The Cricket Thread

[LDN Blue 7,903]

48 minutes ago, Madmax said:

Tendulkar was a horrendous captain though. Oh boy, don't remind me of our mid-late 90s performances.

Precisely Max, that's why Virat's got a great opportunity to create his own legacy as skipper and world-class batsman.

We'll have to see what Dhoni's plans are. I wouldn't be surprised to see him in there for the 2017 Champions Trophy before calling it a day.

[Vesper 30,119]

England surrender the Ashes in humiliating fashion as Joe Root's side are blitzed for 68 all out to lose the third Test in Melbourne by an innings and 14 runs... ensuring Australia retain the urn after taking a 3-0 lead in just 12 days of cricket

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricket/article-10348885/Ashes-STAY-Australia-dramatic-England-collapse-sees-Joe-Root-bowled-68.html

Edited December 28, 2021 by Vesper

[Strike 7,478]

Lol England

[Vesper 30,119]

On 29/12/2021 at 09:52, Strike said:

Lol England

shambolic

[Vesper 30,119]

Shane Warne’s death is like that of a friend and gets worse with each hour

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2022/mar/05/shane-warnes-death-is-like-that-of-a-friend-and-gets-worse-with-each-hour

Oh, Warnie. What have you got up to now? Death is always shocking; the most shocking of all the everyday things. A day on from the death of Shane Warne, aged 52, there is still a sense of genuine disbelief, a shared bruising that seems to transcend the usual response to the loss of a much-loved sports star.

This is still hard to grasp. It feels like an escapade, a twist, another moment in the fond, picaresque story that is the life of Shane. Mainly, though, it just feels a little worse with every passing hour, a death that makes less sense, and seems more startling as it begins to sink in.

No doubt the scale of Warne’s presence has something to do with this. He became public property at a very young age and remained so to the end. Scott Morrison, the Australian prime minister, has already suggested a state funeral, and while politicians are always motivated, at bottom, by being politicians, this seems about right.

Warne was a great Australian as much as a great Australian cricketer, and a startlingly vivid entity. If you love or like or even simply know about cricket his death is like losing a piece of infrastructure, a day of the week, an element of your internal world.

But still, it’s not just that. Perhaps that sense of shock is down to the unusually vivid brilliance of his deeds as a cricketer. Warne was a true sporting genius, in a way that gives that term interest and meaning. Like Lionel Messi or Usain Bolt, Warne was one of those few individuals who can take these fixed disciplines, with their set choreography, their limits and absolutes, and turn that closed world into an activity that feels like an extension of their own character and capacities, an expression of something noble and transcendent.

But, no, it’s not just that either. Mainly, this is to do with character, the irresistible and contagious Shane-ness of Shane. One of the joys of having seen his entire career unfold in real time is that it sits there complete and unimprovable, from the rosy-cheeked stripling to the gloriously grizzled and statesmanlike Yoda-Warne of 2005, with his lovable little flared white trousers, his ennobling air of gravitas.

But that connection is still there even if you never saw him in the flesh, or came to it late, or backfilled the whole thing from YouTube videos and the overspill affections of others. One of the things about getting older is that your friends start to die. And this is the thing about Warne. However you knew him, from afar or close up, he felt like a friend.

This was also earned. Warne was in the first instance a truly great sports person – and great in a way that cannot and will not be repeated, if only because the world he inhabited and might even have saved, Test cricket as the unapologetic apex, has now effectively gone.

This was always the delicious paradox of Warne. Early on there was an attempt in the English press box in particular to portray him as a kind of beach-kid type, a junk-food cricketer, all brittle and volatile natural talent.

One of the founding myths of early Warne is the origins story about suffering two broken legs aged eight and spending a year paddling himself around on a trolley, thereby developing a preternatural hand strength, source of his hard-spinning superpowers. Does this really sound credible? How would it work exactly? Are we scouting power lifters now?

