The Cricket Thread. - Page 502

**victor meldrew** · December 6th, 2017, 08:26 AM

So near yet so far and another deck of cards.

Could Glen Mcgrath have got this prediction right?

**DB83** · December 6th, 2017, 08:37 AM

I like the idea of allowing spectators in for the final day of a Test for a 'gold-coin' donation that goes to charity.

Current top charity case must be England's batting. Root top scored but is not converting to those badly needed centuries.

I really thought they could make a better fist of day five. But they effectively were playing catch up from the moment they allowed Oz to rack up 400+. Once again in this series it appears to only take one major contribution and plenty of support. But England currently lack both the contribution and the support.

Bookies' odds on a 5-0 slashed ?

**themidlander** · December 6th, 2017, 09:54 AM

It is strange that for an Ashes series there is a very low level of interest in the games even amongst my cricket watching friends!

I summed it up with three issues;-

1) They sent out a team no one believes in, no Stokes, Hales, Plunkett and the batting issues were not adressed during the past summer.

2) Abroad (apart from the W.I.) no one plays with a proper (Duke) cricket ball so its somehow less 'proper' test cricket.

3) The lack of terrestrial TV coverage means (given the schedule) no one is bothering to watch the games.....And what I have seen BT's coverage is pretty piss poor compared with job Sky would have done.

Hikarufan · December 6th, 2017, 11:33 AM

We do use the duke ball here in Australia. It's used in Sheffield shield along with the kookaburra ball. One year they started the season with a kookaburra and finished the second half of the season with duke's. But kookaburra's have been used in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa since 1946 so it's not a new thing.

**themidlander** · December 6th, 2017, 09:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hikarufan

We do use the duke ball here in Australia. It's used in Sheffield shield along with the kookaburra ball. One year they started the season with a kookaburra and finished the second half of the season with duke's. But kookaburra's have been used in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa since 1946 so it's not a new thing.

Given your experience with both makes how do you feel about Shane Warne's comments that all test cricket should be played with the Duke ball and all one day cricket with the Kookaburra?

**Welderman** · December 6th, 2017, 10:51 PM

I've given up on that shower already..

I was more interested in Hong Kong against Papua New Guinea. in Dubai..

marrow · December 6th, 2017, 11:28 PM

Warne's comments were made in 2015 after a season where there was constant changes of the Kookaburra balls. That problem hasn't cropped up since then. Cricket Australia are using the Duke ball in the second half of the Sheffield Shield season as preparation for the 2019 Ashes. This started from the 2016-2017 season. Warne also proposed that tests be 4 days. Don't agree with both his views.

**scoundrel** · December 7th, 2017, 05:29 AM

The difference between the two sides so far has been the bowling. Australia, except for the first day of the first test, has bowled consistently well, with skill and a lot of intent. By finally bowling well in Australia's second innings England have proven that Australia's batting is brittle, not as good as England's batting if truth be told. But I listened to Test Match Special as England's bowling in the first Australian innings was being analysed, and the regular commentators were playing up the edges which fell short, the dropped catches, the lucky breaks the Aussie batsmen enjoyed etc. etc. Phillip Tufnell neatly pulled the plug on this nonsense by pointing out that all these things are normal whenever you bowl the wrong length. England put in all the effort, but they bowled the wrong length and Australia took them to the cleaners.

The moral of the story is that the bowlers must know their craft and apply their minds. Merely working hard (as they did) is not the answer.

**judy84** · December 7th, 2017, 08:02 AM

I would agree with Joe Root that there is not a lot of difference in the teams, but Oz batting and bowling has been better.
England have been bowled out 4 times with a top score of 302...not good enough. Oz have scored well over 1000 runs for the loss of 28 wickets.
Whether it is because of injury (sore finger and hip have been mentioned), Moeen hasn't been able to spin the ball. At 2-0 down, England need to go into the 3rd test with someone who can spin the ball. Crane is the only option and should be given a chance, the only change I would make for 3rd test.

I think the BT commentators are much better than Sky (unlike football).In particular Ricky Ponting and Michael Vaughan provide witty analysis of the cricket. The Sky commentators repeat the same old stories and talk mainlt about themselves to the exclusion of the cricket, particularly bully Botham and senile Bumble.

**DB83** · December 7th, 2017, 08:33 AM

It is somewhat unfair to single out one player since so many have under-performed.

Take Vince for example. That first knock seems to flatter and deceive. Ballance could hardly do worse given Root's reluctance to step up to No3.

Ali had a vintage summer and is, clearly unfit. But he also has a nemesis in the shape of Lyon who only needs to grin and he plays the wrong shot and loses his wicket.

And Cook is also not justifying his selection. But who else is there to replace him ?

At the moment, anything other than 5-0 will be a success.

