The Cricket Thread

[capriccioso 2,545]

On the plus side Chandimal finally showed something. Even then he got himself out carelessly attempting an unnecessary slog. He has to go back to basics, he has to model himself as an accumulator, not a hitter.

I like Thirimanne for the future ahead of Chandimal. Him and Mathews seem best equipped to take over from Mahela and Sanga, though they have a long, long way to go to be anywhere near as good in the test arena. In ODI's they aren't that far off, with natural progression as they age, they should be perhaps 85-90% as good as their predecessors.

[Drogzola 283]

[Drogzola 283]

Just some fun before the start of the second test.

[Duppy Conqueror 1,494]

James W.A. Taylor makes his England debut at the age of 22. has been the captain for the England lions in the past. Leicestershire born and bred.plays for Nottinghamshire now after leaving his home county last year. right-handed batsmen replaces Ravi Bopara. he`s a shortarse at 5 foot 4 inches. good player but remains to be seen how quickly he can step up now he`s playing at the highest level of cricket.

decent start by South Africa. 27-0 Petersen hogging the strike.

[Duppy Conqueror 1,494]

Cook just dropped a dolly off the bowling of Jimmy..Petersen the lucky batsmen. England playing with 4 seamers.

[capriccioso 2,545]

Outstanding from Finn

That'll learn him.

[Drogzola 283]

England playing with 4 seamers.

What was the thinking behind leaving Swann off the team? Is it a seamers pitch?

[capriccioso 2,545]

What was the thinking behind leaving Swann off the team? Is it a seamers pitch?

It shouldn't matter much as Tahir is the weak link in South Africa's bowling attack, regardless of the pitch.

Most pitches in England are seam friendly, no? I prefer Australian/South African pitches. The bouncy-ness allows batsmen, spinners, and quicks to showcase their talents equally well if they're up to the task. The dry/dusty pitches in the subcontinent, the slow, low pitches in the West Indies and the greentops in England benefit one of the three at the cost of another.

[Drogzola 283]

It shouldn't matter much as Tahir is the weak link in South Africa's bowling attack, regardless of the pitch.

Most pitches in England are seam friendly, no? I prefer Australian/South African pitches. The bouncy-ness allows batsmen, spinners, and quicks to showcase their talents equally well if they're up to the task. The dry/dusty pitches in the subcontinent, the slow, low pitches in the West Indies and the greentops in England benefit one of the three at the cost of another.

Yeah I also prefer our pitches. Tahir is a weak bowler but we have never been known to produce great spinners. Tahir is in the team for his ridiculous celebrations.

[BlueLion. 21,491]

I'm sorry Graam Smit, you're out.

If Finn knocks the bails off and then gets hit for 6, would he complain? Talk about a lack of sportsmanship. Utter cunt, hope he's hit by a bus later.

[capriccioso 2,545]

Yeah I also prefer our pitches. Tahir is a weak bowler but we have never been known to produce great spinners. Tahir is in the team for his ridiculous celebrations.

That's right, when your best 5 bowlers of all time are SM Pollock, M Ntini, AA Donald, DW Steyn and JH Kallis you can safely say they're not much of a spinners country

Looking at Cricinfo, Paul Harris doesn't look that bad. 103 test wickets at 37, those aren't great figures but better than anything England/West Indies came up with for a while, until Swann and Narine.

[capriccioso 2,545]

I'm sorry Graam Smit, you're out.

If Finn knocks the bails off and then gets hit for 6, would he complain? Talk about a lack of sportsmanship. Utter cunt, hope he's hit by a bus later.

It's Graam Smuth! And the dead-ball was called as soon as the ball left Finn's arm, before it got to Smith, the umpire warned him that he would do that after it happened twice. It's not like the umpire waited for the edge to be caught before calling it. True, a better sport, like Gilchrist for example would have walked but this is a grey area, I can't remember the last time someone got out off a dead ball. There's no precedent that's been set in this case. And is what Smith did really different to what any professional who scores an offside goal knowing it was offside, or a batsman who edges the ball but doesn't walk when given not out? Or this?

Also that last part is RAWK-ish. Why, Alex?

[Duppy Conqueror 1,494]

What was the thinking behind leaving Swann off the team? Is it a seamers pitch?

i would personally always play a spinner.just for the variation if nothing else. i don`t mind them playing 4 seamers but i would have moved Prior up the order to 6 and kept Swann in the team with Bopara out for "personal reasons". i didn`t catch the reasons why they didn`t do that but Strauss and Flower do prefer a longer batting lineup.

Headingley is known for being a more seamer friendly pitch traditionally.overhead conditions. but the Oval is usually a pitch that spinners have success on. usually tho the oval test match comes at the end of the summer,but due to the olympics they played there much earlier. Headingley isn`t as bowler friendly as it has been in the past. they will have to earn their wickets.

[BlueLion. 21,491]

It's Graam Smuth! And the dead-ball was called as soon as the ball left Finn's arm, before it got to Smith, the umpire warned him that he would do that after it happened twice. It's not like the umpire waited for the edge to be caught before calling it. True, a better sport, like Gilchrist for example would have walked but this is a grey area, I can't remember the last time someone got out off a dead ball.

Also that last part is RAWK-ish. Why, Alex?

Haha, I was pissed! I like Graam a lot, he has the same birthday as me

[capriccioso 2,545]

What about Graam 'Jan' Smuts?

[Duppy Conqueror 1,494]

It`s frustrating but Finn needs to know where both wickets are. Athers wasn`t a walker either. he will happily admit that during his epic battle with Donald that he gloved one that the umpire didn`t pick up so he didn`t walk.

[Duppy Conqueror 1,494]

i turn over to the olympics for a mini break from the cricket and it`s the South Africans being awarded their gold medal in the rowing.

arghhhh fook off home already!! or become british citizens.

[capriccioso 2,545]

What's weird about the English cricket team is that the coach, Andy Flower, was one of the greatest ever players of spin bowling. England go all to pieces even in front of average spinners like Randiv...

Sack him.