The Cricket Thread

[BonnieShels]

Played in a game last weekend. We made 99 ao. The opposition made 100 for 9 wickets off the last ball. Never played in a game like that before. When we totted their book though at the end it only came to 99 but we gave them the win because they probably could have made 2 off the last ball. Very few sports can actually come to ends like that (the miscounting aside).

That's one of the things I love about the game.

[BonnieShels]

Ireland v Pakistan live from Castle Avenue

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsRRHwOHuK4

[nigel-harps1954]

Holy crap....that rain is really belting down in Clontarf. Luckily it's a lovely day in Letterkenny. They should move the game here.

[BonnieShels]

It's sunny in Ballsbridge. Had a small shower there in the last 20 min but nothing major.

[MariborKev]

What a game. What a team.

[BonnieShels]

Listening to the updates across the evening. Sounded likea Whopper. Hoping I can get up to Clontarf on Sunday.

[culloty82]

Ireland on the brink - in response to the home side's 229, Pakistan are 173/7, with six overs left.

[BonnieShels]

198/3 now.

Dockerell finished bowling now.

24 balls left

[BonnieShels]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gr5f7hJLuTo

[BonnieShels]

Come on TRENT!!!

[BonnieShels]

Disappointing result in the end but seriously it's an absolute joy as a cricket fan in this country to see the quality of those games and the size of those crowds.

[Stuttgart88]

Remember Shane Warne's famous delivery to Mike Gatting in 1993?

There's a feature on it on BBC's website. I'll never forget the look on Gatting's face!

Anyway, the radio commentary is priceless:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/22709385

[ArdeeBhoy]

That was indeed a classic. Possibly "the best ball of all time"...

[Stuttgart88]

Interesting documentary on Irish cricket on Setanta on 18th June:

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/other-sports/new-documentary-offers-fascinating-insight-into-irish-cricket-history-1.1427250#

[BonnieShels]

It was repeated this evening. Brilliant documentary. Got me all emotional looking back at the Pakistan and England WC games.

Definitely worth watching for cricket and non-cricket fans alike.

[OwlsFan]

Interesting documentary on Irish cricket on Setanta on 18th June:

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/other-sports/new-documentary-offers-fascinating-insight-into-irish-cricket-history-1.1427250#

I enjoyed it. Lots of focus on North County and Johnny Mooney to show cricket isn't just for toffs :). I know a few of the North County characters who were interviewed. Not sure I ever saw him batting without pads as alleged.

[ArdeeBhoy]

Thank the Gods, no cheating Frenchmen or gormless Swedes were, er, to hand.

http://www.cricketireland.ie/news/article/ireland-v-netherlands-live1

[Stuttgart88]

What a second day at Trent Bridge.

[ArdeeBhoy]

Anyone there on Tuesday...

[geysir]

Nice surprise to see Ireland v England in a one day cricket event.
Ireland doing okay so far, England losing wickets a plenty in the chase for 270 runs as Morgan has a nightmare gig so far.
This is Trent's last Irish appearance?

[BonnieShels]

Well he's retiring in December. Or so he says. He neeeds to stay on. Enjoying the commentary on the BBC website.

[Charlie Darwin]

I understand Morgan and Rankin have to make the step up to England to maximise their careers but I really hope Morgan has his nose rubbed in the dirt this evening.

[geysir]

Looks like Morgan recovered his cricket credentials.
I couldn't imagine Irish football players declaring for England after gaining citizenship through residency, in order to further their careers and plotting the defeat of Ireland aided with their inside knowledge.

[Real ale Madrid]

If two Irishmen make centuries in an ODI - the least you would expect is that Ireland win the game!

[geysir]

One of the SkySports commentators, passed on complements about the Irish crowd 'who really know their cricket' and 'there was not one person falling around drunk'.
Condescending dimwit.

[Charlie Darwin]

I was about to comment on how the English commentators 'who really know their cricket' and 'haven't said anything racist' in spite of being public school dimwits, but then they go and ruin it...

[Stuttgart88]

Was that your Shamrock Rovers flag Chuck?

Silly game. You can add to "when you're out, you go in, and when you're in, you go out" that Ireland's best bowler was English, England's best bowler and best batsman were Irish.

[Stuttgart88]

Looks like Morgan recovered his cricket credentials.
I couldn't imagine Irish football players declaring for England after gaining citizenship through residency, in order to further their careers and plotting the defeat of Ireland aided with their inside knowledge.
Maybe if Ireland were only allowed to play Luxembourg et al in football it'd be different?

