Fascinating match, our last 5 wickets for 19 runs looked like it might have cost us dearly.
Pleased to see the camaraderie between the umpires, staff and players from both sides at the end. This is how all sport should be played and perhaps Argentina, Uruguay, Netherlands and Portugal can take a look at this to help them on their "journeys"!
I'm still not convinced Shakeel was out, but equally not convinced he wasn't. Soft signal was out, TV umpire didn't have conclusive evidence so they went with the on-field umpire. It was umpires call for grounding, much like umpires call for hitting the stumps.
I'd like to see Rehan Ahmed given a debut in the last match to get some experience. He certainly couldn't do much less then Will Jacks did in this match with the ball. Jacks only bowled 8 overs out of 164. Although Jacks is a considerable step up with the bat.
Really enjoyed the interview with Ramiz Raja, some great insight into how Pakistan cricket works and why they have trouble with the pitches.
Why does cricket use umpires call for close decisions? It’s odd. It seems the TV pictures cannot be sure whether or not the ball carried but surely the umpire making the judgement with TV pictures has a better chance of making the right call than some poor chap trying to make the decision from miles away in real time possibly with a view obscured by a fielder?
It’s the equivalent of the clear and obvious error thing, isn’t it? The umpire makes a decision, and if there is a review and they are obviously wrong it is overturned. If it isn’t obvious, they stick with the original decision.
The darts is a strange sport, I know it's Xmas but switched over at barely lunchtime, all the costumes and chants about spurs and man utd players, grunting announcers, seemingly most fans smashed and barely watching whilst the "sportsmen" are Doing exactly the same thing over and over but seem to be getting worse hitting more 50s than 180s.
Just dipped in to the Pakistan v New Zealand Test Match in Karachi.
What a contrast to the England approach. New Zealand piled up 612-9 in their first innings (in response to Pakistan’s 438) and, at tea on the fourth day, declared. They went at a fraction over 3 runs per over. Pakistan are currently 51-1 after 20 overs, needing another 123 to avoid an innings defeat.
Total contrast to the Pakistan v England series but the purists would probably argue that this is “proper” Test cricket. The last day, tomorrow, should be interesting but the New Zealand spinners are getting good purchase and, as we know, Pakistan’s batting can be a little fragile when the pressure is on.
I thought exactly the same thing when I turned it on this morning @micra
They were rightly praising Williamson for getting his 200, but I couldn't help think to myself, if an England player had faced over 400 balls they would probably have over 300 runs the way they play at the moment !
It will be intriguing to see what happens on the last day. If New Zealand can force a win, then their approach is also right. There is more than one way to win a game!
With England's approach it took the draw out, and is more high risk as it will invariably open up the possibility of losing.
The best test matches are when the scores are somewhere between 275 and 350 in the first innings and 175 and 250 in the 2nd innings. A real battle between bat and ball.
Watching this, I see @oilysailor has bought his kids a rocking horse for Christmas. What other traditional Christmas presents did people give/receive this Christmas?
Starting tomorrow, Saturday, at 22:55 on BBC Four, Early Doors will be repeated for the first time in 14 years. Also available on iPlayer. Two series, 12 episodes, British comedy at its very finest, in terms of casting, interaction of characters, plot lines, running jokes and punch lines. Set in a Stockport pub, smokers will enjoy the long lost perpetual fug!
When Phil and Nige, the bent coppers, make their appearance each episode, you might want to have subtitles on, to catch which rude word their walkie-talkie spells out in the phonetic alphabet.
Was just reading online, that the hot favourite to be the next James Bond is Aaron Taylor Johnson (kick ass movies, plus some others I've never really seen) I'd always assumed he was American... But, he's not ! He's a Wycombe lad and went to Holmer Green senior school !
So, Wycombe could have the next James Bond ! Any of our younger members know him or have friends that do ?
Never mind James Bond, he’s in the next Robert Eggers film, Nosferatu. Which one can only hope will be as ‘Robert Eggers’ as all other Robert Eggers films.
Comments
Fascinating match, our last 5 wickets for 19 runs looked like it might have cost us dearly.
Pleased to see the camaraderie between the umpires, staff and players from both sides at the end. This is how all sport should be played and perhaps Argentina, Uruguay, Netherlands and Portugal can take a look at this to help them on their "journeys"!
I'm still not convinced Shakeel was out, but equally not convinced he wasn't. Soft signal was out, TV umpire didn't have conclusive evidence so they went with the on-field umpire. It was umpires call for grounding, much like umpires call for hitting the stumps.
I'd like to see Rehan Ahmed given a debut in the last match to get some experience. He certainly couldn't do much less then Will Jacks did in this match with the ball. Jacks only bowled 8 overs out of 164. Although Jacks is a considerable step up with the bat.
Really enjoyed the interview with Ramiz Raja, some great insight into how Pakistan cricket works and why they have trouble with the pitches.
