Just The Ashes

[BLUEALLTHRU]

Sri Lanka are on the ropes and Travis Head has a couple

 

[moginie]

Sri Lanka are on the ropes and Travis Head has a couple

Wouldn't want to chase too many on that pitch though.

 

[BLUEALLTHRU]

Aussies with 5 to win and Travis finishes with 4 wickets. Pretty comprehensive thrashing this.

 

[moginie]

Aussies with 5 to win and Travis finishes with 4 wickets. Pretty comprehensive thrashing this.

Yeah, I think we can manage 5 without a Headingly style collapse.

 

[moginie]

SA makes 299 and WA has an opening stand of 308.

Don't change SA cricket - oh, that's right, you won't change. Obviously because of our unrivalled success.

 

[philreich]

Australia's bowlers might as well play a round of golf today, because they won't be needed to bat until tomorrow!!!

 

[moginie]

Australia's bowlers might as well play a round of golf today, because they won't be needed to bat until tomorrow!!!

Sad, isn't it.

I was pretty young during the 75-6 series but I remember the excitement that the Windies team brought with them no matter how they were going. It's so sad to see them struggle now.

 

[philreich]

Sad, isn't it.

I was pretty young during the 75-6 series but I remember the excitement that the Windies team brought with them no matter how they were going. It's so sad to see them struggle now.

I don't know what the crowd is, but ain't great. It's a fair indication of how bad the Windies are right now.

 

[GWS Goose]

I don't know what the crowd is, but ain't great. It's a fair indication of how bad the Windies are right now.

I watched highlights of the previous widies tours on fox this week.

2 things that stood out was how small the crowds were and the fact that the great windies attacks are definitely not faster than the modern bowlers. In my mind every crowd was packed and the windies bowlers were lightning quick. Neither was true. Rose colour glasses and all that.

 

[moginie]

I watched highlights of the previous widies tours on fox this week.

2 things that stood out was how small the crowds were and the fact that the great windies attacks are definitely not faster than the modern bowlers. In my mind every crowd was packed and the windies bowlers were lightning quick. Neither was true. Rose colour glasses and all that.

Hmmmm.

I was there day 1 of the 4th test in 1976 and there was 53 000 at the SCG. There wasn't a day where the crowd was below 30 000.

Due to the popularity of one day cricket, crowd figures at test matches rarely got that high in the 1980s, but I can remember the test in 1982 and the Hill was packed. The Sheridan concourse wasn't as crowded and the Brewongle Stand had only just been rebuilt, which also affected the crowd figures. The Sydney test in 1985 had a smaller crowd because the Bob Stand was being removed to be relocated at North Sydney Oval.

The tests in Adelaide in 1989 & 1992 were very well attended. Standing room only on the Hill on days 1-3. One of the anomalies of test cricket is there is usually a bigger crowd on days 1-3 when there is no chance of getting a result.

But the bowlers weren't as fast? Nope. I had a former teacher who faced Andy Roberts when he was playing grade cricket for Sutherland during the 1976-7 season. He only played a few games before he injured himself & flew home, but Roberts was FAST. Holding was FAST, Marshall was FAST, Daniel was FAST, Patrick Patterson (from a mate who faced him when he was playing for Tasmania in the late 80s) was VERY FAST. While Garner & Croft weren't as fast, the angle that they delivered the ball made it hell for batsmen. A former test player who I occasionally had a beer with faced Ian Bishop. He was as fast as Patterson before his back issues. And then there was Ambrose.

I'm not certain that they were "definitely" not faster than the modern bowlers. The technology wasn't there to estimate the speed as accurately as it does today.

 

[GWS Goose]

Hmmmm.

I was there day 1 of the 4th test in 1976 and there was 53 000 at the SCG. There wasn't a day where the crowd was below 30 000.

Due to the popularity of one day cricket, crowd figures at test matches rarely got that high in the 1980s, but I can remember the test in 1982 and the Hill was packed. The Sheridan concourse wasn't as crowded and the Brewongle Stand had only just been rebuilt, which also affected the crowd figures. The Sydney test in 1985 had a smaller crowd because the Bob Stand was being removed to be relocated at North Sydney Oval.

The tests in Adelaide in 1989 & 1992 were very well attended. Standing room only on the Hill on days 1-3. One of the anomalies of test cricket is there is usually a bigger crowd on days 1-3 when there is no chance of getting a result.

But the bowlers weren't as fast? Nope. I had a former teacher who faced Andy Roberts when he was playing grade cricket for Sutherland during the 1976-7 season. He only played a few games before he injured himself & flew home, but Roberts was FAST. Holding was FAST, Marshall was FAST, Daniel was FAST, Patrick Patterson (from a mate who faced him when he was playing for Tasmania in the late 80s) was VERY FAST. While Garner & Croft weren't as fast, the angle that they delivered the ball made it hell for batsmen. A former test player who I occasionally had a beer with faced Ian Bishop. He was as fast as Patterson before his back issues. And then there was Ambrose.

I'm not certain that they were "definitely" not faster than the modern bowlers. The technology wasn't there to estimate the speed as accurately as it does today.

Im not saying those guys werent fast, they were of course the best of their era.
People always talk about them being so much faster than the modern players, the footage I watched last week it is clear they are not any quicker than the modern player.

They had highlights on all last week and I watch heaps of Windies v Australia test matches from the tied test to a couple in the 70's and stacks in the 80's and 90's.

