The Cricket Thread 2013

[cdbearsfan]

Fair play to India, going at more than five an over. They must have been tempted to trudge along as they only need a draw to wrap up the series.

Dhawan, after scoring the fastest debut century in test history, moves on to 150 n.o.

[PaulWinch again]

It's going to be tough to win the match, but we've done well.

[cdbearsfan]

It's going to be tough to win the match, but we've done well.

The weather forecast is shit for Monday (our Sunday night) so I think it will prove difficult. Probably need nine wickets in a day. Might have to get them and leave us time to knock off a hundred or so runs too.

[paul_e]

That's why Broad is always worth a spot in the side, when he gets it right he's a great bowler, if he was a little more consistent he'd be one of the best around.

[JD]

One already gone this morning, only 8 to go (although the pitch isn't doing much). It's going to be a tough ask today.

[Villan For Life]

Rain.

Feck.

[PaulWinch again]

Yeah game over and nothing we can do. Hopefully the pitch for the last test will be prepared for a contest but I doubt it.

[OzVilla]

Yeah getting done by the pitches here as much as anything else - I might be putting 2 and 2 together and getting 5 here but i think there is a fair amount of pressure on groundsmen, particularly in NZ, to make the game go into the 5th day. 

England tours are a major money spinner the NZCB and they don't want the games over either way inside 3 days.  Hence a procession of 'roads' to play on.  Wellington is normally a more sporting wicket than this one.

Great to see Compton consistently in the runs though - great confidence builder moving forward.

[PaulWinch again]

One thing about NZ that's impressive is they're getting the grounds in for Test cricket, I like that.

[olaftab]

The Aussies are preparing well for the Ashes with another humiliation in the  3rd test match. India heading for a 4-0  win in the series I reckon.

[JD]

Despite the wash out there were sell out crowds some days (Basin holds around 18,000) and you couldn't buy a ticket. Also heard that there was a pub in central Wellington that signed a contract to be the official Barmy Army pub for the duration of the test. The contract was 30 odd pages and included set pricing by the Barmy Army for drinks. By all accounts it was worth it as the pub was full every evening.

[OzVilla]

The Aussies are preparing well for the Ashes with another humiliation in the  3rd test match. India heading for a 4-0  win in the series I reckon.

One of the problems they have is their complete and total fixation on the Ashes to the detriment of all other series.  Whether it was the home series against Sri Lanka or the away one in India all they are talking about and have been for months.  Mickey Arthur was talking about building towards the Ashes they day he did his first press conference FFS.

Unfortunatly, or fortunatly, this has meant that they've not appeared to have been properly focused on the Series at hand and they are looking very ordianry in India - some penciled in the the Ashes now either have confidence shot or may not even make the plane.

They are getting hammered in the media here with most reporters having already conceded that they have no chance in England.  Kidology maybe but it's lovely to hear all the same.

[Villan For Life]

The Aussies are preparing well for the Ashes with another humiliation in the  3rd test match. India heading for a 4-0  win in the series I reckon.

One of the problems they have is their complete and total fixation on the Ashes to the detriment of all other series.  Whether it was the home series against Sri Lanka or the away one in India all they are talking about and have been for months.  Mickey Arthur was talking about building towards the Ashes they day he did his first press conference FFS.

Unfortunatly, or fortunatly, this has meant that they've not appeared to have been properly focused on the Series at hand and they are looking very ordianry in India - some penciled in the the Ashes now either have confidence shot or may not even make the plane.

They are getting hammered in the media here with most reporters having already conceded that they have no chance in England.  Kidology maybe but it's lovely to hear all the same.

To be fair, I think we share the same Ashes preoccupation. As an England cricket fan, seeing us win back to back Ashes series in 2009 and then 2010/11 meant more than achieving number one test status in 2011. I think that the players feel the same way.

I recall reading an interview with Michael Vaughan after the 2005 Ashes win that basically said that since he succeeded Nasser Hussain as test captain everything that he and then-coach Duncan Fletcher did was geared around winning the Ashes in 2005.

Bring on Ashes 2013/2014 and two more series wins for England!

[PaulWinch again]

KP's out of the last Test.

[fredm]

And the IPL, which will really p**s him off!!