:) cricket season is here, what are your predictions.

England to win the ashes, and I reckon Chelsea will take the title.

Glamorgan to win the one day league (Again) :)

Scotland to finish 2nd from bottom in the 2nd division.

England to Draw the Ashes and to comfortably beat Bangladesh.

England to win the First and Fifth Tests, Australia the Third and Fourth, and the Second a complete washout.

HA! You Poms are already talking of winning and drawing the series!
:bash:

No chance! Australia 5-0 or 4-0 (weather) or 3-1 (weather + the odd English batsmen batting in partnerships)

Am I a bit late to say I predicted England would win the First Test against Bangladesh? :D

360-1 at lunch. That's over 250 runs ahead with 9 wickets remaining on Day 2. This is a rout.

I love my cricket with a passion and I think the England Bangladesh match is poor.

I was watching the West Indies verses Pakistan instead last night which is really good match, over 340 runs in a day, plus ten wickets and a Brian Lara hundred, can't ask for much more from a cricket match - perhaps a few naked black ladies streaking would be nice :)

Zim i think we're doin gfine today, tis bangladesh who don't seem to have any creativity or discipline in their bowling or fielding.

Why didnt Vaughnan bat on til the third day! Give the batsmen some light work b4 the Aussies come. It's pointless declaring without your middle order having a bat. BTW England to win here by an innings and 200+ runs...It's bangladesh's first tour to England, and they are nowhere near comfortable with English conditions

Why didnt Vaughnan bat on til the third day! Give the batsmen some light work b4 the Aussies come. It's pointless declaring without your middle order having a bat. BTW England to win here by an innings and 200+ runs...It's bangladesh's first tour to England, and they are nowhere near comfortable with English conditions

I bet Lords wish the same, they will lose a load of money tomorrow as the crowd will be alot smaller and the game will be finished within 30 minutes of starting.

Zim i think we're doin gfine today, tis bangladesh who don't seem to have any creativity or discipline in their bowling or fielding.

I agree, England have done nothing wrong and you can only beat the people in front of you, I'm just really dissapointed by the Bangladeshi's I have seen bits of them over the years and did think they were improving, but they seem to have got worse. Most depressing, I'm sure they will get better one day, just wish they hurry up a bit.

England won by an innings an 261 runs! Was not too far off my prediction...

I must admit the idea of a 2nd Division Test League is now a good idea.

All sides like Zim and Bangladesh could keep their one day status, but would be in the 2nd Division alongside Scotland and Kenya and the winner would play the bottom side of the 1st Division of Test countries - the loser goes in to the second division.

2nd Division Matches would have first class status but not test status.

Any thoughts?

Dont agree. The developing test playings nations must have exposure to the best, for them to learn. Im not sure how long it took other nations to win their first test match, but BAN & ZIM are playing their cricket in an Australian dominated era!

Well, do do cease the ashes series, all because England can not win, and have not won since 1986-87? 'New' future test playing nations need the exposure at the best level. Steve Waugh is a firm believer that a second tier test system would only further distance themselves against the other nations of Australia...and others (IND, SL, PAK, SA, ENG, WI, NZ)

Yeah, the same with rugby too i think - these two sports have really good top teams, but not enough secondary teams to be treated as a second tier. They all need to play together for teams to gain exposure as Q-tip says.

One fan walking away from lords said he was dissapointed because he felt it was just a money making exercise - er...he just got half his money back and the CA won't get any money from gates today or tomorrow, nor will they be too popular when hey go on sale for the other tests.

OK, why not go for adopt a player scheme, where a sides best up an coming young players spend a year with either a county or Australian State side. I know Ireland currently have two or three players playing in the County System and as a result I think Ireland will start to emerge as an up and coming side.

They have a great youth development system, on a budget of about 5p. I think it is something some English counties could learn from.

More often than not this countries greatest acheivments have been despite the system rather than because of it. Rugby World Cup for one.

More often than not this countries greatest acheivments have been despite the system rather than because of it. Rugby World Cup for one.

