England Cricket 2015

[butchersapron]

Er, because cricket is a middle class/upper class game? Even I, as a kiwi, recognize that cricket is going to be more popular in the more affluent south.

Excellent - my 2nd genuine lol in about a minute.

 

[gabi]

Do you actually do anything other than read urban75?

 

[kabbes]

This happened for me with football a few years ago.

Yeah, me too

 

[redsquirrel]

Still the case, for all home tests.

Ticket prices are a small fraction of what they are here, too, as I'm sure you know.

Aye went to Boxing Day Test on the Saturday and got pretty good seat for about $50 (about 25 quid). I may be wrong but I'd be surprised if there were any seats available at that price for UK Tests.

 

[redsquirrel]

Er, because cricket is a middle class/upper class game? Even I, as a kiwi, recognize that cricket is going to be more popular in the more affluent south.

Yeah because the Lancashire League, the Bradford League, etc never existed. Yorkshire, Lancashire and Notts CCs don't have a long and successful history. Christ you don't have a clue.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Aye went to Boxing Day Test on the Saturday and got pretty good seat for about $50 (about 25 quid). I may be wrong but I'd be surprised if there were any seats available at that price for UK Tests.

Day 5 tickets, the things they used not to presell at all. 25 quid for the Oval this year, and you had to buy them nine months in advance. That's going to be my test cricket this year, I hope!

Equivalent to what you got - a decent seat (but by no means top) at an earlier day at a test at Lords, ooo, 80 quid.

 

[redsquirrel]

Also while there might be something to the capacity thing I think it's a minor issue. I can't remember exactly how much tickets were when I bought tickets for a Test at the WACA but probably about the same (or maybe a touch cheaper) for a ground that is a similar size to English Test grounds.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

so, you've been to the MCG. You've been to the WACA.

You're not endearing yourself to me here.

Edited: Boxing day, not New Year.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

tbh I have no urge to go to Aus except to watch cricket. Not sure if that's healthy or sad.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Also while there might be something to the capacity thing I think it's a minor issue. I can't remember exactly how much tickets were when I bought tickets for a Test at the WACA but probably about the same (or maybe a touch cheaper) for a ground that is a similar size to English Test grounds.

Much as the rebuilds look a bit off, they're kind of lucky to have Aussie rules. It means huge stadiums and no upward pressure on tickets. I guess the WACA has to fall in line with everywhere else.

 

[redsquirrel]

so, you've been to the MCG. You've been to the WACA.

You're not endearing yourself to me here.

Edited: Boxing day, not New Year.

Adelaide Oval too, though that was just for a Shield game. Free to get in too, though considering the attendance was probably less than 500 all day they probably didn't think it was worth employing people at the gates.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Adelaide Oval too, though that was just for a Shield game. Free to get in too, though considering the attendance was probably less than 500 all day they probably didn't think it was worth employing people at the gates.

Another thing people diss about England. The myth that 'nobody watches the county championship'. It's crap. Across the whole season, including cold Aprils and rained-off days, the average attendance per day is around 1000. (About half that in there at any one time as members tend to come for just part of the day.)

That's not bad, and is unrivalled by anywhere except possible the Ranji in India. Certainly knocks the shit out of the Sheffield Shield.

There really is a lot of crap spoken about the counties and how unsustainable they are. Their membership levels (effectively season ticket holders) put them on a level with a League One football team. And the subsidies they get from international cricket are a substitute for the transfer fees they'd get as footie teams when poached by the Premier League (national team). It's totally sustainable. It's healthy. I wish people wouldn't diss it all the bloody time.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

(getting all my rants out of the way early in the year)

 

[ferrelhadley]

The guy topping the Big Bash batting averages is England qualified, averaging 52 and a strike rate of 124, I wonder of the England team are aware of him? Might be able to do a job in the World Cup.

 

[SpookyFrank]

Cricket matches called 'big bash' and sponsored by fried chicken

 

[Santino]

Cricket matches called 'big bash' and sponsored by fried chicken

Let's return to the true spirit of cricket - aristocrats employing decent bowlers as gardeners in order to win bets.

 

[ivebeenhigh]

going to be in Sydney when England are playing Afghanistan. Tickets are only about £25. Got to be worth it right?

 

[Dan U]

tbh I have no urge to go to Aus except to watch cricket. Not sure if that's healthy or sad.

Boxing Day test is fantastic, esp when it's us v them. I saw us bowl them out for 96, about 80,000 there. Was amazing.

Hoping to go to Australia vs India this year when we are over.

Am off to the Oval this year, the father in law is coming over and has bought a package. Hotel and 2 tickets per day. Should get a couple of days out of it, his Mrs will not get past day 1.

 

[Dan U]

Let's return to the true spirit of cricket - aristocrats employing decent bowlers as gardeners in order to win bets.

Was reading a history of the village I live in now and that was pretty much the gist of it.

 

[butchersapron]

Only place i could put this really - i love that theoretically Warner chose to throw in there:

David Warner has defended his “speak English” demand in a slanging match with Indian batsman Rohit Sharma but admits he was mistaken over the incident that sparked it.

Warner attempted to play down any suggestion what he said to Rohit was racist. “When I went over to say something to him, he sort of said something in their language and I said: ‘Speak English because if you’re going to say something, understand that theoretically I cannot speak Hindi’,” he said.

 

[butchersapron]

Great start in the tri-final. Aus 0 for 1, finch gone, ball swinging for Jimmy straight off.

 

[butchersapron]

Warner gone now after aggressive aus response, 33-2, Jimmy taken both.

 

[butchersapron]

Bailey gone, 46 for 3. Broad.

 

[DrRingDing]

Is there still variable bounce?

 

[butchersapron]

Not really, tiny bit . Smith stumped after jos nearly messed it up. 60-4.

 

[butchersapron]

Really sloppy bowling at death, allowed them 30 or so extra. 279 to win.

 

[butchersapron]

Sh...uh...ambles

 

[paulhackett]

Agnew and KP in a TMS box together for the World Cup. Oh do fuck off.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Test squad announced for West Indies.

Pleased to see Adil Rashid in there. About time, imo. Also pleased that Robson's gone. He wasn't up to it. Latest in the line of Durham seamers Mark Wood comes in. Steve Finn, sadly, pretty much had to be dropped.

And the surprise name, perhaps: Jonathan Trott is back.

Some players with big reputations and a lot to prove, I think. Can Broad or Anderson survive a bad tour? Should they?

Look forward to this - likely to be a run-fest, but I hope there's a bit in it for the bowlers. Last time he was there, Broad had a right go at the pitches for his lack of wickets. The petulant brat.

The one pick I don't quite understand is Tredwell. He barely takes wickets in the County Championship. For all that he is a redoubtable trier, he's not a test cricketer.

 

[SpookyFrank]

I would be very surprised if there wasn't a better spinner than James Tredwell somewhere on the county circuit.

I wonder who will open with Cook then? Could well be Trott, with Ballance in at three.