The Cricket thread

Getting a right belting in the last test - India 754 - 6.

What you might call a long day in the field.

A right 4-0 pasting.No great surprise in all truth,India are very strong on their own dung heap and have dished out similar hidings to the Saffers and Australia in recent times.England aren't as good as they sometimes think they are but they aren't that bad either and i don't think this result will be relevant either this coming summer or for the ashes next winter.Lot of work to be done though-no world class spinner and batting fallible,seam attack should be OK in more favourable conditions-will Cook stay on? Time for a change IMHO and that would probably enhance his batting twofold.

Australia hammer India in the first test in Pune, bowling out the allegedly superstar Indian line up for 105 and 107.Steve O'Keefe and Lyon carved them up in the second innings, O'Keefe 12 wickets in the match. Shows how crap the England spin attack is even In conditions which should be a tweakers paradise. Had this one down as an Indian whitewash but obviously not, all credit to the Aussies.

Cricket back on free to air tv after an absence many years;

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

IMHO the decline of local cricket is directly correlated to the loss of exposure over the past dozen or so years-there is a danger that a fair percentage of the younger populace will grow up with only a vague idea of what cricket actually is. Bit disappointed that only 20/20 matches seem to be in the live coverage bracket but there is a highlights package for tests and at least it's a start. Well done the beeb, keep up and enhance the good work.

Greenskin wrote:

Cricket back on free to air tv after an absence many years;

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

IMHO the decline of local cricket is directly correlated to the loss of exposure over the past dozen or so years-there is a danger that a fair percentage of the younger populace will grow up with only a vague idea of what cricket actually is. Bit disappointed that only 20/20 matches seem to be in the live coverage bracket but there is a highlights package for tests and at least it's a start.  Well done the beeb, keep up and enhance the good work.

Just a few peanuts that Sky couldn't be bothered with......a few more school sports fields will be sold to help local councils austerity survival....just not needed anymore.

I gave up watching and listening to cricket when the BBC lost it with Sky poking their beak in, what was it ? 10, 15 years ago, maybe more ? I don't know. There's more rounders squares marked out in Plymouth this Summer than cricket ones. And take a look at the demise of Calstock CC. What's going on there ?
I was an avid cricket player and fan for a lot of my life, yet I couldn't now even name one England player, or any player for that matter. The last actual cricket I watched was with family in Bath in the 'Petersen year', must have been 2005. An exciting test and a county game during the festival. Fantastic venue to watch cricket.

Sky turned it into a minority sport in this country. Going the same way as bowls, lacrosse, croquet and cribbage.
Serve them right, especially the MCC. How they must hate bowing and scraping to the Indians.

I can't believe you cricket fans aren't on here waxing lyrical about England's women winning the World Cup.  

On a serious note, women's cricket, golf, football, whatever, just exposes in my head the whole futility and mirage that is spectator sport. You see a bunch of poorly talented cricket people spraying champagne, "we are the champions " or some such nonsense, having clattered more stones than the opposition, and I am left totally cold, uninterested, and feeling the hype for what it is. Is it just a woman thing ?
I'm minded of that mirthful larf and abject distaste women have had for centuries when their hopeless menfolk have gone off to the footy or rugger,  or some such balls in holes sport. I had long hoped women had a bit more sense and perspective in life, but deep down I knew they were as aviva as him indoors.
Womens' televised sport..... the long overdue death knell of televised second rate story telling and circus. Bring back the clowns.

I await the posts in response B, you trouble maker you.

alannotivvy wrote:

I await the posts in response B, you trouble maker you.

Only just seen that, makes you wonder what old Beezy is doing still even loosely connected to a spectator sport. Doesn't like football, cricket, golf-Ron Glum with a Cornish tinge. Not a particular fan of womens cricket personally but don't begrudge them their moment of triumph, Plymouth connection with Heather Knight as well.

