General Cricket Thread (It's Come Home)

With the WIndies and Bangladesh both out in the quarters, I've got to make a tough decision. I've got to decide which team has played better throughout.

Both teams have exactly one victory over a higher-ranked Test team: Bangla vs. England, the WIndies vs. Pakistan. The WIndies were obviously expected to do better, and they also clocked one loss to an associate: something Bangladesh managed not to do. But the WIndies arguably gave us a bit more fun. Gayle's double century, anyone? Both margins of defeat in the semis. were equally embarrassing, too.

In the end, the second-string team prize goes toooooo...

Spoiler:

WHAT.  A.  MATCH.

That could well be the match of the world cup.  Shame about the rain, which arguably could have lost it for SA, but what a blinder against two great teams.  That should have been the final.  Amazing stuff, and a great advert for the one-day game.

Meanwhile, Cook is an absolute shambles.

Right, the World Cup's over, and with a result that will disappoint almost every neutral - with the exception of Drunkalilly, who has just got himself £20 in eShop credits! I'll try and sort out both his and Treesmurf's winnings today.

Yup, Australia won. I didn't follow the match too closely, because by the time I'd woken up NZ had been skittled and the result was all but inevitable, but it was a bit of a walkover. Credit to Australia, though - they were the best team in the cup. They've got an incredible attack and Steve Smith, and didn't need that much else.

Ooh, loverly jubbly! Yay for the crickets!

As I'm sure everyone has already heard, one of the greatest legends of the sport Richie Benaud has passed away today. A sad day for the sport, all we can do is pay our respects. As someone whose grown up with him as a constant presence in the sport this is a sad day, and honestly an end of an era, Rest in Peace Richie Benaud, you will most definitely be missed.

I'm afraid that I started to listen to cricket in a post-Richie era, so I never knew his dulcet tones - but it's obvious how much affection the cricket community has for him.  Sad day. Or, as the Internet seems to be putting it, "Mourning everybody."


On a happier note, county cricket season starts soon! /

RIP Mr. Benaud. A fantastic commentator.

As England trudge towards the end of a series on trudgeworthy pitches in the Windies, still with Trott at the top of the order after 3 innings out of 4 where he's shown that he's not suited to it, thoughts must turn towards the Ashes. England still have three Tests before then, while the Aussies have... well, more big-budget sloggery.

I almost certainly shouldn't be ignoring the two-Test series against NZ, who could even prove a bigger threat than Aus. in the swinging British conditions; however, no Kiwis on these boards. Feeling good about the Ashes, Athers? Your in-form batsman Stevey Smith says that England have no chance.

I fancy Australia's chances quiet highly.  Last series the team had only just begun to rebuild after a time of huge inside turmoil that had only recently culminated in Homeworkgate and the sacking of the previous coach and were up against a slightly fading but still very strong English side.  This series the team is almost at its prime, the weak links present in the squad last time have either since been dumped or have finally found a niche and the promising rising stars have since become shining stars.  Meanwhile England has lost some of its big players and is currently on a form slump in terms of both physical and mental skill (more in the one day side of things but that was partly reflective of how things are in general right now if you ask me).  

On top of that the scoreline for the last English Ashes may be 3 - 0 but the series was far closer than that with one match being hotly contested and another having its result being rained off but otherwise going Australia's way.  Australia back then were far worse than they are today so I fully believe they have what it takes to win.  I wouldn't go so far as to side with Smith's more outspoken view of their odds much like I never believed England had a chance of winning last time they came here but I do believe the winds are aligning themselves for a aussie win. How close that win is or whether things can change are still up in the air, but as of right this moment I'd put my metaphorical money on Australia as decent favourites.

I don't think you're necessarily right about England's form slump. I think that their failures in ODIs have obscured what seems to be a revival in the Test game. For example, Cook's recent success in Tests (yes, he's actually been averaging quite highly) have been obscured by his dismal performance in the one-day game. Same goes for my favourite Zimbabwean Gary Ballance.

Don't get me wrong: I agree that Australia have the upper hand. Their Test squad seems settled and happy, with only slot six in doubt, and that doubt a happy one: Mitch or Shane? Meanwhile, England have two problems: their attack, which consists pretty much of more-or-less interchangeable rfms and Moeen Ali, and the second opener. It can't be Trott. It just can't be.

But I do think that the match-up has potentially been exaggerated. The home advantage is a big one. rfms tend to do quite well in English conditions: that's why we produce so many of them. Cook seems to be getting back into form, albeit against the West Indies, and England bat deep now. Proper batsmen down to 8, with Jordan potentially coming in at 9. (I'd rather see him dropped for Plunkett or somebody, but hey.)

I think it should be a good series, but I'd agree that Australia must be favourites. That's not to say that I don't think what Smith said has a bit of twattishness to it, but hey - that's what we expect from Australia, right?

Balladeer wrote:

I think it should be a good series, but I'd agree that Australia must be favourites.  That's not to say that I don't think what Smith said has a bit of twattishness to it, but hey - that's what we expect from Australia, right?

One could call it be Smith being a arrogant twat, you could also call it payback for the time England swaggered their way down here a couple of years back all assured that they'd win.  

