Cricket

[Antman]

This is desperately sad:



Source

The article doesn't say what he died of but if it was the skin cancer hopefully this will prove to be another reminder to both players and fans of the importance of proper protection whilst under the suns rays. Also the importance of getting anything suspicious checked by a doctor.

Very sad, I've never been a massive cricket fan but Richie was an absolute legend and an extremely nice fella by all accounts. RIP

 

[Arglwydd Golau]

This is desperately sad:



Source

The article doesn't say what he died of but if it was the skin cancer hopefully this will prove to be another reminder to both players and fans of the importance of proper protection whilst under the suns rays. Also the importance of getting anything suspicious checked by a doctor.

He truly was the voice of summer for me, and I would imagine, a generation of cricket loving boys. His commentaries and wisdom surpassed any other broadcaster in my opinion (although when I didn't have access to a TV there was always John Arlott). I never, ever, felt that he was partisan in Eng v Aus games, an attribute which today's panel on TV cannot match. After 2005 his voice was such a loss to viewers in the UK, but his decision not to work for a pay TV channel showed that he was a man of principle. A fine man.

 

[Busaholic]

One last thing about Richie Benaud that should be appreciated on this forum - his computer screensaver was apparently of a train chugging across the screen.

 

[ainsworth74]

Are we all looking forward to the start of the best domestic first class competition in the world tomorrow? For once Durham are avoiding having to play their first game of the season at windswept Chester-le-Street in early April...

 

[andrew bell]

Are we all looking forward to the start of the best domestic first class competition in the world tomorrow? For once Durham are avoiding having to play their first game of the season at windswept Chester-le-Street in early April...

I am looking forward to the season. I follow no particular county (born in Hertfordshire, now living in Norfolk) but hoping the season is going to be as exciting as last year. And for anyone who can listen to the radio whilst working, you can follow every ball on the BBC cricket website, it's the 3rd year that BBC are commentating on every ball bowled in every county game, with 1 game being available on 5 live sports extra most weeks

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Are we all looking forward to the start of the best domestic first class competition in the world tomorrow? For once Durham are avoiding having to play their first game of the season at windswept Chester-le-Street in early April...

You can tell that the cricket season is with us once again, as in our part of Cheshire East, we have had strong cold winds and steady heavy rainfall for most of the day.

 

[ainsworth74]

Of course! What else could be expected?

Durham have made a decent start to our season taking 7 wickets for around 80 runs leaving Somerset 299 all out. Paul 'Evergreen' Collingwood claiming a five wicket haul (and Onions getting 4). The reply is off to something of a rocky start with Durham finding themselves at 32/2...

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

West Indies v. England (Day 1)

England 43-3

Cook........Out for 11
Trott........Out for 0.....keeping his current run of fine batting form going strong..
Balance....Out for 10

Normal service now resumed....

 

[Oswyntail]

....Normal service now resumed....

Yes, in that Bell steadies things down. Doubtless there will be those who opine he never gets his runs in critical situations, that the real heroes are Root and Stokes**, that Pietersen would have got the same century in three overs, etc etc. A match isn't over till it's over - this one is in the first day.

**I'm looking at you, Mr. Vaughan.

 

[ainsworth74]

So I think Collingwood has made the case for his recall to the England side. Five wickets and then a century? Who needs youth when the old guys are doing things like this

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Indeed, the England collapse came at the top of the order (highlighted in my earlier posting), rather than the usual middle section, where some good batting application then went a long way to enable England to finish the first day at 341-5 from the 90 overs bowled in the day.. The ship was steadied by:-

Bell 143 (1 x 6 / 20 x 4)

Root 83 (11 x 4)....who fell right at the end of the day

Stokes 71 not out (1 x 6 / 10 x 4)

 

[DownSouth]

So I think Collingwood has made the case for his recall to the England side. Five wickets and then a century? Who needs youth when the old guys are doing things like this

What village league was that in?

I recall him being talked about as a potential head coach a year ago when the ECB gave Andy Flower a revolver to do the honourable thing after Australia won the Ashes, not to make a playing return.

 

[ainsworth74]

What village league was that in?

I think you're confused maybe? He's playing in the First Division of the County Championship with Durham still.

I recall him being talked about as a potential head coach a year ago when the ECB gave Andy Flower a revolver to do the honourable thing after Australia won the Ashes, not to make a playing return.

I think, maybe, you've had a sense of humour failure? I was making a joke as obviously he isn't going to return as a player.

 

[Oswyntail]

...I think, maybe, you've had a sense of humour failure? .....

DownSouth has a very peculiar sense of humour, particularly when expressing his admiration for English cricket.

 

[Arglwydd Golau]

West Indies v. England (Day 1)

England 43-3

Cook........Out for 11
Trott........Out for 0.....keeping his current run of fine batting form going strong..
Balance....Out for 10

Normal service now resumed....

To be fair, West Indies did bowl very well with the new ball!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

So I think Collingwood has made the case for his recall to the England side. Five wickets and then a century? Who needs youth when the old guys are doing things like this

TMS commentators have just been bemoaning the fact that Collingwood was coaching Scotland in the last World Cup rather than utilising his undoubted knowledge with England....another failure of the current regime.

 

[ainsworth74]

England can't have him till Durham are finished with him and we ain't gonna be finished with him until his body gives up on him

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Day two of the Test Match saw England lose their last five wickets in their first innings. for only an addition of 42 runs to their overnight score. Last man in, Jimmy Anderson scored 20 of these from only 22 balls and that score exceeded the combined scores of all the top three in the batting order, Cook, Trott and Ballance. Kemar Roach returned figues of 4-94.

