The Ashes 2015

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copehead
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Re: The Ashes 2015

Postby copehead » 09 Aug 2015, 16:38

andymacandy wrote:I agree with your comments, but these days, I regard Test, One Day and 20/20 as cousins rather than the same game.
Yes, they won the World Cup, but I don't put much authority on that as a pointer to Test form.
Now, the upcoming one day series will be a belter. England with confidence and home conditions, against the World Champions.


I think it is a terrible shame that test matches seem to be increasingly devalued, it is the only aspect of the game that I am really interested in, it has a lazy rhythm that is unique in sport. It develops and can see saw in a way that doesn't happen in the football sports or short format cricket.

I find T20 akin to watching U11s school boy cricket where everybody just slogs everything all the time and 50 overs matches are nearly as unsatisfying.

You could well be right that that these are almost different games to test cricket these days.

Both Australia and England certainly play a far more aggressive game in tests where batsmen try to get on top of the bowlers from the word go.

None of this giving the bowlers 10 - 20 overs to wear themselves out and get through the morning conditions before upping the run rate in the afternoon that we used to see

When that aggressive tactic goes wrong - 1st morning Trent bridge - it can go wrong comically and spectacularly.

I have practically no interest in the limited overs matches still to come, for me the summer will be over at the Oval, it was the ashes that was important and that is done, next up Pakistan in UAE and South Africa.
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Re: The Ashes 2015

Postby Diamond Dog » 09 Aug 2015, 16:58

I watch Test matches regularly.

The only one day cricket I watch is the World Cup.

The rest, I'm afraid, isn't cricket. T20 is like 6-a-sides at football.
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Re: The Ashes 2015

Postby Lord Rother » 09 Aug 2015, 20:15

Good posts Copehead.

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Re: The Ashes 2015

Postby Lord Rother » 09 Aug 2015, 20:19

andymacandy wrote:While it is a great win for England, I think that history might show that this is actually a pretty average Aussie team...


Not sure we'll get that chance as this particular Aussie team is finished.

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Re: The Ashes 2015

Postby WG Kaspar » 10 Aug 2015, 15:01

A lot of people have been commenting on what a good impression Ricky Ponting has made as a commentator, the exact opposite of Warne as regards the insights on the game. I must say that I only watched his post match comments on Cricinfo but I was similarly impressed and he came across as a very humble and honest chap unlike the complete buffoon that is Tuffnel or the dry Simon Jones early in the series.
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Re: The Ashes 2015

Postby Tomahawk Kid » 10 Aug 2015, 19:52

https://youtu.be/3k1GRhAk_4c

This morning I chanced upon a 2hr BBC video on Youtube entitled 1972 Ashes. The 1972 series in England is one of the earliest that I can remember being interested in.

The first 15 mins or so cover the first innings of both teams in the first test at Old Trafford. I find it fascinating to look back 40+ years and see just how much cricket has changed.

The first thing that struck me was that on the opening day of an Ashes test, the ground is at best only 2/3 full, you could probably still pay on the gate as well.

Secondly, at the fall of each wicket there is almost a complete lack of the histrionics and wild celebrations that greet every wicket these days. For example, Geoff Arnold traps an Aussie plumb LBW, and not one England player goes over to congratulate him. He just takes his sweater and strolls back to third man or somewhere for the start of the next over.

Thirdly, even with the obvious limitations of the TV coverage at the time, you got a real sense of just how fast and menacing a young Dennis Lillee was. (John Snow didn't look too pedestrian either). Geoff Boycott got a beauty off DL, a brute of a rising delivery that smacked him right on the top of his arm and forced him off the field injured. Where was your technique Geoffrey? :D . To be fair to GB he did come back later on though.

I'm keen on watching the Lords test of that series to watch Bob Massey taking 16 wickets. I clearly remember that from my youth.

