BS: Anyone for cricket?

Subject: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Sooz
Date: 20 Jul 03 - 06:03 AM

Mike and I spent yesterday at the finals of the new Twenty 20 cricket competition at Trent Bridge. Not real cricket for the purists but lots of fun, over 800 runs in the day, (mostly in boundaries),plenty of wickets, superb fielding and generally very entertaining. The idea is to sell the game to young people. So, they had music in the interval. Half an hour of Atomic Kitten gyrating seductively as they sang along to a recorded backing track did nothing for me! (Mike couldn't get close enough to see - that was all he was interested in!) What a shame they couldn't have some quality live music. I'll be on to the ECB directly.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 20 Jul 03 - 12:40 PM

The whole point of cricket is it goes on in the background so you can eat and drink and chat or sleep, and it doesn't interfere.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: John Hindsill
Date: 21 Jul 03 - 12:23 AM

During trips to Britain and the Continent, I have watched Cricket matches on the tube whilst my wife was doing womanly things in preparation for the day or evening. For the life of me I cannot yet figure out the rules to the game. I have even read the basic rules, but it didn't help. No wonder Abner Doubleday invented baseball (if he really did)! Scores of 800 are nearly impossible in baseball. BG.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Trevor
Date: 21 Jul 03 - 04:28 AM

Cricket matches on the tube - bit dodgy getting the ball back isn't it? Mind you, the excitement factor would be even greater than 20 20.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Trevor
Date: 21 Jul 03 - 04:30 AM

John, does this help?

You have two sides, one out in the field and one in. Each man that's in goes out, and when he's out he comes in and the next man goes in until he is out. When they are all out, the side that's been out comes in and the side that's been in goes out and tries to get those coming in, out. Sometimes you get men still in and not out.

When a man goes out to go in, the men who are out try to get him out, and when he is out, he goes in and the next man in goes out and goes in. There are two men called umpires who are all out all the time, and they decide when the men who are in are out. When both sides have been in and all the men have been out, and both sides have been out twice after all the men have been in, including those who are not out, that is the end of the game.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 21 Jul 03 - 06:20 AM

Soccer, typically you get games without any score at all, or with just one or two goals. Cricket you get scores in the hundreds.

Just goes to show that high scores don't necessarily mean a livelier kind of game.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Bassic
Date: 21 Jul 03 - 06:29 AM

Trevor, you been reading "Tea Towels" again? *grin*

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Sooz
Date: 21 Jul 03 - 07:23 AM

I've got the same tea towel!
The 800+ runs were over three games - two semi-finals and the final. I must say I found it easier to understand than the World Pool matches I left the video to record!

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Jul 03 - 07:54 AM

When I grow old I shall wear purple..........!

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 21 Jul 03 - 08:01 AM

I must admit to having my doubts about the 20 over game as it seems to me that our players need more practice at staying in the crease rather than at taking risks and possibly throwing away wickets.

On the other hand, I can imagine it could be exciting to watch and if it really does attract youngsters to the game, that has to be a good thing.

I followed the score cards from time to time during the day of the semis and the final. I don't know what it was like watching it but from my "view", it seemed like the final was a bit of an anti-climax with Surrey winning far too easily.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Rapparee
Date: 21 Jul 03 - 08:21 AM

A cricket will eat holes in your clothes and can tell you the temperature by the number of chirps it makes (up to a point).

Wicket is what a bad person is: Hitler was really wicket.

Over is what is best about cricket matches.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: gnu
Date: 21 Jul 03 - 08:58 AM

I have watched a few games with great interest since I got a new sports channel a couple of months ago. I've got the scoring of runs down and I think I know how a batsman can be relieved. Other than that, I am at a loss. However, I must say that the Fox Sports World channel doesn't "do" anything for the game... at the end of the matches I watched I learned that I was watching taped games, from 1998 !

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Sooz
Date: 21 Jul 03 - 10:39 AM

Jon,Surrey won the final because they bowled Warwickshire out and kept the runs down with great fielding. It feels odd for me, a Notts supporter (somebody has to be) standing up for a southern team!
Gnu, I think a batsman would be relieved if he saw me preparing to bowl at him but I'm sure that there are many other reasons!

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Trevor
Date: 21 Jul 03 - 10:39 AM

Apparently, most batsmen are pretty enthusiastic about being relieved. Could explain England's success with the bat in recent years. And there was me thinking that the sound of leather against willow was Nasser Hussain kicking a tree!

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Bev and Jerry
Date: 22 Jul 03 - 01:03 AM

As Amerians we found this site useful.

Bev and Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Teribus
Date: 22 Jul 03 - 06:47 AM

Most complete game ever devised by man.

With regard to Test Matches it calls on the greatest variety of skills from agronomy, through meteorology to athleticism in terms of endurance and stamina, excellent hand-eye co-ordination and the required turn of speed of an olympic sprinter.

Tests are incredibly difficult to win - the number of ways in which a match that appears to be a foregone conclusion can be played to a draw is astounding.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: gnu
Date: 22 Jul 03 - 08:03 AM

Bev and Jerry... excellent ! Thanks.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Rapparee
Date: 22 Jul 03 - 08:17 AM

The straw boaters, the striped jackets, the white flannels, the long dresses and large hats, the lemonade, the petit fours, the gentlemen in their uniforms with those small caps, the carriages with the matched pairs of grays, the cries of "Good Oh!" and "Out!", the long warm summer days, and in the background the punts on the Cam...God! I love cricket!

Nobody alive really understands it, of course, but then again, nobody really understands American football, Gaelic football, hurling, hockey, or croquet. Now, for a real sport, try quidditch.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Rapparee
Date: 22 Jul 03 - 08:57 AM

Ah, quidditch! The REAL sport of sports!!

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Sooz
Date: 22 Jul 03 - 09:07 AM

Lots of comments about the cricket but none about Atomic Kitten and the parlous state of Live Music today!

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 22 Jul 03 - 09:10 AM

Sooz, I deliberately stayed out of that bit... I've no time for them and hope that sort of crap doesn't become part of going to a cricket match!

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 22 Jul 03 - 10:42 AM

Thinking again, Sooz... I really don't like the idea of any music promoting cricket at all. Maybe I'm odd but during the break I'd much rather see a few sets of stumps on the outfield and kids getting to try thier hands...

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Sooz
Date: 22 Jul 03 - 11:30 AM

I agree Jon, but they are trying to lure in the crowds! At Trent Bridge we are used to seeing kids playing on the outfield during the lunch interval of Test matches.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Ed.
Date: 22 Jul 03 - 01:03 PM

I'm a bit of a traditionalist as far as cricket is concerned as well.

I did go to a couple of the Twenty 20 group games at Old Trafford, and have to say I enjoyed myself a lot.

Due to work and other commitments, I don't get a chance to go to many games, so being able to finish work, watch some exciting play, have a couple of beers and still be home for 9pm was a hit with me. (Seeing Shoaib Akhtar square cut for six was worth the entry price of one game alone)

Jon, you'll be pleased to know that during the (albeit short) innings break kids played on the outfield, a great many of them at that. I do wish they'd lose "Another one bites the dust" whenever a wicket falls, though.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Walking Eagle
Date: 22 Jul 03 - 04:32 PM

So Trev...who's on First?

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Sooz
Date: 23 Jul 03 - 06:14 AM

Just thought I would throw (sorry bowl) this one in....

Cricket Lovers by Bernard Carney

Be my cricket momma I'll be your cricket bloke
Drive me hard through the covers with a well timed stroke
I don't want no leg glance or no short pitched chat
To show me how you swing your bat

We'd be some partnership no one-day match
You my wicket maiden I your easy catch
Your leather on my willow would be my reward
I need to get some runs on your board

Lets not talk of sundries
Cos when they total up our score
I'll be your easy single
If you'll be my leg before

We'd know no boundaries we'd have wickets in hand
I'll even introduce you to the members stand
Don't want no Test Match or no Sheffield Shield
Just show me how you place your field

With your deep fine leg and your extra point
Our runs will never cease
I won't   be daring to think about declaring
Til I've got you in my crease

So when the light is fading or the rain stops play
I'll be your night watchmen any old day
So let's be cricket lovers now the seasons here
We'll maybe make it last all year
Come on and make it last all year

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 23 Jul 03 - 07:05 AM

What about the Kipper Family song "The Cricket Match" ? Has anyone got the words ?
It doesn't appear to be in this thread of their songs.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,John Gray in Oz
Date: 23 Jul 03 - 11:30 AM

Lack of detailed data in English historical records have led to two theories as to why the English decided to colonise Australia.
One is that it was to establish a military base as a check to French expansionism in the Pacific and the other is that it was a dumping ground for convicts.
Well, neither is right, and the lack of records is because the Lords of the Admiralty could only give the real reason verbally to Cook. "Look, James old boy, get yourself down into that southern ocean, where its summer in our winter, and find somewhere to lay out decent cricket pitch so we've got somewhere to send our team in our off season. Take Joseph Banks with you to get some soil samples so we can come up with a wicket that has got a green top, on the first few days, so the fast bowlers can make merry, cracking up on the last couple of days to assist the spinners. And do it before those blasted Frogs get down there and turn everything into a vineyard."
Cook carried out his orders and discovered the cricket Mecca of the world. Then they had to ship down oodles of convicts ( well noted bonkers ) to breed like buggery to build up an "audience" for the English team to perform before.
So there you have it, our nation was created for the love of cricket!

