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Loading ...All right, all ready. I did it, I went out tonight with my old sports club to get a life beyond cricket.
Result? Was home before 10pm stone cold sober just waiting for TMS to start.
What a stupid basket case, agreed?
Zen and the art of cricket torture.
By Scott 2 years ago, at the end of November Leave a comment on this post
Take note. If you are playing Australia, you do not have to worry about the ‘follow on’ rule anymore. Honestly, if yesterday was not the time to enforce it, I do not know when it is.
And to make things worse for England, they will be fielding for a while this morning for just a little bit longer. Langer will be given a chance to get his century, and Ponting will have the chance to order another dose of the heavy roller, to assist in breaking the pitch up. Ponting will also like to plant seeds of uncertainty into English minds.
Yesterday’s play was bizzare though because to the casual observer, you would swear that they were playing on two seperate surfaces. The pitch that the English batted on was up to all sorts of tricks, and McGrath and Clark were able to get the ball to cut and seam about alarmingly.
Yet when Australia went out to bat, there was barely a deviation to be seen. So it will be interesting to see how it plays today. Of course it could just be that the Australian bowlers were the only ones to be able to get the balls into the right areas, but even Flintoff was unable to get any tricks happening.
For England, there was one bright light yesterday and that was the batting of Ian Bell. He showed plenty of grit and application to the task at hand, something that his team mates could take note of. However, given the movement that was happening, you just have to give credit to the bowlers. Cook and Flintoff, for example, never stood a chance against the deliveries they faced.
Today’s play is a sell-out. I wonder how many will turn up?
Tags: ashes, australia, brisbane, england, england-in-australia, follow-on, ricky-ponting, the-ashes |
7 Responses to “Zen and the art of cricket torture.”
November 25th, 2006 at 9.42 pm
November 25th, 2006 at 9.57 pm
All I can hope is that this is the worst, and that the rest of the series will be better. It can’t get worse than this, can it?
The non-follow-on was completely bizarre. The only explanation that makes sense to me was the cynic who said it was pressure from Cricket Australia who wanted the match to last longer.
I wonder whether all the pressure on Harmison to be the “key” to everything has been counterproductive. Because aside from bonking a few heads at Lords and getting a five-fer in a losing match, he most definitely wasn’t the key last Ashes.
November 25th, 2006 at 10.03 pm
Wraye, I would suggest you would be best to have a stiff scotch or three before listening to tonight’s play. Ditto to any other English supporter.
Kathy, there’s more to the follow on thing then that. Ponting’s only enforced it once since he has been captain.
November 25th, 2006 at 10.21 pm
me thinks a bean counter in a suit from the ACB had a quiet word in the Captains ear…………..remember the Aussie players get paid a % of the ACB’s revenue.It drove poor old Ian Chappel bonkers on Channel 9.
November 25th, 2006 at 10.24 pm
Scott, am not a scotch drinker but oh darling Chardonnay! My daughter is currently a bit miffed with me as her new boyfriend is gripped with the game and my wine cellar.
November 26th, 2006 at 10.21 pm
I think that everyone who can’t understand the failure to enforce the follow-on is forgetting how difficult it actually is to bowl sides out. Particularly sides that contain some excellent batsmen.
Any Australian who can remember India 2000 could easily imagine the likes of Bell, Pieterson and Flintoff caning a tired Australian bowling attack to all points in the second innings and getting right back in the game.
A well-judged decision by Ponting. Maintain complete control of the game, give Warne the most damaged pitch possible and ensure the bowlers have no excuses by being well rested.
Really, I think the follow-on is folly unless you’ve really skittled the opposition and the bowlers are truly still fresh as a daisy. Otherwise you’re just treading through a minefield enticed by the thoughts of demolition that may or may not ensue.
November 28th, 2006 at 4.46 am
SpryCorpse,
You nailed it…
Four more tests to go and anything can happen. Look after your main guns instead of flogging them to death at the first battle.
How much is the Aussie second innings worth? Priceless!!
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