A view from the boundary - off-topic discussion

Beasty · 16-11-2012 10:01PM #1

A lot of forums have an off-topic thread, so I thought I would start one here.

If you have something that perhaps doesn't warrant a thread of its own, post it here (maybe your own latest exploits - 6 sixes in an over - that sort of thing;)), or perhaps the odd cricketing anecdote (I know, there are so many) along with anything that may perhaps only have a relatively tenuous link to cricket but you feel you want to share it here

Beasty · 16-11-2012 10:04PM

Here's a start - the first ever 6 off the first ball of a Test Match

Chris Gayle, for the WI v Bangladesh earlier this week

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9m7IvD1h5FQ

Football Gambler · 27-11-2012 11:11PM

I noted that the commentator said it was something different to bowl a spinner first up in a test match, and as a cricket follower I'm all for a bit of innovation, but it's Chris Gayle he's bowling too, not Mike Atherton or Geoff Boycott.

It wasn't trying something different, it was plain daft. Talk about handing the initiative to the opposition!

It was funny though!!!

TheDrog · 28-11-2012 12:24AM

not as daft as you might think, Gayle was just as likely to do that to any of the seam bowlers and spin has caught him out early in the past a few times

Rjd2 · 28-11-2012 02:11AM

TheDrog wrote: »

not as daft as you might think, Gayle was just as likely to do that to any of the seam bowlers and spin has caught him out early in the past a few times

Yep and the same bowler got him in the twenties very quickly after.

Football Gambler · 02-12-2012 10:21AM

TheDrog wrote: »

not as daft as you might think, Gayle was just as likely to do that to any of the seam bowlers and spin has caught him out early in the past a few times

Yeah, it happens quite often to fast bowlers in test cricket.... as the first line in Quote 2 suggests...

TheDrog · 02-12-2012 10:24PM

amazing how often it has happened to spinners as well. Spinners have opened the bowling in test matches in the past and not been hit for 6. The plan worked, as pointed out the bowler got Gayle in the early 20's something that every team in international cricket would be more than happy to do. Claiming that opening the bowling with a spinner on a turning wicket handed the initiative to the West Indies just seems short sighted on your part, it's a 5 day game the first ball going for 6 didn't mean that much in the long run.

Football Gambler · 04-12-2012 12:26AM

You're right, you would be happy to get Gayle in the 20's every time.

The point I was trying to make wasn't with regard to the actual 6, it was about not letting Gayle get off to a flier, which could have been the case. If he was 50 not out after 10 overs, it wouldn't look too clever, and the captain would have got slaughtered.

Ok, so it worked for Bangladesh this time, but I bet if they tried it all the time, it wouldn't prove too successful.

Of course Gayle can take fast bowlers apart as well, but I bet his eyes lit up at the site of a spinner first up. I believe it was a very risky move (bordering on stupid), I don't think that is being short sighted to think that.... Gayle eats spinners for breakfast, there are plenty of openers around the world who wouldn't want to face spin first up and would probably struggle, I wouldn't put Gayle in that category though.

The pitch also may have looked spin friendly, but how could anyone know it was turning before a ball had been bowled on it?

Without wishing to contradict myself, it could be regarded as very brave captaincy, as I don't think a captain of Eng, Aus, SA, etc would dare try it. Whether that's because of fear of doing something different, or because they think it's a stupid idea, I don't know........But my view is, that it was a very risky move.

booth70 · 04-12-2012 05:35AM

Interesting anecdote......

India v West Indies 1983 Test and One day series

Clive Lloyd and his men arrived in India still smarting from the World cup final defeat to India at Lords earlier that summer and vowing to avenge their defeat

Sunny Gavaskar is at the prime of his career and having , as an opener , carried the Indian top order for a decade decides to demote himself to no: 4 for the last test match in Madras (amidst great debate in the media).....WI bat first and make 300 odd....India in reply lose Gaekwad and Vengsarkar to I think it was Marshall in the first over with no runs on the board

Gavaskar walks in at no: 4....As he walks past Viv Richards at slip Richards says....'' Sunny....it dosen't matter where you bat in the order...when you come in the score is still zero'' !!!

