Cricket

[Draken]

Originally posted by The Gaffer
Freddy is cool. You can just tell that he likes the odd pint or three. He swings the bat like he's got a raging thirst and it's last orders at the clubhouse bar.

I've heard that quote too, GoG, but applied to rugby union, football and rugby league (in that order). I guess you just add whatever sports apply (like clay pigeon shooting, strangling animals and golf).

I like Aussie rules. You'd have to be helluva fit to play that, and not a little mental. I saw a game in Brisbane a few years back (Lions vs Crows: a zoological mismatch, you might think); I hadn't a bastard clue what was going on but my mates kept me right, telling me to shout MAGGOT!! and FIFTY! at various intervals. We won, apparently, whoever "we" were (Lions I think).

We used to play a version of Aussie Rules as a training game in our rugby league training sessions. Was useful cos you could play competitively and practice lots of kicking and catching skills without high impact tackles. Much like rugby union, come to think of it!

As to cricket, seems to me England are only just recovering from having so many 'result' pitches in the 80s. I can remember Derbyshire playing First Class games at Ilkeston, which was basically a field with a pavilion beside it. You didn't need genuine pace or crafty leg-spin to get batsmen out on those wickets. Pitches seem better these days, so we have bowlers who are used to working for their wickets and batsmen who are used to sticking around for a while.

[The Gaffer]

Originally posted by Glorfindel_of_Gondolin
but christ it gets boring watching us flog everyone.

Hehe, well, the Indians ought to have sorted that one out for you

Much like rugby union, come to think of it!

Interesting comment on pitches. However, I can't help thinking the dire state of English cricket is to do with the county setup. It's a bit like Scottish football : too many journeymen for the really good players to get consistently challenged.

[Millane]

Originally posted by The Gaffer
I like Aussie rules. You'd have to be helluva fit to play that, and not a little mental. I saw a game in Brisbane a few years back (Lions vs Crows: a zoological mismatch, you might think); I hadn't a bastard clue what was going on but my mates kept me right, telling me to shout MAGGOT!! and FIFTY! at various intervals. We won, apparently, whoever "we" were (Lions I think).

hahahahaa thats classic Maggot (usually white maggot) is common abuse aimed at the umpires, a fifty is a free kick 50 metres towards your goal... Nowadays footy is more of an athletic sport which isnt bad but it has also means less fighting but anyway....

Millane! You're not helping! *remembers when Cass skipped school to see some footy players* *runs away*

hahahah thatta girl Cass wait were they geelong players i hate Ling so much

[Dwarven Sen]

Originally posted by The Gaffer
Interesting comment on pitches. However, I can't help thinking the dire state of English cricket is to do with the county setup. It's a bit like Scottish football : too many journeymen for the really good players to get consistently challenged.

Don't get me started on Scottish Football. Can you say Bitter? Here in Edinburgh it's wise to keep your mouth shut if you're from Manchester, even if you're not a United fan. I'm a City fan and proud, and the Lancashire ground of Old Trafford is much more appreciated than the United ground of Old Trafford. Better concerts too.

You know in Manchester you can generally tell which one you're talking about. Probably something to do with the venom in your voice when you're talking about United. Haha, we so kicked their arse over the weekend.

[Draken]

2nd Test underway! Windies 9-0, 3rd over. Harmison opened with a maiden but Hoggard's been hit for a 4 already

[Draken]

Windies 110-3 in the 27th over...cruising along up to the first ton with no loss then Harmison struck, three quick wickets including Lara out for a duck, last ball before lunch. Ha'way the lads!

[The Gaffer]

Nice one. Let's hope his knees/back/whatever can hold together.

[cassiopeia]

Originally posted by Millane
hahahah thatta girl Cass wait were they geelong players i hate Ling so much

It was actually quite a few years ago, when I was at school. Don't know if you remember, but Gary Ablett was in a boxing match with a famous boxer whose name I've forgotten. The funny thing was, they showed it on TV when my Mum was watching, and I was terrified she would spot me in the crowd! Luckily I got away with it.

The test against Australia and Sri Lanka is close: Australia needs three wickets and Sri Lanka need 51 runs on the final day. Go Warney!

[Draken]

2nd Test to England by 7 wickets. 2-0 up with 2 to play...don't tell me we're going to win a series in the West Indies?!?

