General cricket thread

[Leithen]

SydneyBridge said:

How about fairy lights on the bat, a bigger ball, catches have to be one handed, under arm bowling, extra runs for hopping one legged.

How am i doing?

You are Andrew Strauss AICM £5

[BlackLabel]

This Guardian piece is spot on.

Cricket for idiots: there are 100 reasons not to like the ECB’s big idea. The Hundred is a baffling move from the ECB: an idea no one in cricket likes, and no one outside cricket knows they want

article said:

So the ECB has taken Migala’s principle and run with it. It is so desperate to get back into the mainstream that it is willing to alienate, and infuriate, the millions of fans who have stuck with it so they can try and sell the sport to an audience who either don’t know it or don’t like it. And it is going to marginalise, and even scrap, the competitions which serve its existing market, the County Championship, the T20 Blast, the one-day cup, and the women’s Super League, to do it.

Which leaves it in the challenging position of trying to sell cricket to people who don’t like it, when it can’t even satisfy the people who do. In its wisdom, it has been decided that the complexity of the sport is the big barrier to entry. As England’s director of cricket, Andrew Strauss, said in a clumsy interview last Sunday, it wants to “attract a new audience” of “mums and kids in the school holidays” by making the game “as simple as possible for them to understand”. Because mums are incapable of understanding overs. Obviously.

[Murph7355]

There are already too many formats. Spreading too thin and confusing the st out of the new follower.

T20 is a good taster for the absolute novice and quick so can be done in a short evening.

One day is fine.

Then tests for the ebthusiasts/the old/those whose partners don't see it as an excuse for an all dayer/snooze etc.

If they want to attract families, subsidise prices. Make it free FFS, and stick a bit on food and drink. Get it FTA on terrestrial TV. Do this for T20 and the crowds will rocket.

Discount the prices for one day's too. Get people drawn in.

There will then be overspill into tests as people get hooked. Though the biggest barrier there is the current selection process leaving us with a wonky team.

Tests will always have a fairly limited audience due to the commitment needed. Maybe half day seats should be offered.

Adding more formats, especially this one is feckin stupid.

[anonymous-user]

Sorry if it's been said before before but I think a nice short game, every Sunday, at the same time.Guaranteed home and away format would work for families. So they can plan a bit.

maybe 40 overs?

[mazdajason]

Has anyone applied in the early ballot for world cup tickets next year? Through fear of paying 000's for tickets I've only applied for one game and will try pick up tickets to other games closer to the time. I applied for four games at the champions trophy 2 years ago and ended up with none so I'm not holding my breath. Sadly I don't have an affiliation to a local cricket club so need to do it this way!

[Amirhussain]

SydneyBridge said:

How about fairy lights on the bat, a bigger ball, catches have to be one handed, under arm bowling, extra runs for hopping one legged.

How am i doing?

Seems like they’re fixing on more important things...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/44176355

[DeejRC]

Strauss is stepping back this summer and giving the reigns to Andy Flower for the rest of the season. His wife was diagnosed with cancer over the winter and Strauss has said he will be stepping up to look after her and their family whilst she undergoes treatment and recovery.

Proper chap is Strauss. Knows his duty to family and to the Nation, not abandoning either but arrange and manage the correct order of priorities whilst giving a firm notice that he isn’t buggering off.

Our kitchen calendar has hospital appts every day over the summer also for Big C stuff, so right bloody there with you Skipper. Hope Ruth carries her bat...

[LivingTheDream]

mazdajason said:

Has anyone applied in the early ballot for world cup tickets next year? Through fear of paying 000's for tickets I've only applied for one game and will try pick up tickets to other games closer to the time. I applied for four games at the champions trophy 2 years ago and ended up with none so I'm not holding my breath. Sadly I don't have an affiliation to a local cricket club so need to do it this way!

Yes - I have, Me and the boy want to go which rather limits our options as its during term time.

