summerisle
The rain, it raineth every day
Cricket for all.
Cricket
- Thread starter summerisle
- Start date
Chris O'Connor
Player Valuation: £35m
Yes ticket prices for test match cricket in this country need to be more competitively priced so that many aren't simply priced out.
London does have a catchment area that does have enough people prepared and willing to pay extortionate prices, a fact Arsenal and others in the capital have always taken advantage of in the football world.
Test match cricket though is under threat and has to protect its future especially here and in countries where it's still relatively popular.
They don't get big crowds for tests in many cricket playing countries and the ECB have to do more to make sure we dont go the same way and these iconic series are more accessible to the wider population or the crowds will start to dwindle here too.
Chris O'Connor
Player Valuation: £35m
A seemingly never ending run of defeats for Australia since the sandpaper scandal has finally come to an end.
Going into this series Australia were literally on the floor, a few raw kids hadn't proved adequate replacements and confidence had evaporated, their batting was a mess.
Considering their parlous state, pushing India so close and almost winning the first test was Lazarus like and creditable but now they've gone one better and have won their first Test match since the ball-tampering controversy as their attack blew apart the Indian tail for a 146-run victory.
This was no narrow squeak with both sides in contention, the first test was a contest this really was not, such a sizeable winning margin must give them confidence, their batting was for once surprisingly resilient even in their second knock and crucially they had a tail who could hang around and contribute.
India need to get selection right, you can't go in with four number elevens unless you blow the opposition's batting apart, if you don't then none of your batsmen can afford to fail and India's openers have done so and done so repeatedly both here and in England last summer.
India the number one ranked team haven't suddenly become a bad side overnight despite seven defeats in their last ten games away from home. They've always been strong at home and Kohli has always bristled at suggestions they find it difficult away against the big teams even if results bear that out.
They're a far better side than this Australian team but home conditions and winning the toss are enough to more than level things up and if Paine is lucky enough to win the toss in the two remaining games then this Australian side could easily win this series.
If however Virat Kohli wins the toss in Melbourne then India should reassert their authority and this then in hindsight may well come to be seen as nothing more than a blip along the way to a historic first series win in Australia.
If momentum means anything then a newly more confident Australian team have it, they've picked themselves off the floor and are no longer absolutely broken.
The bookmakers so often accurate in this series have changed their series odds accordingly
A drawn series is now favourite 28/17 just ahead of the second favourite outcome, an Australian win at 17/10, with an Indian win now seen as the least likely at 23/10 - but all close enough to say all three outcomes are possible.
The coin tosses at Melbourne and Sydney could now well be the decisive moments that decide which of these outcomes become reality.
Going into this series Australia were literally on the floor, a few raw kids hadn't proved adequate replacements and confidence had evaporated, their batting was a mess.
Considering their parlous state, pushing India so close and almost winning the first test was Lazarus like and creditable but now they've gone one better and have won their first Test match since the ball-tampering controversy as their attack blew apart the Indian tail for a 146-run victory.
This was no narrow squeak with both sides in contention, the first test was a contest this really was not, such a sizeable winning margin must give them confidence, their batting was for once surprisingly resilient even in their second knock and crucially they had a tail who could hang around and contribute.
India need to get selection right, you can't go in with four number elevens unless you blow the opposition's batting apart, if you don't then none of your batsmen can afford to fail and India's openers have done so and done so repeatedly both here and in England last summer.
India the number one ranked team haven't suddenly become a bad side overnight despite seven defeats in their last ten games away from home. They've always been strong at home and Kohli has always bristled at suggestions they find it difficult away against the big teams even if results bear that out.
They're a far better side than this Australian team but home conditions and winning the toss are enough to more than level things up and if Paine is lucky enough to win the toss in the two remaining games then this Australian side could easily win this series.
If however Virat Kohli wins the toss in Melbourne then India should reassert their authority and this then in hindsight may well come to be seen as nothing more than a blip along the way to a historic first series win in Australia.
If momentum means anything then a newly more confident Australian team have it, they've picked themselves off the floor and are no longer absolutely broken.
The bookmakers so often accurate in this series have changed their series odds accordingly
A drawn series is now favourite 28/17 just ahead of the second favourite outcome, an Australian win at 17/10, with an Indian win now seen as the least likely at 23/10 - but all close enough to say all three outcomes are possible.
