Don't let the Aussies win!

[Lloyd]

Please, no more southern hemisphere chest thumping. Time for a few consolation bars.

 

[old git]

What do you suggest?

My answer is that we all play "It might as well rain until September" but it is doing a rain dance at the same time is the difficulty.

 

[Andante cantabile]

Please, no more southern hemisphere chest thumping. Time for a few consolation bars.

I am sure it is a noble aim, formed with the best of intentions. But it is just conceivable that the horse may have bolted. In any case nothing pleases an Australian sportsman more than seeing another side winning fairly and squarely (as long as it concerns someone else's game, anyway).

 

[stefank]

Please, no more southern hemisphere chest thumping. Time for a few consolation bars.

Not a problem. After the first two games I had decided that I was really Polish, and didn't know what cricket was anyway.

 

[johnboy]

Please, no more southern hemisphere chest thumping. Time for a few consolation bars.

Would they be "The Kings Head", followed by "The Royal Oak", followed by "The next five or six we come to". If so count me in!!!

John.

 

[Lloyd]

I was thinking of "who's sorry now?" or Gerry Rafferty's "Get it right next time".

 

[Andante cantabile]

Please, no more southern hemisphere chest thumping. Time for a few consolation bars.

The odds are looking better for you in the Boxing Day test. But things can change.

 

[old git]

98 all out but don't start crowing yet.

 

[nakedlunch]

98 all out but don't start crowing yet.

157 - 0 . Can we start now? Only problem will be 2nd inns; Aussies won't be so easy in the 2nd inns with better weather. Still - I feel arrogant enough to say that, England have retained the ashes in 2010!

 

[old git]

157 - 0 . Can we start now? Only problem will be 2nd inns; Aussies won't be so easy in the 2nd inns with better weather. Still - I feel arrogant enough to say that, England have retained the ashes in 2010!

Don't you mean the Anglo-South Africans?;}

 

[jonf]

As you and I have discussed before, Bill, one of the things that makes the Britain, and England in particular a great place is that we're a nation of mixers. We can absorb talent from wherever it comes. Always have, always will do. So, as long as the team's called England, England it is, whatever the heritage of the players.

And the tiny fraction of a percent of naysaying, Daily Mail reading bigots who can't cope with that, well, to quote the very great Kurt Vonnegut, they can "take a flying **** at a rolling doughnut. Take a flying **** at the moooooooooon."

Now for the really controversial bit - cricket's a bloody stupid game anyway.

 

[old git]

They can still lose.

What is the record for consecutive bowling infringements resulting in extras?

 

[nakedlunch]

They can still lose.

What is the record for consecutive bowling infringements resulting in extras?

About 2!

 

[old git]

Could the Anglo-South African squad be about to snatch defeat out of victory?

 

[nakedlunch]

Mmmmmmm, "Anglo-SA squad". Well in an ideal world all of the players would be "pure" English or Welsh. However, how can you stop everyone wanting to play for such a great nation and cricket team? It's the curse of being so great! In the current squad there are 6 SA's and 1 Irish player (the other 20 where born in England or Wales, I believe). However, all of the SA's have English parentage and have lived in england for a minumum of 4 years before qualifying to play for us - In my view that makes someone English. In fact, the ECB's rules are much tougher than the ICC's! With the ICC rules anyone living here with residency could play for England on day 1.

As I say, what can the English and Welsh Cricket board do? They cannot go against ICC regulations. You just have to accept that everyone wants to play for England and not Austalia, South Africa........or even the mighty Ireland!

 

[Lloyd]

Could the Anglo-South African squad be about to snatch defeat out of victory?

No.

In any case it's a bit churlish to start grumbling about foreign imports. Take the average premiership 'English' football team. There's hardly a Brit amongst them, and this is where I'll disagree with jonf - top man though he is. I'd rather watch England playing a test match where the vast majority are blighty born and bred rather than the overpaid, overrrated prima donas of the Andrex Premiership (soft and unnecessarily expensive - compliments to LD for that quote) with no home grown players.
Rugby, now there's a proper game. You don't seen the All Blacks importing talent from other countries. No South Sea Islanders there - pure Kiwi, all of them.