Roar Rookie
Joined December 2017
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Some of you may have watched the recent Fox Sports Series 'A Brief History of Australian Cricket: the Eighties'. If not, I’d definitely recommend…
In recent debates over who should replace David Warner to open for Australia, I’ve seen suggestions that Cameron Green’s form declined in the Ashes…
This article follows up a recent piece setting out a way of measuring and comparing performances in one-day international cricket over the decades. It…
In the wake of Australia’s World Cup win, Mohammed Kaif and others suggested that India still had the best team on paper, evoking fond…
The condition of Indian pitches remains a growing concern in international cricket.
There goes 45 minutes of my life I’ll never get back. I’m talking about two rugby internationals at the weekend: France-Australia and England-Argentina. 45…
It’s a tough life being a professional cricketer. Take the English cricket team, for example. Acting coach Paul Collingwood said last week that the…
I recently tried my hand at comparing cricket and baseball from various angles – how the games are played, player numbers, audiences, global spread,…
Defying my predictions, the Atlanta Braves beat the Houston Astros to take the 2021 Major League Baseball (MLB) World Series 4-2 on Wednesday. As…
This article tries to size up cricket and baseball in terms of their revenues, salaries, spectators and viewing numbers. I will leave to explore…
This third article in this series comparing cricket and baseball looks at the respective traditions, quirks and controversies of cricket and baseball, including sportsmanship,…
This week marks the opening of US Major League Baseball’s playoffs, good timing for a second article comparing aspects of cricket and baseball. The…
As well as being a cricket fan, over the years I’ve occasionally dived deep into baseball, particularly Major League Baseball (MLB) in the USA.…
The question of how to interpret a player’s career statistics has featured in several Roar articles recently. Renato Carini has challenged conventional views with…
One of the more illogically and offensively argued articles I’ve seen. No need to waste several hundred words on viewing figures. We all know, or should, that T20 is popular – that’s why they invented the BBL and the IPL and broadcasters pay top dollar for the TV rights. It brings in a lot of extra fans who don’t have the time, the inclination or often the experience to watch or enjoy Test cricket.
But what is this straw man of “self-congratulatory and elitist derision of T20 cricket”. “It demonstrates once again humanity’s inherent self-obsession.” What on earth is that supposed to mean? The actual meaning of the words is – humanity is obsessed with itself and the concerns of humanity, rather than say whales, trees, distant planets etc. I think you meant human beings are obsessed with themselves, individually, but that doesn’t seem anything much to do with preferences in cricket. People who prefer Test cricket see it as more “real” usually do so because it is a greater Test of all skills (except six-hitting and catching in the deep), something that many international cricketers recognise, and involves a whole lot more nuances and challenges in the course of a game as conditions change. There is a whole lot more resonance with the history of the game.
T20 is a whole lot more hit and miss simply because it only lasts 20 overs and it is often instantly forgettable,, due to so many matches. But what does saying that have to do with being self-obsessed or elitist? Test cricket probably is dying a slow death. I personally enjoy T20 even if some of the six-hitting relies too much on big bats with big edges and small boundaries – see T Head last nights. The outfielding is a real highlight. I wouldn’t write it off as not real cricket. But people who do prefer Tests can hardly be dismissed as elitist or self-obsessed and certainly not because T20 has better viewing figures!
No longer pyjama cricket: Viewership numbers dispel any myth that T20s haven't earned “real cricket” status in Australia
Fair points, I didn’t mean to suggest that Short deserves an IPL contract. Just that he won’t have the IPL both to get more T20 practice and to give the selectors more to look at close the WC. Maybe they should go back to Stoinis if Caribbean pitches aren’t too dissimilar to IPL wickets. But not Smith IMHO.
Aussie cricketers get chance to reverse Wallabies hoodoo as Smith recalled to prove he's World Cup worthy
Exactly- “eight single-digit scores in the past 15 matches and a 52 against India last November the only half-century in the last 25 outings” – and they think one good innings will be a better predictor of future success than 15? And he doesn’t have an IPL contract to turn things around? Totally bizarre. Mind you, Stoinis still one of the fattest IPL contract for some reason, as does Green, while Short doesn’t.
Aussie cricketers get chance to reverse Wallabies hoodoo as Smith recalled to prove he's World Cup worthy
Lies? So you are suggesting I said something I know to be false? Or English isn’t your first language?
'Our system is failing': The 'crisis' sinking Australian rugby - and the 'crucified' coach that shows it
Is it the size of our base? That’s the one. Not enough grassroots base means a lack of viewers and spectators, weak professional league, and a lack of money. Australians prefer sports with no or minimal international competition, where we can be legends in our own lunchtime- AFL, NRL, netball, etc. Can pretend all the top players are GOATS and geniuses.
'Our system is failing': The 'crisis' sinking Australian rugby - and the 'crucified' coach that shows it
A great game. Some ordinary bowling perhaps, apart from Ferguson and Marsh. Head and Warner looked scratchy. David made up for Inglis’s slow rate. Inglis should still stay in ahead of Wade or Smith, but perhaps further down the order? But Short hasn’t proven himself. For those wondering about 4 scores of 200 in a row – it was Behrendorff, Hazlewood, Stoinis, Abbott, Maxwell and Zampa and getting flogged to all parts vs Windies. Also conceded 200 in 3 of the previous 4 vs India – can add Ellis to that lineup. They need to look at Johnson this series – he hasn’t done well in his T20Is to date but has potential.
