Cricket

JohnnyKills

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I love cricket, it's my favorite sport and I have followed Lancs and England since the late sixties. With that being said I wonder how some of you guys fell in love with the game. For me it begin with the advent of the John Player League in 1969. It turned out Lancashire were good at the limited overs stuff and I was hooked. My first memories of test match cricket came a year later in 1970. England were supposed to play South Africa but because of the "D'Oliveira affair" there was going to be no cricket that summer so England played the Rest of the World instead. The tour really piqued my attention since Basil D'Oliveira had played for Middleton in the Central Lancs League a number of years earlier and he lived next door to my aunt so when I went to visit her I used to play football (funnily enough) with his son Damian. Thus when the shit hit the fan as far as not letting Basil play on the South African tour of 68/69 I really took notice. It's funny how the mind works because the only things that stick out for me from that series were the Rest of the World won and Eddie Barlow wore glasses. I have since been to most of the test grounds in the UK watching England and actually traveled to the West Indies (not quite barmy army level) to do the same. Over the years (ironically enough since it was my first exposure to the game) I've found limited overs cricket to be OK but IMLTHO you can't beat the 5 day game.

..............Test match cricket, greatest game ever invented.
Sorry mate, late to this. For me it was watching that great Lancs side of the mid-90s (went to same school as a few of the players and played for Neil Fairbrother's club). Also watching that great Aussie side, particularly Mark Waugh and Shane Warne. Remember their battles with South Africa like it was yesterday.

Love United but cricket is number 1 for me.
 

Tony Banta

Last Man Standing champion 2023/24
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Last day of the County Championship tomorrow. Essex look set for the title and will complete a double after winning the T20 Blast on Saturday. That might be the first T20/Championship double?

Can’t see Somerset bowling Essex out twice in a day. (This may come back to bite me) Essex currently 25/0 in their 1st innings, replying to Somerset 203.

Being from Essex, I’m a huge fan of the Eagles. Disappointing end I guess, with the weather but Essex will be deserving Champions. They’ve been the best County team in the last few years, after winning promotion from Division 2 as champions in 2016, in 2017 as many pundits favourites to drop straight back down, they won the Championship, unbeaten. In 2018 they finished 3rd but went to champions Surrey in the final game and won, stopping Surrey going unbeaten and now in 2019 looking likely champions after only losing once this year and that was the opening game.

Their T20 victory was awesome, 2 wins after 10 group games, every game then became must win, results went for them in the final group game but they comfortably despatched Lancashire in the QF and Derbyshire in SF, to then beat the defending champions in the final off the very last ball was special.

What a summer for Cricket. What a few years for Essex cricket.
 

JohnnyKills

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Last day of the County Championship tomorrow. Essex look set for the title and will complete a double after winning the T20 Blast on Saturday. That might be the first T20/Championship double?

Can’t see Somerset bowling Essex out twice in a day. (This may come back to bite me) Essex currently 25/0 in their 1st innings, replying to Somerset 203.

Being from Essex, I’m a huge fan of the Eagles. Disappointing end I guess, with the weather but Essex will be deserving Champions. They’ve been the best County team in the last few years, after winning promotion from Division 2 as champions in 2016, in 2017 as many pundits favourites to drop straight back down, they won the Championship, unbeaten. In 2018 they finished 3rd but went to champions Surrey in the final game and won, stopping Surrey going unbeaten and now in 2019 looking likely champions after only losing once this year and that was the opening game.

Their T20 victory was awesome, 2 wins after 10 group games, every game then became must win, results went for them in the final group game but they comfortably despatched Lancashire in the QF and Derbyshire in SF, to then beat the defending champions in the final off the very last ball was special.

What a summer for Cricket. What a few years for Essex cricket.
Best you put posts about English cricket in the English cricket 2019 thread mate. It's more relevant to us!

But yeah, amazing times for Essex. Harmer must be the best signing since the overseas players of the 1980s. He'll surely play for England as soon as he qualifies.
 

Tony Banta

Last Man Standing champion 2023/24
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Best you put posts about English cricket in the English cricket 2019 thread mate. It's more relevant to us!

But yeah, amazing times for Essex. Harmer must be the best signing since the overseas players of the 1980s. He'll surely play for England as soon as he qualifies.
I wasn’t sure where to put it tbh.

Harmer has been an unbelievable signing for Essex. It was a great decision to make him Captain of the T20 side. He qualifies for England in November technically, that’ll be 4 years since his last SA appearance but he doesn’t actually qualify until he becomes a resident. I’m not sure if it’ll ever happen, he was bowling in England net sessions in the summer. But for now I’m more then happy for him just to play for Essex.
 

Skills

Snitch
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Kohli overall has been a pretty poor captain for India. Has man management is severely lacking.

Problem for India is that the captaincy has elevated his own performances to a different level, and he's good enough on his own to win them a lot of matches. But when he can't, his lack of trust and poor management of the other players has resulted in India failing at key moments.
 

KM

I’m afraid I just blue myself
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Kohli overall has been a pretty poor captain for India. Has man management is severely lacking.

Problem for India is that the captaincy has elevated his own performances to a different level, and he's good enough on his own to win them a lot of matches. But when he can't, his lack of trust and poor management of the other players has resulted in India failing at key moments.
I can't remember another young Indian player trashed by these ex players like Pant has been. Fairly disgraceful.
 

ha_rooney

Correctly predicted France to win World Cup 2018
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Another ODI 100 for Babar. About the only world class player we have at the moment.
 

zing

Zingle balls
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The way Kohli/Shastri have managed Rishabh Pant is legit the worst example of people management I have seen in cricket.
 