I'd say the opposite in that case. The RFU and the clubs gave Woodward almost complete freedom to do what he had to do to win that thing. He left because they wanted their players back, simple as that.

OK, why not go for adopt a player scheme, where a sides best up an coming young players spend a year with either a county or Australian State side. I know Ireland currently have two or three players playing in the County System and as a result I think Ireland will start to emerge as an up and coming side.

Even playing in the Indian or South African first class game would be a good idea for the Zim and Bang players.

Keep them in the test playing arena though just have one-off tests against the big boys, if they didn't play the good teams at all they would surely fall further behind.

It took India 20 years to win their first test match and New Zealand took a massive 26 years before they got off the mark!

Netherlands play Scotland, Canada, Namibia, Oman and Papua New Guinea and should win that poole. But losing against Warwick (with Knight and Penney the only players I know of) holds no great promise.

There are two initiatives; Rodney Marsh opens the Heerlen CC accomodation (first Limburg club since ages) and there's an all star match in the Amsterdam Olympic Stadium during the Int Bollywood Film Festival!

Team A:


Suniel Shetty, Aravinda D'silva, Tim de Leede, Jeroen Smits, Edgar Schiferli, Abhishek Bachchan, Hritik Roshan, Dino Morea, Amitabh Bachchan, Andre, Anil Kapoor, Arbaaz Khan, Arshad Warsi, Fardeen Khan, Kunal Kholi, Ritesh Deshmukh, Sabbas, Viraf, Vivek Oberoi; met steun van: Diya Mirza, Esha Deol, Kareena Kapoor en Shilpa Shetty


Team B:


Shah Rukh Khan, Azzarudin, Luuk van Troost, Tom de Grooth, Adeel Raja, Aftab Shivdasani, David Dhawan, Feroz Khan, John Abraham, Rahul Khanna, Sahid Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, Sanjay Dutt, Sanjay Gadvi, Sohail Khan, Vinod Kambli, Zaiyed Khan; met steun van Aishwarya Rai, Isha Koppikar, Mahima Chaudhary, Preity Zinta en Urmila Matondkar.

So...pardon my ignorance - i'm only a casual follower of the game but what are the major nations in cricket - My knowledge is thus:

England
Australia
South Africa
India
Pakistan
Bangladesh(!)
West Indies
Zimbabwe

Er...and i know of teams from the world cup like USA, Canada, Scotland etc, but they're all shit. Iknow this isn't all of them so someone please enlighten me

So...pardon my ignorance - i'm only a casual follower of the game but what are the major nations in cricket - My knowledge is thus:

England
Australia
South Africa
India
Pakistan
Bangladesh(!)
West Indies
Zimbabwe

Er...and i know of teams from the world cup like USA, Canada, Scotland etc, but they're all shit. Iknow this isn't all of them so someone please enlighten me

The ten Test-playing nations are the ones you've listed plus New Zealand and Sri Lanka - these, unsurprisingly, are the only ones that play Test cricket.

Other teams compete in the World Cup and other one-day trophies - Kenya are probably the best of the also-rans, and Canada, Scotland, the UAE, Namibia and East Africa have also played in the World Cup. I remember USA playing in the Champions Trophy in England last year, and the Netherlands and Ireland play in one-day tournaments too.

Furthermore, the ICC Trophy (competition for the "minnows") is being played in Ireland this year - teams are Ireland, Denmark, UAE, Uganda, USA, Bermuda, Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, Scotland, Namibia, Oman, Canada.

I mentioned Kenya being the "best of the rest", well it turns out they are included in the ICC One-Day International Championship so don't even count as a minnow (they're currently 10th, above Bangladesh).

Why Bangladesh are so shit is a bit of a mystery when they have over 100 million cricket fanatics to choose from...!

Netherlands played the 2003 WC in SA, weren't trashed by any of the big 5 and beat Namibia!

It took India 20 years to win their first test match and New Zealand took a massive 26 years before they got off the mark!

Good find. BAN has actually won a test series against ZIM last year I think. So it took them a decade or so, to win a test series. Give these sides time, and they will be a force.