Aye, that was stupid.  Here's hoping that Smith's comment will be proved likewise!

EDIT: England you are not helping my argument right now.

EDITEDIT: Okay, you know what?  Smith has a point.  Australia would have thrashed this WIndies team to hell and back.  I don't understand it: looking at the England batting order for three down, it is on paper incredibly strong, even if I'm not sold on Mo Ali's batting.  And then they somehow get out for 123!  Horrendous.

Trott retired from international cricket today.  A perfectly sensible move, with Gary Ballance cemented at number three and the man not a natural opener; but I'll always admire his obduracy, and nowhere more so than in clawing his way back into Tests after his problems, albeit for a very short time.

The talk of Pietersen and all the backroom drama is now making the sporting news here, what's this nonsense about him not getting in the squad after over a triple and a half ton because Strauss can't get over some past?  I'm not up on all the tiny little details but it sounds utterly ridiculous to me that anyone can seriously look at the form he's in and not give a side that is, frankly, lacking a superstar batsman, just such a batsman.  This is the Ashes, not fielding the best team you can because you don't get on with a player is ridiculous if you ask me.

Oh well, as Clarke says a side without England is weaker for it so it's all good for me as an Aussie supporter.  

Thing is, in any other line of work, if you wrote a book slagging off your former employer and colleagues, they'd never hire you again. Never.

That said, I'd have liked to say Kevin back in the team. His 355* was against Leicestershire, the Bangladesh of the county circuit, but he's clearly still got both the talent and the hunger for runs. This is mitigated somewhat by what I'd see as a pretty clear-cut middle order (Ballance, Bell, Root, Stokes) - if he were an opening batsman it'd be worse.

It's time for another picture of England's very own titan, Alastair "Toothy" Cook!



He seems to be back in form too, which is good.  116* at time of typing, second century in two Tests.  He had just had an LBW appeal reviewed when pictured, though.

I'm really looking forward to the upcoming Ashes right now, England's performance against New Zealand the other day sounds like good stuff reading the overview and their new coach looks set to ensure the potential England has in them is going to be brought out, all the cards are settling for a epic series this time.

It still hasn't quite sunk in, to be honest.  England played exciting cricket, against a very good side, and won the Test.  Including a run-a-ball hundred from The Ginger Wrangler, Ben Stokes.  I'm expecting to wake up at any moment.


I don't want to get too ridiculously excited.  We still have problems.  This side was still shot out for 123 against the WIndies not so long ago.

1 and 4 (and to a lesser extent 3) in the batting order have question marks over them: Bell in particular looks as mentally shot as Cook once did.  Anderson and Broad both veer between brilliant and mediocre.  Moeen goes for a whole bunch of runs for every wicket he takes.  Buttler isn't the finished article as a keeper, nor Stokes as a bowler.  

If it sounds like I'm being gloomy, I'm not.  I'm really not.  We have problems in the side, but I'm very excited about several other aspects.  Cook back in form, the batting order 5-8, Mark Wood, Broad seemingly getting back towards his best.  In general, a more confident looking side.


And we do appear to have acquired one of your coaches, a Mr. Trevor Bayliss.  Know much about him?

Afraid I'm almost as in the dark as you are about him, although he's apparently coached several teams to great success in the shorter forms of the game and has experience with coaching one of the bigger Australian twenty/20 teams so he'll have some good insights to bring to the table for England including about a few of the current squad.  He seems like a good choice, especially as he knows what it takes to win on the global competitive stage thanks to his IPL experience, changing coaches a couple of years back worked magic on Australia so I wouldn't be surprised if it takes England up a notch.

Ah, here we go, the ABC's report on Lehmann's response with some info on Bayliss' various feats.  http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-27/lehmann-expects-tough-england-under-bayliss-for-ashes/6499850?section=sport

Looks very promising for England, a very good choice all things considered.

He does seem to be Mr. LO, and while I'll admit that England are, not to put too fine a point on it, absolutely dire at LO, I won't be able to give two monkeys about the formats until the Champions Trophy in two years' time.  If he's going to build England up for that, great.  Farbrace seems to have everything under control on the Test side, mind.

Oh, and this is worth watching, if only for the last five seconds: http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/video_audio/881833.html

EDIT: So, Shaun Marsh for the Test team? Mr. Consistent?

Single-handedly turned a cricket blog to Pokémon references.  I'm so proud of myself. International examples included Mitchell Starcyu, VVS SnorLaxman, and Rangana PoliHerath.

Actually:

Alastair Cookodile
Adam Lythysaur
Gary Coballiance
Ian Bellsprout
Joe Tentacroot
Ben Machokes
Jos Buttlerfree
Moeen Glalie
Stuart Pyroard
Mark Sudowoodo
James Charmanderson

I finally got around to dealing out prizes for the World Cup! Go me!

One T20 to go, and then - ASHES TIME.

I particularly like "Ben Machokes" and "Alastair Cookodile". Might have to use them during the matches now you've made em.

Also that Alastair pick is a real doozy, the Aberrant Batsman is in full cry I take it.

Some article writer was talking about Cooky being handsome. Has he ever seen the man's teeth?

Ben does actually look like a tattooed ginger Machoke. It works on multiple levels.