The Ashes
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@barbarian said in The Ashes:
Can I break from match discussion/Aussie bashing/Pom bashing to talk about the Adelaide Oval.
I went with four mates to the first three days of the test. It was fucking brilliant, and I can't recommend it enough.
The Day/Night format is great. You can roll out of bed at 9am, have a leisurely breakfast, a pub lunch and then wander into the ground for the 2pm start. Play goes until 9pm, where you can then step straight into the Adelaide CBD for a cleansing ale or two on the way home.
And the ground itself is just fantastic. Easy to get around, and I never had to queue for a beer for more than 2-3 minutes. We sat behind the bowlers arm on day 1, and then on the Eastern side at 45 degrees on days 2 and 3.
It's now easily my favourite cricket ground. Plus I saw Gary Lyon hit a six and then snaffle one of the great caught and bowleds, so the cricket was pretty good as well...
That is really the best advert for day/night test cricket - it looked like a great crowd and it was gripping, tense cricket.
Went to the old ground once in January 2007. It was my birthday which the Australians celebrated with a holiday (January 26) and the only flight I could get from Melbourne had me landing around 1pm for a 2pm start. Without being in the city before, I doubted I could clear the airport, get a taxi to the hotel to drop off stuff then to the ground given it was an England v Australia ODI and a full house.
Did all of that and arrived at the ground just after 1.30 in time for an ale before the first ball - great city for getting around. Cricket wasn't quite so compelling, never lasted long enough to need the lights.
Without being in the city before, I doubted I could clear the airport, get a taxi to the hotel to drop off stuff then to the ground given it was an England v Australia ODI and a full house.
Did all of that and arrived at the ground just after 1.30 in time for an ale before the first ball - great city for getting around. Cricket wasn't quite so compelling, never lasted long enough to need the lights.Good old Radelaide: built for 2 million, home to half that.
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Without being in the city before, I doubted I could clear the airport, get a taxi to the hotel to drop off stuff then to the ground given it was an England v Australia ODI and a full house.
Did all of that and arrived at the ground just after 1.30 in time for an ale before the first ball - great city for getting around. Cricket wasn't quite so compelling, never lasted long enough to need the lights.Good old Radelaide: built for 2 million, home to half that.
Without being in the city before, I doubted I could clear the airport, get a taxi to the hotel to drop off stuff then to the ground given it was an England v Australia ODI and a full house.
Did all of that and arrived at the ground just after 1.30 in time for an ale before the first ball - great city for getting around. Cricket wasn't quite so compelling, never lasted long enough to need the lights.Good old Radelaide: built for 2 million, home to half that.
So pretty much the opposite to Auckland then ....
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Without being in the city before, I doubted I could clear the airport, get a taxi to the hotel to drop off stuff then to the ground given it was an England v Australia ODI and a full house.
Did all of that and arrived at the ground just after 1.30 in time for an ale before the first ball - great city for getting around. Cricket wasn't quite so compelling, never lasted long enough to need the lights.Good old Radelaide: built for 2 million, home to half that.
So pretty much the opposite to Auckland then ....
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Very nice of the Aussies. In an effort to return some form of competition to this summer, they appear to be about to deliberately handicap themselves. Word is they are going to drop a bloke who averages almost 50 in Handscomb, to slot in the wildly inadequate Mitch Marsh. A player who averages 21 with bat, and 37 with the ball (and who takes a wicket every 1 and a half tests).
Inspiring selecting.
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Very nice of the Aussies. In an effort to return some form of competition to this summer, they appear to be about to deliberately handicap themselves. Word is they are going to drop a bloke who averages almost 50 in Handscomb, to slot in the wildly inadequate Mitch Marsh. A player who averages 21 with bat, and 37 with the ball (and who takes a wicket every 1 and a half tests).
Inspiring selecting.
@mariner4life said in The Ashes:
Very nice of the Aussies. In an effort to return some form of competition to this summer, they appear to be about to deliberately handicap themselves. Word is they are going to drop a bloke who averages almost 50 in Handscomb, to slot in the wildly inadequate Mitch Marsh. A player who averages 21 with bat, and 37 with the ball (and who takes a wicket every 1 and a half tests).
Inspiring selecting.
@NTA is gonna have absolute kittens if this comes to fruition.
Take my doubts about Mitch Santner, multiply them by about a million and you have his relationship with Marsh to a tee.
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I don't mind this selection, weirdly. As much as I piled on like everyone else, it's hard to argue the selectors haven't done quite well so far. S.Marsh and T-Paine have been great pics, and Bancroft may well be a good one as well.
Handscomb is a walking wicket at the moment. His two innings in Adelaide were horrible, and his dismissals even worse. Yes his average is nice but he is playing like a tailender right now.
M.Marsh has had a decent Shield season (400 runs at 41, and a couple of wickets). Bats well on the WACA and provides a useful bowling option on what for the last few years has been a flat track.
I would have preferred Maxwell or even Cartwright, but I certainly see where the selectors are coming from. Which is something I never thought I'd say this series...
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I don't mind this selection, weirdly. As much as I piled on like everyone else, it's hard to argue the selectors haven't done quite well so far. S.Marsh and T-Paine have been great pics, and Bancroft may well be a good one as well.
Handscomb is a walking wicket at the moment. His two innings in Adelaide were horrible, and his dismissals even worse. Yes his average is nice but he is playing like a tailender right now.
