The Cricket Thread

[muffinman]

Aus 237/8

[muffinman]

Aus 244/9

They require 45 off 13 balls

[muffinman]

South Africa won by 39 runs and is now the number 1 ODI side in the world.

[lancelot]

Tremendous, thanks again

[markman]

And Ponting can choose my bait......

GO PROTEAS GO.

[bootsie]

readin these post considering the current state -- makes u lol

hope this result encourages the fans to turn out for the games when the Ausies are here !!!

[RuadRauFlessa]

readin these post considering the current state -- makes u lol

hope this result encourages the fans to turn out for the games when the Ausies are here !!!

Well I'll defenitely be there.

Anyone up for arranging a group to go through

[bootsie]

Pro 20 and ODI are fun - - i enjoy the test matches -

[RuadRauFlessa]

so how about we make a group booking

[bootsie]

or you cud jus go to the ground and join the party groups on the grass...always works

[Ron2K]

Interesting article on Cricinfo about what must be the most bizarre run-out ever. And it's not the 1999 World Cup one.

There have been batsmen through the ages who have earned reputations for being poor runners, although Denis Compton and Inzamam-ul-Haq must rate as two of the worst. However, what happened at The Oval in late June 1922 would have left even those two bemused.

A fortnight before the Varsity match, Oxford University batted first against a weakened Surrey and had reached 221 for 8 when Tom Raikes joined RC Robertson-Glasgow in the middle late in the day. Raikes, 19, was in his first year after leaving Winchester; Robertson-Glasgow, a year older, in the third of his four seasons in the Oxford XI.

The pair had added four when Robertson-Glasgow drove the ball to long-on, fielding in front of the Pavilion, and set off for an easy single. Despite having taken the first one rather slowly, the pair decided to come back for a second. Raikes, running back to the danger end, was less convinced but after hesitating, set off. "Then," Robertson-Glasgow later recalled, "strange things happened".

The two of them crossed mid-pitch, at which point Robertson-Glasgow (according to the Times) or Raikes (according to Robertson-Glasgow) had a change of mind and direction and the pair ran side by side towards the Pavilion End.

After a few yards Raikes realised that this was a recipe for trouble and turned round to try to get back to the safety of the Vauxhall End. At the same moment, Robertson-Glasgow did exactly the same, so both were again heading in the same direction. "I followed him," Robertson-Glasgow wrote, "but, thinking the crease was overcrowded, I set out for the other end."

To the amusement of what the Times described as a "now thoroughly interested house", the hapless pair turned almost simultaneously for a third time and resumed their side-by-side pursuit for safety. "The Old Carthusian beat the Old Wykehamist by a short head," noted the newspaper dryly.

The situation was allowed to reach a near-comic state by the dreadful fielding of the Surrey side, who were "driven temporarily insane by the goings-on". The initial return from long-on was poor and was then fumbled by mid-on. As he picked up the ball he was confronted with loud shouts from both bowler and wicketkeeper to throw the ball to their end. Confused, he dropped the ball for a second time before returning it to the bowler, who took the bails off, only to see both Robertson-Glasgow and Raikes standing in their ground, albeit exhausted. He duly threw the ball to wicketkeeper Herbert Strudwick, who whipped off the bails.

"The whole thing was much more ludicrous than anything rehearsed and played on the same ground in bygone days by the late Dan Leno," the Times said.

The farce was not quite over. While there was no question that someone had been run out, nobody seemed sure who, as both Robertson-Glasgow and Raikes were safe at the Pavilion End.

The umpires were as clueless as anyone. "They stood impotent with laughter and doubt." One story says that the batsmen agreed to toss a coin to decide who would go, Robertson-Glasgow recounted that it was Raikes who pre-empted any decision by striding off.

Bill Hitch, the old Surrey pro, grinned and stage whispered to Robertson-Glasgow: "You know who was really out, don't you!" But the reality was that nobody had a clue.

"It was a cricket record on a point of hopeless confusion and indecision," the Times concluded. "The two batsmen seemed able only to agree on the one thing and that was to do the wrong thing."

[IcePick88]

Classic!!!! Must have been real funny seeing that!

[Ron2K]

Cricinfo has published an interesting read about the 1998 test match between England and the West Indies at Sabina Park that was called off due to a dangerous pitch. How history repeats itself.

