Jump to content
DVDVR Message Board

The Cricket Thread, Mark 2

SirFozzie

By SirFozzie
in SPORTS

 Share

Recommended Posts

SirFozzie

SirFozzie

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Pakistan chase down 344 to win over Sri Lanka. 98.2 overs, nearly 700 runs. It's such a different era. (remember when ODI were 60 overs, and 225 was considered a "par" score? I don't really, because I wasn't following the game at the time, but still)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
SirFozzie

SirFozzie

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Australia in shambles, Cricket version. Lost their second match of the tournament (and fourth straight overall, going back to last World Cup) in a record defeat to South Africa.

 

Honestly, no Australian national team should be playing in any sport until they lift the curse they're under.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
The Natural

The Natural

Posted
Posted

BBC Sport:

England and Essex legend Alastair Cook has announced his retirement from professional cricket, ending a record-breaking 20-year career.

Left-hander Cook, 38, retired from Test cricket in 2018 but has played five more seasons with Essex since then.

Cook's contract at Chelmsford has expired and England's all-time leading run-scorer is not seeking an extension.

"It is not easy to say goodbye. Cricket has been so much more than my job," said Cook in a statement.

"It has allowed me to experience places I never dreamed I would go, be a part of teams that have achieved things I would never have thought possible and, most importantly, created deep friendships that will last a lifetime.

"From the eight-year-old boy who first played for Wickham Bishops Under-11s to now, I end with a strange feeling of sadness mixed with pride. Above all, I am incredibly happy."

Essex had been waiting on a decision from Cook following the end of the County Championship season, when they finished second behind champions Surrey.

Coach Anthony McGrath said he was hopeful the county would "see him for a bit longer", but Cook informed Essex he would be retiring on Thursday evening.

 

"It is the right time for this part of my life to come to an end," added Cook. "I have always given absolutely everything I possibly could have to be the best player I could be, but now I want to make way for the new generation to take over.

"I will never underestimate the privilege I have had to play cricket. I will always be grateful for what the game has given to me. Now, I hope the Bedfordshire Farmers will find space for a has-been 'all-rounder' somewhere in their lower order."

Cook made his professional debut against Essex for Essex Cricket Board in the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy in 2003, then played in the County Championship for Essex later that summer.

He made a double hundred for Essex against the touring Australians in 2005, and the next year was famously called up from an England Lions tour in the West Indies to make his England Test debut against India in Nagpur, scoring a century in the second innings.

It would be the start of a 161-cap Test career, 159 of them played consecutively, a world record.

Cook's 12,472 Test runs and 33 centuries are England records, while no batter for any team has made more than Cook's 11,845 runs as a Test opener.

He was England Test captain between 2012 and 2017, leading in 59 matches, then a record which has since been broken by Joe Root.

Cook captained England to Ashes series wins on home soil in 2013 and 2015, but was also the leader on the wrong end of a 5-0 hammering down under in 2013-14. He was captain for 69 one-day internationals between 2010 and 2014.

Cook's crowning glory was the 766 runs he scored to be player of the series during the 2010-11 Ashes win in Australia, England's only triumph in an away Ashes since 1986-87.

The end of his Test career, when he was only 33, was fairytale stuff. Announcing his retirement before the fifth match of the series against India five years ago, Cook marked his final match as an England player with a century amid emotional scenes at The Oval, with his wife Alice heavily pregnant with their third child.

"Although my England career came to an end in 2018, I remain blown away by the amount of affection I receive from England supporters," said Cook.

"Wherever I have travelled, you have been there with your enthusiasm, kind words and unshakable belief. English cricket really does have the best fans in the world."

Cook initially signed to play three more years with Essex, the county he joined as a 12-year-old.

He was part of the team that won the County Championship in 2019, repelling the Somerset spinners on a tense final day of the season at Taunton.

Essex were in with an outside chance of regaining the title until the final round this season, only to lose out to Surrey. The last of Cook's 352 first-class matches came away to Northants. He was out for six in each innings, both times to Ben Sanderson.

