Third Test Thread

jbarter · Post by **jbarter** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 9:48 am

5 gone

GaryKelly · Post by **GaryKelly** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 11:28 am

Ozzies in trouble at 210-7 close of play! Trouble is, it's gonna rain tomorrow

s1m0n · Post by **s1m0n** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 11:35 am

What effect will rain have? Do they merely postpone play, or does something obscure happen?

GaryKelly · Post by **GaryKelly** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 12:17 pm

Play is postponed if it rains... which means if it rains all day, then a full day's play is lost (a five day Test becomes a 4 day test).

The problem is this: Australia need to get to within 200 runs of England's first innings score. If they don't get to 244 before they're all out, then it's possible for England to enforce the 'follow on'... which means Australia bat again straight away.

The idea of the follow-on is that it's possible for a team (in this case England) to skittle the opposition out and win by an innings (in other words, they don't have to bat again, 'cos they got the oppos all out twice in a row for less runs than their own first innings total).

Rain, and thus losing time, makes the decision to follow on or bat again a toughy, because it might rain again on Sunday or Monday. Which means that from a dominant position, England could face the prospect of a draw (which'd be a bit of a disappointment to say the least!).

Also, with the pitch breaking up as time goes on, England wouldn't want to be the team batting last in this test match, since a broken pitch gives the advantage to the bowling side.

Cynth · Post by **Cynth** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 3:42 pm

http://www.sussexcricket.co.uk/playing_ ... w_cricket/
New to Cricket
"For those new to cricket here's a list of outfield positions"

oscartherabbit · Post by **oscartherabbit** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 7:02 pm

Good move Cynth. That'll stop 'em having a clue what's going on....

Ta for the all run 4 explanation, Wombie. I was asking, as you probably guessed, from the point of view of a a slighty sad geek who find these kinds of things to be massively important.

Yes - I am a club secretary.

Sorry about that.

The reason I don't know the answer is that we don't have anyone in our club who could actually run 88 yards without having a wee rest half way (quite possibly involving a cigarette and a cup of tea).

As for today's play... I was, I'm afraid, hors de combat since I was at home minding the kids and getting the ADSL connection working. Number one son was listening to TMS and would run to alert me at any significant development, so I was kept fairly well abreast of developments.

Y'know what? I hate to say it, 'cos it's - well - y'know - um - a bit of a "tempting fate" kind if thing, but I think we might be doing quite well here. Nearly all the batsmen got a reasonable score - even Bell (why is he playing?) managed a decent knock. More importantly, the bowlers are doing well. Flintoff is hitting the pitch really hard and Giles is turning it a bit and - one way or another - the wickets are falling.

Series level. Two games to play. Australia on the back foot. I am a happy bunny.

Cynth · Post by **Cynth** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 8:48 pm

oscartherabbit wrote:we don't have anyone in our club who could actually run 88 yards without having a wee rest half way (quite possibly involving a cigarette and a cup of tea).

Do you take older out-of-shape women? It all looks so jolly in the movies, and with resting and tea and cigarettes added! I would study the above chart very hard. *wanders off muttering okay we have our silly point, our silly mid-off, our mid-off, our mid-on.....*

oscartherabbit · Post by **oscartherabbit** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 8:58 pm

Cynth wrote:Do you take older out-of-shape women?

To play for our team your have to be able to;

1) respirate.
2) erm - that's it.

dubhlinn · Post by **dubhlinn** » Sat Aug 13, 2005 6:02 am

It's raining in Manchester.

Slan,
D.

GaryKelly · Post by **GaryKelly** » Sat Aug 13, 2005 8:00 am

It's raining in Swindon too. Which is cool, because everyone has their windows shut... which means I can open up the reed on the UPs and cut loose on "The Squeal of the Castrated Pig" (my version of 'The March of the King of Laoise') with impunity!

I don't reckon we'll see much play at all today, dammit.

Edited to add... there was a brief spell of play during which Australia scored enough to avoid the follow-on (with no loss of wickets), but then the heavens opened again.

Wombat · Post by **Wombat** » Sat Aug 13, 2005 11:58 am

Hmmmmm. Hasn't rained for a couple of weeks in Wollongong. It's relatively cold at night but today would have been fine for cricket.

There's still time for a result if England plays well enough. I doubt that Australia can win it from here. Even if they make up most of the deficit tomorrow, they still have to bowl England out in time to make the runs they require. It could still be an interesting couple of days.

SteveShaw · Post by **SteveShaw** » Sat Aug 13, 2005 3:02 pm

Wombat wrote:Hmmmmm. Hasn't rained for a couple of weeks in Wollongong. It's relatively cold at night but today would have been fine for cricket.

There's still time for a result if England plays well enough. I doubt that Australia can win it from here. Even if they make up most of the deficit tomorrow, they still have to bowl England out in time to make the runs they require. It could still be an interesting couple of days.

I should be rooting for England of course but I love to see a bit of grit being shown by a team on the back foot...Brett Lee provided it in the second Test, now it's Shane Warne, and he even looks as if he's enjoying himself. If England can't shift the tail by lunch tomorrow I reckon we're in for a draw.

Steve

GaryKelly · Post by **GaryKelly** » Sun Aug 14, 2005 4:10 am

Warne gone for 90. He didn't get his first ever Test century (oh dear, what a shame!).

287-8

Now 293-9 Lee caught in the slips.

Australia all out for 302, a deficit of 142.

England need to increase their lead swiftly, and still leave plenty of time to bowl Australia out tomorrow, otherwise it'll end in a draw.

GaryKelly · Post by **GaryKelly** » Sun Aug 14, 2005 10:44 am

England declare, leaving Australia a target of 423 to win, with about 40 minutes of batting today and a full day on Monday.

SteveShaw · Post by **SteveShaw** » Sun Aug 14, 2005 1:55 pm

GaryKelly wrote:England declare, leaving Australia a target of 423 to win, with about 40 minutes of batting today and a full day on Monday.

Yeah, I had it on the telly, I went out into the garden for a minute, and when I came back in my wife had switched over to Great Britain doing badly in the athletics. I mean. I had to listen on 198 long-wave instead, but at least I could do that and get a suntan. And Aggers is all right isn't he? Should be a damn good day tomorrow all right.

Steve