Cricket - willow and leather

[Smithy]

I'd have to agree with the Baron, it doesn't look good for the Aussies

Could be 2005 all over again.

I think one of the things with Aussie was they had arguably the best test and one day sides for nearly a decade. The public perception is that the Aussie side are still of the same calibre as that of ten years ago - a side that was the perfect storm of a perfect collection of exceptional talent all at the same time, one of those once in a century happenings. A lot of those special players have retired and now things are at a more even keel.

I honestly think that the crux of the matter is Aussie is lacking the bowling attack (either pace or spin) to do damage to the England order, and that might be the biggest factor in this series. When you have batsmen of the class of Cook and Pietersen you have to have the heavy artillery to deal with that.

 

[Aether]

I honestly think that the crux of the matter is Aussie is lacking the bowling attack (either pace or spin) to do damage to the England order, and that might be the biggest factor in this series. When you have batsmen of the class of Cook and Pietersen you have to have the heavy artillery to deal with that.

You're completely right Smithy. But the thing that's surprised me the most is how badly the Aussies have fielded, so un-Australian.

 

[Pompidou]

The most I can say is I've watched a few games when I visited England - Northampton, specifically. My host family watched it - well just the father. Didn't really figure it out.

 

[bumphrey hogart]

Just to change the angle of the thread a little,what worries me is my kids have no understanding of the game at all,I have two boys 17 and 13 and they have never played proper cricket at school ever.Now my idea of heaven is sitting down on a thursday morning at 10 knowing I have nothing to do till the following tuesday,I'll also have to watch the highlights aswell.There's nothing like the gut churning excitement of a close test,when every ball has you on the edge of your seat and sometimes you have to leave the room because it's all too much,but my boys just don't understand it.I've tried explaining but there's no substitute for playing,and they just haven't.We used to play every day,not on a field but with wickets painted on a garage wall,stumps made out of a pile of jumpers on a bit of derelict ground,basically any opportunity to play cricket we played.It really worries me,they say the reason the west indies isn't the force it was is because all the kids want to play basketball now,tomorrows Marshall is playing 1on 1 right now.Australia,who's going to replace Warne,Gilchrist,the Waugh brothers et all,I know that we are probably living at the end of what will be remembered as the golden age of cricket, we spent all our spare time outside playing sport and that gave the really gifted ones to the chance to rise,now it seems the kids spend all their time playing games on their consoles.Most of the playing fields have been sold,sport can't have any winners because that's unfair on the losers,enjoy while you can chaps!

 

[Smithy]

You're completely right Smithy. But the thing that's surprised me the most is how badly the Aussies have fielded, so un-Australian.

Very true Aether. Fielding has been very, very sloppy and as you say quite surprising for an Aussie side.

And very well put Bumphrey Hogart. I'm like you, I enjoy all forms of the game but test cricket is the top of the heap. I love it when you get an individual contest between a specific batsman and a bowler (usually a spinner) at a crucial point in a test. Absolutely magic stuff.

Back to fielding, here's one for discussion:

Who is the greatest fielder you've seen?

For me, it'd have to be either Clive Lloyd or Jonty Rhodes. Both were unbelievable to watch in the field.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Beware the Daily Mail! In my area you can't turn a corner in the summer or walk past a schoolyard without seeing a makeshift wicket with twigs propped up against a wall, or alternatively football with jumpers for goalposts, isn't it, mmmm, summer afternoons, mum just called me in I have to take my ball. Marvelous. Plenty of playing fields, too; Even in London.

Maybe your sons just aren't into cricket. Nothing wrong with that, surely.

Just to change the angle of the thread a little,what worries me is my kids have no understanding of the game at all,I have two boys 17 and 13 and they have never played proper cricket at school ever.Now my idea of heaven is sitting down on a thursday morning at 10 knowing I have nothing to do till the following tuesday,I'll also have to watch the highlights aswell.There's nothing like the gut churning excitement of a close test,when every ball has you on the edge of your seat and sometimes you have to leave the room because it's all too much,but my boys just don't understand it.I've tried explaining but there's no substitute for playing,and they just haven't.We used to play every day,not on a field but with wickets painted on a garage wall,stumps made out of a pile of jumpers on a bit of derelict ground,basically any opportunity to play cricket we played.It really worries me,they say the reason the west indies isn't the force it was is because all the kids want to play basketball now,tomorrows Marshall is playing 1on 1 right now.Australia,who's going to replace Warne,Gilchrist,the Waugh brothers et all,I know that we are probably living at the end of what will be remembered as the golden age of cricket, we spent all our spare time outside playing sport and that gave the really gifted ones to the chance to rise,now it seems the kids spend all their time playing games on their consoles.Most of the playing fields have been sold,sport can't have any winners because that's unfair on the losers,enjoy while you can chaps!