[nigel-harps1954]

It's thoroughly disappointing that Irelands top cricket players have to go to England to play test cricket, but give it ten years and we'll see Ireland as a fully fledged test nation and with the rise in popularity of the game here, it can only mean we'll be right up there challenging with the best.

[geysir]

Silly game. You can add to "when you're out, you go in, and when you're in, you go out" that Ireland's best bowler was English, England's best bowler and best batsman were Irish.
Another 'it can only happen in cricket' thing. that i came across.
English Joyce bowled out by Irish Rankin at WC2007
Irish Joyce bowled out by English Rankin, Malahide yesterday.


Maybe if Ireland were only allowed to play Luxembourg et al in football it'd be different?
Who knows about that. There's a tradition of ambition in football to represent your country, no matter how crap they are. Sure, there are inherent obvious differences between the sports.
There is little or no comparison eg between Morgan and Murtagh.
Murtagh who qualified for Ireland via his granddad was not even wanted by England and he's a Murtagh.
Trent Johnston is Irish as well as Australian. Morgan's ambitions are well known. We can call him an Englishman, I'm sure he's be proud of both nationalities but right now he's English.
The rules say he can change from Ireland to England seamlessly, one day play for Ireland at the WC and when that competition is over, declare and play for England, but if he wants to revert back to Ireland, he has to wait 4 years in the cold.The rules blatantly favour England, they win win win, superiority is maintained and the aspiring country has a harder job to break into the top class. Joyce gave it a go, is discarded out to the the intl scrapheap for 4 of his best years.

The rules in football for intl representation are much more sophisticated and egalitarian, more favour the player and the smaller country. In cricket, some of the rules evolve from a crude outdated and backward class system.

[OwlsFan]

Ireland's best bowler was English

Born in England ok but Irish parents on both sides and played GAA (so he must be Irish).

Amazed at the size of the crowd. Didn't know there were so many Protestants still in Ireland - joke by the way.

I have played club cricket here for almost 30 years but didn't bother going to the game. Primarily because I thought it would be rained off, it was mostly the England B side and like a lot of LoI fans as regards international football, the international cricket team doesn't excite me. Strange but true. Can't quite put my finger on why although when they beat England in the World Cup, it was a great day but I still didn't take time off work to watch it. I am also left with a bitter taste hearing someone whom I saw as a kid (and even then he was hugely talented) playing cricket representing England and saying "we". I understand the reasons why he has chosen to play for England and when I see him playing for them, I wish him well but I just found it bizarre seeing him beat Ireland. Perhaps many an English person felt the same in 1988 in Stuttgart and in Italia 90.

Now off to Knockharley on Sunday. Used to be a team of farmers. Now it's a mixture of cricket players from around the globe.

[Stuttgart88]

Yes, I know about Murtagh and his bona fide Irishness. I only put it in to make a humorous point.

What stood out for me was just how rubbish some of the English newbies were and how toothless our attack was once Murtagh was done with. I think extras (30) was our second highest scorer behind Porterfield.

I'm playing in a charity game with Dean Headley and the Bricknells (Martin and Darren) in a fortnight's time. In my only previous game this season I won the "most entertaining over" award, not necessarily a good thing. It was a 22 over format at my local club and everyone had to bowl two overs. My first over went something like this:

Wide
Wicket - clean bowled, top of off stump, a beauty!
Wide
Wide
Wide
Wicket - catch
Wide
Nearly a wicket - dropped catch (wasn't hard) . In fact if I'd been sharp enough I could have run backwards and caught it over my head for a C&B, but I didn't see it early enough.


And so on except with my last ball I collected a ball hit weakly into no-man's land and missed the stumps by an inch for what would have been a direct hit run out as they were taking a single.

I think in total I bowled 11 wides but with my 6 legit balls I took two wickets, had a catch dropped and nearly ran a guy out myself. I only gave up 2 proper runs.

I made 18 with the bat later.

[OwlsFan]

. My first over went something like this:

Wide
Wicket - clean bowled, top of off stump, a beauty!
Wide
Wide
Wide
Wicket - catch
Wide
Nearly a wicket - dropped catch (wasn't hard) . In fact if I'd been sharp enough I could have run backwards and caught it over my head for a C&B, but I didn't see it early enough.


