The Cricket Thread v. Wait for it...

[Riceball]

So, after reading this article, which decrees that cricket was a popular sport in the US before the civil war, I've finally mustered up the courage to start a thread for my favourite sport in the whole wide world (of sports): cricket.

https://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/141170.html

To kick things off, are there any/many cricket fans on DTF? IIRC, baseball was derived from cricket, when yankies felt that five days was a tad too long for a spectator sport (although we get crowds of 90k+ at some games).

[jsem]

I had a British teacher, and we played cricket once. He went through all the rules and all with our class and we played cricket for a full day. It was a lot of fun.

I don't have any other relationship to this sport other than that.

[MetalJunkie]

Casey Jones mentioned it in the first Ninja Turtles movie. That's pretty much the only thing I know about cricket.

[Fiery Winds]

I've always been curious to learn how the game is played.  Any resources for a quick rundown of the rules?

[Riceball]

I don't normally advocate it, but Wikipedia's summation of the laws of cricket is pretty spot on. The list is pretty long, but I don't think its too lingo-ey.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laws_of_cricket#Today.27s_laws

It probably takes a bit of thought to get your head around it, but once you understand it its such an intriguing sport. There are all kinds of games within games, plots and sub-plots and the amount of skill involved is a bit deceiving sometimes.

[rumborak]

There's been shitloads of games on TV here in Australia and New Zealand, but I never watched for more than a few minutes I must say. My boss and his boss (both Indian) are into it big time.

IIRC, baseball was derived from cricket, when yankies felt that five days was a tad too long for a spectator sport

I heard though that the short version of the game (are those the "Test" games?) is gaining more and more popularity because it's more limited?

rumborak

[Riceball]

Yeah its the most wonderful time of the year for me; sitting at my desk, contravening my company's IT fair use policy by streaming the commentary, changing the TV from Sky News to Channel 9 during my lunch breaks...awesome. (I'm Australian, if you can't tell)

*puts on top hat, lights corn cob pipe, lights fire, calls his cocker spaniel over, pours some scotch, sits in rocking chair*

Well, you see young lad, test cricket was "cricket" until the 1970s, when a media tycoon created this fandangled contraption known as "World Series Cricket". This restricted the game to 50 overs per side, meaning a game could be completed in a day (hence its name, one day cricket). By comparison, a test match can go for up to five days, with up to 90 overs play each day and a team being able to bat as long as they can; although teams normally will bat for about a day. There are also two innings per team in a test match, so a team bats then bowls then bats and then bowls (although this can change based on match circumstances).

One day cricket basically guarantees a result, whereas a test match can go the full five days and end in a draw. I won't get into the intricacies of this...it will probably blow your mind. A more recent phenom is 20/20 cricket, which as its name implies is limited to 20 overs per side. There are a number of other rule changes that give rise to much more aggressive batting and high scores, in my mind to the detriment of the form of the game. T20s are particularly popular in India.

[jimbosile]

Cricket is the game of gentlemen. I can spend all day on the lounge watching Australia play so I love summer for that reason alone. It is also a very exciting time in Australian cricket now, with a lot of promising youngsters being introduced into the test team.
20/20 cricket is definitely more suited to Americans than test cricket I would think. With the constant excitement and chearleaders and fireworks and shit. It's more of a novelty.

[rumborak]

Trust me, in that family of batting games, Americans aren't looking for excitement. They got Baseball, and that can be boring as shit, to the point where even die-hard team fans leave before the game ends to beat the traffic.

rumborak

[jimbosile]

Fair point, but 20/20 just seems like it has a lot of 'Americanisms'.

[Riceball]

I think novelty catches 20/20s quite well, pureists or tragics (like myself) prefer longer form cricket. Getting up on sunday morning, making breakfast and watching Pattinson rip through New Zealand was a real treat!

As far as I know, the ICC is trying to push into the Americas for cricket using T20s as their entry point. I think its certainly a good idea, Americans would probably love it: big hitting, fast action and plenty of opportunities to yell and scream. Its all over in about 3.5 hours, too.

