Aussies getting a bit desperate !!

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

I recall years back, cricket was dieing a horrible death through low gates, I remember watching test matches with just a handful of fans watching, maybe everyone was at work as it was weekdays, but it must have hurt the clubs..Then along came Kerry Packer, millionaire and cricket lover.

MCC stated any UK cricketer who joined the ranks of limited over cricket will be banned from playing for life....Same with the ACB and a few other countries cricketing authorities.

Kerry proved all wrong by offering high salaries to those who joined his ranks, he filled the cricket grounds with fans who enjoyed fast competitive cricket, eventually and reluctantly the MCC, ACB etc accepted ODI, and cricket again started attracting large numbers of paying fans..

Most today in the stands have never heard of Kerry Packer, or recall names like Dennis Lilley who walked away from Australian mainstream cricket and took a chance with KP and his ODI's.

[pwatmo 3]

Indeed, Ayupmeducks,

It has been suggested that Limited Over and the ODI format, which arguably 'saved' cricket has killed the capability of the new generation of cricketers in being able to sustain the concentration required to cope with a Test series. It has been suggested that the new generation of cricketers and spectators are more suited to the ODI format.

If I were cynical, I would suggest the enormous money involved would have sommat to do with it too. What point a 5 day Test Match if there is little money in it????

Good job I int cynical....

[Beefsteak 305]

There's masses of money in the 5 day tests. 17500 capacity at 40 quid a pop over 5 days is getting on for three and a half million in gate receipts, of course there are the corporate tickets which come out at a lot more. All in all I'd say (With media rights too) that a 5 day test would have a value closer to 5 million if it were to run to 5 days.

I was just looking at ticket prices in Australia for the winter series and they start at 150 quid for the fifth day !! (Fat chance of it lasting that long , we'll have it wrapped up by day 4!)

[pwatmo 3]

Beefsteak you might be right, however the cricketers won't be seeing much of that revenue.

Anyway, regarding the Ashes series in December/January, at least it shouldn't rain whenever the teams go out to play, and the light will be good.

I look forward to the English having it wrapped up by Day 4 (Trevor S may remind you of that prediction)...

[Beefsteak 305]

Nah !! he'll be too busy running and hiding.........................

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

That's just what I pointed out Ian, pre ODI/limited over Kerry Packer, gates were right down, most matches played to almost empty grounds.

Kerry Packer breathed life into cricket, yes I was one of the dissenters way back, shock horror look what this Aussie millionaire is doing to our great national game!! But he was right and came at the nick of time and saved our beloved game...

[Beefsteak 305]

Well the emotions are all over the place here !

Great decision in the spirit of fair play and the game by the Aussies to declare and give us a target to bat for (Even though we had them on the back foot at the time) A great display of batting by the English openers.

Then the Aussies get mardy and call for the light as their fielders claimed they couldn't see the ball (With 4 overs left and only 24 runs required !!) Straight away Bell is run out, (Fielders couldn't see the ball by the way !)

Then those stupid moronic umpires (Again) allow the bad light and let the match finish in a draw................ Fair result in the end, (Shame to have battered the already bedraggled digadevians a little more , bit like rubbing salt into the wound really) but what a crap decision, there's 6 ruddy great floodlights around the Oval, what's the point of having them if they're not deemed bright enough !!?

Also, we popped out shopping at lunch time and I clicked onto the BBC sport website immediately on our return to see England were all out and that was it ! No more play and the match declared as a draw ! Strange decision thought I , must be raining or bad light or something. But Hey Ho , life goes on, so it did. I got on with what else I had to do. Then made dinner later, and sat down for to watch the highlights on Channel 5, only to then see the Aussies coming out for their second innings !! The rest, as they say, is history !

So as I say , a day of mixed emotions all round (And I'd love to strangle the programmer at the BBC who doesn't know the difference between end of play, match declared a draw, and not the end of play ,the players are taking the field !)

WE STILL KICKED THEIR ARSES BUMS!!!!!

[Beefsteak 305]

OOPS, Nearly forgot, The Women won too !!

"Oh it's all gone quiet over there, oh it's all gone quiet over there, oh it's all gone quiet, all gone quiet, all gone quiet over there"

[Trevor S 2,003]

#280 - Nah !! he'll be too busy running and hiding - In your dreams, Beefsteak!

[Beefsteak 305]

Thought you had dyslexia and had seen me in the bedroom for a second

[Trevor S 2,003]

Reading your posts of late gives me a sense of Deja moo: The feeling that one's heard this bull before.

[mick2me 3,033]

CRICKET?

That's a bit like America Baseball but with only two bases, or even 'rounders' or was it Stoolball.

Used to play it in the playground.

[Beefsteak 305]

I still can't hear anything from Australia re their women going to give our lot a good hiding , any body else hearing anything?............................. Nah thought not.!!

[Trevor S 2,003]

mick2me....did a bit of research on Stoolball and was surprised that it is considered in some circles as the ancestor of cricket, rounders and baseball.

The following information is obtained from Wikipedia:-

Stoolball is a sport that dates back to at least the 15th century, originating in Sussex, southern England. It may be an ancestor of cricket (a game it resembles), baseball, and rounders, in fact Stoolball is sometimes called "Cricket in the air". Traditionally it was played by milkmaids who used their milking stools as a "wicket".

