|
|
#51
10-26-2006, 09:22 PM
|
|||
|
|||
Re: Most amazing achievement 99.9% of Americans won\'t care about
[ QUOTE ]
What's crazy is I've watched cricket a couple times and I've read all about how to play and I still have no [censored] clue what is going on. Has there been a more complicated game in the history of the world? [/ QUOTE ] Any American baseball fan who actually -watches- a cricket match for 1 hour with someone who knows both sports and is explaining as they watch will know basically what's going on by the end of that 1 hour. There are some subtleties (the differences in strategy between Test and one-day cricket, pitch analysis, terminology for the various fielding positions, the 569 different meanings depending on context of the word "wicket", etc.) that will take longer to grasp, but the basic rules and procedure of play will become self-evident very quickly when you watch a match with a knowledgeable fan. Cricket is much better understood when the rules are being explained to you -while- you are watching the match; in print it seems a hell of a lot more confusing than it actually is. This is coming from an American who had read the rules of cricket before moving to Australia and could make neither head nor tails of them, but after watching one day of the 2000 Perth Test between Australia and the West Indies (the one in which McGrath got his 300th test wicket vs. Lara as the 2nd ball of a hat trick) with some mates of mine Down Under (and the incomparable Richie Benaud, maybe the greatest commentator on any sport, ever, in the Channel 9 broadcast booth), I knew what was going on, and by the end of the Test (which wasn't even that good of a match, an Australia blowout like all but 1 of the 5 Tests of that series), I was hooked for life. Does anyone else who's a cricket fan find it amazing that Jason Gillespie, a world-class fast bowler but a serviceable night-watchman type at best as a batsman, now has a higher top score than Steve Waugh? Trust me, someone like Gillespie scoring 201 not out is a feat akin to.....I would say probably the closest baseball parallel is when Braves pitcher Tony Cloninger hit 2 grand slams in 1 game in 1966. It's that kind of fluke feat. --Scott 
|
|
#52
10-26-2006, 09:35 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Re: Most amazing achievement 99.9% of Americans won\'t care about
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ] A star batsman like Australia's skipper, Ricky Ponting, might never get out. [/ QUOTE ] Would a skilled batsman be able to defend his wicket indefinately if he is not trying to score runs? If so, I would think that a team chasing an unreachable target should be able to secure a draw every time. Couln't the batsman just deflect the ball into the ground on every ball until times up? (Is this really that hard to do with a big cricket bat, and the restrictions on bowling form?) [/ QUOTE ] Eventually the ball hits a bump, or the bowler does something ridiculous and you get out. In the 70s and early 80s, many players tended to play this way, making the sport incredibly tedious for all but the most hardened of fans. In this shot the batsman is trying to move the ball away with his pads (this is only legal in some circumstances, that's a discussion that's way too complicated for now). The bowler however has done something quite special. Lori
|
|
#53
10-26-2006, 11:41 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Re: Most amazing achievement 99.9% of Americans won\'t care about
[ QUOTE ]
Would a skilled batsman be able to defend his wicket indefinately if he is not trying to score runs? If so, I would think that a team chasing an unreachable target should be able to secure a draw every time. Couln't the batsman just deflect the ball into the ground on every ball until times up? (Is this really that hard to do wit [/ QUOTE ] In theory, yes...but in practice, it's difficult. Much like in other sports, a good offense is a good defense (and vice versa). It's like a hockey team foregoing offense to protect a one or two goal lead in the 3rd period. The move often backfires. A batsman just playing defensive shots and not looking to score will eventually make a mistake. This is particularly so because the fielding side will know that he is not trying to score and will therefore crowd him with several close-in fielders ready to snare catches. Just last year, I was watching a match with India vs. Pakistan. India started Day 5 needing 325 odd runs to win with all 10 wickets intract. In the session before lunch, they were playing normal cricket and it looked like they had a chance to win the match. Just before lunch, they lost a wicket. Inexplicably, after lunch, they decided that the target was unreachable and started defending balls and trying for the draw. I was screaming at the television..."no, no,no...you idiots ". Sure enough, the wickets started to tumble at regular intervals. Pakistan got the 10th wicket and the victory with about 6 overs to go in the match.
|
|
#54
10-26-2006, 11:46 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Re: Most amazing achievement 99.9% of Americans won\'t care about
For some reason, my speakers are not working but I assume that that youtube clip is Warne vs. Strauss in last year's Ashes. Quite reminescent of Warne vs. Gatting from the early 90s which many say is the best ball ever bowled.
I read his autobiography last year. He is quite the character to say the least. Too bad he doesn't play one-dayers anymore.
|
|
#55
10-26-2006, 11:49 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Re: Most amazing achievement 99.9% of Americans won\'t care about
[ QUOTE ]
For some reason, my speakers are not working but I assume that that youtube clip is Warne vs. Strauss in last year's Ashes. Quite reminescent of Warne vs. Gatting from the early 90s which many say is the best ball ever bowled. I read his autobiography last year. He is quite the character to say the least. Too bad he doesn't play one-dayers anymore. [/ QUOTE ] I was trying to find the Gatting one, but all the clips seem to be 2 seconds, and people who are not used to watching it are going to need slo-mo. Lori
|
|
#56
10-27-2006, 12:25 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Re: Most amazing achievement 99.9% of Americans won\'t care about
[ QUOTE ]
It should be pointed out that [ QUOTE ] The players leave the field again at about 4 for tea. They then resume play till about 6 oclcik. [/ QUOTE ] Would translate in the US as "The players leave the field again at about 4 for dinner. They then resume play 'till about 6 o'clock." I think this is one thing that confuses Americans. The tea break is a break to eat as they've been playing all day. Since noone (that I know of at least) in the US refers to the last meal of the day as tea it feels like the players are taking a break for a "spot of tea." I'm guessing most here know that but you will see comedians say stuff like "I can't get behind a sport where the players take a break in the middle to drink tea." [/ QUOTE ] Ummm, actually, I totally pictured them taking a break midday and literally having a cup of tea. Anyone else? I'm being dead serious.
|
|
#57
10-27-2006, 12:38 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Re: Most amazing achievement 99.9% of Americans won\'t care about
|
|
#60
10-27-2006, 05:02 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Re: Most amazing achievement 99.9% of Americans won\'t care about
[ QUOTE ]
Does anyone else who's a cricket fan find it amazing that Jason Gillespie, a world-class fast bowler but a serviceable night-watchman type at best as a batsman, now has a higher top score than Steve Waugh? [/ QUOTE ] I am pretty sure that Waugh has a test double century under his belt. Are you sure about the above quote? Or maybe, his high score was 200 on the nose making both me and you correct...
|
 |
|
|
Linear Mode
