<< ATTENTION, FOREIGNERS! ~ MAIN ~ NON-MAGNETIC MECCA >>

AND COUNTING

Days since the English cricket team last won a match:

126

UPDATE. Days since England beat anyone besides Pakistan:

232

Days since Australia lost a Test or one-day international cricket match:

309

UPDATE II. Further English cricket news from Norm Geras.

Posted by Tim B. on 01/13/2007 at 02:06 AM
  1. It’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you play ... oh, damn!

    Posted by blogstrop on 2007 01 13 at 03:47 AM • permalink

  2. Oh good lord, another cricket post.  I guess we Americans can wait over in the corner while the Aussies have a good time.

    Posted by wronwright on 2007 01 13 at 03:55 AM • permalink

  3. Wake Up! It’s Groundhog Day!

    Posted by Infidel Tiger on 2007 01 13 at 04:00 AM • permalink

  4. #2 wronwright

    Oh good lord, another cricket post.  I guess we Americans can wait over in the corner while the Aussies have a good time.

    Oh, I find it interesting enough. Cricket is enough like baseball, my favorite sport, that the conversation almost makes sense.

    I don’t expect many posts about motor racing or, especially, ice hockey, so I take what I can get… ;^)

    Posted by Spiny Norman on 2007 01 13 at 04:37 AM • permalink

  5. Actually, a thread about Ice Hockey would be good.

    Australia beat the Poms in that, too.

    I played Lake Hockey once.  The locals insisted that the Aussie (me) should go and retieve the puck when it shot out to the centre of the lake.  Apparently it was supposed to be ‘good experience’.

    Posted by Stop Continental Drift! on 2007 01 13 at 04:53 AM • permalink

  6. Never played Lake Hockey. Been skating on a frozen lake once. For someone who’s lived nearly all his life in Southern California, that’s a unique experience: Big Bear Lake froze pretty well in 1978-79. I don’t think it’s had enough ice on it to be safe since.

    Posted by Spiny Norman on 2007 01 13 at 05:20 AM • permalink

  7. heh heh heh heh Oh, that’s just cruel heh heh heh heh

    Posted by Olrence on 2007 01 13 at 05:25 AM • permalink

  8. Days since Ben English bested Tim Blair in Kevin Pietersen rib injury diagnosis during cricket match:

    1

    Posted by Bruno on 2007 01 13 at 05:57 AM • permalink

  9. Days since I accidentally ate a cricket:  372.

    Posted by blogagog on 2007 01 13 at 06:12 AM • permalink

  10. I found the Twenty/20 match lots of fun (at least whilst Australia was batting). Don’t think it should replace the 50-over or Test form of the game, but one or two per summer would be welcome. Gillie’s “commentary” was classic: “Australia on top, England in all sorts of trouble as they have been throughout this summer. Four for 60.” (Or something like that).

    Probably a good place to start for anyone thinking of taking their first look-see at cricket, but it does lack a lot of the nerve-wracking tension that builds up, particularly in the 50-over matches.

    Just remember - Australians love to be on top.

    Posted by Dminor on 2007 01 13 at 07:10 AM • permalink

  11. Is there a baseball equivalent of the twenty/twenty?

    Posted by Bruno on 2007 01 13 at 07:18 AM • permalink

  12. I don’t expect many posts about motor racing

    Then you haven’t been reading this site much.

    Posted by Andrea Harris, Administrator on 2007 01 13 at 08:22 AM • permalink

  13. Days since a cricket match actually concluded:

    127

    Posted by mythusmage on 2007 01 13 at 09:15 AM • permalink

  14. #2 Oh good lord, another cricket post.
    There called stumps, wronwright. Cricket stumps.

    A bit like baseball stakesbut pointier and not as sandy.

    Posted by geoff on 2007 01 13 at 09:49 AM • permalink

  15. #2, Oh good lord, another cricket post.  I guess we Americans can wait over in the corner while the Aussies have a good time.
    No worries, wron.  Pop some popcorn and pull up a chair.  There’ll be a fight to watch in no time.

    Posted by RebeccaH on 2007 01 13 at 10:30 AM • permalink

  16. Tim, Its not hard for one team in a minority sport to dominate that same sport.

    The fact is England could have played 100% better and still would have lost, as would every other test playing nation.

    Once again well done, just get over it.