Overall, Cook ends on 26,643 first-class runs - comfortably higher than anyone else currently playing the game - at an average of more than 46, with 74 hundreds.

Since the end of his England career, Cook's 3,889 runs in the County Championship and Bob Willis Trophy is bettered only by Durham's Alex Lees.

He also played a total of 178 List A matches and 32 T20s, making 14 white-ball hundreds.

"I won't miss strapping on my pads and facing the new ball, but I will miss being in the Essex changing room," said Cook.

"When I ended my international career, I had no idea that I would have five more bonus years playing for Essex. I cannot put into words just how much fun we have had during that time."

Cook was knighted for services to cricket in 2019. At the time he was the first England cricketer to receive a knighthood since Ian Botham in 2007.

James Anderson, England's all-time leading wicket-taker, said Cook has had an "amazing" career.

Caught Cook, bowled Anderson occurred on 40 occasions in Test cricket, the most for any fielder-bowler combination for England.

"I feel very fortunate that I got to play a lot with him," said Anderson. "For him to give back to Essex what he has over the past few years speaks volumes about him.

"He constantly performs, churning out runs. He'll be hugely missed."

Former England captain Michael Vaughan said: "I don't know if we'll see a player like him again. He's the last of a dying breed of openers. He maximised every ounce of his ability to the maximum level.

"He was a great team member and a great ambassador for the game."

---

A legend, Sir Alistair Cook.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
SirFozzie

SirFozzie

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)

Can we get a certified etheric magisterium-qualified spiritual doctor to check Kane Williamson? He HAS to have a whopper of a World Cup curse on him

 

Considering the events of last World Cup cycle, to now, where he finally gets back in a game after seven months out with a thumb injury, in the world cup, and... takes a glancing throw off his thumb, cracturing it and costing him about a month, which could end his tournament.

Edited by SirFozzie
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
The Natural

The Natural

Posted
Posted
3 minutes ago, SirFozzie said:

England in shambles, cricket version as they lose to Afghanistan 

Beat me to it. Afghanistan win by 69 runs, only their second at a 50-over World Cup. It leaves England, holders of the 50-over and T20 World Cups humbled.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
DangerMark

DangerMark

Posted
Posted (edited)

This isn't what Buttler meant when he said that he didn't feel like England wouldn't be "defending" their title.

Joe Root had a quiet day with the bat but he took four catched and bowled another guy; finished the night more economical than any of the England pacemen. Where's Moeen Ali hiding? This was clearly a day for spin and not medium pace.

Edited by DangerMark
Link to comment
Share on other sites
SirFozzie

SirFozzie

Posted
  • Author
Posted

The craziest thing about this result is not the record number of sixes hit. (11)

It wasn't the fact she hit a six with a bat that snapped the handle off on impact.

It was the fact she knew it was broken beforehand said "Screw it, I'm gonna tonk her over the top anyway" and hit the six with said bat.

 

https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/67186221

 

The Australian's feat was all the more remarkable given one six was hit with a broken bat. When on 64 the stump mic recorded her saying she needed a new bat.

Asked if she needed it right away, she said: "Nah, nah, it's all right. It's a broken handle. Stuff it, I'll hit it anyway."

Her bat snapped the very next delivery as she smashed a Piepa Cleary delivery over the boundary.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
The Natural

The Natural

Posted
Posted (edited)

Jonny Bairstow wicket vs. Sri Lanka as described on BBC Sport:

Just as we were saying to keep your head down and bide your time, Bairstow's flogged it. Poor shot, I'm sorry. It wasn't the occasion. He's walking off with a face like thunder.

---

My goodness. If I didn't have to write something about this, I'd say there are no words to describe the poor nature of this dismissal.

Just when England need to dog it out, Jonny Bairstow plays a terrible shot. Trying to shovel the ball through the leg side, it turns into an ugly hack to mid-on.

Poor. Really poor.

Edited by The Natural
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...