I hate Cricket
 

and a couple of weeks ago I even made a silly uninformed comment that England are crap. Well after perusing the news, I see they could be on the verge of winning the ashes, so they are obviously not too bad.

so first of all I retract the comment that England are crap at cricket and secondly I wish the Cricketers, and their supporters, all the best of luck* in the up coming game.






*you'll need it, because the England Cricket team always f*ck up when it is important (just kidding! :p )

Re: I hate Cricket
 

Actually, england's lead in the ashes is in a comically large part down to luck. Three close tests, two of which they won, one which they drew, all three of which they got lucky decisions in

Re: I hate Cricket
 

I paid £15 to get the live feed for the days, even though I'm only working for two of those.

Still, well worth it.

Re: I hate Cricket
 

"I wouldn't want to denigrate a sport enjoyed by millions - many of whom are actually facing the right way."

Re: I hate Cricket
 

:rolleyes:

Re: I hate Cricket
 

One day an english team will achieve something and Deffeh will congratulate them on it and not claim it was luck/circumstances. I swear.

Re: I hate Cricket
 

:rolleyes:

Re: I hate Cricket
 

Why is there nobody talking on the film four cricket?

Re: I hate Cricket
 

Channel 4 are at the races and they only commentate when they have coverage there.

I think.

Re: I hate Cricket
 

It's ok, they just went quiet while they were having drinks.

Re: I hate Cricket
 

yeah cause usually over drinks they are on adverts

Re: I hate Cricket
 

'Kids say the Funniest Things'

Re: I hate Cricket
 

One day an english team will achieve something.

And one day you english people will have a sense of reality about how good you are :)

Re: I hate Cricket
 

We've been easily better than Australia in the last three tests.
They've only scored one century and the only bowler performing well is Warne.
They're pretty much a one-trick team at the moment.

We are the best team in the world bar none at the moment and everyone in the cricket world can see it.
Just because an angry scotsman can't doesn't mean we're not.

Re: I hate Cricket
 

Please disagree with this statement. Try and tell me that England havent been luckier than Australia with lbw and edge decisions in every test.

Re: I hate Cricket
 

we've had enough dropped catches and bad luck of our own to be honest. Look at the bloody Old Trafford test! another 10 minutes of play and we'd have won it.

Try and tell me that England haven't been better than Australia in every test.

Re: I hate Cricket
 

Dropped catches arent bad luck, they are your own fault.

Luck is something you have no control over. Catching a cricket ball you have control over, an umpire raising his finger wrongly you have no control over.

What about if thered been another hour's play? Australia were only 80 runs off winning. If there hadnt been cheap dismissals (ie 1329: WICKET Australia 129-3 (Martyn 19) England enjoy a huge slice of fortune when umpire Steve Bucknor gives Martyn out lbw to Harmison, even though replays show he got an inside edge. ) then maybe Australia wouldnt have been in that situation in the first place? The test ran WAY over, there was no more time left to play, you were in no way "unlucky". You could have declared earlier on day 4, that was your choice.

Why do so many people not understand the difference between being unlucky and unfortunate? England were "unfortunate" not to get the 10th wicket at old trafford. You werent unlucky, and didnt deserve to win, because you didnt take 20 australian wickets - nor did you bowl 20 balls that "deserved" 20 australian wickets.


As to your other point,

Australia were much better in the 1st test.

Tests 2, 3 and 4 have been very even, but England have got all the lucky decisions. Its quite that simple.

Re: I hate Cricket
 

You seem to have forgotten the fact that there was a lot of rain at Old Trafford.
All the lucky decisions? There were plenty that went against us too. It all equals out.

England have been better than Australia. Simple as that.

Re: I hate Cricket
 

Name one lucky decision that Australia have got. Even as we discuss this, Strauss edged Lee to Gilchrist and the umpire didnt even consider it.

Re: I hate Cricket
 

Gloat all you like, but you know on the whole we're better than you could ever dream to be.

Re: I hate Cricket
 

So are England the best team because they are good or because Australia have become crap?

Re: I hate Cricket
 

England are a great team. Better than Australia they are not.

Remember Old Trafford? 2nd test? Harmison catching Kasprowicz's glove to win it for England by 2 runs?

Kaspers glove was off his bat, it shouldnt have been given out

But why let the truth get in the way of an "England saves teh world!!!!!!!" story

Re: I hate Cricket
 

242-4 last i looked.

Average batting , but Strauss and Flintoff doing/did ok (not looked at updated score yet)

Re: I hate Cricket
 

because we went a lot of games undefeated and were ranked 2nd in the world before this series. If we don't lose this test then we are officially the best team in the world.
Take Warne out of the Australia team and they are very very average.

I really don't care how many times you point out "so and so wasn't out but the umpires gave it omgomg england are lucky" because we've had decisions go against us just as much.
It's only because we're winning that you're concentrating on the ones that go for us.
It's obvious we've played better than the aussies in the last 3 tests.