For Bangladesh time will tell in a country of 150 million, and adequate scouting in the juniors will 'crop' the players to find another Tendulkar or Dravid hidden in the smallest of towns. I hope, for the sake of circket, that they become a major force...then again who would have thought 20 years ago that Sri Lanka would be World Cup champions.

BTW, go the Aussies~!!!!!!

ICC test match rankings

Team Matches Points Rating

1
Australia 49 6455 132
2
England 49 5396 110
3
India 43 4613 107
4
Pakistan 35 3577 102
5
Sri Lanka 38 3792 100
6
South Africa 51 5089 100
7
New Zealand 38 3678 97
8
West Indies 42 3062 73
9
Zimbabwe 28 1141 41
10
Bangladesh 35 220 6







Last updated: 03 May 2005

Netherlands played the 2003 WC in SA

Oops, I knew that - honest!

^ Those test ratings are not correct. Australia is light years ahead of the field. And India are closer to England than that.

More points are awarded to a team if they beat a side equal or higher than themselves, and since England have only played West Indies, Bangladesh and South Africa recently, their points would not be that high.

^ Those test ratings are not correct. Australia is light years ahead of the field. And India are closer to England than that.

More points are awarded to a team if they beat a side equal or higher than themselves, and since England have only played West Indies, Bangladesh and South Africa recently, their points would not be that high.

Indian are definately a great side, I would say India have the better batsman and England the better bowlers (except on the spin front).

When are Indian next playing England in England, that should be a great series?

The next England home test v India is summer 2007

I dont think England have any good players they are just good as a team.Trestcothick is to predictable we will see him bowled with many lbws against Australia same with Vaughan/Strauss .Jones/Harmision will strugle bowling to costly. Flintoff overated may get the odd 50 but many ducks.A dodgy wicket keeper in Jones if only Read could bat.
England players to watch Thorpe/Hoggard
My prediction Australia 3 England 1

Oops, I knew that - honest!
These days you can find genuine talent almost anywhere in this country. In Arnhem I saw this tall Aghan bowler, phew he's magic. And fielding like Jonty, direct hits from the farthest boundary. And an elegant slogger, kills birds flying over! 150ft? No problem? Reportedly he bowled against a Cheshire team and he was put off after one over. Way too dangerous. The Cheshire team included a former county prof. Who had been drinking :D

The next England home test v India is summer 2007



cheers clarky.

I agree about the team England bit.

although, I think we will do better and Straus will be the star of the summer - he is basically an English Justin Langer.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/4089748.stm (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/408748.stm)
England lash Aussies in Twenty20

Twenty20 International, Rose Bowl: England 179-8 beat Australia 79 by 100 runs

England expectedly handed Australia a Twenty20 thrashing as they raced to a 100-run win at the Rose Bowl to start the Ashes summer in the best way.

Jon Lewis and Darren Gough excelled with the ball after Paul Collingwood had produced the goods with the bat.

England totalled 179-8 with Collingwood (46), Marcus Trescothick (41) and Kevin Pietersen (34) excelling.

And Australia lost their first four wickets in just seven balls, to be all out for a paltry 79 in 14.2 overs.

Michael Vaughan won the toss and chose to bat first.

England persisted with the tactic of using Geraint Jones as an opener and for once the tactic paid off as the Kent wicket-keeper thrashed four early boundaries.

After he was caught at third man off Glenn McGrath, Australia had the bonus of removing Andrew Flintoff cheaply when Michael Kasprowicz had him caught at short mid-wicket.
http://content.cricinfo.com/db/PICTURES/CMS/50900/50948.jpg
http://content.cricinfo.com/db/PICTURES/CMS/50900/50943.jpg
http://content.cricinfo.com/db/PICTURES/CMS/50900/50945.jpg

England expectedly handed Australia a Twenty20 thrashing as they raced to a 100-run win at the Rose Bowl to start the Ashes summer in the best way.

I think you might mean unexpectedly, unless you're the most one-eyed England supporter in the country... :)

But fuck me, wasn't that one of the best things ever? :D Watched every ball and was standing more than I was sitting!

