The Official Cricket Thread

[Spy Bee]

I presume he's referring to Ricky Ponting, but it is a bit juvenile.

[Jose Jones]

I presume he's referring to Ricky Ponting, but it is a bit juvenile.

 

Yeah I got that bit, but Ponting has been dropped from Australia's one day team, so wondered what the point of referring to him was?

[Yozzer]

How do people know anything about county cricketers these days? Is it just from reading articles, or do some people actually find time in their lives to sit and watch county cricket?

 

I went to see the odd Lancashire gane last season as they played at Aigburth but apart from that I rely on newspaper reports and the odd game on a stream if available and as a last resort watch the highlights of some of the games.

 

County cricket doesn't have the stars it used to but it's still compelling viewing as last seasons Championship showed.

[RJ Fan club]

How do people know anything about county cricketers these days? Is it just from reading articles, or do some people actually find time in their lives to sit and watch county cricket?

 

I go to Sussex quite a bit. Usually a few matches a year, spend a few full days at Hove, Arundel or Horsham. I often through local cricketing connections, union, mates or members get a freebie or two a season on top too.

 

I also work right next to the Hove County ground, so come 4 o'clock (flexible working) I head off early and watch the last session. Which is handy cos they also open the gates at 4, so I usually get the last session for free.

 

I think you've got to have a fortunate set of circumstances to be able to do it too. It just kind of fell into my way of working, not planned at all. A few blokes in my work do the same but also have a membership so go at lunch as well.

 

I'd do the same, but I can't quite stomach having a non Lancs membership yet.

[lifetime fan]

What's all this Pricky stuff you're going on about?

I thought Hussey should have been given out - couldn't really tell whether the ball was going to hit him or on to hit the stumps - but it was such an obvious motion to block the throw that I think he should have gone.

 

Yeah I got that bit, but Ponting has been dropped from Australia's one day team, so wondered what the point of referring to him was?

 

Because Ponting was captain of an aussie side that took appealing for a wicket to a whole new level, to the point they knew the batsman wasn't out and would still put pressure on the umpire.

 

Knowing that pressure after a while would get them an undeserved wicket.

 

Yesterday was a blatant act of cheating, nothing else to it.

[s(k)aturation]

Because Ponting was captain of an aussie side that took appealing for a wicket to a whole new level, to the point they knew the batsman wasn't out and would still put pressure on the umpire.

 

Knowing that pressure after a while would get them an undeserved wicket.

 

Yesterday was a blatant act of cheating, nothing else to it.

 

Yes, it's not unusual for sides considered the best in the world to get accused of that.

 

I remember the great West Indies fast bowlers of the 80s supposedly "intimidated" umpires into giving decisions.

 

Of course, they were also just very very fucking good.

[s(k)aturation]

In the meantime, one of the craziest run chases of all time is going on in Hobart right now. India, needing 321 off 40 overs to win with a bonus point and stay alive in the Tri-Series, are 3/279 off 34 overs against Sri Lanka.

 

The lazy sods have done fuck all all summer.

 

Now 3/299 off 34.5, Kohli 118 off 80 balls!

[lifetime fan]

Yes, it's not unusual for sides considered the best in the world to get accused of that.

 

I remember the great West Indies fast bowlers of the 80s supposedly "intimidated" umpires into giving decisions.

 

Of course, they were also just very very fucking good.

 

That aussie side was fucking brillint.

 

I don't understand your insinuation that because they were good they couldn't put pressure on umpires.

[s(k)aturation]

Agreed. All great sides put pressure on umpires, probably because they're great and create more "chances".

 

And probably because they're super-, possibly "over"-competitive.

[s(k)aturation]

India win: 3/321 off 36.4 overs... Kohli 133no off 86 balls.

[VladimirIlyich]

I think LF hates the Aussies,full stop!

 

I admire the Aussies but do find it funny when England beat them simply as Cricket is the Aussie national sport and Cricket is about 3rd or 4th in the UK.

I take pleasure in this in the way the West Indies used to stick 2 fingers up to their old colonial masters back in the late 70s and through the 80s.

Because Cricket is such a stuffy sport in this country I enjoy situations where the establishment is highly embarrassed by players and teams refusing to conform to their stereotypical image.

Its why I enjoyed 'Fire In Babylon' on BBC4 last night.

 

'They dont like it up 'em.'

[s(k)aturation]

I think you'll find Australia regard beating England in cricket as a bit of a colonial thing too.

 

But they stop short of having ticker tape parades and handing the entire side MBEs.

[lifetime fan]

I think LF hates the Aussies,full stop!

 

I admire the Aussies but do find it funny when England beat them simply as Cricket is the Aussie national sport and Cricket is about 3rd or 4th in the UK.

I take pleasure in this in the way the West Indies used to stick 2 fingers up to their old colonial masters back in the late 70s and through the 80s.

Because Cricket is such a stuffy sport in this country I enjoy situations where the establishment is highly embarrassed by players and teams refusing to conform to their stereotypical image.

