The Official Cricket Thread

[Remmie]

4 minutes ago, Josef Svejk said:

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/huge-blunder-that-needs-to-be-investigated-ponting-furious-at-ball-change-20230801-p5dst4.html

Even though this is a fair point it would be nice to retort with "sore losers"

[Josef Svejk]

2 minutes ago, Remmie said:

Even though this is a fair point it would be nice to retort with "sore losers"

 

In fairness, Ponting has been an excellent commentator on Sky. Very honest in his criticism of Australia throughout. 

[Remmie]

Just now, Josef Svejk said:

 

In fairness, Ponting has been an excellent commentator on Sky. 

Yeah I like Ponting. Mark Taylor is decent as well. I'll take another opportunity to say McGrath can get in the fucking bin though, the prick.

[Josef Svejk]

2 minutes ago, Remmie said:

Yeah I like Ponting. Mark Taylor is decent as well. I'll take another opportunity to say McGrath can get in the fucking bin though, the prick.

 

Some great Australian commentary on BBC radio, too, as usual. McGrath apart.

 

Jim Maxwell is one of the greats. 

[A_S]

Ponting is spot on regarding protocol around a ball change. In a game that can be decided by half an inch, having a 'yeah, that'll do' attitude towards something as critical as the fucking ball is just bizarre. And still fucking it up!

 

Overall, the luck was probably both ways and the result fair enough. England won 4 tosses from 5, seemed to get the better conditions to bat in overall, and then the ball change late on day 4. Australia got a massive slice in one hit with the Manchester weather saving them from a near-impossible position. 

 

One thing I enjoyed was the contrast in styles. England with their more aggressive approach against the Aussies having a more traditional way of playing. Both have their pros and cons and it made for a fascinating series throughout. Again, I think 2-2 was about right. 

 

And perhaps I'm being biased here, but Jairz also pointed out the self-importance of the 'Bazball' brigade was nauseating at times.

 

Don't confuse this with the style itself, which was at times devastating and had some fine bowlers looking rather clueless. But the absolute refusal of anyone associated with it to accept any criticism of its shortcomings just smacked of arrogance.

 

Baz McCullum saying he wouldn't have a beer with the Aussies anytime soon after the Bairstow stumping. A man of his word it seems, as the teams apparently didn't come together for a beer after the series, despite the Aussies hanging around for a while to do so. 

 

If that's true, Stokes and Baz can get to fuck. Seriously poor form. 

[CapeRed]

4 hours ago, Remmie said:

Even though this is a fair point it would be nice to retort with "sore losers"

If England had lost I am sure somebody would have brought up the subject. Having said that , the ball had nothing to do with Australia losing their last 7 wickets for 71. A really enjoyable series , great for test cricket.

[Josef Svejk]

Just looking at series stats. Australia had one batter who averaged over 40 across the series (ignoring Marsh's slightly misleading figures). Having come into series with 3 of the top 4 batters in the global rankings.

 

Their bowlers weren't great against aggressive batting at times - and Lyon was a major loss - but their batting was generally pretty dismal. 

[Jairzinho]

1 hour ago, Josef Svejk said:

Just looking at series stats. Australia had one batter who averaged over 40 across the series (ignoring Marsh's slightly misleading figures). Having come into series with 3 of the top 4 batters in the global rankings.

 

Their bowlers weren't great against aggressive batting at times - and Lyon was a major loss - but their batting was generally pretty dismal. 

 

Yeah, Warner, Marnus and Smith generally weren't good enough. I expected it from Warner, but the other two massively underperformed. Warner should have been binned off a while ago. Even someone like Harris would have done better even if he's not the long term option.

 

 

[Manny]

7 hours ago, A_S said:

Ponting is spot on regarding protocol around a ball change. In a game that can be decided by half an inch, having a 'yeah, that'll do' attitude towards something as critical as the fucking ball is just bizarre. And still fucking it up!

 

Overall, the luck was probably both ways and the result fair enough. England won 4 tosses from 5, seemed to get the better conditions to bat in overall, and then the ball change late on day 4. Australia got a massive slice in one hit with the Manchester weather saving them from a near-impossible position. 

 

One thing I enjoyed was the contrast in styles. England with their more aggressive approach against the Aussies having a more traditional way of playing. Both have their pros and cons and it made for a fascinating series throughout. Again, I think 2-2 was about right. 

 

And perhaps I'm being biased here, but Jairz also pointed out the self-importance of the 'Bazball' brigade was nauseating at times.

 

Don't confuse this with the style itself, which was at times devastating and had some fine bowlers looking rather clueless. But the absolute refusal of anyone associated with it to accept any criticism of its shortcomings just smacked of arrogance.

 

Baz McCullum saying he wouldn't have a beer with the Aussies anytime soon after the Bairstow stumping. A man of his word it seems, as the teams apparently didn't come together for a beer after the series, despite the Aussies hanging around for a while to do so. 

 

If that's true, Stokes and Baz can get to fuck. Seriously poor form. 

Apparently the Aussies tried to go to the England dressing room for a get together and it was indeed locked - but Stokes has since said they were having an extended wrap as they were giving send-offs to Broad and Moeen ahead of their retirement. The teams came together for a drink in a bar afterwards instead.

