News Exercise #62

An Australian cricket player recently died of injuries sustained during a match. Here is the BBC’s tribute to him:

1) What were the two most important things in cricket for Hughes?
2) As a batsman, what did he have, and what didn’t he have?

Between 0:21 and 0:22 there are cricket terms used: “The first test of last year’s Ashes”. A “test” is an international match which lasts up to five days, and the Ashes is an annual tournament between England and Australia.

3) How many innings are there in test match cricket? (in the sentence from 0:25)
4) What was his great achievement in international cricket?
5) Was he constantly a good player?
6) From 0:45 his former team manager in England described his character. What did he say?
7) Form 0:52 the reporter describes his accident: “Hughes was playing for South Australia ____ ____ ____ ____ New South Wales in a Sheffield Shield match ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ Sean Abbott. He ____ ____ ____ ____ but, ____ ____, he ____ ____ ____ ____.”

The final sentence is “It is a great tragedy for his sport and his country that he leaves his crease far too early.” In cricket a “crease” is the line on the ground behind which a batsman is “safe” against being made out, like touching a base in baseball.

Asnswers:
1) What were the two most important things in cricket for Hughes?
Craft and graft. “Craft” meaning the art of playing cricket, and “graft” meaning hard work.
2) As a batsman, what did he have, and what didn’t he have?
He had guts if not grace. “Guts” means courage and “grace” mean elegance. The pattern “A if not B” means A is true but B isn’t.
3) How many innings are there in test match cricket? (in the sentence from 0:25)
Two (“both innings”)
4) What was his great achievement in international cricket?
He was the youngest man to score a century (100 runs, or points) in both innings of a test match.
5) Was he constantly a good player?
No, his form (performance level) was patchy (changeable).
6) From 0:45 his former team manager in England described his character. What did he say?
“He was a cracking (great) young man, very popular, full of energy, a bit of mischief about him, but a fantastic player.”
7) Form 0:52 the reporter describes his accident: “Hughes was playing for South Australia against his former state New South Wales in a Sheffield Shield match when he was struck on the head by a delivery from Shaun Abbott. He was taken to hospital but, despite surgery, he succumbed to his injury.”