The Ashes

Re: RE: Ashes & Cricket

I love the quote. While most of them will be crude, the best humour comes in the heat of sport and battle.

Compton was part of a select group. He was possibly the only person to do it on merit, all the others would have been amatures in an age when being professional was dirty and wrong.

I was slightly out on CB Fry, he represented England in football, in 1901 he played against the Irish. He played rugby at the top level, but not international. http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/england/ ... 12930.html

 

RE: Re: RE: Ashes & Cricket

Yeah well... I vaguely recall the name from credits.

But I, being of the 'common sort' have never had an interest in Cricket.

 

RE: Re: RE: Ashes & Cricket

C. Aubrey Smith was a contemporary of CB Fry and a member of Hollywood CC, he also attend Charterhouse - a very important school in the history of football.

Along with Eton, Harrow, Rugby, Westminster, Winchester and Lancing College their rules were amalgamted to give the first set of FA Rules Football. Old Charterhousetinians also won the FA Cup.

 

RE: Re: RE: Ashes & Cricket

Back to the action, a quick update as I know some of you may forget to go check on the BBC.

England last tour game started today. As expected Ed Joyce did not feature and so looks like long odds to be a member of the ashes team, barring injury.

A good day for Hoggard, taking 3 wickets for 0 runs in a spell of 12 balls leaving S Aus in a bad position. Yorkshire and former Ausie Test bat Darren Lehman stedied the innins with 99 leaving Sth Aus on 247 -7 dec.

Again most of the bowlers got amoung the wickets with Monty taking Lehaman. A good effort.

With only a few overs to face before the close England started their reply. Strauss went for a duck, Cook saw the day out with Hoggy as night watchman.

Jargon Buster - just for PCB:

Duck - when a batsman is out for no runs - it comes from the score book where the 0 looks like a duck egg. Variations on this are golden duck - out first ball; a pair where a batsman is out in each innings for a duck.

Night watchman - A player with limited batting ability sent in late in the day to protect an established batsman from getting out near the end. There is a lot of argument about the tatical benifit to the side. Engand use night watchment, Australia do not.

Dec (Declared) - When a innings is closed by the captain without all the batsman being out.

 

RE: Re: RE: Ashes & Cricket

The daily update is a little late today on account of reeling from a self induced head ache from an over-active Friday night. On the plus side it meant that I was so rough I could not cope with watching the boys lose today.

Anyhow - very quickly - it was a good day for England, with the only 2 major batsman not to register big scores so far on the tour, both posting good totals. Colly hit 88 while Ian Bell hit a big ton. Even better news - young Ausie Shuan Tait had to leave the field with cramp - hopefully that wil be a good sign for the first test.

Jargon Busting - Well more trivia.

Both England and Australia have unlucky numbers. The Ausies stick with the religiously significant 87 (13 runs short of 100). While England feel 111 and any multiple is unlucky. The score or the multiple is called 'the Nelson'. When England are on the Nelson, or a batsman is, superstition dictates the feet should be off the floor. Umpire David Shepherd used to hop when a batsman was on the Nelson. The score comes from UK rear-admiral Horatio Nelson and is meant to be one eye, one arm, one leg. Although Nelson had 2 eyes (nearly blind ine th left) and 2 working legs, he did only have 1 arm.

 

RE: Re: RE: Ashes & Cricket

The final warm up game finished as a draw. Flintoff and Mammood hit 40's. In reply SA made 147-2 with Pietersen and Monty taking the 2 wickets).

The first test starts Thursday - 00:30 GMT, my TV died over the weekend, removing all traces of the colour blue, it makes for interesting viewing. It gave me the excuse to buy a new TV - I have been complainig for ages that I needed a new, shinier, bigger TV.

 

RE: Re: RE: Ashes & Cricket

So this goes on for how much longer?

England's night watchmen doing their job or did any get a duck?

SA 147-2. Did there captain dec?

I'm trying, GBFC.

 

RE: Re: RE: Ashes & Cricket

After 3 days of play it ended in a draw. The Ashes start this week and end at the start of January.

I know that draws are a fairly alien concept in US sport, so playing a game for days that end in a draw must seem bizzard. These days tests are limited to 5 days, this was not always the case. During the 30's there were timeless tests to ensure a result. The last timeless test occured between South Africa and England in 1939 and was abandonded as a draw after 9 days as England would have missed the boat home otherwise. England needed 41 runs to win with 5 second innings wickets left when the time ran out.