Howzat.

John Gray / FME

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: LadyJean
Date: 24 Jul 03 - 12:31 AM

My friend Badger (Who once played cricket) I used to love playing the Australians, they always got drunk after the match.
My friend Sherry (Who once kept score for her husband, Shridhar's cricket team.) They only got drunk AFTER the match!
Cricket is a lot of fun if you use waterballoons.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Rapparee
Date: 24 Jul 03 - 08:26 AM

In 1937, the Reverend T. McVittie, Moderator of the Sydney Presbytery, said,

    "If Christ came to Sydney today He would be on 'the Hill' at cricket matches driving home the lessons of the game.

    "One can imagine Christ reminding the crowd that Satan was the deadliest and most determined googley bowler of all time."

Indeed one can, should one happen to know what a "googley bowler" is or was. I myself feel that it must be some sort of hat.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Johnny The Bee
Date: 24 Jul 03 - 08:59 AM

Going back to the transatlantic thing, Americans had to invent baseball because they have such a short attention span. They can't concentrate any longer than it takes some prat in badly-designed trousers to throw a large white ball at another prat in badly-designed trousers three times, and for him to miss the ball with his cudgel amost every time.

And even when the prat with the cudgel (they call him the batter and the chap chucking the ball the pitcher - I thought batter was what you make yorkshire puddin's from, and a pitcher's a water-jug?) does manage by some odd chance to make contact with the ball, it's a bloody great swipe and the ball flies off in any direction. Try a leg-glance or a reverse-sweep with a baseball bat - can't be done!

No, cricket's the thinking man's baseball, and there ain't many thinking Yanks - look at the President they managed to elect for themselves!

Incidentally Sooz, your rendition of Berbnard's 'Cricket Lovers' is exquisite - I larf every time!

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Sooz
Date: 24 Jul 03 - 09:00 AM

A googly is a ball bowled by a right arm wrist-spin bowler - tecnically an off break with an apparent leg break action. (As opposed to a chinaman which is the left arm equivalent.)

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Les from Hull
Date: 24 Jul 03 - 09:13 AM

Actually in Yorkshire we say batter both for the bloke with the bat and the pudding.

I think that cricket is loved in England because it is the one game that is most affected by weather - wind direction and strength, humidity, cloud cover, rain, bad light. And you know our fascination with the weather!

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 24 Jul 03 - 09:23 AM

I invested about £40 in a tv card for my pc a couple of weeks ago. This is really great - I'm watching the test in a small window on the computer while typing this. SA 170-0

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Johnny The Bee
Date: 24 Jul 03 - 12:14 PM

Heaven!

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: ard mhacha
Date: 24 Jul 03 - 01:01 PM

A very appropiate thread heading, anyone but England, latest score South Africa 398 for 1. Ard Mhacha.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Sooz
Date: 24 Jul 03 - 01:32 PM

hmmmmmmm....it might rain tomorrow

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Johnny the Bee
Date: 25 Jul 03 - 07:31 AM

Yep, it is doing. Sing 'Cricket Lovers' for me tonite Sooz?
JB

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: ard mhacha
Date: 25 Jul 03 - 07:33 AM

Yes Sooz, spot on, it`s pouring down,England`s best player to the rescue.Ard Mhacha.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Sooz
Date: 25 Jul 03 - 07:52 AM

I am indeed a prophet!

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: gnu
Date: 26 Jul 03 - 05:54 AM

Speaking of shitting on Yankee baseball, ever notice how stunned the coach looks in the team uniform ? Is there ANY other sport in which a non-playing coach dresses in full uniform ?

Alas, it is most unfortunate that I have found another sport to watch on the boob tube, whilst idling my time away, but I absolutely love cricket. As for baseball, it's a good thing it's soooo boring because my cable supplies me with several games almost every day.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 26 Jul 03 - 06:11 AM

At least play has started today.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: catspaw49
Date: 26 Jul 03 - 07:12 AM

Okay.....Confession time.

I too got Cricket on a sports channel and started watching. I have never been able to figure it out but it seemed to me that if I found a few websites and watched a lot of games (no matter the age, I didn't have any favorites) I'd get the general idea and maybe learn why others enjoyed it....and maybe I would myself!

So I watched. And I learned. Well, sorta'.......I remember feeling sheer ecstasy when I figured out what the "crease" was. I relied a lot on the announcer to lead me and slowly some of it started to make sense. Then I was watching a match after a few weeks of tuning in several times a week, and at the beginning of the second, from the announcer's voice I sensed a moment of high drama. The moment passed and the poor guy sounded terribly sad that things hadn't gone as they might have and was seemingly berating the one team. The only problem here was that I had absolutely no idea what the moment was or why there was any drama in it. Now was the time to face some facts.

The Brits are quite obviously a people of high intelligence or at least of a higher order of intelligence than I can claim. I congratulate all of you who have mastered not just the intricacies of Cricket but even the basic idea of the game. You are all a special breed of humankind to be revered by one and all.

It's either that or Cricket is, beyond any shadow of a doubt and without qualification, the stupidest fucking game ever conceived and all of you who claim to enjoy it are actually clinically dead. This comes from a man who enjoys Yacht Racing, a sport once noted as akin to watching grass grow. Cricket is like watching dead grass even try to grow.....in a barren field......in August......during a drought.....with 100 degree temperatures.....underneath a layer of salt......

To all who like the game, good for you! Please have your Death Certificates validated at the courthouse.

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 26 Jul 03 - 07:41 AM

It's not that hard spaw!

But cricket is a tactical game. You can have bowlers trying to outwit batsmen, batsmen trying to dominate a bowler. A captain with an armoury of bowlers, some who can bowl very fast, others who can spin the ball and make it turn very sharply, choices of where to put the fielders to get the best chance possibly to attack (ie take catches) or perhaps to defend (i.e. stop the other side scoring too quickly).

Think of a test match as a game of chess played out by skilled athletes.

Jpn

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Sooz
Date: 26 Jul 03 - 11:39 AM

Its raining again.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 27 Jul 03 - 04:28 AM

Why do the Americans insist on calling Rounders Baseball?
Giok

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 27 Jul 03 - 11:57 AM

For the sake of completeness, let's not forget that the US game of Baseball seems to be based on the British, still played here in Cardiff (S.Wales).
See references at:
Early Bat & Ball Games
Baseball, Made in Britain


Nigel

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 27 Jul 03 - 12:38 PM

Looks like we are heading for a draw...

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 27 Jul 03 - 12:46 PM

Of course, one great advantage of cricket over baseball is the fact that it is played during the day, even on weekdays.
You can take your lunchbreak, walk to an in-city pitch, watch 3/4 hours of play while sitting in the sun with a beer in your hand, then return to work.
At 5pm you can leave work and go and watch another hour or two without having really missed any action in between.

Nigek

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 27 Jul 03 - 01:08 PM

I guess I'd part agree with that. It is rather nice that if you wish you can just sort of dip in and out of a game.

A ground I used to go to was Colwyn Bay when Glamorgan came up there. It's a small ground - having a beer is fine but I never liked to take my eye off where the ball was going!

I'm in Norfolk these days. My father and I sometimes debate about going down to Essex to see a first class county match.

Oh and while drifting, thinking of Colwyn Bay and SA, I'm pretty sure I still have Graham Pollock's autograph somewhere from some game (Cavaliers?) in the 60s there.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Hrothgar
Date: 28 Jul 03 - 04:23 AM

Spaw, if you ask really nicely, I'll explain the difference between bowling over the wicket and bowling around the wicket.

:-)

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: A Wandering Minstrel
Date: 28 Jul 03 - 08:23 AM

Spaw,

I'll take the first option, thanks ;)

Cricket is the epitome of civilisation, requiring as it does, guile, aggression, low cunning, subtlety and an abstract understanding of the nature of time.

Besides my recollection of the grass at Lords from but a week ago suggests that the process of its growing IS nothing short of miraculous, I've never seen intimidating grass before...

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 28 Jul 03 - 08:47 AM

It's a real shame that we lost the one day to rain. England (notably Vaughn) batted well to avoid the follow on. The question now is what target to SA set England?

That's one for you spaw. SA are about 270+ runs ahead. There is less than one days play left. If SA want to win the game, they need to declare (i.e. stop batting and say they have made enough runs) but if they were to declare too early, England could go on and make enough runs to win the game. Would consider that the game is going for a draw and just use "batting practice", would you try to set a "sporting total" and risk loosing, would you make sure you are so safe that you can't loose but also know that the chances of bowling England out in the remaining time are about nil (it's unlikely even now)?

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 28 Jul 03 - 09:22 AM

Oh well, my question has been answered - they declared at 320 ahead. For the record, that is where I would have declared. Now we need to see if England rise to the challenge and the outside chance of making the runs.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Johnny The Bee
Date: 28 Jul 03 - 12:17 PM

Jon (et al),

Your question's a good one but, as I guess 'Spaw's a colonial type from across the ditch, it's absolutely wasted on him! His own contribution totally vindicated my original point - they don't have the necessary grey matter to even begin to understand a game so wonderfully subtle. I reckon that, as there are no prancing pubescent girls waving chaff around and flashing their arses, they can see no point to it!

