General Cricket Thread (It's Come Home)

Spineless. Gutless. Pathetic. Idiotic. Shambles.

If I were you, Athrun, this is where I'd do my vitriol-filled rant. As I'm not, I'll just say that it's a sad era when two very talented sides both completely fall apart at the slightest application of scoreboard pressure. This is why South Africa are, and deserve to be, the best Test team in the world.

This Test will probably still make it into the fourth day, because Michael Clarke doesn't like enforcing the follow-on and will use some of tomorrow to let David Warner have a bit of a slog. Won't be five though, unless it absolutely buckets on day 4.

Wow, I'm actually stunned, or I was when I read the news this morning.  Australia got over four hundred runs?  What sort of sorcery is this!?  Then followed it up with destroying England so hard it's reminiscent of what Australia went through not two weeks back?  Well, at least this'll probably stop the media here calling for the collective heads of everyone on the team and the musical chair antics of the selectors.  

Still, England must have been playing absolutely atrociously.  Doesn't matter how good the bowling attack is, your batting order doesn't put on less than a century unless it's a combination of excellent bowing and mind boggingly bad batting.  Speaking as an observer whose team did this not two weeks back.  

This is also excellent news for Smith as this will give him an excellent spring board to launch his career as Test captain heading in to the Bangladesh series.  Me and another person were a little worried that a combination of a form slump and a demoralizing defeat at the hands of England could leave him in a bad position when he takes over the reigns, but if this match is anything to go by that's looking set to be reversed now, and the series against New Zealand next summer is now looking set to be a cracker.

Too angry with the English side for words I take it Balla?  

Not that I blame you mind, this series has been pretty atrocious all up, it's been nothing but one side or the other playing well while the other side barely even turns up, proper contests between the bat and the ball last mere overs rather than entire sessions like they should, and both sides have been as inconsistent as a rabbit caught between a hungry tiger and a oncoming bulldozer.  Even though Australia is playing properly now I find it hard to muster enthusiasm for any length of time, especially when their track record this series seems to be to learn their lessons for one single test before sinking back in to mediocrity, I fear that after a easy series against Bangladesh and then being able to rely on home conditions to smash NZ and the west indies next summer will result in them learning nothing this series, and that will be a bigger loss than the actual loss they received here.  

England don't escape my criticism this time either, as usual they get an opponent that puts up some semblance of a fight and decide to close up shop and try and bat for a draw rather than fight for it.  Now I get that they're won the series and don't have to fight for a win this match, but this is a consistent style of play that has seen them consistently get slaughtered by Australia in the past.  Once you start playing the sort of cricket that was the reason the slow clap was invented you might as well save everyone the time and boredom and just forfeit, because it's basically a more boring version of it anyway.

And that's on top of the fact that it's plain mind numbing to watch and about as interesting as watching grass grow.  

I put some words in the title! Nah, I've got the anger out of my system. I'm actually quite impressed with Alastair Cook's defiance. Shame he couldn't do it in the first innings...

I don't mind them batting for a draw now, because there's not much else left to them. I wouldn't have minded them not batting like complete morons previously.

And now people are talking about Moeen Ali opening! Ignore the fact that I don't think he's a Test-quality batsman, although he's more than a Test-quality number eight - him against the moving ball? Naaaaah. Looks like Alex Hales, who you'll be familiar with from international LO stuff, and has two daddy hundreds in the County Championship this year, is the best bet.

So I hear the English crowds are in uproar over a accidental deliberate deflection of the ball by Stokes.

I'll preface this by pointing out I honestly don't care about the odi series, Test cricket is where it's at and while I'll watch an odi series if it happens to be on while I'm up I'm by no means a major fan nor particularly bothered who wins this series.

So, seen the ball in question. Letter of the law is pretty clear, if you block the ball in what can be construed as a deliberate block you're out. May have been pure instinct, but that was most certainly a block of the ball, the arm was stuck out and on an intercept course before he even started the dive and got palm on the ball.

I'd be saying it was just as out if it was one of our lads who'd done it too. Whether accident or deliberate (sort of on the bench on that but I'll verge more on accident) if you block the ball like that you're out. It's the letter of the law, fair call.

While I can't be bothered going into depth on this (pretty sure Australia would have won anyway), somebody quoted a piece from the rulebook yesterday that seemed to reference "deliberately". If it's an accident, it's not deliberate.

Actually depending on how you look at it it can be both. Instincts can cause deliberate accidents, and I reckon this was just such a case.

The ball was very clearly not being thrown at him, so there was no reason for that arm to be stuck in an intercept course besides trying to, well, intercept the ball. Given the speed at which it all happened I don't believe he consciously decided to do that, but I do believe it was done specifically to intercept the ball.

