The Ashes 2013

[amateur51]

How blatantly wrong the decision was, was mercilessly revealed on Sky's / the third umpire's own technology.

Sir Geoffrey was in full agreement with you on BBC TMS steam radio - he says these umpires are just not good enough and it's time we got in "sum Brrittish wuns"

What did they say on Channel Five?

[anotherbob]

It is inconceivable that on the basis of what we saw and heard that the batsman could possibly have been given out, and how the third umpire confirmed the on-field decision left the entire Sky team and me utterly incredulous. Nothing to do with 'suspension of disbelief' - it was a serious error which will bring the whole third umpire / current DRS system and especially its interpretation into disrepute and thus play into the Indian Test Authority's feet-dragging hands - if you see what I mean!!

And I'm not an Oz supporter either!

The Indian authorities neither accept that the DRS is sufficiently well developed, nor that the current method of implementation is satisfactory. I tend to agreee with them. Some of my best friends support the baggy green.

[anotherbob]

he says these umpires are just not good enough and it's time we got in "sum Brrittish wuns"

The introduction of neutral umpires was the thin end of what is proving a very thick wedge. By saying that the likes of Shep and Dickie were not to be trusted to give honest decisions when standing in matches involving England it was clear that absolute trust in umpires was gone. A further problem is that only four umpires on the current elite panel are able to officiate in Ashes matches.

[Barbirollians]

I think DRS is a good reason for abolishing the neutral umpires rule . The Shakoor Ranas would not survive scrutinised by DRS.

[teamsaint]

people playing brass instruments in sports crowds are very annoying indeed.

[Barbirollians]

Not Billy Whizz surely, either formerly or currently of the LPO allegedly

[anotherbob]

The Shakoor Ranas would not survive scrutinised by DRS.

What if he was the one operating it?

[Barbirollians]

What if he was the one operating it?

No I think the idea is that the DRS umpire would be a neutral but the umpires on the field need not be.

[aeolium]

No I think the idea is that the DRS umpire would be a neutral but the umpires on the field need not be.

The other idea, which was mooted on cricinfo, was having specialist DRS umpires who wouldn't need to be drawn from the normal international umpiring panel but would have extensive training in reviewing different screen dismissals/possible dismissals.

I think it's a pity that so much criticism has been aimed at the DRS system when the failing has mainly been poor umpiring, both by the standing umpires and the third umpire, throughout the series. That has been the case also in this Test. And if you have poor umpiring it doesn't matter whether or not you have DRS; you have to improve the quality of the decision-making.

There are a couple of areas where DRS is not working that well: Hotspot, which doesn't always work with faint edges and the foreshortening of the image for catches taken in the outfield. The first shortcoming may well be corrected soon when the use of the snickometer is made available to the TV umpire. The second one can be corrected if the TV umpire factors the foreshortening into the decision (so a good TV umpire would have given Bell out in the second innings of the last Test). And it shouldn't have needed any reference to Hotspot for Smith to be given out caught behind yesterday as the audio should have been sufficient evidence. The DRS system has already corrected many glaring errors and should not be made the culprit for the failings of the people operating it.

[amateur51]

An entertaining day's play so far, Clarke out for 187 (well done, sir!) and the hapless Warner out for a lot less and wasting a review into the bargain; Swann gets his 17th five-for in Tests and Broad his 200th Test wicket.

The question now seems to be: will Australia get to 500? And if they do, will they declare?

[amateur51]

Australia 507-7 at tea: unbroken eighth-wicket stand worth 77, Haddin 57*, Starc 54*

Local talk is of much of Sunday and Monday being lost to rain showers so much depends on how well captain Clarke sees his bowling crew performing on a wicket with which he is so recently familiar.

[amateur51]

Australia declare on 527-7 at 16:14. That's some gauntlet to throw down. After nearly two days in the field, how will Alistair Cook and Joe Root respond?

[amateur51]

A fascinating day of Test cricket so far, Australia ascendant in the morning session, removing Cook and Trott but now Pietersen and Bell are cracking on, Pietersen after a dodgy start (as always these days?). He went to his 50 with successive sixes off Nathan Lyon and Bell helped himself to a four, so perhaps Lyon has been hit out of the attack for a while at least. England 173-4, Pietersen 59* and Bell 32*.

[amateur51]

England get to 368 all out, 159 behind on first innings.

TMS seems to think the Australian plan is to score 150-200 in the next two sessions less an hour, to give them a two cracks at England's openers, one tonight and one tomorrow morning.

Sounds like a plan

Who was the fool who asked if England can bowl The Old Enemy out twice?





What's the weather forecast?

[hedgehog]

Might be Australia bowling England out twice! Looking ominous and not just the clouds..........