The coin tosses at Melbourne and Sydney could now well be the decisive moments that decide which of these outcomes become reality.
Chris O'Connor
Player Valuation: £35m
More interesting was the day in Wellington, where Angelo Mathews and Kusal Mendis batted out the entire day's play, to take Sri Lanka from 20-3 overnight to 259-3 with both of them now unbeaten in 3 figures going into day 5.
I haven't seen any play since weekend, but I'd guess it's really flattened out (and the Basin is quite often a new-ball wicket) but still, that's a pretty impressive effort. If Sri Lanka can keep their nerve and bat out a couple of sessions tomorrow, they'll likely save the game from what looked like an impossible position.
I haven't seen any play since weekend, but I'd guess it's really flattened out (and the Basin is quite often a new-ball wicket) but still, that's a pretty impressive effort. If Sri Lanka can keep their nerve and bat out a couple of sessions tomorrow, they'll likely save the game from what looked like an impossible position.
deipnosophist
Player Valuation: £80m
yes, they gave a chanceless performance. The pitch is a road but nevertheless, it was a very good fightback...first time in NZ cricket test history that no wickets were taken in a full day's play (and internationally, it hasn't occurred since 2008)
Chris O'Connor
Player Valuation: £35m
I haven't looked but just read that apparently there's a 90% chance of rain tomorrow, a draw looks likely.
Possibly a chance of some play early on before the rain comes, even that looks optimistic though.
deipnosophist
Player Valuation: £80m
Even if there is no rain, I believe it will be a draw. The pitch is so placid that our medium pace attack is toothless against resolute batsmen. We do have speed merchants (145-150km/h) available for selection and hopefully Lachie Ferguson gets a call up for the second test
Chris O'Connor
Player Valuation: £35m
Rain won the day as largely predicted in Wellington with only just short of an hour of play possible after a delayed start.
Sri Lanka's overnight pair comfortably survived what little play was possible with the persistent rain soon curtailing any possibility of a resumption.
Yesterday's rain was known about long in advance and was why yesterday's mammoth match saving effort from Mendis and Mathews was absolutely crucial in attaining such an unlikely result.
Sri Lanka's overnight pair comfortably survived what little play was possible with the persistent rain soon curtailing any possibility of a resumption.
Yesterday's rain was known about long in advance and was why yesterday's mammoth match saving effort from Mendis and Mathews was absolutely crucial in attaining such an unlikely result.
You can get way cheaper tickets than that depending on the day/where you sit. I've gone in for some on the 5th day for £20 each. They probably won't be great seats if I get them but they're aren't restricted view.
Day 1-3 you can get tickets for £55
Day 4 you get tickets for £40
Chris O'Connor
Player Valuation: £35m
There are concerns over the state of the Melbourne drop in wicket that will be used in the third test starting in the very early hours on boxing day GMT.
Following the Melbourne bore draw in last winter's ashes series and the "poor" rating handed to it by the ICC at the end of the match, a significant change will be made in March when the concrete base of the pitches that has been in place since the late 1990s will be removed and traded for the system now favoured by Adelaide Oval and Perth Stadium.
This will all come too late for next Wednesday's test and there are some ominous signs that the current method of preparation and the measures taken to try to improve matters are only having strictly limited success if any at all.
After the ashes test the ICC match referee Ranjan Madugalle stated: "The bounce of the MCG pitch was medium, but slow in pace and got slower as the match progressed," Madugalle said. "The nature of the pitch did not change over the five days and there was no natural deterioration. As such, the pitch did not allow an even contest between the bat and the ball...."
Numerous short-term changes have resulted, including a reduction from 10 to seven pitches on the square to allow for more wear and tear; renovation of existing pitches to improve their clay profile, and placement of a layer of sand on the concrete slab in the centre of the MCG to soften the connection between the pitches and the base.
Last summer there was not a single outright result in any of the first-class matches scheduled at the MCG. So far this summer, Victoria have beaten New South Wales by an innings thanks largely to Marcus Harris' unbeaten 250, before draws with South Australia and Western Australia.
Now the dust has settled after the first two tests the bookmakers have also had time to reflect the consensus on who will win the series with odds reflecting the weight of money and most likely probability considering the possibly docile wicket at the MCG is next.