    Posted by owls001 on 2007 01 13 at 12:15 PM • permalink

  17. Then you haven’t been reading this site much.

    But Andrea, I wrote “many”... and you should notice I posted on that thread. I was greatful for it.

    Posted by Spiny Norman on 2007 01 13 at 01:11 PM • permalink

  18. #16 owls001

    What do you mean - Minority sport????

    It’s THE sport

    As for the comment “get over it” - why?

    Posted by aussiemagpie on 2007 01 13 at 02:17 PM • permalink

  19. See?  Any minute now.

    Posted by RebeccaH on 2007 01 13 at 04:12 PM • permalink

  20. Chickfight!

    I’ll lay 5-2 the owl and 3-2 the magpie.

    Posted by geoff on 2007 01 13 at 04:48 PM • permalink

  21. The difference between baseball and cricket is quite clear. In cricket there is a world series and the world attends.

    Posted by curious george on 2007 01 13 at 05:20 PM • permalink

  22. Very neat, Curious George

    Off cricket, but in a cricketing, or at least a cricket marketing CONTEXT. (Love the word almost as much as does keyser turd).

    There is some sort of contest in the TV ads during the between overs, called Tonk-a -pom.

    Now, I note none of the nomenclature nazis seemed to care about this, and I daresay one could get away with, say, Spank-a-yank at the rugby without too much thought police attention. 

    But what about soccer?  Could we have contests named Bop-a -wop, Rope-a-slope
    Zap-a-Jap,Nip-a zip, Buzz-a-mus??.  The list goes on. And better advertising men than me could do wonders - Phat Phil comes to mind.

    But how long before we would be looking at 50 years for vilification or some other invented crime?? A week?  I guess its OK in todays world to sling shit at a Brit, but you had better desist from any other minority group.

    Just a thought
    RodC

    Posted by Rod C on 2007 01 13 at 06:02 PM • permalink

  23. How many Test playing nations are there? thats not counting the zimbys and the bangers!!

    Lets get one thing staight…this great nation of ours invented cricket so the Oiks would have something to do in the arid tinderbox they live in….and another thing, Its called a TEST because its a Test of your manners, and 5-0 is bloody rude.

    And Ponting maybe smug, he has a lot to be smug about…but remember what he will never live down?..the all time funny scoreboard

    Ponting run out Pratt 48 ;0)

    somethings in life are just priceless!

    Ingerland strikes back! someday soon.

    Posted by owls001 on 2007 01 13 at 06:07 PM • permalink

  24. I think the owl is channelling our old mate Harry. Just remember that the last time der Engerlunders won a match was two-thirds through holding The Thrashes. Enjoy that memory, cos it is going to be a loooong time between victory drinks at this teams current rate.

    “Look at the scoreboard…clap clap clap…Look at the scoreboard…clap clap clap…” etc etc

    Posted by CB on 2007 01 13 at 06:24 PM • permalink

  25. #11 Is there a baseball equivalent of the twenty/twenty?

    No, but basketball has something like it - a Slam Dunk Exhibition - strictly for the non-afficiandos.

    Posted by Barrie on 2007 01 13 at 06:58 PM • permalink

  26. #25

    Quite the reverse - I would think 20/20 is an attempt to push a cricket match into a more baseball-like format.  I predict a short life for it.

    Cheers
    RodC

    Posted by Rod C on 2007 01 13 at 07:14 PM • permalink

  27. I watched a couple of Australian Baseball League games a few years ago. I sat with the owner and he commentated the game to me – it made me realise just how much I wasn’t seeing.

    Anyway – they played a double-header, but they were both seven-innings games.

    How about a five/five format for baseball:
    - five innings each
    - maximum 2 innings per pitcher
    - pitcher back to 66 feet
    - a walk is two bases
    - reduce the hitting zone
    - no tag required on second, third and home
    - open the home run radius on the fence from 90 to 100 degrees

    Posted by Bruno on 2007 01 13 at 07:27 PM • permalink

  28. Days since the English cricket team last won a match:

    126

    To be fair, only two games have been completed in that short a time.

    Posted by richard mcenroe on 2007 01 13 at 08:23 PM • permalink

  29. Days since the English cricket team last won a match:

    127

    Posted by geoff on 2007 01 13 at 10:03 PM • permalink

  30. 11. Twenty20 is an attempt at making a baseball style game with cricket rules. Baseball games for a bit over 2 1/2 hours. Twenty20 games go for 3 hours or so I think.  It’s designed to be an evening’s entertainment.

