2013 Ashes :- Cricket Game two

[UrinalDook]

'Ave it!

So it was Haddin, rather than Pattinson who went, but close enough for me.

Shame it had to end on a review. Not so much because I feel the wrong decision was made (even before the review, the slight snick as the bat came round was enough for me), but because England only called for the review because they could, not because they genuinely believed he was out. Feels a little opportunistic, but I suppose there's equally something to be said for saving referrals till you really need them.

Well played Australia, super first test and I'm massively pumped for the rest of the series. If every game is as entertaining as that, I'll be a happy man.

 

[MrTwo]

That just hurts.

Sooooo close, bad luck Haddin.

Personally I can see why the umpire gave it, but goddamn the noise didn't sound like bat and the spot on hotspot looked like it was there before it passed the bat. Ah well, it's not Haddins or Pattinsons or the umpires fault, it's Australia's bloody middle order, PICK UP YOUR GAME.

And it was always gonna be Anderson, wasn't it. I was really hoping he had a groin injury when he went off =D.

 

[Albino Boo]

Great fight back by Australia made it a close game in the end. Stepping back and looking objectively, Australia middle order was poor and despite Agar's batting performance, he did nothing with the ball. England's biggest problem lay with Finn, he was too expensive and I suspect that Bresnan will be in the next test.


Roll on Thursday, looking forward to the next test.

 

[Scarecrow]

Let us all sit back and watch a bunch of disgustingly over paid, over hyped, and on the whole awful drunks fling abuse at each other, both on and off field, when they are not throwing heavy balls at each others heads and hitting said balls with bits of wood.

Sounds like so much fun.

I'm sorry, but what? Did your best friend die in a horrific fielding accident or something? Cricket is, for the most part, one of the friendliest, welcoming and engaging sports there is. The only sport I can think of anywhere near on par with it in terms of sportsmanship is tennis, on the part of both players and fans.

Furthermore, if you have such a ridiculous hatred of the sport, why the deuce would you come into a thread obviously titled to draw in those who appreciate cricket? Spite? Just to get a reaction? I suppose if the latter, my reply means it worked. But still... wow.

One member on the Australian cricket team will make millions and millions of dollars for playing in one game. We aren't exactly talking about a great advancement of human society. In essence, we are paying a person, no matter how good they are, obscenely large amounts of money to hit and throw balls. Yes sport is important, no I don't hate sport in general, but professional cricket is something that, whenever it comes around, brings out a certain kind of ire.

 

[smithy_2045]

Well, I'm comfortable in saying we have a much better bowling lineup than England. Anderson and Swann are clearly their only two decent bowlers. Shame none of our batsmen know how to bat, only our bowlers...

 

[SckizoBoy]

One member on the Australian cricket team will make millions and millions of dollars for playing in one game. We aren't exactly talking about a great advancement of human society. In essence, we are paying a person, no matter how good they are, obscenely large amounts of money to hit and throw balls. Yes sport is important, no I don't hate sport in general, but professional cricket is something that, whenever it comes around, brings out a certain kind of ire.

Conversely, English int'l players earn sweet fuck all over the course of a test, to the extent that unless you're an international player in the UK, you've got to have a job on the side just to be financially comfortable, because first class just doesn't pay the bills.

Besides, across the world pretty much every country has that one (or more) sport(s) in which its professionals are paid an inordinate amount of money to typically move a ball from place A to place B, variations in definitions of places A & B. Baseball players generally earn several million a year and there aren't even any 'international' tournaments or fixtures at that, similarly with American Football (sorry to pick on you, America). In Europe, it's football, where most of the 'top' players earn a couple hundred thousand quid a week. Anyway, in cricket, Indians get paid a helluva lot more than Australians do, or anyone else for that matter.

As far as materialism is concerned, you could've picked a better sport to vent your spleen at. At least there's a lower percentage of dicks and douches in professional cricket than most other sports out there. I'm looking you football...

Eeesh...

...

And thanks, you've wrecked my mood after England won what was a thrilling contest.

 

[Lusty]

Well that was a great game, hard luck Aussies, hopefully England won't throw all their wickets away in the first innings again next time though.

Interesting that Haddin didn't walk after he edged it at the end there though, eh?

 

[Nuxxy]

Cue too many English journalists referring to Anderson as a "great", yet the same have long refused to acknowledge Steyn as the same. I actually get on well with most cricket fans, regardless of the team they support. But the excessive jingoism of journalists annoys me.

Your calls for the second test? Cowan out, Khawaja in?

Also, how amazing was BOOM BOOM Afridi? But has he used up his one good performance for the next year?

 

[Albino Boo]

Cue too many English journalists referring to Anderson as a "great", yet the same have long refused to acknowledge Steyn as the same. I actually get on well with most cricket fans, regardless of the team they support. But the excessive jingoism of journalists annoys me.

Your calls for the second test? Cowan out, Khawaja in?

Also, how amazing was BOOM BOOM Afridi? But has he used up his one good performance for the next year?

For a start Anderson does not spit at members of the opposing team. Steyn on the field is so obnoxious that he makes Botham look laid back. Anderson is the best bowler in the world in English conditions, he is a classical English swing bowler with more wickets than all but 2 English test cricketers. Only Botham and Willis have more wickets and he will overtake them soon, to be the highest English test wicket taker ever. Thats a pretty good definition of great.

The problem for Australia is the middle order so Cowan, Hughes and Smith are all in danger of the chop. Khawaja and Warner should be in for two of those 3. I think Agar might be dropped, despite his 98, he just bowled too many loose balls.

I think England will drop Finn, Haddin hit him out of the series. Bresnan is a better swing bowler anyway, unless Lords is a hit the deck pitch, he will be in

 

[SirDeadly]

Cowan has to go I reckon, Warner to skip the trip to South Africa?

