The Roar
The Roar

Tim Miller

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Joined October 2016

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I love cricket so much I once had a dream I was timed out. It was the worst nightmare I've ever had. I also support the Western Bulldogs, which, much like dressing like clowns on the street and scaring people, was weird and depressing for a very long time, briefly became amazing in late 2016 and then swiftly went back to being weird and depressing. I also occasionally tweet about things at @timejmiller.

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How I’d go as well – they’ll be tempted to go Stoinis over Labuschagne I reckon but like the extra batting and Stoin has been far from ideal with bat or ball this tournament. Plus Head at least showed today he can send a few down tidily enough as a sixth bowler.

Marsh clubs century as Aussies surge into WC semis on seven-win streak despite 'Herschelle Gibbs 2.0' drama

That’s fair and I’m probably in the minority in not liking the par scores.

I’d just rather see a match declared null and void rather than have someone like New Zealand be deemed to have lost it in the manner of Saturday – especially at the most prestigious tournament of all with a semi-final on the line.

COMMENT: It's great for the World Cup - but Pakistan's DLS-assisted win over NZ proves the system needs a rethink

DLS is fine – I just don’t like the par score part of it where a result can be decided from the dressing room.

The draw (or no result) is a time-honoured part of cricket when conditions intervene, and I’d rather see that than have a team undeservingly lose a game like New Zealand did.

COMMENT: It's great for the World Cup - but Pakistan's DLS-assisted win over NZ proves the system needs a rethink

I think this is quite close to what they used to do with it back in the 1980s… until South Africa found themselves needing 22 off 1 ball at the 1992 World Cup and they scrapped it.

COMMENT: It's great for the World Cup - but Pakistan's DLS-assisted win over NZ proves the system needs a rethink

Not suggesting what Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman did wasn’t remarkable – they batted magnificently.

But surely any smaller target than 400, no matter how few overs are required to get it, is easier than climbing the whole mountain – and gives you the freedom to have a dip without worrying *as much* about wickets.

COMMENT: It's great for the World Cup - but Pakistan's DLS-assisted win over NZ proves the system needs a rethink

Blink 99 per cent of that is just your opinion which I’m happy to disagree with, but I can 100 per cent confirm Virat and I have never met.

COMMENT: Virat Kohli just scored the most selfish hundred since Boycott - and he should be embarrassed

I disagree that ‘every player is selfish’ – lots of players from all across cricket, most obviously guys like Rishabh Pant and Adam Gilchrist, could have made many more runs but didn’t because they got out playing attacking stroke-heavy cricket and put the team first.

And while I’m fully happy to acknowledge that it wasn’t at the cost of the team this time, I disagree completely that Kohli wasn’t putting himself before the team in what he did.

COMMENT: Virat Kohli just scored the most selfish hundred since Boycott - and he should be embarrassed

This is an incredibly bad faith argument sedz and I don’t know how you’re possibly making it with a straight face.

COMMENT: Virat Kohli just scored the most selfish hundred since Boycott - and he should be embarrassed

I don’t understand the argument that just because Kohli whacked a lot of fours and sixes at the end that doesn’t make him denying singles entirely selfish.

Making quick runs and batting selfishly aren’t mutually exclusive.

COMMENT: Virat Kohli just scored the most selfish hundred since Boycott - and he should be embarrassed

Jacko, if you can name one single Australian who has EVER turned down a single to get a century in a one-dayer or T20, let alone five times, I will gladly criticise them too.

Test matches as well unless you’re going to argue that denying strike to a number 11 batter late in an innings is the same thing, which I’d strongly disagree with.

COMMENT: Virat Kohli just scored the most selfish hundred since Boycott - and he should be embarrassed

You are telling me you have never seen Australia delay a 3rd innings declaration in a test match to allow a batter to chalk up an absolutely meaningless century?

Ed, I just don’t think that’s a fair comparison – the declaration was made and Langer reached his hundred early on Day 4 of a five-day Test, there was zero chance of not getting a result anyway (and not as if Langer was knocking back singles!)

For me a fairer comparison is in Langer’s last Test, as well as Mike Hussey’s a few years later. In the first, Matt Hayden smacked the winning runs away to claim the series 5-0 when he could have blocked out or denied a single to let Langer finish his career with them; in the second, Mitch Johnson wanted to turn down the single but Hussey made him run it through.

