Official Cricket 12/13 Thread

[Vlad n U 2]

I wouldn't say he's the best of any sport ever. That's an incredibly broad category and I advise you never to go there.

 

[Axver]

Statistically I think it's without question. No other sportsperson that I can recall (competing in a decently popular sport with an even halfway decent length career) has figures that are so dramatically better than literally everybody else to play the game. The man was a freakish outlier even by the standards of freakish outliers. If you collect together the freakish outliers of every sport, Bradman is the freakish outlier of that data set.

Come on, I'm a Kiwi and we love to talk down Australian sporting achievements! I wouldn't acknowledge this unless the data were thunderously heavy in Bradman's favour.

Back to today, and Amla's got his century off 88 balls. Nice.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Amla's on fire. Good to see.

 

[Axver]

So, let's take bets - will Australia dismiss South Africa or will South Africa declare?

I was thinking of backing a dismissal, but there's Roadblock du Plessis to come, so I'll go for the declaration.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

That's the first time I've seen Hussey drop/not catch something.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Whatever happened to Andre Nel? That guy was madly entertaining.

EDIT: Read the Wiki page on him. He is/was even more of a madman than I thought.

 

[Axver]

Often referred to as a gentle giant off the field, Nel has attributed his eccentric onfield behaviour to his alter ego an oxygen starved mountain man known as Gunther

Uhh...

 

[bono_man2002]

 

[dan_smee]

Thank god somebody in the Aussie sports media has a sense of proportion and history: Between you and me, Ponting isn't our second best

(Oh, and this just makes Bradman look even more incredible. Frankly, anybody who thinks Bradman isn't the best sportsperson to play any sport ever has rocks for brains.)

Probably the best, and most accurate post in the history of interference

 

[bono_man2002]

He's our second best this week, everybody was calling for his head last week.

 

[Axver]

Kallis falls!

The big prize, Amla, looks like he's not going anywhere in a hurry though.

 

[bono_man2002]

De Villiers will be 33 not out at stumps, having faced 375 balls.

 

[Axver]

A six and a four in consecutive balls for de Villiers! Woah there mate, don't score a quarter of your innings in just two balls! That's far too excitable.

 

[Axver]

Amla falls four shy of 200. Damn! But what an innings.

And oh shit - Elgar goes for a duck. A pair on debut; he can't be pleased. Still, the overall score looks amazingly good for the Proteas.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

How the fuck do you get out for ducks in both innings? Surely he won't play ever again.

Compare that to Du Plessis who has been incapable of getting out before reaching 50.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

AB De Villiers notches up a century. He's really killed it this innings.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

He won't stop with the reverse sweep shots I'm crying.

Trolling opponent, cricket style.

 

[bono_man2002]

Is it too late for Australia's AB to come out of retirement for the run chase? Superb batting here.

 

[bono_man2002]

What the Faf? He can get given out!

Lollies - Australia's secret weapon since 2012.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Why don't you even declare South Africa I mean it's not like they're going to get 500 and you could give yourself more time to bowl them out by declaring now.

 

[Axver]

Went out for dinner and came back to find South Africa actually got bowled out! Wow.

Still, Australia, you so fucked.

 

[Axver]

RT Ponting c Kallis b Peterson 8 23 2 0 34.78

End of an era.

And you know what, might be the last time we see Kallis on Australian soil too.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

lolbye Cowan.

 

[bono_man2002]

End of an era.

And you know what, might be the last time we see Kallis on Australian soil too.

ABC radio were saying Kallis was pretty keen on the 2015 World Cup. So there's a chance if his body holds up that he will be back. (No pun intended)

 

[Axver]

Ahh right, hope he keeps playing that long!

Starc just scored a half century in a pointless but entertaining rearguard action.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Bill Lawry to retire from commentating.

 

[Axver]

Please tell me that was a typo and you meant to say Slats.

 

[bono_man2002]

Channel 9 must be losing the rights. His Pigeons are gonna have to do the commentary the way it's going.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

In regards to Slats, that advertisement with those guys from that Good Charlotte band is incredibly cringeworthy.

 

[cobl04]

Damn, I was away from technology all week... wow RSA, wow.

Good article from Malcolm Knox.