Skills

Snitch
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The way Kohli/Shastri have managed Rishabh Pant is legit the worst example of people management I have seen in cricket.
Seems like Kohli just personally dislikes him. And being pally with the players is the most important thing for Kohli (why Rohit Sharma still has a test career).
 

zing

Zingle balls
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Home season after a very long time. Was Australia the one before WI? Not been many in the last 2 years.

Hope it's a good one.
 

kotha

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They said they were going to give him a long rope and what not.. And then promptly dropped him.. Kohli is a fecking idiot in nurturing talent.. No wonder even RCB sucks balls..

Saw a stat saying Pant apparently scored 10 runs less that Kohli in tests this year.. So is he being dropped from tests for his ODI form?
 

Cloud7

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The way Kohli/Shastri have managed Rishabh Pant is legit the worst example of people management I have seen in cricket.
Agree on this. The guy is, for me at least, one of the top 5, if not top 3 biggest talents in world cricket right now.
 

JohnnyKills

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Agree on this. The guy is, for me at least, one of the top 5, if not top 3 biggest talents in world cricket right now.
Doesn't look the fittest bloke going around. Maybe that's an issue?

Does seem strange though.
 

JohnnyKills

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I wasn’t sure where to put it tbh.

Harmer has been an unbelievable signing for Essex. It was a great decision to make him Captain of the T20 side. He qualifies for England in November technically, that’ll be 4 years since his last SA appearance but he doesn’t actually qualify until he becomes a resident. I’m not sure if it’ll ever happen, he was bowling in England net sessions in the summer. But for now I’m more then happy for him just to play for Essex.
Do you know why SA let Harmer go? Seems hard to believe he wouldn't get in the team ahead of their other spinners!
 

Samid

He's no Bilal Ilyas Jhandir
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Do you know why SA let Harmer go? Seems hard to believe he wouldn't get in the team ahead of their other spinners!
Quota system making it harder for him to keep his place in the team on merit. They can only have five white players in their XI. So it's not just about being the best spinner, he would also have to ensure that he's amongst the best five white players at all times in order to stay in the team.

And Kolpak deal giving him job security. Why not sign a contract in a different country where he can play cricket for a living and secure his future, rather than staying and fighting a battle he can't win?
 

KM

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Manjrekar is genuinely a twat when it comes to Mumbai players. Said Rohit Sharma has succeeded where Dhawan and Rahul failed. Twat.

Openers scoring in India was never an issue.
 

JohnnyKills

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Quota system making it harder for him to keep his place in the team on merit. They can only have five white players in their XI. So it's not just about being the best spinner, he would also have to ensure that he's amongst the best five white players at all times in order to stay in the team.

And Kolpak deal giving him job security. Why not sign a contract in a different country where he can play cricket for a living and secure his future, rather than staying and fighting a battle he can't win?
Wow, didn't realise the rules had changed. Thought they were allowed seven white players, not five.

Guess that explains it then. As you say, he's on big money in the UK and the rand is even weaker than the pound it seams. Plus he's got security and is playing at a good standard.

Think he'll be in the England team the next time they go to the sub-continent.
 

JohnnyKills

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Looks like SA clawed it back a bit today, but India still going to make well over 500. This is only going one way.
 

Di Maria's angel

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Manjrekar is genuinely a twat when it comes to Mumbai players. Said Rohit Sharma has succeeded where Dhawan and Rahul failed. Twat.

Openers scoring in India was never an issue.
Averages 100 at home and 26 away.

Man, we are a force at home. Its so good to be back at home and destroying teams.
 

zing

Zingle balls
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Didn't see today's play - but that is a hell of a comeback by SA just looking at the scorecard..

I've always felt that making 400 in the 2nd innnings means you've batted a loss out of the game. Very rare to lose after that. Think this will be a close game regardless.
 

freeurmind

weak willed
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Elgar's best innings in a Proteas shirt. Problem is Piedt has been rubbish, I can see India teeing off on him tomorrow. SA still need some rain to save this game imo.
 

iKnowNothing

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Ashwin and Jadeja have bowled 41 and 35 overs respectively in this innings already. Wonder if this affects them come bowling similarly long spells in the second innings.
 

KM

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Kohli and Shastri deciding to play inspite of having a 380 lead. Cowards.
 

zing

Zingle balls
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300+ on day 4 at nearly 5 an over and have opposition at 100 for 8. Brilliant.
 

KM

I’m afraid I just blue myself
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Excellent win! Saffers showed more spine than I expected especially after we scored 500+ in the first innings.

He might prove me wrong but Bevuma is just an average player.
 

AshRK

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Our bowling attack is one of the best in almost every surface around the world. We have two top class spinners who many teams around the world would have in their team in a heartbeat and 3 top class quickies in shami, bumrah and ishant who likewise would walk into most teams.

At this rate I don't see us getting beaten at home.
 

Di Maria's angel

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Our bowling attack is one of the best in almost every surface around the world. We have two top class spinners who many teams around the world would have in their team in a heartbeat and 3 top class quickies in shami, bumrah and ishant who likewise would walk into most teams.

At this rate I don't see us getting beaten at home.
Plus we have Donald Bradman opening in home games.
 

Traub

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Proteas are in big trouble. I think we're going to go through quite a rough period for a while now.