[MetalJunkie]

Trust me, in that family of batting games, Americans aren't looking for excitement. They got Baseball, and that can be boring as shit, to the point where even die-hard team fans leave before the game ends to beat the traffic.

rumborak

I think baseball and golf are sports that are somewhat fun to play, but agonizing to watch.

[rumborak]

For me that holds for almost all sports actually, but yeah, Baseball and Gold are especially bad.

rumborak

[King Postwhore]

Cricket always intrigued me.  I've watched it before on TV and would love to try it someday.

[Riceball]

Cricket is great, pretty easy to pick up but hard to master.

Some of the best outfield catches ever (there are plenty more than this):

https://www.foxsports.com.au/cricket/ravindra-jadejas-catch-against-west-indies-brings-back-debate-over-best-outfield-catch-of-all-time/story-e6frf3g3-1226215541271

Also, Pat Cummins, up and coming fast bowler for Australia, is going to be out of action for 2 months...

[wolfking]

I loved watching entire test matches of cricket during summer on my holidays.  Sadly my job doesn't let me enjoy the game anymore.  Such an exciting skillful game to watch, very underrated.  Australia also are not what they use to be.

There is seriously nothing better than a classic catch!!

[Riceball]

Aussies are completely on top of the second test against India, Captain Clarke on 200* and 130-odd from Ponting - should be quite a resounding victory.

Makes the next game in Perth which I'm attending a bit less exciting, but its great to see a strong batting performance from the team (particularly the middle order) for the first time in quite a while.

[wolfking]

Clarke, holy shit!!!  251 last time I saw, amazing.  Great comeback.  Didn't get to see any of it unfortunately.

[shadowfex]

Loooooove cricket (from Melbourne BTW).

What an awesome day today was for Clarke and Ponting!

[cyberdrummer]

Kallis also hit his second Test double hundred today. The best all-rounder to have played the game in my opinion.

[snapple]

Trust me, in that family of batting games, Americans aren't looking for excitement. They got Baseball, and that can be boring as shit, to the point where even die-hard team fans leave before the game ends to beat the traffic.

rumborak

Look, if it's a 16-1 game that my team is losing, I'll stay there to get my money's worth...but to stay through the 9th? Fuck that noise. There is no point in staying.

I'm curious to see where you think baseball can be boring?

[John94]

Love me some cricket. Used to play, batsman, stopped after a while due to shoulder problems.

Love the excitement of T20 cricket and county championships in England, where I follow Lancashire.

[hefdaddy42]

I'm curious to see where you think baseball can be boring?

Are you kidding?  Baseball is almost always incredibly boring, especially on TV.

I cannot imagine watching a cricket match.  Gotta be even worse than baseball.

[snapple]

I'm curious to see where you think baseball can be boring?

Are you kidding?  Baseball is almost always incredibly boring, especially on TV.

I cannot imagine watching a cricket match.  Gotta be even worse than baseball.

Okay, why?

I'm just curious to see what it is that people find boring.

[Riceball]

Kallis also hit his second Test double hundred today. The best all-rounder to have played the game in my opinion.

Keith Miller & Richie Benaud would like a word with you

Kallis is certsinly one of the greats though.

[Shattered Glass]

I'm curious to see where you think baseball can be boring?

Are you kidding?  Baseball is almost always incredibly boring, especially on TV.

I cannot imagine watching a cricket match.  Gotta be even worse than baseball.

Okay, why?

I'm just curious to see what it is that people find boring.

Here's a list of Brian Lara's centuries -

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_international_cricket_centuries_by_Brian_Lara

His high scores were in games that resulted in draws - I remember the 277 against Australia and it was frustrating because, if he'd got out, then Australia would have won the game.  The irony is that each century was a massive achievements of concentration and stainma, lasting days and the end result was a draw at the end of 5 days - which can be boring.  They don't seem to have batsmen like that these days, but in the 70s - 90s, defensive batsmen like Geoff Boycott, Sunny Gavaskar, and even Allan Border would just dig in for their sides. 

