Cricket thread

[Bonefish Blues]

TMS Pod's worth listening to today - a very sober and balanced view I thought.

 

[Pross]

So, have the complaints about the wicket stopped now?

No, preparing a wicket that results in a Test ending in two days is stupid and does nothing to help the future of Test cricket. In the modern game the players are more than capable of delivering results without bad pitch preparation.

 

[Pross]

I do have to acknowledge the openers who managed to give us a good platform for the first time this series.
So well done England and I hope the IOC investigate the pitch.

Not sure the International Olympic Committee will be bothered (unless they get given backhanders to investigate).

 

[midlandsgrimpeur]

Listening to TMS one one of the BBC Sports channels, the coverage continued with Brisbane Heat v Adelaide Strikers. The Australian commentators mentioned that the seam on the Kookaburra was raised slightly 2 1/2 years ago in an attempt to change the balance slightly in favour of the bowler but they still haven't found the right balance with the pitch preparation. Still, if as @Bonefish Blues has said, they went from a 7mm cut to 10mm, the adjustment was way too far.

Yes, the 10mm was much too green. It was clearly a deliberate choice to favour Australia's superior bowling but backfired rather spectacularly. The daft thing is, Australia have clearly been far superior, and would likely have won on a proper pitch. I think there was a degree of arrogance that even if Australia had low scores they would still skittle us cheaply and win. In reality a pitch like that was always going to be a crapshoot

 

[geocycle]

Yes, the 10mm was much too green. It was clearly a deliberate choice to favour Australia's superior bowling but backfired rather spectacularly. The daft thing is, Australia have clearly been far superior, and would likely have won on a proper pitch. I think there was a degree of arrogance that even if Australia had low scores they would still skittle us cheaply and win. In reality a pitch like that was always going to be a crapshoot

You may well be right but England can always get 4 decent seamers out with enough control on a helpful pitch. What we aren’t good at is getting the most out of flat fast wickets and we haven’t selected a credible spinner. In a chaotic match I’d back our batsmen as they thrive on that situation.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Yes, the 10mm was much too green. It was clearly a deliberate choice to favour Australia's superior bowling but backfired rather spectacularly. The daft thing is, Australia have clearly been far superior, and would likely have won on a proper pitch. I think there was a degree of arrogance that even if Australia had low scores they would still skittle us cheaply and win. In reality a pitch like that was always going to be a crapshoot

Groundsman holds Press Conference to explain the rationale behind the pitch. Fair play to him:


View: https://youtu.be/F2GNCu3qmBQ?si=jnrfbyag_Wsr_FdX

 

[Beebo]

Not sure the International Olympic Committee will be bothered (unless they get given backhanders to investigate).

Well the IOC agreed that it wasn’t really within their jurisdiction. But the ICC have rated the pitch as unsatisfactory.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/articles/ce3z3vl379vo

 

[geocycle]

Well the IOC agreed that it wasn’t really within their jurisdiction. But the ICC have rated the pitch as unsatisfactory.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/articles/ce3z3vl379vo

When you look at the dismissals only about half were directly a product of the pitch. The others were spooked by what they were seeing and the match situation. England under Baz and Stokes have become better at dealing with what is in front of them. Unfortunately ignoring the match situation works both ways.

 

[Pross]

England have now lost Atkinson to injury. Not a good tour for the bowlers.

 

[matticus]

Groundsman holds Press Conference to explain the rationale behind the pitch. Fair play to him:


View: https://youtu.be/F2GNCu3qmBQ?si=jnrfbyag_Wsr_FdX

Thanks, interesting. (apart from the terrible mixing - mike-up the questions, dammit!!!)
My two learnings:
- 11 and 12mm is not uncommon and was fine in recent tests.
- the longer grass would have made for a better surface in days 4-5 (due to ... reasons ...) They were - perhaps - unlucky that neither side played for a 3-day match!

 

[Pross]

They didn’t really make the most of a promising start with the bat and then did the same bowling.

 

[albion]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002pcyw

If you start at 2hrs 34 mins you will get 1 minute of very historic TMS !
Might seem surreal but there was likely 'tongue in cheek' involved for the plonker batsman.

 

[matticus]

<tumbleweed>

Are we enjoying the players* batting properly for 3 days?


*Not you, Smith J!

 

[T4tomo]

England will win the Sydney test!

I'm not sure sure about this now

 

[BrumJim]

10mm of grass on the pitch!
Imagine having flown out with day 4-5 tickets.

New expression - as useless as a 5th day Ashes ticket.