The Cricket Thread

[The_Kincardine]

I do, but I'm not going now even if Australia do survive the night. Not worth spending all that money on travel to see a handful of balls being bowled.

I'll get my money back if there's no play, and a %age of it back if they only play a handful of overs.

Nae need!

[craigkillie]

A bit disappointed I won't get to see any cricket, but I knew there was always going to be a good chance of that. Didn't lose out on anything because I'll get my money back anyway now. Tomorrow was the only day I could have made realistically anyway since I was at a wedding last night and uni on Friday.

Will take in the ODI in Edinburgh in September and then look out for Test tickets next summer.

[mjw]

How are you doing Teds? Nice to see yet another fellow Bear on here. I'd wager it's the 'nicest' thread on P&B right now. The guys who know about the game are really good at explaining the finer points to we ignoramuses.

You see the sportsmanship displayed by the teams and fans,it sets a good example.

[AberdeenBud]

Sir Geoffrey - "This match was a wonderful advert for Test cricket, today in particular. Anyone who tells me Twenty20's better than this is an idiot."

[The_Kincardine]

You see the sportsmanship displayed by the teams and fans,it sets a good example.

mj, yes....good shout. The same attitude was shown in The Lions thread earlier in the year which was also like this: blokes enjoying sport and having banter.

[AberdeenBud]

How are you doing Teds? Nice to see yet another fellow Bear on here. I'd wager it's the 'nicest' thread on P&B right now. The guys who know about the game are really good at explaining the finer points to we ignoramuses.

This thread has been a pleasure. You'll be able to impress the wee man next time with some Cricket chat, TK.

[The_Kincardine]

This thread has been a pleasure. You'll be able to impress the wee man next time with some Cricket chat, TK.

aye the thread is a delight. My son isn't. He's in Hamilton/Motherwell with my sister and my old maw. He sent me a photo on Facebook about 2 hours ago. He was wearing his cousin's Celtic top and the strapline was, "Do you like this, dad?"

The wee bugger can walk back to Buckinghamshire!

[SomersetRoad]

Not England's greatest series but they lead 3-0 and that's the bottom line.

Phenomenal spell from Broad today...on rare occasions he can verge on unplayable. And pleasing to see Bell carry the other batters, for so long he's been an unsung member of the team.

Already looking forward to the winter series down under. On the evidence of the last few weeks, it should be a stonker. Interesting to see how Cook leads from the front because he hasn't convinced this summer, despite England's win. Could do with a big knock to get his confidence back.

[Lex]

Another great test match. Was a real shame to see the Aussie middle order collapse like that after the openers had given them a fantastic chance. As soon as Clarke got out you just knew it was a matter of time. What a match Broad had, he's out performed Anderson and Swan in the last few tests and he seems to have became Cooks go to guy.

Standard wise it's been one of the poorest Ashes series I've ever seen, certainly entertaining enough though.

[mjw]

Another great test match. Was a real shame to see the Aussie middle order collapse like that after the openers had given them a fantastic chance. As soon as Clarke got out you just knew it was a matter of time. What a match Broad had, he's out performed Anderson and Swan in the last few tests and he seems to have became Cooks go to guy.

Standard wise it's been one of the poorest Ashes series I've ever seen, certainly entertaining enough though.

Agree with you on this but it's been better to watch than some of the series when the Aussies just steamrollered England for years.

[The_Kincardine]

Not England's greatest series but they lead 3-0 and that's the bottom line.

Phenomenal spell from Broad today...on rare occasions he can verge on unplayable. And pleasing to see Bell carry the other batters, for so long he's been an unsung member of the team.

Already looking forward to the winter series down under. On the evidence of the last few weeks, it should be a stonker. Interesting to see how Cook leads from the front because he hasn't convinced this summer, despite England's win. Could do with a big knock to get his confidence back.

What does this mean for The Oval test now? Is it simply perfunctory? Or can one side use it to set a challenge to the other?

[AberdeenBud]

What does this mean for The Oval test now?  Is it simply perfunctory?  Or can one side use it to set a challenge to the other?

Both sides will be going all out for the win. Although it is a 'dead rubber'.

Not sure the last time the Aussies didn't win at least one Test, I certainly can't remember it.

As for setting challenges, that's a strict no-no after Hanse Cronjie.

[die hard doonhamer]

What does this mean for The Oval test now? Is it simply perfunctory? Or can one side use it to set a challenge to the other?