We've got a Yank where I work who spends entire weekends and most of his holidays at Frisbee-throwing competitions. When my kids were five years old a Frisbee would ususlly entertain them for approximately five minutes, by which time they were bored witless and would start playing cricket or soccer instead. 'Nuff said?

Peace Brothers (oops, didn't mean to mention the 'P' word - they don't seem to understand that nowadays either).

Johnny

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Ed.
Date: 28 Jul 03 - 02:40 PM

So Nassar Hussain has resigned...

A big shock to me, but understandable in retrospect I suppose.

I feel very sorry for him, in terms of the pressure that he had to take during the World Cup/Zimbabwe debacle.

I have a huge respect for what he's done. All the best for the future, Nass.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 28 Jul 03 - 03:19 PM

I must admit that I'd sooner him have given up responsabilites as captian in the tests when he resigned from the one day matches.

That said, I do believe he gave his all to England as captain and realy did work hard to pull us forwards at a time we needed it.

As for the world cup, it was my belief that we shouldn't have played and I admire Flower and Olonga for the stance they took. That of course is political and Hussain never should have had to be in that position - politics and the safety of players should have been matters for those above.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Ed.
Date: 28 Jul 03 - 03:51 PM

It'll be really interesting to see what Vaughan does as a test captain.

I'll be hooked over the next few weeks, and will fully appreciate the "chess on grass"

I'll feel sorry for the "without qualification, the stupidest fucking game ever conceived and all of you who claim to enjoy it are actually clinically dead" people.

It's their loss.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Jul 03 - 04:12 PM

FWIW Ed, I think Vaughan will prove to be a very good test captain.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Johnny The Bee
Date: 29 Jul 03 - 07:07 AM

Ed,
I admire and agree with your philosophy regarding the philistines.
It most definitely is their loss!
Johnny

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Teribus
Date: 29 Jul 03 - 07:44 AM

A reference was made to the recent Cricket World Cup, in which the national sides of fourteen countries qualified, through group a series of matches, to play in the actual tournament.

Baseball has a World Series - how many teams from other countries took part? WORLD Series - Ha, bloody Ha!!

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: A Wandering Minstrel
Date: 29 Jul 03 - 08:04 AM

I don't think Nasser has anything to be ashamed of. OK we were thrashed by Australia but isn't everybody. :( It seems to me that the test just finished was a validation of everything he'd done to make England a team to be reckoned with.

There was a glorious 15 minutes or so around teatime yesterday when the thought "320 maybe isn't enough" must have gone through Graham Smiths mind. If it hadn't been for the light it might have been a very interesting last hour.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Teribus
Date: 29 Jul 03 - 08:42 AM

The last one in Australia at the SCG wasn't too shoddy either. Most of the commentators and lots of spectators, Australians and English, reckoned it ranks as one of the best matches ever played.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Les from Hull
Date: 29 Jul 03 - 02:37 PM

Many people who were born and bred in cricketing countries do not understand the game, or wish to. And the game changes slightly each year (to accommodate TV audiences mainly).

But people from non-cricketing nations should realise that cricket has been developing for centuries. So the only way to understand and enjoy a game like cricket is to have centuries and centuries of civilisation. I suggest that younger countries make a start soon.

I'm sure that Michael Vaughan will be a fine captain. Yorkshire thought so much of him as a lad they changed the long-standing rule about who could play for Yorkshire (although from a 'Yorkshire family' he was actually born in (and I hope my fingers can actually be convinced to type this word - Lancashire). At one time heavily pregnant women were herded back over the Pennines just in case the offspring turned out male.

Howzat! Les

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 29 Jul 03 - 05:51 PM

I've always been surprised that the Canadians don't seem to play Cricket - after all, it'd surely be a way of teasing their neighbours. I'd have thought a version played on snow would have been a natural development. So far as I know the only place they play cricket on snow is in Switzerland on occasion, andnthen it's the English. Or ice might be better - could be exciting.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Cluin
Date: 29 Jul 03 - 07:57 PM

We have Lacrosse. Less rules. More violence.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,noddy
Date: 30 Jul 03 - 08:22 AM

Cricket????
Thats not Folk Music?
Is it??

Am I on the wrong web page again? The Womens Institute still dont forgive me! But it was an honest mistake . Anyone could have done it.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 30 Jul 03 - 08:29 AM

Found at Cric Info for the benefit of Guest Noddy

This calypso was written after the Windies won the test in
1950 against England at Lords.

==========================================================

VICTORY CALYPSO - Egbert Moore ("Lord Beginner")

Cricket lovely Cricket,
At Lord's where I saw it;
Cricket lovely Cricket,
At Lord's where I saw it;
Yardley tried his best
But Goddard won the test.
They gave the crowd plenty fun;
Second Test and West Indies won.

Chorus:With those two little pals of mine
       Ramadhin and Valentine.

The King was there well attired,
So they started with Rae and Stollmeyer;
Stolly was hitting balls around the boundary;
But Wardle stopped him at twenty.
Rae had confidence,
So he put up a strong defence;
He saw the King was waiting to see,
So he gave him a century.

Chorus:With those two little pals of mine
       Ramadhin and Valentine.

West Indies first innings total was three-twenty-six
Just as usual
When Bedser bowled Christiani
The whole thing collapsed quite easily;
England then went on,
And made one-hundred-fifty-one;
West Indies then had two-twenty lead
And Goddard said, "That's nice indeed."

Chorus:With those two little pals of mine
       Ramadhin and Valentine.

Yardley wasn't broken-hearted
When the second innings started;
Jenkins was like a target
Getting the first five in his basket.
But Gomez broke him down,
While Walcott licked them around;
He was not out for one-hundred and sixty-eight,
Leaving Yardley to contemplate.

Chorus:The bowling was superfine
       Ramadhin and Valentine.

West Indies was feeling homely,
Their audience had them happy.
When Washbrook's century had ended,
West Indies voices all blended.
Hats went in the air.
They jumped and shouted without fear;
So at Lord's was the scenery
Bound to go down in history.

Chorus:After all was said and done
       Second Test and the West Indies won!

Nigel

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: artbrooks
Date: 30 Jul 03 - 08:41 AM

So far, Rapaire's first post has made the most sense to me...

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 30 Jul 03 - 09:15 AM

There are other cricket songs. Leslie Haworth from Cheshire - who wrote a verion of HERE'S TO CHESHIRE, a version of The Frog's Courtship, which is in the DT, but without his name on it - wrote at least one good one. I think the Spinners recorded it.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 30 Jul 03 - 09:56 AM

I don't mean he wrote "a version of Here's to Cheshire", he wrote the song itself, and it is a version of the Frog's Courtship.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 30 Jul 03 - 10:45 AM

And here is another version of "Cricket Lovely Ctricket" by Prince Far I:

"Cricket lovely cricket
And this is how I saw it.
England has tries their best
But West Indies has won the Test.
In fact the series me a tell you.

Under heavy bowling,
So me track Mr. Golden,
Fi go ask bout the bowling
He said check Mr. Holding
And let me tell you bout the heavy heavy bowling:
How is that Umpire?
Clean bowl!

So I man dolly down and hold meself a radio,
And go down a beach,
As soon as I reach down there, one more wicket gone.
Michael Holding me a tell you iya, yeah.
Say him juggle under heavy heavy bowling
What a heavy heavy heavy heavy heavy bowling
From the man called Michael Holding.

Boy me a tell you the wicket dem fly like lightning
Boy me a tell you is a first time the wickets fly so
It s a record!
Fourteen wickets in one series.
Me a tell you, bwoy, the dreadlocks him heavier than lead
And him dreader than dread
Let me tell you bout the man call Michael Holding,
Him full of bowling
Heavy heavy bowling, yeah.
Me a tell you bout a man call Michael Holding.

So I man dolly down a beach with I man radio
As soon as I reach down there,
Another wicket gone
Michael Holding again me tell you:
How is that Umpire?
Clean bowl!

England has tried their best,
But West Indies has won the Test.
In fact the series.
But seeya, but must, of course
Yeah.

Cricket lovely cricket.
And this year I really saw it.
And this is how I really know it.
Yeah."

And here is an article by Stuart Hall, about Cricket and the West Indies contribution to the way it is played and watched and celebrated in song- Calypso kings

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Ed
Date: 31 Jul 03 - 01:52 PM

What a depressing day!

I'm an eternal optimist regarding English cricket (I was at an impressionable age in the summer of 1981).

But, please!

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 31 Jul 03 - 02:14 PM

I agree Ed. At least Gough and Anderson got some runs.

Hussain dropping Smith early in his innings is looking quite costly now.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: ard mhacha
Date: 31 Jul 03 - 04:25 PM

Another disaster looming for England, three days will suffice for a South Africa win. Ard Mhacha.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Ed
Date: 31 Jul 03 - 05:33 PM

Flintoff will get 5 for 17 tomorrow, and they'll only make 220.

Hussain will then get 200, with an England total of 500+ and then Giles will spin South Africa out on the final afternoon.

We'll win the Ashes next time too!

You can always dream...

