Cold Ale - The Blokes' Thread!

[The Atheist]

We've even had snow here in the Midlands. Apparently we haven't had snow this early since '93 - though I don't remember it being particularly bad.

Yes, I see that. They're saying here that it's the strongest la Nina since 1987, when we had a major drought, and the weather is hot enough to cook in the open air at the moment. It's 28-ish with 80% humidity - that's not stuff we usually see until late January.

It's a bit cold though, and the ice has hung around for the past three days here. I'll have to leave the bike at home tomorrow. The roads are gritted ok, it's just the unpredictability of it. Late night tomorrow.

]

I love riding bikes - I take the kids for a ride around a huge park down the road most weekends. I am not a fan of sharing rides with cars, though.

Just to be sure I'm read'n you boys right, we are talking about that cricket game again, right? I take it this is cricket season.

The advantage cricket and rugby have over your sports is that they're played in both hemispheres, so it's always the right season!

Cricket even more so than rugby thanks to many of the major participants having longer summers than most - India, West Indies, Sri Lanka & Pakistan. There are always good cricket games going on.

The biggest fixtures in cricket are England v Australia and India v Pakistan - although the latter can have more a nuclear war feel to it sometimes. England/Aussie play for The Ashes.

I need a team(?)-(is that the right term ? or is it swarm?) - to follow and support. Do the Czech's have a team?...for that matter does the U.S have a team?

USA has a team, but they're ranked pretty low.

Oh, and could one of you blokes send me that "Cricket for dummies" link again?

This is good basic stuff.

All the information known to mankind about cricket is here.

[The Atheist]

517/1 declared.

WOW!

(GG, that's the equivalent of a team scoring 23 in an inning at baseball)

[prendrelemick]

Obviously a flat wicket. The best thing about the draw is the way the Aussie media are Handling it. After the first couple of days they were saying England are totally out- classed, and predicting a whitewash. Three days later, and they are demanding wholesale changes to the home side. Mitchell Johnson is to blame for every thing of course.

[Paulclem]

Obviously a flat wicket. The best thing about the draw is the way the Aussie media are Handling it. After the first couple of days they were saying England are totally out- classed, and predicting a whitewash. Three days later, and they are demanding wholesale changes to the home side. Mitchell Johnson is to blame for every thing of course.

And I thouht it was only us who had a rabid press.

[OrphanPip]

I played cricket for a short period in college, I was horrible at it. And the Jamaican security guard kept joining in and creaming us.

There's a strong Caribbean presence in my neighbourhood that meets regularly for cricket games in the park.

[The Atheist]

Obviously a flat wicket. The best thing about the draw is the way the Aussie media are Handling it. After the first couple of days they were saying England are totally out- classed, and predicting a whitewash. Three days later, and they are demanding wholesale changes to the home side. Mitchell Johnson is to blame for every thing of course.

Crikey, yes!

The press have been..... changeable?

I played cricket for a short period in college, I was horrible at it. And the Jamaican security guard kept joining in and creaming us.

There's a strong Caribbean presence in my neighbourhood that meets regularly for cricket games in the park.

Pretty to watch, Jamaican fast bowlers, but I'd pass on facing. we had a bloke used to go out wearing almost a suit or armour - he just could not get bat on ball.

I consider myself a pretty open-minded man.

In this thread, it's more the depth your mind gets to rather than the width of it!

Still, I do love a good beer and a rare steak. A good beer = darker than midnight and made by some guy in his basement.

No argument there - especially if the steak's not just rare, but blue.

Having said all that, all I know about cricket is that it takes days to play a proper game, and my Malaysian love it. Perhaps I should look into that cricket for dummies link. Is there one for Rugby as well? I need to freshen up.

Yes, extremely popular in Asia. God help everyone if China ever gets hold of the game. At one end, some Yao Ming-like beast bowling at 173 kmh, with the batsman a Bruce Lee-lookalike who turns the bat an inch and flicks it over the boudary for six.

Malaysia's not too bad as I recall - in the second tier of Kenya, Holland and Scotland etc. Almost as bad as New Zealand, that means.

Here's all you ever need to know about rugby:

The object, just like the NFL, is to get the ball over the goal line. In rugby, you have to actually touch it down to the ground.

The best way to play it is to have this bloke in your team and give him the ball.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYt1TOSni4E

[Gilliatt Gurgle]

This is good basic stuff.

All the information known to mankind about cricket is here.

Thanks for the links.
This could be the year!...the year that I figure it out.

King of the Hill is over, so I shall retire with your links in hand for a little night time reading.

Goodnight.


.

[The Atheist]

Go for it!

When you can come and tell us about the time Walsh got caught at silly point off a Chinaman bowled around the wicket for a golden duck in a wicket maiden, you'll have made it.

Cricket has a language all its own. Just the fielding positions: Gully, point, silly mid-on/off, slip, long on, short leg, square leg... it can even sound a bit naughty when you get one over the slips to stop a maiden.

Classic piece of cricket commentary from the 1970s. Michael Holding of West Indies bowling to England's Peter Willey:

"The bowler's Holding, the batsman's Willey."

[prendrelemick]

Or, "There's ----- at Leg slip, standing with his legs apart waiting for a tickle.

That was from the legendary Brian Johnson.

[The Atheist]

How's that weather going over yon?

I see that most of the UK looks to be shut down by snow! At this rate, you may wish to consider an igloo as a sound investment.

[Paulclem]

I'm teaching tonight at a far flung - (for Coventry) - school, so it's not too bad here. My brother in law in Yorkshire is snowed in at home and can't get to work. He's devastated of course.

No doubt Mick's getting the brunt of it. We're due heavy snow tomorrow. Welly time.

[LitNetIsGreat]

I'm teaching tonight at a far flung - (for Coventry) - school, so it's not too bad here. My brother in law in Yorkshire is snowed in at home and can't get to work. He's devastated of course.

No doubt Mick's getting the brunt of it. We're due heavy snow tomorrow. Welly time.

Oh hey, I haven't been in today too and it looks the same tomorrow! Extra beer tonight perhaps? Also, speaking of wellies, I got a new pair today, brilliant ones too, hand made in the UK and they go right up to the knees. I've not had wellies since I was about 12, great stuff. Can't believe your teaching tonight, I'd have though Coventry would be bad as well.

[prendrelemick]

We have had very little snow untill today. The storms have been parting like the red sea and heading Neely's way, missing us out, until today that is when we had about 8 inches. It has been very cold though -12 C last night. It actually warmed up a bit when the snow came.



ps. I was born in wellies.

[Emil Miller]

Also, speaking of wellies, I got a new pair today, brilliant ones too, hand made in the UK and they go right up to the knees. .

Wow, you actually have something made in the UK. If I were you I'd put them up for auction on Ebay or even Christies.

[The Atheist]

... until today that is when we had about 8 inches.

Don't tell soundo!

_____________________________


An aside to the weather - I see a lot of people are on the usual bandwagon of "If global warming is real, how come there are record lows being recorded?" The funny bit is that Kiwis are saying that, despite record highs being recorded right where they live. How hard is it to understand that warming the planet causes more extremes at both ends?

God, people give me the screaming ****s sometimes. Ignorance really is strength.