It is one way of explaining Warne away, of freak-ifying him. But in reality the essence of Warne’s brilliance was its orthodoxy, its old school purity. Warne was incredibly good at something incredibly hard, a bowling art so complex it had effectively died. Warne, the anti-hero, the custard-haired Ramone, was in fact a classicist. Warne, the cart-propelling surf dude, found crawling out of some urban dustbin clutching a packet of Cheetos and a cricket ball, was above all a brilliantly forensic thinker.

Richie Benaud got it from the start, of course. “I might feel a touch of apprehension. But in the main I just feel a touch of delight,” Richie had said of Warne’s selection for Australia after just four first class games for Victoria. Warne ended up part of a three-man attack at Sydney after Bruce Reid broke down. His hands were sweating so hard he couldn’t grip the ball. Sachin Tendulkar and Ravi Shastri “went on the rampage”, and Warne was just glad to pick up a skyer at the end, convinced he was done.

Except, of course, that didn’t happen. Everyone has their favourite Warne, from the mid-90s wonder years when he bowled every ball, when the shoulder was loose, through to the that wily, round-armed IPL incarnation, by which stage the bowling action was reminiscent of a man hailing a late-night taxi while also trying very hard not to spill his kebab.

Perhaps the most epic Warne was the 1999 World Cup version, dropped and injured and scandal-ridden, when he seemed to have reached that point when an athlete is defending rather than building their legacy; but still came back to produce something stunning and effectively reboot himself.

First, Warne actually called the “you’ve just dropped the World Cup” moment in the final group game against South Africa. Before the match Warne had told his teammates not to walk off until Herschelle Gibbs had fully caught the ball. Warne had noticed he tended to throw it up too early as he caught it. Gibbs duly dropped Steve Waugh doing this. It seems absurd. But that was Warne’s uncanny gift, the acuity of his eye. Then he produced a stunning spell to turn the semi-final, going absolutely wild on the pitch, leaping and bellowing, proclaiming his own renaissance.

And yes, there was some scandal down the years. Does anyone really care? He was covertly filmed mucking about in a pair of Playboy underpants carrying, among other things, an inflatable cricket stump, although frankly, you’d want to ask some questions here about the people doing the filming. He upset a few people by wearing the wrong duds, by failing to buy into the fetishising of the baggy green. He took some casino chips from an Indian bookmaker for talking about the pitch and conditions and that was pretty weak, Warnie, ffs.

But here is a rare thing. Cricket is a bitchy, unforgiving world. But nobody out there has a genuine bad word to say about Warne, from teammates to opponents to people who met him along the way. Quite the opposite. Instead the abiding memory is of his natural generosity.

Warne ennobled other players with his skill (how much goodwill has Mike Gatting reeled in on the back of his straight man role in the ball of the century?). He played a huge role in the unforgettable theatre of the 2005 Ashes series, and in the blossoming of other talents, from Kevin Pietersen to an endless stream of leg-spin bowlers around the world. His talent and personality did preserve Test cricket: he gave us an extra 30 years of this stuff.

Perhaps the best way to remember him is his final comeback in the Big Bash aged 42, when he produced the unimprovable feat of predicting his own wicket on mic’d-up commentary, bowling Brendan McCullum around his legs while being cheered on from the stands by his kids and his girlfriend Liz Hurley (who, read the books, he really was very close to), and doing so in front of a wildly cheering full house: the perfect end to the perfect career, a moment of pure Warne Supremacy.

He still had so much to give. He could have been a great elder statesman. He could have done wonderful things for English cricket. If they’d ever trusted him. Mainly, though, what will be missed is that vividness, the sense of that much-loved friend you may have never actually met; but who feels right now like a profound absence.

[Vesper 30,119]

WilkinsonEyre reveals plans for latest Lord's Cricket Ground redevelopment

https://www.dezeen.com/2024/05/14/wilkinsoneyre-lords-cricket-ground-stands/

Architecture studio WilkinsonEyre has unveiled its proposal for the redevelopment of the Tavern and Allen stands at the Lord's Cricket Ground in London.