Re: I hate Cricket
 

And in the same test Bell was wasn't out in both innings and Pieterson in the 2nd yet were given out. People just concentrate on the shit decisions going Australia's way(which there have been move of I agree) because it looks like it caused them to lose the tests. They were totally outplayed in both the 2nd and 4th tests and they only ended up close because of great performances by Warne and Lee.

The third test then, a day was lost to rain which was unlucky but I agree England weren't unlucky not to win. Every possible over that could have been bowled was, there was plenty of extra time given. A great innings by Ponting and then Lee/Warne hanging around again saved them. Australia could never have won it though as even though they weren't that far off the England total that was mainly due to the hugely attacking fields, if they ever looked like winning the field would have dropped back and they wouldn't have got close.

Overall while Australia have been unlucky I believe England have been by far the better team and deserve to winthe series.

Re: I hate Cricket
 

You see, your argument might be even remotely valid if you give a few examples. How can you be "playing much better" if the games have all came down to a -bawhair- of being won or lost, and simultaeniously claim that the decisions that have gone against Australia havent meant anything, is quite frankly, unbelievably poor logic.

Please, name some decisions that have gone against England and give sources. I can give you double that have gone against Australia.

"It looked like it caused them to lose the tests" - what? If you cant see how losing batsmen unfairly hinders you in tight run chases causes you to lose test matches, then i cant really argue with you.

"Lee/Warne saved them". Lee and warne did very well. They batted nicely. What did you want them to do? Lie down? I suppose their innings dont really count because theyre tail enders? Thats like me saying "Australia deserve to win because Simon Jones has been really good and hes normally rubbish" or "England are lucky to be ahead, theyre only there because of Flintoff". You cant just take away a large part of a team and declare it irrelevant. The equivalent is saying "Labour were really lucky to win the election, they only did it because all the poor people vote for them".

So you admit Australia have been very unlucky, yet you think England drawing one and winning two tight tests, after Australia had players dismissed ridiculously, and had absolutely crushed England in the first test, have been "by far the better team". **** you, history books!

Re: I hate Cricket
 

See Midge's post for examples. I can't be bothered to go trawling through every over of every test to find how many good appeals England have had turned down compared to Australia. I know from watching pretty much every over of the last 3 tests that it was about the same.

Ok, if my argument is invalid how about yours?
"Australia are better than England but they're just unlucky." Bollocks.
They haven't looked like winning any of the last three tests until the last session, they never looked like winning at Old Trafford.

England totally deserve to win this series because they have played better than Australia. I really don't think you can argue with that.

Re: I hate Cricket
 

We'll ignore Collingwood's dismissal though shall we? That full toss lbw that hit him outside the off stump.

The truth is, England have outplayed Australia ever since Ricky Ponting made the biggest mistake of the series in sending England to bat first. Ponting has been out captained by Vaughan, and other than one good innings has batted just as poorly. Australia's top order batsmen all have sub-standard averages, and (other than Warne, who is an absolute legend)their bowling hasn't been great either. Australia's second best bowler, Lee, has worse bowling averages than Flintoff, Jones and Harmison, and has been the most costly bowler in the series. Oh yeah, and Gilchrist has embarassed himself repeatedly.

Re: I hate Cricket
 

Afore i get back to the discussion, i'll do you boys a little favour.

As of 11.55am, here are the odds from Blue Square. England all out for 373

England 9/4
Draw 5/2
Australia 10/11

Now i know what i've said, but as a gambling man, i'd say england are tremendous Value here. If you're a good englishman and genuinly dont believe you'll lose the ashes, then get your money at these prices, right now. I'll even show you how to cover the bet :

Put £20.77 on England to win at 9/4
Put £19.29 on the Draw at 5/2

£40.05 Total Wager
As long as England dont lose the test match, you win £67.50
ie a SURE profit of £27.45


Put your money where your mouth is lads.

Re: I hate Cricket
 

How the fk can you been unlucky for four whole test matches? It has been pointed out that there have been bad decisions for both sides. The fact of the matter is Australia don't know how to play with a swinging ball or a reverse swinging ball. They trying to play it early and on the up, with swing you have to play it late and that is the single biggest reason Australia are losing.

Matthew Hayden in the current test adapted his game so that he could play against swing and has just got a creditable century. If the other aussie batsmen had done the same Australia would be winning.

It has little to do with umpiring as England have had bad decisions aswell (Bell x 2, Pietersen, Collingwood, I could go on....). The single biggest reason England are winning is because they have bowlers who can swing the new and the old ball both conventionally and reversely...................and the fact that McGrath got injured.

Re: I hate Cricket
 

As I'm not a betting man in the slightest I didn't put any money on... DAMNIT.
IN YOUR FACE DEFFEH HAHAHAHA

Re: I hate Cricket
 

Cricket=gay