5th Test: England vs Australia at the Brit Oval

[aussie1st]

Oh how I love the irony of an Australian bemoaning us having players born outside of England.

They will be made to look like idiots in a few years I can see Pakistan born player in Khawaja making the side and we could have a Portugue guy if he ever fulfills his potential.

 

[angryangy]

If all Australians are from somewhere else, then you could just as easily tease the English for being French and German.

 

[Themer]

If all Australians are from somewhere else, then you could just as easily tease the English for being French and German.

At least we aren't French and German convicts

 

[Krypta]

Some of us are vikings as well.

 

[Sureshot]

If all Australians are from somewhere else, then you could just as easily tease the English for being French and German.

You could, very easily (though I can trace my family name back 900 years!). Thing is, none of us couldn't care less where you're from. Pretty much the whole of the caucasian race is mixed nationality and spread all over the globe. We just don't care.

 

[Dutch]

Ofiicially we should all only be elligible to play for the Garden of Eden National Team. In fact there's a Twenty20 tournament coming up featuring The Garden of Eden against Soddom and Gomorahh and Babylon and that is going to be a wonderful affair!

 

[barmyarmy]

Let's hope the showers aren't mixed then.

 

[Dutch]

Let's hope the showers aren't mixed then.

No, no, no, lets hope they are!!!

 

[barmyarmy]

Can't even find a thread for the tour match against Scotland so I'll use this.
Forcast here is rain all week so it looks like it might be rained off like it was in 2005.

 

[King Pietersen]

The Tour Match thread?

 

[Owzat]

Can't even find a thread for the tour match against Scotland so I'll use this.
Forcast here is rain all week so it looks like it might be rained off like it was in 2005.

At least there was an excuse for no result there, the more recent England vs Scotland match ended a no result because one side (Scotland) batted 44 overs and England batted 15 balls when they should have taken into account the weather and reduced the overs to say 25 a side and they might JUST have got a result with the worthless duck method.

I've said before that organisers are dim and don't reduce overs quickly enough. If there's rain in the air, it will probably still be in the air throughout the day and if you lose two hours to rain you could easily lose more play. So why do they knock off only a few overs when logic suggests you make sure of a result rather than try to get in the most play theoretically possible. Lose 10 overs per side for every hour lost to rain or bad light, they are only supposed to bowl 15 in the hour but that allows a bit for slow overs and the likelihood of returning rain. Instead they base it on the theory of how many overs they could get in with perfect weather until the end, I bet spectators would rather see a result over 20 overs a side than one side bat 50 and the other face a few overs before the game ends a no result.

 

[barmyarmy]

There's always rain in the air up here. That said our game tonight is still on although it'll be dark by the change of innings!

 

[Owzat]

As I said is how it happened, one side bats 50 and the other 20. It is a poor scenario as they are effectively two different formats and the shorter the innings, the more chance of an upset. Even 30 overs a side would have at least given a better game, as thrilling as the chase might have been.

The other main factor is the side batting first is setting itself up mentally for 50 overs a side, they don't know until they've batted that the opposition will bat only 20 and so can't adjust. Maybe England would have taken the odd risk or two more had they known the target would be that small, although maybe they should state the innings have to be within say 15 overs length of each other to constitute a match (fair contest)