Tee hee..
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Love that show, the older series though. I must have missed this one about the bowling machine being used as a murder weapon? OUCH!
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Hi Robyn,
This episode aired just two weeks ago on the ABC.
And can you believe it – the whole episode is already on Youtube for all to see.
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Ah, Midsommer, a place to be avoided, judging by the weekly body count! It’s a series my wife and I watch regularly. Some brilliantly imaginative plots and murder devices. I particularly like the one where a victim is pegged out on his lawn with Croquet hoops and done to death by a ballista firing bottles of his own collection of vintage wine at him!
It’s great ‘cosy crime’ always presented with a modicum of humour and tongue-in-cheek attitude.
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And here’s me thinking Croquet belonged to the ‘gentle sports’ category!
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