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 31 Jul 03 - 08:00 PM

LOL Ed, but an early breakthrough in the AM would be nice.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Sooz
Date: 01 Aug 03 - 03:47 AM

Ed - I also remember 1981 when Botham rekindled the Ashes. What do you think to recalling Mike Brearley as captain? It worked then ........

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Trevor
Date: 01 Aug 03 - 04:33 AM

Typical - bloody weather forecast says that cloud cover will lift..

I've watched cricket in Corfu by the way. There's a thriving cricket club in Corfu town (or there was a few years ago) and they play on a bit of grass in the middle of the town.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: A Wandering Minstrel
Date: 01 Aug 03 - 07:58 AM

Guest Ed: if only that was true :) or it could rain solidly all weekend and get us another draw. Young Mr Vaughan must be feeling quite sick!

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Ed
Date: 01 Aug 03 - 03:03 PM

Hmmm, didn't do too well in my predictions, did I?

Worse than yesterday, if anything...

I had to listen to the old 'Spitting Image' song (direct link to a 2MB mp2 file) to cheer myself up...

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Aug 03 - 04:53 PM

Poor old England, looks like another complete rout. Stick to the one day stuff, test cricket is proving too much. Ard Mhacha.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Ed
Date: 01 Aug 03 - 04:59 PM

Stick to the one day stuff, test cricket is proving too much

No. When we finally get around to winning the Ashes, (and we will, eventually) it will be far sweeter because of the last 15 years

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 02 Aug 03 - 06:24 AM

I see we have already been treated to a bad dropped catch this morning...

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Ed
Date: 02 Aug 03 - 07:20 AM

Make that two, Jon.

Add Stewart being hit in the face, and having to go off. And we can't even use our second choice keeper (Trescothick) because he's got a broken finger.

It's pitiful.

I feel really sorry for Vaughan.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Aug 03 - 07:36 AM

YES!!!!

Graeme Smith is out.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 02 Aug 03 - 07:41 AM

Yep, maybe we will pick up a little now...

And Ed, I too feel sorry for Vaughan in his first test as captain.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Aug 03 - 04:39 PM

Shouldn`t be problem for England 510 , it is a pity there best man will be having a few days off,no rain forecast. Ard Mhacha.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Peter K (Fionn)
Date: 02 Aug 03 - 06:56 PM

Vaughan can still get a result out of this. But only if Graeme Smith has done a Lilley or a Cronje and put a few quid on England.

Spaw, re yacht racing - our beloved Prince Philip once likened it to having a shower with your clothes on, while tearing up large-value banknotes.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: ard mhacha
Date: 03 Aug 03 - 04:07 PM

Walloped again, South Africa are supposed to be re-building their Side, looks like a bleak future for England. Ard Mhacha.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Aug 03 - 09:17 AM

Ard your just a sad negative Bastard

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: ard mhacha
Date: 04 Aug 03 - 02:06 PM

I was being kind, so an even bloody bleaker future. Ard Mhacha.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Teribus
Date: 05 Aug 03 - 11:04 AM

"Oh come ye of little faith" - it's based on a whole series and it's early days yet. I will remain optimistic and enjoy it, whatever, it's the sport I follow, not a country.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: ard mhacha
Date: 05 Aug 03 - 03:43 PM

When was the last time England beat the Aussies in a Test Series?, Faith, it proves damm little if you beat this emerging South Africans, the dominant force in Cricket for the past 50 years has been the Aussies, with the Windies in second place. Ard Mhacha.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 05 Aug 03 - 07:08 PM

Ard, you know little and are blinded by your own hatred of England.

In the period you talk about, the WI were at one time the best in the world. Nobody would have wanted to face the bombardment from the likes of Holding with the ball and Richards with the bat. Even English kids who followed cricked wanted to be like Viv or like Clive Lloyd...

SA cricket has had its ups and downs because of past disgusting attitudes over race (I mean I could never support apartheid) but they have been strong and produced some fine players. Look up the records of Graeme Pollock and Barry Richards. SA are not starting now as an emerging country but as a country that has put past troubles behind it.


Jon

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Strollin' Johnny
Date: 06 Aug 03 - 07:58 AM

Sooz - now look what you started.
Curleigh

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: ard mhacha
Date: 06 Aug 03 - 09:08 AM

Jon You didn`t dispute the fact that Australia are second to none in the past 50 years, and yes I know all about Hall and Viv Richards, and Jim Laker`s 19 wickets on a doctored wicket at Old Trafford and from memory Tony Lock took the remaining wicket.
Sure the Windies had a great sides with the likes of Worrel Weekes Sobers, Lloyd etc, but overall in the past fifty years the Aussie record is without parallel.
Don`t get me wrong, I know my Cricket, I could bowl you a few chinamen any day. Ard Mhacha.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Rapparee
Date: 11 Aug 03 - 09:20 AM

Ah, for the days on the pitch. For gentlemen
in white flannels, bowling and batting.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 11 Aug 03 - 09:51 PM

ard, maybe I didn't say it explicitly but I would certainly say that Australia have not always been second to none over that period. this article by Imran Khan may be of interest to you.

Jon

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Ed
Date: 12 Aug 03 - 12:46 PM

Depending on how you choose to measure it, I think that the 'best team over the last 50 years' would be a pretty close run thing between Australia and the Windies.

This site provides some interesting stats. Compare 1946 - 1979 with 1980 - 1999 for example.

Ed
(who grew up wanting to be Viv Richards)

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: ard mhacha
Date: 12 Aug 03 - 03:19 PM

Jon, Looking through the Test Records no one comes close to Steve Waughs record number of wins as Australias Captain,

Matches played, 34, Won 24, Lost 5, Drew 5.
Have a look, the Aussies are sreets ahead. Ard Mhacha.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 12 Aug 03 - 05:00 PM

Ard, I think we are going to go round in circles. Steve Waugh's record is fantastic, Australia have been the best team by a considerable margin for a number of years, etc.

Where I have a problem with is the statement that "the dominant force in Cricket for the past 50 years has been the Aussies". The problem I have is that in part of this period, using Ed's statistics, Australia slumped as low as 6th in the world and the West Indies were untouchable.

Even if we were looking at the best team overall, I don't believe it is clear cut that Australia come out #1 and WI #2. As far as I'm concerned, both teams have had periods of brilliance in that period.

What of course would have been great would have been to the the 2 greatest sides in my memory - the 80s WI and current Australia play each other.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Sooz
Date: 13 Aug 03 - 04:46 PM

What about the test match starting at Trent Bridge tommorow? I have a ticket for Saturday - will I be able to use it or will it be all over?

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 13 Aug 03 - 06:45 PM

Sooz, although I think SA have played well, I think England are capable of much better (to the point I think some of our play has been embarrisingly bad) than thier last 2 showings in this series. I would back SA to win but, whatever, I don't think it will as one sided as the last 2 (OK I know one was a draw) tests.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Sooz
Date: 14 Aug 03 - 07:39 AM

I blame the selectors!

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: ard mhacha
Date: 14 Aug 03 - 08:51 AM

Jon, I agree the present Aussie side and the Windies of the Sobers era would have been a hell of a game, but then again as in every field of Sport the present day teams are light years ahead.
Still think i`m right about the past 50 years. Ard Mhacha.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Sooz
Date: 14 Aug 03 - 10:02 AM

Well, we've had the early collapse but now we are into a record breaking partnership for the 3rd wicket. Hope it lasts!

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 14 Aug 03 - 03:02 PM

A much better day :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Ed
Date: 14 Aug 03 - 03:31 PM

Indeed!

Very pleased for Hussain that he got his century. Let's hope that he makes it a double.

If we play well tomorrow, I think that we could win this (I really do). So far (this series) South Africa haven't had to bat with any pressure. It'll be interesting to see how they react if there is some.

Ever the optimist...

Ed

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 14 Aug 03 - 08:21 PM

Yes Ed, I'd agree with that. It will also be interesting to see how the pitch plays. I backed SA a few posts ago but an England win is a real possibility.

I still think that SA has the stronger attack - have always liked Sean Pollock's accurate and disciplined bowling and perhaps as an outside one have been impressed with this Hall (not forgetting the man who took 10 wickets at Lords...)

Batting for SA, Smith must be due a failure, even if only statistically...

As an aside, there have been baseball vs cricket comments. I never knew till today that some Aussie players have played both and to a high standard. Richie Benaud is apparently a fan of baseball and on C4 today recalled a time when the touring cricket team actually beat the SA national baseball team at their own game!

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Les from Hull
Date: 15 Aug 03 - 09:13 AM

Don't forget that England have about 7 capped England fast bowlers unavailable for injury (and retirement). I'm not sure that we can bowl South Africa out easily unless we get a bit of help from the conditions or the South Africans themselves.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Beardy
Date: 15 Aug 03 - 09:30 AM

And Les that between them Anderson, Harmison & Kirtley have less than 10 tests between them. Surely the most inexperienced attack for many many years.

At least Alec has made another 50 and is still there (1430 hrs)

See you Sunday at Whitby

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: ard mhacha
Date: 15 Aug 03 - 02:55 PM

Les from Hull, Your prayers have been answered, Smith stepped back on his wicket. It is the battle of the also-rans, like the Ireland v Wales Rugby match to-morrow. Ard Mhacha.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Les from Hull
Date: 15 Aug 03 - 06:15 PM

And Gibbs played on! I'm now hoping for daft run-outs and retired hurts. We'll take anything with the current state of the England attack. It would be nice to see England at least building for the future, but the best performances were from the old 'uns.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Sooz
Date: 16 Aug 03 - 03:35 PM

Young Anderson was a bright star today - pink hair and everything!

