The Cricket Thread

fundy

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It’s not just the tosh they spout it’s the almost manic enthusiasm, trying to portray it as the most exciting game of Cricket that was ever played!
Almost feel sorry for Jimmy Anderson, obviously knows it’s a turd but has to talk it up.

Also I simply have no affinity for either team!


my affinity was in cheering the mighty eagles chase down 275 earlier in the RLODC that theyve tried to make disappear, pretty impressive Essex side with Cook, Westley, Harmer et al. How did Harmer not get a gig in the undred btw???
 

Beezerk

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Wow, typical shocking BBC sports presentation.
Highlight for me, when they brought on the graphic that examined death bowling with yorkers, then the team put on a spinner ??
I hate the BBC for this type of thing, they do the same with their NFL coverage, treat the audience like they are total retards.
 

3offTheTee

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Despite the money being pumped into this I find it difficult to understand how it is going to succeeed.

The present system is fine and people have an allegiance to their team. I was a Lancashire member many years’ ago when I lived closer and thought I would watch Manchester whatever v London whatever. It is not Lancashire at all and Lancashire player Mahmoud is playing for the other team!

Once the hype has died down, by the weekend imo, I have no idea who it will appeal to. I have already removed the series link. Despite the commentators sounding enthusiastic it is a recipe for disaster.
 

Billysboots

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Has a long term deal been signed? If not, my money is on this not surviving into next season.

I find it hard to understand who this is aimed at. If T20, with all that it has had going for it, has failed to lure in those who previously had no interest in cricket, I’m not sure what this offers which is that much better/different.

I’m still rather confused by the whole concept.
 

Lord Tyrion

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Has a long term deal been signed? If not, my money is on this not surviving into next season.

I find it hard to understand who this is aimed at. If T20, with all that it has had going for it, has failed to lure in those who previously had no interest in cricket, I’m not sure what this offers which is that much better/different.

I’m still rather confused by the whole concept.
According to Agnew it is a 5yr deal :oops:
 

stefanovic

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Remember when cricket was warm beer and cucumber sandwiches, uncomfy wooden seats, amateur gentlemen and paid players emerging from separate dressing rooms, umpires with frock coats, maiden over after maiden over.
That was Edgbaston in the 1950's and 60's.
Now look at it. Yuk.
 

SteveJay

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Have to say I thought the Sky coverage tonight was far better than the Beeb. Not so gimmicky and the commentators/pundits were not patronising like yesterday.
Good game too, although I am still not sold on the format and seemingly pointless rule changes.
 

fundy

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one thing i learnt tonight was there is no "super 5 balls" if its a tie until the KO stages too (supposedly due to the BBC requirements of games not over running)

going to be huge disappointment, especially at the ground, when fans realise its a draw and move on and that theyve been denied the joy of a super over
 

fundy

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Edgbaston for this afternoons game 2 in the womens

View attachment 37691

Didnt realise hundred was the attendance figure! Not sure if theyve brought the ropes in far enough either lol


Official attendance for this game just over 6,300 according to the ECB!

Nice fudge this, create double headers, womens game then mens, then take the capacity right at the end of the womens game when a large chunk of those just turning up for the mens game have arrived

Mens game attendance lower than you get for a blast game again too


Excellent article from George Dobell about the undred

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/...dred-it-s-smoke-mirrors-and-gimmickry-1270805
 

stefanovic

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I don't care much for the names of the teams.

Birmingham Phoenix. Okay if they win, but what if they lose? Turtles, maybe as in the Phoenix and the Turtle poem by Shakespeare.
As their floodlights remind me of a preying insect, then Birmingham Mantises.
Oval Invincibles. Only if they win.
Manchester Originals. Reminds me of an unpleasant garment worn by a certain motorbike fraternity.
 

Tongo

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The problem for the 100 is that there are conflicting feelings for many regarding the men's and women's comps. I can already see that the women's comp has been good for the women's game in terms of promoting its etc but this could easily have been done by raising the profile of the KSL. People have pointed out that the KSL didnt attract the sort of crowds that the 100 has seen but then again it didnt get the anything like the promotion / marketing that the 100 has and many of its games were played in the afternoons. In my opinion the increase in attendances is because of the women's game getting a higher profile / better marketing / FTA TV rather than the change in format from T20 to 100 balls itself.
As has also been highlighted, none of the KSL matches were ever played at Lord's. This was a failing of the ECB and the MCC but they will both now be patting themselves on the back for hosting matches at Lord's.
Mind you, for every Izzy Westbury eloquently extolling the benefits of the comp there is Vaughan, Piers Morgan, Don Topley and Harry Gurney ruining her work with their clownish behaviour. And that's on top of previous comments from the likes of smug Eoin Morgan. (For whom every new franchise comp he plays in is apparently the best he's every played in)

In contrast, I get the hostility to the men's comp. It looks like another version of the Blast with loads of beered up people not interested in watching cricket and smacks of nothing more than a money grab. The supposed 'new audience' doesnt seem to be in attendance and I actually think the mens comp will potentially harm the women's comp long-term / in seasons to come if they persist with double headers.

And the Sandeep Lamichane farrago should not be forgotten, although it will be.

Ultimately, I think long-term I would be amenable to watching a women's match somewhen down the line but the damage has been done with the men's comp and I don't think that rift will ever go disappear. To be so regularly proclaimed as an 'obsessive,' a 'traditionalist' (both of which are most definitely intended in a deprocating, pejorative sense), an 'old fuddy-duddy' and 'part of the problem' has proved too much. I'm 42, there's still a couple of players in the county game older than me for goodness sake. But such a narrative has been so prevalent that the animosity is massive.
 

fundy

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The actual mens cricket so far is no different from a blast game (apart from getting 15% less cricket in the same amount of time), the crowds at the mens game are no different from the blast games (bar being down about 30%). The overseas stars bar one or two have all played in the blast before! Edit: the removal of the super over is a big backwards step too

The womens side is great, albeit not the equality they keep claiming (yet again 4 or 5 on show this morning were amateurs not being paid). Everything they are doing could have been done by supporting the KSL rather than selling it down the river 2 years ago. Again they are rather light on overseas stars.

The FTA tv side is excellent, this could as easily have been the blast and the KSL with the money thats been thrown at it

What is making it utterly unbearable is the race to the bottom to ensure they are on the gravy train, from commentators, journalists, celebs, influencers and anyone else who thinks they can give themselves a chance of grabbing the millions the ECB have made from the England team and the county game over the years! In the process they are destroying the county set up, marginalising the county champs the RLODC and the blast and hurting Englands chances going forward.

There is actually nothing groundbreakingly new about it apart from a bucket full of marketing gimmicks and an utter disregard of cricket and the existing fans of the counties however many times certain comms want to screech that there is
 
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