Ashes Poetry

Katich

nothing special it seems
vin ordinaire, perhaps du pays
to the casual palate

hardly flash, no big front of the mouth
explosions, nor rich plummy overtones
of wild berry sensations,
not merlot, shiraz, scarcely Australian
but scarcer still in exacting quality

Katich travels well: Durham, Derbyshire, Hants
scores freely when required, remains
steady even when bottled up
ideal for the most testing conditions

un demi-verre: nose, one or two sips
to note how the original vine
has matured with practice and age,
glam-rock finings and blending not required

hard enough to put this genie
back in its bottle till empty
prime vintage which keeps
the entire innings through

Day Two Australia 249 for 1 ( Simon Katich 104*, RickPonting 100*) trail England 435 (Pietersen 69, Collingwood 64, Prior 56, Johnson 3-87, Hauritz 3-95) by 186 runs