The game's popularity has faded since the 1960s, but is still played at a local league level in Sussex, Kent, Surrey and the Midlands. The National Stoolball Association was formed in 1979 to promote and expand stoolball.[1] The game was officially recognised as a sport by the Sports Council in early 2008.[2] The National Stoolball Association changed its name to Stoolball England in 2010 on the advice of the Sports Council and was recognised as the National Governing Body for stoolball in England in 2011. Some variants are still played in some schools, though often, due to safety fears, a tennis ball is used. Teams can be ladies only or mixed. There are ladies' leagues in Sussex, Surrey and Kent and mixed leagues in Sussex.

Stoolball is strongly associated with Easter, and some historians theorise that the game was a Christian adaption of pagan ball games strongly associated with fertility rites. This is evidenced throughout early literature where the game is also strongly associated with romance and courtship, and in Fletcher and Shakespeare's comedy The Two Noble Kinsmen, the phrase "playing stool ball" is used as a euphemism for sexual behaviour.

Is that anything to do with bowling a maiden over

[mick2me 3,033]

Milking Stools?

I can now see why there are three wickets.

[Trevor S 2,003]

But where do the milkmaids come in to the game?

I feel sure that the Cheshire scribe will have all the answers. I thought I saw a post from him a short time ago but it was just a bit of wind playing tricks.

[Beefsteak 305]

But where do the milkmaids come in to the game?

The milkmaids played for Australia in the last couple of tests (male or female, you chose !)

[Trevor S 2,003]

Deja Moo, Beefsteak

Milkmaids are not the only persons of late "to get on one's tits"

I see your lot made a right spectacle of themselves, taking it in turn to urinate on the Oval wicket whilst the rest of the team cheered each reliever on during his actions.

Even though it was dark,lights were still on around the ground and those people still present were afforded the view of the England team yahooing and their actions were clearly visible to those around the ground.

It must be a massive let down for English cricket fans to see the representatives of their country treating the hallowed ground of cricket and the birthplace of the game in such a disrespectful and disgusting way.

A truly magnificent way for the image of cricket to be portrayed to the rest of the world and what a fine example to our young!

[mick2me 3,033]

Was this on the news, I must have missed it?

[Trevor S 2,003]

It is in most of your papers over there, just Google 'England cricketers urinating on the Oval pitch' and pick one of many media outlets.

The Cheshire scribe is quiet about this as well and it is understandable. I think that I know Ian well enough by now to realise that even he would not condone such actions.

There is no defence to such behaviour.

[Beefsteak 305]

The 'Cheshire Scribe' , as you so lyrically put it, has been a bit quiet on the subject as he was doing what most normal English people were doing at the time, I E Sleeping !!

The only 'news' I can find on the cricket is your coach making a groveling apology to Stuart Broad

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/23843379

There's a little bit about a couple of players getting 'caught short' during their celebrations over yet again kicking your arses bums , and later apologizing for their actions, after all , who hasn't been caught short during their celebrations during an Ashes victory party, ............ Actually scratch that...................You Aussies won't remember how that feels would you?

Also if you're going to make up stories trying to besmirch the name of your subjugators, and attempt to wriggle free from the tight corner you've backed yourself into, then get your facts right. The Oval is not "the hallowed Ground" nor "The birthplace of the game" that's Lords , different ground entirely !

So are you sure you 'read it' or did you just make that bit up too.

[mick2me 3,033]

Ashes 2013: England heroes celebrate by 'urinating on wicket'

The Independent ‎- 6 hours ago

I dont remember even footballers performing like that on any pitch?

[Beefsteak 305]

See where the 'none' story originated from ?????

Malcolm Conn wrote in Australia's Herald Sun:

Things that make you go :-

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

[Trevor S 2,003]

Beefsteak, regardless of who reported it, saw it or even photographed it, the alleged actions are a disgrace.

The Oval is a hallowed ground for cricket and it is the place where the Ashes legend began, It was the first ground in England to host international Test cricket, in September 1880. The final Test Match of the English season is traditionally played there.

Lords is deemed the most hallowed ground and nobody is contradicting that fact!

Check out the following links, some pleasant reading for you but, by your comments in #296, you apparently are condoning the actions - "There's a little bit about a couple of players getting 'caught short' during their celebrations over yet again kicking your arses bums , and later apologizing for their actions, after all , who hasn't been caught short during their celebrations during an Ashes victory party,"

You surprise me, Beefsteak, I thought better of you. As for the rest of your text....Deja Moo!

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/cricket/england-cricketers-whose-on-the-pitch-urination-2226351 and quote:Former captain Illingworth calls for stars to be punished and growls "it is childish. It’s ­disrespectful - The Oval is where the Ashes legend was born"

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cricket/international/england/10266131/Ashes-2013-ECB-urged-to-examine-claims-England-urinated-on-Oval-pitch.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2402093/Ashes-splashes-Triumphant-England-cricket-team-urinate-Oval-pitch-completing-series-victory-Australia.html

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/top-stories/England-players-celebrate-Ashes-win-by-urinating-on-Oval-pitch/articleshow/22062274.cms

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/130826/sports-cricket/article/ashes-2013-england-players-urinate-oval-pitch-after-winning-ashes

[Beefsteak 305]

Until there's proof ie a picture or two I'll treat the whole incident with the contempt it deserves.

Just a bunch of raggedy arsed crims trying to divert attention away from the fact that you're a bunch of sore losers

By the way, I've got two Carp already !!!!!