THE ASHES

[Paelos]

This sounds like a baseball game where it's the 3rd inning and it's 11-2.

[eldaec]

That's about right, but if they reach the fifth in this position the winning team is allowed to go 'fuck this we want to go home, you have bat all your innings straight through so we can humiliate you by winning with half our wickets in hand'.

[Paelos]

Heh, I wish baseball had that rule where they could look at the other team up by 8 runs and just say fuck it, we're done batting. Let's roll your outs in a row.

[eldaec]

128 all out.

But England not enforcing the followon.

Which is technically the right move with 3.5 days left, since there is no risk of the draw.

England could use the batting practice I guess.

[Shannow]

128 all out.

But England not enforcing the followon.

Which is technically the right move with 3.5 days left, since there is no risk of the draw.

England could use the batting practice I guess.

Can't see Australia winning the ashes in the next 4 years with this shit lot.

[Strazos]

Can someone explain cricket scoring PLEASE?

I was watching some big Indian championship a few months ago - entertaining, but no idea how the scoring worked.

[eldaec]

The team that scores the most runs over two innings wins. To actually win they also have to get the opposition all out in both innings; if they don't do that by the end of the game it counts as a draw. A game lasts approximately 30 hours over 5 days, unless time is lost to rain, around 2700 balls are bowled in that time.

You score a run by running between the sticks or hitting the ball out of the field (for 4, or 6 if you do it without the ball bouncing).

A batsman is out if the bowler bowls over the stumps directly, or the batsman's legs stop that happening (leg before wicket), or by fielders catching the ball off the bat before it bounces, or by a fielder knocking over the stumps with the ball while the batsmen are running between the wickets (run out).

Scores within an innings are expressed as X for Y where X is the number of runs scored, and Y is the number of players out (wickets). Once 10 players are out the innings ends.

The Indian thing you saw was probably ridiculous 20 over pyjama cricket. In that version each team only gets a single innings of 120 balls to score off, and you do not have to bowl the opposing team out to win. This is all over in about 3 hours and is "not proper cricket".

[UnSub]

As an Australian, I'm happy to see Australia lose the Ashes. We spent way too long being arrogant assholes about how good we were, then that generation of players retired at once (or, if Shane Warne, sold his soul in some sort of Dorian Gray-esque pact) leaving a lot of young players with the same attitude but without the skills.

A good few years of thrashing might see some humility start to creep back into the Australian ethos.

[pants]

(or, if Shane Warne, sold his soul in some sort of Dorian Gray-esque pact)

Priceless 

And yes, this is going to get ugly quickly.  Even uglier than it currently is.

[Shannow]

Well that went better.

[Shannow]

Really? Rain? How very fucking English.

Starting to wonder if the Umpires have been paid off by some fellows from the sub-continent.

[pants]

Welp, we're off and running again.  However, based on halfway through the 2nd session of the 1st day, I don't know if I want to watch any more.

And worst of all, its shit bloke Stuart Broad who has got all the wickets. 

[Shannow]

To quote some discerning members of the Gabba crowd. "Broad is a wanker".

[Paelos]

Who is winning?

[Shannow]

Little early to say, but day 1 was better for England.  We will know more after England bats.

[Paelos]

This is why cricket is so impossible for me to understand, you never know who's winning! 

[Shannow]

The Australians are in control after day 2.  An epic collapse by the Poms. Reminded me of the good ol days

[Shannow]

For Paelos's benefit the Australians are winning the second test as well.

Mitchell Johnson is a god.