He returned with thunder on his face

He returned with thunder on his face.Had the South Africans been obligingly tame the Australians might have been able to ride roughshod over them Instead they copied their hosts. He was charged with a level one offence which carried a maximum penalty of being fined half his match fee. The reprimand he received was the minimum penalty.The Board also summoned South Africa coach Mickey Arthur to explain his mild remarks about the injustices suffered by his side. In 20 overs of testy cricket, they managed to give yet another stinker, call a premature wide as Shane Warne directed his first ball down the leg-side and become involved in several long and unproductive conversations with the home captain.Nor can Chris Broad escape censure. In a belated attempt to improve discipline, he eventually reprimanded Brett Lee for some minor indiscretion.

Lee was in the wrong place at the wrong time.On a fourth day under glowering skies, Broad intervened again, reprimanding Glenn McGrath. The paceman was reported by the umpires for “using language that is obscene, offensive or insulting and/or the making of an obscene gesture” following an outburst in the 13th over of South Africa’s second innings. Umpires and match referee had an obligation to get play under way at the earliest opportunity.The match officials made matters worse with culpable errors on an abbreviated fourth day. Every entertainment worth a fig knows that the show must go on. Forty-five minutes were wasted as umpires twiddled their thumbs Already an hour had been lost to morning drizzle. Not even a vibrant offering from Herschelle Gibbs could save the match from falling into a pit.

Throughout, the air has been thick with tension: disrespect has pervaded every hour of every day; for umpires, match referee, spectators, opponents and the game itself Some of it has been justified Some of it has been needless

Madness has been rife. Tempers have been frayed, umpires have been weak and indecisive, a cheap shot from an idiot in the stands has been turned into a cause c?bre, a statement about the nation no less, play has been absurdly delayed, a coach has been punished for telling the truth and the match referee has seemingly lost his grip.
Where to start? The delay in resuming play after lunch was incomprehensible. All hell has broken loose at the SCG It has been a long time coming. Little could anyone realise that the same sense of adventure that enabled him to find obscure Pattern races abroad would one day propel him towards Churchill Downs.”I never lacked belief,” he said. “I had plenty of knocks during my time in Newmarket, too many really, and would have given up long ago if I didn’t have belief.

Sir Mark wrote to me after the Richmond and said: ‘All you ever needed was a chance.’ I am sure that is true of a lot of people, I was just lucky that I met John. He’s excited by the idea of taking this horse to America, but I won’t waste his money My approach has never changed We want to get the best out of every horse. If Silent Times belonged in a seller at Southwell, that is where he would be running.”How overseas runners have performed in the Kentucky Derby2002Johannesburg (Aidan O’Brien, Ireland) 8th – A champion two-year-old, who won all seven starts, but only ran once more after this disappointment.Essence Of Dubai (Saeed bin Suroor, Dubai) 9th – Had prepared with two wins in Dubai, but subsequently proved no better than a Grade 2 performer.Castle Gandolfo (Aidan O’Brien, Ireland) 12th – Limitations confirmed on his return when he finished sixth in the French Derby.2001Express Tour (Saeed bin Suroor, Dubai) 8th – Fast, but lacked stamina for a race in which Godolphin’s best ever chance, Street Cry, was sidelined by injury.2000China Visit (Saeed bin Suroor, Dubai) 6th – UAE Derby winner, but never quite reached the top afterwards.Curule (Saeed bin Suroor, Dubai) 7th – Outclassed.1999Worldly Manner (Saeed bin Suroor, Dubai) 7th – Lost his form after a hard race here.1995Eltish (Henry Cecil, UK) 6th – Later beaten in a photo at Royal Ascot, but then returned to the US.Citadeed (Peter Chapple-Hyam, UK) 9th – Never won again and ended up racing in Hong Kong.1992Dr Devious (Peter Chapple-Hyam, UK) 7th – The most unorthodox Derby preparation ever- he won at Epsom just four weeks later.Arazi (Francois Boutin, France) 8th – Lost his unbeaten record here in the first of several disappointments at three.1986Bold Arrangement (Clive Brittain, UK) 2nd – If it looked good at the time, everything that has happened since has made it look even better.. He learned the ropes under John Gosden and Sir Mark Prescott and proved resourceful with limited material once training in his own right.