England tour to SA: 2015

Neoprod

Neoprod

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56.4 Ali to Bavuma, FOUR, drops short, Bavuma rocks back and clouts four over midwicket, rustic and satisfying like a ploughman's lunch

56.2 Ali to Bavuma, FOUR, swatted to the fine-leg boundary, that idiosyncratic sweep Bavuma plays, reaching out and panhandling the ball down and away
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Is Bill Bryson doing commentary?
 
Creag

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With 10 runs in that over including said ^ FOURS, I had a wee moment of :love: here...

:eek:
 
Neoprod

Neoprod

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On the off-chance someone hasn't read Bill Bryson's treatise on cricket, some highlights -

"As if to emphasize the isolation, all the area radio stations began to abandon me...Eventually the radio dial presented only an interrupted cat's hiss of static, but for one clear spot near the end of the dial. At first I thought that's all it was - just an empty clear spot-but then I realized I could hear the faint shiftings and stirrings of seated people, and after a quiet pause a voice, calm and reflective said:

'Plichard begins his long run in from short stump. He bowls and . . . oh, he's out! Yes, he's got him. Longwilley is caught leg-before in middle slops by Grattan. Well, now what do you make of that, Neville?'
'That's definitely one for the books, Bruce. I don't think I've seen offside medium slow fast pace bowling to match it since Baden-Powell took Rangachangabanga for a maiden ovary at Bangalore in 1948.'

I had stumbled into the surreal and rewarding world of cricket on the radio" (pp.144-145).

"Imagine a form of baseball in which the pitcher, after each delivery, collects the ball from the catcher and walks slowly with it out to centre field; and that there, after a minute's pause to collect himself, he turns and runs full tilt towards the pitchers mound before hurling the ball at the ankles of a man who stands before him wearing a riding hat, heavy gloves of the sort used to handle radioactive isotopes and a mattress strapped to each leg"(pg.145).

"Listening to cricket on the radio is like listening to two men sitting in a rowing boat on a large, placid lake on a day when the fish aren't biting"(pg.146)

"'So here comes Stovepipe to bowl on this glorious summer's afternoon at the MCG,' one of the commentators was saying now. 'I wonder if he'll chance an offside drop scone here or go for the quick legover. Stovepipe has an unusual delivery in that he actually leaves the grounds and starts his run just outside the Carlton & United Brewery at Kooyong.'
'That's right, Clive. I haven't known anyone start his delivery that far back since Stopcock caught his sleeve on the reversing mirror of number 11 bus during the third test at Brisbane in 1957 and ended up at Goondiwindi four days later owing to some frightful confusion over a changed timetable at Toowoomba Junction.'

After a very long silence while they absorbed this thought, and possibly stepped out to transact some small errands, they resumed with a leisurely discussion of the English fielding. Neasden, it appeared, was turning a solid performance at square bowel, while Packet has been stalwart in the dribbles, when set beside the outstanding play of young Hugh Twain-Buttocks at middle nipple. The commentators were in calm agreement that they had not seen anyone caught behind with such panache since Tandoori took Rogan Josh for a stiffy at Vindaloo in '61. At last Stovepipe, having found his way over the railway line at Flinders street - the footbridge was evidently closed for painting-returned to the stadium and bowled to Hasty, who deftly turned the ball away for a corner...
'So as we break for second luncheon, and with 11,200 balls remaining, Australia are 962 for two not half and England are four for a duck and hoping for rain.'

I may not have all the terminology exactly right, but I believe I have caught the flavour of it."(pp146-147).
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Agent_Smith

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Lead almost at 300. Time to open up now. You have to assume some overs will be lost to light and with us possibly being a bowler light, we're going to need all the time we can get. We already have nearly 50 more than the highest 4th innings score at this ground so get going.
 
Mike Hoxbig

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Agent_Smith said:
Lead almost at 300. Time to open up now. You have to assume some overs will be lost to light and with us possibly being a bowler light, we're going to need all the time we can get. We already have nearly 50 more than the highest 4th innings score at this ground so get going.
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Can't leave anything to chance. We're on a record-breaking streak, for the wrong reasons. I would say get the lead up to 400 before having a go at them...
 
Creag

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Agent_Smith said:
Lead almost at 300. Time to open up now. You have to assume some overs will be lost to light and with us possibly being a bowler light, we're going to need all the time we can get. We already have nearly 50 more than the highest 4th innings score at this ground so get going.
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Mike Hoxbig said:
Can't leave anything to chance. We're on a record-breaking streak, for the wrong reasons. I would say get the lead up to 400 before having a go at them...
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I was about to concur with the Agent (above) and then read your comment too. The fine line we have been forced to walk in recent times hurts. I still think that we should be going for the win decisively, as I would rather we lose having given it a decent crack than crawl and stumble over two left feet to a draw.

Edit: As it stands, the lead being 307, with approx 140 overs left (and weather will definitely reduce this!), England need to bat at 2.2 per over to win. If the lads do not make a decisive run for it soon, we will be enduring the ignominy of a draw :mad:
 
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S

stepper

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We need 400 lead, and hopefully 100 overs to bowl. I think 100 overs is managable with 2 fast bowlers, 1 frontline and 2 backup spinners
 
Mike Hoxbig

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Yeah we need to get a move on now. Tea is in 45 minutes and we need another 100 runs at least before declaring. This story of having a go at them for 10 overs before close of play on D4 hasn't worked before, and it's not going to work now. Need at least 20 overs before close of play...
 
Creag

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Below is the weather radar as it stands. There is a fair chance of interference, I am afraid.

0000
 
Agent_Smith

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Amla needs to get a move one if he's to get to his 100 before tea (assuming there's a tea time declaration). AB might be forced to make a hard call and leave him stranded in the 90's...
 
Creag

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MickeyD said:
A bit negative but the pitch is also playing up a bit.
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Negative, I assume, by the Sassenach? Meh!

Agent_Smith said:
Amla needs to get a move one if he's to get to his 100 before tea (assuming there's a tea time declaration). AB might be forced to make a hard call and leave him stranded in the 90's...
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Anything beyond Tea and they'll be pushing the game to a draw. He needs to crack or perish in the cause. The team is more important now, me thinks.
 
Creag

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The one-eyed Sassenach whimsical commentary on CricInfo is driving me insane! And I cannot get CricBuzz 'cause it's blocked here :mad:
 
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