Re: The Cricket Thread
 

I just want to see the 'I was wrong about Lehmann, I was wrong about Johnson, he isn't a pie chucker, I was wrong about Smith etc comments but there's an adversity to eating humble pie it seems. Australia have now won 5 of the 11 (I think) WC's.

Clarke shows oodles more class in his fingernail than some others could ever muster, as a player, as a captain and as a representative of his country.

Re: The Cricket Thread
 

If you're that upset by comments that you and pretty much everyone else know to be false(called banter) then might I suggest a cup of concrete? :lol:

Oh but whilst I have to admire Clarkes achievements, and they are many, he still (on the odd occasion that it happens) whines like a little girl when he loses

Re: The Cricket Thread
 

Evidence? :) I thought not :). Its a pity England can display such sour grapes rather than focussing in on their own issues. Hat's off to the kiwi's. They have got an excellent team there with some real competitors and some real talent. Oz v Kiwi games in all forms need to happen more often.

Boring game unfortunately. Wish it was a little closer for the spectacle.

Re: The Cricket Thread
 

Clarke is a class act, pleased for him, and its fair to say the best team won although its a shame the kiwis didn't put up more of a fight. It was all over after B-Macs early dismissal really

Haddin on the other hand, what a twat :thumbdown:

https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/sp...inal-sledging/

Re: The Cricket Thread
 

I'd rather a captain who whines on the odd occasion he loses than a captain who accepts it as normal.

I'm not talking about banter, I'm talking about opinions which turn out to be wrong but rather than say I was wrong the posters stop posting (not you btw).

Re: The Cricket Thread
 

I'm wrong lots of times, doesn't bother me :lol:

Don't let it worry you, opinions are like arseholes, BE is littered with em arf arf

Re: The Cricket Thread
 

He is and sledging is something that we know Australian cricket is the master at

Well done to Australia

A well deserved win and the best team in the tournament by far

Re: The Cricket Thread
 

I watched the whole game and the only thing I saw was the send off Haddin gave Elliott which I didn't agree with. A sports psychologist would probably say the way to avoid the send off is not to get out and also to ignore the comments although as I say I saw and heard nothing from both teams except the usual glares from bowlers at play and miss etc. I thought the game was played in an excellent spirit. Australia WERE guilty of over-sledging in the past but not now - especially as the ICC have increased powers and warned about it before the comp. Clarke also set the right tone for his team and Smith or Bailey will do the same in 50 and 20 over formats; Clarke will go on captaining the test team for another few years at least.

On a positive note it was a brilliant WC with over 1 mill spectators watching ( nearly 1/3 of those in 3 games at the MCG), very few of the 40 odd games were weather affected and a blueprint has been established for how to win in this form of the game:

3 or 4 big right hand bowlers thumping it into the pitch is old hat and they get dispatched to all parts of the ground (e.g. England). You need slingy bowlers who mainly pitch it up and left arm is preferred (e.g. Starc/Johnson/Faulkner, Boult and the Pakistani guy who bowled the best spell of the WC and was unlucky).

You need a pair of openers who start at express rate and if one fails the other makes some to set a platform (eg McCullum/Guptill and Warner/Finch) with steady batsmen to follow (eg Smith/Clarke) and then some blasters at the end (e.g. Maxwell/Faulkner/Haddin/Johnson; Dohni, Anderson/Elliott)

Above all you need very athletic fielders who keep the score down and put pressure on batsmen and often get wickets with run outs (Smith/Maxwell).

Australia also had a 4 year plan after the last WC. A captain was appointed who would lead the team for that duration. England changed their captain just before the WC which was dumb - Morgan couldn't have been worse as a batsman and leader; his personal baggage weighed him down and he isn't even English to boot so very bad choice there. Clarke retired after the final so the next captain (probably Smith) has 4 years to work with the team and the coaching staff so it was the right timing.

PK's song kept going around my head while watching as Melbourne did a fantastic job for the final - 93,013 on a perfect mid 20's day; proud to be an Aussie:

Re: The Cricket Thread
 

Vettori and Guptill got a send off too. Its graceless and completely lacking in class, which is why most neutrals don't like the Australian team. They are still by far the worst for it. And then saying, even though he was pissed, that they "deserved it for being too nice" just shows his true colours really. Its still part of their team mentality - although Haddin is admittedly old school.

I personally don't think a bit of banter/sledging while a batsman is playing is out of order, its all part of the battle, but once you get them out then giving them an earful is just crass.

Great World Cup though, thoroughly enjoyed it.

Re: The Cricket Thread
 

Depends. I always enjoy giving a batsmen a send off of they've given me one in the game or innings before. You have to repay the favour.

Lets not forget England have some of the best sledgers in the game right now in Broad and Anderson. The problem with these 2 giving the sledge is they usually end up embarrassing themselves with the bat against short pitched bowling.

Re: The Cricket Thread
 

Yeah that could be fair game. But Haddin did it for the complete opposite reason - because they were too nice!

Maybe it was some kind of cunning reverse-psychology sledge by the kiwis :p

Re: The Cricket Thread
 

Of course it was; be nicey, nicey, we're harmless Kiwis who try to slip under your radar, lovable underdogs, sort of thing.;)

Worse sledger in recent times for me was Prior, closely followed by Anderson, but he's not in the team now.

Some WC pics; Australia vs England at the MCG.

http://i1355.photobucket.com/albums/...pssf5usdke.jpg
Welcome to the old Bay 13 Stewey.
http://i1355.photobucket.com/albums/...psdxxzgd5d.jpg
That's thinking of you Phil
http://i1355.photobucket.com/albums/...pszfn5trtr.jpg
http://i1355.photobucket.com/albums/...pszva5patm.jpg

Re: The Cricket Thread
 

I know it was a tragic performance by England that day, but it was so good to finally watch a game at the MCG, I'll never forget that! Part of a brillant week in victoria :thumbup:

Re: The Cricket Thread
 

By the look of what happened afterwards it's "the new normal".

Re: The Cricket Thread
 

I've been to the MCG twice. Once for a sell out Boxing day Ashes test and another for a weird sport game. I have to say I don't think much of it. Atmosphere is a bit weak.