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Who won the internet this weekend: the man who fought off a shark or Mitchell Johnson?

Who won the internet this weekend: the man who fought off a shark or Mitchell Johnson?

Who won the internet this weekend: the man who fought off a shark or Mitchell Johnson?

What a weekend it was to be an Australian.

At Lord's their cricket team were putting the Poms to the sword in devastating style, while in South Africa, one of their surfers was proving himself the new Mick Dundee.

But who was the true hero? We investigate.

 


TALE OF THE TAPE


WHO: MICK FANNING

Already something of an Aussie hero, having won the World Surfing Championships three times, this incident will surely elevate him up alongside Kylie and Dame Edna in the ranks of true legends.

As he waited for the first wave in the final of a surfing competition in South Africa, an unmistakable fin suddenly appeared alongside him, before a shark surfaced, attacking Fanning. A wave then appeared, obscuring the view, and it looks to all intents and purposes as though Mick had become fish food. However, it transpired he had managed to fend the animal off, eventually being picked up and transferred to a boat.

He described the incident, saying: “All of [a] sudden, I just had this instinct that something was behind me, and then all of a sudden, I felt like I started getting pulled under water. Then the [shark] came up, and I was on my board and it was like right there, and I saw the whole thing thrashing around. I was getting dragged under by my leg [rope], and then I felt like it kicked me off, but it was still there, and I was still attached to my board. I felt like it was dragging me under water, and then my leg rope broke, and I started swimming and screaming.” He then said that he "punched" it in the back to scare it away - a very good move according to shark experts.

"I had this thought, 'What if it comes around for another go at me?'" he said. "Before I knew it, the boat was there. ...I can't believe it, I was tripping out. I'm totally tripping out."

What a hero.


Who: Mitchell Johnson

From one dangerous animal to another: he destroyed England in the last Ashes down under, but having struggled badly in his previous tour to England, all eyes were on Johnson - could he be England's tormentor again, or would he wilt in English conditions like last time?

After the first Test in Cardiff, where he was innocuous as England cruised to victory, it looked very much like it would be the latter, but the moustachioed assassin roared at Lord's this weekend, roughing up England and helping the Aussies to blast to a series-levelling win, skittling the Poms for just 103 in their second innings, winning by an almighty 405 runs.

Can England recover? It'd be a brave man who bets against Mitch firing the Aussies to yet another Ashes victory.

And spare a thought for this lady: as if a day spent watching England struggle and the Aussies pile on the runs on Saturday wasn't enough, she managed to miss her seat completely, just as she was shown on the big screen. Howzat for a bit of light entertainment for the crowd?

(Image: Rex)