Have you watched any of the hundred Frankie ? I've not watched 1 ball myself as it's basically written off the international game in August here in England
I'm considering getting a ticket against the West Indies at lords but only day 4 & 5 available the way we play and how bad WI are probably won't go to 4th day unless it rains £125 for a decent seat sure I read it's full refund if the game is over before your days play
It's either that or try for a one dayer or T20 against Australia in September

I must have a bit of Indian in me somewhere coz I finally nutted it out.


You get 12 points for a win and 4 points for a "No Result" which everybody else calls a draw. Look at the 2nd graphic.


You do get deducted points for slow over-rates. There may be other ways to get points deducted but I don't know what they are.



This is the current table (Friday morning 25/3/24 Thai Time)






So look at India. Played 9 games so a possible maximum of 108 points. So 6 wins and 1 draw gives them 76 points minus a 2-point deduction for slow over rates in their loss in the 1st Test against South Africa

So 74 out of a possible 108 is 68.51%


Australia lost 10 points for a slow over-rate in the drawn Test at Manchester


England are the worst culprits as they lost points in 4 out of the 5 Ashes Tests for slow over-rates


It can be seen here







If Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh later today, England will be last on the table. However, if, and it is a big if, England win their next 6 Tests at home against the Windies and Sri Lanka this northern summer, they will improve to 48.43% (93 points out of a possible 192 points), good weather and no slow over-rate penalties permitting.


Just wondering if slow over rates are still a tactic in Test cricket? The West Indies always did it in the 70s & 80s before the rules were changed to a minimum amount of overs in a day's play. They got it down to 8-9 overs per hour. How can you score runs if you don't face enough balls?



Surely, in the "Spirit of Cricket", England would not stoop to these tactics?


dancing






Just a wind-up, lads



:toot:

I heard on radio today we'd be 5th if we never bowled slow

Probably, as you would have 40 points out of a possible 120 so 33.33% the same as Sri Lanka, Windies & Bangladesh but you have played more Tests. This will change again after this weekend with the upcoming SL/Bangla Test



Plus England has started with two 5 Test series against the top two Test-playing nations. It should get easier from here on in but nothing is a given as Australia found out when they lost to the lowly-ranked West Indies at the "fortress" Gabba.



And the Aussies somehow managed to beat the Kiwis but only thanks to Cameron Green in the First Test and Mitch Marsh and Alex Carey in the 2nd. The common thinking is that Australia is not playing well but still finding a way to win. It is the batting that is letting them down but selectors are not willing to change a winning team.



The 5 Test schedule against India for the next Australian summer has just been released. Cricket Australia has purposely started with Perth and Adelaide as that's where the Baggy Greens perform best. The idea is to be 2-0 up before heading to Brisbane, Melbourne & Sydney.



After that, the Aussies go to Sri Lanka for 2 Tests where they are notorious for playing badly. That should be their last matches in the current WTC cycle.



England go to Pakistan for 3 Tests in October then 3 Tests in NZ in Nov/Dec



So a long way to go yet



:toot:

This site gives you all the future programs coming up in cricket.


Here is a link to all of England's upcoming matches up to 2027


England Cricket Future Tours



:detective:

I tried watching The 100 (or 16.4) but can't get away with it because the teams are franchised and mean nothing to me. I couldn't give a shiny shite if the KP Crisps Sunrisers beat the Dunkin' Doughnuts All Stars as they mean fuck all to me and I couldn't care less. Totally different with County Cricket as I would like to watch say Derbyshire thrash Surrey in the CC or even T20. At least way there is history and tradition behind those sorts of games. The bits of the 100 I watched had me trying to work out in my mind which player played for which County rather than concentrate on the irrelevant manufactured franchise. Plus you've got overs being called sets and the TV screen filled with stats that are difficult to comprehend. And of course as it's the ECB's pet project all other formats have to be sidelined for it including the biggest money spinner of the lot Test cricket.

Back to the real cricket. I'm going to the Trent Bridge Test, as it's the farthest north venue, against the Windies. Got tickets for the first 2 days. Mate did the booking and managed somehow to pick up the tickets on-line by claiming to be an ECB member, or something. Normally he tries every year for either an ODI or Test and we get fuck all, or like last year Day 4 at Headingley in The Ashes but that worked out great in the end.

Don't know how accurate that website is Baz but if this is correct then I reckon we will turn India over.

Jan - Feb 2025
Tour of England 2025
Matches: 3 ODI, 5 T20
Venue: England.

Not be many bunsen burners that time of year and the weather will not be what the Indians are used to.

Maybe playing indoors? :blink:



Actually, that has been tried before at the Docklands (now called Marvel) Stadium in Melbourne about 25 years ago. Australia played South Africa in August right in the middle of the Australian football season. Poor crowd attendances ensured the idea was scrapped.


With its retractable roof, it is mainly used for football, sporting events, and concerts. It is the home of the Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash. It can hold over 50,000 for sporting events and more for concerts


Docklands Stadium



Think how many more cricket games in England would end in a result if you had a ground like this


dancing

Bit of a shock to see England lose that Test at The Oval yesterday. Complacency? I had them pencilled in for a 6-0 Test summer as did probably everyone else.


I love reading the comments on the BBC website. They seem to get twice as many comments when England lose :haha:


Australia did exactly the same thing when they got beaten by the Windies in the last Australian summer at, of all places, the "fortress" Gabba. It happens


Moving onto some T20Is between England and Australia this week. With Warner and Smith gone from T20Is, I can start watching them again. :yay:


I lived more than half of my 71 years in Western Australia so to see 7 blokes who came through the WA system play against Scotland :scotty: on Sunday had me quite chuffed.


Numbers 3-9 on the batting list

Marsh M. (C)
Cameron Green
Tim David
Aaron Hardie
Marcus Stoinis
Josh Inglis
Cooper Connolly


With our man Mitch as captain, the likes of Green & Hardie are getting more opportunities with both the bat & ball. Hardie opened the bowling on Sunday for example. These guys are genuine allrounders.


The plan is to get Hardie into the Australian Test team along side Mitch and Green and another Western Australian fast bowler in Lance Morris (AKA "Wild Thing"). Inglis to replace Carey as WK too. Bazza's wet dream. :3some:



The problem of course is the NSW Test bowling cartel of Cummins, Starc, Hazelwood & Lyon. Nothing will change whilst they are still around :angryold:


England has made changes to their Test lineup this year. About time that Australia did the same.


Anyway, let's see how they go against the Poms on Thursday. A different kettle of fish to Scotland but my fingers are crossed.


:toot:

Was off work last week so went and watched Durham v. Lancashire in the County Championship. Durham won the toss opted to bowl and bowled Lancashire all out for 228. However in reply Durham were struggling at 99 for 4. Then came a 5th wicket partnership of 425 runs between David Bedingham and Colin Ackermann. I couldn't believe what I was watching, I can't ever recall seeing a partnership of this size either live or on TV. Durham finished on 573 for 9 declared.

But it looked like it would be a draw as in yet another useless experiment by the fuckwits at the ECB the kookaburra ball was being used in this round of the CC. It's abysmal to bowl with in England as after some early movement, at the beginning of an innings, the ball scuffs up and then won't swing or seam. Plus the wicket had played pretty flat so it looked like the bowlers would be struggling. However Matty Potts had different ideas and took career best figures of 9 for 68 and bowled Durham to victory and him back into contention for an England place.

A really good 4 days of CC cricket that the ECB would love to radically alter or even abolish. The win means that Durham should be safe from relegation, although mathematically that's still possible. But it's also mathematically possible for them to win the County Championship and they play leaders Surrey next week. Keeps things interesting.