Cricket

[TheGayTent]

I don't think it matters who you are or how you play, if you go flashing outside your off stump on the first delivery you face, when you're opening the batting for a team that has their backs against the wall, then you're an absolute idiot - even more so when you're lacking minutes at the crease.

But yeah, England are immense at the moment. Enjoy The Oval, 4-0 would be spectacular.

As I said, that's Sehwag's natural game. For sure they needed a Athertonesque performance v SA, but the selectors picked Sehwag instead...knowing that he wasn't fit, knowing that he had no match practice, and knowing that was his natural game. Sehwag was never going to be important in India's reply. They needed a miracle and it was Dravid that was most likely going to be it - he is capable of a Cook like innings and has proved so many times before.

Thanks, I will (as long as it the weather allows).

[TheGayTent]

Sad day, Graham Dilley has died.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/15185575.stm

Kent legend and Ashes hero.

[pehaw]

As a kid I used to pretend to be Graham Dilley while bowling in the nets to my mates.

RIP Graham

[TheGayTent]

As a kid I used to pretend to be Graham Dilley while bowling in the nets to my mates.

I wonder how many kids used to copy his run up, scraping his boot before the delivery stride....many I bet

[pehaw]

I wonder how many kids used to copy his run up, scraping his boot before the delivery stride....many I bet

Yep, wrecking your trainers at the same time.

That half-second delay in bringing the bowling arm over as well.

Happy days.

[kaosmark2]

Anyone able to tell me why we've ditched our best fielder and one of our best batsmen? And why we're still playing Dernbach?

And why we're playing Kieswitter at the top of the order instead of Prior in the middle?

I was pleasantly surprised by Patel's bowling today, but I'd still rather see 2 full-time spinners in the line-up than lots of part-timers. And do we really need 3 seamers over on subcontinent pitches?

[kaosmark2]

Well that was dismal.

[Ed209]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15573463

Good ridance.

Tip of the iceberg?

[kaosmark2]

Quite probably. Didn't the ICC say corruption wasn't rife in the game? I'd far rather they investigated more thoroughly than just wave it away and assume it's dealt with.

[pink_triangle]

I felt Amir was a little hard done to. I also dont agree with the custodial sentences, I dont think prison will benefit any of them and I think tax payer have got better things to spend their money on in these difficult times. Heavy fines and comminity service would be better in my opinion. Im sure corruption is rife in all sports and probably more seriuous things that have a more signinifcant effect on games than no balls are done regularly. I also dont see the consistency when someone like le tissier admits to doing a similar thing in football and doesnt even get charged, is it alright to try and cheat for a bookie as long as you dont succeed?

[kaosmark2]

Dravid's retired from international cricket. Great player, huge loss to the sport.

[Ed209]

Finally!! The little master gets his century of centuries

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/15647684

Congrats Sachin

[kaosmark2]

Finally!! The little master gets his century of centuries

http://www.bbc.co.uk...ricket/15647684

Congrats Sachin

Hugely impressive. Wonderful player to watch as well.

[Ed209]

Ouch

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/17652822

[kaosmark2]

Ouch

http://www.bbc.co.uk...ricket/17652822

*snort*

That's hilariously low.

Anyone else follow the Sri Lanka tests? Some wonderful batting from Pietersen, eventually, and brilliant bowling by Swann and Anderson. Bresnan's kept his 100% record as well.

Still disappointed with the selection though, I'd rather see either a genuine batsman or genuine bowler than an inferior 'all-rounder' like Patel who's not really good enough at either for tests.

[kaosmark2]

Anyone else following the Windies test?

[Ed209]

Anyone else following the Windies test?

Trying my best, although I live in the land that cricket forgot. Can still get the last session on TMS in my mornings though.

What a great effort from Broady. Has there ever been a hat-trick when each wicket was taken on a different day? Would be interested to know.

Really hope Strauss gets his tonne. 50 innings since his last one. If we stand a chance against the saffers then we need our batting lineup to start clicking again

[kaosmark2]

Trying my best, although I live in the land that cricket forgot. Can still get the last session on TMS in my mornings though.

What a great effort from Broady. Has there ever been a hat-trick when each wicket was taken on a different day? Would be interested to know.