All still close enough but Australia are now clear favourites although unchanged at 17/10, the drawn series is now 9/4 and India unchanged at 23/10
A draw at Melbourne would make it in effect a one test series and in that scenario perhaps one side winning is more likely than a drawn series.
Following the Melbourne bore draw in last winter's ashes series and the "poor" rating handed to it by the ICC at the end of the match, a significant change will be made in March when the concrete base of the pitches that has been in place since the late 1990s will be removed and traded for the system now favoured by Adelaide Oval and Perth Stadium.
This will all come too late for next Wednesday's test and there are some ominous signs that the current method of preparation and the measures taken to try to improve matters are only having strictly limited success if any at all.
After the ashes test the ICC match referee Ranjan Madugalle stated: "The bounce of the MCG pitch was medium, but slow in pace and got slower as the match progressed," Madugalle said. "The nature of the pitch did not change over the five days and there was no natural deterioration. As such, the pitch did not allow an even contest between the bat and the ball...."
Numerous short-term changes have resulted, including a reduction from 10 to seven pitches on the square to allow for more wear and tear; renovation of existing pitches to improve their clay profile, and placement of a layer of sand on the concrete slab in the centre of the MCG to soften the connection between the pitches and the base.
Last summer there was not a single outright result in any of the first-class matches scheduled at the MCG. So far this summer, Victoria have beaten New South Wales by an innings thanks largely to Marcus Harris' unbeaten 250, before draws with South Australia and Western Australia.
Now the dust has settled after the first two tests the bookmakers have also had time to reflect the consensus on who will win the series with odds reflecting the weight of money and most likely probability considering the possibly docile wicket at the MCG is next.
All still close enough but Australia are now clear favourites although unchanged at 17/10, the drawn series is now 9/4 and India unchanged at 23/10
A draw at Melbourne would make it in effect a one test series and in that scenario perhaps one side winning is more likely than a drawn series.
summerisle
The rain, it raineth every day
Should stand Lancashire in good stead.
Some other news :
Some other news :
summerisle
The rain, it raineth every day
Chris O'Connor
Player Valuation: £35m
Don't judge the MCG pitch by the expected preponderance of green grass geared towards ensuring a result after last year's bore draw during the Ashes series, is the apparent message from the Australian opener Marcus Harris. Harris should be a decent guide as noone has spent more time batting on the MCG's hotly-debated pitches than the former West Australian now playing for Victoria ahead of the crucial third test between Australia and India on boxing day,
Harris scored a monumental unbeaten 250 in the Sheffield Shield win over New South Wales but expects this to be similar to the one encountered in the recent drawn match with South Australia.
"I think this one will be very similar to the South Australian game which we were probably happy with the most. We were unlucky not to get a result through rain, but there seemed to be a bit there for everyone; a bit there for the quicks, a couple of guys scored hundreds and the feedback we got from that game was really positive. I know we are still three days out but are looking at a wicket that will be similar to that."
As a result, Harris is expecting slow scoring but the opportunity for runs to be made by batsmen diligent enough to play within their lanes. "Pre-match when I saw the wicket I was really freaked out and I thought 'this game's going to be over in a day and a half and we've got blokes trying to vie for Test spots', so I went into the game with no expectations on myself and the wicket actually played pretty well,"
The toss as always could go a long way to deciding this one.
India go into the game with a number of selection issues and their coach Ravi Shastri has come under some heavy fire from the critics back home for both the selection of four number elevens, poor injury management and an all seam attack in Perth. Shastri revealed that without Ashwin they had little choice as Jadeja was less than eighty percent fit, had flown out carrying an injury and couldn't be risked, while at the same time indicating that an eighty percent fit Jadeja would play in Melbourne if Ravi Ashwin can't make it. The selection of Umesh over the alternative seamer, Bhuveshnwar Kumar who can also be a useful bat ensured a lengthy tail in Perth and that's a mistake they really can't afford to repeat.
Ravi Ashwin bowled to an empty net but it was hardly full pelt and a decision on his readiness will be made later, they need to need to guard against the temptation to play an not fully recovered Ashwin, it's a risk they took at Southampton last summer which backfired spectacularly and Ravi Shastri on Sunday stated that spinner Ravichandran Ashwin remains doubtful.