[Stuart]

does anyone have any idea if they're going to try those new camera angles during the odi series against australia? the ones they used for the 20/20 matches. because if so, i seriously need to find an email address to petition against them. it was absolutely horrendous trying to follow play from those weird angles. as much as i enjoy 20/20 cricket, the innovation they try to bring into the game is SERIOUSLY over the top. having the commentators in the crowd at wanderers was almost as bad as the different camera angles.

[Stuart]

Australia 2/1 in the second over

Michael Clarke: caught Duminy; bowled Ntini 1

[WiK1d]

We set a pretty good target for the Aussies, 290 to win. Gonna be a good 2nd session!

[Stuart]

tough ask at newlands under lights, but never write off the aussies

[alliesmeister]

Sjoh! No one's been here for a while... And I thought that it would be different with the Twenty/20 World Cup. The Proteas are doing pretty good eh guys?

[Frozenfireside]

I'm loving the ICC 2020. Sod the IPL, that was a sell out and I had no reason to support any team in anyway.

ICC 2020 is proper with teams not buying players. I can support ZA and England (I have English blood) without having a damn Auzzie in the team.

It's so exciting and were doing so well. ZA is the team to beat by far!!!

[Tribble]

They are - but the 20 Twenties are a different game altogether.

[alliesmeister]

Yeah, the Proteas are doing very well! Especially Kallis has surprised me with some of his performances! I supported the Delhi Daredevils in the IPL, know idea why. I also didn't actualy attend a match. But it's as you said Tribble, I mean look at Ireland's performances.

[Tribble]

Now that was a good match. Caught the end of it at Spur.

Don't get me wrong - I do like the excitement but the 20 Twenties is a game where luck plays a huge part. I prefer the skill required for the test series..... now that is talent. But I suppose each have their market. When you have friends around, then the 20s is more fun.

[alliesmeister]

Yeah, for the casual market who don't normally watch cricket it introduces them to the game. That's the type of people that say how boring test cricket is. Their after the quick paced excitement, booze, dancing ladies (who iritate me) & booming music. I still believe that if you're patient you will will see much more intrigue and engrossing cricket. How a team can collapse or make a heroic comeback is always worth viewing.

[Stuart]

dancing ladies (who iritate me)

+1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,00022

Dancers, those friggin n00bs (at least in SA T20) who interview people in the crowd .... GAH!!! Don't get me started.

And as for the South African geniuses trying different camera angles during the Aussie series earlier in the year ... someon's gonna get a

</rant>

[Stuart]

For years, it’s been part of the armoury of any self-respecting cricketing side, and the Australians have always been world-beaters at it. Sledging - the mocking insults swapped between players out at the wicket - has long been part of the battle and whatever the two captains say ahead of the forthcoming Ashes series, so it will be again this summer.

Most of these are probably at least partly apocryphal and many have been attributed to different players at different times, but the English and Australian teams will have to go some to top these this summer.

One attributed to any number of players over the years, but we'll put this one down to the time that, after beating the bat on a number of occasions Shaun Pollock told Ricky Ponting, "It's red, its round and weighs about 5 ounces." Ponting hit the next ball out of the ground. He jibed, "You know what it looks like, go and find it."

Sri Lankan skipper Arjuna Ranatunga was not the most popular figure on the international circuit, and was perhaps most unpopular with the Australians (perhaps because he did rather well against them). One occasion, the great spinner Shane Warne was trying to lure the comfortable figure of Ranatunga down the pitch and was being frustrated by Ranatunga's unwillingness to be tempted. Wicketkeeper Ian Healy piped up: "Put a Mars Bar on a good length. That should do it."

South African Daryll Cullinan became famous as an easy wicket for Warne and as he once came to the crease, Warne taunted him by saying he'd been waiting two years to have another crack at him. Cullinan retorted, "Looks like you spent it eating."

During the Lords Test of 1989, Australian fast bowler Merv Hughes was in the middle of a purple patch and beating the bat regularly. Frustrated as another slid by the edge of the bat of England batsman Robin Smith, Hughes snarled: 'Mate, you can't bat'. Naturally, Smith despatched the next ball for four and responded, "Hey Merv, we'd make a fine pair. I can't bat and you can't bowl."

Hughes was an enthusiastic sledger and targeted Graeme Hick for his venom, viewing him as weak at the mental side of the game. "Mate," he would say, "if you just turn the bat over, you'll find the instructions on the other side." Or: "Does your husband play cricket as well?'

(Lots more at that link)