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Topic: God help me - the Test Cricket thread (Read 773738 times) previous topic - next topic
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Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread

Reply #1665 –
Only 9 overs, LP.

The biggest inequality in test cricket is what countries are willing/able to pay players. Last year (?) Sth Africa sent a second string squad to NZ for tests as there were too many others on the T20 circuit - partly because SA cricket was close to broke.

Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread

Reply #1666 –
Not many runs to be had over in the West Indies: this pitch isn't making things any easier, even without the pink Dukes ball.
Not much to be garnered, to be honest, because conditions are designed to help their bowlers. Maybe they should realize their bowlers don't need a nightmare deck.
Live Long and Prosper!

Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread

Reply #1667 –
I think it's time the ICC (Read BCCI by Proxy) started ploughing money into venue management rather than using it to line the pockets of independent Mumbai billionaires.

If they don't cricket could be dead as a global sport by 2050.

I went the watching the Kayo Mini this morning and there was barely enough content for a Micro!
"Extremists on either side will always meet in the Middle!"

Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread

Reply #1668 –
The current state of test cricket is awful....bowlers still with test standard skills showing up batsmen with new age short form skills.  Don't move your feet - can't trust your defence - equals no chance of survival let alone lasting long enough to make runs.
DrE is no more... you ok with that harmonica man?

Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread

Reply #1669 –
Watched a great test between India and England, it was real test cricket.
Probably the last time we will see a Windies v Aus test series, very sad seeing the state of Test Cricket overall.

Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread

Reply #1670 –
Agree, Prof. Windiest bowling has been good on bowling friendly decks. Top score this test was 48.

Boland got his hat trick and Windies were never going to chase 200 - especially being 3/0 after one over. Apparently quickest 5for in test history for Starc - 15 balls...

Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread

Reply #1671 –
Quote from: Professer E – on
The current state of test cricket is awful....bowlers still with test standard skills showing up batsmen with new age short form skills.  Don't move your feet - can't trust your defence - equals no chance of survival let alone lasting long enough to make runs.
It wasn't the worst pitch but it wasn't a test or a ODI pitch either.

Following the pandemic these associations are effectively bankrupt and understaffed, they can't pay for the work to be done to deliver test standard surfaces, they struggle to deliver a wicket that is good for 1 day let alone 5.

Cricket needs to stop making India's administrators millionaires and start ploughing some of the ludicrous bounty back into grass roots like soccer and union.
"Extremists on either side will always meet in the Middle!"

Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread

Reply #1672 –
The BCCI won't be happy until they have all the toys, and India wins every game in every comp - the best and quickest way to kill a game. Fortunately for the game there's a few countries with too much pride and history to give up and they'll push on regardless, so the game will survive although the quality will inexorably diminish. World cricket has already resolved into a tiered competition.
DrE is no more... you ok with that harmonica man?

Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread

Reply #1673 –
I must admit, I've rarely seen the ball move as much off the pitch for so long on a test pitch, no matter what sort of ball they were using. About the only one I recall was Melbourne a few years back when a certain Victorian quick skittled England cheaply twice. That was considered to be an aberration, but at least it didn't swing as much or bounce as unreliably.

I always thought the ideal pitch was one that gave the new ball bowlers some assistance and the spinner a little help on day 4 or 5. Haven't seen many of those anywhere in the world in recent years.
Indian pitches wouldn't be day 5 pitches in Australia during their 1st session. The ones delivered in Sri Lanka; they wouldn't be Aussie pitches after 2 weeks!
I know teams have always prepared pitches that favour the home side, but never to the degree that happens now. For most of history this crap would be called blatant pitch doctoring.
And some people, like us, haven't followed suit very often. When India won here not long ago, we prepare flatter pitches to the test would last until the 5th day, as it would provide Cricket Australia with more money. Took away every advantage we had.

With modern batting techniques, having dodgy pitches is lethal.
Live Long and Prosper!

Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread

Reply #1674 –
This situation with the Saffie chucker has exposed how ridiculous the world of cricket has become, and we can thank Dav Whatmore for this.

When Murali hit the scene he was being called at several levels, then Dav played the race card, and the ICC put in some stupid quick fix rules that are basically impossible for the umpires of the field to manage.

That means players can go through a match, any match, chucking the pill get away with it until the end of the game.

It'll get to the stage in an Ashes or some other championship game that the last few balls of the day are determining the result and some player will decide a throw is the best solution and just wear the consequence after the game is decided.
"Extremists on either side will always meet in the Middle!"
 

Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread

Reply #1675 –
Mitch Marsh cops a bit of stick but he virtually defeated the Kiwis single handily in the T20.
"Negative waves are not helpful. Try saying something righteous and hopeful instead." Oddball

Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread

Reply #1676 –
Quote from: DJC – on
Mitch Marsh cops a bit of stick but he virtually defeated the Kiwis single handily in the T20.
Has a namesake from South Australia who is about to be drafted into the AFL this year. Looks a handy goal kicker too, hopefully gets a better run from the fans than the cricketing version...

Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread

Reply #1677 –
Saturday's Age made quite a deal about a century Sam Konstas scored for Australia A against India A in Lucknow last month.  The game wasn't televised so there has to be some doubt about whether it actually happened.   ;D

Anyway, after having his tyres pumped up, young Sam was dismissed for four by WA's Joel Paris in the opening Sheffield Shield round.  It may have been a short innings but it was eventful with Konstas surviving a dropped catch and two LBW appeals before Paris trapped him.

His chances of a Test spot must be hanging by a thread.
"Negative waves are not helpful. Try saying something righteous and hopeful instead." Oddball

Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread

Reply #1678 –
They're finished...he's a crab and needs to have a couple of seasons making 800+ runs in the shield before his name is ever mentioned again.
DrE is no more... you ok with that harmonica man?