West Indies, in their first innings, recovered from a position of 99-4 to finish at 155-4 at close of play. Anderson 13-8-24-1 returned quite a good bowling return.

 

[Phirstman]

Stokes took the wicket of Blackwood off of a no ball as well - for all of his undoubted talent I fear there is little between the ears as he's made this mistake before.

 

[Johnuk123]

It's been a very long time since a test series has been largely ignored like the West Indies one. I know several very keen cricket fans and to a man they've simply decided not to bother with this test series. Just shows how people are sick to death of ultra negative tactics and picking out of form players week in week out.

 

[balne-wonderer]

I expect the Aussies are quaking in their boots at the prospect of facing James Tredwell in the summer. A man who barely plays red ball cricket for his county. What's he gonna do, hope the sun light catches his head and blinds the batsman?

Adil Rashid should be playing and Adam Lyth should be opening. Get these lads in now to give them some experience of test cricket BEFORE we play the Aussies. It's already looking like a 0-5 to be honest but lets at least give ourselves a shot of improving.

By the way, despite missing Ballance, Root, Bairstow, Lyth, Rashid and Plunkett and with Captain Gale suspended my county destroyed Worcs by 10 wickets yesterday.

Incredible.

 

[DownSouth]

Adil Rashid should be playing ...

I rate Rashid. He played one season of T20 with South Australia a few years back and impressed lots of people with his attacking bowling and accessibility to the fans.

It's already looking like a 0-5 to be honest but lets at least give ourselves a shot of improving.

Come on, we all know that British weather is nowhere near good enough to allow for that.

 

[Arglwydd Golau]

England can't have him till Durham are finished with him and we ain't gonna be finished with him until his body gives up on him

And why not indeed! I don't think we'll see too many cricketers of Collingwood's ilk in the future, he has always made the best of his talent and - I hope - will be a one-county man!
( However, I would have thought that he could have provided some input into England during the WC - in the same way he did to Scotland - without affecting his Durham duties)

 

[DownSouth]

The World Cup did show the potential of Paul Collingwood's coaching - in its absence.

Without him at the helm, Scotland became the only team to lose to England in a match where a finals place was on the line

 

[Cletus]

I expect the Aussies are quaking in their boots at the prospect of facing James Tredwell in the summer. A man who barely plays red ball cricket for his county. What's he gonna do, hope the sun light catches his head and blinds the batsman?

Adil Rashid should be playing and Adam Lyth should be opening. Get these lads in now to give them some experience of test cricket BEFORE we play the Aussies. It's already looking like a 0-5 to be honest but lets at least give ourselves a shot of improving.

By the way, despite missing Ballance, Root, Bairstow, Lyth, Rashid and Plunkett and with Captain Gale suspended my county destroyed Worcs by 10 wickets yesterday.

Incredible.

I have no problem with Treadwell (although I may have a Kent bias!). It's Jordan I don't think should be in the test team. He's too wayward and just not consistent enough for test cricket.

You're probably right about Lyth and Rashid, but England are too conservative for that.

Heard on the commentary that Moeen Ali is on his way out as well, so can't see Lyth playing.

 

[ExRes]

I expect the Aussies are quaking in their boots at the prospect of facing James Tredwell in the summer. A man who barely plays red ball cricket for his county. What's he gonna do, hope the sun light catches his head and blinds the batsman?.

Obviously the sun was shining in Antigua today, Tredwell 26-12-47-4

 

[andrew bell]

apparently Rashid was going to play, but after a poor showing against St Kitts in the warm ups he was deemed 'unselectable' by the selectors. If it's true, when Moeen turns up, send Rashid home and play a few county championship matches before we play New Zealand

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I see that the England openers, Cook and Trott, decided to emulate their poor first innings batting performances when opening the batting in the second innings. I suppose that is what can charitably be described as "consistency"...

Still, Balance 44 not out and Root 32 not out batted till close of play on the third day, leaving England with a lead of 220.

 

[Busaholic]

apparently Rashid was going to play, but after a poor showing against St Kitts in the warm ups he was deemed 'unselectable' by the selectors. If it's true, when Moeen turns up, send Rashid home and play a few county championship matches before we play New Zealand

What does this word 'unselectable' mean? It only seems to apply to England test teams overseas, before the first game in a series, Finn being the last casualty. How can a player become 'unselectable' between being chosen to take part in a tour and the first meaningful match of that tour? Has Rashid developed the 'yips' like Phil Edmonds once did or has he spoken out of turn about an aspect of management? A poor showing in an even-more-meaningless-than-usual practice in the middle against some club players cannot surely warrant such a decision. If it had been a batsman making a couple of ducks we'd be told all was fine and dandy, especially if his name was Morgan (yes, I do realise he has no place on this tour, too busy feathering his bank account).

 

[Oswyntail]

Team selection, particularly overseas, is more complex than some pundits (who should know better) seem to think. Any player must, first and foremost, do their utmost - but there are sportsmen who, travelling overseas with a national team, think they have "arrived" and let this distract them. They must also be a part of the team - if this means leaving out a "top" performer who simply winds up everyone around them, then so be it. Some say it is the captain's job to make sure everyone works together, but not selecting someone may be the most effective way of doing that. Then there may be a player who suddenly feels overwhelmed - it happens, so how do you handle them?

 

[Buttsy]

Even though Phil Tufnell never stopped trying to drink the West Indies dry of rum, have an interesting time with various ladies and p*** off Athers royally, he still got picked for tests...