There’s just no way known if Dave Warner is turning down singles late in a chase to get himself to a ton Australian fans aren’t absolutely ripping into him, and rightly so.

COMMENT: Virat Kohli just scored the most selfish hundred since Boycott - and he should be embarrassed

This is literally the first direct criticism in writing I’ve ever made of Kohli (unless you include me saying at last year’s T20 World Cup that the free hit against Pakistan that bowled him should have been a dead ball).

And all of what you say in the second paragraph is correct – he’s completely transformed India into a great and unselfish side where personal milestones have always come second, as I’ve said in the article. That’s partly why it was so disappointing to see him do what he did.

COMMENT: Virat Kohli just scored the most selfish hundred since Boycott - and he should be embarrassed

OK you’ve got me there Rowdy – changed it to read ‘of the 2000s instead’.

Every grand final of the 2000s, ranked first to 24th: Which classic is 'the most underrated decider in footy history'?

I’d half forgotten about Travis Cloke’s first half that day – holy hell was he a destroyer of worlds in the early 2010s.

Every grand final of the 2000s, ranked first to 24th: Which classic is 'the most underrated decider in footy history'?

“Typical Vic-centric approach”

*has non-Victorian grand final wins as the literal top two*

Every grand final of the 2000s, ranked first to 24th: Which classic is 'the most underrated decider in footy history'?

I feel like the Lions really SHOULD win next week – I’ll certainly be tipping them.

But is it wrong that I still don’t really trust them despite getting to the last two?

Finals Fix: One quarter from hell couldn't keep the Lions out of the big dance - but another might just cost them the flag

Even in finals though, 11 goals isn’t that many and nor is 19 shots, right?

Also not sure Sydney being ‘one of the better defensive teams in the comp’ holds weight given only two finalists in GWS and Port conceded more H&A points.

Why every team will win their AFL semi final... and why they'll lose

Yeah that’s fair – more a reflection on the star power of Brisbane than a dig at McCluggage!

Surely most people would have the three biggest stars at Brisbane as Andrews down back, Neale in the middle and Cameron up forward though?

Should the Blues be... favourites? Five burning questions ahead of AFL semi finals

This wasn’t a go at Wilkie at all – he’s been superb all year. It was more a reflection on how using him on Greene effectively nullified him as an intercepting weapon – just four intercept possies for the game is a long way down on what he usually provides, and for me was a huge reason why the Saints conceded the amount of points they did.

Finals Fix: Ross Lyon made two fatal mistakes with the Saints' defence - and they paid the ultimate price

He can’t. The point I’m trying to make is that his electing to jump is the same as choosing to bump (which was also a point of conjecture a decade ago that we’ve grown to accept now) – once you leave the ground you’re in a dangerous position and any injury sustained is on you.

Who am I kidding, though – there’s no way I’m ever going to convince the supporter of a team that their player should be banned! Let’s just see what the MRO has to say about it and call it even, eh?

Finals Fix: Manic Magpies expose Dees' massive flaw - but here's why they should have to win it all without Maynard

It was a smother that knocked out a bloke, Peter.

Yes, for 120 years the fact it’s a footy act has allowed stuff like this to happen, but the game has changed where the consequences are serious enough to warrant a closer look.

Will it get him banned? With the way the MRO operates these days, I’ve honestly got no idea.

Finals Fix: Manic Magpies expose Dees' massive flaw - but here's why they should have to win it all without Maynard

AFL Rising Star Power Rankings: Every nominee rated from 1-24 - is it Sheezel's to lose in the best crop of young guns ever?

Yeah that’s fair. I’ll say this about headlines: the goal is to try and get people interested enough to read it. Sometimes that might mean a bit of hyperbole but with so much content around you’ve sort of got to buy into it a bit to stand out.

Footy Fix: If you're not terrified about your team facing the Hawks yet... you should be

Build of Kouta and the brain of Hird. I’m buying all the stocks.

Footy Fix: If you're not terrified about your team facing the Hawks yet... you should be

Oh yeah, the Pies will be fine. Daicos injury is a bad one but one more win locks up the minor premiership and gives them a flagging Port in the first week. Imagine adding him to a prelim final line-up…

Footy Fix: If you're not terrified about your team facing the Hawks yet... you should be

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