Off Topic Cricket Thread

I was brought up in NW10 and I was at a corporate thing at Lord's once, finding myself sitting next to a property developer at lunch who was bit of an arsehole. We got to talking about where we were brought up and I could see him wince very slightly when I told him I was from Harlesden. I drew a wet plus sign on the table and said to him, 'OK you're a property developer - this is London, do you want North or South?.' 'North', he said. 'Fair enough, do you want East or West?'.'Well, West', he said. 'So you agree then that North-West London is top of the shop', I said. We were of course sitting in NW8.

Middlesex has always been my team.

 

Nostra who?

Now, if I could only predict a QPR Championship title win in 2023-24.
Now that would be impressive!

Oh, and while you're at it sport gods, could you please give me the winning numbers in any Lotto System.
I promise to give half to the poor, unfortunate and underprivileged, ....society's underclass.
(Or as I call them not606 posters).

We really could use some help.

Thank you in advance.

 

Jimmy is clearly very, very unhappy with the pitch produced at Edgbaston and is talking of retiring if it continues.

 

He should probably be dropped for Lord's anyway. Wood must be a certainty to come into the side.

 

England's women fighting back well against Australia - 411-5, just 62 behind.

 

Tammy Beaumont - Congrats on 200 runs.
The eighth player to reach such a milestone. Well played Tammy. Deserved applause from the crowd.

 

Hey English selectors. She wouldn't be out of place in the men's side imho.

 

They should easily pass the Aussie total. All depends on Tammy now and her stamina. Tail might also wag a bit. Good game so far for the batters.
Wow, McGrath bowls a pearler as I type. Unplayable!
Eng. 8 down now, still 25 runs behind. But Tammy still going strong.

 

Well that took a turn. All out for 463. Ten runs in arrears for England.
Stand up and cheer for Tammy lads. You should be proud of her efforts.

 

The Longest Feud....................... An interesting take on the two greats.

Chappell, Botham and cricket’s longest-held grudge

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ByDaniel Brettig
June 24, 2023 — 4.00pm
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The Longest Feud, airing on Nine (which is the owner of this masthead) on the eve of the second Ashes Test at Lord’s, charts how a 1977 bar-room argument, that ended with Botham shoving Chappell, spun off into an enmity of nearly 50 years’ duration.

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Ian Botham and Ian Chappell have had a decades-long rivalry.

In storytelling terms, it most closely resembles a boxing documentary, although instead of heavyweight bouts it recounts the various moments and circumstances in which Chappell, 79, and Botham, 67, were squared off against one another as cricketers or commentators.

Some encounters took place on live cricket broadcasts. Others, away from the public eye, are recreated with playful cartoon renderings. The creators, Luke Tunnecliffe and Cos Cardone, were initially going to include other interviewees, before ultimately deciding to stick with the simplicity of using the two antagonists as narrators as well as subjects. Direction and production are astutely handled by Graham Watson and Dan Jones.


Like many long-running arguments, the exact reasons for the enmity are blurred by the sands of time, with the chronicle of subsequent meetings and arguments playing out like a cricketing version of The Banshees of Inisherin.

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Ian Chappell with close friend Denis Lilliee in 2015.CREDIT:GETTY IMAGES

In 1998, the pair were interviewed on A Current Affair by Ray Martin, and then put on the air together as commentators on the first Test of an Ashes series in Brisbane. Twenty minutes passed with barely a word spoken by either.

A little over a decade later, in December 2010, they came close to fighting in the Adelaide Oval carpark after a day’s play of another Ashes Test, only to be separated by Nine’s legendary floor manager Ron Castorina.

The documentary’s trailer gives a flavour for how they view one another. “Three words to describe Ian Chappell: sad and lonely,” Botham says.



Chappell’s assessment? “He’s a bully, he’s a coward, and those are all the good things I can say.”

Eventually, the duo are brought together in a conclusion that will leave many to wonder about the nature of feuds, stubbornness and generational change.

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Cricket legend Ian Botham in 2021.CREDIT:EAMON GALLAGHER

“It’s a waste of time talking to a liar,” Chappell says to Botham when they confront one another. “I should’ve finished you off when I had the chance,” Botham fires back.

In the coarse nature of the feud, which persisted even though Botham became friends with such close mates of Chappell as Dennis Lillee and Allan Border, the seeds of later uncompromising eras of cricket may be seen.


“The two Ians personify everything about the Australia versus England rivalry. But they go way beyond that – they make it very personal, very real, and very raw,” said Cardone, chief executive of the program’s producers, JAMTV.

“An Ashes series is the perfect time to peel back the layers and explore what started this
monumental feud, and why it has gone on for so long. It’s compelling and in many ways it’s also very confronting.”

Both Chappell and Botham hold revered places in the cricket pantheon, and are legendary figures in each of their home countries. But upon seeing the whole bitter saga, many viewers may feel compelled to pick up the phone and resolve whatever differences they may harbour with others.

The Longest Feud screens on Channel Nine on Tuesday at 7.30pm.

 

England's women going well - 44-0, chasing 268.

 

Spoke too soon

 

Yep.

 

Our Aussie girls are the real deal, well done to them.

 

They haven't won yet.

 

The only interesting take, imho, is how much channel nine is throwing at these f'ers.
Seriously, grow up Don Chappelli and Blowhard. Are you two still craving headlines? What was the petty feud about anyways? ..."the exact reasons for the enmity are blurred by the sands of time"... How are you settling this? Name calling at ten paces, followed by handbags at two.
Channel nine scraping the bottom of the barrel (again?)
Millions of people will be wondering who the hell these two senior cits are, let alone what they are feuding about.
Seriously guys, let it go. Move on!
If they are trying to get revenge through accusations and petty insults. If so, then remember,

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And I thought my life was a pile of Man.United.

 

Oh yes they have!
But seriously, that was a good game. Woman of the match had to be Tammy Beaumont for her wonderful double ton. If only her fellow batswomen gave her more support.
Congrats to both teams and well done Aussie girls on your win.

 

Be amazed if the English women won a single game, they haven't the same ruthlessness as their Aussie counterparts

 

Shame Ecclestone can't play for the men mind you, unbelievable spin bowler !

 

G'day HB. Who do you think will be your spinner at Lord's?
I think Moeen's finger will keep him out for some lengthy period, perhaps the series.
He did try hard in the first test, but couldn't get past the injury, and the Aussie batsmen.