The Official Cricket Thread

[craigb]

Ha!!! at last the poms win, good on 'em too.

best thing about it was that shame worn got himself out.

If you hate cricket so much, how come you were watching. :confused:

PS
I owe you a reddie

[silentC]

Latest news is that a slow motion replay shows Kasper wasn't out!! Right hand was not holding the bat, under the rules of cricket, shouldn't have been given out. At least he can console himself with that.

That was nail-biting stuff, wasn't it? Unbelievable....

[craigb]

I don't remember who the umpire was that gave the decision. Please don't tell me it was Bowden.

Yes it was a real thriller alright.

[silentC]

It may go down as one of the greatest Test matches ever played but television replays appear to show Michael Kasprowicz was given out incorrectly.

The Australian tailender was deemed out after a Steve Harmison delivery clipped his right glove and flew into wicketkeeper Geraint Jones's waiting hands - sparking a frenzy of delight among English players and fans.

But if there is any consolation for the dispirited Australian team - and millions of their supporters - it is that freeze-frame footage seems to indicate umpire Billy Bowden should not have given the dogged Kasprowicz out.

Slow motion replays appear to reveal that the No. 11's right hand was not in contact with his bat at the precise moment the ball brushed against it.

Sorry...

[TassieKiwi]

A kiwi too. Well, I never. Of course we wanted the Aussies to win.

[silentC]

I think it was a tough call, even for a Kiwi. Just a shame that they got so close.

Anyway, I don't think we deserved to win it. No-one would've expected Lee and Kasper to get that close and they shouldn't have been in the position. If the shoe was on the other foot, how would the batsmen get on if they had to bowl?

Three to go and on past form, England will choke. If they win the series, they can get excited then.

[Daddles]

So bloody Bowden's got it wrong again, and this time it really did matter.

Sorry, I used to like the thought of a bit of a character as an umpire, but after watching the clown live for two days, I started to realise that his ability is as dodgy as his antics. Really, I was amazed at how he carries on and just how dodgy he is as an umpire. He should NOT be umpiring at international level. This doesn't prove it, just gives me something else to growl about. Umpires will make mistakes - it happens and I'm one of those funny ones who believes that they should be allowed to make blues and not to can them with slow motion, freeze frame, computer generated images. However, at the matches, I could pick flaws with BB from the boundary line using field glasses, some of his errors and misjudgements were obvious without the glasses and he copped a lot of derision as we watched the big screen replay. He shouldn't be out there.

And the now he's ruined a match. I don't care if it was a very hard decision to judge. All his other problems cancel that consideration out for me.

Grumps
Richard
hmm, must be overdue for me flu tablet

[silentC]

Ah yes but I'm sure Bowden has made few calls that have caused Ponting to thank his lucky stars for short-sighted, eccentric Kiwis too.

[Gumby]

Dean Jones was on the radio this morning. He was really ****** off that we let that test get away but even more annoyed at Bowden. A couple of 'plumb' LB's weren't given by him when the poms were batting.

I think his antics are becoming boring too.

[Daddles]

One thing Billy Bowden is NOT and that's biased. I think he's out there genuinely trying to do the fairest and best job he can. He's just not up to it.

That's the thing about dodgy decisions - the impact they have on the game depends on when they happen. With only two runs or one wicket between a decision, you've got to be real careful. Anyone who's watched cricket for any period knows that the mistakes all balance out over a series or so.

I'm not grumpy with BB for muffing this call, just that a dud call wasn't a surprise coming from him.

Now, if we want 'good' umpiring, we need only think back over the years to some of the games on the sub-continent where a local batsman could sometimes hope to escape a clean bowled decision (I exagerate but there have been times when I've wondered by how much). And I know we've produced a few questionable umps over the years. But I also know the cricket world has some very good umpires available to it. I never did like the 'neutral' umpire rule - I don't remember any problems about bias in Ashes tests in the past when Aussie and/or Pommy umpires were used. If they are the best available (and I'm not claiming they necessarily are), they should be used. Besides, why should an ump miss out on working in his own country?

Bah
Humbug
Grrrrrrrr
Richard
I think I'll wash down me next flu tablet with scotch

[Daddles]

... He was really ****** off that we let that test get away ...

That's the telling point isn't it. Regardless of the umpiring, we should not have let this test get away from us. We've got batsmen who claim to be among the best in the world, well, they can flamin' well hit some runs ... well, a couple more would have been good

Richard

[Driver]

That's the telling point isn't it. Regardless of the umpiring, we should not have let this test get away from us. We've got batsmen who claim to be among the best in the world, well, they can flamin' well hit some runs ... well, a couple more would have been good

Richard

You're right - a couple more would have been good. But you're also wrong. The Aussie batsmen don't just claim to be among the best in the world. They have proved that they are the best in the world.

There are three more Test matches to come in this series. If they're all as exciting as the Edgbaston Test then - as spectators - we'll have nothing to complain about.

Personally, I can't wait.

[silentC]

If they're all as exciting as the Edgbaston Test

God I hope not. I don't think myself or Mrs C could stand it....

[jow104]

What's all the fuss about, we'ed have got him next ball anyway, don't forget I was doing my bit on the TV set at home.

[Gumby]

I saw the replay of you turning off your TV John and it clearly showed that you didn't actually turn it off.

And by the way Ricky.....

Give Hussey a bat !!!!