I miss cricket being like that - showing my age here, but when I was a kid in the 80s watching David Boon and Geoff Marsh open against Joel Garner and Malcolm Marshall it was awesome - if Boonie and Marsh lasted the first two hours, it was a huge achievement in the face of a physical battering from cricket balls bouncing into their ribcage. 

[Riceball]

Clarke's 329* will likely lead to a win, mostly because he scored at a decent clip (71) rather than Lara (60-odd).

[Riceball]

Well, George Bradley Hogg has been drafted into the national 20/20 squad at the tender age of 40 (will be 41 in early Feb!) after playing for Perth in the BBL following three years of retirement. Good move by the selectors though, has been the standout slow bowler of the tournament.

Other moves include: White dumped at Captain (good move), McKay & Lee as the quicks (good move) and four explicit all-rounders (D. Hussey, Faulkner, Christian & M. Marsh).

Squad looks pretty good in my opinion. Any other Aussies following this?


Also: Brad Hodge retired from Australian domestic cricket today. Shame really, he probably would have been picked for the World Cup if he had kept his form up for a couple more years. He started his career at the worst possible time - when the national team had the best batting line up going around. He should have played more international cricket.

[cookienut]

Cricket...how I love the game.

I grew up on it as a suburban Adelaide boy (still am lol!)

My favorite moments?

Seeing David Boon play his last test match at Adelaide Oval (what a legend)
Watch Glenn McGrath and Warne take 5 wickets.
Watch the Aussies rip through the international team for the Tsunami benefit match (MCG with 90000 people is a sight to behold).
And of course...seeing Warne and the Aussies rip through England on a dead Adelaide pitch to win the greatest game I have ever witnessed.

[Riceball]

And of course...seeing Warne and the Aussies rip through England on a dead Adelaide pitch to win the greatest game I have ever witnessed.

That was an amazing 5th day.

[bugsyoz]

Cricket tragic here.  Nothing will ever come close to the great man caressing the ball through cover for a boundary to bring up his century on the last ball of the day.  To witness it live from the Noble stand is something I will never forget.

[Lowdz]

So, the Ashes are particularly entertaining at the moment...

[bl5150]

So, the Ashes are particularly entertaining at the moment...

 

Quite seriously though (and totally without forgiving Australia's batting or downplaying England's work) you guys need to find a curator that can produce a pitch that's somewhere between a road and a grazing paddock  .

[Lowdz]

So, the Ashes are particularly entertaining at the moment...

 

Quite seriously though (and totally without forgiving Australia's batting or downplaying England's work) you guys need to find a curator that can produce a pitch that's somewhere between a road and a grazing paddock  .

Our 270 for 4 suggests it's not a bad pitch. Aussie technique needs looking at for seaming pitches. That was not an all out for 60 wicket. Good job extras top scored or it would have been really embarrassing 


It's only two games ago we were skittled out. I don't know why we play tests at Lords. It seems to inspire the opposition and terrify England.

[bl5150]

Pitches aside (and I think a pitch has to be pretty awful for a captain to bowl first these days......and that advantage can be short lasting in some cases) I think this has been coming for a while in terms of Australia's batting.   There just isn't anyone to replace the retirees of recent times and in the not too distant future (Clarke, Voges,Rogers etc....)  We have good bowlers coming out of our ears with young guys like Cummins and Pattinson not getting games- even though they're not making the most of the conditions - but the batting is a huge worry.

The only difference between this collapse and others is that in this case our tail didn't fire - they usually do.  I've lost count of the number of times that Johnson, Haddin and Starc have rescued the upper order, thus masking what has been pretty obvious for a while.

To be quite honest I think both Australia and England are pretty average sides with the advantage to whoever is in their local conditions. As you say the Aussies are flat trackers and only Rogers has shown the ability to tough it out - which is no coincidence as he is the only guy who , like the legends of the past , plays county cricket instead of IPL etc........  I hope this shakes up the Aussies a bit and they start seriously planning for a rebuild in the batting order.  Hopefully there's some talent around that I'm not aware of.    Perhaps Maxwell - who , like Warner , is a freakish short form talent - can also be converted to the longer form.