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I reckon Hotspot is doomed, though the snickometer and hawkeye seem to function ok - and the run out replay. That said, I agree, You can still have all that Hi-tech stuff for the media to witter on about if they like, but leave the real umpiring to the umpires. It is the Umpires honest OPINION that should count, nothing else.
The 4th test was the best so far, a close match that swung this way and that. the Austrailians found themselves in the driving seat for most of the game but England managed to hang on and were able to peg them back. Come the last innings The Aussies needed 299 to win and a draw was no good for them - they had to go for it and they were going well, until Stuart Broad took up the ball and had one of the best spells I can ever remember seeing. He stepped up to another level and got 5 wickets for 20 runs in 45 balls - watching the highlights I don't know how they managed to get those 20 runs!
Then came the final drama. The game was gone but the Ausssies were holding on and had one wicket left, bad light had forced England to play 2 ineffectual spinners, they had also claimed an extra half hour to try to get a result. Then with 15 minutes to go a low shaft of sunlight found its way under the cloud to shine upon Chester le street. Cook immediatly tossed the ball to Broad, and 4 deliveries later it was all over.
Broad has done this sort of thing before He once took 5 wickets including a hat trick in 16 balls for no runs against India. But this was The Ashes!
I'm glad England won, but not being of the cricketing mind, I'm glad the premiership starts again on Saturday. I've enjoyed the cycling, watched a bit of rugby and seen some good athletics, but the week in week out drama of the league is really great.
Here's to "wickets" and "spinners", though I've no clue what they are.
Congrats to England and Ashes.
Paul, tell me about this "premiership" are we talking about darts by chance?
Cheers GG!
The Boy went to a Giants vs Marlins match a couple of months ago in San Fransisco (that's Baseball) . He reports 4 hours of total bamboozalment.
My Mum and Dad used to watch darts on TV, which I found as tedious as snooker. Gah.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gilliatt Gurgle
The Premiership though is the weekly football games played by the top clubs in the Premier Football League. After watching it for a while I got to know the managers and players, noted the annual change of players and clubs, enjoyed the drama of the drop where two clubs are relegated to League one - thus losing all the TV sponsorship money which is a very big deal for them and the fans, and enjoy the skill of the players and the inevitable mistakes and events that all add to the rich tapestry of football life.
I like it because we have "Match of the Day" on one of our TV channels - BBC 1. It shows highlights of all the Premiership matches that day, with the most interesting one first. It comes on the TV at 10.30pm, which means I usually have control of the tv and can watch at leisure - something I can't do with the rugby as it is on earlier. And it kicks off on Saturday. Woo hoo.
http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb.html
It bamboozles me too. Cricket less so - because I played it at school and with my mates.Quote:
Originally Posted by prendrelemick
Yes indeed, a great result!
I still can't believe Australia lost from the position they were in.
Kudos to a great England team.
Right, 5th test, The Oval . This time surely Australia cannot lose from this position (307 for 4). Like the last test there has been a lot of unrewarded good bowling, The pitch is a batting pitch if ever there was one and England must have known what was to come when they lost the toss and had to bowl on the first day with only two specialist seamers. They are missing the injured Tim Bresnan who can charge in and bang the ball down on a line and lengh all day long, he would've tied up one end and allowed the superstars do all their "duel in the sun" stuff at the other. The two England debutants Kerrigan and Woakes were ineffectual with the ball, infact Kerrigan had an absolute nightmare as Watson went after him. I'm pleased for Shane Watson, going on and getting his century at last, a great innings, but he does play across the line a little too often.
Yep, from what I've seen, it looks like a batsman's paradise.
Just how easy it is will no doubt be told in the next innings.
The England selectors seem to have outwitted themselves here. The bowling attack looked very thin. The two new boys got only one wicket for 153 between them. Anderson got a fivefor but he looks tired. Anyway perhaps they will be vindicated by the supposed stiffening of the batting line up and the extra spin option later in the match. But the game may have already gone.
I can't see England being too unhappy about things as they stand - they've blooded a couple of n00bs on what appears to be a batsmen's paradise, and now get the chance to see if England can bat for two days.
Amidst all the hype about the wonderful Australian batting effort, it seems to me that 500 in five sessions on a dolly against a new bowling attack isn't anything to write home about.
Then the silly season starts!
The hype over here is about the negativity of England's effort, and I'm afraid they have a point. 3-0 up with one to play and too afraid of losing to try and win. BUT the Aussies did what we couldn't yesterday and kept the pressure on with some good bowling and aggressive field setting. The England team/coach/captain/batsmen forgot it was a good pitch and went right into their shell - which in turn allowed the bowlers to do as they liked.
Anyway, this morning we have the in form Ian Bell at the crease with new boy Woakes - who was picked as a batsman who can bowl. The selectors have been saying (quite rightly) wait and see. Today we'll see.
Or you could have the entire day rained out.
I don't think you can read much into this test, other than a reason why dead tests are a bit pointless.
Crikey!
That was not what I expected to read this morning. What a final day - with England almost managing to destroy every bookie in the land. Surely, the bookies prayed to the cloud gods to extract the draw in this one.
Did you watch, Mick? Must have been an amazing day's play.