Comments on: Test. Cricket. http://blog.greens.org.nz/2007/12/21/test-cricket/ hopping along the corridors of power Fri, 21 Nov 2008 16:16:07 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: big bro http://blog.greens.org.nz/2007/12/21/test-cricket/#comment-35965 big bro Mon, 07 Jan 2008 06:09:45 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/2007/12/21/test-cricket/#comment-35965 Breaking news... It seems that the BCCI may be about to cancel the remainder of the Aussie tour, the Indian team were due to fly to Perth for the third test but have been instructed to remain in their hotel and their rooms pending further instructions. Breaking news…

It seems that the BCCI may be about to cancel the remainder of the Aussie tour, the Indian team were due to fly to Perth for the third test but have been instructed to remain in their hotel and their rooms pending further instructions.

]]> By: Mark52 http://blog.greens.org.nz/2007/12/21/test-cricket/#comment-35895 Mark52 Thu, 03 Jan 2008 20:33:44 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/2007/12/21/test-cricket/#comment-35895 Cricket looks like Organised Loafing - but once you get out there, with that hardball fizzing around, liable to break bones and remove teeth - it sure looks different. Australians are (currently) the best because they rise to the challenge in a spirited positive way. That 'never say die' fighting spirit that turns things in their favour time after time. We tend to build our guys up as Heroes before they even take the field (remember the Year of the 'Young Guns'?) That is a lot of expectation riding them - and it works against the "nothing to lose, everything to gain" attitude needed for success. Training is the key - playing in Australia, in a Team with a lot of Sri-Lankan guys, I was taught all manner of skills that just aren't in our teaching. Craig McMillan was, for mine, the best adapted man for the job I've seen in our guys for a long while. You can do it Kiwi's - just be positive! Cricket looks like Organised Loafing - but once you get out there, with that hardball fizzing around, liable to break bones and remove teeth - it sure looks different.
Australians are (currently) the best because they rise to the challenge in a spirited positive way. That ‘never say die’ fighting spirit that turns things in their favour time after time.
We tend to build our guys up as Heroes before they even take the field (remember the Year of the ‘Young Guns’?)
That is a lot of expectation riding them - and it works against the “nothing to lose, everything to gain” attitude needed for success.
Training is the key - playing in Australia, in a Team with a lot of Sri-Lankan guys, I was taught all manner of skills that just aren’t in our teaching.
Craig McMillan was, for mine, the best adapted man for the job I’ve seen in our guys for a long while.
You can do it Kiwi’s - just be positive!

]]> By: rich_d_rich http://blog.greens.org.nz/2007/12/21/test-cricket/#comment-35711 rich_d_rich Wed, 26 Dec 2007 23:44:07 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/2007/12/21/test-cricket/#comment-35711 I've heard the shortness of boundaries at New Zealand's cricket grounds (which mostly do dual duty for rugby) cited as a reason for our poor performance. Personally, I think it might have something to do with us being the smallest first-class nation and having cricket as our second (if not third or fourth) national sport. I wonder who the commentator Toad quotes above was. I did once listen to the BBC comment for over two hours on the efforts of the Barbados ground staff to dry their pitch out so that play could resume. On politics, I'd say that much commentary *is* already modelled on sports reporting and entirely issue free already. No? I’ve heard the shortness of boundaries at New Zealand’s cricket grounds (which mostly do dual duty for rugby) cited as a reason for our poor performance. Personally, I think it might have something to do with us being the smallest first-class nation and having cricket as our second (if not third or fourth) national sport.

I wonder who the commentator Toad quotes above was. I did once listen to the BBC comment for over two hours on the efforts of the Barbados ground staff to dry their pitch out so that play could resume.

On politics, I’d say that much commentary *is* already modelled on sports reporting and entirely issue free already. No?

]]> By: toad http://blog.greens.org.nz/2007/12/21/test-cricket/#comment-35651 toad Sun, 23 Dec 2007 04:13:18 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/2007/12/21/test-cricket/#comment-35651 Back in the late 1970's the star-studded West Indies Cricket team of the day, which included batsmen of the calibre of Viv Richards, Clive Lloyd, Desmond Haynes and Gordon Greenidge and legendary fast bowlers Michael Holding, Joel Garner, Andy Roberts and Malcolm Marshall were touring England. England, as they usually have been over the past 30 years, were as bad at test cricket as New Zealand. After a poor run in previous tests, they drafted into test match duty a rather dour opening batsman with some recent form. His name - Peter Willy (he later achieved greater acclaim as an international umpire). Anyway, the events gave rise to the cricket commentary blooper of all time. As the hapless new English opening batsman took guard to face the first ball from his ferocious West Indian opponent bowler, the commentator announced: "The bowler's Holding, the batsman's Willy". Back in the late 1970’s the star-studded West Indies Cricket team of the day, which included batsmen of the calibre of Viv Richards, Clive Lloyd, Desmond Haynes and Gordon Greenidge and legendary fast bowlers Michael Holding, Joel Garner, Andy Roberts and Malcolm Marshall were touring England.

England, as they usually have been over the past 30 years, were as bad at test cricket as New Zealand. After a poor run in previous tests, they drafted into test match duty a rather dour opening batsman with some recent form. His name - Peter Willy (he later achieved greater acclaim as an international umpire).

Anyway, the events gave rise to the cricket commentary blooper of all time. As the hapless new English opening batsman took guard to face the first ball from his ferocious West Indian opponent bowler, the commentator announced:

“The bowler’s Holding, the batsman’s Willy”.

