Cricket

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Second Test Match....Day 1

Australia 258-4..(90 overs)

After Jerome Taylor struck twice in his first three overs, leaving Australia 16-2, Steve Smith scored his fifth century in his last six Test Matches making 135 not out by close of play, with 2 x 6 and 16 x 4. He shared a partnership of 118 with Clarke for the third wicket, to restore equilibrium, then helped to make sure that a decent end-of-play score was reached.

That being said, the bowling return of Jerome Taylor of 15-8-18-3 was quite remarkable, even more so when the bowling figures of the other West Indian bowlers are seen.

 

[DownSouth]

During the lunch break, a ceremony was held to honour the induction of Revd. Sir Wes Hall into the ICC Hall of Fame, a most worthy induction.

During the first Test, players from both sides wore black armbands to mark the passing of Richie Benaud a couple of months ago, as he was the Australian captain during the great series which led to the Frank Worrell Trophy being named after the West Indian captain at the time. It has been suggested that a Richie Benaud Medal would be an appropriate award for the player of the series.

 

[Busaholic]

During the lunch break, a ceremony was held to honour the induction of Revd. Sir Wes Hall into the ICC Hall of Fame, a most worthy induction.

During the first Test, players from both sides wore black armbands to mark the passing of Richie Benaud a couple of months ago, as he was the Australian captain during the great series which led to the Frank Worrell Trophy being named after the West Indian captain at the time. It has been suggested that a Richie Benaud Medal would be an appropriate award for the player of the series.

Appreciators of Richie Benaud might be interested in a BBC Radio 4 programme at 8 p.m. tomorrow 'Morning All', introduced by cricket-loving Benaud impersonator Rory Bremner. Apparently, Richie B didn't appreciate all the impressions, even the spot-on ones like Bremner's, but as it's a programme devoted to all the fine points of the great man, including his not inconsiderable record as a cricketer and captain, I for one will be listening avidly.

 

[ExRes]

A couple of old cricketing names have cropped up this week, first Chris Lewis on his release from prison after serving 6 years for smuggling liquid cocaine and now Andy Hayhurst, who has been jailed for 2 years for stealing £100k meant for youth cricket development, perhaps one K Pietersen should also be charged with making false statements after claiming he was sorry that Matt Prior was having to retire .......

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Well, New Zealand have indeed set a target for England to beat...398-5 in 50 overs.

Jordan was particularly subjected to attacking strokes and his bowling return of 9-0-97-1 certainly reflects this.

 

[David]

A little bit of a wobble for England in their reply, but they are currently 158-3 after 21 overs.

 

[DownSouth]

England are still close enough to the required run rate at the halfway point (191/4, just nine runs behind) but the number of wickets in hand probably makes it advantage NZ at the moment - but it's still a live game so long as at least one of the current batsmen are there when the slog overs come.

Steve Smith is enjoying his exposure to the red Duke ball ahead of the Ashes (the West Indies and England are the only sides to use the Duke for home Tests) with a score of 187 not out so far. He has become the only player to have scored 2000+ runs in the last two years and is closing in on his Test highest score of 192.
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He passed his highest score courtesy of overthrows to the boundary turning a two into a six - but at least that wasn't to bring up his double century which would have been most awkward!
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Ian Gould has put himself to the top of the list of Englishmen most able to do damage to the Australian cricket team, by giving Steve Smith out lbw for 199 runs!

... perhaps one K Pietersen should also be charged with making false statements after claiming he was sorry that Matt Prior was having to retire .......

What about the bloke who said KP could play for England again if he played County cricket and got in the runs? Should he be charged, or just charged a fee for the fire brigade having to come and put out his trousers?

Things seem to be going well for Matt Prior in his post-cricket endeavours. His team ONE Pro Cycling is getting results on the board and they are just one good sponsorship deal away from potential promotion from the Continental ranks (third level of men's cycling) to the Professional Continental ranks (second level) which would make him eligible for wildcard entry at the highest level races which make up the WorldTour - including the Tour de France.

 

[backontrack]

During the lunch break, a ceremony was held to honour the induction of Revd. Sir Wes Hall into the ICC Hall of Fame, a most worthy induction.

During the first Test, players from both sides wore black armbands to mark the passing of Richie Benaud a couple of months ago, as he was the Australian captain during the great series which led to the Frank Worrell Trophy being named after the West Indian captain at the time. It has been suggested that a Richie Benaud Medal would be an appropriate award for the player of the series.

