Cricket fred

[Mellsblue]

I’m fairly certain that an academic study has been done about how to affect the flight of the ball with techniques knowingly used, legally and illegally, in first class cricket. I believe the extra movement that was recorded was higher than anyone anticipated.

Also, having just seen Smith’s mea culpa at Sydney Airport, I think it’s best if the world moves on from this now. They’ve been punished now let them serve their sentence in peace. When a grown man breaks down in tears and needs a hand on the shoulder from his father, I think everyone should admit we’ve had more than our piece of flesh.

[canta_brian]

Whilst I agree with Mells to an extent re letting this drop, I do have one nagging thought.

Does it seem odd, that in a case of ball tampering, the only three players who new about this plan were batsmen?

[Mellsblue]

Atherton said the same in the times yesterday. As he wrote, all bowlers or groups of bowlers are obsessively controlling about ‘working’ the ball.

[fivepointer]

I'd be astonished if the whole team and the coach didnt know what was going on. The bowlers MUST have been aware that there was an attempt to alter the ball.
But CA cant bin the whole team, so the "leadership group" plus Bancroft carry the can. Thats fair enough and we should all move on.
On the one hand i'm pleased that Smith got busted after his appalling attempt to deflect blame initially, but the scenes at the press conference in Sydney were not edifying.

[Digby]

And Atherton has the dirt on them. Agreed the world can back off Bancroft and Smith, Warner is still to front up (that I know of)

Looking at England today I can only be grateful we dropped the bowlers. That's really sorted things out

[J Dory]

I’m fairly certain that an academic study has been done about how to affect the flight of the ball with techniques knowingly used, legally and illegally, in first class cricket. I believe the extra movement that was recorded was higher than anyone anticipated.

Also, having just seen Smith’s mea culpa at Sydney Airport, I think it’s best if the world moves on from this now. They’ve been punished now let them serve their sentence in peace. When a grown man breaks down in tears and needs a hand on the shoulder from his father, I think everyone should admit we’ve had more than our piece of flesh.

Only when he wets his pants on camera will justice truly have been served.

[Digby]

I’m fairly certain that an academic study has been done about how to affect the flight of the ball with techniques knowingly used, legally and illegally, in first class cricket. I believe the extra movement that was recorded was higher than anyone anticipated.

The real marked differences in the behaviour of the ball in flight tends to come with really obvious ball tampering. So it's good fun in the nets, but not so consistently useful in a match.

[Digby]

The first people I can remember talking about ball tampering were Imran Kahn and Botham with some very different takes on what had happened, and then with more detail on it actually happening Gus Fraser and (I think) Dominic Cork, and both Cork and Fraser had the ball misbehaving in the nets, but not so much in matches, though neither of them had the pace of Wasim and Waqar to copy what those Pakitstan bowlers might have been doing.

Ever since Fraser (and I assume it was happening before) there have been English bowlers who tried it on in the nets, maybe they're unique or maybe all others are at it too. How much at various times they've carried certain habits into a match I don't know, but we have had series where England have shown much more consistent ability to generate reverse swing and to do so much earlier than the other side, which rather leads me to suspect we're in no position to throw stones. Michael Vaughan seems very upset they've taken a piece of equipment onto the field to aid this latest cheating, but given all the talk of sweets in '05 I don't know even he's in a position to comment much.

[Mellsblue]

Good job we changed the bowlers....

[zer0]

Blackcaps showing England exactly why they're the undefeated test batting collapse champions since 1955.

[Digby]

NZ putting our score into some perspective, though the captaincy for Leach's bowling shows we have ongoing issues using spin bowling options

[Galfon]

Time now for Warner to publicly apologise,soul search and blub..there'll be pressure now for all others involved or supporting this heinous crime to come clean. It could be a bludbaff.

[Digby]

I assume there was some work done with media consultants given Smith and Warner both using the phrase or something close to 'I'm resigned to the possibility of not playing for my country again' and really they could at least have given them different material

[Banquo]

I assume there was some work done with media consultants given Smith and Warner both using the phrase or something close to 'I'm resigned to the possibility of not playing for my country again' and really they could at least have given them different material

apparently considering appealing the bans...

[Digby]

I assume there was some work done with media consultants given Smith and Warner both using the phrase or something close to 'I'm resigned to the possibility of not playing for my country again' and really they could at least have given them different material

apparently considering appealing the bans...

I don't remember what Pakistan when they walked off the field refusing to play, Atherton didn't get a ban, so there isn't much previous for bans, and certainly not for a year given it's likely commonplace

Good work from England today, though my decision to watch as much as possible has me mainlining coffee now and hands that aren't the steadiest owing (hopefully just) to a lack of sleep

[Banquo]

I assume there was some work done with media consultants given Smith and Warner both using the phrase or something close to 'I'm resigned to the possibility of not playing for my country again' and really they could at least have given them different material

apparently considering appealing the bans...

I don't remember what Pakistan when they walked off the field refusing to play, Atherton didn't get a ban, so there isn't much previous for bans, and certainly not for a year given it's likely commonplace

Good work from England today, though my decision to watch as much as possible has me mainlining coffee now and hands that aren't the steadiest owing (hopefully just) to a lack of sleep

its not going to make them any more popular....poor us, victims etc.

[Digby]

apparently considering appealing the bans...

