ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact
OPENING UP FOR THE FIRST time since last week, former PM John Howard has revealed that the greatest moment of his tenure in the top job was being there to see Glenn McGrath score 61 runs against New Zealand at the Gabba.
It was the first Test way back in 2004 and the Australians well and truly had their tale up.
The big Narromine boy’s performance overshadowed the heroic feats of Michael Clarke and Adam Gilchrist, who earlier that day had combined for a 300-odd-run partnership. Together with Glenn’s outstanding 61, the Black Caps were inevitably flogged by an innings and 156 runs.
“Those were the fuckin’ days,” said Mr Howard.
“Sitting up there in the box, legs spread, belt unbuckled and just watching some classic cricket,”
“Bloody Kimbo [Kim Beazley] even came up and we pissed on a bit.”
That’s where the official story has ended for over a decade, until now.
The former Member for Bennelong has said that after the day’s play, he invited the Australian cricketers back to his accommodation at Government House in Paddington, where he got out the credit card and “went a bit ham”.
“We got a box of rum and a fridge pack of cokes and went back to the white castle to get stuck in,” he said.
“A few went to bed because they had commitments in the morning or some bullshit, but Jason Gillespie and I were up all night spitting rum on people, it was grouse,”
“But you can’t do that kind of shit anymore.”