Ah, yes, the famous Tied Test. Benaud and Hall both featured greatly in that.

 

[Cletus]

Like to think of England's batting performance today as a moral victory

Even before the rain we'd got 345 which only recently would have been beyond an England team.

Shame that Jordan got injured, but he's just not a consistent enough bowler tests or odi's. Hopefully he'll get replaced on Sunday.

Although a Kent fan, I'm not really sure why Billings in the team at the moment, I can understand him being back-up keeper, but currently He's not quite up to international standard.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

When play ended after only 46 overs of the England allocation of 50 overs with their score of 365-9, the Duckworth-Lewis formula decreed a victory for New Zealand by 13 runs.

 

[Arglwydd Golau]

When play ended after only 46 overs of the England allocation of 50 overs with their score of 365-9, the Duckworth-Lewis formula decreed a victory for New Zealand by 13 runs.

Apparently Duckworth Lewis has been updated to Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (used initially in the world cup). It's all a bit of a mystery! No shame in losing last night, it was a thrilling chase, and the new look England side certainly did their best.

 

[Phirstman]

Great stuff from England in these two matches, particularly with the bat.

Only change I'd make is Jordan out and Willey in. Leave the batting as it is as you can't instill a 'play with no fear' philosophy if you're tinkering the lineup all the time.

 

[Busaholic]

Like to think of England's batting performance today as a moral victory

Even before the rain we'd got 345 which only recently would have been beyond an England team.

Shame that Jordan got injured, but he's just not a consistent enough bowler tests or odi's. Hopefully he'll get replaced on Sunday.

Although a Kent fan, I'm not really sure why Billings in the team at the moment, I can understand him being back-up keeper, but currently He's not quite up to international standard.

I've supported Kent since 1957 ( not sure what transgression in a previous life has caused this) and recent history (by which I mean this century) has not been too kind for Kent players in England colours. Joe Denly was tried in the one-day format and found wanting, Tredwell was only any good at not leaking too many runs, and couldn't score quickly, even Geraint Jones probably only got in on the basis that his face fitted better with Duncan Fletcher than Chris Read's, or James Foster's for that matter. Billings was certainly being touted last year on the basis of some good 20/20 performances, but 50 overs is different, as Alex Hales can attest. Rob Key was the only unlucky one, in being ditched soon after a double century, and never getting a chance again.However, Kent are managing without any overseas players, and not even a Kolpak in the 20/20, unlike any other county. Last night's narrow loss to James Vince's Hampshire (good to see that classy player in the runs again) may have scuppered their chances of getting to the next round, which would have been quite an achievement for an impoverished team, like Lincoln City getting to FA Cup quarter finals.

 

[DownSouth]

Apparently Duckworth Lewis has been updated to Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (used initially in the world cup). It's all a bit of a mystery! No shame in losing last night, it was a thrilling chase, and the new look England side certainly did their best.

For a start, it is not a new system - D/L was always reviewed and updated every two years. The renaming only happening last year as Frank Duckworth and Tony Lewis had retired in 2010 and last year asked the ICC to recognise Steven Stern (who worked with them on their last couple of updates) by renaming the system when his 2014 update was released in November.

The 'replacement' that most people are thinking of is when the D/L Standard Edition (still used in club/school cricket) with the fixed resource tables was replaced by the Professional Edition (now renamed the Stern Edition) in 2004, which was done to take account of ODI scoring rates increasing.

The main effect of the 'Stern' update last year was to make it fairer in a high scoring match (325+ in an ODI, 165+ in a T20) where the older Professional Edition was biased towards the team batting second.

Using the old pre-2004 D/L Standard Edition resource tables (of which the very mention probably still causes Shaun Pollock to break out into a cold sweat) I calculated how last night's match would have worked out:

NZ score: 398
England resources at start of innings: 100.0%
Overs at interruption: 43.5 overs completed, 6.1 remaining.
Wickets lost: 7
England resources at start of suspension: 14.1% (from the resource table)
Overs lost: 4
England resources at end of suspension: 6.7% (from the resource table)
Resources lost: 14.1 - 6.7 = 7.4%
Revised NZ score: (100 - 7.4)% x 398 = 368.54
Revised England win target: 369 runs (368 to tie)
England final score: 365
Result: NZ win by 3 runs (not 13 runs as under DLS)

So the result is fair in my opinion - NZ were the better team with the ball, so they deserved an appropriately tough revised total as their reward for getting rid of all the recognised batsmen before the interruption. Despite average scores rising ODI cricket is still a contest of bat and ball, and it's right that the team taking 7 wickets in 43 overs gets the win over the team which took 5 wickets in 50 overs.

