Cricket

[Baz]

Id agree the side needs a bit of freshening up. It feels a bit stale, and some players are playing on reputation. Out batsmen have done nothing all series, and the bowlers appear to becoming predictable too.

I think the pitches have been poor, too easy to bat on too. DRS is really only an issue because both teams have been poor at using it. Strauss was the master at using it, whereas now its being used as a hopeful shot. Personally some of the umpiring decisions even using the technology have been baffling, and overall the umpiring has been poor too.

[Guest Norbert]

Someone's playing 'Vader's Imperial March' in the crowd.

Doesn't surprise me. Billy the trumpeter plays either Phantom of the Opera or Ghostbusters when Shane Watson bowls/bats.

[Blue n White Rover]

Another cracking game in a fascinating series. Australia need 299 to win and England have already wasted a review (Maybe Clarke can handover the "DRS book for dummies" to Cook).

Australia need to bat in intervals - set themselves targets each session and more importantly, bat sensibly. Let's hope cheating doesn't ruin another fascinating run chase.

[Guest Norbert]

Just jog on Blue and White.

If Australia don't win it now, then there is no hope for them.

[thenodrog]

Another cracking game in a fascinating series. Australia need 299 to win and England have already wasted a review (Maybe Clarke can handover the "DRS book for dummies" to Cook).

Australia need to bat in intervals - set themselves targets each session and more importantly, bat sensibly. Let's hope cheating doesn't ruin another fascinating run chase.

[Kamy100]

Those 2 hours in the evening session is some of the best cricket that I have ever seen.

Broad has been fantastic in this match, but for me it was Bell who set this win up, his innings was crucial.

So very proud of the team and feels fantastic to win three Ashes series in a row.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Jim, please don't big any other England players up. Prior has hardly scored a run since you were singing his praises ! Great win for the team though. Where do Australia go from here ? That was an old ' England ' style collapse.

Not much from our friend from the sub continent I see.

Edited August 12, 2013 by Tyrone Shoelaces

[SouthAussieRover]

Another cracking game in a fascinating series. Australia need 299 to win and England have already wasted a review (Maybe Clarke can handover the "DRS book for dummies" to Cook).

Australia need to bat in intervals - set themselves targets each session and more importantly, bat sensibly. Let's hope cheating doesn't ruin another fascinating run chase.

Oh dear. You couldn't make it up.

[Jock]

Oh dear, the whingers were out done by The Sherminator

I wonder what funny face Warne will moan about next? "i think i'm turning Japanese"

[jim mk2]

Prior's been a disappointment with the bat that's true, but then so have Cook and Trott while Root and Bairstow.should not be in the team because they aren't good enough at present (please don't point out Root's 187 because he was dropped on 8).

I feel England have won this series despite firing only on 2 or 3 batting cylinders for most of the time (which just shows how poor the opposition are but who cares?).

However when we have needed someone to stand up and be counted either Swann, Broad, Anderson, Pietersen or in particular Bell have shown their mettle.

Bell has been brilliant - the best batsman on both sides by far. Warne deserves to choke on his own words.

3-0 up with one to play; let's make it 4 at the Oval.

[Blue n White Rover]

Absolutely no reason to be quiet. As I said, Australia should have batted sensibly but didn't.

How ridiculous is this DRS nonsense? The "Umpire's call" has to be removed. Watson and Haddin would have been not out had the umpire given them not out.

Anderson again had a very poor game.

England have bowled fairly well throughout the series, but boy have the Aussies made it a walk in the park for them with some dismal batting displays. The Aussie bowling attack is perfectly fine. They need to sort out the middle order and bring in a number 3 who won't throw his wicket away and invite further pressure on Clarke etc.

I guess we have the ODI's to look forward to now. The test at the Oval is meaningless, although a win for the Aussies may give them a slight boost going into this winter's tour.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

No test between us and the Aussies is meaningless. We can make it 4-0 and send them home with their tails between their legs. That'll enable us to establish the mental upper hand for the series in Australia. That's what I liked about the Manchester test, they must have been really keaned off with the rain. Living there and therefore having been rained on for most of my life it was nice to have a slight payback.

Edited August 13, 2013 by Tyrone Shoelaces

[jim mk2]

Absolutely no reason to be quiet. As I said, Australia should have batted sensibly but didn't.