I think with another Ashes series following straight after, the test at The Oval is very important. England will want to win to keep the momentum going, and Australia will want to win to stop that. Australia also won't want to lose the series to nil.

[mjw]

Both sides will be going all out for the win. Although it is a 'dead rubber'.

Not sure the last time the Aussies didn't win at least one Test, I certainly can't remember it.

As for setting challenges, that's a strict no-no after Hanse Cronjie.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Ashes_series

A 3-0 win for England in '77 according to this list.

[Reynard]

f**k knows what was in Broads cucumber snadwiches at tea but he was inspired.

Cook did well with the bowlers actually, as soon as he saw Anderson starting to get reverse swing going he binned Swann immediately and let the two fast boys rip Australia to pieces. Its incredible how fast the collapses can happen in test matches once the tone is set there's very little that can be done to stop it happening. I expected England to win once they got to roughly 300 ahead, but wasn't expecting that. E3specially after they had set themselves up with a good start. But we see this sort of thing happen a lot in the last innings, it is very difficult to get a stack of runs. In spite of players being able to do it in 20-20 cricket and one day stuff, in test cricket it is just so different, largely down to the way the bowlers work on the ball and the lenght of time it gets used.

It was another good game though and it went through spells when both teams had the upper hand. Thats the absolute beauty of test cricket, there just isnt another sport remotely like it.

I had the chance to go today as a last minute replacement for one of my friends but I had to be somewhere this afternoon. Thats twice in this series Ive had to knock back tickets or a chance to go.

Hopefully the oval test gives another win to England, I really want to see utter depression reigning over Australian cricket for a while. And I want to see them being fucking gubbed in front of their mouthy fans in their own back yard again. Thats always sweet.

[Reynard]

BTW, Ive been harsh on Broad at times, but I think he has looked like he has finally become a big beast in test cricket. He has bowled pretty well the entire series even if he hasnt been getting the rewards for it. He CAN go through spells of genuine pace bowling like today, I'd like to see him be much more of a c**t to batsmen, really get in thei faces, stick the ball on the helmet a few times and generally be a bad b*****d. Show the lad some footage of Holding, Roberts, Marshall, Garner Lillee, and Thommo in their prime. They were all utter b*****ds, Broad has it in him to bowl really quick, he should be doing it more often.

[The_Kincardine]

It was another good game though and it went through spells when both teams had the upper hand. Thats the absolute beauty of test cricket, there just isnt another sport remotely like it.

YES. From the start of play until the back of 4 today nobody could call this.. Brilliant sport.

[Charlie Lytwyn]

Great performance today from England, hats off. For two and a bit days they were struggling but won it well in the remaining time.

We have still never lost a test at Chester-le-Street, and never lost a test in which bell has scored a hundred. Hope Bell gets another 100 at the Oval and becomes the first Englishman to hit four centuries in an Ashes series. His performances throughout the summer really have been the difference.

Here's some West Indies pacemen in their prime. Some of it is not pretty watching. The mid 80s line up of Marshall, Holding, Garner and Roberts was something else. Croft was good too, until he sullied his name by taking the apartheid dollar in '82. The West Indies teams that won back to back 'blackwashes' against England in 84-86 were absolutely the best teams I've seen in my lifetime.

[Reynard]

I should really be apologising profusely to Mr Bresnan too. When the ball starts to swing he is decent and for once, his batting came good when it mattered.

Depending on how Jimmy is feeling (and he looks like he needs a break) I dont see England changing the line up for the oval test.

[Reynard]

Great performance today from England, hats off. For two and a bit days they were struggling but won it well in the remaining time.

We have still never lost a test at Chester-le-Street, and never lost a test in which bell has scored a hundred. Hope Bell gets another 100 at the Oval and becomes the first Englishman to hit four centuries in an Ashes series. His performances throughout the summer really have been the difference.

Here's some West Indies pacemen in their prime. Some of it is not pretty watching. The mid 80s line up of Marshall, Holding, Garner and Roberts was something else. Croft was good too, until he sullied his name by taking the apartheid dollar in '82. The West Indies teams that won back to back 'blackwashes' against England in 84-86 were absolutely the best teams I've seen in my lifetime.

I wanted to bowl like Michael Holding when I was a kid. He had an absolutely beautiful run up and delivery and was just a brilliant athlete. I really hope they start unearthing fast bowlers like that again, cricket needs that.