 

[Harp]

Who is the greatest fielder you've seen?

That's easy. Willie Mays. No doubtaboutit.

 

[bumphrey hogart]

Beware the Daily Mail! In my area you can't turn a corner in the summer or walk past a schoolyard without seeing a makeshift wicket with twigs propped up against a wall, or alternatively football with jumpers for goalposts, isn't it, mmmm, summer afternoons, mum just called me in I have to take my ball. Marvelous. Plenty of playing fields, too; Even in London.

Maybe your sons just aren't into cricket. Nothing wrong with that, surely.

I'm pleased to hear that BK,maybe it's just cornwall,but I can honestly say in the 20 plus years I've lived here I've never seen a game of makeshift cricket,and in the one forty minute a fortnight PE lesson my youngest gets, he's never played cricket in the eight years he's been at school and my eldest never once played in all his time at school,they seem to play alot of rounders,basketball and badminton.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

PE is a different issue, and I think that league tables, no, have had a huge effect on the choices schools make about how to apportion time. PE certainly doesn't help get the school up the league table.[huh]

I was made to play cricket at school (in Scotland, no less) and I hated it. I am very much the armchair fan. I was so scared of getting hit by the ball that I usually just stepped out of the way and let it hit the stumps. We had a beast of a macho fast bowler in my class and he would throw it so hard that I couldn't bear to face it. I'm still convinced he was chucking . Give me football any day … I love watching cricket though.

Re: the makeshift games, they (the powers that be in the ECB) say that cricket can be a great force for cohesion. If this area is anything to go by, they're right. There is a huge Banladehi, Pakistani and Indian community here, and those seem to be the kids driving the interest in playing cricket of a summer evening (not surprising), but there are certainly close to as many white British kids taking part. It's great to see.

bk

 

[Smithy]

Back in my day PE at school was usually cricket (if summer), rugby (if winter) or athletics types of things. Swimming as well was common as well all year round even in winter when it could be bloody cold. Teachers used the old "it's character building"speech much to our skepticism.

Backyard games are very common here (and NZ for that matter). Saw 2 going on whilst on the train yesterday.

 

[bumphrey hogart]

Just cornwall then,I'm glad to hear it,when I think back to when I was a kid,(oh,so long ago),we spent every spare minute playing cricket in the summer, and I went to boarding schools,the second one with no girls,so we really had nothing else to do.My brother lives in Birmingham and whilst up there visiting in the summer I did see parks with asian kids playing,but down here,nada.

 

[AntonAAK]

Back to fielding, here's one for discussion:

Who is the greatest fielder you've seen?

Derek Randall.

 

[Missy Hellfire]

I am reliably informed that the counties that the little blighter (my nephew) may be up for are either Berkshire or Buckinghamshire. Both minor counties, but from small acorns mighty oaks do grow and all that! Thanks all so much for your good wishes, fingers crossed eh?

 

[Smithy]

Derek Randall.

He was a bit of a panther in the field Anton, good call.

I think I remember seeing him score a ton at Eden Park in the mid 80s. Gifted cricketer, last I heard about him he was coaching Cambridge Uni.

Back to the Ashes, there's been a lot of mumbling and whispering about bringing Warne out of retirement. Which IMHO rings of desperation. However Warnie according to yesterday's The Age has apparently buggered up any chance of a return due to his rolling around with Liz Hurley!

Although selector Greg Chappell said publicly that there'd been no real talk amongst the powers-that-be regarding bringing Warne back. Still it wouldn't be the first time a roll in the hay has cocked up his cricketing career

 

[Talbot]

And trying to knobble the Enlish team by lending some of them his yellow car!

 

[Smithy]

And trying to knobble the Enlish team by lending some of them his yellow car!

Haha!

Pietersen got demerit points for that as well didn't he?

And how was that as well, Beefy and Ian Chappell continued on with the feud and had a bit of a ding-dong in the Adelaide Oval carpark.

Always just as must going on off the field as on in an Ashes series!

 

[lolly_loisides]

I suppose I should post this in the "Notable Passing" thread, but I'd just like to say RIP Australian Cricket team. As I'm watching, the top order has gone for 45..............

 

[Dav]

I suppose I should post this in the "Notable Passing" thread, but I'd just like to say RIP Australian Cricket team. As I'm watching, the top order has gone for 45..............

:eusa_clap:eusa_clap:eusa_clap

 

[lolly_loisides]

I'm pleased that my pain brings you some joy

 

[LordBest]

It will do us a world of good, in my opinion, we became insufferably arrogant about our successes.