Cricket

[Craig the Aussie]

Agree - good balanced summing up of the series.

There has been some criticism here about the preparation of the pitches, and not playing India in Perth. It is being suggested that the groundsmen were instructed by the Australian Board to prepapre batting friendly pitches to maximise the number of days played, and to try and ensure that Waugh would get some runs. Gotta love the conspiracy theories.

With the amount of cricket going on, I think the Zimbos were the only country available. It is a bit strange though, as they were last here only 3 or 4 years ago.

[BhoysFC1995]

just a quick update for those following the VB Series-
NineMSN has live audio of the games, just go to baggygreen.com, click on live update, then there is a banner advertising it.

overall it sounds pretty good, actually the crowd sounds pretty active and into the match (more so than i would have thought, the score is currently none for 42 for australia).

[BhoysFC1995]

Article on Cricket WC 2007 (http://usa.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/CRICKET_NEWS/2004/JAN/038294_WCM_06JAN2004.html)

...Yet inter-island ferry services barely exist and the two main regional airlines have acronyms that are liberally, even literally, interpreted as Leave Island Any Time, Luggage In Another Terminal and Land In A Tree or Book Wait Indefinitely After, Better Wait In Airport and But Where Is Antigua?

pretty funny in talking about the possible troubles that could be expected. Also it mentions that if the USA wants to host a match, it must submit its request by May.

http://falk.speedera.net/dat/bgf/200401/02/vbseries150x150.jpg
VB SERIES
team----played--points---nrr
Australia 2 11 +1.17
India--- 1 1 -0.36
Zimbabwe 1 0 -1.98

ING CUP
all played 6---pts
Vic- 26
Tas 16
Qld 14
SA 12
Nsw 11
WA 2

PURA CUP
all played 6 except NSW/QLD 5, pts nrr
SA 23 +1.06
VIC 15 +0.01
NSW 14 -0.07
SA 13 -0.41
QLD 9 +0.11
TAS 0 -0.64

[Craig the Aussie]

Bhoys, I think you have your "Cups" mixed up.

Also, WA, Qld, SA & Tas are still in the middle of their 6th PURA Cup matches.

The ING Cup is the limited overs competition, the PURA Cup (or the Sheffield Shield as us traditionalists still call it) is the First Class 4-day competition.

[BhoysFC1995]

craig,

didn't realize i mixed up the cup names with the standings. i guess its actually easier to just post the link here (http://aus.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/2003-04/AUS_LOCAL/) instead.

personnally, i prefer the ING Cup. i guess its possibly me being american and used to the sports here, but i find the 50 over matches (including ODI's) more exciting than tests.

[BhoysFC1995]

ODI's Nor Interesting?
Zimbabwe's Streak says so
HERE (http://usa.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/CRICKET_NEWS/2004/JAN/042117_VBS2003-04_10JAN2004.html)

one thing he brings up is having an international version of Twenty20. they have never played that type of 'cricket' in australia as far as i know.

i am not really sure if i'd like the idea of it. the first thing that comes into my mind of when i think of Twenty20, is that its a version of baseball's homerun derby contest. it seems like in twenty20 there is a major influence of hitting lots and lots of sixes and much less strategy.

Ganguly responded to Streak's comments-
"I believe one-day cricket is doing just fine, and there is no reason why it should be tampered with.... (http://usa.cricinfo.com/link_to_database/ARCHIVE/CRICKET_NEWS/2004/JAN/043303_VBS2003-04_13JAN2004.html)

[Craig the Aussie]

I'm the other way around. I find One Day cricket a bit too predictable, and too much in favour of the batsman - but it can be a fun day/night out.

Interesting discussion on this at the sister board bigfooty.com (I'm TigerCraig there, basd on my support of the Richmond Tigers in the AFL).

Love to see you pop over there - we have quite a few US posters (not so much on the cricket board, but on the gerneral talk/politics etc ones).

Link to the ODI v Test discussion is http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=97855&perpage=15&pagenumber=3

[BhoysFC1995]

Originally posted by Craig the Aussie
...........
Love to see you pop over there - we have quite a few US posters (not so much on the cricket board, but on the gerneral talk/politics etc ones)....

thanks, i just signed up (name is NYC-Kaiser).