The dates for the Ashes:


Nov 23-27 First Test (Brisbane)
Dec 1-5 Second Test (Adelaide)
Dec 14-18 Third Test (Perth)
Dec 26-30 Fourth Test* (Melbourne)
Jan 2-6 Fifth Test (Sydney)

*The fourth test is called the boxing day test and will start around 11:30 christmas day - this is always a test of stamina.

 

I could barely contain my excitement as midnight apporoached, scanning various channels for news. Finally, around 11pm UK time team news was annouced. I could hardly believe it - Ashley Giles had been picked ahead of Monty Panesar on the ground that Giles was not a 'special kid' with the bat.

Alright, so when Monty bats he brings a unique style and does not ususally trouble the scorers - bue he is a bowler, whoes main responsibility is to take wickets. Giles may score 14 more runs an innings, but Monty takes wickets. If they were colours to paint your house with Monty would be a vivid and exciting green, Giles would be magnolia, a dirty tepid, uniteresting off white. The kind of magnolia found in funeral parlours and dentists. Bugger.

I quickly regained my confident deminor in time to watch the toss. Unlike footie, the toss in cricket is massivly important. Many games have been lost before the first ball has been bowled.

The toss was important as the Ausies have the best spinner in the world in their team on a pitch that will only get worse to bat on. So, the idea is to win the toss, bat and watch the opposition toil in the field for 2 days. Then England can unleash Giles to bore the Ausies out.

Flintoff is standing in the middle of the field and makes the call as the coin flies through the air. It lands on the lush grass and England make the second mistake of the day by calling the toss wrong, bugger - we'll field for 2 days....

By now, my resolute faith in England is waining. The players take the field and Harmison charges in for the first delivery. He unleashes the ball at 88mph, it hits the pitch hard and flies through to Flintoff at second slip, so wide that the batsman looks on an laughs. Bugger. Harmison manages 12 legal deliveries for 17 runs before he is removed. It is the worse posssible start.

Now, if I recount the next 8 hours play it will become tedious - lets just say "I would have been better servered sleeping last night". On the plus side, if I go another 3 days without sleep then the helucinations will start and I may even think England have a chance!

So, after the first day Australia have scored 346-3 with skipper Ricky Ponting on 137 not out.

 

Day 2
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Another day where the Ausies rulled. England took a commanding second place replying to australias 602 for 9 declared. In reply England are 50 something for 3 with Strauss giving his wicket, Cook being undone by a jaffa and Colly playing a loose shot outside the off stump.

I am now 2 days into not sleeping and have resulted (or even resorted) to Red Bull to help keep me awake. At work my performance was not so impressive.

Jargon Busting:

Jaffa - have no idea where it comes from, I think dour wife bashing yorkshireman Geoff Boycott made it up one day, it means a ball that is really, really good. Tail enders seldom get out to Jaffa's as they are not good enough to hit them.

Loose outside the off stump. - There are 3 stumps, the stump closes to the batsman is called leg stump, then middle stump with the stump furthest away being the off stump. A good bowler will aim just outside the off stump and either make the ball swing into or away from the stump. This causes the batsmant to play at balls that are not going to hit, causing the batsman to edge the ball to the wicket keeper and be caught behind. A loose shot is when a ball should have been left and was not.

Hopefully day three will bring better luck.

 

Hi Don, The last test will be Englands best chance to win, by then it will all be over and so the Ausies won't care!

Day 4
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England did OK considering. Strauss was out cheaply again and bell went for a duck but Cook hit a fourty while Collingwood tamely surrendered his wicket after battling to 98. Colly charged down the wicket against Warne and was Stumped.

Freddie threw away his wicket but KP is in the 90's and so hopefully we will see him bring up hit ton!

Stumping
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A batsman has a line about 1 1/2 yars in front of the stumps, this is called the batting crease. The line at the other end is called the popping crease. When the batsman completes a run he (or his bat when held) must be in contact with the floor behind the crease. If it is not then the batsman can be run out if the ball is hit unpon the stumps and the bails are removed.

A batsman may leave the batting crease when being boweld at. If he is ouside the crease and the wicket keeper catches the ball and removes the bails then the batsman is out stumped.

