The Official Cricket Thread

[penguin]

Ian Bell falls 10 short of a century on his final appearance for Warwickshire (in red ball cricket anyway)...as ever, elegant runs and a slight sense of disappointment.

Up there with the batsman I have most enjoyed watching in my life.

[JM2K6]

Tricky pitch in this T20. Banton went early, Aussies blew both their reviews. Bairstow and Malan struggling to time it, then Malan got out trying to belt it. Bairstow has hit a few sixes and starting to look a bit more steady but it's an ugly pitch to play on.

Billings, who is shite and I do not understand the point of him - 2 50s in 26 innings and average of 17 for a "highly rated" almost 30 year old - came and went, getting caught at slip reverse sweeping for 4.

[ScarfaceClaw]

Ian Bell falls 10 short of a century on his final appearance for Warwickshire (in red ball cricket anyway)...as ever, elegant runs and a slight sense of disappointment.

Up there with the batsman I have most enjoyed watching in my life.

When he was in full flow he was just effortlessly graceful.

[JM2K6]

England crawl to 145/6. At this point it's essentially a 2nd team for batting, but even so that was pretty ugly viewing. Aussies heavy favourites here.

[JM2K6]

Insane first over for Australia. Archer bowling 93mph, gets whacked to the boundary, then has Finch terrified to come forward, then Wade flaps one over the keeper... then absolutely nails one for a huge six.

Gutsy bloke!

[Enzedder]

Stokes must be pulling his hair out watching this

[And 1 guest]

Stokes must be pulling his hair out watching this

It's OK. Warne, Vaughan and gough can help him replace it

[JM2K6]

Comfortable enough in the end for Australia, though they really wobbled against the slow bowler. Engand's fielding was awful, dropped catches - Bairstow managed to drop a skier despite having the fucking gloves on - misfields, and poor throwing. Rashid was immense, 3 wickets and should've had more. Was pretty obvious that Wood and Archer bowling at full pace would be a mistake and so it proved, they were really expensive.

Warne was absolutely insufferable, wanking on about his favourites constantly. His bleating about Archer not bowling out - when he'd bowled 3 overs for 34 runs - just made the final few hours almost unlistenable.

[And 1 guest]

This is getting interesting.

[Insane_Homer]

This is getting interesting.

you mean Aus are done...

[And 1 guest]

This is getting interesting.

you mean Aus are done...

Aye, but when I posted it Archer and Woakes were in the middle of wiping out the middle order

[And 1 guest]

Morgan did that brilliantly

[Insane_Homer]

after being 0/2 after 2 balls, ~300 should be a very handy total.

[Insane_Homer]

302/7 excellent

Great work from Woakes to get that over 300.

[SaintK]

after being 0/2 after 2 balls, ~300 should be a very handy total.

300 up
Superb 50 from Woakes coming in at 7

[Green light echo]

after being 0/2 after 2 balls, ~300 should be a very handy total.

300 up
Superb 50 from Woakes coming in at 7

Pyjama cricket isn't it. However go the Australians!

[Green light echo]

Ouch that looked like that hurt

[Insane_Homer]

Aus resurrecting from the dead after the Archer no-ball reprieve!

[Insane_Homer]

Tons for Carey and Maxwell

[Insane_Homer]

Anyone else think Carey is a young Swiss Tony?

[handyman]

A winning start for RCB and another 50 for AB.

Sidenote, Dale Steyn's new hairstyle

[Paddington Bear]

Bumping for this:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/54955330

Disappointing but hardly surprising.

[Enzedder]

Bumping for this:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/54955330

Disappointing but hardly surprising.

But ... it's always been like this.

[Paddington Bear]

Bumping for this:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/54955330

Disappointing but hardly surprising.

But ... it's always been like this.

The sad part is that cricket is better placed than any other sport (certainly in England) to bring together white people and the UK's largest ethnic minority communities. Look at our World Cup winning side - Adil Rashid telling us Allah was with us in front of the MCC blazers. That's how it could be.
Instead we see stories like this again and again, from discrimination at the top to de facto segregated clubs at the bottom.

[Biffer]

Better news with next summer's schedule in England announced.

Have put my name in a ticket ballot for the Trent Bridge test.

[Paddington Bear]

Yes, looks to be a good schedule. Think I'm going to risk it and renew my Middlesex membership, hopefully will get something out of it.

[Biffer]

Yes, looks to be a good schedule. Think I'm going to risk it and renew my Middlesex membership, hopefully will get something out of it.

Oooh, get you!

Nah, good effort, I nearly took out Notts membership when I lived down there but just wouldn’t have got the value out of it.

How does Middlesex membership work alongside the MCC, their members and Lords?

Also, me and my mates who normally go to Test matches are thinking about going to a county game at an ‘out’ ground. Do Middlesex have any, and are they any good? I’ve got an eye on Scarborough tbh, as the festival looks fun, but having a look round at other grounds (non-Test) as well - Brighton, Taunton, Worcester.

[Paddington Bear]

Yes, looks to be a good schedule. Think I'm going to risk it and renew my Middlesex membership, hopefully will get something out of it.

Oooh, get you!

Nah, good effort, I nearly took out Notts membership when I lived down there but just wouldn’t have got the value out of it.

How does Middlesex membership work alongside the MCC, their members and Lords?

Also, me and my mates who normally go to Test matches are thinking about going to a county game at an ‘out’ ground. Do Middlesex have any, and are they any good? I’ve got an eye on Scarborough tbh, as the festival looks fun, but having a look round at other grounds (non-Test) as well - Brighton, Taunton, Worcester.

Middlesex members are broadly treated like MCC members for Middlesex matches only. I.e. you get into the pavilion etc. You're a voting member of Middlesex but have no affiliation to the MCC and you get a slightly better chance of getting a Test match ticket than the general public.

You don't even have to book ahead for the T20s - there are always enough seats unsold for all Middlesex members.

Middlesex, not owning Lords', use outgrounds a lot but I find most of them a bit underwhelming. Merchant Taylors is a nice ground if very public school, I've played at Uxbridge and Radlett and neither does a lot for me. I imagine Richmond is nice but haven't been myself.
Scarborough is one I really want to do, Chesterfield as well.

[Biffer]

Yes, looks to be a good schedule. Think I'm going to risk it and renew my Middlesex membership, hopefully will get something out of it.

Oooh, get you!

Nah, good effort, I nearly took out Notts membership when I lived down there but just wouldn’t have got the value out of it.

How does Middlesex membership work alongside the MCC, their members and Lords?

Also, me and my mates who normally go to Test matches are thinking about going to a county game at an ‘out’ ground. Do Middlesex have any, and are they any good? I’ve got an eye on Scarborough tbh, as the festival looks fun, but having a look round at other grounds (non-Test) as well - Brighton, Taunton, Worcester.

Middlesex members are broadly treated like MCC members for Middlesex matches only. I.e. you get into the pavilion etc. You're a voting member of Middlesex but have no affiliation to the MCC and you get a slightly better chance of getting a Test match ticket than the general public.

You don't even have to book ahead for the T20s - there are always enough seats unsold for all Middlesex members.

Middlesex, not owning Lords', use outgrounds a lot but I find most of them a bit underwhelming. Merchant Taylors is a nice ground if very public school, I've played at Uxbridge and Radlett and neither does a lot for me. I imagine Richmond is nice but haven't been myself.
Scarborough is one I really want to do, Chesterfield as well.

Cool, thanks. We're looking at Scarborough and Cheltenham or maybe something like Sedbergh. I've seen some mutterings that outgrounds might take a bit of an upswing again if The Hundred is successful, which makes a lot of sense - the big stadiums aren't designed for county four day games. We've also thought of going down to Brighton as well, which would be a good couple of days I think. And a Test match in Dublin is on our agenda as well!