All the systems previously used would have had the following results:
Average run rate - NZ win by 1 run.
Most productive overs - NZ win by 28 runs.
D/L Standard Edition - NZ win by 3 runs.
DLS - right in the middle with NZ winning by 13 runs.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

In the Australian first innings total of 399, there were notable batting and bowling performances from two players:-

Steve Smith scored 199, with 2 x 6 and 21 x 4

Jerome Taylor produced a very good bowling return of 25-10-47-6

 

[Arglwydd Golau]

For a start, it is not a new system - D/L was always reviewed and updated every two years. The renaming only happening last year as Frank Duckworth and Tony Lewis had retired in 2010 and last year asked the ICC to recognise Steven Stern (who worked with them on their last couple of updates) by renaming the system when his 2014 update was released in November.

The 'replacement' that most people are thinking of is when the D/L Standard Edition (still used in club/school cricket) with the fixed resource tables was replaced by the Professional Edition (now renamed the Stern Edition) in 2004, which was done to take account of ODI scoring rates increasing.

The main effect of the 'Stern' update last year was to make it fairer in a high scoring match (325+ in an ODI, 165+ in a T20) where the older Professional Edition was biased towards the team batting second.

Using the old pre-2004 D/L Standard Edition resource tables (of which the very mention probably still causes Shaun Pollock to break out into a cold sweat) I calculated how last night's match would have worked out:

NZ score: 398
England resources at start of innings: 100.0%
Overs at interruption: 43.5 overs completed, 6.1 remaining.
Wickets lost: 7
England resources at start of suspension: 14.1% (from the resource table)
Overs lost: 4
England resources at end of suspension: 6.7% (from the resource table)
Resources lost: 14.1 - 6.7 = 7.4%
Revised NZ score: (100 - 7.4)% x 398 = 368.54
Revised England win target: 369 runs (368 to tie)
England final score: 365
Result: NZ win by 3 runs (not 13 runs as under DLS)

So the result is fair in my opinion - NZ were the better team with the ball, so they deserved an appropriately tough revised total as their reward for getting rid of all the recognised batsmen before the interruption. Despite average scores rising ODI cricket is still a contest of bat and ball, and it's right that the team taking 7 wickets in 43 overs gets the win over the team which took 5 wickets in 50 overs.

All the systems previously used would have had the following results:
Average run rate - NZ win by 1 run.
Most productive overs - NZ win by 28 runs.
D/L Standard Edition - NZ win by 3 runs.
DLS - right in the middle with NZ winning by 13 runs.

Thanks for the info...by the way, I wasn't quibbling with the result. The result is always fair in my opinion, it's not something that can be changed!

 

[DownSouth]

Standout performances of the West Indies' first innings (220 all out) included
- Jason Holder standing up with the bat, saving them from following on with 82 not out batting at number eight.
- Jermaine Blackwood scoring 51, the first year of his Test career has been very good with
- Josh Hazlewood taking the third five wicket haul of his short international career with 15.5-8-38-5
- Nathan Lyon took three wickets to break the 111 year old record for the most wickets by an Australian off spinner.

In the Australian first innings total of 399, there were notable batting and bowling performances from two players:-

Steve Smith scored 199, with 2 x 6 and 21 x 4

Jerome Taylor produced a very good bowling return of 25-10-47-6

Getting out for 199 puts Smith in some distinguished company, only seven other batsmen have ever achieved that in a Test. I expect that Jason Gillespie will be relieved, he remains the last Australian to score a double century in an away match.

I like watching Taylor, he's an exciting bowler who can get good results even when the pitch is flat.

The Windies have a good bunch of players who should be a very good squad in about 3-4 years time. It's one thing to accept the gift when an English team comes to you and says 'please beat us' but another to fight for the tough victories against quality teams that make you earn it.

 

[muddythefish]

Dear Ned. The national cricket in this country is called England. It's not the "English" cricket team - it's the England cricket team. Yours, Douglas.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Day 3 of the Test Match saw Australia declare their second innings at 212-2, with Marsh (69) and Warner (62) putting on an opening stand of 117.

West Indies started their second innings in the worse possible way, knowing that two full days play was still to follow, and at close of play were 16-2. Starc did the damage with figures of 3-2-1-2.