 

[Nuxxy]

For a start Anderson does not spit at members of the opposing team. Steyn on the field is so obnoxious that he makes Botham look laid back.

None of which has any bearing on what makes a bowler "great".

Anderson is the best bowler in the world in English conditions, he is a classical English swing bowler with more wickets than all but 2 English test cricketers. Only Botham and Willis have more wickets and he will overtake them soon, to be the highest English test wicket taker ever. Thats a pretty good definition of great.

And Steyn already has more wickets than him in almost 20 less test matches. Still marks Steyn as the better bowler.

I have no trouble giving Jimmy due credit, especially in how he has picked up his game over the last 2 years. What I don't like is how the English press act like he's the best ever, or even the best in the world currently. He is not.

 

[Albino Boo]

For a start Anderson does not spit at members of the opposing team. Steyn on the field is so obnoxious that he makes Botham look laid back.

None of which has any bearing on what makes a bowler "great".

Anderson is the best bowler in the world in English conditions, he is a classical English swing bowler with more wickets than all but 2 English test cricketers. Only Botham and Willis have more wickets and he will overtake them soon, to be the highest English test wicket taker ever. Thats a pretty good definition of great.

And Steyn already has more wickets than him in almost 20 less test matches. Still marks Steyn as the better bowler.

I have no trouble giving Jimmy due credit, especially in how he has picked up his game over the last 2 years. What I don't like is how the English press act like he's the best ever, or even the best in the world currently. He is not.

The fact that Steyn behaves like a thug on the cricket pitch, means that people around the world dislike him intensely. When someone is disliked people will not praise them. Steyn through his behavior makes enemies and that costs you support.

 

[Nuxxy]

The fact that Steyn behaves like a thug on the cricket pitch, means that people around the world dislike him intensely. When someone is disliked people will not praise them. Steyn through his behavior makes enemies and that costs you support.

On 28 June 2010, on the 3rd day of the 3rd test against the West Indies, at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados, Dale Steyn was involved in an incident. After being dismissed, he was confronted by Sulieman Benn and lost his cool, spitting in his direction (not on him). He plead guilty to the offense, and in the words of match referee Jeff Crowe: "Dale's behaviour was entirely unacceptable and he knows that. The fact that he was provoked by Sulieman during his time at the crease helps to explain his actions but cannot excuse them. This was an ugly moment of which I'm sure Dale is not proud." He was fined 100% of his match fee.

That single 'moment' involving Dale Steyn the batsman aside, please give me examples of the consistent thuggery you are accusing Dale Steyn the bowler of.

 

[The Eupho Guy_v1legacy]

Ed Cowan and Mitchell Starc have been dropped from the Australian team for the second test, which starts in about an hour and a half. Usman Khawaja and Ryan Harris are their respective replacements. Hopefully this gives Australia's top order a little bit more stability or if nothing else, the ability to get 50 runs on the board for less than 4 wickets. >_<

 

[Nuxxy]

I think the real question for these back-to-back Ashes is: how long before the bowlers break down? The Australians are notoriously fragile, and England without Jimmy and Swanny?

England win the toss and bat. Team changes as expected: Cowan->Khawaja; Starc->Harris; and Finn->Bresnan. Considering how many matches there are going to be, I kind of wish the had set a 'rule' of one uncapped player per team per match.

 

[Dr.Susse]

Dear god!

3 for 28. Did anyone see that coming?

Go Australia!

 

[smithy_2045]

Cue too many English journalists referring to Anderson as a "great", yet the same have long refused to acknowledge Steyn as the same. I actually get on well with most cricket fans, regardless of the team they support. But the excessive jingoism of journalists annoys me.

Your calls for the second test? Cowan out, Khawaja in?

Also, how amazing was BOOM BOOM Afridi? But has he used up his one good performance for the next year?

For a start Anderson does not spit at members of the opposing team. Steyn on the field is so obnoxious that he makes Botham look laid back. Anderson is the best bowler in the world in English conditions, he is a classical English swing bowler with more wickets than all but 2 English test cricketers. Only Botham and Willis have more wickets and he will overtake them soon, to be the highest English test wicket taker ever. Thats a pretty good definition of great.

Let's look at this statistically. Anderson's career bowling average? 29.69. Steyn's career bowling average? 22.65. Anderson's career average doesn't even compare favourably to Siddle (28.23), Pattinson (24.55) or Harris (23.63).

Anderson's a very good swing bowler, don't get me wrong, but he's not a great of the game. Of bowlers with at least 100 career wickets, his career average isnt even in the top 80.


Fuck our batsmen are shit... Watson out the same way he's always out (plumb LBW, reviewed, decision upheld), Rogers copping a complete WTF delivery, Khawaja playing an absurdly dumb shot, Hughes somehow managed to get a tickle on the ball to an awful slash, Haddin runs out Agar and throws his wicket away 10 runs later... and Australia A can't even make 250 against lowly Zimbabwe...

 

[Shamanic Rhythm]

I never realised how much I'd miss Huss and Punter until we were stuck with this incompetent mob of batsmen...

 

[SckizoBoy]

Haha... LiveText on BBC is hilarious sometimes...

1748:
Eng 307-5 (lead by 540)

There's a suggestion that England might declare overnight. Does that mean Alastair Cook will wander to Michael Clarke's room at about two in the morning? Graham Gooch pyjamas on, candle to light the way, teddy under his arm. Knock on the door, Clarke, rubbing his eyes. "You can bat in the morning, Michael".

 

[smithy_2045]

I never realised how much I'd miss Huss and Punter until we were stuck with this incompetent mob of batsmen...

In the last 12 months before he retired Punter was no better than our current lot. Mr. Cricket on the other hand...