M.Marsh has had a decent Shield season (400 runs at 41, and a couple of wickets). Bats well on the WACA and provides a useful bowling option on what for the last few years has been a flat track.
I would have preferred Maxwell or even Cartwright, but I certainly see where the selectors are coming from. Which is something I never thought I'd say this series...
@barbarian said in The Ashes:
I don't mind this selection, weirdly. As much as I piled on like everyone else, it's hard to argue the selectors haven't done quite well so far. S.Marsh and T-Paine have been great pics, and Bancroft may well be a good one as well.
Handscomb is a walking wicket at the moment. His two innings in Adelaide were horrible, and his dismissals even worse. Yes his average is nice but he is playing like a tailender right now.
M.Marsh has had a decent Shield season (400 runs at 41, and a couple of wickets). Bats well on the WACA and provides a useful bowling option on what for the last few years has been a flat track.
I would have preferred Maxwell or even Cartwright, but I certainly see where the selectors are coming from. Which is something I never thought I'd say this series...
Surely he's had enough chances though?
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@barbarian said in The Ashes:
I don't mind this selection, weirdly. As much as I piled on like everyone else, it's hard to argue the selectors haven't done quite well so far. S.Marsh and T-Paine have been great pics, and Bancroft may well be a good one as well.
Handscomb is a walking wicket at the moment. His two innings in Adelaide were horrible, and his dismissals even worse. Yes his average is nice but he is playing like a tailender right now.
M.Marsh has had a decent Shield season (400 runs at 41, and a couple of wickets). Bats well on the WACA and provides a useful bowling option on what for the last few years has been a flat track.
I would have preferred Maxwell or even Cartwright, but I certainly see where the selectors are coming from. Which is something I never thought I'd say this series...
Surely he's had enough chances though?
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@barbarian said in The Ashes:
Surely he's had enough chances though?
He's only 26. I'm not saying he's going to be great, but it is a decision you can justify.
Only if you stick your negative and uninspired pants on. It's a negative selection. He's not been picked to help win the game, but to protect the seamers if england suddenly find form. Maxwell could do that, and could also help win the game. Something marsh is never going to do.
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So Australia are pissing all over a woeful inadequate team of county players and aging stars and people are whining about a century making man of the match and an in form relief bowler to take some work off the worlds best 4 bowling combination.
Why?
"Because my opinion and preferences are better than reality" ( winking smiley)
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@barbarian said in The Ashes:
Surely he's had enough chances though?
He's only 26. I'm not saying he's going to be great, but it is a decision you can justify.
Only if you stick your negative and uninspired pants on. It's a negative selection. He's not been picked to help win the game, but to protect the seamers if england suddenly find form. Maxwell could do that, and could also help win the game. Something marsh is never going to do.
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Jesus did you see how india bounced back in the ODI today? 393. Old mate hits 208*
@mariner4life said in The Ashes:
Jesus did you see how india bounced back in the ODI today? 393. Old mate hits 208*
Third ODI double ton.
Most guys can't manage one.
Imagine if India actually found some class pace bowlers too instead of jizzing over batsmen.
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Glad I didn't watch that as the Indian comms ejaculating all over each other would have been difficult to listen too.
I did see the last game though, and took great pleasure seeing them 29/7 against lowly Sri Lanka. That was hilarious.
Sri Lanka are the pits now though, the only world class player they have is Matthews (and he's awesome, bats and bowls) but the rest are barely adequate first class players. A shame as they have always been one of my favourite teams, but filling the boots of Sanga and Jaya was always going to be a tough ask for a small country with limited resources.
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Glad I didn't watch that as the Indian comms ejaculating all over each other would have been difficult to listen too.
I did see the last game though, and took great pleasure seeing them 29/7 against lowly Sri Lanka. That was hilarious.
Sri Lanka are the pits now though, the only world class player they have is Matthews (and he's awesome, bats and bowls) but the rest are barely adequate first class players. A shame as they have always been one of my favourite teams, but filling the boots of Sanga and Jaya was always going to be a tough ask for a small country with limited resources.
21 million of them. Most passionate about cricket.
And the great West Indies teams were from poor countries, so it's never just about money. For many cricket is a way to rise economically.
A shitty, biased system at the low levels is why these countries can't compete. "Lack of resources" isn't why.
Same reason PI rugby struggles -- the resources available are largely wasted.
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Spoiler Text
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@Chester-Draws yeah, I'm aware of all the issues facing Sri Lanka and other 3rd world countries. The 'lack of resources' comment was fairly general. I would say sporting bodies and governments that are not corrupt to the core are a pretty important resource that gives teams from western countries a big advantage.
Wealth is a big one though, with so many of those 'passionate' cricketers living in poverty. And by poverty I mean actual poverty, not the made-up poverty you hear the current NZ government wank on about. If you look at the Indian team, very few (if any) come from lower socio-economic areas. Luckily for them there's so many people there that they still have a big talent pool to pick from.
Sad reality for these countries unfortunately.
I'd be bloody surprised if the Windies ever reach the heights of the 70s again given the game is now professional - it's a completely different landscape to what it used to be.
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You really pumping for a part time off spinner as 5th bowler at the WACA?
You really pumping for a part time off spinner as 5th bowler at the WACA?
if that 5th bowler is Mitch Marsh, then yep. What exactly is he offering except rest time for Starc and the boys? It's not wickets. It's not containment. It's not runs with the bat.
