England Cricket Thread 2011

[taylorsworkrate]

The umpire spoke to the bowler as he was handing his jumper back.

That can only have been to say that the over was finished.

[PaulWinch again]

It's still appalling spirit and if England had done I'd say the same.

[UK Redsox]

It was poor from England. However it was disgraceful from India.

Unless the Umpire called "Over", India did nothing wrong. It's the batters' fault for making sure that the ball was dead (either as a "Four" or the Umpire calling "Over")

[UK Redsox]

The audio that Sky has is that the Umpire called "Over" after the bails came off

[taylorsworkrate]

Definitely.  How pathetic if a team want to win like that.

I can understand the initial appeal, but when given the chance to take their appeal back, not to do so is absolutely unforgivable.  Its as bad as what Collingwood did to the New Zealand batsman a few years ago, when he slipped and England upheld their appeal.

It has totally cast a shadow over what has been an excellent series and match.  The pundits can dress this up all they like, but it stinks.

[UK Redsox]

Gower's leaving no doubt that, on the basis of video/audio available so far, he blames Bell

[taylorsworkrate]

If India had done nothing wrong or massively against the spirit of the game, the umpires would not have given them the option of withdrawing their appeal.

[PaulWinch again]

If India had done nothing wrong or massively against the spirit of the game, the umpires would not have given them the option of withdrawing their appeal.

Exactly.

[UK Redsox]

Definitely.  How pathetic if a team want to win like that.

I can understand the initial appeal, but when given the chance to take their appeal back, not to do so is absolutely unforgivable.  Its as bad as what Collingwood did to the New Zealand batsman a few years ago, when he slipped and England upheld their appeal.

It has totally cast a shadow over what has been an excellent series and match.  The pundits can dress this up all they like, but it stinks.

To me, this is not a "spirit of the game" issue. Bell cocked up by leaving his crease before establishing that the ball is dead.

India  took a live ball and ran him out. What's wrong with that ?

This isn't like someone in football diving or milking an injury.

[hilts_coolerking]

I've been run out like that and it was entirely my fault.  Gutted for Bell but Test cricket is a tough game so I don't blame India for doing what they did.  They didn't trick anyone or pull a fast one; it's not their responsibility to remind Ian Bell the ball is still live.

Hopefully this will spice things up and drive England on to a crushing win.

[UK Redsox]

If India had done nothing wrong or massively against the spirit of the game, the umpires would not have given them the option of withdrawing their appeal.

As I've mentioned before on here, I'd like to see the "appeal" system done away with. You're either out or you're not, the opposition shouldn't have to appeal for the decision.

[taylorsworkrate]

Oh Bell was incredibly careless not to know what was going on, there is no doubt about that.

Its the fact that India had the option to look at it retrospectively and do the right thing.

If the game was meandering to a draw, they would definitely have withdrawn the appeal. 

Pathetic India, absolutely pathetic.

[UK Redsox]

Athers just saying that he tried to do exactly the same to Desmond Haines in a Test Match

[PaulWinch again]

Bell not out!?

[UK Redsox]

After all that, it never happened.

Dhoni's withdrawn the appeal, so Bell's back in.

No one's coming out of this well, clumsy by Bell, messy by the Umpires and wimpy from Dhoni