Quite possibly to protect himself.

I don't know which way to go on this one (who'd be an umpire, eh?).  I definitely believe that it was reflex, given that this is a man who takes amazing flying catches being thrown down by Mitchell 90mph+ Starc.  From a static shot, the ball is obviously not going for him.  In real time, I don't know whether it's so obvious or not.

But if we squabbled over every tenuous umpiring decision in cricket, we'd be here for the rest of our lives, and that's ignoring the DRS-free Indian series ( to them).  England have lost the ODI series, nobody is surprised, the other batsmen should have fought harder than they did, England are utterly dependent on Root in 2/3 formats, move on.

There isn't really much to argue about really, the rules state that if you block the ball like that you're out, third umpire was just doing his job.  

I will say one thing about the odi however, why couldn't Australia show this fight when it mattered?  Ah well, better late than never.


In cricket news Watson has announced retirement from Test cricket to focus on the shorter forms of the game once he gets back from the traditional injury.  I know I used to bag him a bit (okay, a lot, seeing people with talent squander it is a bit of a pet peeve of mine) but I think this was a good decision.  His main problem has always been the mental demons in the toughest form of the game and this may be what he needs to flourish, so I say good on him and good luck.

So, this is what greeted me browsing the news when I woke up this morning.

I don't honestly disagree with Anderson on that one, just that if you're gonna tamper with the pitches, please please please do it competently so the matches actually stand a chance of passing lunch of the third day. Giving your natural style of play the advantage is one thing (what's the point of tour matches if the pitch doesn't reflect conditions the home side is used to?), making matches nothing more than one sided stompings by one side or the other is nothing short of mind numbingly boring. If neither team can fight long enough for the match to last three or more days something is wrong.

It's home advantage.  After two commercial, five-day, made-to-order pitches that still didn't go to five days because of an utter lack of fight from both sides, Strauss asked for "English pitches".  And why not?  Australia have Australian pitches, India have Indian pitches, and nobody likes pancakes.  

Honestly though, I don't blame any of the pitches for the lack of five-dayers (and like you I'd rather have seen a couple).  I blame the aforementioned lack of fight - and that includes England, defeated on a pancake at Lords.  Don't you? You moaned about the Aussies enough while the series was happening!

With that one in the UAE, Alastair Cook has now scored a century in every country he's played in.  He's also scored the second-most runs in Asia for a non-Asian batsman, topping Ponting this match and with only Kallis ahead.  Top top player - we've missed him these last few years.

EDIT: Out for 260-something eventually. The pitch was an utter road, but you've still got to admire the man's concentration.

That is very impressive, it even made the cricket section here! Only two types of foreign cricket does that, either for a lack of anything Australian to post news about or because someone did something incredibly massive.


On another note, we're building up to the summer here and that means Test cricket! Two series, our neighbours New Zealand followed by the West Indies, both three matches each (god I wish the Boxing day test was against nz instead of WI) of which I'm eagerly anticipating seeing the new look Australian team take on the plucky New Zealand. Of possible interest to those generally because of the first Day/Night test match here in my home state capital Adelaide, featuring a now notorious Pink ball.

Currently there's a bit of fuss going on about that over here, some people have been complaining about the Pink ball that will be used for the test, the main problem being that the paint starts coming off and it starts losing its colour around the 50/55 over mark making it rather hard to see from certain fielding positions. Meanwhile the great Steve Waugh has come out in favour of the ball and essentially said people need to suck it up while the ball is perfected for the sake of the game.

Test cricket needs to survive (so sez I). The ball may not be the best thing in the world right now, but if the Greatest Sport Ever is to continue in that vein, people need to be able to watch it. So, yup, agree with Waugh on this.

England are now one down against Pakistan, and one rather feels that might be the best they're going to get. Moeen Ali is not an opener.

Dream start to the series, Australia got over 550 runs with only 3 wickets and declared when Khawaja got out on 174.  Some terrible field shenanigans gave Australia a head start on the first day and by the second they were just too far ahead.  

Then nz came out and after a good first session got dismantled in the last ending on 5 for 157, ending any possible talks that the wicket might be too batsman friendly to see a quick result.  Only bad bit was I had to get some sleep after being up for over 24 hours and missed the 4 wicket collapse.

So, a good start to the series, New Zealand played poorly and Australia played immaculately with every Batsman taking the time to craft a proper innings.  None of that awful smash and grab nonsense that saw them lose the Ashes, they've learned how to bat over the break and are absolute crushing New Zealand right now as a result.



