World Cup and Test Cricket 2019

[DracoM]

.....but if they get any play TODAY, I'll eat my hat. Just looking outside, and.............etc?!!!

Hat eaten.

[Historian]

Hat eaten.

How did it taste?

Also, a bit premature? They've just gone off again. Not the best summer weather for cricket, although even losing a whole day doesn't make a result impossible these days.

[LMcD]

This Ashes series seems to have been squeezed into a pretty short period of time late in the summer - I'm not sure whether that accounts for the large number of lost hours..

[muzzer]

Yes it’s rushed, because of hosting the World Cup of course. I’m not an arch traditionalist but the weather inevitably contributes to the pace of the series and I can’t help thinking something has been lost by cramming in so many matches. Ordinarily the Oval test would be the final game, around this BH weekend, in the soft eternal sunshine of late summer, but this year it will be mid September, when even if not yet properly leafy is likely to be chilly. I look forward to being proved wrong. Particularly as I’ll be there.

[DracoM]

Honestly, given the weather here, I am AMAZED that they've been playing off and on most of the day. And I'm not all that far off Leeds.

[antongould]

The boy did reasonably well ........ ????

[muzzer]

Great, wasn’t he? And without really cranking it up.

[eighthobstruction]

Honestly, given the weather here, I am AMAZED that they've been playing off and on most of the day. And I'm not all that far off Leeds.

....yes I'm only 30 miles away , we had several showerso' the day....and it was pretty overcast by 1930....fairly dark....warm tho'....

[burning dog]

Yes it’s rushed, because of hosting the World Cup of course. I’m not an arch traditionalist but the weather inevitably contributes to the pace of the series and I can’t help thinking something has been lost by cramming in so many matches. Ordinarily the Oval test would be the final game, around this BH weekend, in the soft eternal sunshine of late summer, but this year it will be mid September, when even if not yet properly leafy is likely to be chilly. I look forward to being proved wrong. Particularly as I’ll be there.

The 2005 final test was also that late IIRC and there wasn't the excuse of the World Cup that year. I remember as I attended the 50 overs Cup final at Lords and people were talking about the upcoming test.


For a few series the Ashes consisted of six tests and still finished at the BH weekend as you say. I'm pretty sure that the first "official" ODIs (1972) took place at the BH weekend, the five test series having already been completed

[gradus]

Re the first day rain conversations, did they ever find out which Australian ground has The Piggeries at one end? I missed Jim Maxwell's subsequent commentary turn when he may have identified it.

[antongould]

All going terribly well ......

[Stanfordian]

Joe Root - a hopeless test captain!

[burning dog]

Joe Root - a hopeless test captain!

He's in terrble form and not a very good captain but he can't bat for the others.

England have lost nearly everyone who can bat defensivley in test cricket. It goes back a while, Trott, lacking confidence, was brought back as an opener when he had never opened before . No.5 would have been better. Bell was out of the reckoning after being dropped for poor form (he was 33 at the time). Bell is an inferior batsman to Jennings, Stoneman, Malan etc.?! Ballance had a far higher average than those three though he's a bit short of test class. When Cook retired he was past his very best but still better than most (all!) of these.

[jayne lee wilson]

Just switched on after lunch and......

O...M...G...

Jofra.... your (2nd) hour of destiny awaits....

[Stanfordian]

He's in terrble form and not a very good captain but he can't bat for the others.

England have lost nearly everyone who can bat defensivley in test cricket. It goes back a while, Trott, lacking confidence, was brought back as an opener when he had never opened before . No.5 would have been better. Bell was out of the reckoning after being dropped for poor form (he was 33 at the time). Bell is an inferior batsman to Jennings, Stoneman, Malan etc.?! Ballance had a far higher average than those three though he's a bit short of test class. When Cook retired he was past his very best but still better than most (all!) of these.

Whichever way you look at it it's a hopeless performance!