]]> By: Kevyn http://blog.greens.org.nz/2007/12/21/test-cricket/#comment-35650 Kevyn Sun, 23 Dec 2007 03:15:31 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/2007/12/21/test-cricket/#comment-35650 With the boundary moved to make way for the airport motorway today's match at the Basin Reserve was won by New Zealand with an average of 54 runs per over. With the boundary moved to make way for the airport motorway today’s match at the Basin Reserve was won by New Zealand with an average of 54 runs per over.

]]> By: andrew http://blog.greens.org.nz/2007/12/21/test-cricket/#comment-35646 andrew Sat, 22 Dec 2007 23:40:44 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/2007/12/21/test-cricket/#comment-35646 excellent luke, we should perform our comparison of the performance of the various teams after controlling for all the factors which affect performance. excellent luke, we should perform our comparison of the performance of the various teams after controlling for all the factors which affect performance.

]]> By: Luke http://blog.greens.org.nz/2007/12/21/test-cricket/#comment-35633 Luke Fri, 21 Dec 2007 23:39:38 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/2007/12/21/test-cricket/#comment-35633 yes Big bro, but as we watch the players depart the field on the penultimate day of this three day fixture, I would just like to draw our listeners attention to the consistent problems with the existing methods of scoring. Unfortunately there has been discrepancies in the past between scoring done by the match officials and that done by the various commentary teams in attendance at the Basin Reserve. This is made worse by the lack of real time scoring information given by officials and lack of comprehensive scoring info by the commentators. Often errors are not detected until after the match has finished and the prize giving has occurred. I see this as a small step towards a more comprehensive system being developed in the future. We would not want a repeat of the last match where the Fox commentary team got bored with play and started commentating on a fictional game. This was made worse when the Tory senior players waiting to coming out to bat in the dressing room didn't realise what was happening and changed their batting order. They of course denied what occurred but an expose by a fan lead to the resignation of the Don. It is unknown whether the Fox commentary team are planing any ratings grabbing stunts for tomorrow but this new the HTS system coupled with input from the herald will hopefully see a fair result and no foul play. yes Big bro, but as we watch the players depart the field on the penultimate day of this three day fixture, I would just like to draw our listeners attention to the consistent problems with the existing methods of scoring.

Unfortunately there has been discrepancies in the past between scoring done by the match officials and that done by the various commentary teams in attendance at the Basin Reserve. This is made worse by the lack of real time scoring information given by officials and lack of comprehensive scoring info by the commentators. Often errors are not detected until after the match has finished and the prize giving has occurred. I see this as a small step towards a more comprehensive system being developed in the future.

We would not want a repeat of the last match where the Fox commentary team got bored with play and started commentating on a fictional game. This was made worse when the Tory senior players waiting to coming out to bat in the dressing room didn’t realise what was happening and changed their batting order. They of course denied what occurred but an expose by a fan lead to the resignation of the Don. It is unknown whether the Fox commentary team are planing any ratings grabbing stunts for tomorrow but this new the HTS system coupled with input from the herald will hopefully see a fair result and no foul play.

]]> By: Luke http://blog.greens.org.nz/2007/12/21/test-cricket/#comment-35631 Luke Fri, 21 Dec 2007 23:25:01 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/2007/12/21/test-cricket/#comment-35631 I think that the core problem behind our lack of consistent on field performance is like the core problem behind climate change. Population. For one we don't have enough people the other to many. Perhaps someone would like to do to the ultimate in political-sport geekery and produce some per capita stats on our sports performance as a nation vs australia! I would suspect that we would outperform australia on a per capita basis. This I suppose would also depend on how you measure your stats. i.e. if compulsory Sport Undertaken in Primary Education and Recreation and levels of capital investment undertaken are taken into account were the balance would lie? I think that the core problem behind our lack of consistent on field performance is like the core problem behind climate change. Population. For one we don’t have enough people the other to many. Perhaps someone would like to do to the ultimate in political-sport geekery and produce some per capita stats on our sports performance as a nation vs australia! I would suspect that we would outperform australia on a per capita basis. This I suppose would also depend on how you measure your stats. i.e. if compulsory Sport Undertaken in Primary Education and Recreation and levels of capital investment undertaken are taken into account were the balance would lie?

]]> By: dad4justice http://blog.greens.org.nz/2007/12/21/test-cricket/#comment-35630 dad4justice Fri, 21 Dec 2007 22:31:31 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/2007/12/21/test-cricket/#comment-35630 Our cricketers are like the current crop of politicians , that is , pathetic jokes . Our cricketers are like the current crop of politicians , that is , pathetic jokes .

]]> By: Gerrit http://blog.greens.org.nz/2007/12/21/test-cricket/#comment-35628 Gerrit Fri, 21 Dec 2007 16:58:11 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/2007/12/21/test-cricket/#comment-35628 Deryk "Conclusion: The higher you climb in the corporate ladder the smaller your balls become." That is why the self employed go yachting. The size of your "balls" is in the actions you take on the water. And when things go wrong the self employed are steely self reliant and in Sir Peter Blakes immortal words 'you cant call crying for your mummy' when things go wrong, miles from home. Deryk

“Conclusion: The higher you climb in the corporate ladder the smaller your balls become.”

That is why the self employed go yachting. The size of your “balls” is in the actions you take on the water.

And when things go wrong the self employed are steely self reliant and in Sir Peter Blakes immortal words ‘you cant call crying for your mummy’ when things go wrong, miles from home.

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