It's not that unexpected, since we're more used to 20/20 than the Aussies. The Ashes will be completely different, because they won't feel like they have to whack the ball at every opportunity.

:pepper: :cucumber: that's very true, pobbie
Binge slogging, I'm all in favour of that!

my boss' best over this season is .4.6(6).1 that's only 18 :cry:
best games in the NL top league were the ones to decide relegation: 890 v 950 or something (60 overs!)
Obviously the matches were rigged.

Hmmm... a Nederlander who likes cricket... are you by any chance eusebius on a different account? :crazy:

that man is dead in a fridge and smells funny
but trust my smell, it's him alright
Im not van Bunge who plays for MCC if that was your worry
sorry, no autograph
can't write :dunno:

Not looking forward to seeing ML getting thrashed in the next World Cup, huh euse? :ohno:

I don't they've qualified, have they?
It depends on who's being selected
With some freewheeling former superstars and upcoming talent
a national NL XI could have - like Ireland or USA - 2 genuine contenders plus 3 or 4 genuine genuinely Netherlands players (van Bunge, Zuiderent)
NL is the only outsider with a decent history in professional cricket in England.

I was sat in an aussie bar (walkabout... my friend wanted something to eat and their food isn't bad) and the look on the aussie working behind the bar as that was on was priceless... I commented to him "looks like you guys are doing an england styled collapse"... he was lost for words!

It was quality! Anyone got a picture of Gough's face after he ha a bosh at a hat-trick? He was bloody purple, bless him.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40615000/jpg/_40615262_gough_pa200.jpg

If they are going to play my Gloucestershire side they can expect another beating by the west country.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/4095124.stm

Australia humbled by Somerset duo

Graeme Smith and Sanath Jayasuriya flayed Australia's bowlers to inspire Somerset to a magnificent win in front of a sell-out crowd at Taunton.

Set a target of 343, the county side reached 345-6 with 19 balls to spare after Smith (108) and Jayasuriya (101) had shared a first wicket stand of 197.

The four-wicket defeat was Australia's second in three days, having lost by 100 runs to England in a Twenty20 game.

James Hildreth hit the winning boundary to finish on 38 not out.

Australia play their first match in the NatWest Series when they take on Bangladesh on Saturday and the form of their support bowlers was a cause for particular concern.

Michael Kasprowicz conceded 89 from eight overs and all-rounder Shane Watson went at a rate of 14 an over in his first three and finished with figures of 1-72.

Everything went according to plan earlier in the day as the tourists made the most of a good wicket at the County Ground to pile up a total of 342-5.

Matthew Hayden struck the first ball of the match past extra cover for four and raced to a 39-ball half century before retiring on 76.

Skipper Ricky Ponting, who had a spell with Somerset last summer, followed suit after hitting three sixes in his innings of 80, and putting on 119 with Damien Martyn (44).

Michael Clarke (63 not out) and Mike Hussey (51) provided the required acceleration at the end of their innings, adding 99 in 12 overs, and Australia's total looked well out of reach.

But Somerset and South Africa skipper Smith and his Sri Lankan partner showed no respect to the Australian attack, taking 26 off Brett Lee's first four overs with the new ball and he eventually went off with a sore shoulder.

The tourists, who lost a one-day game to Middlesex at a similar stage of their 2001 tour, were powerless to halt their momentum as Smith raced to his century off 68 balls, with 17 fours.

Jayasuriya struck three sixes and was only nine balls slower in reaching three figures.

Smith was eventually stumped off left-arm spinner Clarke and when Jayasuriya was caught by Hussey at long leg in Glenn McGrath's second spell with the total on 231, there was still plenty of work to do for the home side.

McGrath also bowled John Francis behind his legs for 23 and Watson saved face with the vital wicket of Ian Blackwell, who made 25.

Hussey nipped out Keith Parsons and Matthew Wood but Hildreth, who has been out of form so far this season, and reserve keeper Carl Gazzard rose to the occasion to see their side home.