 

[DownSouth]

Dear Ned. The national cricket in this country is called England. It's not the "English" cricket team - it's the England cricket team. Yours, Douglas.

English, adjective, of or relating to England.

Every day's a school day Doug, you're welcome.

 

[Cletus]

Good to Billings go some way to show me his international class with 34 off 14 balls today, included 5 fours in a row I think.

 

[Arglwydd Golau]

English, adjective, of or relating to England.

Every day's a school day Doug, you're welcome.

Well, your knowledge of English grammar is impeccable, but I'm afraid to those of us who live in the UK it is still known as the 'England' cricket team!

 

[Busaholic]

Well, your knowledge of English grammar is impeccable, but I'm afraid to those of us who live in the UK it is still known as the 'England' cricket team!

Which has been captained by men born in India, Italy, Scotland and South Africa, amongst others. Some of these weren't even born with British nationality! Not sure whether a Welshman has ever captained England though - Simon Jones was the last Welsh player I remember in the England team.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I wonder how many future bishops had captained their country, as happened in 1954 when David Sheppard captained England for two tests when the normal captain was unable to play.

 

[muddythefish]

English, adjective, of or relating to England.

Every day's a school day Doug, you're welcome.

The England team playing in an international fixture is always called England. It is incorrect in such circumstances to refer to it as the "English" team. The England team may be only be referred to as the "English" team in a non-international fixture, such as Barbados v England. Go to the bottom of the class Ned, you're welcome. DRJ.
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Which has been captained by men born in India, Italy, Scotland and South Africa, amongst others. Some of these weren't even born with British nationality! Not sure whether a Welshman has ever captained England though - Simon Jones was the last Welsh player I remember in the England team.

Tony Lewis was England captain on the India tour in 1972-4, making his debut as captain !

 

[DownSouth]

The England team playing in an international fixture is always called England.

Yes, I get that.

But I was not using the name, I was using the adjective.

Get a fresh tablet, sharpen your chisel and try again buddy, getting into 5th grade will be worth the effort.
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There has apparently been a nasty collision between two fielders in the English domestic T20 fixture between Sussex and Surrey, reportedly involving James Burke and the NSW/Australia all-rounder Moises Henriques. They are being treated on the ground by paramedics.

Hope they both make a full recovery.

 

[muddythefish]

Yes, I get that.

But I was not using the name, I was using the adjective.

Get a fresh tablet, sharpen your chisel and try again buddy, getting into 5th grade will be worth the effort.
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There has apparently been a nasty collision between two fielders in the English domestic T20 fixture between Sussex and Surrey, reportedly involving James Burke and the NSW/Australia all-rounder Moises Henriques. They are being treated on the ground by paramedics.

Hope they both make a full recovery.

That's the whole point; it can't be used as adjective in that context. And I'm not your buddy.

Three ambulances on the field at Arundel. Sounds bad.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Third O.D.I

England were in a good position at 288-5 to really push on in the final overs, but a dramatic end order collapse saw them all out for only 302, with 4 overs and 4 balls still to play from their 50 overs.

In their reply, New Zealand are 139-2 from 21 overs.

*************************************************************************************************************************

New Zealand 306-7 in 49 overs
Williamson 118 with 1 x 6 and 12 x 4
Taylor 110 with 12 x 4

I wonder how many more runs England could have scored had they had not been out in 45.2 overs?

 

[DownSouth]

Now being reported as Rory Burns, not James Burke. Henriques waved as he was taken to the ambulance, which is very good news.

I don't expect the game would resume, it certainly wouldn't if it was a fixture here even despite the greater amount of money in the BBL (every match on FTA TV for a start) compared to T20 Blast.
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The Frank Worrell Trophy is done and dusted, a 2-0 win to Australia with a combined margin of 278 runs and 17 wickets from only six and a half days of play.

Can you lot now officially start shaking in your boots over the Ashes, or does that need to wait until the ODI series with the Black Caps is finished?

 

[Arglwydd Golau]

Which has been captained by men born in India, Italy, Scotland and South Africa, amongst others. Some of these weren't even born with British nationality! Not sure whether a Welshman has ever captained England though - Simon Jones was the last Welsh player I remember in the England team.

Muddythefish got in before me! Apparently Tony Lewis was, of course, the right sort of chap, therefore he could play his debut test as Captain (went to Cambridge, I believe)