Why does cricket use umpires call for close decisions? It’s odd. It seems the TV pictures cannot be sure whether or not the ball carried but surely the umpire making the judgement with TV pictures has a better chance of making the right call than some poor chap trying to make the decision from miles away in real time possibly with a view obscured by a fielder?
It’s the equivalent of the clear and obvious error thing, isn’t it? The umpire makes a decision, and if there is a review and they are obviously wrong it is overturned. If it isn’t obvious, they stick with the original decision.
The darts is a strange sport, I know it's Xmas but switched over at barely lunchtime, all the costumes and chants about spurs and man utd players, grunting announcers, seemingly most fans smashed and barely watching whilst the "sportsmen" are Doing exactly the same thing over and over but seem to be getting worse hitting more 50s than 180s.
Naaa na na na na na na, oi oi oi
The crowd is a bit laddy, but the darts is the best thing about this time of year.
The BDO at the Lakeside will always be the true World Championship.
Ally Pally is 'lager and coke fuelled maniacs looking to kill strangers' no?
Lol
Having accidentally been at Ally Pally when the darts are on, on more than one occasion, I can answer this for you. Yes.
Just dipped in to the Pakistan v New Zealand Test Match in Karachi.
What a contrast to the England approach. New Zealand piled up 612-9 in their first innings (in response to Pakistan’s 438) and, at tea on the fourth day, declared. They went at a fraction over 3 runs per over. Pakistan are currently 51-1 after 20 overs, needing another 123 to avoid an innings defeat.
Total contrast to the Pakistan v England series but the purists would probably argue that this is “proper” Test cricket. The last day, tomorrow, should be interesting but the New Zealand spinners are getting good purchase and, as we know, Pakistan’s batting can be a little fragile when the pressure is on.
I thought exactly the same thing when I turned it on this morning @micra
They were rightly praising Williamson for getting his 200, but I couldn't help think to myself, if an England player had faced over 400 balls they would probably have over 300 runs the way they play at the moment !
It will be intriguing to see what happens on the last day. If New Zealand can force a win, then their approach is also right. There is more than one way to win a game!
With England's approach it took the draw out, and is more high risk as it will invariably open up the possibility of losing.
The best test matches are when the scores are somewhere between 275 and 350 in the first innings and 175 and 250 in the 2nd innings. A real battle between bat and ball.
https://twitter.com/OptaAnalyst/status/1607813571173400576?s=20&t=cBCg1zDBwwccaWN56e-krw
Watching this, I see @oilysailor has bought his kids a rocking horse for Christmas. What other traditional Christmas presents did people give/receive this Christmas?
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2023/jan/02/seance-channel-john-lennon-wah-story-of-the-blues?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other
This has come up a few times
Starting tomorrow, Saturday, at 22:55 on BBC Four, Early Doors will be repeated for the first time in 14 years. Also available on iPlayer. Two series, 12 episodes, British comedy at its very finest, in terms of casting, interaction of characters, plot lines, running jokes and punch lines. Set in a Stockport pub, smokers will enjoy the long lost perpetual fug!
When Phil and Nige, the bent coppers, make their appearance each episode, you might want to have subtitles on, to catch which rude word their walkie-talkie spells out in the phonetic alphabet.
Great series, very funny. I remember stumbling upon it by mistake one night at the start of the 2nd series.
"To the Regiment!"
"I wish I was there!"
If there are any Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans around I can recommend Buffy Revamped at the Wycombe Swan on Wednesday. An entertaining hour and a bit.
Buffy Revamped (wycombeswan.co.uk)
I often wonder why Buffy hasn’t had a ‘second life,’ on a streaming platform. Way ahead of it’s time for a late 90s show.
Was just reading online, that the hot favourite to be the next James Bond is Aaron Taylor Johnson (kick ass movies, plus some others I've never really seen) I'd always assumed he was American... But, he's not ! He's a Wycombe lad and went to Holmer Green senior school !
So, Wycombe could have the next James Bond ! Any of our younger members know him or have friends that do ?
I discovered he was from Wycombe recently when watching Bullet Train in which he's very entertaining. I had no idea who he was so looked him up.
Ok might check that one out
He married his wife in 2012 when he was 21 and she was 45. They started dating when he was 18 and she 42. Very non James Bond.
I'll have to ask my daughter, by my calculation they must be the same age, she went to Holmer Green too so possibly the same year.
My money would still be on Regé-Jean Page.
Never mind James Bond, he’s in the next Robert Eggers film, Nosferatu. Which one can only hope will be as ‘Robert Eggers’ as all other Robert Eggers films.
Vincent Cassel should be Bond.
A French man as a British spy, can't see it.
Anyway, I'm pretty sure that Barbara Broccoli is on record as saying that Bond will always be male and British
I'm surprised he's never actually been a Bond villain