Gavaskar goes on to make 236 but India get hammered 6-0 in the One dayers and 3-0 in the test matches and the revenge is complete!

Beasty · 26-03-2013 07:55AM

If you get chance to watch the highlights of the last day of the NZ v England Test Match without knowing today's result I would suggest you do so. I picked up the highlights this morning where I left it live last night and it was absorbing to say the least ...

decies · 26-03-2013 09:03AM

Beasty wrote: »

If you get chance to watch the highlights of the last day of the NZ v England Test Match without knowing today's result I would suggest you do so. I picked up the highlights this morning where I left it live last night and it was absorbing to say the least ...

Gutted

dfx- · 26-03-2013 02:01PM

Beasty wrote: »

If you get chance to watch the highlights of the last day of the NZ v England Test Match without knowing today's result I would suggest you do so. I picked up the highlights this morning where I left it live last night and it was absorbing to say the least ...

How long were the highlights? Every ball?

15 days of absorbing and at times thrilling cricket and it finishes 0-0, great stuff

Dozen Wicked Words · 26-03-2013 02:12PM

Such a shame more NZ fans didn't go to see it, they did their country proud there,

very unlucky not to win the series,

out played England in 2 out of the 3 tests. Hopefully they will kick on from there, with some good young players coming through, always liked NZ.

Those 3 Tests were a fantastic advert for "proper" cricket.

dfx- · 26-03-2013 02:56PM

I'll be interested in the next Cricinfo "Switch Hit" podcast, who have a tendency to gloss any test series where England have struggled.

I found it remarkable that George Dobell still thinks that given last year's series again, England would defeat South Africa:eek:

Beasty · 26-03-2013 08:07PM

dfx- wrote: »

I'll be interested in the next Cricinfo "Switch Hit" podcast, who have a tendency to gloss any test series where England have struggled.

I found it remarkable that George Dobell still thinks that given last year's series again, England would defeat South Africa:eek:

I think they went into this series underprepared and underestimating the opposition. I suspect they will hammer NZ in the forthcoming series in England. What they then need is a decent performance from Australia to force them to lift their game. Then I think they can take on any team (as they proved in India). If you pick the 11 best "English"men they can match SA. Prior is playing the role of all-rounder. Broad will hopefully mature (I know we've been waiting some time for him to show consistency with the ball and indeed bat) and they have two of the best batsmen in the World in Cook and Pietersen, and also on the bowling front with Anderson and Swann

Rascasse · 26-03-2013 09:34PM

I'm not sure if it was England being under prepared (although there was only one warm up game) or fatigue. The players are off the back of a long tour in India and I'm sure once they've rested they'll easily win both of the return tests before the Ashes.

Similar story with England v SA last year where in the two months before the series started they had the played the series against the WI and the 5 ODI's against Australia. South Africa were fresh and it showed. It's entirely possible that a fresh England v SA would have been a closer run affair.

I think the fact that SA play fewer matches (a quarter less than England/Aus/India) and shorter series (no 5 match test series and only a few 4 match series) is probably the key to them staying at number 1 for the foreseeable future. Teams like England play too much cricket to be on top form all the time. One thing I heard during the India v England series was that the total number of match and training days for England in the next 12 months is 280. Now, obviously not all players play for all 3 teams, but that is still an insane schedule.

Rjd2 · 27-03-2013 12:15AM

Beasty wrote: »

If you pick the 11 best "English"men they can match SA. P

http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/series/534190.html

dfx- · 27-03-2013 01:11PM

They've gone into a lot of first tests undercooked, but South Africa were the team that took advantage. There's no reason to suggest in another series that the same thing wouldn't happen again as it did in Sri Lanka, UAE, South Africa, India and now New Zealand.

I also think England have enough depth to not have a problem in coping with WI series or one dayers against Aus.