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Aug 03 - 03:32 PM

Free tickets at Trent Bridge tomorrow (Mon) - what a bargain!! Pity I'm over 200 miles away and can't make it. Just hope England don't snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.....

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 17 Aug 03 - 04:18 PM

We toyed with the idea of going (I reckon on about 3hrs from Cromer) but decided against.

It will be interesting to see how it goes tommorrow. I'd favour England but I think it's too early to write SA off.

It's been a good game for changes of fortune.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Peter K (Fionn)
Date: 17 Aug 03 - 06:11 PM

Ed, having been at Trent Bridge on Thursday I can assure you that Hussain's ton, welcome though it was, was hugely eclipsed by Butcher's. When Butcher is flowing, it's almost as fine a spectacle as when Stewart on the top of his form (very rare is these days).

Such moments make cricket a joy to behold in a way that,for me, baseball could never match. Neither does baseball have much opportunity for the overt person-to-person menace that can creep into cricket, as it did for instance with the Donald v Atherton hostilities the last time England played SA at Trent Bridge.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 17 Aug 03 - 07:07 PM

Now Donald v Atherton was a classic. Did you see the recent (this series) bit on the C4 coverage where they both were together and talked about it?

For my favourite all time "stylish" batting rather than the (at times) Viv Richard belt every ball out of the park for 6, I think I would go for Mark Waugh at his best.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Micca
Date: 18 Aug 03 - 10:57 AM

Well, How about that!! England beat them to level the series and SA are without Pollock at Headingly!!!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: ard mhacha
Date: 18 Aug 03 - 01:42 PM

Micca, The wicket at Headingly won`t be like the ploughed field at Trent Bridge, the South African Captain wasn`t too pleased, which resulted in the game being a lottery. Ard Mhacha.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Aug 03 - 05:13 PM

I think there is some justification in suggesting that with the pitch as it was, winning the toss was quite an advantage.

That said, England still had to get the runs in the first innings and I thought they batted really well. I also thought they bowled well and overall looked a very different side to the ones we witnessed in the first 2 tests.

It's a shame Sean Pollock will miss Headingly as I would have liked to see SA at full strength up there. There again, England probably have more injury worries with Harmison...

Jon

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Teribus
Date: 19 Aug 03 - 02:03 AM

Ard Mhacha - Re Test Wickets and some of your comments on them

"on a doctored wicket at Old Trafford"

"The wicket at Headingly won`t be like the ploughed field at Trent Bridge, the South African Captain wasn`t too pleased, which resulted in the game being a lottery."

It is the "home sides" perogative to prepare test wickets to their advantage. Test grounds are selected and the Captain of the home side tells the head groundsman exactly how he wants that test wicket to be prepared for that test. Sometimes it comes off, sometimes not, particularly in England due to the weather. It is not "cheating", it is no part of any diabolical "Brit" plot - It is allowed - It is part of the game - It is done the world over where cricket is played.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Beardy
Date: 19 Aug 03 - 07:47 AM

Re Trent Bridge's 'ploughed field', considering the pitch played up on Thursday morning and the Test lasted until lunch on the last day with Boucher making 52 I think its rather an uncharitable description. Also the leading wicket taker in the country, James Kirtley, exploited the conditions superbly on his debut for 6-34.

I think conditions more in favour of England at Headingly but the quick flat strip at the Oval could favour SA batsmen.

Stewart

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Peter K (Fionn)
Date: 19 Aug 03 - 10:05 AM

Interviewed on the pitch before the game, the Trent Bridge groundsman said he'd advise whever won the toss to bowl first as the wicket would play better on the second day. According to a TV report last night, he has now "gone to ground." (Where else would he go?)

Jon, I'd have been interested to see Atherton and Donald on C4. I've never liked Atherton's "means justify the ends" attitude (remember that ball-tampering episode?) but I have a lot of respect for Donald. Their confrontation was my first experience of a test match where everything was replayed to spectators in slow motion on giant screens. Atherton was plainly out, except in the umpire's judgment, so everyone understood exactly what was going on. The following day Stewart came in to bat with England needing about 50 to win and Atherton needing about six for his century. Stewart was in the form of his life, and Donald seemed to have lost his menace from the previous evening. Athers was reduced to a spectator as Stewart knocked off the most of the runs for victory, and was stuck on 98 not out at the end. Rough justice, I thought.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 19 Aug 03 - 01:56 PM

If my mermory serves me correctly, Atherton's comments the other day were along the lines that he never believed in walking and the it was the umpires job to decide. It seemed that Donald was pretty annoyed at the time of the match...

I am one of the ones who likes to think players will walk when they know they are out but I feel sure that is an unrealistic expectation in a tough professional game.

The "dust in the pocket" one caused me some amusement at the time. If I remember right, it didn't seem too long (a year?) after everyone was branding Pakistan as cheats and there we go... our "lilly white" captain gets caught red handed on camera!

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Hrothgar
Date: 20 Aug 03 - 04:38 AM

That pitch at Old Trafford was doctored more than most ..........

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: ard mhacha
Date: 20 Aug 03 - 08:02 AM

I also seen the Groundsman being interviewed and he was adamant about the wicket holding out, he was wrong of course, and as Fionn said he wasn`t questioned again.
And please Teribus no long winded comments on the prepared wicket, it is obvious to anyone who has the slightest knowledge of Cricket, that the state of the wicket resulted in a much inferior side winning the lottery.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 20 Aug 03 - 02:14 PM

Hmm, I don't think there was any question over the wicket at Trent Bridge being "doctored". It was just a very bad wicket, presumably as a result of the exceptional weather we have had. Preparing a type of wicket that may suit our bowlers is one thing but preparing a wicket that is going to fall apart is another - unless of course you had a means of influencing the toss to ensure you batted first.

As for "much inferior side", I'm not convinced. I do think that SA are a stronger side than England but I don't think the difference is that vast, at least not if England play at thier best.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: ard mhacha
Date: 20 Aug 03 - 02:23 PM

Why did the Groundsman get it so wrong?, he was very incompetent or a liar. Ard Mhacha.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Ed
Date: 20 Aug 03 - 02:33 PM

"Ploughed Field", "Doctored Pitch". Come on! Unless you think that we fiendisly fixed the toss as well, it would have been of no advantage to us.

England are not a much inferior side to South Africa (how quickly the one day series has been forgotten). I really hope South Africa win the toss tomorrow, then there'll be no excuse if we win.

Although I'm sure you'll think of something...

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 20 Aug 03 - 03:38 PM

"Why did the Groundsman get it so wrong?"

That is an interesting question. As I indicated above, I feel that the poor pitch was a side effect of this summer where UK record temperatures have been reached - I can't see any groundsman willfully putting a pich like that out and I would also assume the guy has some experience.

Quite why he felt that it would be an advantage to bat second, particularly when just about everyone else rightly felt the pitch would get worse, is a mystery.

As for the next test, I'll probably be proved wrong but even though I say I feel SA are the stronger side, I quite fancy our chances at Headingly.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Arnie
Date: 20 Aug 03 - 04:42 PM

I've just got back from Corfu and have seen the pitch mentioned above. Corfu was a British protectorate during much of the 1800's and cricket is a legacy of that era. So is ginger beer! The pitch is pretty small and the residents must fear for their windows and cars when a boundary is hit. However, the ginger beer is brewed locally and tastes like it used to in the UK when I was a kid....I'd love to have seen a match but with the temperature in the 40's that must some feat - for the spectators as well as the players! Anyway, Headingley tomorrow and with a Yorkie in charge we could just be in luck.....

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Peter K (Fionn)
Date: 20 Aug 03 - 04:43 PM

England are inferior at least to the extent that their hopeless fielding allowed Graeme Smith to go into the Trent Bridge Test with an absurd average of about 202. He's not bad, and may one day be in the league of Lara and Co, but he would have scored only a small fraction of his runs haul if catches had been held. I'm backing England to follow up the Trent Bridge win with another at Headingley, just as in the last home series against SA. After which... I'll be hedging my bets.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: ard mhacha
Date: 20 Aug 03 - 04:46 PM

I am not the only one who believed that the lousy wicket helped England, read your papers and hear what the South African Captain had to say regarding the Wicket.
I listened to his comments on Radio 5 live and he wasn`t at all pleased, and also a few of the letters on Ceefax were of the same opinion. Ard Mhacha.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Ed.
Date: 20 Aug 03 - 05:03 PM

ard mhacha,

I apologise if I'm misrepresenting you here, but almost everyting that you've said appears to be anti English.

If hating England helps you define yourself as a Scot, I can only feel sorry for you.

If you can't back up your comments with much more than "a few letters on ceefax agreed with me", I stop feeling sorry for you, and begin to pity you.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 20 Aug 03 - 05:26 PM

Yep, dropped catches have proved costly and there have been some bad ones. At that level, I would expect to see every reasonable chance taken as well as the occasional "1/2 chance".

Still, I feel England did seem a lot more focused in the last test.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Elfcall
Date: 21 Aug 03 - 03:59 AM

Arnie

Technically, we have a Lanky in charge who plays for Yorkshire.