Gazzard made an unbeaten 21 off 12 balls and although Hildreth's final shot, an inside edge to the rope off Watson, was unconvincing, it was greeted with a roar of triumph from the sell-out crowd.

Bangladesh have just beaten Australia one of there player it a ton anyone else see that match.

I switched over just in time for the last ball! Will have to watch the highlights later :)

This is superb news. I managed to see the last over, one of the Bangladeshi's hit a six and the whole place went mad.

It looked like all the Glamorgan fans that were in were honoury Bangladeshi fans for the day.

Since I'm going through a temporary financial trough, I had already booked tomorrow as watching the whole of England v Australia (at home obviously, not in Brizzle). The strawberries and cream and Pimms should go well with the warm weather :)

Finaly a wicket by Harmison 57-1

Ponting gone for a duck 57-2

Wow 57-3 Harmison again(3 wickets in 4 balls) :)

Aus 9-257 50 overs (Hussey 84 Harmison 5-33)

interesting to see if the aussie bowlers try to bend their backs this time around!

WOO HOO! How good was that to watch?

Hardly missed a ball all day - when Vaughan was out after plodding along, with the run rate over 7, I thought we were done and dusted, but as soon as Pietersen decided to go on the attack, that was that :D

Superb result Pieterson is something special.

I love his confidence.

On another front Scotland have just tied a one day match with Derbyshire, again a huge achievement for them. Under Andy Moles as coach they are really improving and on this form will be in the next world cup.

Fantastic result in my home city of Bristol.I thought England had throw it away.Pietersen saved England in the end. :)

91 off 65 balls. Eight 4s, four 6s. That's what I call a one-day knock.

baie goeie slagman
dat is kriekit :banana2:
91 loopies!!!

i love pietrerson's guided arrogance. priceless. there's something especially patriotic about saffer's and zim's that embrace this country (zim flyer i'm looking at you). it reminds me of how we should be. hopefully it'll be a competitive ashes. hopefully we'll rob them of the arrognace that they always assume britain has a monopoly on, but that only they know how to put a cherry on top.

^ Would he be selected in the test team? I hope so. An interesting number middle order player. Im sure he will play one match at least, rotated in (and out) depends how he steps up.

i love pietrerson's guided arrogance. priceless. there's something especially patriotic about saffer's and zim's that embrace this country (zim flyer i'm looking at you). it reminds me of how we should be. hopefully it'll be a competitive ashes. hopefully we'll rob them of the arrognace that they always assume britain has a monopoly on, but that only they know how to put a cherry on top.

cheerss edennewstairs, that's a kind thing to say - thank you.

I think we are people in a hurry. Zimbabwe (Rhodesia) was created by a man whose last words were "so much to do, so little time to do it in" and that's how I live my life.

:cheers:

The difference between the two sides right now is ALL of Englands players are on form right now but with Australia maybe only half are playing as well as they should be - things will change.

Australia is in effect only one win away from a series win - one win against england is all they need to get back on track - and England looked very beatable yesterday.

Re Pietrerson - I hope he is included in the test side - then we will see how good he really is.

England after 50 Overs... 391-4! :crazy:

Fuck me what a total, even if only against Bangladesh. :)

Strauss hit 152. Not bad at all. :applause:

Double post

Could not make 400 :(
Why are they playing Ashley Giles and who the f**k is Christopher Tremlett?

Yeh I was wondering that about giles - he is pish poor. I cant complain though I am an Aussie supporter - long may they continue to play giles.

I'm gonna bunk off early to watch the cricket :)

Oz 88/1 after 19 overs, Gilchrist going for 18 in the 10th over.

21st over: WICKET: Australia 95-2 (Ponting 27) Ponting's scratchy innings is ended now as Giles dives forward at third man to take a catch, Harmison striking on home turf.

some dodgy fielding going on apparently.

Australia 266-5
I dont think England will make it.

Nope :crazy:

phew - that was a relief. Not so much a return to form of Australia but a return to form for England. :)

phew - that was a relief. Not so much a return to form of Australia but a return to form for England. :)


A tie, what a match.

I can't wait for the Test Matches to start.