    Those one day matches, the “short form of the game” really do go for an entire day. And of course the real matches go for 5 (well if England is playing they’re over a couple of days early I guess)...

    Posted by sam on 2007 01 14 at 12:32 AM • permalink

  31. I was thinking that it would be a drive-through version of baseball for the Yanks.

    Posted by Bruno on 2007 01 14 at 01:53 AM • permalink

  32. Sorry - drive-thru

    Posted by Bruno on 2007 01 14 at 01:58 AM • permalink

  33. Rod C:  Today, tonk-a-pom morphed seamlessly into “tonk-a-kiwi”, on both the hordings and the Big Screen at Bellerive Oval, where the Aussies - need I say it? - accounted for the Kiwis with ease.

    And a lot of tonking.

    Posted by Stop Continental Drift! on 2007 01 14 at 04:01 AM • permalink

  34. Dont get me wrong, I adore cricket BUT it is a game with many shortcomings (englands current plight being one) The fact is all forms of the game are by enlarge too predictable. (although I lost out with my 4-1 ashes bet, but i was nearly there)

    The Test cricket formula goes a bit like this…the top test playing nations should win their home series, the dominant team of the times (now Australia was West Indies) will have a very good chance of winning home and away.

    The reason for this is simple,
    1, its a minority sport played by only a few nations to a high level.
    2, conditions matter in cricket more than any other sport, and they vary alot between country to country, giving home teams what should be a major advantage.

    In baseball the wicket or pitch does not matter as the ball stays pretty much in its original condition.

    And just to add, in Ingerland the pitches are very varible ( though not as much as they were ) thus a batsman with a poor technique is less likley to be found out as quickly as say an aussie playing of more truer/consistant aussie wickets, thus australia have a natural advantage.

    Cricket is a VERY fickle game, and i think the real beauty of it is its very quirkyness.

    in the UK football (sadly) is the NO 1,2,3,4,5 Game everything else is just a passtime, except when we are on top.

    sorry to burst your bubble, but I think you should be more celebrating just how good the current (not for much longer) aussie test team is, and NOT kidding yourself about how bad every one else is..cause it is just not true.

    Posted by owls001 on 2007 01 14 at 07:31 AM • permalink

  35. How many Test playing nations are there? thats not counting the zimbys and the bangers!! - Owls, #23

    Well, Theres #1, Australia, #2 the Kiwis, #3 the WIndies, #4 the Indians, #5 the Pakis, #6 the Yaapies, #7 the Sri Lankans and last, and probably least as well if they keep going the way they are, #8 the unwashed, warm beer drinking POME B@stards (thats you).

    As for a test of manners, dear God man, have you never encountered a member of the Barmy Army after a half day in the sun drinking beer?  (Forget a full day, half of ‘em cant even speak the queens english by then).

    I lost out with my 4-1 ashes bet, but i was nearly there

    Pull the other one son, its got bells on…

    Posted by The_Wizard_of_WOZ on 2007 01 14 at 12:45 PM • permalink

  36. 4-1, was a prety safe bet, afterall if i was pulling the other one i would have said oz to win 5-0 (im Half Irish by the way and money always comes before loyalty :0)

    England have had a very indiffent year from the last ashes series, injuries, loss of form and the transition of a newer younger bunch of players….going to OZ to make a game of it was never on, only if you are starved of good box office at the ends of the earth would you believe Ingerland would be a worthy opponents.

    Ive got the Safas down for the WC btw :0) looking for some good odds on them before parting with the cash..sorry I dont believe in fairy tales, the AUssies are due to lose.

    Is the beer still good down at little creatures at Freo btw? I bet the Barmy Army racked a big bar bill there, never mind its what cricket is really about…. a bloody good hiss up :0)

    SA take my word for it!

    Posted by owls001 on 2007 01 15 at 04:34 PM • permalink

  37. Page 1 of 1 pages

Commenting is not available in this weblog entry.

Members:
Login | Register | Member List

Please note: you must use a real email address to register. You will be sent an account activation email. Clicking on the url in the email will automatically activate your account. Until you do so your account will be held in the "pending" list and you won't be able to log in. All accounts that are "pending" for more than one week will be deleted.