twentysix by twentyfive
Clinging on tightly
- Location
- Over the Hill
The Ashes
- Thread starter thom
- Start date
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Where do Kiwis stand on the Ashes, Yello? I used to have a mate from NZ who hated the Aussies unless they were playing England!
Minefield. Generally speaking, and in the grand tradition of Aus/Kiwi rivalry, Kiwis like to see the Aussies beaten fullstop - unless they're playing the saffers or the poms! Winning the Ashes would give the Aussies bragging rights, and you wouldn't want that, so you kind of end up in a paradoxical situation. Complex business is this national rivalry.
Personally speaking, having grown up being reminded I was a pom, I have confused and often shifting loyalties. I often don't know who I'm supporting until the match enters a decisive stage! My notions of 'better team' etc will then be quickly jettisoned by something more gut driven and primal.
Personally speaking, having grown up being reminded I was a pom, I have confused and often shifting loyalties. I often don't know who I'm supporting until the match enters a decisive stage! My notions of 'better team' etc will then be quickly jettisoned by something more gut driven and primal.
swee'pea99
Squire
Just got back from a long weekend under canvas, carefully avoiding all mention, so got to watch the whole thing on the recorder. Wow! So much for the breast-beating.
Re cautious captaincy, I'm amazed more hasn't been made of this.
Everyone knew the last day of the last test was going to be at the very least severely cut back by rain, so why the hell did Clark not declare when the Aussies had an effectively unassailable 280 run lead, and let Siddle rip into a tired and demoralised (and already proven to be flakey) England 'attack' for the last hour of the fourth day? They could easily have ended up starting day 5 with England reeling on 32/4, with not a hope in hell of getting anywhere near the Aussie total, clinging on for dear life....never a good recipe for success.
Instead, he hung on in there to pick up a few more pointless runs, and let the match dribble to a virtually inevitable draw. Can't help feeling that if England had won the toss, the result would have been exactly reversed, except that England might well have forced a win. From the evidence of this series, Clark's the better batsman, but Cook's a far more astute captain.
Most importantly tho', what a match! You don't often see one ebb & flow to quite that extent...and with the right result in the end!
OP
OP
thom
____
- Location
- The Borough
I don't understand why so much is being made of his captaincy either - how many people get to be winning captains of an English Ashes team ?!
As batsmen, Clark has something more stylish then Cook though Cook has a different role as an opener. Cook hasn't had a good series but I'm not too worried about that because he's come back with similar awesome run scoring feats in the past. He is 4 years younger than Clark and while his average is under Clark's by 3 or 4 runs, he has slightly more test runs and hundreds, so by career end I think his stats will look a cut above Clark's.
I think Cook is the type to be able to develop his captaincy over time too - why worry at the moment ?!
Dayvo
just passin' through
- Location
- 59° 50′ 5.55″ N, 10° 47′ 41.89″ E
He picks his nose way too much. He really shouldn't be doing that: not as captain: not with all those cameras all over the place watching his every move.
OP
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thom
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- Location
- The Borough
[QUOTE 2607380, member: 1314"]On a side note, his ex-wife's name is the same as mine [/quote]
"Crock" or "Gold" ? I always though "Crock" was a purely masculine name.
"Crock" or "Gold" ? I always though "Crock" was a purely masculine name.
OP
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thom
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- Location
- The Borough
Live on youtube, the women's ashes :
I think the UCI could learn something from this service with regards to women's cycling
I think the UCI could learn something from this service with regards to women's cycling
deptfordmarmoset
Full time tea drinker
- Location
- Armonmy Way
Right, who remembers when test matches started on a Thursday and rested on Sunday? I'm only mentioning this because I never expected the test to start today. Aussies are 23 - 1
OP
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thom
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- Location
- The Borough
I remember those days, TMS on the radio in the middle of the night as England played the West Indies and the rest day might help bruised swelling come down on a finger or a left eye shiner improve so a batsman could actually see out of his eye again...
Durian
Über Member
- Location
- Chiang Mai. Thailand.
I also remember the Sunday rest days. It gave Botham the chance to organise a bbq and drink shed loads of beer.
young Thom thrilled to the smack of leather upon willow...(there is the ghost of a likeness there)
OP
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thom
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- Location
- The Borough
You must have seen my new haircut then !
nope - it's the seriousness of the eyes and the set of the mouth.
'Young Thom's mathematical skills were the stuff of legend. It was he that invented the Duckworth-Lewis Formula. Tongue clenched between his lips he painstakingly transcribed it, together with the algorithms for Hawkeye on to his mother's Basildon Bond notepaper and posted it to the MCC. Had Duckworth not been lounging around the post room, the F******* Formula would have it's rightful place in cricketing history.'
'Young Thom's mathematical skills were the stuff of legend. It was he that invented the Duckworth-Lewis Formula. Tongue clenched between his lips he painstakingly transcribed it, together with the algorithms for Hawkeye on to his mother's Basildon Bond notepaper and posted it to the MCC. Had Duckworth not been lounging around the post room, the F******* Formula would have it's rightful place in cricketing history.'