Finally I think SA have England's tactics of frustration with the ball marked. Kallis and Amla and to some extent ABdV, Petersen, Smith and Du Plessis have the technique to wait it out. And Steyn etc will still blow them away.

Dozen Wicked Words · 27-03-2013 08:50PM

Very sad news from New Zealand, Jesse Ryder is in critical condition with suspected fractured skull. He was assaulted outside a fast-food outlet. Hopefully he will be ok.

Such a talent, but don't think the lad was ever on the rails to come off them.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2013/mar/27/jesse-ryder-critical-condition?CMP=twt_gu

F.J. · 28-03-2013 11:40PM

I hadn't realised he had played for Ireland.Did he play many games?

TheDrog · 29-03-2013 12:11PM

only a couple, he didn't finish his contract. He's now being described as stable but still can't breathe without the machines. Two men have been arrested.

TrueDub · 29-03-2013 02:04PM

F.J. wrote: »

I hadn't realised he had played for Ireland.Did he play many games?

As The Drog says, he only played a couple of games. He wasn't a success, and didn't assist by not turning up for a game or two. He wouldn't go down as one of Ireland's better overseas players.

That said, he seemed to be sorting his life out, and getting back to playing at his best, so what happened was dreadful. Hopefully he comes out ok and can get back on the field of play.

Rascasse · 03-05-2013 10:45AM

I see on Broadsheet that someone has poured weed killer all over the square at YMCA's ground.

http://www.broadsheet.ie/2013/05/03/was-it-for-this-45/

Rival club? GAA fundamentalists? Schoolboy prank? Pretty shameful behaviour whoever did it.

Beasty · 03-05-2013 11:28AM

Mindless vandalism I would guess - we had a similar issue with the velodrome at Sundrive a couple of years ago when vandals ruined it's surface by setting fire to some plastic road barriers on it. That resulted in a 12 foot high fence being placed round the track. The problem with something like this is you will never be able to make a cricket pitch completely secure (in Ireland anyway) - even CCTV is unlikely to catch people as this sort of damage can be done in a couple of minutes, and no-one will be able to afford full-time security

TrueDub · 03-05-2013 11:45AM

Agreed on the shame of it, a disgrace. Any information to the Gardai at Irishtown.

Beasty's hit the nail on the head, this could happen anywhere.

djimi · 03-05-2013 11:58AM

Absolutely disgusting behaviour. Didnt something similar happen to another pitch a few years ago? Pembroke maybe?

D3PO · 03-05-2013 10:19PM

its disgusting I hope they catch the toerags that did it.

As to the post querying if a rival club potentially were the perpetrators. Are you for fu(king real ?

Dozen Wicked Words · 19-08-2013 11:12PM

Jesse Ryder continues to fupp up any career he might have, suspended for 6 months for doping offence. Not sure what he's taken but he really has wasted his talent.

Dozen Wicked Words · 28-11-2013 02:37PM

Ashes Cricket 2013 pulled from sale. Possibly the worst cricket game of all time has been abandoned. Some great running between the wickets at 9.18 on this vid. Loads of other classic gameplay on youtube, worth looking at.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtkpqDAZMLc

Anyone had the misfortune to buy this?

HonalD · 28-11-2013 10:18PM

Dozen Wicked Words wrote: »

Ashes Cricket 2013 pulled from sale. Possibly the worst cricket game of all time has been abandoned. Some great running between the wickets at 9.18 on this vid. Loads of other classic gameplay on youtube, worth looking at.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtkpqDAZMLc

Anyone had the misfortune to buy this?

Heard about this today - maybe a cult game in the making.

The moonwalk at "2.57" is class.

As you say the running between the wickets is great - especially when they both are running in the same direction!

TrueDub · 13-02-2014 05:29PM

You probably didn't notice, but I've not been posting as much in the last while. Here's why:

Baby girl, born at the weekend. I may be online more now, but at odd hours of the night!

A view from the boundary - off-topic discussion

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