The Cricket Thread 2013

[PaulWinch again]

What an odd series that game was an absolute massacre.

[paul_e]

All tour series should be like this, the unpredictability of the result is great fun.

[PaulWinch again]

Not sure I agree. I think the unpredictability on this sort of scale just implies that the results are random and it's not skill based. That's why although I enjoy Twenty20, I much prefer Tests as they identify the real best teams.

[Dave Cooper please]

I keep trying but I can't get into T20 at all, especially these games in NZ which have been on such small grounds that basically the bowlers have been on a hiding to nothing and it's just like watching a home run derby in baseball at times.

I can see the attraction if you have the attention span of your average ball sports fan, they want games over in less than three hours lots of action please, but T20 has basically become a game of "who has the batsmen with the biggest forearms".

[PaulWinch again]

I enjoy all forms of cricket for different reasons, but if I had to choose one it would definitely be Tests. I love sitting down to watch a Test match day's play.

[paul_e]

Not sure I agree. I think the unpredictability on this sort of scale just implies that the results are random and it's not skill based. That's why although I enjoy Twenty20, I much prefer Tests as they identify the real best teams.

First things first, I much prefer test cricket and will always be a fan of that over all other forms.

What i like about T20 and think it adds to the game is the ramped up 'costs' for mistakes.  3-4 bad deliveries can be  the difference between winning and losing, as can a dropped catch, or a poorly selected shot.  It brings bad things as well, but there is an element of consistency that will come as a result of it.  Test cricket to a large extent nullifies those mistakes, stepping over the rope while fielding in the deep meaning 2 runs become 4 isn't often going to decide the outcome of a test, but it can quite easily do that in T20.

I think we'll see more rounded players with better basics as a result of T20, you can't afford to be good with a bat but useless in the field and with the ball anymore, England have built the team around everyone offering something in at least 2 elements of the game, South Africa are the same and the 2 of them are the best sides around because of it.  T20 is a great driver towards that.

[PaulWinch again]

Yeah I guess that makes sense particularly on the importance of mistakes. I think Twenty20 will lead to a massive improvement in fielding. I do fear for batting though and think it could have a detriment in terms of players who are able to play long and determined innings.

[paul_e]

Yeah I guess that makes sense particularly on the importance of mistakes. I think Twenty20 will lead to a massive improvement in fielding. I do fear for batting though and think it could have a detriment in terms of players who are able to play long and determined innings.

That's the challenge for coaches really as that's mostly a mental thing, it's all about understanding when it's right to take risks, even in T20 there's a case for having 5-6 overs of sensible accumulation to get yourself set, having 30-40 on the board after 6 isn't a travesty if you go for 10 an over from there on.

I think the major change is that test cricket will continue to move towards 4 an over being average after sitting at just over 3 for a long long time.

I do think players like Boycott and Dravid who are happy to not score for 5-6 overs are probably going to disappear though, Compton is probably a good example of the newer 'wall' scoring deceptively fast at times and always looking to punish the poorer deliveries.  I'm actually quite proud that English cricket seems to be ahead of the curve with this, Root is another who is happy defending and attacking, depending on the situation and again, he's had an education in T20.

[PaulWinch again]

Root is going to be a fantastic player and his bowling could be really useful if it develops. He'd be my number 6 for England at the moment.

[Villan For Life]

Yeah I guess that makes sense particularly on the importance of mistakes. I think Twenty20 will lead to a massive improvement in fielding. I do fear for batting though and think it could have a detriment in terms of players who are able to play long and determined innings.

That's the challenge for coaches really as that's mostly a mental thing, it's all about understanding when it's right to take risks, even in T20 there's a case for having 5-6 overs of sensible accumulation to get yourself set, having 30-40 on the board after 6 isn't a travesty if you go for 10 an over from there on.

I think the major change is that test cricket will continue to move towards 4 an over being average after sitting at just over 3 for a long long time.

I do think players like Boycott and Dravid who are happy to not score for 5-6 overs are probably going to disappear though, Compton is probably a good example of the newer 'wall' scoring deceptively fast at times and always looking to punish the poorer deliveries.  I'm actually quite proud that English cricket seems to be ahead of the curve with this, Root is another who is happy defending and attacking, depending on the situation and again, he's had an education in T20.

Morgan is a prime example of this. I love to watch him in one day games, his unorthodoxy is like a breath of fresh air. Unfortunately he seems unable to find the application needed to build a test innings.

[Ads]

I keep trying but I can't get into T20 at all, especially these games in NZ which have been on such small grounds that basically the bowlers have been on a hiding to nothing and it's just like watching a home run derby in baseball at times.

I can see the attraction if you have the attention span of your average ball sports fan, they want games over in less than three hours lots of action please, but T20 has basically become a game of "who has the batsmen with the biggest forearms".

I think England's bowlers showed that if you're quick and are hitting the deck just short of a length on those type of pitches, that you can cause a side like NZ problems with your pace, as long as you're not going overboard with the shorter ball.

The way we strangled them today was excellent.

[Villan For Life]

Some tough negotiations to come on Central Contracts.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/current/story/604944.html

Let's hope the negotiations are concluded before the back to back Ashes series otherwise they could prove to be a distraction and disrupt team unity.

[paul_e]

Some tough negotiations to come on Central Contracts.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/current/story/604944.html

Let's hope the negotiations are concluded before the back to back Ashes series otherwise they could prove to be a distraction and disrupt team unity.

As disruptive as it may be the players are absolutely right as far as I'm concerned, which is why i was always on KPs side when this first  erupted last year.  Asking them to choose between representing their country or making a fortumne in the IPL, big bash, etc isn't fair and the ECB should be doing everything it can to allow players to go to those tournaments or offer them a reward for not going.  I don't like players of any sport earning this kind of money because fundamentally that money comes from, at least in part, over-charging supporters, however, if nothing is in place to prevent these wages being offered then you can't really complain that the players want to be allowed to earn them.

How the ECB (and the RFU, with the french league with the rugby) are treating the players strikes me as spending a lot of time worrying about the effect and not really doing anything to address the cause.

[tomd2103]

Bell and Trott getting a bit bogged down here.  Just seen a Villa shirt from the 99/00 season in the crowd!!

[PaulWinch again]

Blew that one then.