Cricket 2010 Thread

[cheltenhamlion]

Pakistan.

I can only speak for our section but the majority of guys supporting them by us were aged 15-30 and looking to antagonise anyone that they could.

I sure as shit don't expect an Asian lad in an England shirt to be threatened with physical violence for doing so and nor do I find it acceptable to be accused of being a murderer by some ****** in a Saddam Hussein mask for celebrating Afridi losing his wicket.

We also had people running down aisles to try and throw their flags over England fans and blowing those fucking irritating horns two inches away from people's faces.

Like I said, never again.

[Mazrim]

You shouldn't let twats like that deter you from watching a game. I would have handed out some slaps had I seen what you did though. Its not... Cricket.

[Villan For Life]

Never again will I watch a game against them after being surrounded by racist gobshites for the day at Edgbaston last time they were here.

I am amazed a riot didn't break out in the Eric Hollies.

There is a nasty violent undercurrent when they the opposition. It is the only test that I refuse to go to.

It really does produce extremities in crowd atmosphere and behaviour.

It's the total opposite to the Indian tests where the atmosphere is less threatening.

[TheTimVilla]

Anybody else going to get up early tomorrow for the first test? I might get up in time for the afternoon session. It looks like one of Kieswetter or Morgan will make his Test debut. And Tredwell.

If Kieswetter opens with Cook, Trott 3, KP 4, Colly 5 and Bell 6.

Or Cook, Trott, Bell, KP, Colly, Morgan.

[TheTimVilla]

Cook, Carberry, Trott, KP, Colly, Bell, Prior, Broad, Bresnan, Swann, Finn

Lots of batting to protect KP? Only one spinner...

We're batting & it's 104 for 1 at lunch, a comfortable enough start.

[Chris Smith]

KP the div is out on 99. Still, 319/3 with Cook on 137 is a healthy place to be.

[ADVILLAFAN]

Cook still there at the end of the day and a Run Rate of 4.15.

About 374/3 (I forgot the actual score).

[cheltenhamlion]

Good days play then. Ideally we bat them out of the game in one innings and finish this early.

[DBTW]

Never again will I watch a game against them after being surrounded by racist gobshites for the day at Edgbaston last time they were here.

I am amazed a riot didn't break out in the Eric Hollies.

There is a nasty violent undercurrent when they the opposition. It is the only test that I refuse to go to.
It really does produce extremities in crowd atmosphere and behaviour.

It's the total opposite to the Indian tests where the atmosphere is less threatening.

Same here, although the Bangladesh series will prove similar in my opinion.

[TheTimVilla]

I watched the afternoon session and there was no atmosphere, it was like a practice match. We took advantage of some slack bowling and bored fielders.

[Dave Cooper please]

I have a feeling that Bangladesh only play Test Matches because they have to in order to keep their Test status so they can play in all the big one-day tournaments without qualifying.

They aren't interested at all.

[PaulWinch again]

The encouraging thing about Pietersen was that he seems to have found a way of getting his front leg out of the way against the left arm spinner. He'll be alright now.

[hilts_coolerking]

I feel sorry for Bangladesh because they have an entire team who is having to learn how to play Test cricket on the job.  It's difficult enough for an individual player to do it - Flintoff, for instance, or Stuart Broad - but for all eleven to have to do it at the same time is an almost impossible task.

They were given Test status far too early of course but I suppose some bright spark at the ICC thought there was a market there and that Bangladesh would add more power to the South Asian bloc.

Which is all well and good but at the moment they show no real signs of improvement.  I think they should be persevered with though - a number of other nations took ages to get going in Tests but are now competitive at least.

Trouble is, Tests against Bangladesh are rapidly becoming the 'Burnley at home' matches of cricket, where sides rest a few and blood a few*.  Which makes Bangladesh's inevitable crushing defeat even more dispiriting.  And for the top sides, all the players are on a hiding to nothing: if they score big it's only because it's Bangladesh; if they fail they can't even do it against Bangladesh.  Carberry's 30 isn't going to do him much good and he probably won't get another knock in this game.


* Apart from Villa, naturally.

[sali,salifou]

I feel sorry for Bangladesh because they have an entire team who is having to learn how to play Test cricket on the job.  It's difficult enough for an individual player to do it - Flintoff, for instance, or Stuart Broad - but for all eleven to have to do it at the same time is an almost impossible task.

They were given Test status far too early of course but I suppose some bright spark at the ICC thought there was a market there and that Bangladesh would add more power to the South Asian bloc.

Which is all well and good but at the moment they show no real signs of improvement.  I think they should be persevered with though - a number of other nations took ages to get going in Tests but are now competitive at least.

Trouble is, Tests against Bangladesh are rapidly becoming the 'Burnley at home' matches of cricket, where sides rest a few and blood a few*.  Which makes Bangladesh's inevitable crushing defeat even more dispiriting.  And for the top sides, all the players are on a hiding to nothing: if they score big it's only because it's Bangladesh; if they fail they can't even do it against Bangladesh.  Carberry's 30 isn't going to do him much good and he probably won't get another knock in this game.


* Apart from Villa, naturally.

When the hell are we playing bangladesh?

[TheTimVilla]

27 for 2 at tea on the second day, chasing 599!

Stort the cor.