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Cricket... the game, not the insect

 
 
 
And Australia wins in under two days, by six wickets, with byes and wides the top scorers in the Australian second innings.

Five runs for wides clinched the victory.

This is only the second time in history that an Australian test match has been finished inside two days. I feel sorry for anyone who bought tickets for day four.
 
bilby said:
And Australia wins in under two days, by six wickets, with byes and wides the top scorers in the Australian second innings.

Five runs for wides clinched the victory.

This is only the second time in history that an Australian test match has been finished inside two days. I feel sorry for anyone who bought tickets for day four.
Click to expand...
Or Day One and Two.
 
Meanwhile, of course I need to get broadsided by half a dozen old projects right when the T20 Women's World Cup is on going. Saw the Aussies tear New Zealand apart. Not even remotely close. The Aussies didn't score a huge total, but the Kiwis were never in it once they got to bat.

Speaking of never in it, the Aussies were handed a convincing loss against India who won by an Innings, 100+ runs, and 128 tea time snacks. The Aussies never got the bats going. India did, including a late partnership that didn't put the game out of reach, but would have required a Ben Stokes led squad to make up the difference after the poor first showing. Aussies look to regain some dignity later in the second test.
 
South Africa pulled off a bowling wonder in the Semis for the Women's T20 World Cup and managed to demonstrate that once in a while good bowling wins T20. Once in a while. They defeated a dejected England side that appeared to be well on their way to facing the Aussies in the final.

Meanwhile, Major League Cricket is to hit the US in July 2023. Yeah! Cricket in Texas in July!!! W00T! The draft is March 19th, which I'm really curious who'll be in the draft. No crowds, but lots of money. They want to grow the domestic game, but we have like a four or so decent players, that probably couldn't get onto a C or D side elsewhere. 6 teams, 19 games.
 
Jimmy
The World Test Championship, Aust. Vs. India started yesterday.
Australia 3- 327, Head 146 no and Smith 95 no.

Are you going to be watching it?
 
Watching it? Catching the 1-hr highlights. Aussies were on weak legs and then Head-Smith... and now India aren't looking well.

Forgot to stream the audio this morning. So I'll need to wait to see how Day Two went.
 
Aussies continued to tear into India, but the partnership was finally broken. Still 469 or so. India was in trouble at the end of yesterday, but they are trying to fight back. having lost just one wicket this morning and have 110+ runs to show for their effort. And of course, because of where England is, turn on the match... lunch. :(
 
India isn't unfamiliar with performance deeper in the order. They avoid the follow on and make Australia have to earn it. Scrappy in the beginning as pressure on both India and Australia. But now Smith and Labuschagne, since Smith stepped on, have started to dig in their heels. India needs to remove both of these guys. Aussies aren't batting a terribly expensive total, but India does not want Smith getting comfy. Got to imagine Australia will want to bat until no earlier than lunch tomorrow. But presuming they want 400 or so as the chase.
 
Well, it was a slower offensive pace than anticipated, but that was mainly because India was trying to bowl and play defense this time around. Still, the Aussies have a larger lead than India got in the first Innings, and still have till lunch or tea to add to the tally.
 
First world problems... Le Mans and the Aussis v India test match at the same time?!
 
So as long as you ignore batsmen 3-11, India did a greet job again against Australia. They truly on appeared to show urgency as if the Test mattered at the beginning of Australia's second innings. Otherwise, their pace felt more like an exhibition.

And of course, in usual ethnocentric fashion, Australia declares itself Word champions despite not even having to face the US.

Speaking of which, Major League Cricket (T20) is just around the corner in the US (set for July). I know the cricket world will be in awe of Major League Cricket. It'll be an awesome warmup to the T20 World Cup which is inexplicably being played in the US next year.
 
The Ashes start tomorrow. A quick Q&A FAQ for Americans.

  • What is a FAQ?
    • Oh boy, this is going to take a while!
  • What are The Ashes?
    • They are formerly the burned remnants of the last dead royal King/Queen. The team that wins gets to desecrate them. It has been a long while since there was a dead King or Queen so there will be added emphasis and drive to pull off the victory.
  • Who plays?
    • Australia and England
  • That's it?!
    • Afraid so. I mean, it isn't a bad pair of sides, but just them two.
  • What are they playing?
    • Cricket.
  • Seriously?! I thought it'd be something cool.
    • Yes, most people make that mistake.
  • Cricket sucks!
    • That isn't a question. And cricket doesn't suck, it's just that... well... it can be real... it isn't like baseball is any better.
  • Don't they have shorter versions of it that'd be easier to digest?
    • Yes, but some consider those an abomination. Consideration of going to a One-Day International set up caused the Falkland War.
  • Wasn't that Argentina?
    • *eye roll*
  • So, just one game?
    • Five tests.
  • Five?! That must take a month.
    • Actually a month and a half.
  • Oi! Do people die of old age at these things?
    • All the time!
  • Why should I give a fuck?
    • Ben Stokes makes it worth watching.
  • Ben who?
    • *end*
 
Aussies getting wickets at a decent pace, 6 for 61 overs. But England is getting close to 5 runs an over! England not dominating (that seems to happen only when needed), but not failing either. So far, should be a much more competitive Ashes than last time, when England drawing a test by parking a bus in front of the wickets was needed for a moral victory. Presuming Aussies will start batting well before lunch tomorrow.
 
In Stokes you trust, but with Root still on bat, why declare late Day One, unless there is bad weather coming up?

Also, nearly 400 by England in one day. Aussies were getting wickets, but at quite the premium. Bairstow is out before 80 balls, but got over 70. Now (well, tomorrow) time to see how the Aussie bats do with a Leach and Wood-less England bowling side.
 
The bowler's bats are providing a cushion for England. Aussies certainly have a shot, but it is being made harder by unlikely batsmen.
 
Percentages bounce back and forth between English and Aussie favor (I hate those stupid percentages) and currently about even odds. However, I ponder the more likelihood of a draw in this one. Second half of the day trending 50/50 on storms. A couple huge wickets are still needed. Khawaja can spoil this for the England side. Honestly, this match has been 50/50 with neither team dominating, pretty fun competition. I'd put odds at 1/3 - 1/3 - 1/3.
 
Rain... only a partial day to play. Aussies will be in a hurry. The grounds won't.
 
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