Cricket - Matches & General Discussion Thread

[Gerrumonside ref]

On 15/08/2022 at 13:51, gingerjon said:

I don't disagree that it's a giant white elephant of a tournament that's already been left behind by the IPL deciding to invest in the UAE not here but ...

... assuming its stated aims of expanding the audience and increasing attendances are real then it does make a sort of sense to play it at the start of the season when its marketing budget can then be used to drive these definitely real new audiences to further matches at these grounds and county/regional competitions coming up across the country.

Right now, the Hundred audience is being sold 'cricket' but with no additional cricket on hand to spend their money on even if they wanted to.

Have our ECB overlords been out-manoeuvred by the IPL owners?

I get the gist that the winter England tours as we know them could now be in jeopardy or at the least shorn of some of their most exciting players.

is it really this grim or has the ship already sailed?

[Wiltshire Warrior Dragon]

I don't follow The Hundred, but my eye was caught by a scoreline from that competition that seemed to suggest there is a team called Welsh Fire men.  Is one of there players called Sam and does he come from Pontypandy?  Sorry if this has already been asked.

[17 stone giant]

1 hour ago, Wiltshire Warrior Dragon said:

I don't follow The Hundred, but my eye was caught by a scoreline from that competition that seemed to suggest there is a team called Welsh Fire men.  Is one of there players called Sam and does he come from Pontypandy?  Sorry if this has already been asked.

Yes, he opens the batting. But when he hears the fire bell chime, he leaves immediately, so that he's there on time. Some one could be in a jam, you see.

[RayCee]

1 hour ago, 17 stone giant said:

Yes, he opens the batting. But when he hears the fire bell chime, he leaves immediately, so that he's there on time. Some one could be in a jam, you see.

If he scores quickly enough, he can probably meet both commitments.

[Gerrumonside ref]

Anyone else watching the build up to the first test against South Africa at Lord’s?

Feel like this could be a good one.

The coin toss will be important given the overcast skies.

Edited August 17, 2022 by Gerrumonside ref

[Gerrumonside ref]

South Africa won the toss and will bowl.

[DavidM]

Geez that Rooty call was pretty rough 

[ckn]

20 minutes ago, DavidM said:

Geez that Rooty call was pretty rough 

He could easily have gone earlier in the over on a far closer umpire's call, and he just didn't look like he was going to be there for long at any time.

Stokes though so far in his innings ... FFS... you can defend unplayable balls occasionally

[MattSantos]

Pope could be the answer at 3...

[MattSantos]

We'll do well to get 150 here. 

Broad and Anderson havent played in a while. SA with a 150 lead after 1st innings i reckon.

[DavidM]

7 minutes ago, MattSantos said:

Pope could be the answer at 3...

I think The Pope would do better opening the batting 

[Gerrumonside ref]

Losing Stokes in the final ball of the morning session is galling.

Thought his partnership with Pope was steadying the ship.

Just got to grab as many runs as we can after lunch and hope conditions remain favourable for our bowling attack.

[17 stone giant]

The tail needs to support Pope and not play silly shots. He's clearly playing well today, so just stay at the other end and don't get out. Would be happy to see Leach repeat his greatest 1 in test match history, if it means Pope scoring at the other end. Just don't throw your wicket away and leave Pope stranded.

[DavidM]

Lovely up here today , great for sunbathing . London gets a drought and no rain since living memory and then Lords test starts … and that tiny corner gets torrential rain . The weather gods do like a joke !

[ckn]

A great afternoon of play from England, not a single lost wicket since lunch.

[DavidM]

1 hour ago, ckn said:

A great afternoon of play from England, not a single lost wicket since lunch.

Six overs were squeezed in so just Foakes 

[DavidM]

I tuned in at 10.30 thinking they may start then rather than banking on light at 7-00

[Gerrumonside ref]

5 minutes ago, DavidM said:

I tuned in at 10.30 thinking they may start then rather than banking on light at 7-00

Conditions look better for batting today - guess we have to stick around at the crease as long as we can today.

Edit:  of course always a great plan!

Edited August 18, 2022 by Gerrumonside ref

[Gerrumonside ref]

Rabada deserves a five wicket haul if he gets it.

[DavidM]

1 minute ago, Gerrumonside ref said:

Rabada deserves a five wicket haul if he gets it.

He’s quality , but there’s been some loose good time not long time shots 

[Gerrumonside ref]

Just now, DavidM said:

He’s quality , but there’s been some loose good time not long time shots 

Yeah agreed.

[ckn]

It's rare to see a rank bad decision by an umpire these days, but that one for the overturned decision was surely that. It wasn't even close to the bat and was obviously way too high for LBW.

[DavidM]

Different game . That all looked very innocuous 

[ckn]

2 minutes ago, DavidM said:

Different game . That all looked very innocuous 

A guy I work with said "SA have been very lucky this morning". No... luck tends to come a bit more easily when you're not swinging your bat like it's a T20 match.

[DavidM]

9 minutes ago, ckn said:

A guy I work with said "SA have been very lucky this morning". No... luck tends to come a bit more easily when you're not swinging your bat like it's a T20 match.

Indeed . Elgar plays like a test opener , what a shocker ! I also like their bowling attack with its variety . It’s also got pace and bite . We’ve got two greats of course but it is a drop off and if it flattens out we lack that point of difference . Fair point is they’re all injured 

Edited August 18, 2022 by DavidM