The Official Cricket '07/'08 thread!!

[TheQuiet1]

Originally posted by Acrobat Angel

England tomorrow night

Well, there's always one match Australia are guaranteed to win no matter what!

[intedomine]

THis 20/20 stuff seems really petty, and is actually quite boring. Give me a test match anyday.

[Axver]

Damnit, I wanted Zimbabwe to go through.

Well, Australia's got this won now.

[Salome]

can't say I like 20/20

I did like the hammering England got
and since they're still in the tournament they'll prolly get another one

[cobl04]

Originally posted by intedomine
THis 20/20 stuff seems really petty, and is actually quite boring. Give me a test match anyday.

When you're there its bloody awesome. If they had continued with the only odd games, it would've been alright, but this world cup for it has screwed it up.

[Axver]

It's far too soon for a World Cup. The game needs to establish some roots first.

Then again, people were probably saying this when the ODI Cup began too.

[intedomine]

Originally posted by COBL_04


When you're there its bloody awesome. If they had continued with the only odd games, it would've been alright, but this world cup for it has screwed it up.

I went to a couple of the state 20/20's last summer, dodnt care about the games, just love hanging out at the G

[major_panic]

That's because us Vics are by far the masters of 2020 in Australia...

And wow, Brett Lee + hat-tricks. That guy is IMO another underrated player - one of the few who can bat and bowl relatively convincingly.

[cobl04]

I can't believe he got that hat trick, espcially in that manner. Usually when they take two in a row you're like "fucking nice!!" but they never get it. It's always blocked back. But he got as fucking yorker in on his toes! There was no doubt there at all! It's a shame the state games don't get supported more.

[Axver]

The state games, whether ODI or Twenty20, have been abso-fucking-lutely screwed ever since they stopped being a regular fixture of daytime weekend TV. I went to a few games at the 'Gabba back when I lived in Queensland and when the games stopped getting good free-to-air coverage, attendance seriously declined.

[major_panic]

Word.

The worst part is, often the state games are often as good a quality as, if not better than, most of the international games that're around.

In fact, I think that cricket in Australia in general has suffered massively by not being on free-to-air tv. The only sport that you can turn the tv on and watch is AFL, and that only barely qualifies as a sport, and only because it has a ball.

[Axver]

Oh hell yes, Australian state cricket is of impeccable quality. As far as domestic tournaments, it's right up there with various European soccer competitions and rugby's Super 14 (or in pre-Super 14 years, New Zealand's NPC and South Africa's Currie Cup, both of which have been neutered somewhat by the Super 14). Back in New Zealand, most people barely care about the domestic cricket; I can't even name all the teams off the top of my head and I've no bloody clue who's on Wellington's team. But in the free-to-air days, the atmosphere at the 'Gabba for QLD vs NSW matches was absolutely intense. I always had a really good time, and I'd much rather watch one of those games than, say, today's England vs the Windies. The only redeeming feature of that game would be Keven Pietersen.

[intedomine]

There is no greater sight in Australia sport than seeing New South Wales lose in sport.....

[major_panic]

Originally posted by Axver
I always had a really good time, and I'd much rather watch one of those games than, say, today's England vs the Windies. The only redeeming feature of that game would be Keven Pietersen.

Arr, you're being a tad harsh there... You're forgetting the inevitable breakdown of Freddie Flintoff and everyone's punting about whether Vaughan would manage to injure himself again.

[cobl04]

True... I used to love watching the state games. They are really good quality stuff... but now it's like the VFL - no one gives a shit!

Oh and don't know if anyone saw but MacGill cracked the poos again in an Aus A over in Pakistan. What a moron. Even his own teamates testified against him!

And I watched a bit of the Aus/Bang 20/20 the other day. It was really boring I knew that as soon as they made it into a world cup, after the farce that was the one-day world cup it would start failing.

[major_panic]

20/20 was good when it was still fun for everyone. ie. commentators mucking around with the players, people being silly buggers in the stands, players closing their eyes and swinging and tv audiences just laughing at all of them.

Now it's just too serious and cricket is starting to die slowly. You can sense it here in Melb, there's a growing sense of "who the hell cares" about cricket.

[Axver]

Originally posted by major_panic
Arr, you're being a tad harsh there... You're forgetting the inevitable breakdown of Freddie Flintoff and everyone's punting about whether Vaughan would manage to injure himself again.

You've got me there! "Here comes Freddie Flintoff to inject life into the English batting order!" ... half an hour later ... "And Flintoff's gone, 10 off 40! He was scoring really fast out there in comparison to everyone else; England's now looking desperate."

And yeah, I really have to agree with the comments that in the last few years, cricket has seriously lost something. The magic is evaporating from the game at a great rate. I'm struggling to care about Twenty20. It was a bit of a laugh at the start and I enjoyed it, but it's not developing into anything of merit. It's a mindless slogfest and the bowler should just be replaced with an automated bowling machine. ODIs have been horribly tarnished by the catastrophic Cup earlier this year. Only Tests retain their integrity, but in today's fast-paced society, they aren't going to win many new fans.

[intedomine]

MacGill's the only remaining NSW player I respect.

[cobl04]

Originally posted by major_panic
20/20 was good when it was still fun for everyone. ie. commentators mucking around with the players, people being silly buggers in the stands, players closing their eyes and swinging and tv audiences just laughing at all of them.

Now it's just too serious and cricket is starting to die slowly. You can sense it here in Melb, there's a growing sense of "who the hell cares" about cricket.

agree 100%.

and Axver - you must have been in tears when England played us in like the third or fourth test, and scored about 70 runs from 50 overs.

[Axver]

Originally posted by COBL_04
and Axver - you must have been in tears when England played us in like the third or fourth test, and scored about 70 runs from 50 overs.

I'm convinced that was a group of American schoolboys disguised as the English team. It's the only explanation that makes even a modicum of sense.