[Ruinel]

Originally posted by Janny
I dunno. The cricket, if originating from the Southern hemisphere, wouldn't bowl a googly anyway; it would bowl a wrong-em (I think).

Ah... so no crickets there where you are? That's sad. It's no nice to listen to them chirping on a warm summer night.

Plus wow, Ruinel, I share your birthday! (Fascinating facts through the useless stats section)

Ah, I knew there was something about you I liked, Janny!

But I'm afraid I'm very much older than you. I'm over 10,000 years old.

[The Gaffer]

Originally posted by Draken
2nd Test to England by 7 wickets. 2-0 up with 2 to play...don't tell me we're going to win a series in the West Indies?!?

Now, then, don't be hasty. Still plenty of time to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Draken, do you know when they (England) next play Australia?

[Janny]

Originally posted by Ruinel
But I'm afraid I'm very much older than you. I'm over 10,000 years old.

Wow! 10,000?!! I'm still gullible and 16!
Closest I get to crickets is when I watch Neighbours and you hear them in the background. I mean... when my sister hears them in the background... yes, that's right...

How many runs were scored in the seond test? We had a sweepstake in our citizenship lesson. 800 was close right? (better than the psychology teacher who thought 'What plane am I i going to fly on? hmm... 757... no 7 + 5 + 7. Yes 19 runs!')

[Draken]

Originally posted by Janny
Wow! 10,000?!! I'm still gullible and 16!
Closest I get to crickets is when I watch Neighbours and you hear them in the background. I mean... when my sister hears them in the background... yes, that's right...

How many runs were scored in the seond test? We had a sweepstake in our citizenship lesson. 800 was close right? (better than the psychology teacher who thought 'What plane am I i going to fly on? hmm... 757... no 7 + 5 + 7. Yes 19 runs!')

W.Indies 208 & 209, England 319 & 99 for 3 so a total of 835 runs, yep 800 was quite close. And 19 wasn't.

[Draken]

Originally posted by The Gaffer
Now, then, don't be hasty. Still plenty of time to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Draken, do you know when they (England) next play Australia?

Summer 2005, over here. Hope Chester-le-Street gets a gig.

[The Gaffer]

Grand. Oxford usually gets a visit for the Combined Universities game, though maybe they'll drop that one.

[sun-star]

Originally posted by Janny
Closest I get to crickets is when I watch Neighbours and you hear them in the background.

Janny, we have plenty of crickets here. Oh to be in Surrey, remember? You forget, I know where you live

[Glorfindel_of_Gondolin]

I don't really think who England gets to play for them in 2005, they wont beat Australia. For a country to be among the five best countries in the world for sport, and for that country to only have a population of around 19 million, just gets my heart pumping.

I am and Australian, in case that wasn't blazingly obvious, but that still does not change the above statement. We kind of win everything.

(Note: I do concede the Rugby Union World Cup, but lets face it, Johnny Wilkinson is a freak, and a bloody good player.)

[Draken]

Originally posted by Glorfindel_of_Gondolin
I don't really think who England gets to play for them in 2005, they wont beat Australia. For a country to be among the five best countries in the world for sport, and for that country to only have a population of around 19 million, just gets my heart pumping.

I am and Australian, in case that wasn't blazingly obvious, but that still does not change the above statement. We kind of win everything.

(Note: I do concede the Rugby Union World Cup, but lets face it, Johnny Wilkinson is a freak, and a bloody good player.)

Ah but in the rest of the world huge chunks of the youth population aspire to being top scientists and engineers or making great music or TV or literature. Whereas in Australia, they fairly obviously don't. Which just leaves sport.

Jonny Wilkinson is certainly a bloody good kicker - but then that's all you need in rugby union!

[Glorfindel_of_Gondolin]

Actually, per capita, Australia has the third highest literacy rate in the world, has one of the highest university attendance rates, is at the forefront of cancer research, and has produced several recent successful writers, artists and actors.

Oops, better know that off, or we'll have yet another "why we love (insert country here)"

We still kick arse at sport, though, especially cricket!

[Janny]

Oh sorry I've already moved onto 'Why we love/hate' with political ideals...

And kicking ass at cricket... just as well the Americans never really got their teeth into it really...