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Re: The Ashes 2015

Postby Diamond Dog » 10 Aug 2015, 20:45

One of my abiding memories of cricket was seeing Thompson join Lillee down under a year or so later - and the sheer terror of the England batsmen as Thompson unwound that 'slingshot' delivery..... Lillee is (for me) still the best all round fast bowler I've witnessed, but for that one series, Thompson was the most frightening, I think.
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Re: The Ashes 2015

Postby Lord Rother » 10 Aug 2015, 21:35

I'd be interested watching the Bob Massey game - my recollection was that he was hooping it around like no other bowler I've ever seen.

May be the memory of an impressionable 12 year old of course!!

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Re: The Ashes 2015

Postby Diamond Dog » 10 Aug 2015, 21:37

I remember that game similarly to you...unplayable. For one game.
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Re: The Ashes 2015

Postby Tomahawk Kid » 11 Aug 2015, 07:18

Sky take almost sadistic delight in continually showing that Thommo delivery to David Lloyd from the 74/75 series down under. Caught him smack bang in the bollocks. Ouch!

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Can you imagine facing a Jeff Thompson without a helmet these days? Frightening.

Going back to Bob Massie. 16 wickets in one game, that's unbelieveably good bowling. The TV coverage of the time is pretty basic by modern standards (eg. they only had a camera at one end) but it's clear that the English batsmen didn't have a clue which way the ball was going to swing. The conditions must have been just perfect for swing (just like Trent Bridge last Saturday morning) but he never got close to that again I believe.

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Re: The Ashes 2015

Postby borofan » 12 Aug 2015, 13:59

Who is this Jeff Thompson you chaps are going on about? I can only remember Jeff Thomson...
We're usually skipping around the function room in our long-johns by now...

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Re: The Ashes 2015

Postby Tomahawk Kid » 12 Aug 2015, 19:05

borofan wrote:Who is this Jeff Thompson you chaps are going on about? I can only remember Jeff Thomson...


Sorrie :oops:

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Re: The Ashes 2015

Postby copehead » 13 Aug 2015, 01:29

Tomahawk Kid wrote:
borofan wrote:Who is this Jeff Thompson you chaps are going on about? I can only remember Jeff Thomson...


Sorrie :oops:

.


also see Mary Hopkin, she must despair
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Re: The Ashes 2015

Postby Diamond Dog » 13 Aug 2015, 12:15

The BCB Pedant Police are out in force again, I see.
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Re: The Ashes 2015

Postby borofan » 15 Aug 2015, 18:39

Diamond Dog wrote:The BCB Pedant Police are out in force again, I see.

And?
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Re: The Ashes 2015

Postby Diamond Dog » 16 Aug 2015, 11:12

:lol:

Bad week?
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Re: The Ashes 2015

Postby Penk! » 22 Aug 2015, 12:40

And that's that for Lyth's test career. I appreciate that the selectors have wanted to be patient and not mess around too much but let's face it, he's looked out of his depth since the very start of the series.
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Re: The Ashes 2015

Postby Lord Rother » 22 Aug 2015, 12:55

Yep. So has Buttler as it happens (much to my disappointment) - he's fortunate he's younger and has another discipline to "carry" him.

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Re: The Ashes 2015

Postby Rayge » 22 Aug 2015, 13:05

PENK wrote:And that's that for Lyth's test career. I appreciate that the selectors have wanted to be patient and not mess around too much but let's face it, he's looked out of his depth since the very start of the series.

I think Moeen Ali might open in the UAE
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Re: The Ashes 2015

Postby Penk! » 22 Aug 2015, 13:33

Lord Rother wrote:Yep. So has Buttler as it happens (much to my disappointment) - he's fortunate he's younger and has another discipline to "carry" him.


Buttler will keep his place, I think. He's in a position where it's less important to be in the runs all the time, and I think he's suffered from not being able to come in and play with the freedom he likes to build his confidence, due to the top order's failings. He has more natural talent than Lyth, as well.
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