December 6th, 2017, 10:51 PM	#5016
Welderman Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: County of Champions Posts: 3,707 Thanks: 55,074 Thanked 64,245 Times in 3,729 Posts	I've given up on that shower already.. I was more interested in Hong Kong against Papua New Guinea. in Dubai.. __________________ ''Elga, 5mm cast iron welding rods''.. Nice.. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

December 7th, 2017, 05:29 AM	#5018
scoundrel Super Moderator Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: England Posts: 26,237 Thanks: 162,388 Thanked 278,408 Times in 26,182 Posts	The difference between the two sides so far has been the bowling. Australia, except for the first day of the first test, has bowled consistently well, with skill and a lot of intent. By finally bowling well in Australia's second innings England have proven that Australia's batting is brittle, not as good as England's batting if truth be told. But I listened to Test Match Special as England's bowling in the first Australian innings was being analysed, and the regular commentators were playing up the edges which fell short, the dropped catches, the lucky breaks the Aussie batsmen enjoyed etc. etc. Phillip Tufnell neatly pulled the plug on this nonsense by pointing out that all these things are normal whenever you bowl the wrong length. England put in all the effort, but they bowled the wrong length and Australia took them to the cleaners. The moral of the story is that the bowlers must know their craft and apply their minds. Merely working hard (as they did) is not the answer. __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

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December 6th, 2017, 08:26 AM	#5011
victor meldrew Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: At the bottom of an empty glass Posts: 15,776 Thanks: 531,841 Thanked 179,897 Times in 15,764 Posts	So near yet so far and another deck of cards. Could Glen Mcgrath have got this prediction right?

December 6th, 2017, 08:37 AM	#5012
DB83 Vintage Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 1,472 Thanks: 1,948 Thanked 12,018 Times in 1,458 Posts	I like the idea of allowing spectators in for the final day of a Test for a 'gold-coin' donation that goes to charity. Current top charity case must be England's batting. Root top scored but is not converting to those badly needed centuries. I really thought they could make a better fist of day five. But they effectively were playing catch up from the moment they allowed Oz to rack up 400+. Once again in this series it appears to only take one major contribution and plenty of support. But England currently lack both the contribution and the support. Bookies' odds on a 5-0 slashed ?

December 6th, 2017, 09:54 AM	#5013
themidlander Vintage Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: West Midlands Posts: 649 Thanks: 16,089 Thanked 11,017 Times in 644 Posts	It is strange that for an Ashes series there is a very low level of interest in the games even amongst my cricket watching friends! I summed it up with three issues;- 1) They sent out a team no one believes in, no Stokes, Hales, Plunkett and the batting issues were not adressed during the past summer. 2) Abroad (apart from the W.I.) no one plays with a proper (Duke) cricket ball so its somehow less 'proper' test cricket. 3) The lack of terrestrial TV coverage means (given the schedule) no one is bothering to watch the games.....And what I have seen BT's coverage is pretty piss poor compared with job Sky would have done.

December 6th, 2017, 11:33 AM	#5014
Hikarufan Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Down under Posts: 399 Thanks: 68 Thanked 4,200 Times in 395 Posts	We do use the duke ball here in Australia. It's used in Sheffield shield along with the kookaburra ball. One year they started the season with a kookaburra and finished the second half of the season with duke's. But kookaburra's have been used in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa since 1946 so it's not a new thing.

December 6th, 2017, 11:28 PM	#5017
marrow Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 75 Thanks: 823 Thanked 885 Times in 73 Posts	Warne's comments were made in 2015 after a season where there was constant changes of the Kookaburra balls. That problem hasn't cropped up since then. Cricket Australia are using the Duke ball in the second half of the Sheffield Shield season as preparation for the 2019 Ashes. This started from the 2016-2017 season. Warne also proposed that tests be 4 days. Don't agree with both his views.

December 7th, 2017, 08:02 AM	#5019
judy84 Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Wilts Posts: 2,008 Thanks: 34,481 Thanked 21,442 Times in 2,021 Posts	I would agree with Joe Root that there is not a lot of difference in the teams, but Oz batting and bowling has been better. England have been bowled out 4 times with a top score of 302...not good enough. Oz have scored well over 1000 runs for the loss of 28 wickets. Whether it is because of injury (sore finger and hip have been mentioned), Moeen hasn't been able to spin the ball. At 2-0 down, England need to go into the 3rd test with someone who can spin the ball. Crane is the only option and should be given a chance, the only change I would make for 3rd test. I think the BT commentators are much better than Sky (unlike football).In particular Ricky Ponting and Michael Vaughan provide witty analysis of the cricket. The Sky commentators repeat the same old stories and talk mainlt about themselves to the exclusion of the cricket, particularly bully Botham and senile Bumble.

December 7th, 2017, 08:33 AM	#5020
DB83 Vintage Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 1,472 Thanks: 1,948 Thanked 12,018 Times in 1,458 Posts	It is somewhat unfair to single out one player since so many have under-performed. Take Vince for example. That first knock seems to flatter and deceive. Ballance could hardly do worse given Root's reluctance to step up to No3. Ali had a vintage summer and is, clearly unfit. But he also has a nemesis in the shape of Lyon who only needs to grin and he plays the wrong shot and loses his wicket. And Cook is also not justifying his selection. But who else is there to replace him ? At the moment, anything other than 5-0 will be a success.