creeeeeeeekeeeeeet

[Worthy4England]

Astroturf? Cor, you weren't half posh. Most, but not all, of the 'pitches' around my place consisted of a concrete strip. If you were lucky your club/school had a pitch-length strip of matting (coir?) with which to cover them.

The old coconut mat. Blimey. And there was always some bastard hell-bent on pitching it short of it.

The concrete at our nets, only used to run to short of a length. And at that point created a ridge...

[bwfcdan94]

Astroturf? Cor, you weren't half posh. Most, but not all, of the 'pitches' around my place consisted of a concrete strip. If you were lucky your club/school had a pitch-length strip of matting (coir?) with which to cover them.

We did but then the buildings of the school were in such a poor state that regularly metal guttering of about 60ft in height would just topple down from the side of various walls, we also had that dodgy yellow stuff showing on the insides and outsides of most of our school building, my school choose to spend all of its money on sports but would never let us use any of the equipment and for of a year banned all types of balls because windows were going in que mass brawls in school everyday!

[LeverEnd]

When I worked at Hayward School in Bolton the roof literally blew off one of the blocks at break time during high winds. It's a fairly exposed site but no-one saw that coming. It's all been flattened now for a new academy. Probably for the best building-wise!

[bwfcdan94]

Schools really do spend their money on the wrong things don't they or do they just not get enough of it.

[LeverEnd]

Just noticed this, amazing figures.

New Zealand batsman Corey Anderson has struck the fastest ever international century.
He reached his 100 in a one-day match against West Indies in Queenstown from 36 balls, breaking the record of 37 set by Pakistan's Shahid Afridi in 1996.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/25565942

[KeyserSoze]

Alex Hales, then.

[danhorwich]

Don't tell me you didn't already know that he was really good.

[bobo the clown]

Not proper cricket though, is it ?!?

[danhorwich]

Im not disputing that it is a form of cricket for people who aren't good enough for test cricket I.E batsman to impatient to calmly play out an innings and instead recklessly slog until they are caught and for bowlers who lack the ambition or ability to take wickets and therefore bowl deliveries which are extremely difficult for the batsman to play at even if they are at a line/length that will never produce a wicket. In essence it is the complete opposite mind-set to that of test cricket.

[danhorwich]

Australia being well and truly thumped by India, they are chasing 160 to win and currently after 15overs are 83-9. They aren't even going to see out the over the way they are going.

[danhorwich]

All out for 86. Embarrassing.

[Dujon]

"Power plays", "Free hits", balls outside the leg stump automatically called wides, ridiculous field setting restrictions; it just isn't cricket. I think the title given to the competition over here (The Big Bash) sums it up.

Regardless of my disregard for this so-called form of cricket: How can a team that has just made a mess of England and South Africa in all forms of the game turn up and lose all three of its matches?

[BWFC_Insane]

"Power plays", "Free hits", balls outside the leg stump automatically called wides, ridiculous field setting restrictions; it just isn't cricket. I think the title given to the competition over here (The Big Bash) sums it up.

Regardless of my disregard for this so-called form of cricket: How can a team that has just made a mess of England and South Africa in all forms of the game turn up and lose all three of its matches?

I will always prefer tests. But I think 20:20 is good fun. I think it is better than the 50 over variety to be honest. It is a great way for kids to get into cricket is over in a few hours and most matches are genuinely exciting. The skills required are very different from test matches and even full one dayers which explains why some teams struggle when apparently they are on form in other versions of the game.

I also think form is less relevant. Look at England beating Sri Lanka for example....

[bwfcdan94]

I actually think 20-20 cricket is the best form of the game but say I prefer test cricket because it stops anybody over the age of 25 hating me.

[Dujon]

Oh, come off it, Dan. You do come out with some unnecessarily strong words at times. "Hate" you? Why on earth would anyone hate you because you like the short version of the game? There are thousands and thousands of people who also like it. It's not my cup of tea any more than is, say, water polo but that doesn't mean that I detest people who do like them. Settle down, my friend, the world is not against you.

Insanity, I'm sure it's good fun - it's intended to be. When the 'powers that be' turn it into a money making exercise then I turn into a jaded old phart. When the teams involved start to take the game seriously then, to me, the essence of this 20-20 game has evaporated. What's next on the short term attention span? Let me think: Ah, yes. A game where there are eleven overs bowled by the fielding side. Each player on that side is allowed one over. The batting team has one batsman at the crease and all eleven overs are bowled from the same end. If the batsman is adjudicated as 'out' on his first received ball then he gets a second chance. The 'toss' could be important as it not only decides what the winner will do (bat or bowl) but it also involves the end from which the bowlers will operate. The latter choice, elected by the winner, means that the opposition will be required to bowl from the opposite end. Any stroke causing the ball to clear the boundary fence without touching the ground will be deemed as a 'six' and the batsman required to retire.

Hey! that's not a bad idea. I could make a fortune out of this.

[Worthy4England]

20/20 is what the under 16's play, because there isn't enough daylight left after school. Any similarity between it and cricket is entirely coincidental.

[bwfcdan94]

Oh, come off it, Dan. You do come out with some unnecessarily strong words at times. "Hate" you? Why on earth would anyone hate you because you like the short version of the game? There are thousands and thousands of people who also like it. It's not my cup of tea any more than is, say, water polo but that doesn't mean that I detest people who do like them. Settle down, my friend, the world is not against you.

Insanity, I'm sure it's good fun - it's intended to be. When the 'powers that be' turn it into a money making exercise then I turn into a jaded old phart. When the teams involved start to take the game seriously then, to me, the essence of this 20-20 game has evaporated. What's next on the short term attention span? Let me think: Ah, yes. A game where there are eleven overs bowled by the fielding side. Each player on that side is allowed one over. The batting team has one batsman at the crease and all eleven overs are bowled from the same end. If the batsman is adjudicated as 'out' on his first received ball then he gets a second chance. The 'toss' could be important as it not only decides what the winner will do (bat or bowl) but it also involves the end from which the bowlers will operate. The latter choice, elected by the winner, means that the opposition will be required to bowl from the opposite end. Any stroke causing the ball to clear the boundary fence without touching the ground will be deemed as a 'six' and the batsman required to retire.

Hey! that's not a bad idea. I could make a fortune out of this.

When I was at school we used to have a 5 minute break in-between lessons in which we play a 1 over game whereby 1 person bowls, 1 person bats and everybody else fields. The aim being who of the 2 batsman can get the biggest score. To get out during you 1 over at the crease ensured much ribbing for at least the next week of school.

As we have already discussed the whole world is against me the t.v is against me, the water I drink is against me, even the weather. . In all serious I am actually a bit negative at times and therefore I am going to try top be as positive as possible today and hopefully if it works out carry it on.

However I can say quite comfortably that the mention of T20 in my granddads presence sends him into a 5 minute rants about how it is not proper cricket and it is more like baseball. My dad is the same to some extent.

[bwfcdan94]

County cricket is back .

[bobo the clown]

20/20 is what the under 16's play, because there isn't enough daylight left after school. Any similarity between it and cricket is entirely coincidental.

Entirely correct.

I can't watch cricket whete top quality players thrash and flail out as their wicket isn't valuable because with only 20 overs there is no need for care and always another batsman to come in
That's before the banal music and shite associated with it.

They may as well have one over each and save some time.

[Bruce Rioja]

County cricket is back .

:politerippleofapplause: