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Last updated on August 6th, 2017 at 05:39 am
Glenn McGrath is on a hat-trick; South Africa is collapsing at the World Cup. Currently five wickets down for just 27.
UPDATE. South Africa now 7/93.
UPDATE II. South Africa 8/103.
UPDATE III. South Africa all out for 149; their lowest-ever World Cup score.
- Am I correct in assuming that is good news for Australia?Posted by Mr. Bingley on 2007 04 25 at 11:03 AM • permalink
- I’ve started watching cricket for the first time this World Cup, Fox Sports has been showing the whole thing here in Istanbul.
We Americans see it as an effete form of baseball, but it’s actually a fascinating game, I’m very much enjoying learning it. My Kiwi wife who used to play helps out, and our South African pastor, a rabid cricket fan, does too. Luckily I’m not watching the current match with him.
I’d describe it as a simple game with complex terminology, but highly enjoyable, at least in the one-day format. Not sure I could handle test cricket.
- Effete? … go tell that to David Boon.
The are several forms of the game, usually defined on the length of the match. What we are watching in the West Indies is the one day form, limited to 50 overs per side. We have the Test form, batting up to 5 days, and the Twenty 20, which as the name suggests, is limited to 20 overs per side. I also watched cricket a fortnight ago which was limited to 5 overs per side, that was interesting. It was the Cricket Masala being played at Bankstown Oval. They had to play what would be the equivalent of the World Cup over a weekend, hence the short number of overs.
As an anaolgy, I liken the Twenty 20 form to a Krispy Kreme donut, 50 over one day as a McDonalds Big Mac meal, and the 5 day test as the several course banquet. Now I know which one I rather go fo. I a world of hustle & bustle and instant gratification, I find it refreshing that you can enjoy a game that can take up to 5 days to get a result. It can be fast in parts, slow in others, sometimes unpredictable and played with an element of luck. For people who complain about the length of the Test form, no one that I know watches the full 5 days at the ground. Not unless you are retired and are a member of the cricket ground. I go to at least one day of the Sydney Test each year. The days that I miss, I catch up on listening to the wireless (the ABC have a good team commentating including Jim Maxwell and Kerry O’Keefe), or watch it on the telly or get the scores on-line.
South Africa are now 9/130. It would be a brave person (or foolish one) to predict the outcome. But Australia have done extremely well so far after about 40 overs and would need to be the favourite.
- Well I’m up now and just about to fire up the plasma. I love cricket. Especially the test version and most especially when we are playing the Poms.
The game is not simple. The range and display of tactics are as wide, full and frank as the best of any sport and even when it’s slow it can be fascinating. On the other hand the flow of a match can switch entirely in a few heart stopping minutes.
But I’ve gotta admit the thing I like best about cricket? It’s the only sport you can watch while reading a book. Summer weekends in Australia would not be the same without it. It’s as Australian as a BBQ by the pool and the smell of Aerogard.
- Australia 128/3 chasing 150. I reckon we’ll make it.Posted by Simon Darkshade on 2007 04 25 at 03:55 PM • permalink
- UPDATE IV: Australia cruises into the finals, 3/153. I only hope Gilchrist learns to score more than 1. If anyone would care to join me in prayer: “Please Lord, let Gilly and Hayden fire up at the same time in the final because that would be awesome! And let me remember to record it, because I forgot to last night, and looking it up on the net next morning just’s not the same. Thank you. I know you’re busy, but if you could keep all that in mind… Bye.”
- #7 Clubbeaux; Keep watching, you’ll get the hang of it. I’ve played baseball too [12 seasons], and cricket is far less predictable, more identifiable as an individual spectator, and more fascinating. It is even more adaptable and evolving in its game rules [200+ years old].
Being slower gives enough time to assess all its subtleties on replay [including the umpire errors].
Think of it this way: It has singles, doubles, triples, in-the-park homers [4 runs] and out-of-the-park homers [6 runs] – hundreds of these in each game.
- #15 Barrie: Oh I’m quite hooked. What my South African friend says is there’s strategy on every single bowl, I’m starting to pick up a bit of that now—knowing batsmen’s preferences, bowlers’ preferences, the condition of the pitch even. Great game, I hope Fox keeps showing it after the Cup’s over.
My nephew is considered a top pro baseball prospect—kid’s 15, let him have a childhood folks, please—but frankly he gets bored with baseball easily. I’d love to see what he could do playing cricket, I bet the combination of bowling and batting and fielding—he only pitches in baseball—would hold his interest.
- The SA batting was appalling.
What the hell was Smith doing taking a step outside off to fend wide deliveries from Bracken? In fact, he did it twice. The first was a near miss and he didn’t learn a thing.
Kallis’s shot was insane. He batted like there was two balls remaining in the innings. When he opened up the gate to belt McGrath to the fence, I said to my mate “He’s not going to survive the over batting like that.”. Two balls later McGrath yorked him.
Prince’s shot took the cake. I could have piloted the Titanic between his bat and pad. There was absolutely zero footwork.
The only batsman who was out to a genuinely good ball was Boucher.
It never ceases to amaze me that a team which looks so good on paper simply does not perform.
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Ok, I don’t understand cricket :(.