How ridiculous is this DRS nonsense? The "Umpire's call" has to be removed. Watson and Haddin would have been not out had the umpire given them not out.

Anderson again had a very poor game.

England have bowled fairly well throughout the series, but boy have the Aussies made it a walk in the park for them with some dismal batting displays. The Aussie bowling attack is perfectly fine. They need to sort out the middle order and bring in a number 3 who won't throw his wicket away and invite further pressure on Clarke etc.

I guess we have the ODI's to look forward to now. The test at the Oval is meaningless, although a win for the Aussies may give them a slight boost going into this winter's tour.

From what I have read they don't have any better - this lot is as good as they get. But who cares about them anyway ?

This is time to celebrate another glorious England triumph.

[Rover-the-Top]

How ridiculous is this DRS nonsense? The "Umpire's call" has to be removed. Watson and Haddin would have been not out had the umpire given them not out.

So exactly the same as what would have happened before DRS? If the umpire gave you out, you were out - if the umpire gave you not out, you were not out. The "umpire's call" benefits the batsman, if you remove it then both would have been 'out' on review regardless of what the umpire said because the ball was shown to be on line to hit the stumps.

[Blue n White Rover]

So exactly the same as what would have happened before DRS? If the umpire gave you out, you were out - if the umpire gave you not out, you were not out. The "umpire's call" benefits the batsman, if you remove it then both would have been 'out' on review regardless of what the umpire said because the ball was shown to be on line to hit the stumps.

Had the umpire given them not out, Hawk Eye would have showed the ball hitting the stumps, so would that mean the umpire got it wrong? There was enough doubt to give both decisions as not out. Horrible system and ruining the game for me.

[T4E]

They need to sort out the middle order and bring in a number 3 who won't throw his wicket away and invite further pressure on Clarke etc.

This has been the key to it. Both top orders have been below par, and both bowling attacks have been decent. Both middle orders have been poor for the most part, with the exception of Ian Bell. Without him and the 3 high pressure innings he's played we would not have won the Ashes. Man of the series by a long long way in my opinion.

[Blue n White Rover]

From what I have read they don't have any better - this lot is as good as they get. But who cares about them anyway ?

This is time to celebrate another glorious England triumph.

I wouldn't say glorious. Take away the runs from Ian Bell in this series (who has been my man of the series), and England would have been in much bother as the Aussies. Quality wise the series has been poor. Entertainment wise it has been great.

[ABBEY]

Take the 3 away and add it to Aussies and they win 0-3 ... You talk rubbish

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

Had the umpire given them not out, Hawk Eye would have showed the ball hitting the stumps, so would that mean the umpire got it wrong? There was enough doubt to give both decisions as not out. Horrible system and ruining the game for me.

You're just a massive cheat, so I'm not surprised you don't like it.

DRS was brought in because a decent percentage of umpire decisions were wrong, due to human error and intimidation from the bowling side loudly appealing for everything (something India are the masters at). Its not an infallible system but the occasions here it overturns a correct umpiring decision are incredibly rare. Those are the only occasions where it makes decisions worse than they used to be. In every other case it either makes decisions the same (when it agrees with the umpire) or improves decisions.

From what I've seen since it was introduced the percentages work out something like:

Overturns a correct decision - 1% of the time

Agrees with the umpire - 80% of the time

Overturns a wrong decision - 19% of the time

Those figures are guesstimates but it should be bloody obvious that the last figure is far greater than the first, hence the decision-making process has obviously been improved!

All you care about is that India won't get as many decisions as they used to. Look at how often now they appeal like maniacs and then don't bother with a review. Cheats, like you.

[Rover-the-Top]

Had the umpire given them not out, Hawk Eye would have showed the ball hitting the stumps, so would that mean the umpire got it wrong? There was enough doubt to give both decisions as not out. Horrible system and ruining the game for me.

There's certainly a lot wrong in other instances with how DRS is being used. But in those two cases it hasn't made any difference to what the decision would have been without it, both players would have still been given out. You've answered why there's an 'umpire's call' area yourself, it's reasonable to allow a 'not out' call to stand for close calls where the umpire isn't sure enough to raise his finger. But when he's convinced the ball is going on to hit the stumps, and the replay backs him up even though it's tight, it's also right to stick with his decision. It's one part of the system that's actually working, it's up to the players to stop wasting reviews in such situations.