'Special to watch': David's demolition propels Australia to last-ball cliffhanger win after bowlers earn unwanted record
You might be right about Ellis although he has had poor figures in the last 7 T20i’s this season from the SA series in September. Going at nearly 10 an over and only averaging 36. Bartlett hasn’t proved much in T20s. Goes for more runs/over than either Cummins or Hazlewood and they play most of theirs in much tougher conditions in India or in internationals while Bartlett is nearly all in the BBL. Not sure he’ll work in the Caribbean. Would be interested to see if Johnson can do well.
'Special to watch': David's demolition propels Australia to last-ball cliffhanger win after bowlers earn unwanted record
The ball to Phillips was travelling very quickly, had to dive, just didn’t get it right.
'Special to watch': David's demolition propels Australia to last-ball cliffhanger win after bowlers earn unwanted record
“The law of averages suggests he’ll fill his boots in the next two Tests.” Not sure I agree 100% with your police work there, Lou, as Marge says in Fargo. Let’s see how that hypothesis works out.
McCullum hits back at Bazball critics after England's embarrassing rout: 'I don't want our guys to ever doubt themselves'
Might have turned out to be the greatest Test allrounder.
Team of the Month: a September-born world Cricket XI
Exactly, although I think once it shows about 2/3 rds hitting the margin of error is zero or near enough.
'Take away umpire's call': Stokes bleats about DRS after India thrash appalling England by record margin
“My opinion is if the ball is hitting the stumps, it is hitting the stumps.” No Ben, the ball wasn’t hitting the stumps. It’s called a video simulation or projection, with a margin of error. When it’s that close, we can’t be sure. Happy to help .
As you can tell I don’t mind umpire’s call. Nothing is going to be perfect. There’s not much difference between the ball potentially shaving the leg stump and going past the edge outside off. There’s always a share of luck, but nearly all the time the system is getting the clear decisions right. Its a helluva lot better than pre DRS.
'Take away umpire's call': Stokes bleats about DRS after India thrash appalling England by record margin
You may be right. It wasn’t PR people at the trial though was it? It was sworn testimony including by witnesses supporting him.
'Never heard more crap in my life': Haddin hits back at Atherton's claim Stokes intimidated Aussies in '13 Ashes
Fair enough. They said he’s got out nine times to the reverse sweep in 13 Tests. I assume they mean his last 13. He’s averaged 45 with a scoring rate of 76 in his last ten, compared to 50 @ 55 before that. Not a serious dip considering several of those tests against Australia and India, but I’d say he was doing just fine before that.
Poms defend Root amid furious reaction to 'stupidest shot in England Test cricket history' as Bazball under fire again
That doesn’t equate to “bottle it”, which means a lack of courage.
Poms defend Root amid furious reaction to 'stupidest shot in England Test cricket history' as Bazball under fire again
Maybe strike a balance? I would have thought the reverse sweep off middle stump to Bumrah is at the extreme end of risk taking. I guess it might put some bowlers off when you do pull it off but not Bumrah.
Poms defend Root amid furious reaction to 'stupidest shot in England Test cricket history' as Bazball under fire again
Agree on Root, but why say “bottle it”? All it takes is one error, a good ball, a ball holding up in the pitch, to get out. It’s rarely a question of “bottle”, guts or character. Arguably Stokes shot was just as bad as Root’s, but it was more about execution.
Poms defend Root amid furious reaction to 'stupidest shot in England Test cricket history' as Bazball under fire again
Yes, by accounts of those who saw both him and Thommo at his peak.
Why Starc should be first to make way if selectors opt to regenerate ageing Test team’s legendary bowling attack
Yep I was a bit surprised by the stats too. I believe he did do v well in a two-test series in Sri Lanka.
Why Starc should be first to make way if selectors opt to regenerate ageing Test team’s legendary bowling attack
“if Green is consistently making modest totals and those two fail to launch, the pressure builds on Carey and a long batting tail.” That’s just an argument that all batsmen need to make a decent amount of runs over an extended period for the team to succeed, nothing in particular about Green. All batters make errors and all get good balls that nick them off occasionally early on. I’m not sure Head and Marsh are more feast or famine than anyone else. Marsh has made 8 scores over 30 out of 14 since his return, Head has made 6 of 14, but only two scores over 50. They both got low scores against Windies when Green made his return, apart from Head’s 100.
Don’t think the new players in the ODI side proved anything, though Bartlett looks promising and
Inglis looked very good if you call him a new boy. That was a poor Windies team. Fraser-McGurk looks completely hit and miss at this stage, I wouldn’t read anything into him carting 125 kph Forde for a few sixes. Hardie and Morris did little.
Australian cricket summer summary: A successful but not great season as bigger challenges await
Do we have examples of him being a d—k or aggro apart from the pub incident? And there was some vindication for him there, given he appeared to be coming to the defence of some people who were getting picked on. He seems to be a genuinely very good leader now.
'Never heard more crap in my life': Haddin hits back at Atherton's claim Stokes intimidated Aussies in '13 Ashes
Actually he’s been pretty fair in most of his commentary. Had little sympathy for all the English moaning about the Bairstow stumping.
'Never heard more crap in my life': Haddin hits back at Atherton's claim Stokes intimidated Aussies in '13 Ashes
Haddin behaved like a d—khead most of the time.
'Never heard more crap in my life': Haddin hits back at Atherton's claim Stokes intimidated Aussies in '13 Ashes
Great work. But it’s not how many you catch, it’s how many drop, and how difficult they are. Couple of great ones here. Carey is the best athlete in the Aussie men’s teams.
Alex Carey equals world record in Marsh Cup clash
Inglis still better option than Wade though.
'Thought we were about 50 short': Bowlers blitz Black Caps as Zampa takes four, Wade plucks stunner