creeeeeeeekeeeeeet

[Puskas]

What's up with Lanky's batting this season (repeat of question from the past few seasons....)?

All the matches seem to follow the same pattern - top order collapse, followed by limited, largely futile, middle/lower order fight back.

Even the match they won was low scoring, and the top order did naff all.

Oh well, there's still Kyle Hogg and Glen Chapple to come...

[Winter Hill White]

I ticked off one of my "must see" sporting venues this weekend, when I watched a game at Eden Gardens, Kolkata (Calcutta in old money). It was quite a game as well. I know T20 isn't too everyone's taste, but this was an amazing game; it was Kolkata Knight Riders (yes, really) against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League. Kolkata had a target of about 160 in 15 overs. That they won was due mainly to Yusuf Pathan, who got a 15 ball fifty, and ended up scoring 72 off 22 balls. And he was dropped first ball.

Very impressive venue. Great atmosphere. More partisan that other matches I've been to in India, where the crowd often cheer for individuals, whichever team they are playing for.

[bwfcdan94]

Good to give Sri Lanka a taste of their own medicine.

[Bruce Rioja]

Anyone watching today's ODI? Was fearing 350+ at one point.

[Bruce Rioja]

fecking hell fire. Has Eoin Morgan got a brain? We're in absolute fecking disarray and he gifts his wicket to them. Bog-trotting prick!

[Bruce Rioja]

Brilliant knock from Jos Buttler, almost won it on his own. Still can't believe that Malinga's action's legal.

[Bruce Rioja]

As some, if not all of you will know, Freddie Flintoff's making a return for Lancs to play the T20 games. As part of his reintroduction he's playing a few games in the Lancashire League and for Lancs B. On Saturday he played his first game back up at St Annes. This is a C&B that he took. Welcome back, Freddie.

[thebish]

ha! - the way he just trots on as if it were nowt!

[Bruce Rioja]

ha! - the way he just trots on as if it were nowt!

Oh absolutely

I'm amazed he didn't sledge the batsman for trying to stick him out of the ground.

[Bruce Rioja]

And what are we making of this how-dya-do then? Senanayake's been taking some right stick for his apparent failure to adhere to the spirit of the game but I'm afraid that I have to take his side on this one. He's twice warned Buttler (within the spirit of the game) about wandering off down the wicket to the point of taking the piss (surely not in the spirit of the game) that if he carries on then he's going to run him out (within the laws of the game) which he then did. I don't see what England's beef is at all here. Smack of sour grapes to me.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/27689164" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[bobo the clown]

And what are we making of this how-dya-do then? Senanayake's been taking some right stick for his apparent failure to adhere to the spirit of the game but I'm afraid that I have to take his side on this one. He's twice warned Buttler (within the spirit of the game) about wandering off down the wicket to the point of taking the piss (surely not in the spirit of the game) that if he carries on then he's going to run him out (within the laws of the game) which he then did. I don't see what England's beef is at all here. Smack of sour grapes to me.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/27689164" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

My thoughts exactly.

If he's been told twice then he doesn't need to give another warning in my view. You wouldn't have got 3 goes in my Bolton League days.

[Prufrock]

Yep. If they hadn't warned him I'd have some sympathy (though I also take Mike Atherton's point that we were taught to keep our bat in till they'd let go!) but they did. Twice.

[KeyserSoze]

yeah it's weird. If the non-striker is repeatedly doing it despite warnings, what else can you do?

Wonder how many of these ex-pros clamouring to condemn Sri Lankan non-sportsmanship did so when yer man Stuart Broad wasn't so pleasant during last year's ashes.

[ChrisC]

It's a bit shit but completely within the rules. Leave the guy alone. If anything, the rule needs changing so that the bowler has to actually bowl before he can interact with the wicket.

[Prufrock]

Nah, coz then you could be half-way down without fear of being stumped. I think it's right as is. This way stops any 'tricky business' going on where you pretend to bowl but keep hold of it meaning you couldn't set off till you'd seen the ball leave his hand.

[BWFC_Insane]

My view is that he's not trying to steal a run. He's a couple of paces out of his crease. The rules are about stopping players "stealing a run" which he isn't doing. I think it is poor sportsmanship in that if he's halfway down the wicket then fair enough. But to start your action then run someone out for me is poor. And in one day games EVERYONE moves out of their crease like that. Every other ball the game could end up being stopped if all teams started doing that.

I guess it is more a situation of "don't blame the player, blame the rules". If a bowler hasn't started his action then fair enough, but I think once they've started their action then you should be allowed to get down the wicket if you so choose without the risk of being run out.

[Bruce Rioja]

Nah. The bowler gave him two clear warnings. He chose to ignore them, or at the very least call his bluff. A couple of paces outside the crease and he's not trying to steal a run? Really?

[BWFC_Insane]

Nah. The bowler gave him two clear warnings. He chose to ignore them, or at the very least call his bluff. A couple of paces outside the crease and he's not trying to steal a run? Really?

Watch any one day game and how many times are the batsman in the crease as the bowler releases the ball? It is almost never.

The rule is to stop someone being halfway down. He's nowhere near that.

I reckon if teams started doing what Sri Lanka did the games would go on for ever as bowlers stop during their actions to run a player out. I reckon you could get a hefty number out that way in any game if you wanted to.

[Prufrock]

'It's to stop someone being halfway down', where do you get that from?! It's to stop people pinching, yes, and agreed we're not talking starting walking as the bowler bowls, but 'halfway down'? It goes on, but it doesn't mean Sri Lanka are obliged to let it, especially when they've warned him twice already.

[TANGODANCER]

It was never really about run-stealing when I played. If you were "out of crease" you could be stumped or run out. We took care not to be. That was it.