Elfcall

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 21 Aug 03 - 05:43 AM

Careful, friends, this discussion is sinking almost to the depths of the ones about George Bush and Iraq...except I can't understand this one at all! Are you folks saying that people deliberately sabotage the playing field to help their chances? How is that possible? Don't both teams play on the same field? I'm obviously missing something here.

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 21 Aug 03 - 06:07 AM

No Mark, only one person seems to be suggesting that may have been the case at Trent Bridge.

Pictches can be prepared to suit the strengths of the home side. I can't claim to remotely understand the technicalities but, say in India, you might expect a ground to take a lot of spin, in England maybe a nice wicket for seamers (you land the ball on the seam and instead of bouncing off straight, it moves a little to one side or other), etc.

In situations like the Trent Bridge one, it is a huge advantage to bat first. The pitch was dry and developing cracks which get worse as time goes on. The result of such a pitch is that it becomes very unpredictable. One ball may bounce and reach the batsman say at hip height and the next one that is bowled at around the same speed and appears to land at more or less the same spot could bounce and reach the batsman at ankle height. If you consider the ball could be travelling between say 80-90mph, the batsman has little time (fraction of a second) to react to the ball that does something strange.

A good start for England today - SA 10 for 2 as I type.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: ard mhacha
Date: 21 Aug 03 - 06:17 AM

Ed, I lived in England through the 50s and 60s and believe me I met English people that I would have trusted my life on, great friends who I still keep in touch with.
My gripe as it always has been is with the English media and government, they make the most prejudiced seem reasonable, just a liitle sample and I only have to go to last nights BBC News, Wales had an important European Championship game in Belgrade, of course headlined was a nothing friendly between England and Crotia, this is a common theme.
This gripe may seem trivial to anyone but an English sports fan, this a common theme, the Scots and Welsh I have met also voice this criticism.
And who ever heard of an Irishman [yes not Scottish] being interested in Cricket, Ed boy just open the other eye and ear and listen to Lloyd and Atherton[dirty balls] and tell me if they are fair. Ard Mhacha.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 21 Aug 03 - 06:21 AM

Oh and one other comment Mark. When you watch a game of cricket on the tv, one of the first things they do before any play starts is to go out and show you/talk about the wicket (the strip the bowlers bowl on and the batsmen bat on) and try to predict how it will behave.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 21 Aug 03 - 06:55 AM

Ard, what troubles me is that you seem to be letting your feelings influence your judgement on a game of cricket and I really don't see the need for it. I am English and I support my own country in sports but that does not mean I'm proud of or support every action ever made by our country - I'm not/I don't.

Where abouts in Ireland are you? A few years ago I had some very happy times (just a few day trips/and one weekend) in Dublin - sessions in Hughes in particular as well as a wonderful week in Kildare. One day maybe I'll make the West Coast. I also fancy Belfast one day. I've never been North but I've heard good reports...

Jon

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: ard mhacha
Date: 21 Aug 03 - 07:31 AM

Jon, You can take my word on this,when Botham did the impossible in that fantastic game against Austraila some twenty odd years ago, I had a few Quid on England, and well, I had to cheer old fat guts on , he was brilliant.
Was their ever a better all-round feat.

I am away to hide, South Africa won the toss on Headingly`s green grassy slope and they wouldn`t listen to me telling them to put England in, and now they are 59 for 4.
But to-morrow may find things equal, oh for Pollock. Ard Mhacha.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 21 Aug 03 - 07:52 AM

Yes, old "beefy" at his best was brilliant. I'm still uneasy about that test though. The bets placed by Rod Marsh and Denniss Lillee were a disgrace.

Thinking again on the SA cheat that Fionn had mentioned, has anyone else read anything about speculation that he was murdered? One article here

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: ard mhacha
Date: 21 Aug 03 - 01:28 PM

Emerging from the sand I find an impossible turnaround, records shattered by Kirsten and young Zondeki, the best ever 8th wicket partnership of 119 and counting.
Yes it was all of 21 years ago and Botham was one of the pair that made the previous best 8th wicket stand of 109, the game is wide open again, 260 and counting for the Bucs.
Yes that scandal involving a great cricketer Cronge damaged South African cricket, they have certainly emerged again as a force in World cricket, and be fair, I am their only supporter on this Thread.
Ard Mhacha.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 21 Aug 03 - 02:17 PM

Well, that's all well and good, but nothing will top Jim Bunning's perfect game in 1964. So there!

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 21 Aug 03 - 02:39 PM

An excellent stand and I believe it is a record for Headingly. They would have a long way to go to beat the record for any 8th wicket partnership in 1st class cricket. According to my 2001 copy of Wisden, the highest ever was 433.

The highest I can find for a test match is a partnership of 313 between Wasim Akram and Saqlain Mushtaq - Pakistan v Zimbabwe 1996-97.

The highest I can find involving England is one of 246 between L E G Ames and G O B Allen - England v New Zealand 1931.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Ed.
Date: 21 Aug 03 - 04:06 PM

L E G Ames and G O B Allen

Les Ames and 'Gubby' Allen. Two names which evoke the romance of cricket for me. Ames, because he was the greatest wicketkeeper in the world from his era, and Allen because my dad once met him.

My dad had no idea who he was (they shared a taxi) but 'Gubby' was apparently most unimpressed at the lack of recognition!

Ard,

Support whoever you wish. I have to say that I find the "anyone but England" attitude somewhat tiresome, but each to their own I guess.

Regarding the current match: it's excellently poised. The best test cricket illustrates the ebb and flow of fortunes between two well matched teams. I think that this could become a wonderful match. Glad that it's a Bank holiday weekend

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Peter K (Fionn)
Date: 21 Aug 03 - 05:28 PM

Ard, I beg to differ. I saw the main BBC TV News last night (BBC1, 10pm, Wednesday) and when it came to the football, the Wales game was top of the bill, followed by Scotland's, with England's third and last.

Though this was as it should have been, I must admit I was a little surprised. During the first two match reports I wondered if the England game was going to follow the news, in which case when the presenter turned to the England game I was expecting her to say "If you don't want to know the score, look away now." But no, the match did not follow - the Beeb must have simply reported on Wales first because it was the most significant match. I don't know what you were watching or hearing but it wasn't the BBCTV national news.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: ard mhacha
Date: 22 Aug 03 - 06:34 AM

Fionn, I know what I was watching and if you remember the ladycaster at the halway point gave us a glimpse of what was to follow, and I saw the great Beckham hammering in his penalty,and no mention of the Welsh game.
The second half of the News may have started with the Welsh game but no mention earlier.
But why do I explain, BBC and ITV will always give prominence to English sport, after all although we Celts pay our licence, we have to take second place to the majority, haven`t seen, for a time, the late Bobby Moore holding aloft the World Cup and our `enry left-hooking Clay, but they will be back. Ard Mhacha.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Aug 03 - 07:55 AM

I can't comment on the TV last night but overall, I think I would be inclined to agree with ard in that perhaps England do tend to get priority in coverage to the other countries in the UK. I don't think that Wales does too badly though and they do have thier own S4C instead of the regular channel 4.

That said, I used to get annoyed with coverage when I lived in Wales. It seemed to need something like a murder to get coverage in North Wales where as something trivial happening in Cardiff could get covered. I often used to think that the BBC North West and Granada were better than the Welsh equivilants for North Wales (we could recive them all in the Llandudno area).

Anyway, back to the cricket 342 - a good score in the end I think.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Peter K (Fionn)
Date: 23 Aug 03 - 09:10 AM

Pathetic to see England walking off the field for "bad light" when they were clearly on top of indifferent bowling from the Pollockless SA. When they resumed they had to settle in all over again - and lost two quick wickets.

Ard, sounds like you were watching ITN. There is no "halfway" point in the main BBC news. Incidentally if the BBC's sport slot had led off with England (which, I repeat, it did not) there would have been a case for that, to the extent that about 95 per cent of viewers would have been more interested in that than the Wales game.

As for running a trailer of the Beckham goal, that would have had nothing to do with the England you hate so much, and everything to do with the cult of celebrity, which has become a worldwide idiocy. (Did you happen to see any coverage of Beckham in China?) And this is a guy who will struggle to keep a first-team place with his club side.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 23 Aug 03 - 10:01 AM

I didn't understand our first bad light decision at all...

As for this celebrity bit, I walked away from the BBC 6 o-clock news in disgust a few months ago. By then, they had dedicated at least the first 5 minutes of main news reporting to the story about Beckham's possible move to Barcelona.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: ard mhacha
Date: 23 Aug 03 - 03:29 PM

Fionn, Why do you persist, next time you view the BBC News at ten, be alert for the newscaster half-way through announce what is coming up in the second half of the News, and yes, England`s victory over Crotia was the leading sports feature.
And South Africa are looking good 250 will take some getting on this wicket. Ard Mhacha.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 23 Aug 03 - 09:13 PM

SA 199 ahead and 5 wickets in hand. If the rest fall for say another 50 runs, I think we have an interesting match on...

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Wotcha
Date: 24 Aug 03 - 07:33 AM

One side is in when the other side is out ...

You can find a local game of cricket close to the Washington, DC Mall (by the Lincoln Memorial) every Sunday in the summer (expat Pakistanis and Indians I believe). You can also find a club in San Diego, California ...

Cheers,


Brian

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Wotcha
Date: 24 Aug 03 - 07:39 AM

Cricket Explained (www.jokes.net/cricketexplained.htm)

Old schoolboy classic:


All you need to know about cricket:


You have two sides one out in the field and one in .
Each man that's in the side that's in goes out and when he's out he comes in and the next man goes in until he's out .

When they are all out the side that's out comes in and the side that's been in goes out and tries to get those coming in out .

Sometimes you get men still in and not out .

When both sides have been in and out including the not outs , THAT'S THE END OF THE GAME !

HOWZAT !!!!!


Cheers,

Brian

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 24 Aug 03 - 09:25 AM

Oh well today has not gone the way I thought it would. I think all Ed's optimism is needed now!

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Arnie
Date: 24 Aug 03 - 01:43 PM

Come on Freddy Flintoff - your country is depending on you!! Oh, and maybe Butcher will stick around for a while to make up for his missed catches........

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Peter K (Fionn)
Date: 24 Aug 03 - 08:00 PM

Just a fiver to get into Headingley tomorrow, and free for under 16s. I think I'm up for that, even if it's just in the hope of seeing a few more overs of Flintoff in full swing.

Ard, if you could set aside your prejudice for a moment and accept that in percentage terms the principality of Wales is a tiny part of the BBC's viewing public, you might notice a much more significant factor governing sports coverage. The channels are blatant about promoting via the news those events for which they have the rights. Thus in terms of news coverage, both Formula 1 and test-match cricket have been hugely downgraded by the BBC in recent years. On the other hand the BBC has been much more ready than ITN to give news coverage to the athletics.

Unfortunately this bias is not confined to sport. ITN thinks nothing of running blatant "news trailers" for so-caled exclusives on the Tonight show. The BBC are equally shameless about plugging Panorama etc.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 24 Aug 03 - 08:38 PM

Just thinking more on the sport/uk tv bit and the BBC. It's a few years ago since BBC2 used to show the Sunday league cricket but BBC2 used to split. The Welsh version would almost always have a Glamorgan game on. As I indicated above, I could get all 4 English and all 4 Welsh channels. In reality, with the cricket, that for me could mean trying to sort out which game I thought was the more exciting and at times switching between both.

Anyway, hope you have a good day Fionn. Butcher seemed in good touch today and there may be a chance of some "fireworks" from Flintoff... I don't think we are going to pull the victory off but one never knows...

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 25 Aug 03 - 06:54 AM

Oh well, it didn't last long today. SA won by a huge margin in the end but I can't help England once again contributed to thier own downfall.

For me, going off for bad light when England were batting well and SA were in disarray was a key point. Our sloppy bowling on the 4th day (which was described by Ian Smith, one of the C 4 commentaters, as "garbage") was another.

I suppose one could also wonder about England not finishing SA off when they were 7 down but for me, that more highlights the way SA will fight when the chips are down - a quality England rarely seem to possess.

As I said before in this thread, I don't believe the difference between the 2 sides is vast. I still believe that in terms of talent. It just needs England to play to what they are capable of.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: ard mhacha
Date: 25 Aug 03 - 09:16 AM

Ah God help us, beaten again, what England needs is another ten Fred Flintoffs, as it is they have too many Fred Flintsones. Ard Mhacha.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 25 Aug 03 - 12:27 PM

I tried cricket once. Not too bad if sauteed in garlic butter and served on a bed of brown rice with a dash of good soy sauce.

(My apologies if anybody else had already posted something similar, but I'm not gonna read this whole thread just to find out.)

Bruce

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: ard mhacha
Date: 25 Aug 03 - 01:30 PM

Echoing the words of your President. Ard Mhacha

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Ed
Date: 06 Sep 03 - 01:33 PM

So well balanced. Undoubtedly the world's greatest ball game

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: ard mhacha
Date: 07 Sep 03 - 06:55 AM

Heading for a draw, and the Series to the Boks. Ard Mhacha.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 07 Sep 03 - 10:14 AM

SA are effectively minus 28 for 3 at the moment ard and there still is about 1 1/2 days left. It's far too early to write of the chances of an England victory. I can't help but feel that England deserve victory here either. That is different to my feeling that overall over the 5 test series that SA have been the better side.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 07 Sep 03 - 10:15 AM

minus 27 for 4 now!

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Linda Kelly
Date: 07 Sep 03 - 10:24 AM

freddy flintoff -what a star!!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 07 Sep 03 - 10:45 AM

Yes, a great knock. I think luck went his way with a couple of his miss hits but those quick runs were just what was needed!

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Sep 03 - 11:03 AM

Just thinking then about Ed's "world's greatest ball game". Isn't one of the beauties of cricket the way fortunes can change so dramatically?

At the end of day 1, I had SA making about 600 and England being bowled for under 400...

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: ard mhacha
Date: 07 Sep 03 - 12:51 PM

Flintoff the magnificent, looking like an England victory, is it alright Jon if I give them a cheer.
Flintoff is on his way to be England`s best ever all-rounder, a treat to watch, he nursed the tail-enders along like veteran. Ard Mhacha.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Sooz
Date: 07 Sep 03 - 01:26 PM

Mike and I have missed todays play as we have been at Wombwell Festival. Mike Silver was excellent but it looks as if we've missed a great day of cricket.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 07 Sep 03 - 02:05 PM

Congratulate away ard... I don't think you will find anyone (and certainly not from me I hope) objecting to credit given like that...

Flintoff certainly has looked good a couple of times and it is possible that he will prove to be one of our great all rounders. I'd still like to see what happens against Austrailia (in spite of our dissagreements above, I do believe they are the world leaders at the moment) before getting too carried away.

Wichever way this result goes, I think this England side does look promising and I'd back the likes of Flintoff and Anderson to come through and of course we do have some injured bolwers too.

I really think some of the England problem at times is that people don't back thier ability enough, leading to things like famous England batting collapses.

Comparing England to SA, we could pick out for example that we don't (yet) have a bowler of the class of Pollock (300 at around 20 surely puts you at "world class" rather than "just a good test bowler"). It would also be true on the bowling side of things to say we don't have a Shane Warne (nor do SA BTW)...

It may even be along while coming but rightly or wrongly, I do believe that with what we have, we can play as a team and probably make Australia work hard, even beat them at times if heads don't drop.

Just my ramblings...

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Sooz(at work)
Date: 08 Sep 03 - 08:43 AM

Looking good at the moment......

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Arnie
Date: 08 Sep 03 - 10:50 AM

Well, I suppose a 2-2 series draw is the right result for two evenly matched teams. Nice for Alec Stewart to go out on a match win. Man of the series for England- Tresco, man of the match - Freddy Flintoff - I even agree with these selections! What an agreeable day all round..and what a great summer's cricket (well most of the time!!) Bring on Bangladesh!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 08 Sep 03 - 12:40 PM

Arnie, that's not reading right to me. Tresco was man of the match and Flintoff was man of the series for England. I also agree with the selections. Smith was SA man of the series, again a fair choice I think, although my own feeling is he got this game wrong - I'd have been boring and defensive and played for the draw when it seemed pretty likely England were going to get somewhere near England's total - as it was they exceeded it in no time...

My other choice for SA would have been Hall but maybe that's just because he was not in the original sqad. He seems a pretty well rounded cricketer to me.

Again, I agree we have been treated to a fantastic series by these teams.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Peter K (Fionn)
Date: 08 Sep 03 - 02:48 PM

Won't matter now, but if the result had gone the other way, Vaughan's decision to bat for a few overs after Flintoff's departure might have come in for close scrutiny. Have England had anyone who was simultaneously a top-class player and top-class captain since.... Illingworth?? May??? Someone in the Border class, I mean. I was expecting Stewart to carry it off - a magnificent batsman on his day, even though he's a southerner, and in the field he was in the best place to skipper from. Yet somehow it didn't pan out.

All in all, a cracking series. We seem to have had a few in recent years, not foretting the last SA tour.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Sep 03 - 03:34 PM

I'm not sure about that decision. I think I would have carried on but asked the batsmen to throw the bat - "try and hit a couple of 6s and don't worry about it if you get out". As it was, there seemed to me to be a lot of blocking which I felt was time wasting.

Captains, I'd take a guess at Mike Brearley being the most successful in my memory but I'm not sure his playing was up there... It remains to be seen what Vaugh will do but I'm optimistic.

Thinking of Alan Border, was he the one who led Australia out of thier dip?

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Sooz
Date: 23 Jul 04 - 07:13 AM

Thought I'd refresh this thread as we are doing so well at Lords!
Why are so many England captains called Michael?

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Strollin' Johnny
Date: 23 Jul 04 - 08:22 AM

It's one of Life's Great Imponderables, to which we may never know the true answer - like "What's the meaning of life?", "How did the Universe begin", "Why are fish all called Bob?" or "Why does toast always hit the floor buttered side down?".

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Ooh - Aah
Date: 23 Jul 04 - 08:36 AM

I'm glad you refreshed - no ideas about 'Michaels', I'm afraid. Isn't it interesting that poor old Ard Mhatchbox or whatever his name is, so vocal before, wasn't the one to refresh this? Poor old thing, his Celtic bitterness must be close to curdling at seeing England do so well - 3-0 in the West Indies (begorrah!) a whitewash of the gutsy Kiwis (ach y fi!) and now 520-3 at Lords (grrr!) Suck on it, you all-green loser!