Really hope Strauss gets his tonne. 50 innings since his last one. If we stand a chance against the saffers then we need our batting lineup to start clicking again

The BBC live text feed is pretty good for cricket. I follow that when I can't listen to TMS.

I know! Fantastic display so far, our bowlers are absolutely superb atm. Bresnan kept things amazingly tight which is a vital job even if an unglamorous one, but Broad and Jimmy are just in ridiculous form.

He needs to really. I'm one of the ones wondering how much longer he can justify his place on captaincy and fielding alone. Even if he doesn't reach 100 it'll have been impressive, but the century would do wonders for his confidence.

I think we'll have a chance regardless, just because its at home, in conditions that suit us with our bowling attack. Even if we beat them I'll still have questions about how our batting lineup can cope in foreign conditions, particularly subcontinental. Bell owes a big performance this series as well, wonderful to watch when he's on form, but that's not been the case all winter, and his big scores against India weren't from a high-pressure situation.

I'll be very interested to see how Bairstow does (when he gets his chance). I think Bopara relies on luck too much for a Test cricketer and I'd really like to see someone else get a few series to shake the battling lineup up a bit.

[Alcatraz]

Had TMS on all day for the first time in yonks. Been a real slow one.

They were talking about having a Hat trick spread out like that. Could be the longest hat-trick ever! I think someone emailed in a hat-trick spread out over days, not sure about innings

[Ed209]

Just looked it up. For tests there has been 4 "complicated" hat-tricks (happen over two innings), but there's only one which has gone over 3 days, "Merv Hughes had Curtly Ambrose caught behind with the last ball of one over, ended West Indies' first innings by removing Patrick Patterson with his first ball of the next over, and more than a day later completed his hat-trick by trapping Gordon Greenidge lbw with the first ball of West Indies' second innings

Really happy for Straussy. If there was a list of important things that need to get sorted early for a successful summer, a Strauss tonne would be right up there.

[kaosmark2]

I don't even think he needs to keep scoring tonnes now either, just get a few half-centuries and not get out stupidly like he was last summer and on the winter tour. I wouldn't be surprised if he kicks on with a few more great performances though. His problems were very clearly mental/concentration than truly technical.

I'm more worried about Bell this summer. He was atrocious through the winter, and has never been able to truly turn a losing position into a dominant one. He can turn a reasonable one into a thrashing, but he should have claimed the number 3 slot long ago, and hasn't looked great in high-pressure situations.

Looking forward to seeing Bairstow in tests as well. He's been excellent in limited overs cricket and I'll be intrigued to see how he adapts his game. Hopefully unlike Morgan he WILL adapt his game.

[kaosmark2]

So Strauss continues his poor record of resuming hundreds. Not too worried by that though, he did his job yesterday, now to see what Bell and Bairstow can do. They've certainly started well.

Look at our tail though! Prior, Bresnan, Broad, Swann at 10! Jimmy's not awful either!

I'm expecting us to bat all day really. Anything under 450 would be an opportunity missed, particularly given we'll bat last. Hopefully at least one of Bell and Bairstow can take the game away from them, if not both together.

Edit: Arse. Huge shame for Bairstow. He was looking good as well. I trust the selectors will give him plenty more matches now he's got in though.

Edited May 19, 2012 by kaosmark2

[kaosmark2]

Hmm, bit disappointed with the batting today. I've been listening to it since Bairstow got out rather than watching, but only Bell managed to properly get going. Useful scores from Swann and Prior, but not quite enough.

Still, a lead of 155 should hopefully be enough. Hopefully we can bowl them out for under 300 again, and not require too big a score on the last day. Got to hope that rain holds off and we've got enough time to bowl them out and chase.

[kaosmark2]

Great test match. People were saying it was pretty much over at the end of day 3, but the Windies were superb yesterday and got early wickets today. Cook and Bell have been immaculate though, having a nice high run-rate while not doing anything silly (unlike KP, again). 60 needed from 2 sessions and 6 wickets, with plenty of handy fast-scoring batsmen in the lower-middle order.

[Gre]

Really good test match I thought- could have gone either way until England got a stable base this morning. Looking forward to the next!

Re the longest hat-tricks, I've read a few times about people who have taken wickets with the last 2 balls of a season, and then the first ball of the next season... it doesn't really count, but I think it should!