My Comment wasnt a sleight on those guys, but more how everyone says how much better it was back in the day and the modern guys just arent a patch on them. Based on what I saw it just isnt true. Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc are every bit as quick as the Windies greats and I suspect if they had a gun on the Windies most would be in the high 130's and occasionally hitting 140. Just like the current bowlers. They definitely werent rocking in unplayable 150Km thunderbolts every ball like folklore would have you believe.

As for the crowds, Im sure there were huge days, and there will be this summer as well. But in the games I was watching the grounds were half full or less, in 92 at the SCG (the test that Warnie has his breakthrough 7 fa in the 4th innings) the crowd look virtually empty on days 4 and 5, Day 3 prob half full.

plenty of other small crowds in t

My point was that everyone remembers the highlights and the big days, but there were plenty of days they played in front of small crowds.

I went to at least 1 day of every test in Sydney from 1990 to 2010ish before I finally got the shits with SCG trust ruining it. Mostly on day 1 but often other days. There was a period in the early 2000's where getting a ticket was tough on the first 2 days, but it wasnt always packed houses.

 

[BLUEALLTHRU]

Windies appear to be waiting for the Aussies to declare, series looks to be a very disappointing one.

Smith and Lab don't look like getting out.

 

[BLUEALLTHRU]

I don't know what the crowd is, but ain't great. It's a fair indication of how bad the Windies are right now.

Starting it on a Wednesday was a fixturing disgrace Phil.

 

[philreich]

Starting it on a Wednesday was a fixturing disgrace Phil.

And next week's Adelaide Test starts on Thursday - if this match ends in 3 days, the crowd in Adelaide will be interesting. Hopefully the Proteas put up more of a fight: I'm sure they will.

 

[BLUEALLTHRU]

And next week's Adelaide Test starts on Thursday - if this match ends in 3 days, the crowd in Adelaide will be interesting. Hopefully the Proteas put up more of a fight: I'm sure they will.

Proteas will be a much sterner test than what we are getting now. I cannot understand why ACB wouldn't start the tests on Fridays, crowds would be up and more money in the coffers.

 

[philreich]

Yawn - yesterday I wrote on the match thread on the cricket board that the only way the Windies could take 20 wickets would be if this was a timeless Test. Even then, the match might go into a third week .

 

[moginie]

Yawn - yesterday I wrote on the match thread on the cricket board that the only way the Windies could take 20 wickets would be if this was a timeless Test. Even then, the match might go into a third week .

Yeah. Watched the first session then drifted in and out during the second. It's certainly not captivating stuff.

 

[moginie]

Im not saying those guys werent fast, they were of course the best of their era.
People always talk about them being so much faster than the modern players, the footage I watched last week it is clear they are not any quicker than the modern player.

They had highlights on all last week and I watch heaps of Windies v Australia test matches from the tied test to a couple in the 70's and stacks in the 80's and 90's.

My Comment wasnt a sleight on those guys, but more how everyone says how much better it was back in the day and the modern guys just arent a patch on them. Based on what I saw it just isnt true. Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc are every bit as quick as the Windies greats and I suspect if they had a gun on the Windies most would be in the high 130's and occasionally hitting 140. Just like the current bowlers. They definitely werent rocking in unplayable 150Km thunderbolts every ball like folklore would have you believe.

As for the crowds, Im sure there were huge days, and there will be this summer as well. But in the games I was watching the grounds were half full or less, in 92 at the SCG (the test that Warnie has his breakthrough 7 fa in the 4th innings) the crowd look virtually empty on days 4 and 5, Day 3 prob half full.

plenty of other small crowds in t

My point was that everyone remembers the highlights and the big days, but there were plenty of days they played in front of small crowds.

I went to at least 1 day of every test in Sydney from 1990 to 2010ish before I finally got the shits with SCG trust ruining it. Mostly on day 1 but often other days. There was a period in the early 2000's where getting a ticket was tough on the first 2 days, but it wasnt always packed houses.

Everyone??

They were intimidating, no doubt about it. And both Marshall & Holding would be regularly touching the 140+ mark while moving the ball both ways.

But they had a bit of an extra weapon which I don't think is remembered as why their attack was as potent as it was.

By the time Viv Richards was captain the Windies would be bowling no more than 12-13 overs an hour. That's around 5 minutes an over and a great way not only to keep your bowlers fresh - never bowling any more than 6 overs a spell - but the batsmen were strangled and trying to play shots because they just weren't facing enough balls to build an innings. It's why over quotas were introduced.

 

[philreich]

Yawn - Australia is now 9 for 1010 for the series!!!!!

 

[Falconista]

Yawn - Australia is now 9 for 1010 for the series!!!!!

Their backup wicketkeeper is one of their better bowlers.
'nuff said.

 

[GWS Goose]

We have 3 blokes averaging above 200.
Crazy.

 

[philreich]

We have 3 blokes averaging above 200.
Crazy.

Australia has been batting for more than 19 hours in this series, and Cameron Green still hasn't had a hit. I wonder if he still remembers how to hold a bat .

 

[moginie]

Australia has been batting for more than 19 hours in this series, and Cameron Green still hasn't had a hit. I wonder if he still remembers how to hold a bat .

At least he remembers how to wear pads.

However he may do a Bob Willis who famously went out to bat without his bat.

 

[philreich]

At least he remembers how to wear pads.

However he may do a Bob Willis who famously went out to bat without his bat.

That's assuming a wicket falls before the declaration - this bowling line up would struggle to bowl the Redbacks out.

 

[moginie]

That's assuming a wicket falls before the declaration - this bowling line up would struggle to bowl the Redbacks out.

But Phil.... We got points before Christmas!!!! The Redbacks are on the way back!!!!!


Or not. Which is probably more likely.