Cricket

[The Gaffer]

There's a good reason why Australians kick ass at sport and that's because most of them play it instead of sitting on their arses watching Sky Sports. They're usually pretty gracious winners. They also seem to take it a bit too seriously so it's great on the rare occasions that they lose.

Actually, if there was one player who made the difference between England and the rest at RWC, it was Martin Johnson not Jonny Wilkinson. In union, you can win without a decent kicker (see New Zealand) but you cannot win without a decent front five.

[Janny]

Originally posted by The Gaffer
They're usually pretty gracious winners.

you know as well as I do how we'd have got it if ol' Jonny hadn't dropped that goal!

[The Gaffer]

I don't know, Janny. It was in the run-up to those games that they were moaning and whingeing like they claim the pommies do. Afterwards they were all "best team won, mate".

I didn't hear too many English commentators the saying similar when Ireland did them over at Twickers (though to be fair some of the players did). Keep an eye on it on Saturday and see what they're like when France do the same.

[The Gaffer]

Any comments on the historic past couple of weeks?
- Brian Lara's world record 400 not out
- India defeating Pakistan
- England winning in the West Indies
- etc

It's a pity Lara has been collared with the captaincy of a team in crisis and hasn't been able to produce this kind of thing more often.

[Janny]

Kent beat Gloustershire by 1 run! Go Sami! 6 for 20!

[Khamûl]

I understand cricket now! Yay! I had a general understanding after the explanations here on the 'moot, but I saw pictures and illustrations in an encyclopedia today and I get it now. I think I understand bails and popping creases and such.

[The Gaffer]

Wow! Have you ever seen a game? Do you get in on any obscure sports channel over in Alabama?

England are playing New Zealand in the First Test at the moment. NZ 280-odd for 5 but it looks like rain in London today, so that's probably going to be a draw then.

[The Gaffer]

He heh. I am "working from home" today, so I got to see Chris Cairns break the world record for most sixes hit in a Test career. He hit 80-odd of 50-ish balls this morning, including four awesome sixes. Gaun yersel, big man.

[Janny]

Me too, I'm on 'study leave'. I had to look up why Vettori wasn't out on a double hit though... seems and odd law that one, it's only bad to have a double hit if you're not trying to defend your wicket...

[Draken]

Double hit? Should be out for showing off - I always had trouble getting a single hit!

The England reply seems pretty strong so far, going by the sporting life website.

[The Gaffer]

What about that bloke hitting a hundred on his debut for England? It doesn't get much more "Boy's Own" than that.

I love the Channel 4 coverage. Boycott and Reeve are hilarious (I thought they were going to come to blows. And when they show you shots of the crowd and it's like a Who's Who of Crusty Old Farts (I saw John Major in there somewhere. Brrrr)

[Fenir_LacDanan]

Hey Gaff, I'm in Australia at the second, and they are bloody Cricket nuts. I dont mine the sport too much either, but much rather the user friendly one dayers to the tests.

Ireland dont play it. And given how drunk we normally are, and with little hard cricket balls rocketing at our heads, thats probably a good thing.

[Janny]

Actually, don't Ireland have a one-day side?...didn't they beat a 1st class county recently?

Yeah Gaffer, Channel 4 (aka 'Red TV') has very good coverage. 'That new boy' would be Andrew Stauss... like all English greats, a colonial import! He's from South Africa, put that in your pipe!

[Fenir_LacDanan]

Sorry Janny, You are correct.

Ireland has several county teams, and several more at lover level, and indeed has a "national side". I should have been more specific.

I meant a competing international side, one on par with England or Australia.

[Janny]

Ah right... I wasn't actually sure, I just had vague memories of there being an Ireland on 'Brian Lara Cricket'

[Fenir_LacDanan]

Lara, the WI champ, hosted a show for a little bit.

[Khamûl]

Originally posted by The Gaffer
Wow! Have you ever seen a game? Do you get in on any obscure sports channel over in Alabama?

Nope, I've never seen a game. And I have basic cable which means that I don't get exotic channels.

What is a 'six'? I don't remember reading about those.

[BelegS]

A six is a shot which clears the boundry fence through a skyward route.

I read in a rather suspicious newspapers article [Can't bother to check cricinfo] that Chris C made the new world record for the most sixes? Is it true? Can anyone following the Kiwi's and the Poms affirm it?

Biggest World Tragedy of 2004---Pakistan being whipped to pieces by India.

[Janny]

Well hello and welcome! Nice to meet you BelegS. Yes, Chris Cairnes got the record for the most sixes in test cricket in a career with 86 I think he got up to. 84 by Viv Richards was the previous best.

Khamul, I love the notion that cricket would be exotic channels.

I hope you're still Gaffer! I didn't scare you off with my left baiting?

[Khamûl]

Oh, ok... How many runs do you get for a six? (If you say six runs, I'm going to feel really, really stupid. )

Glad that you like that idea Janny, because it's true. Anything that's not baseball, (American) football, basketball, tennis, or golf almost never gets shown on ESPN (a sports network) or network television. Although I did watch the world table tennis championships the other day on ESPN.