Bails
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Two little bits of wood that sit on top of the stumps. To be bowled, stumped or run out the bails must be removed from the stumps. There have been cases where the ball has hit the stumps and the bales have remained on resulting the the batsman being not out.

 

Day 5
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It didn't last long. England lost, I cried into my beer. Being a Fulham fan I have cried into many beers over the years, I now quite like the taste.

I will now work hard on sleeping as it all starts again midnight Thursday UK time.

I was considering starting a new thread for the second test, but the idea of writing the longest self indulgent thread ever appeals to me. This is rather theraputic.

COYW, COYE (&W)

 

2nd Test
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1-5 2nd Test, Adelaide
Umpires: S Bucknor (WI), R Koertzen (SA)

The second test is just 2 hours 20 minutes away. The excitement builds. Once again the ICC put in 'elite' umpires in the world for the most prestigious match in cricket.

Not unlike football the man (or men) in charge are pivitol in the game. A bad day can ruin the game for all. Umpires over the years have been just as famous as players, unlike football, most umpires are treated with respect and affection by the fan (although the Pakistanis have no love for Ausie Daryl Hair).

A cricket umpire will be asked to judge several things in the space of under a second with little help from technology. Unlike football, umpires are treated with respect. Players are fined and banned for looking at umpires in the wrong way! It would be good if football could bring in the same level of respect for their officials.

The 2 guys in the centre for the second test are Steve Bucknor and Rudi Koertzen. Bucknor is the most experienced of all the current test umpires and Rudi is a solid performer, although his judgement on LBW decisions have been questioned. I hope they both have good games, and any bad decisions work for England!

 

It meant that the conditions were humid, but no rain would arrive. Idea for swing at Headingly (not wife swapping - more like good curve ball action.

Day 1
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I saw the team news around midnight local time and was gutted at the ommission of Monty again. Giles was poor during the first test and once again we reward mediocraty - still the game hasn't started yet.

The toss - Woo hoooo! Enlgand win the first battle of the test with Flintoff calling right again. It will be another important toss as the pitch will get lower and slower. England bat. Strauss throws his wicket away - somedays I wonder if he is driving new gold and green car at home. Cooke battles for 24 before Collingwood and Bell step up. The first two sessions (morning and afternoon) are played at a sedate pace. It is like watching cricket from 25 years ago, the batsman are grinding out runs and going at 2 an over. The ball is not coming onto the bat and the outfield is slow the balls that should go for boundries pull up short. Midway through the afternoon Bell hooks Lee straight up in the air and is caught.

Pietersen comes in and starts punishing the Aussies and England score at nearly 4 an over for the final session - we finish 266 -3.

Jargon Busting
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lower and slower: when a bowler bowls the ball he will aim to bounce it somewhere between 4 and 11 yards from the stump in line to the off stump. When it is lower and slower it means that the ball looses considerable momentum when it bounces (pitches) and does not bouce as high as it should. Over time the same ball pitched in the same spot will bounce less each time.

hook: A shot played at a ball the has bounced and risen to head height. The batsman brings hit bat horizontal to the hight of his head and swings in a similar style to a base ball batter to hit the ball square of the wicket on the leg side.

not comming on: This is a really hard concept. Not comming on happens when the ball get slower and lower. It becomes harder for the batsman to time the shot, resulting in the ball not being hit as hard or as far. It often means that the batsman hits the ball with muscle power rather than using the momentum of the ball. Golfers will understand the importance of timing, days where you hit the ball 250 yards and don't feel it, other days where it goes 125y and your hands ring after.

 

Day 2
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A very tired GBFC is grappling with doing the housework, catching the Fulham game and letting the record breaking day at the cricket sink in.

It took our colonial cousins the last ball before tea to make a break through and take the wicket of Paul Collingwood. Colly, went from 98 over night to 206 when he played a tierd shot and was caught behind. He is the first Englishman to score a double 100 in the ashes in 70 years. Pietersen was looking in fantastic form but run himself out for 158, the third time in his test career that he has been out for 158, wierd.

Flintoff and Giles put on a fifty partnership to take england to 551-6 declared before Freddie Flintoff took the wicket of in-form Justin Langer to leave England in a strong position.

The outfield is still slow and poor value for shots means that Englands 551 is more like 650 on a decent pitch. It will be facinating watching the Ausie reply, the have the talent to fight back, but the mental toughness is what will be under the microsocope. They have 3 days to survive with no chance to win the game.