Anyway,England mens team are certainly a peculiar outfit, up and down like a whore's drawers and shades of the last Ashes series when the 3-2 win was notable for two of the biggest arseings in cricket history intertwined with convincing wins. Stokes outstanding in this game, Ali finished it off with a hat trick, first one by an England spinner since Gawd knows when.'Twould be no surprise if the pendulum swung again in the final test.

And a top class piss take of Boycott on TMS.
One finds Skys cricket coverage far too vulgar, radio for me whilst splattering some paint around.

alannotivvy wrote:

And a top class piss take of Boycott on TMS.
One finds Skys cricket coverage far too vulgar, radio for me whilst splattering some paint around.

Must admit that Hussein and Botham get on my tits with their rather contrived blokeishness, they could do with studying Richie and John Arlott to see how it should be done. Michael Holding is good though, far ahead of that dickhead Lloyd, whose main claims to fame were to have his bollocks knocked off by Thomson and to bellow "we flippin' murdered 'em" after a sparkling draw against the Zimbos.

We lost our winter cricket from our radio this winter because it has been won by (sky)Talk radio2 which we cannot receive on our radio's down this way.

Pakistan, zindabad!

Business as usual for England, poor selection and decision making hasn't helped.

Deciding to bat first on this pitch makes me seriously wonder whether Root is up to Captaincy, what was he thinking?

The same things that were a problem last season haven't been solved namely we still don't have an opening partner for Alistair Cook or a number 4, surely Stoneman has to be dropped after another failure. Maybe Keaton Jennings or Nick Gubbins who have both done well this season should step up.

I knows he's 33 but why hasn't James Hildreth been given a chance?

Hugh Watt wrote:

Deciding to bat first on this pitch makes me seriously wonder whether Root is up to Captaincy, what was he thinking?

The same things that were a problem last season haven't been solved namely we still don't have an opening partner for Alistair Cook or a number 4, surely Stoneman has to be dropped after another failure. Maybe Keaton Jennings or Nick Gubbins who have both done well this season should step up.

I knows he's 33 but why hasn't James Hildreth been given a chance?

Wrong county maybe? Took them long enough to pick Leech and Bess. Cant agree with picking Buttler on the strength of IPL-totally different game and mentality as was shown in the first innings. Surely there have to be better players around than some in this team.

England break the world one day record,481-6 v Australia. Jeez, who'd be a bowler these days.

I'm disappointed we didn't get 500.

This pop gun Australian attack, in a pop gun, pointless ODI series, is a serious threat to cricket. Sport needs narrative, drama and accessibility. This has none of these. Viewing figures for Curling are higher than that of cricket these days.

Compelling 4 days of proper cricket and an explosive spell from Stokes won it for England. Both teams have major weaknesses and a pitch which did enough to keep bowlers interested exposed them with the predictable exceptions of Root and Kohli-Curran also shone with bat and ball, looks a lively prospect. Can't understand why Pujara wasn't playing and with Stokes possibly otherwise engaged for the second test, may be a change or two in the offing. Looking forward to the rest of the series, could be a cracker.

what the hell is going on at Taunton? chasing a target of 78 on day 2, DAY 2??? They are currently tied with 9 wickets down

I've got it on the radio. The tension is incredible

Match tied. Incredible stuff, that pretty much ends their outside hoped of winning the championship.Again.

Beggar it,fancy not being able to get 78.WTF was Leach doing being caught at deep mid wicket with one to win? Probably blown it now,although they still have to play Surrey the points difference will be too much.Must have been a bit of sporting wicket at Taunton,far cry from when i was a member there and it was an absolute road.Hope they don't get reported.

On wider matters,good test series this summer,much more interesting when matches are low scoring and batsmen have to work for their runs.Not surprised at Cook retiring,big question is who will replace him-the cupboard is not overflowing.

I'd be inclined to pick the best opening pair in county cricket. I have no idea who they are but just about everybody has had a go alongside Cook and nobody has been up to it.

So pick a pair of teammates and they can reassure each other as they go.

And what happened to that Asian lad? Habib was it?

Didn't he get a ton as an 18 year old opener never to be heard of again. Try him.