Credit where it's due, Williamson just scored a very well built century.  The Australian bowling attack got its fangs out before he got to the crease and he's been under a lot of pressure, and managed to dig in and still score runs through it all.  Given the current conditions he's done a absolutely fantastic job

This right here is the sort of cricket I like,  putting up your dukes and fighting on with your all even when the odds are bordering on realistically impossible, and why I like it when new zealand tour.

Williamson has a claim to being the best Test batsman in the world right now.  Don't think it'll win the Kiwis the match, sadly, but together with Ross Taylor he's managed to turn 2-0 to 1-0.  One of few players to show resilience in the previous Test too.

Speaking of Ross Taylor:

The outed tongue there looks totally wrong in that picture; like someone's Photoshopped it on.

DIGRESSION ALERT: Does 'Photoshop', the verb, keep its capital letter? You know which camp I'm in...

I'd say so, yes. Like "Googled".

End of an era, Johnson retired last match.     He was never the same after Hughes death (a interview after last match confirmed what I'd long suspected regarding his form slump) but nevertheless the guy was a modern legend and a bowler I greatly enjoyed watching once he came in to his own.  His records also speak for themselves, 304 test wickets, fourth highest figures on the Australian test side of things.  Still, at least he reminded New Zealand at the end of the day just why they should be glad of his retirement, those last two wickets were absolute screamers and examples of his best.  


Last match was also something else, may have been a draw but it was one of those thrilling draws that see no result because both teams are playing awesomely (as opposed to one team deciding to be exceedingly boring   ), tons of excellent crafted innings from both sides.  Warner, hate him for his past all you want, but his actual batting has matured spectacularly.  Many doubted years ago that he could play Test cricket, with his clame to fame being smashing the ball for massive short bursts of devestation, yet over the years he's refined his technique and really learned the game.  Last two matches have seen innings from him that can only be described as absolute perfection in batting, he's been working on things the last couple of years and it really shows.  

The reason I praise Warner so much though isn't just that one innings.  It's that that knock came after the first match which saw him score over 250 runs.  Two matches in a row he did this, and it is that consistent show of absolute quality batting that I give this much praise.  In four innings he scored roughly 160, 110, 260, and then another 110.  

Then there was New Zealand with Williamson and Taylor, another two spectacular knocks that deserve more than mere mentions.  To come to a foreign country, not just any foreign country but Australia, and score so many runs is something else.  Especially Taylor, almost getting the holy grail of Test cricket with his 290 runs, absolutely stunning to watch.  Between Ross Taylor, Williamson, and Warner, last match was an absolute treat.  




As an aside I'm loving the Wii U right now.  I get to play Smash and follow the match at once, although I can't say I'm getting much Smash played with Australia's bowling attack proving absolutely lethal right now.  Siddle also finally got his 200 test wickets, which he hadn't had a chance to get since a certain match that may sting some a little too much to mention.  

Thanks for jinxing him Athrun! And Alastair Cook is the best sort of boring: Test match opener boring.  (Frankly, blame the pitch for that debacle.)

Also Smash is amazing, although Williamson's let himself down a bit. (KW for Smash 5? Final Smash: Banned Offspin.)

Elsewhere in the world, SA have collapsed to a series of rank turners.  With Amla out of form, this was always going to be a tricky series, but with Ravichandran really having coming into his own, SA never really had a chance.

I'd say I jinxed darn near everyone today.

It's just one of those pitches really, the bowlers have something to work with this time (unlike Perth, fun as it was there wasn't much there for bowlers, strangely enough) and the outfield was slowish drying up the runs a bit. Bit more of a proper battle between bat and ball on this one, and the ball won today for both sides with Australia taking the edge.


Speaking of good old SA, I wonder when they're next due to tour here. Surely must be due soon with India, England, and now nz/wi done. Hope they get their team back in form before they tour here. Or just plain full stop, they're a good side on form.

Series over, Australia wins!

First day / night test has been a blast to watch, lots of action and the fears of the pink ball proved to be misplaced. Both teams conducted themselves well during the series and it was a very enjoyable time.

Unsurprisingly Warner was Man of the Series. Not a surprise tbh, he's reached a new level of maturity and skill, and it showed with four classy innings and averaging just over 100 runs over the three matches.


Up next, West Indies. Safe to say I won't be airing my thoughts on those matches, although I am looking forward to them.

The words "joke" and "absolute" spring to mind. Much like SA vs. India. Odds on them (SA) miraculously springing back to life now?

Shall we get this show on the road, then? Boxing Day Test. The one that matters. England vs. SA. (Sorry Athrun, the WIndies are an absolute joke.)

Cook out for a duck. Great start.

I wasn't even aware they were having a Boxing Day test here in aus this year.  

Shame I don't have pay tv, I'd like to watch that England vs SA match actually.