[Preston Red]

9 hours ago, Remmie said:

Yeah I like Ponting. Mark Taylor is decent as well. I'll take another opportunity to say McGrath can get in the fucking bin though, the prick.

I enjoyed listening to Tubbs and Ponting too. It's always refreshing to hear the other sides perspective on things.

 

McGrath, awesome fast bowler in his day but a total gobshite. Mel Jones was a droning gobshite, too. I was willing the women to come back and win that series to shut her up.

[sh#t waffle]

10 hours ago, Josef Svejk said:

 

Some great Australian commentary on BBC radio, too, as usual. McGrath apart.

 

Jim Maxwell is one of the greats. 

Absolutely love Maxwell.

[Pidge]

Have to say that it's frustrating hearing Pointing being a well-balanced and interesting analyst of the game. Much preferred thinking he was an utter dickhead for no real reason.

 

Taylor's ace.

[Jairzinho]

37 minutes ago, sh#t waffle said:

Absolutely love Maxwell.

 

He massacred The Hundred on TMS a few days ago. The Brit commentators with him shat themselves, as obviously the BBC covers it.

 

Just essentially said it's a pile of shit, has had a detrimental effect on the Ashes, has destroyed the rest of the county calendar, and is a joke of a competition.

[Haan'sThunderbolt]

6 hours ago, CapeRed said:

If England had lost I am sure somebody would have brought up the subject. Having said that , the ball had nothing to do with Australia losing their last 7 wickets for 71. A really enjoyable series , great for test cricket.

 

Really? It absolutely did.....it changed the match completely.

 

I also can't believe the amount of LFC fans actually supporting an England team, who in the main seem a bunch of gobshites & hypocrites.

Bazbollocks...

[lifetime fan]

8 hours ago, A_S said:

Baz McCullum saying he wouldn't have a beer with the Aussies anytime soon after the Bairstow stumping. A man of his word it seems, as the teams apparently didn't come together for a beer after the series, despite the Aussies hanging around for a while to do so. 

 

If that's true, Stokes and Baz can get to fuck. Seriously poor form. 

 

If that's true it's pathetic. 

[CapeRed]

5 minutes ago, Haan'sThunderbolt said:

 

Really? It absolutely did.....it changed the match completely.

 

I also can't believe the amount of LFC fans actually supporting an England team, who in the main seem a bunch of gobshites & hypocrites.

Bazbollocks...

Really ? So changing the ball resulted in 7 for 71 , behave yourself.  Not an England supporter myself but have enjoyed this series. Explain what makes cricketers gobshites and hypocrites ?

[lifetime fan]

11 hours ago, Josef Svejk said:

 

Some great Australian commentary on BBC radio, too, as usual. McGrath apart.

 

Jim Maxwell is one of the greats. 

 

1 hour ago, sh#t waffle said:

Absolutely love Maxwell.

 

 

 

[VERBAL DIARRHEA]

15 minutes ago, Haan'sThunderbolt said:

 

Really? It absolutely did.....it changed the match completely.

 

I also can't believe the amount of LFC fans actually supporting an England team, who in the main seem a bunch of gobshites & hypocrites.

Bazbollocks...

Talking nonsense regarding Liverpool fans.

[Jairzinho]

I mean the ball went from doing nothing to swinging round corners. No-one with a straight face can say it didn't massively change the game. It was a horrendous mistake from consistently fucking shit umpires who shouldn't be anywhere near a test match.

 

 

[lifetime fan]

27 minutes ago, Jairzinho said:

I mean the ball went from doing nothing to swinging round corners. No-one with a straight face can say it didn't massively change the game. It was a horrendous mistake from consistently fucking shit umpires who shouldn't be anywhere near a test match.

 

 

 

The standard of umpiring all series has been shocking and more should have been made of it in the media IMO. 

 

The only positive you could say was that they were equally shite for both sides. 

[Jairzinho]

21 minutes ago, lifetime fan said:

 

The standard of umpiring all series has been shocking and more should have been made of it in the media IMO. 

 

The only positive you could say was that they were equally shite for both sides. 

 

Oh yeah, I don't think there was a hint of bias they just weren't (aren't) good enough.

 

Dharmasena usually is, Joel Wilson has always been an utter joke.

[VERBAL DIARRHEA]

Loved listening to most of the Aussie commentators over the years, McGrath is a tool the rest usually varying stages of good. Richie Benaud should have been replaced with Ian Smith from NZ, talking about NZ how annoying is Danny Morrison.

[lifetime fan]

2 hours ago, sh#t waffle said:

Absolutely love Maxwell.

“When forgetting your box is worse than forgetting the wife’s birthday”. 

[lifetime fan]

I really want to try one of those gin and tonic cupcakes Maxwell had for his birthday. 

[Jairzinho]

37 minutes ago, VERBAL DIARRHEA said:

Loved listening to most of the Aussie commentators over the years, McGrath is a tool the rest usually varying stages of good. Richie Benaud should have been replaced with Ian Smith from NZ, talking about NZ how annoying is Danny Morrison.

 

Ha, yes. Like a Kiwi Pietersen.

 

As long as they're kept to twenty over stuff I don't mind really. Just stay the fuck away from the proper stuff.