It follows WilkinsonEyre's redesign of the Compton and Edrich stands, which it completed in 2021 on either side of the Stirling Prize-winning Media Centre by Future Systems.

The proposal has been approved by Westminster City Council's Planning Committee and the ground's owners Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), with construction expected to begin in September. The current completion date is scheduled for 2027.

It will see the addition of a tier to both the Tavern and Allen stands – increasing the historic sports venue's seating capacity by 1,100.

"We are delighted to achieve approval for the sustainable revival of these stands at Lord’s, and continue our successful partnership with MCC," WilkinsonEyre founding director Jim Eyre said.

"The new designs will add great value to this world-famous sporting venue, modernising and improving the existing facilities for its members."

The project will see the complete demolition of the existing Allen stand, which dates back to the 1930s, along with the relocation of the scoreboard.

An existing concrete bridge connecting the Allen stand to the neighbouring Grade II*-listed pavilion building by architect Thomas Verity will also be demolished and replaced with a glass version.

Meanwhile, the Tavern stand will be stripped back to its steel framework and extended with the addition of an upper-floor seating level, hospitality boxes, a restaurant and a roof terrace.

A sculptural roof structure that mimics an upturned slip cradle – a device that cricketers used to practice taking catches – will provide shelter for these news spaces.

The renders also reveal an updated exterior, with a facade wrapped with white fins and views of the roof extending above the stand's upper level.

Previous renovations of the Lord's Cricket Ground include Populous's overhaul of the Warner stand, which is finished with a fan-shaped roof.

Other recent projects by WilkinsonEyre include the redevelopment of the iconic Battersea Power Station in London and a skyscraper wrapped in "three-dimensional diamonds" in Toronto.

 

 

[KEVINAA 129]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_ICC_Men's_T20_World_Cup

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_ICC_Men's_T20_World_Cup#Group_stage

https://www.icc-cricket.com/tournaments/t20cricketworldcup/index

https://www.icc-cricket.com/tournaments/t20cricketworldcup/matches

The 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup will be the ninth edition of the T20 World Cup, a biennial Twenty20 International (T20I) tournament contested by men's national teams and organised by the International Cricket Council (ICC). It is scheduled to be co-hosted by the West Indies and the United States from 2 to 29 June 2024. It will be the first ICC World Cup tournament to feature matches played in the United States, and in any other country in the Americas outside the West Indies. England are the defending champions, having defeated Pakistan in the final of the previous edition.

https://www.flashscore.com/cricket/world/t20-world-cup/fixtures/

Edited May 29, 2024 by KEVINAA

[Vesper 30,119]

Stats - England's mammoth total, Brook and Root pile on records

Brook scored a triple-century while Root went past 250 as England declared for 823 in Multan. Here are some key numbers from their innings

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/pak-vs-eng-2024-stats-england-s-mammoth-total-harry-brook-and-joe-root-pile-on-records-1454672

 

1 England became the first team to post 800-plus runs in an innings against Pakistan in Tests. The previous highest against Pakistan was 790 for 3 by West Indies in 1958 in Kingston. It is also the highest total by any team in Pakistan, with the previous highest being 765 for 6 by Pakistan against Sri Lanka in Karachi in 2009.

 

454 The partnership between Joe Root and Harry Brook is now the highest for England in Test cricket, bettering the 411-run stand between Peter May and Colin Cowdrey against West Indies in 1957, also for the fourth wicket. It is also the highest partnership in Tests against Pakistan, going past the 446-run stand by Conrad Hunte and Gary Sobers for the second wicket in 1958 in Kingston.

3 Number of partnerships in Test cricket, higher than Root and Brook's 454 in Multan. It is now the highest stand by a visiting pair, surpassing the partnership of 451 runs by Don Bradman and Bill Ponsford against England for the second wicket at The Oval in 1934.

