The Cricket Thread 2016

[Villan For Life]

My favourite sledges are the Botham and Marsh one and the Glenn McGrath/Eddo Brandes one:

Botham arrives at the crease and Marsh asks "How's your wife and my kids?" Beefy replied "The wife's fine but the kids are retarded"

Brandes was batting number 11, he'd have batted lower in the order if he could have. McGrath was frustrated that he couldn't get him out. "Why are you so fat?" asked McGrath. "Because every time I make love to your wife she gives me a biscuit" taunted Eddo.

Class!

[UK Redsox]

Plunkett and Footitt in the squad for Trent Bridge

Lyth keeps his place

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/33747185

[PaulWinch again]

Sounds like Wood isn't 100%. I think I'd go for Plunkett in that case.

[tomd2103]

I've always wondered if it's just simply a case of 'next cab off the rank' when it comes to replacing a bowler or if it's a case of replacing like with like.  If it's the latter, then I guess we're going to need someone who can move the ball around first up.

[spangley1812]

I think they have picked Wood, Plunkett and Footitt to cover all the bases as they wont know until they get to Trent Bridge what the pitch will look like, do

If it looks like a swinging pitch Wood will play, If it looks hard and bouncy Plunkett will play and Footitt may be in there to cover all of them

[cdbearsfan]

If Footit plays he'll be the first Derbyshire player to play for England since Cork in 2002.

[PaulWinch again]

I hope Trent Bridge isn't another shocking pitch like last year.

[Dave P]

Imagine being at both day 4 at Edgbaston in 2005 and day 3 in 2015? Oh wait, I was 😃 (gloat over).

[robbo1874]

My favourite sledges are the Botham and Marsh one and the Glenn McGrath/Eddo Brandes one:

Botham arrives at the crease and Marsh asks "How's your wife and my kids?" Beefy replied "The wife's fine but the kids are retarded"

Brandes was batting number 11, he'd have batted lower in the order if he could have. McGrath was frustrated that he couldn't get him out. "Why are you so fat?" asked McGrath. "Because every time I make love to your wife she gives me a biscuit" taunted Eddo.

Class!

he's a prize cnt now, Ian Healey, but his sledge to one of the injured Sri Lankan batsman of: you don't get a runner for being a fat ******, always makes me chuckle when I think of it.

[olaftab]

May be I am biased but the atmosphere  on all three days showed that alongside Lords Edgbaston should always be an automatic pick for a test match and way ahead of Cardiff or Rose Bowl!

[PaulWinch again]

The Rose Bowl is a brilliant venue. Trust me if you go there it's fantastic. As it happens I think only Lords and the Oval should be guaranteed Tests.

[peter w]

Why should 2 London venues be guaranteed tests in a 5 match series? 3 games to be shared out amongst the rest of country?

[OzVilla]

For 5 series it should be 2 in the north, 2 in the south and one in the midlands.   

For 4 Test you lose either one from the north or south.

For 3 Test series 1 in each. Simple.

Channel Nine commentators here talked a lot about the support. They thought it was fantastic and that the Aussies really struggled to cope with the partisan atmosphere. Particularly those new to it like Smith, Marsh etc.

[cdbearsfan]

There are three Northern grounds, three Southern grounds and three Midlands/Wales grounds that host test cricket.

The Ashes should be rotated on the basis that two of the three regions get two games with the other getting one. The region which only gets one will be rotated so that, over the course of three Ashes series each region hosts five matches. Over the course of nine Ashes series each region hosts fifteen matches and each test ground hosts five.

Similar policies should be in place for all the other test series.

Fuck the London bias. They already get the World Cup Final whenever we host it and all the major football and rugby union matches in the country.

[olaftab]

Yes I do hate London bias but why Southampton and Cardiff when famous venues in cricketing heartlands, OT and Headingley, are not considered? 

And again... Edgbaston should always have one test  against whoever because of local support and geographical location  in the middle of the country.