[BhoysFC1995]

i posted this about a year ago, and just found the link on my fav's, it a pretty good/addicting java cricket, take a look and enjoy!

http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=37147

[ScouseCat]

I hate to be the bearer of some terrible news, but former Australian cricketer and current Victorian coach, David Hookes, passed away tonight after being attacked outside a pub the night before. This is a very sad day for any cricket fan and my thoughts are obviously with his family and friends at this time.

http://aus.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/CRICKET_NEWS/2004/JAN/047950_AUS_18JAN2004.html

David Hookes dies after assault
Wisden Cricinfo staff
January 19, 2004

David Hookes, the former Australian Test batsman and Victoria's coach, died in a Melbourne hospital late last night after being injured while attempting to break up a fight outside a St Kilda hotel.

Hookes, who was only 48, was treated by paramedics for half an hour at the scene of the assault before being rushed to intensive care. He was in a coma for a while but eventually his family took the agonising decision to switch off the machine.

[BhoysFC1995]

yeah, i heard of it already, pretty terrible news. i believe he was hit from behind the head by a 22 yr old bouncer.

[ScouseCat]

Originally posted by BhoysFC1995
yeah, i heard of it already, pretty terrible news. i believe he was hit from behind the head by a 22 yr old bouncer.
It's terrible for anyone to have their life cut short like David Hookes' one was. You have wonder about this world we're living in sometimes.

[babytiger2001]

From Yahoo's Australian sports site...

Distraught Lehman returns home (http://au.news.yahoo.com/040121/2/ndlg.html)

Flood of memorials for Hookes (http://au.news.yahoo.com/040118/2/nc21.html)

Aussie cricketers remember Hookes (http://au.news.yahoo.com/040120/2/ncxk.html)

All articles relayed via the AAP.

[babytiger2001]

And on a much happier note-- back to the tests at hand...

Zimbabweans get knockout blow (http://au.news.yahoo.com/040114/2/na3o.html) That is, if you can call that a "happier" note

Lee will open bowling: Ponting (http://au.news.yahoo.com/040116/2/nbbo.html)

Dravid tampering "an honest mistake" (http://au.news.yahoo.com/040121/2/ndfi.html)

All articles from Yahoo's Australian site, via the AAP.

[DoyleG]

For those of us from the less developed nations...

The 2004 ICC 6 Nations challenge will take place in the UAE in February and March. UAE, Canada, USA, Scotland, Namibia, and the Netherlands will be taking part.

The winner gets a spot in the 2004 ICC Champions series.

[sinner78]

Been watching the aussie one day triangular series with india and zimbabwe .
The aussies still wear zinc cream during the night games for some reason....
Is there any danger of getting sunburn during the night games or are the aussies sad enough to believe that the zinc cream is somehow fashionable???
andrew symonds had zinc cream on his lips when the aussies were fielding at night .
he literally looked like a clown .

[BhoysFC1995]

maybe b/c the game was a day/night match?

[sinner78]

Originally posted by BhoysFC1995
maybe b/c the game was a day/night match?

the aussies only fielded at night..
They always use the zinc cream in practically all conditions .
Andy bichel smears the stuff over his entire face.

[BhoysFC1995]

Rain cuts short tri-series match (http://news.ninemsn.com.au/Sport/story_43643.asp)

Damien Martyn's return to form with an entertaining 42 was one of few bright spots in the rain-ruined tri-series cricket match between Australia and Zimbabwe.

With steady rain coming during the interval, there was no further play after Australia scored 9-263 from its 50 overs.

The match was officially abandoned at 8.35pm (AEST) on Thursday.

seems like it would have been a great chance for the Zims to get their first win possibly.

in other news, Warne and McGrath announce their return dates
here (http://aus.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/CRICKET_NEWS/2004/JAN/056775_AUS_29JAN2004.html)

[BhoysFC1995]

Queensland triumph against NSW (http://aus.cricinfo.com/link_to_database/ARCHIVE/CRICKET_NEWS/2004/JAN/057577_AUS_30JAN2004.html)

how sweet, the bulls knock out NSW (well, just about knock them out) from getting into the final, and put themselves into first at the same time.

75 runs for Law off of 83 balls, damn he's good
http://aus.cricinfo.com/perl/picture.cgi/049794/inline