Following the sucess of our test cricket thread, here’s another one in advance of the SBS coverage of the Second Test starting at 7.15pm tonight. Please feel free to comment on the play, the commentary, or Shane Warne’s love life.
39 Responses to “The Ashes II”
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How about John Howard as a cricket commentator, Naomi? Stronger reaction than a yawn, please! That guy should not be allowed within a mile of a commentary box.
Wonder if there are any Prime Ministerial trips to
LordsLondon scheduled in the national interest at the moment?Read all about it: Warney sez cricket’s better than sex.
But is it better than text?
http://www.abc.net.au/sport/content/200508/s1429069.htm
Example of an irresistable force meeting an immovable object: Andy Caddick bowling in a dead rubber to Graham Hick batting on a flat pitch.
I think it’s Birmingham this time Mark. I reckon that if John Howard is allowed into the commentary box then Jimmy Maxwell should be given a shot at running the country.
Richie Benaud for PM!
Stuff Richie, more like Kerry O’Keefe for PM - now thay would be interesting!
the best commentators have been soso players. Mc gillers, Roesrs, Aggers, Brian johnston, Mark nicholas
richie should retire.Grieg sacked
The ONLY pollie who had any idea of commentating onradio was iron mark.
I hope the poms win for cricket’s sake.
Cricket is the second best export of the Victorian era
I look forward the PM explaining that the ball sailing into the pavilion “isnt necessarily related to the preceding aggressive actions of Gilchrist.”
I agree, Kerry O’Keefe just couldn’t cut it as PM. Minister for Immigration on the other hand …
Howard: England are gone. Finished. They’re history. They’ll never ever come back.
Hawkie could open the batting for England tonight, without a noticeable change to the result.
He’d probably field better too.
Oh, and nice work LE.
D’oh.
Glenn McGrath is injured and is out. Kaspa in.
So England are doing well. Like they did in the first test. Expect the collapse half an hour after lunch.
Warney strikes!
Kaspa strikes! The collapes begins!
The Kaspro.
Personally, Id pick him ahead of all but McGrath. There’s something of a conservative streak among selectors.
Incidentally (*name drop wheels into view*) I went to school with none other than said Kaspro. OK, so i was in senior when he was in grade 8 - but I knew him, as he was so good even then he played for the senior firsts. A 12 yo among 17 yos. Thats how good you’ve got to be to become a marginal test player: an absolute freak talent. Waiting around for McGrath to get an injury.
I am Lefty Elitist, and I am a hopeless cricket tragic.
“You know the problem with cricket? Its such a damn good game”
(10 points for quote identification)
Cabbie coming home tonight had the BBC cricket coverage on the radio - BBC radio do the commentary well. I’m assuming it’s available via the world service? Didn’t ask him - was too busy listening…
I just wandered into the lounge to get my ciggies, and heard Dean Jones saying to the smooth-as sbs host “You might get a knuckle sandwich” - what was that prompted by? Having to sit next to Advance Hair Man getting to his equanimity?
Let me make really simple for the selectors.
Kaspa = wickets.
Cabbie coming home tonight had the BBC cricket coverage on the radio - BBC radio do the commentary well. I’m assuming it’s available via the world service?
Via local ABC radio. BBC plus a couple of Aussies, my Jimmy Maxwell, Geoff Lawson and um Merv Hughes I think.
I love listening to the BBC radio coverage. Aggers is an absolute gem. As is Jim Maxwell.
A fine day’s cricket, indeed. It would have been rounded out nicely with an all in brawl between that soccer hooligan fellow, Deano and the Advanced Hair/Plastic Face Man.
The soccer hooligan fellow was saying that despite getting carted all over the park Lee looked to be enjoying his cricket. Deano said that if you went into the dressing room and asked him if he was enjoying his cricket this morning you’d get the proverbial sandwich.
And what pitch does Justin think we’ll be batting on when/if we get the Poms out?
How good was Warney’s dismissal of Strauss? And how bad was Warney’s dismissal in the 2nd innings?
It was magic, Mark - pure genius. But he better have a fair bit more of it up his sleeve if we’re gonna get out of this one.
True, true, Tony, but I found myself agreeing with Tony Greig for once - it’d be good to have a 1-1 situation going into the next test.
Also agreed with whichever commentator said that the Aussie attack suffers without McGrath. Neither Lee nor Gillespie seem to be on form - has Gillespie past his use by date?
“Suffers” I think is a bit of an understatement - “disappears” seems closer to the truth. Don’t know what’s wrong with Dizzy - he’s pretty much all over the place, which is not his style at all. Not quick enough to get away with it. And Lee will always suffer on a dead pitch - he’s too straight up & down.
Bet they wish Stu McGill was in the team, the way the pitch is starting to play. 1-1 would certainly make things interesting - but I hate interesting. I like to crush the opposition mercilessly, time after time. Which I admit is not a recipe for a competitive, fascinating series.
Having said that, of course, Lee’s just got 3 wickets and they’re 4-32 - lovely, lovely.
In the paper I read that since McGrath came into test cricket we have won 66% of matches with him and 46% without him. Dunno if that’s true but it sounds about right.
Careful, Naomi - you realise that, for the first time in your life, you were probably doing the same thing at the same time as John Howard.
Flintoff’s getting that “Botham in ‘81″ look about him - that started at Headingly, too.
Botham did it in 1981. This Flintoff will probably do it more consistently if his current form is sustained. At the moment he’s the most valuable player on either side and is more than the difference between the two teams.
Mark, the BBC coverage is interesting and easy to listen to but a lot less professional in keeping you up to date with the score. After a batsmen has scored runs Jim Maxwell will always give the batsman’s score and the team score. Towards the end of a session you expect a call of the card to bring you up to date. The BBC are very lax about these things and even when they start a call of the card between deliveries they don’t always finish it.
OTOH in ABC coverage they have the annoying habit of going back to the studio whenever a wicket falls to give a roundup of other info when what you really want is the commentary on what the dismissal means to the match etc.
Brian, an allrounder is a player who has WON a teat match with both bat and ball.
Only Botham has ever done that and he is the only to boo to have ever hit a ton and taken ten wickets ina match.
By comparison sobers was a batsman who could bowl and Miller a bowler who could bat.
Flintoff has potential but is not yet an allrounder.
He should get there however and join botham. His hitting after lunch was exhilariting.
What if Warne makes a ton tonight and wins it for us? Will that make him an allrounder?
I think you’re right, though, Homer - Botham is certainly at the top of the list. Not just a match, he just about won that ‘81 series on his own.
I class an allrounder as a player who has hit a machwinning innings, usually a ton, and taken a matchwinning lot of wickets, usually aten wicket haul.
If Warney hits a ton tonight then yes that classifies however he won’t be using a mobile so it is unlikely!
I forgot that Warney is a champion at text matches!
Don’t let Tony put you off, Naomi - tonight’s the night to watch - thrilling finish!
Bugger.
Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!