I don't remember what Pakistan when they walked off the field refusing to play, Atherton didn't get a ban, so there isn't much previous for bans, and certainly not for a year given it's likely commonplace

Good work from England today, though my decision to watch as much as possible has me mainlining coffee now and hands that aren't the steadiest owing (hopefully just) to a lack of sleep

its not going to make them any more popular....poor us, victims etc.

No, but to me this does seem a bit OTT when most of this behaviour is virtually sanctioned when it's so ignored. Mind what also seems OTT to me is I now have to go and have an Easter lunch with friends and family, not even being an atheist gets me out of this nonsense.

[Banquo]

I don't remember what Pakistan when they walked off the field refusing to play, Atherton didn't get a ban, so there isn't much previous for bans, and certainly not for a year given it's likely commonplace

Good work from England today, though my decision to watch as much as possible has me mainlining coffee now and hands that aren't the steadiest owing (hopefully just) to a lack of sleep

its not going to make them any more popular....poor us, victims etc.

No, but to me this does seem a bit OTT when most of this behaviour is virtually sanctioned when it's so ignored. Mind what also seems OTT to me is I now have to go and have an Easter lunch with friends and family, not even being an atheist gets me out of this nonsense.

I may be wrong, but isnt this a Cricket Australia ban? So they are dropping them from International Cricket only as I understand it. Not sure how they can challenge it, thinking about it.

[belgarion]

its not going to make them any more popular....poor us, victims etc.

No, but to me this does seem a bit OTT when most of this behaviour is virtually sanctioned when it's so ignored. Mind what also seems OTT to me is I now have to go and have an Easter lunch with friends and family, not even being an atheist gets me out of this nonsense.

I may be wrong, but isnt this a Cricket Australia ban? So they are dropping them from International Cricket only as I understand it. Not sure how they can challenge it, thinking about it.

And all Australian 1st Class cricket ie no Sheffield Shield or Big Bash. Can still play club cricket in Oz & 1st class cricket abroad (if anybody
wants to sign them)

[Banquo]

No, but to me this does seem a bit OTT when most of this behaviour is virtually sanctioned when it's so ignored. Mind what also seems OTT to me is I now have to go and have an Easter lunch with friends and family, not even being an atheist gets me out of this nonsense.

I may be wrong, but isnt this a Cricket Australia ban? So they are dropping them from International Cricket only as I understand it. Not sure how they can challenge it, thinking about it.

And all Australian 1st Class cricket ie no Sheffield Shield or Big Bash. Can still play club cricket in Oz & 1st class cricket abroad (if anybody
wants to sign them)

ah ok, IPL dumped them as well. But I guess a ban from all Aussie 1st class is 'contestable', in theory.

[Banquo]

Missed opportunity today, though credit NZ's lower order for showing good heart.

Why Stokes only bowled, what, 10 overs in the game is a bit mysterious unless he is crocked.

The problems still remain; two class batsman in Root and Bairstow (Cook looks like he might retire at any moment to me), two aging quality bowlers (Jimmy can only surely last one summer, can Broad's revival last?). The rest is just meh. Not pretty going forward, and imo we have to have a strong test team to help Test cricket survive.

[canta_brian]

So I am guessing that 2015 was the last time that NZ played England in a test. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zeala ... est_series

Once again it was a really good couple of tests that begged a third. In this case a decider. Is it time for the ECB to stop the obsession they have with the ashes? 5 tests against an aussie team still able to get vast amounts of reverse swing, headbutts, drinks going over team mates etc. The England team seems to stoop to the aussie level every time the ashes roll around when it comes to behaviour. With the ball tampering saga ongoing, is the cricket watching public going to demand a more balanced allocation of tests, and importantly, turn up and watch anything but ashes cricket?

[Digby]

Missed opportunity today, though credit NZ's lower order for showing good heart.

Why Stokes only bowled, what, 10 overs in the game is a bit mysterious unless he is crocked.

The problems still remain; two class batsman in Root and Bairstow (Cook looks like he might retire at any moment to me), two aging quality bowlers (Jimmy can only surely last one summer, can Broad's revival last?). The rest is just meh. Not pretty going forward, and imo we have to have a strong test team to help Test cricket survive.

Stokes has a bad back. In theory he shouldn't have bowled, but I think in both innings he and Root were up for giving it a whirl seeing as nothing else was much happening. Worth noting just how much a shorter run up he used (which I assume was about the back) and he was still getting good pace, so if he's strong enough to do that he may want to consider simply using a shorter run up to save his legs once back to full fitness, or what passes for fitness in a bowler.

The result isn't much of a surprise, we lack pace and we lack spin, so we played well but couldn't force home the advantage for a win, and congrats to NZ for the hard earned draw and thus series win.

[Banquo]

So I am guessing that 2015 was the last time that NZ played England in a test. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zeala ... est_series

Once again it was a really good couple of tests that begged a third. In this case a decider. Is it time for the ECB to stop the obsession they have with the ashes? 5 tests against an aussie team still able to get vast amounts of reverse swing, headbutts, drinks going over team mates etc. The England team seems to stoop to the aussie level every time the ashes roll around when it comes to behaviour. With the ball tampering saga ongoing, is the cricket watching public going to demand a more balanced allocation of tests, and importantly, turn up and watch anything but ashes cricket?

what were the crowds like over there?

Problem is, the Ashes sell out over here and provide much needed cash.

[Digby]

20/20 is clearly too long a game for some with designs being pushed for a 100 ball format. Oh joy