Cricket, lovely cricket

[Adam Went]

Sadly I think Monty's B.O. might be starting to get to a couple of people.

In all seriousness though, I can only echo what everybody has already said on here - deep down there is a mutual respect but when the game is on, it's full on the attack - and that's the way it should be. Test cricket is fading away and it's important to still be passionate about it. The truth is that though i've not been there yet, I think England is a fantastic country - relatives of mine just earlier this year took a three week trip around Europe. Their favourite place out of all of Europe? Good old London.

It's not just supporters that get into it, it's the press as well in both countries - one England paper famously printed a huge poster before the 06/07 series depicting the Aussie team as "Dad's Army" - before we wiped the floor with them 5-0.

Monty and I promised a banter filled series long ago when we first agreed to have a wager on it, with the money being donated to charity....

It's just a shame that Monty, nor any of the other Poms posting here, clearly don't have the intellectual or linguistic ability to match it with myself, representing the "daughter country". Oh, and their team is utterly terrible.

Second string bowling attack against the Vics? So Panesar is second string now is he? Wow, that smacking Gilly gave him must have been a career finisher....

Cheers,
Adam.

[Steven Russell]

[quote=belinda;157976cricket

Do you consider cricketers showing support for the death of a team mates wife to cancer an insult to the game?[/quote]

Bloody hell, Belinda! Where did that come from?

Steve.

[Monty]

By we I mean all people who consider Australia their home.

Many nations have contributed to the refinement of cricket

Do you consider cricketers showing support for the death of a team mates wife to cancer an insult to the game?

Not at all, after all, it is the McGrath Foundation which Adam and I are donating to should either of our teams lose. Infact, I shall be donating irrespective of the final result.

And until that day Adam and I shall be at each others throats.

Monty

[belinda]

By we I mean all people who consider Australia their home.

Many nations have contributed to the refinement of cricket

Do you consider cricketers showing support for the death of a team mates wife to cancer an insult to the game?

[Monty]

We refined the game Belinda. The the Aussies took it and made everyone wear yellow and pink PJs and bloody ruined it.

When you say 'we' are you referring to the native Aboriginies oir the decendants of Immigrants?

You see Adam, your nation forged the UN path.

Monty

[belinda]

Why does anyone care about a sport to the point of making it a nation vs nation thing? It's absurdity at it highest level.

Mike

It's a vanity thing

I don't think cricket was even invented in England but they like to claim it as their own.We indulge them

Cricket History

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cricket

The game may have originated in Flanders

[belinda]

Australians haven't called England the Mother country since the 1920s

Anybody know what Viv Richards is doing

[Phil Carter]

Hello Michael,

Another few factors to equate into this particular encounter, The Ashes Series, are time, tradition and the game itself, cricket.

Time... because of the length of time, well over 100 years worth of Ashes games, has made it very very special.

Tradition... because of the depth of the tradition from both sides, and each side now and then produce something breathtakingly brilliant, something one can wait decades for, and something that is remembered for generations, a tradition of a touch of stardust here and there.

Cricket... because, as Neil indicates (re. charity), cricket is a game played and watched, for the most part, in a gentlemanly manner. Cricket, I tend to describe, is like chess with people...with many mind games played. Yes, there is anger, yes sometimes even hate pops up, and tons of laughter... but when all is said and done, at the end of the series a really good drink up around the bar, players and supporters alike, knowing that there will be a next time, knowing that there is a hope for a change in the future if one loses, and knowing, perhaps begrudgingly, that one a team was beaten by a better team.

Australia v England, The Ashes Series, has a bunch of partizan spectators eminating from England that travel half-way around the world to "be there" and have huge amounts of fun. The "Barmy Army", dressing up in cartoon character costumes, as cavemen and women, as pink ladies, as virtually anything they can think of.. and the reaction of the Australian commentators, cricketers and the general public, who love their funny antics and their at times hilarious inventive singing. All very sporting.

The Oz spectators are judge a legion of loonies anyway, dressed normally.

The Oz and the Pom have a tradition of banter about cricket. We DO actually know the difference in quality players in the opposing side, but won't normally say much about it until that player retires...

Cricket, Michael, is a bit different. The Ashes, are different again. That little urn of burnt dust is infact, golden in it's meaning. It symbolizes everything that 100 years of sporting encounter can.
Adam's frustration at his (so far) rubbish national cricket team's inability to compete with the class of the English line-up, is not tempered by the fact that we will, should we win the series, bait him for a few more years until the next encounter...ahhh...shame...

(He would do exactly the same to us, and we would expect it too!)

best wishes

Phil

[Monty]

Adam,

We only care about the games that matter. Besides, the Victorians are facing our second string attack.

I hope Hughes gets a ton too. Be more of a game then. You may lose in less than an innings.

Monty

[Monty]

Absolutely Steve,

For those who don't know, Adam and I have this little sledging match at every Ashes encounter. Its what the English and Australians do.

Both Adam and I have agreed to donate to charity if either of our sides lose.

So don't take our words to heart. We both know the score.

I'm right and Adams wrong, that's why I live in what he calls the Mother country.

Monty

[Stephen Thomas]

Why does anyone care about a sport to the point of making it a nation vs nation thing? It's absurdity at it highest level.

Noble sentiments, Mike, but not the way of the world.

[Steven Russell]

You're missing the point by miles, Michael. We love cricket and respect each other as fellow cricket lovers. The baiting and faintly ridiculous pseudo-nationalism is all part of the fun. What is truly absurd is that anyone can fail to see that.

Steve.

[The Good Michael]

Why does anyone care about a sport to the point of making it a nation vs nation thing? It's absurdity at it highest level.

Mike

[Adam Went]

Monty:

Wouldn't be too confident if I were you, I hear the steaming pile of faecal matter that is the UN cricket team are having a pretty tough time against the mighty Vics at the moment.....so if worst comes to worst, we can just drop our entire team and bring in the Vics, eh?

Time for another of Adam's Ashes predictions:
The recalled Philip Hughes to make a quickfire ton in the first innings at Perth.

Cheers,
Adam.

[Monty]

Adam,

Nice to know I still push your buttons, in complete control of you. As is the norm for an Anglo Antipedian relationship. Mother country shouts, you jump.

Anyways, you change 5 and Warne aint one of em. Waiting till your 2 down and Ashes lost before you call in the Fat Surfer? I hear Benaud is gutted he hasn't been called up.

Hold on to your false hope of Warnies return. We'll just concentrate on what we do best. Dispatching the bad balls (and there were loads) , hitting the areas and taking the catches. All the things your lads failed to do last test.

Chin up, you're still in it....for now.