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: A Wandering Minstrel
Date: 23 Jul 04 - 08:39 AM

Sooz
its an ancient English cricketing tradition called "Taking the Mick"

391 for 2! my gast was totally flabberred. Its nice to see Bob Key actually doing something after his rather dismal showing in the One-dayers

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Sooz
Date: 23 Jul 04 - 09:18 AM

Thanks that Minstrel!
Not so good now we are all out - but the current Michael did get a century.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: muppett
Date: 23 Jul 04 - 10:01 AM

Way hay here come the Windies, last 7 English wickets fallen for 41 and now 70 fer 0

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 23 Jul 04 - 06:16 PM

I've not really watched any of this one due to on going PC problems (my computer is also my personal tv) but the reports regarding WI bowling did not read too well to me (that's not to say the earlir England batsmen may not have batted well). Is it true BTW that one bowler came on and with first or second ball bowled so wide that not even 2nd slip could get to it?

One thing my father and I discussed today is what seems to be faster scoring rates. Is some of that down to sloppy bowling? A bowler I used to like for England was Angus Fraser. Maybe not the most deadly but he tended not to give away free hits. It's before my time but my father tells me Statham was a good one who would not give too many free shots. He attributes some of Trueman's record to the pressure Statham put on.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Rapparee
Date: 23 Jul 04 - 08:50 PM

The children's librarians had "eat a bug day" at work yesterday and served chocolate-covered crickets. Anyone who was for a cricket got an "I ate a bug today" certificate.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Ooh-Aah
Date: 27 Jul 04 - 03:43 AM

Way hay Muppett, we've just beaten the Windies by 200+ runs. Byeee!

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 27 Jul 04 - 04:04 AM

SOOZ....Not personally keen on cricket as I find it boring (not very English sentiment I know)...but your song about cricket..well now there's a thing. Be Blessed.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: ard mhacha
Date: 03 Feb 07 - 08:32 AM

I thought some of you UK Cricket lovers might have commented on England`s win over Australia, and more so the two openers, Ed Joyce from Dublin and Malachy Bernard Loye,[a good oul County Down name], so it has come to this, two Irishmen get England away to a solid start and Joyce goes on to score 107.
The England Cricket team is beginning to look like Arsenal, Bopara,Panesar, Shah?.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Sooz
Date: 03 Feb 07 - 11:04 AM

Too busy worrying about the first match in the Six Nations Rugby!

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Hrothgar
Date: 04 Feb 07 - 05:07 AM

We let the poor old Poms win on Friday to keep them interested.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Les from Hull
Date: 04 Feb 07 - 07:31 AM

Yes some of us might have commented on Englands's win but we're still in shock, coupled with the 'muddied oafs' victory over the old enemy and the return of Jonny Wilkinson. Well it'll soon be back to earth with a bump!

Ard Mhacha - I'm sure if Ed Joyce hadn't taken the Saxon Gold, Ireland could have prevailed over Kenya in the ICC tournament. And you forgot Petersen (S Africa) and Geraint Jones (Papua New Guinea)!

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Rapparee
Date: 04 Feb 07 - 01:38 PM

Cricket? Thanks, no. They're too crunchy and upset my stomach.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Rasener
Date: 04 Feb 07 - 01:47 PM

Really looking forward to the England New Zealand match. That should be something.

I personnally think the one day series has been excellent. I have seen some excellent cricket, mainly from Australia.

Personally, if you love cricket, you love to see good batting/bowling/fiedling whoever its from.

Come on England, make sure you get in the final.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Rasener
Date: 04 Feb 07 - 03:10 PM

oops sorry Fielding

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: ard mhacha
Date: 04 Feb 07 - 03:44 PM

Les, Petersen slipped my mind, when you look at New Zealand`s Rugby Union team, they should be called the South sea Islanders and Australia Rugby Union have a few outsiders as well, as Jack Charlton said ,"does your granny come from Ireland" your on.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: ard mhacha
Date: 04 Feb 07 - 03:45 PM

200 Ed Joyce next game.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Lord Oval
Date: 20 May 09 - 10:05 AM

Sad news today, Former England cricketer Chris Lewis has been sentenced to 13 years in jail for smuggling cocaine into Britain in his cricket bag.

He had claimed in his defence that he did not even know cocaine could be converted into the liquid form in which it was discovered in his luggage when he arrived at Gatwick Airport in December last year.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: WalkaboutsVerse
Date: 20 May 09 - 10:53 AM

Prefer this.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 20 May 09 - 11:24 AM

Yep I've seen it and I agree it is sad. A bbc article here

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: keberoxu
Date: 19 Jun 17 - 05:09 PM

Moving right along:

Picked up a local syndicated daily newspaper for one of the Greater Boston Metro exurbs. And was surprised to find, in the sports section, a little story about amateur cricket teams.

The journalist interviewed the founder of the Ravishing Willows. His competition teams have names like the Hoickers, the Daredevils, the Panthers, and the eClinicalWorks (??); they are members of the NECA, the New England Cricket Association .

Said cricket enthusiast left his native India for the United States to work in computer software. He admitted that of all the cricket players he has played with here, he has never met one who was born in the United States, but "that would be great" if a U.S.-born sportsman would join him and his teammates in playing cricket.

Strictly my opinion, but
I think "Ravishing Willows" sounds like a ragtime piano solo composed by Scott Joplin!

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 20 Jun 17 - 07:41 AM

I' not sure I understand this thread got a refresh but I've found a scan interesting.

The first thing that strikes me is that I must have been more caught up with cricket in 2003 than I am now and can't remember some things I commented on. Less free to view tv now???

Also of interest to me was our speculations on Michael Vaughan and Graeme Smith as captains and players.

As for "Ravishing Willows", I don't think I'd have got that as cricket although the willow has a long association.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Teribus
Date: 20 Jun 17 - 07:46 AM

Doubt if the paying American public would appreciate the subtleties of a game played over three or five days that can end in a draw so many ways.

Still remains as being the most demanding, most complete and best team ever devised by man.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Raggytash
Date: 20 Jun 17 - 10:45 AM

Bloody hell Teribus ............ we agree on something !!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Bill D
Date: 20 Jun 17 - 11:18 AM

I sometimes suspect that cricket would not be nearly as fascinating to its fans without its complex 'laws' and the incredible list of jargon that allows insiders to show their knowledge and keeps poor, bewildered Americans from attempting to join the discussion.

I just read the entire thread, and at my advanced age I think I will assume that golfing terms is the limit of what I can cope with.

(I have heard "sticky wicket" used as a term for having a problem situation.... but that's my limit.)

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 20 Jun 17 - 05:43 PM

Bloody hell, I agree with Teribus too!

BillD, there has never been an American born who had an attention-span long enough to watch a cricket match, let alone understand it! 😜😎😄

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: keberoxu
Date: 20 Jun 17 - 06:54 PM

It fascinates me that North America would have cricket brought to it by natives of India and Pakistan!

Consider Canada as well as the U. S. because both countries have many Indian / Paki immigrants.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 20 Jun 17 - 07:08 PM

Cricket is the most popular sport in both India and Pakistan, k...

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: Bill D
Date: 20 Jun 17 - 09:57 PM

Backwoodsman... so 'attention span' is in our DNA? ☺ Even those of us, like me, with huge lists of ancestors from the UK?

Totally silly to paint several hundred million of us with the same broad brush... but slagging off Americans is almost as popular a hobby as following cricket for some. I can only hope you were just playing the usual 'game'.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: David Carter (UK)
Date: 21 Jun 17 - 03:13 PM

Around the turn of the century (i.e. 1890 - 1910) cricket was very popular in Philadelphia. Sure it was a class ridden structure, but this was even more true of cricket in England at the time. But it wasn't much known in England or Australia. So in 1893, a strong Australian team stopped in Philadelphia on the way back from a tour of England, and arranged a match with the Gentlemen of Philadelphia, no doubt expecting to demonstrate their skills in a light practice match. The Gentlemen of Philadelphia won by an innings and 68 runs. Sure the Australians won a return fixture, but the Gentlemen of Philadelphia were established as a seriously good team. They toured England in 1897, 1903 and 1908, holding their own or more against the strong county sides of England.

Their star was John Barton (Bart) King, probably the finest fast bowler in the world between 1893 and 1909. On the 1908 tour of England he topped the bowling averages for the season, with an average which would not be bettered for 50 years.

Sadly, after WWI, baseball and tennis began to dominate across the USA, and the great cricket clubs of Philadelphia mostly became tennis clubs.

So if South Asian Immigrants can help re-establish the game , then maybe in the not too distant future a strong, maybe more representative American team will once again tour England, play against county sides, and, who, knows, even the England team.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: David Carter (UK)
Date: 21 Jun 17 - 05:10 PM

Also the very first international cricket match was between Canada and the USA in 1844.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone for cricket?
From: keberoxu
Date: 21 Jun 17 - 06:37 PM

Philadelphia Cricket Clubs. We live and learn.

It makes sense of the premise for the Titanic movie,
in which the rich girl was from the Main Line.