Cricket - ashes

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

It strikes me the problem over the last few years has been overconfidence. After their last win here the Brits went to Oz expecting to win and they were lazy and over confident. The Ozzies were riled and really tried, result the Brits got pasted. Same thing has happened with the Ozzies coming here, it is like the same scenario in reverse.

Obvious lesson each day is a new day anything can happen, so each tour and each test match you need to forget about the last, as Brit / Oz test matches are the nearest we ever get to a war with them where we can play out the cultural differences - brilliant love hate relationship.

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

The other thing that pisses me off and is changing the game is.

1/ different designed balls. The Duke is designed for English conditions and English bowlers (it swings and seams), the Kookaburra is designed for dry Oz wickets and it bounces.

2/ instructions to home groundsmen to create specific type wickets to suit their sides strength. It was always done a little but most groundsmen had too much pride to submit to pressure. BUT the last winter tour it was so blatant in OZ we have retaliated this summer, apart from Lords. The Cardiff pitch was a joke, Anderson would have liked to roll it up and carry it around in his pocket.

Both of these things unless they are legislated against in the rules of the game will mean home side virtually always will win home series. I blame India they started the trend.

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

Well from ridiculous to pathetic, this is not cricket as I know it. Do they think they are playing Baseball. Some people may have enjoyed this series but for me it has just left me puzzled and unhappy. Test cricket used to be like a physical game of chess, which is why it was called a test, this wham bam thank you mam stuff - well I have turned it off. FFS I played some B cricket (county 2nd team) and minor county and if I had played like this I would be ashamed - and this goes for both sides.

[zebbo]

Personally, wham-bam-thankyou-mam, (20/20), is the only cricket I can watch.

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

I can understand that, and enjoy it in a way, well especially the Indian Premier League. The English counties version is a joke compared with the Indian one. But test cricket is different, it is a test of the man and his skill levels, not how lucky he gets. It is a different skill set in many ways and I think will devolve more and more away from the traditional game. The next big thing for it will be the USA. The TV audience for both Soccer and T20 Cricket has grown enormously recently, to the point there is serious thought about putting an IPL type tournament in the US. the big problem is finding usable grounds, as both Bassball and American football grounds are not suitable.

I have often thought a IPL type tournament could be run in Football (Soccer) stadiums. All it needs is hard netting put up. Clear the net 6, hit the net on the full 4, hit the net on the bounce and only the runs that are run are scored. A side thing is can you be caught off the net. Small court indoor 6 or 8 a side cricket became very popular in Oz, they tried it here but it didn't happen, I played it in Peterborough when they had a centre there in the early 80's, good fun, and you can be caught off the net.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indoor_cricket

[wallace]

Personally, wham-bam-thankyou-mam, (20/20), is the only cricket I can watch.

Me too...

[zebbo]

Aye, I can imagine the Tests are far more enjoyable, (usually!), if you have a greater knowledge and understanding of the finer points of the game.

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

I think you have to have played it to really understand it, there are just so many nuances compared with most other sports. Games within games shall we say.

[jammy395]

Yep it would be hard to learn I reckon ........

Throw ball - Hit with wooden plank.

87456.jpg (205.92 KiB) Viewed 2435 times

[wallace]

Only played it once,broke a finger trying to catch that stupid hard ball.I then bought a trombone and had loads more fun,listen to Kid ory's creole trombone...It's an odd boy that doesn't like SPORT.(viv stanshall)....