Applied for three games - tickets seemed reasonable (around £95 for me and £25 for the boy from memory)

Opening game vs SA is during half term so applied for that.
England vs India - but that is very high demand (as all Indias games are) so don't expect to get that
The Final - well, why not!!

[BlackLabel]

Sad to hear this. There may be a few others with better stats but for me AB has been the most talented batsman across all the formats in the last 10+ years. Some of the shots he can play, especially in the shorter formats of the game, are just unbelievable.

He’s only just turned 34 so it’s a bit disappointing that he won’t even play in the WC next year.


“Former South Africa Test captain AB de Villiers said he had "run out of gas" as he announced his retirement from international cricket.

The 34-year-old has played in 114 Test matches, 228 one-day internationals and 78 Twenty20 matches for the Proteas.”

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/44223616

[GloverMart]

BlackLabel said:

Sad to hear this. There may be a few others with better stats but for me AB has been the most talented batsman across all the formats in the last 10+ years Some of the shots he can play, especially in the shorter formats of the game, are just unbelievable.

He’s only just turned 34 so it’s a bit disappointing that he won’t even play in the WC next year.


“Former South Africa Test captain AB de Villiers said he had "run out of gas" as he announced his retirement from international cricket.

The 34-year-old has played in 114 Test matches, 228 one-day internationals and 78 Twenty20 matches for the Proteas.”

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/44223616

Agree there. Gayle is more destructive, Kohli more consistent but the first name on my Fantasy Cricket team would always be AB. Incredible player and as you say, his repertoire of shots is far and above anyone else.

[LivingTheDream]

Anyone going to (weather depending) the charity T20 match at Lords tonight?

World XI vs West Indies

Raising money for cricket grounds damaged in the hurricanes

If the weather holds my son is coming in on the train and we'll have an evening of dodging Chris Gayle raining sixes on us.


The ICC Rest of the World XI Squad

Shahid Afridi (Captain)
Tamim Iqbal
Shoaib Malik
Mohammed Shami
Luke Ronchi
Sam Billings
Dinesh Karthik
Thisara Perera
Rashid Khan
Mitchell McClenaghan
Sandeep Lamichhane
Adil Rashid
Tymal Mills
Sam Curran


Hurricane Relief T20 Challenge, Windies Squad:

Samuel Badree
Carlos Brathwaite (Captain)
Rayad Emrit
Andre Fletcher
Chris Gayle
Evin Lewis
Ashley Nurse
Keemo Paul
Rovman Powell
Denesh Ramdin (wicket-keeper)
Andre Russell
Marlon Samuels
Kesrick Williams


https://www.lords.org/fixtures/ticket-information/...

[BlackLabel]

Both teams look really strong. Chris Gayle has started this as if it was a test match, come on get a move on man it's an exhibition ffs.

[zokovic]

BlackLabel said:

Both teams look really strong. Chris Gayle has started this as if it was a test match, come on get a move on man it's an exhibition ffs.

West Indies XI played well. Win the game by 72 runs against World XI. Played like the champion.

[LivingTheDream]

guess who was getting food during the first 4 overs of the World XI innings

Boy went back to his seat and texted me updates!

[Nom de ploom]

quite fancy yorkshire for a one day trophy this year looking quite good again today.

will probably blow it in the semis

[Dermot O'Logical]

As a Hampshire fan I was a bit disappointed that we failed to defend 350+ in 50 overs yesterday despite having acquired the services of one of the greatest fast bowlers of the age.

I suppose he hasn't played for a while, and we were always likely to win the South group and have a home semi-final.

[zokovic]

T-20 series between Bangladesh and Afganistan. Afganistan white washed Bangladesh. As a new team, Afganistan played very well. They have world class player like Rashid Khan. Hopefully, they doing well in future.

[zygalski]

Scotland doing amazingly well.

[nicanary]

zygalski said:

Scotland doing amazingly well.

Indeed. Short boundaries and a benign pitch helped. In theory England should be able to match them, so this could be interesting.

[Baron Greenback]

In theory yes but 7 down not good!