Its why I enjoyed 'Fire In Babylon' on BBC4 last night.

 

'They dont like it up 'em.'

 

Not at all mate.

 

I hate Ponting, 'Dizzy' and Johnson with out a shadow of doubt, but actually like and respect the great aussie sides.

 

Even if they did push it to the limit.

[sh#t waffle]

I think you'll find Australia regard beating England in cricket as a bit of a colonial thing too.

 

But they stop short of having ticker tape parades and handing the entire side MBEs.

 

That may be true, but I distinctly remember (I was living out there at the time) the Sydney Morning Herald producing a commemorative pull out after Australia beat England in a meaningless f*otball friendly in which, I believe, Francis Jeffers played, so it's swings and roundabouts really.

[s(k)aturation]

For sure, Australian football is by and large a joke.

[VladimirIlyich]

I think you'll find Australia regard beating England in cricket as a bit of a colonial thing too.

 

But they stop short of having ticker tape parades and handing the entire side MBEs.

 

I realise this but the Aussies should be beating England every time considering they regard it as their national sport.

In all fairness to English cricket though,in recent years they have put their sponsorship and income back into the game a lot and the success is there for all to see. I just wish another sport we all love would take a look at some of English crickets methods and see if they might learn a thing or two.

 

As for awards,how about Greg Chappell MBE and Richie Benaud MBE?

[s(k)aturation]

As for awards,how about Greg Chappell MBE and Richie Benaud MBE?

 

That's two players from different eras on the basis of their career's work. I'm referring to the entire England squad getting one for winning a single series in 2005.

 

3rd or 4th priority may be arguable, but I think the English take their cricket rather seriously. And like anyone, especially when they're winning.

[VladimirIlyich]

That's two players from different eras on the basis of their career's work. I'm referring to the entire England squad getting one for winning a single series in 2005.

 

3rd or 4th priority may be arguable, but I think the English take their cricket rather seriously. And like anyone, especially when they're winning.

 

From Wikipedia

 

Popularity

 

A 2003 MORI poll found:[7]

Sport TV Viewing Participating Interested In

Association football 46% 10% 45%

Rugby Union 21% NA 27%

Tennis 18% 3% 23%

Cricket 18% 2% 19%

Athletics 18% 2% 21%

Snooker 17% 5% 24%

Motor racing 16% NA 20%

Rugby League 12% NA 15%

Boxing 11% NA 14%

Golf 11% 6% 16%

Darts 9% 3% NA

Swimming NA 9% NA

Gym NA 12% 17%

Badminton NA 3% NA

Squash NA 3% NA

Watersport NA 2% NA

Skiing NA 1% NA

[s(k)aturation]

If you want to argue pure statistics (which I don't), I think you might find AFL is comfortably the most popular sport in Australia.

[VladimirIlyich]

You Aussies are easy to wind up.

 

I think the tide will turn again in the future and the Aussies will be back on top,its just a question of the cricket board finding where they've gone wrong and correcting it. England are bound to implode at some stage.

[s(k)aturation]

I think where the cricket board has gone wrong is the inadequacy of the cricket board itself. If the admin is wrong, the cricket suffers.

[VladimirIlyich]

I think where the cricket board has gone wrong is the inadequacy of the cricket board itself. If the admin is wrong, the cricket suffers.

 

Thats hardly a novel concept really,is it?

 

Does the team still get selected by a board or an individual? I find this system archaic myself.

[Guest Pistonbroke]

That was some run chase by India, Kohli took Malinga apart.

[s(k)aturation]

Ulyanov Ilyich, the selection process has been changing every half an hour, epitomised by the way they were churning through spinners trying to replace Warne.

 

The problem with the board was, instead of accepting volatility and regression were inevitably going to follow the loss of McGrath, Warne and Gilchrist, they panicked at the first sign of loss, fucked selection up right royally and unnecessarily... and refused to accept the blame for over-reacting. And instead, over-reacted even more.

 

Luckily, an emergence of fast bowling talent, the step-up of Clarke (which I'll admit has surprised me) and the Indian Summer resurrection of Ricky Ponting (despite the axe constantly hanging over his head) will possibly keep the decline relatively brief.

 

The Board, of course, will take all the credit.

[Guest LFD]

England squad: AJ Strauss (captain, Middlesex), JM Anderson (Lancashire), IR Bell (Warwickshire), RS Bopara (Essex), TT Bresnan (Yorkshire), SCJ Broad (Nottinghamshire), AN Cook (Essex), SM Davies (Surrey), ST Finn (Middlesex), MS Panesar (Sussex), SR Patel (Nottinghamshire), KP Pietersen (Surrey), MJ Prior (Sussex), GP Swann (Nottinghamshire), JC Tredwell (Kent), IJL Trott (Warwickshire)

 

Morgan dropped... but I'm not sure about Patel getting called up, don't think he has test quality.

 

I wouldhave called up the young spinner who was in the Twenty20 squad, can't remember his name but think he plays for Surrey... he is the future and would have had him in the squad to get experience and learn from Swann / Panesar.