[Blue n White Rover]

You're just a massive cheat, so I'm not surprised you don't like it.

DRS was brought in because a decent percentage of umpire decisions were wrong, due to human error and intimidation from the bowling side loudly appealing for everything (something India are the masters at). Its not an infallible system but the occasions here it overturns a correct umpiring decision are incredibly rare. Those are the only occasions where it makes decisions worse than they used to be. In every other case it either makes decisions the same (when it agrees with the umpire) or improves decisions.

From what I've seen since it was introduced the percentages work out something like:

Overturns a correct decision - 1% of the time

Agrees with the umpire - 80% of the time

Overturns a wrong decision - 19% of the time

Those figures are guesstimates but it should be bloody obvious that the last figure is far greater than the first, hence the decision-making process has obviously been improved!

All you care about is that India won't get as many decisions as they used to. Look at how often now they appeal like maniacs and then don't bother with a review. Cheats, like you.

India refuse to play with DRS. So I don't know where you get that "they don't bother with a review" from. Utter nonsense.

I agree it helps in areas such as caught behind, however it must be scrapped for the LBW and leave the umpire to make that decision.

There's certainly a lot wrong in other instances with how DRS is being used. But in those two cases it hasn't made any difference to what the decision would have been without it, both players would have still been given out. You've answered why there's an 'umpire's call' area yourself, it's reasonable to allow a 'not out' call to stand for close calls where the umpire isn't sure enough to raise his finger. But when he's convinced the ball is going on to hit the stumps, and the replay backs him up even though it's tight, it's also right to stick with his decision. It's one part of the system that's actually working, it's up to the players to stop wasting reviews in such situations.

What my point is, had the decisions yesterday been given as not out, the balls were both hitting the stumps (so that would have been an incorrect decision) however, DRS would have allowed it to stay as not out. Umpire's call must be removed. For me the whole system needs reviewing for LBW's.

[jim mk2]

I wouldn't say glorious. Take away the runs from Ian Bell in this series (who has been my man of the series), and England would have been in much bother as the Aussies. Quality wise the series has been poor. Entertainment wise it has been great.

Take away Tendulkar's runs over the years and where would India have been ? Daft argument.

I must say Broad's bowling spell yesterday was poor quality.

Lie back and think of England - and enjoy the moment.

[Blue n White Rover]

Take away Tendulkar's runs over the years and where would India have been ? Daft argument.

I must say Broad's bowling spell yesterday was poor quality.

Lie back and think of England - and enjoy the moment.

I'd wager still near the top. Sehwag, Dravid, Ganguly, Laxman, Dhoni, Ghambir, etc are all world class batsmen who have consistently performed for India.

Broad had his best game in an England shirt. Still doesn't make him a better bowler than Siddle or Harris (the argument we had earlier in the thread).

Oh and I've already enjoyed a 4-0 whitewash of Australia, in Australia. Nothing special for us

Edited August 13, 2013 by Blue n White Rover

[thenodrog]

Listen when we defeat the old enemy it's something FOR US to celebrate and the Aussies will tell you the same. You have no interest other than envy and bitterness and you choose to contribute nothing other than windups and churlish criticism. So if I promise not to comment on the normal cheatfest that occurrs whenever your lot play Pakistan will you not just bugger off and keep your own council?

Remember after what the Venkymob have done to BRFC and it's supporters your nation of origin is hardly flavour of the month around these parts is it?

[jim mk2]

I'd wager still near the top. Sehwag, Dravid, Ganguly, Laxman, Dhoni, Ghambir, etc are all world class batsmen who have consistently performed for India.

Broad had his best game in an England shirt. Still doesn't make him a better bowler than Siddle or Harris (the argument we had earlier in the thread).

Oh and I've already enjoyed a 4-0 whitewash of Australia, in Australia. Nothing special for us

Likewise Cook, Trott and Pietersen for England. Broad's had better allround games for England because he's a better batsman than those two. And when he's in his pomp like yesterday he's also a better bowler.

Now fack off and let us enjoy our win.