And so on except with my last ball I collected a ball hit weakly into no-man's land and missed the stumps by an inch for what would have been a direct hit run out as they were taking a single.

I think in total I bowled 11 wides but with my 6 legit balls I took two wickets, had a catch dropped and nearly ran a guy out myself. I only gave up 2 proper runs.

I made 18 with the bat later.

Sounds like my last competitive over which I bowled except I took a wicket on the last ball. Refused to bowl every again after 8 wides in the over.

[Stuttgart88]

I played with John Emburey, Darren and Martin Bicknell and Dean Hedley today. I played wicket keeper to avoid having to bowl. No mistakes with the gloves but really didn't bat well. Good fun though.

Emburey is still class at 62. Doesn't put any effort more than the minimum required into it. I believe it was the same 30 years ago.

[bennocelt]

Just when I eventually find streaming from the 20/20 qualifiers, the wife wants to go shopping, damn damn damn

http://www.icc-cricket.com/ (http://www.icc-cricket.com/)

[swinfordfc]

Tomorrow morning - big day for the Irish boys!

[bennocelt]

http://www.coolsport.tv/nfl-hd-stream-3.html
perfect stream, ireland lucky at start, dropped ball

[nigel-harps1954]

Not been terrible, but not been overly impressive either. Seems as though the tactics have been to go out and attack, but UAE have been solid in bowling.

[nigel-harps1954]

Pitch doing them no favours whatsoever, but starting to get very sloppy altogether.

[bennocelt]

Step up Trent Johnston, good stuff, should see Ireland through IMHO
That bowler that tried to hit O Brien was a dirty bars., gentleman not to react

[nigel-harps1954]

Rotten boll0cks. Never seen anything as hateful in all the time I've watched cricket. Super innings by Johnston.

A good first over though for UAE. Ireland need to pick up two or three wickets early to slow down the early run rate.

[nigel-harps1954]

Just on that, a bit of rough justice for O'Brien to catch the ball to see Rafiq out!

[bennocelt]

Just on that, a bit of rough justice for O'Brien to catch the ball to see Rafiq out!

But I think it was the next guy? Anyway karma is a birch, ha

[nigel-harps1954]

http://cricfree.tv/star-sports-live-stream-online.php

Stream of the final here.

[culloty82]

Barring an almighty batting run tomorrow, hard to see the Afghans reeling in Ireland's 346-run lead from 136/5 - of course, they still have to win every tournament before they get a regular schedule of visits from Test nations (two a year will only bring them on so far).

[swinfordfc]

Congrats Ireland - well done on a great year of cricket for ye - thanks green 23 for a great career as well!

[Stuttgart88]

I just spent the afternoon watching SA vs India, 5th day of the first test. SA were chasing 458 to win, which would have been a test cricket record chased if successful.

The match was drawn with SA 8 runs short and 3 wickets in hand. But it left a bad taste in my mouth: after SA lost De Plessis (who was in great batting form - he'd been in for 6 hours) to a run out with 3 overs left and 16 runs required to win SA just batted everything for a dot ball in order to ensure the draw. The crowd booed every shot.

In one sense you could see why they did it but I'm just staggered that with a world record within reach they took the cautious option. As if in protest Philander (great name!) hit a 6 off the last ball to show that they could have done it if they'd had the balls. Light was becoming a factor but with the field set out on the boundary, conceding catches would have been hard to do and every ball was wide of off stump.

Weird and disappointing ending to a compelling game.

[OwlsFan]

Yes I too spent the afternoon watching that but wasn't it Steyn who hit the 6 ? I couldn't believe that they didn't go for the world record and I suspect they will always regret that. Perhaps they might win the series but so what? That will soon be forgotten. 16 off the last 3 overs. Was not a huge ask. Thought I was about to witness history in the making :(

[Stuttgart88]

Yes, it was indeed Steyn.

Jeepers, even Anderson and Panesar got something like 12 for the last wicket facing Johnson last night. 16 with 3 left even if the light was bad was definitely having a shot at. It rained today in Durban so the series will probably be a complete damp squib and forgotten forever. But if SA had cahsed down 458...

England finally had a good day with the ball. Sets it up for an interesting second innings.

[Stuttgart88]

So, it looks like Sir Beefy Botham was right: a 5-0 whitewash :)

What an extraordinarily one-sided series.

I see Rankin took a wicket today. How many other Irish test wicket takers have there been?