Aussie fans, Barmy Army set to engage in singing battle during Ashes

Sydney, Oct 26 (UNI) Not to be left behind the Barmy Army in any way during the upcoming Ashes, the Aussie supporters have come up with a song book of their own, ridiculing Monty Panesar's sessions with a psychologist and Marcus Trescothick's stress levels, to counter a similar practice by the English fans.

In a song titled 'Monty Panesar's Useless', the spin sensation has been ridiculed for taking a shrink's help to deal with the hostile crowd reception in Australia. The song also takes a pot-shot at his sometimes hilarious fielding.

''Monty Panesar useless a poor old English chap and when he's not spin bowling he's visiting the quack.'' ''He's useless in the covers he's useless in the slips And when he straps the pads on he'll pass out with the yips,'' read the lyrics which were published in today's Courier Mail.

The Barmy Army comes out with a songbook before every Ashes and it would be the first time the Australians would try to match up to their English counterparts in the singing department during the bitterly fought series.

The Aussie version describes Trescothick as 'Stresscothick' and the song goes: ''You're stressing out Marcus now (repeat) Stressing out Marcus Stresscothick (repeat) Stresscothick, Come on, come on, come come on Marcus now Come on Marcus now Come on and work it on out Work it on out.'' Apart from targetting the English, the songbook also has few tunes dedicated to the Australian players.

Matthew Hayden's batting comes up for some praise in the song 'Matty Hayden had many fans'.

''Matty Hayden had many fans&many fans loved Matty Hayden. I am one of them and so are you So lets all turn around Drinking arm (repeat with actions for right arm) (Repeat) batting arm (repeat with actions for left arm) (repeat) dancing leg (repeat with actions for right leg) padding leg, (repeat with actions) fielding pose (repeat with actions).'' Speed merchant Brett Lee's on-field exploits with the ball and his charm off it makes him 'too good to be true'.

''You're just too good to be true Can't take the ball off of you We love your fiery spells You bowl like Lillee not Nel And when we're drunk at the bars We can't believe that you're ours You're just to good to be true Can't take that ball off of you...,'' the song reads.

Songbook organiser Warren Livingstone was optimistic about the book being a hit with the fans and said the Aussie supporters would be hoping to silence the English fans with some singing of their come November 23, when the first Ashes Test gets underway at Brisbane.

''We don't have much of a tradition of singing in Australian sport, but we're hoping to change that this summer. It's going to be hard matching the Barmy Army, but we think it'll give our players a big lift,'' she was quoted by the 'Courier Mail as saying.

The Barmy Army, meanwhile, couldn't care less and 'choirmaster Vic Flowers said the rookie Aussies wouldn't be able to match them no matter how hard they tried.

''It's brilliant that you Aussies are trying to give the Barmy Army some competition but we're not sure you'll pull it off. The Barmy Army has never been out-sung before,'' he said.

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