..............and, they have good fast bowlers, we don't. ..............and so, I think we're in the proverbial? I have in the past asked Oddy and other football fans to "keep the faith" with our incredible football team, against all the odds, I might add. But cricket-wise, I just cannot bring myself to such insane confidence! Ah yes, forgetting my manners, well played Australia, absolutely walloped us!
When does this end, as Sky Sports News has become unbearable to watch? All this fuss about a game against 1 country, a country with a 1/3 of the population we have, so I fail to see why it's such a big deal. I also fail to understand why we have to play them so many times, can't we just play them once, and move on to the next team, like what happens in every other team sport. The terminology annoys me to, what the hell is 'sledging'? That's something you do down a hill when it's snowing
There you are King Shergar, with thanks to "wonderful Wikapedia": "Sledging is a term used in cricket to describe the practice whereby some players seek to gain an advantage by insulting or verbally intimidating the opposing player. The purpose is to try to weaken the opponent's concentration, thereby causing him to make mistakes or underperform." Not everyone likes it, but this practice is here to stay, and that's that. It is the really quick-witted and intelligent cricketers who benefit most from this. Not all of them have this talent, and they're the ones who suffer most. I only object when it stretches to a player's family; that for me is cowardly and shows that the perpetrator has psychological problems? As for your other comments. KS, it's tradition, man, it's tradition! Long may it live!
Sledging is a blast Shergy. Rod Marsh: "How's the wife and my kids?" Ian Botham: " Wife's fine. Kids are ******ed." Viv Richards: "Don't you be staring at me man. This is my island, my culture. And in my culture we just bowl." Merv Hughes: "In my culture, we just say **** off." Shane Warne: "I've been waiting for two years for another chance at you." Darryll Cullinan: "Looks like you've spent it eating." Glenn McGrath: "Why are you so fat?" Eddo Brandes: "Because every time I **** your wife, she gives me a biscuit."
Oh dear, what to say? Had to dig around, and I found a few famous, or infamous ones: In the 1989 Ashes series Big Merv was giving Smith a few problems. After playing and missing a Merv delivery, Big Merv snapped: "You can't ****ing bat". Next ball Smith proceeded to belt Hughes to the fence for four runs and replied: "Hey Merv! We make a good pair. I can't ****ing bat and you can't ****ing bowl!". Merv Hughes was all over Gooch in one test and proceeded to say: "Would you like me to bowl a piano and see if you can play that". Cullinan was well known as being a bit of a bunny to Warne's bowling. The 2 hadn't played each other in some time so when Cullinan walked out to bat, Warne couldn't resist heckling him: "I've been waiting two years for another chance at you". Cullinan got him back with a ripper: "Looks like you spent it eating..." In a county match in England, Thomas was bowling to Richards and getting a few to whizz past the bat. After Richards played and missed another one, Thomas said: "It's red, it's round. Now ****en hit it!". This obviously angered Richards who proceeded to hit the next ball out of the ground. Richards: "You know what it looks like now go and get it."
Just came across a nice sledge. American boxing columnist Blacky Sherrod once said of one heavyweight boxing contender "He has everything a boxer needs except speed, stamina, a punch, and ability to take punishment, in other words, he owns a pair of shorts."
Think England would have put Oz in on that wicket so the toss largely irrelevant this time. Pitch will be green and seam.
Great ball by JA..used to be his stock ball but now using the in swinger as a surpise delivery in this series. Big test for Smith now.
Very good pitch to bowl on. Australia in deep deep trouble at 34/3. What a chance for England given the inexperience of the Oz middle order and the way the ball is seaming. Ball still hard and only 12 overs old.