This is my England team

1 Trescothick
2 Vaughan
3 Strauss
4 Thorpe
5 Bell
6 G jones
7 Pietersen
8 Flintoff
9 S Jones
10 Hogard
11 Harmison

^ Similiar team i'll pick too. However, in batting order:

1. Trescothick
2. Strauss
3. Butcher
4. Vaughnan
5. Thorpe
6. Peiterson
7. Flintoff
8. G. Jones
9. S. Jones
10. Hoggard
11. Harmison

Bell, possibly in for Butcher. Giles to play only on spin friendly conditions. He isnt world class spinner to have an automatic test spot (like Warne, Murali). Can Bell bowl or is he just a batsmen?

you want butcher in for the aussie test, he's a class above eneryone when he plays well, he carved them up in the fourth test match when they were here last (The first test match i was interested in) so i think he can do it again, butcher for bell anyday for me

you want butcher in for the aussie test, he's a class above eneryone when he plays well, he carved them up in the fourth test match when they were here last (The first test match i was interested in) so i think he can do it again, butcher for bell anyday for me

I think Butcher is injured.

I think Butcher is injured.

Revised:

1. Trescothick
2. Strauss
3. Vaughan
4. Thorpe
5. Bell
6. Peitersen
7. Flintoff
8. G. Jones
9. S. Jones
10. Hoggard
11. Harmison

Revised:

1. Trescothick
2. Strauss
3. Vaughan
4. Thorpe
5. Bell
6. Peitersen
7. Flintoff
8. G. Jones
9. S. Jones
10. Hoggard
11. Harmison


I would have to play Giles, he has improved alot as a spinner. I like the 11 you have picked, although I would drop Thorpe and play Bell.

I'd have Giles in if only to tie things down at one end during games. The last 18 months or so have seen him start to take wickets and win a game or two as well.

I'd love to see a great slow bowler come through though.

Revised:

1. Trescothick
2. Strauss
3. Vaughan
4. Thorpe
5. Bell
6. Peitersen
7. Flintoff
8. G. Jones
9. S. Jones
10. Hoggard
11. Harmison

There's a lot of batting there, I'd be tempted to pull one of the higher order out and sling in giles too - gives you some more options if the pace attack draws a blank. At least you can mix things up that way.

I can't believe I bunked off work this afternoon to watch the 3rd NatWest Challenge match! :(

I finnished early expecting Australia to colapse :wallbash:

I finnished early expecting Australia to colapse

That never happens :)

So England named their squad, no real surprises:

1. Trescothick
2. Strauss
3. Vaughan
4. Bell
5. Peitersen
6. Flintoff
7. G Jones
8. A Giles
9. S Jones
10. Hoggard
11. Harmison

12th Man Tremlett

They chose Pietersen ahead of Thorpe?

I was expecting them to fall back on experience - Thorpy does average 45 against the Aussies. Still, its exciting to have Pietersen in the side - could be a massive boost to the side. Let's just hope he takes to test match cricket as readily as he did the odis.

I like the team, there is if they play to their potential alot of batting and some excellent bowling.

:cry: wish I could see more than 90 seconds on Sky News and 45 seconds on BBC1 News

Last time I saw great matches live was when Phil de Freitas and Chris SAmith were in their prime. Supported Leicester around that time. Is the Freitas still bowling a billion overs a year? Where's Devon Malcolm?

Phil de Freitas is still playing and taking wickets for Leicestershire he retires end of season.Devon Malcolm stop playing a couple of years ago.

I wanted them to choose Pietersen but this could prove a costly mistake.

Thanks
Devon's a bit of a hero
splitting a bat was him, right?
plus of course taking 10 wickets against South Africa

Crickey, is Phil the most talented workhorse of cricket ever???

Gosh
how many overs a year does he bowl?

I wanted them to choose Pietersen but this could prove a costly mistake.
Yes, it is a gamble. Test cricket could be completely different for Pietersen. It's not necessarily about coming in halfway down the order and whacking it. Flintoff used to have this problem, but he's improved as a Test player.