Other than Ashwin there are other areas of concern too especially the openers lack of form, although another batsman Rohit Sharma should recover from a back injury in time to play.
Young prospective new opener Mayank Argawal could replace one of the failing openers KL Rahul or M Vijay at Melbourne, even if this selection in itself would be a huge gamble, Argawal is in line because of the absence of emerging star Prithvi Shaw. Argawal took a blow on the hand by a short ball from little more than a throwdown in the nets on Sunday, so not the best of preparations.
There has been plenty regarding Kohli's recent series of contretemps mainly from former players saying he has to remember he's the captain and not go 'beserk' at every wicket, a few Aussies questioning whether his behaviour would be tolerated if an Australian had done the same.
This reminds me a little of Australia's attempts in the past to distract players, make them think of peripheral stuff and lessen their concentration on the job in hand and what's important, its been a continuing theme in Australian cricket and to get under the opposition's skin and undermine them is the aim. Remember all that nonsense regarding Bairstow's supposed headbutt in last Winter's ashes?
Kohli can't allow himself to be deflected by all this noise from former players and the media.
The odds are extremely close which possibly means who wins the toss will be favourites
Australia 11/10 fav, India 6/4, draw 5/1
Harris scored a monumental unbeaten 250 in the Sheffield Shield win over New South Wales but expects this to be similar to the one encountered in the recent drawn match with South Australia.
"I think this one will be very similar to the South Australian game which we were probably happy with the most. We were unlucky not to get a result through rain, but there seemed to be a bit there for everyone; a bit there for the quicks, a couple of guys scored hundreds and the feedback we got from that game was really positive. I know we are still three days out but are looking at a wicket that will be similar to that."
As a result, Harris is expecting slow scoring but the opportunity for runs to be made by batsmen diligent enough to play within their lanes. "Pre-match when I saw the wicket I was really freaked out and I thought 'this game's going to be over in a day and a half and we've got blokes trying to vie for Test spots', so I went into the game with no expectations on myself and the wicket actually played pretty well,"
The toss as always could go a long way to deciding this one.
India go into the game with a number of selection issues and their coach Ravi Shastri has come under some heavy fire from the critics back home for both the selection of four number elevens, poor injury management and an all seam attack in Perth. Shastri revealed that without Ashwin they had little choice as Jadeja was less than eighty percent fit, had flown out carrying an injury and couldn't be risked, while at the same time indicating that an eighty percent fit Jadeja would play in Melbourne if Ravi Ashwin can't make it. The selection of Umesh over the alternative seamer, Bhuveshnwar Kumar who can also be a useful bat ensured a lengthy tail in Perth and that's a mistake they really can't afford to repeat.
Ravi Ashwin bowled to an empty net but it was hardly full pelt and a decision on his readiness will be made later, they need to need to guard against the temptation to play an not fully recovered Ashwin, it's a risk they took at Southampton last summer which backfired spectacularly and Ravi Shastri on Sunday stated that spinner Ravichandran Ashwin remains doubtful.
Other than Ashwin there are other areas of concern too especially the openers lack of form, although another batsman Rohit Sharma should recover from a back injury in time to play.
Young prospective new opener Mayank Argawal could replace one of the failing openers KL Rahul or M Vijay at Melbourne, even if this selection in itself would be a huge gamble, Argawal is in line because of the absence of emerging star Prithvi Shaw. Argawal took a blow on the hand by a short ball from little more than a throwdown in the nets on Sunday, so not the best of preparations.
There has been plenty regarding Kohli's recent series of contretemps mainly from former players saying he has to remember he's the captain and not go 'beserk' at every wicket, a few Aussies questioning whether his behaviour would be tolerated if an Australian had done the same.
This reminds me a little of Australia's attempts in the past to distract players, make them think of peripheral stuff and lessen their concentration on the job in hand and what's important, its been a continuing theme in Australian cricket and to get under the opposition's skin and undermine them is the aim. Remember all that nonsense regarding Bairstow's supposed headbutt in last Winter's ashes?
Kohli can't allow himself to be deflected by all this noise from former players and the media.
The odds are extremely close which possibly means who wins the toss will be favourites
Australia 11/10 fav, India 6/4, draw 5/1
summerisle
The rain, it raineth every day
I've given up on football, can't wait for the summer. Chance to win tickets for the Ashes, just name, address and e-mail needed.