Cricket thread

[matticus]

I see that they're trying to launch cricket in the US (again):

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/66143470

With only two venues I can't see how this is going to work, but there's some serious financial backing there. And I suppose they've been sensible and gone with the shortest format of the game. I always enjoyed trying to explain Test cricket to my American pals. The concept of a draw, especially after 5 days play, is totally alien to them in sport!

Admittedly I don't really enjoy veryveryshort cricket, but ... Baseball seems like a much more casual viewer-friendly sport; cricket has a ton of rules and complexities which take time to pickup; there is time in a 5-day match, but not in a 100-ball one.

 

[AndyRM]

Admittedly I don't really enjoy veryveryshort cricket, but ... Baseball seems like a much more casual viewer-friendly sport; cricket has a ton of rules and complexities which take time to pickup; there is time in a 5-day match, but not in a 100-ball one.

Yeah, baseball is pretty basic. They love a good stat about it though - maybe MCL should try and get Andy Zaltzman involved!

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

and she did!

In the end it was Kate Cross who came in at no.10 and....''I just thought I'd channel my inner Chris Woakes and show number 10s can bat''

 

[Beebo]

England’s women draw the Ashes.
A fine effort after losing the Test, which is weighted far too heavily. And makes it almost impossible to win the Ashes if you lose the Test match.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

England’s women draw the Ashes.
A fine effort after losing the Test, which is weighted far too heavily. And makes it almost impossible to win the Ashes if you lose the Test match.

Very impressive improvement from the England women. I don't think they're better than Australia yet but the gap between them is now very small and the impetus of the series has been from England just behind to England just ahead. This sets the next Aus - Eng encounter up perfectly.
I'm happy about test results being given greater importance. The whole history of the Ashes is about test cricket and the weighting reflects this.

Listening to the matches on the radio, I found myself hearing a lot about some Nazi Verbrunnt. What on earth were the Sciver-Brunts thinking of when they called their daughter Natalie?

 

[matticus]

I'm happy about test results being given greater importance. The whole history of the Ashes is about test cricket and the weighting reflects this.

Yes.

And these "combined" series are a horrible compromise, you'll never please everyone.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Yes.

And these "combined" series are a horrible compromise, you'll never please everyone.

The purist in me agrees about the compromise but the pragmatist accepts that cricket is a game with multiple formats. Unless the Aussies decide to burn the electronic bails and present them to England as the ODI Ashes....

 

[T4tomo]

Very impressive improvement from the England women. I don't think they're better than Australia yet but the gap between them is now very small and the impetus of the series has been from England just behind to England just ahead. This sets the next Aus - Eng encounter up perfectly.
I'm happy about test results being given greater importance. The whole history of the Ashes is about test cricket and the weighting reflects this.

Listening to the matches on the radio, I found myself hearing a lot about some Nazi Verbrunnt. What on earth were the Sciver-Brunts thinking of when they called their daughter Natalie?

She was Natalie Sciver for much of her life until she married Katherine Brunt you prawn.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

She was Natalie Sciver for much of her life until she married Katherine Brunt you prawn.

Oops, I thought they were sisters!

 

[Grant Fondo]

A bit more cloud cover without rain please! Smith gone which is a bonus.

 

[T4tomo]

Its sound like a bit of docile pitch, which combined with forecast rain, is going to make it hard to force a result. I so Want Jimmy to have a magic spell, but he seems to be his usual very economical but not very threatening.

Wood has hit head on the noggin!

 

[T4tomo]

interesting first day, Aus kept getting into a strong position with 60ish stands and then give the initiative back to England with wickets. Super catch from YJB.
Watching ball tracker replays with the LBWs , a lot would have gone over the top of the stumps on a lively pitch, yet were hitting top of the stumps.
Looking at the weather, it should be a good batting day today, so hopefully knock the over sharpish this morning and then pile on the run on a flat pitch. Forecast is cloudy and showers Friday, very wet saturday so possibly no or very little play, and then dodging thunder showers on Sunday. Really need to establish a lead of 100 by end of today and then see if we can knock them over cheaply on Friday so we know what to chase on Sunday...

 

[Alex321]

So before this series, how many would have considered Moeen Ali to be a Test number 3?

 

[T4tomo]

So before this series, how many would have considered Moeen Ali to be a Test number 3?

Given he'd retired from test cricket, not many...

He had batted everywhere from 1 to 9 in tests prior to this series though, and battle at 3 for Worc for a spell before his bowling really developed. His fellow spinner Adil Rashid used to bat in the top 6 for Yorkshire at one point and score a lot of runs.

anyway decent morning I think. restricted their last 2 wickets to <20 and only lost wikcet and taken most of the shine ad hardness off the new ball. Just need to back that up with a good afternoon session.

I expect Crawley to play a peach of a cover drive and then nick off for 30-odd shortly.

 

[nickyboy]

Good effort from England thus far.

The problem is that Saturday looks like it will be a washout and there is a possibility of a bit of play Sunday but not much. So for England to win the Test they need to score 500, which they could do by lunch on Friday if the bat really well, then look to either bowl out or almost bowl out Australia before close on Friday

Surprised you can get 6/4 on the Draw