Cricket

[Herlock Sholmes]

Prefer baseball out of all the American sports, its like jazzed up "rounders"
a group of us took an American Doctor to The Scarborough festival once..never seen a bloke so bored and confused, he couldn't understand a "Defensive" shot, or why it was applauded....pity it was post Geoff Boycott, he'de have strung himself up on the pier!!

He’d have loved watching Sir Geoffrey scoring 77 in 7 hours and 20 minutes against New Zealand to help England to a draw. The NZ fans threw pillows onto the field saying that he was sending everyone to sleep. Was Geoffrey concerned or put off? Was he ****

[GBinOz]

I have a friend from the USA who is a big baseball fan and his hero is Willie Mays. I always said to him that if could watch baseball regularly and get to know the rules and the tactics, I’m sure that I’d like the game. I’m sure that the same would be true if you watched the shorter, quicker form of the game (T20) Abby. It’s brought a lot of new fans to the game. Test cricket isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. I much prefer it but cricket has been my game since I was small so I never needed ‘converting.’

The shorter versions of the game have done much to acquaint the average punter with cricket. Regrettably, in Australia the short versions of the game are now being accompanied by American hoopla. Raucous music and dancers that pause only for the actual bowling of a delivery, and cheerleaders on the side-lines.

I started my love of Test cricket with the 1960/61 tour of the West indies in Australia. This was a series of firsts. Frank Worrell was the first non-white captain of the WI team. This was the first series televised by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. It introduced both Gary Sobers and Lance Gibbs, as well as Wes Hall, and calypso cricket. The first Test in Brisbane was the first ever tied test. Sobers made a century that Bradman described as the finest innings he had seen in Australia. O'Neill responded with a century to make it a contest. In the final over Wes Hall dropped a catch that would have provided the WI with a victory. The last ball of the day the scores were tied. The final ball was nudged for a single that resulted in a run-out, and the first tied test in history.

My father took me to the Sydney Cricket Ground for the Third Test. Wes Hall started his run-up from a few metres inside the boundary fence, but Bobby Simpson proved to be up to the task. The Windies won that series, and it was a pre-cursor to the domination of world cricket by the WI from around 1980 until the mid 1990's. Haynes and Greenidge opening, followed by Viv Richards and the master strategist captain, Clive Lloyd. When it came time to bowl, Michael Holding, Joel Garner, and Malcolm Marshall were relentless in their attack.

I feel privileged to have witnessed the golden age of cricket.

Cheers, George

[GBinOz]

I suppose that I could be accused of being some what parochial in stating that IMO Dennis Lillee was the finest bowler that I have had the privilege to witness. Lillee and Massey, Lillee and Thompson, caught Marsh, bowled Lillee (97 entries in scorebooks). Of course there is the famous scorebook entry: "Lillee c Willey b Dilley", which strangely was predicted in advance.

When Chappell over-bowled Lillee in India and literally broke his back, Lillee self imposed a regime of exercise and back stretching to resurrect himself back into the highest forms of cricket. A true profile in courage.

JMO.

Cheers, George

[Herlock Sholmes]

The shorter versions of the game have done much to acquaint the average punter with cricket. Regrettably, in Australia the short versions of the game are now being accompanied by American hoopla. Raucous music and dancers that pause only for the actual bowling of a delivery, and cheerleaders on the side-lines.

I started my love of Test cricket with the 1960/61 tour of the West indies in Australia. This was a series of firsts. Frank Worrell was the first non-white captain of the WI team. This was the first series televised by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. It introduced both Gary Sobers and Lance Gibbs, as well as Wes Hall, and calypso cricket. The first Test in Brisbane was the first ever tied test. Sobers made a century that Bradman described as the finest innings he had seen in Australia. O'Neill responded with a century to make it a contest. In the final over Wes Hall dropped a catch that would have provided the WI with a victory. The last ball of the day the scores were tied. The final ball was nudged for a single that resulted in a run-out, and the first tied test in history.

My father took me to the Sydney Cricket Ground for the Third Test. Wes Hall started his run-up from a few metres inside the boundary fence, but Bobby Simpson proved to be up to the task. The Windies won that series, and it was a pre-cursor to the domination of world cricket by the WI from around 1980 until the mid 1990's. Haynes and Greenidge opening, followed by Viv Richards and the master strategist captain, Clive Lloyd. When it came time to bowl, Michael Holding, Joel Garner, and Malcolm Marshall were relentless in their attack.

I feel privileged to have witnessed the golden age of cricket.

Cheers, George

You’ve seen some of the greats there George. I also grew up watching the all conquering West Indies side who were followed of course by the all conquering Aussie team from the 90’s. No one is dominating at the moment which does all for more close run series (in theory)

We have the same razzamatazz here with the T20’s. Music played between deliveries, football chants, cheerleaders etc. I’m not a fan of it at all but people love it. Basically it’s cricket to attract football fans.

[GBinOz]

You’ve seen some of the greats there George. I also grew up watching the all conquering West Indies side who were followed of course by the all conquering Aussie team from the 90’s. No one is dominating at the moment which does all for more close run series (in theory)

We have the same razzamatazz here with the T20’s. Music played between deliveries, football chants, cheerleaders etc. I’m not a fan of it at all but people love it. Basically it’s cricket to attract football fans.

Hi Herlock,

I suppose that if any team were to be thought to be dominating at present in might be India.

I'm afraid to admit that I apply judicious application of the mute button to combat the intolerable in the T20's.

Cheers, George

[Herlock Sholmes]

Hi Herlock,

I suppose that if any team were to be thought to be dominating at present in might be India.

I'm afraid to admit that I apply judicious application of the mute button to combat the intolerable in the T20's.

Cheers, George

I’m certainly not keen on it George although some would perhaps call our views ‘old fashioned.’ When I see someone ‘watching’ sport who is doing a conga around the ground dressed as a chicken or as Groucho Marx it’s hard not to conclude that he isn’t really that interested in watching the game.

[Geddy2112]

Of course there is the famous scorebook entry: "Lillee c Willey b Dilley", which strangely was predicted in advance.

That is nearly as funny as "The bowlers Holding, the Batsmans Willey"

[Ms Diddles]

That is nearly as funny as "The bowlers Holding, the Batsmans Willey"

I know nothing whatsoever about cricket, but even I've heard this gem!

It's a classic!

[Abby Normal]

Hi Abby,

In case that you are confused with the intricacies of Australian football. Australian Rules is an entirely different game to Rugby League. The former is a variation of Celtic football, while the later is similar to the English Rugby Union. In Rugby League there are no offensive and defensive players. The same team fulfils both tasks. There is no dedicated goal kicker - said person is within the team, and the goal attempt is made from wherever the points are scored.... not from the centre every time. Players are not heavily padded, and do not wear helmets, and there is no forward pass. An American friend described Rugby players as the gladiators of the football sport. Checkout a Rugby League final to observe what genuine violent chess is all about.

Cheers, George

thanks george, i know the difference. not a big fan of rugby either. just seems so primitive. however i would describe both rugby players and american football players as gladiators.

[Herlock Sholmes]

That is nearly as funny as "The bowlers Holding, the Batsmans Willey"

One of my favourite cricket stories was a classic piece of Aussie sledging that I’m sure that you’ve heard before. England’s Phil Tufnell was batting and Ian Healy was the keeper. Just as Tufnell was about to face a ball Healy said “hey Tuffers can I borrow your brain, I’m building an idiot.”