[Un Pilier]

Yes, looks to be a good schedule. Think I'm going to risk it and renew my Middlesex membership, hopefully will get something out of it.

Oooh, get you!

Nah, good effort, I nearly took out Notts membership when I lived down there but just wouldn’t have got the value out of it.

How does Middlesex membership work alongside the MCC, their members and Lords?

Also, me and my mates who normally go to Test matches are thinking about going to a county game at an ‘out’ ground. Do Middlesex have any, and are they any good? I’ve got an eye on Scarborough tbh, as the festival looks fun, but having a look round at other grounds (non-Test) as well - Brighton, Taunton, Worcester.

Middlesex members are broadly treated like MCC members for Middlesex matches only. I.e. you get into the pavilion etc. You're a voting member of Middlesex but have no affiliation to the MCC and you get a slightly better chance of getting a Test match ticket than the general public.

You don't even have to book ahead for the T20s - there are always enough seats unsold for all Middlesex members.

Middlesex, not owning Lords', use outgrounds a lot but I find most of them a bit underwhelming. Merchant Taylors is a nice ground if very public school, I've played at Uxbridge and Radlett and neither does a lot for me. I imagine Richmond is nice but haven't been myself.
Scarborough is one I really want to do, Chesterfield as well.

I used to watch cricket at Queen’s Park, Chesterfield a lot back in the seventies when Derbyshire played there. Lovely ground back then. Saw some great games and players including all the touring sides. We had a bunch of regulars in front of the beer tent by the pavilion. Happy days

[shereblue]

Oooh, get you!

Nah, good effort, I nearly took out Notts membership when I lived down there but just wouldn’t have got the value out of it.

How does Middlesex membership work alongside the MCC, their members and Lords?

Also, me and my mates who normally go to Test matches are thinking about going to a county game at an ‘out’ ground. Do Middlesex have any, and are they any good? I’ve got an eye on Scarborough tbh, as the festival looks fun, but having a look round at other grounds (non-Test) as well - Brighton, Taunton, Worcester.

Middlesex members are broadly treated like MCC members for Middlesex matches only. I.e. you get into the pavilion etc. You're a voting member of Middlesex but have no affiliation to the MCC and you get a slightly better chance of getting a Test match ticket than the general public.

You don't even have to book ahead for the T20s - there are always enough seats unsold for all Middlesex members.

Middlesex, not owning Lords', use outgrounds a lot but I find most of them a bit underwhelming. Merchant Taylors is a nice ground if very public school, I've played at Uxbridge and Radlett and neither does a lot for me. I imagine Richmond is nice but haven't been myself.
Scarborough is one I really want to do, Chesterfield as well.

Cool, thanks. We're looking at Scarborough and Cheltenham or maybe something like Sedbergh. I've seen some mutterings that outgrounds might take a bit of an upswing again if The Hundred is successful, which makes a lot of sense - the big stadiums aren't designed for county four day games. We've also thought of going down to Brighton as well, which would be a good couple of days I think. And a Test match in Dublin is on our agenda as well!

Not the closest but as a southern softie, Tonbridge Wells with the Daily Telegraph and Arundel with the Tablet are two cracking outgrounds

[Paddington Bear]

Pujara and Kohli batting time - should be a very nice background to work this morning

[Gumboot]

India 36/9 in their second innings.

Nothing remotely sus to see here, no siree...




Edit: Shami cops one on the forearm and retires hurt. Australia's target is 90 and India are down a bowler.

[stemoc]

[Insane_Homer]

Bookies doing well!

[Torquemada 1420]

All I can say is......

[Sandstorm]

15/2. Soon after 15/5

[Biffer]

Some collapse from India.

In other news, I bought tickets for the Trent Bridge test match in August earlier on this week. Better days to come.

[Hal Jordan]

Leather jackets all round!

[Torquemada 1420]

And tbh, that Ireland one does not merit test status. So, well done India