1 Root and Brook also put on the highest stand for the fourth or a lower wicket in Tests as the previous highest was 449 between Adam Voges and Shaun Marsh against West Indies in 2015 in Hobart.

 

 

3 Instances of two batters scoring 250-plus runs in the same Test innings, including Root and Brook in Multan. Hunte and Sobers for West Indies against Pakistan in 1958 were the first to do so, while Sri Lanka's Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara replicated the feat against South Africa in 2006. Root and Brook are only the second England pair with double hundreds in the same innings, after Graeme Fowler and Mike Gatting against India in 1985 in Chennai.

1 Root and Brook are the first pair from England to share multiple partnerships of 300-plus runs in Test cricket. They put on 302 against New Zealand in Wellington last year, also for the fourth wicket. Only eight pairs before Root and Brook have shared two or more 300-plus run stands in Test cricket.

310 Balls needed for Brook to complete his triple-century. It is the second-fastest in Test cricket, behind Virender Sehwag, who took only 278 balls for his triple against South Africa in 2008. The previous fastest for England was by Wally Hammond, off 355 balls, against New Zealand in 1933.

Harry Brook became the first England batter in 34 years to score a triple-century•Getty Images

 

823 for 7 England's total against Pakistan in Multan is the fourth highest by any team in Test cricket. England has accounted for three of the four 800-plus totals, while Sri Lanka's 952 for 6 against India in 1997 is the highest.

 

6 Number of Pakistan bowlers to have conceded 100-plus runs in England's first-innings in Multan. Only once before did six bowlers concede 100-plus runs in a Test innings - Zimbabwe against Sri Lanka in Bulawayo in 2004.

1 Maiden over in England's innings - by Shaheen Shah Afridi in the fifth over of the innings. England's innings of 150 overs (900 balls) is the longest, with as few as one maiden in a Test innings. The previous longest was 709 balls by South Africa against England in 1939, where none of the 88.5 eight-ball overs was a maiden.

12664 Test runs by Root. He is now the leading run-scorer for England in Test cricket, surpassing Alastair Cook's tally of 12472. Root is now fifth in the list of highest run-getters in Test cricket.

 

317 Brook's score against Pakistan in Multan is the fifth-highest for England in Test cricket. Brook is also the first England batter to score a triple hundred since Graham Gooch against India in 1990 at the Lord's.

 

4 Centuries by Brook in all four Test matches he played in Pakistan. He is the first batter to hundreds in four consecutive Tests on Pakistan soil. Brook is only the fifth batter with hundreds in four consecutive Tests against Pakistan, after Brian Lara, Jacques Kallis, David Warner and Kane Williamson.

 

3 Double hundreds in Asia for Root, the most by a visiting batter in Tests. Root's previous two double tons in Asia have come in Sri Lanka and India in 2021. He is only the third batter with double tons in India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan, after Sehwag and Jayawardene.

 

 

 

[Vesper 30,119]

World Record Partnership of 624 runs | Kumar Sangakkara & Mahela Jayawardene

[KEVINAA 129]

South Africa today in Durban .

1st test - day 2.

RSA gave SRI LANKA there worst text innings lowest test score.

SRI LANKA 42 / 10 in 13.5 overs.

Marco Jansen [7 wickets in 6.5 overs]

Edited November 28, 2024 by KEVINAA

[KEVINAA 129]

The ASHES CRICKET SERIES of 2025-26 [ENGLAND TOUR OF AUSTRALIA]

The 2025–26 Ashes series is an upcoming series of Test cricket matches to be played between Australia and England for The Ashes, between November 2025 and January 2026.

The five-match series will form part of the 2025–2027 ICC World Test Championship.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025–26_Ashes_series

https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/the-ashes-2025-26-1455609

Fixtures Schedule

https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/the-ashes-2025-26-1455609/match-schedule-fixtures-and-results

 

Edited December 14, 2024 by KEVINAA

[Strike 7,478]

The current India Australia series has been good so far. 1-1 and they're at Brisbane