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Anyone?
The Ashes....
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Yes absolutely. I love my cricket, used to play a bit in my younger days (county schoolboys). Test cricket is my preferred format, I love the nuances of the game. Unlike football I don’t support anyone in particular, I just enjoy the game to watch. Growing up the Windies were the team I loved. The likes of Richards, Lloyd, Haynes Greenidge, Haynes, Roberts, Holding etc. It’s intriguing to find out if this new Bazball style of cricket England are playing can win against a decent test side, I’m not sure it will but it’ll entertaining whatever happens.
Do you play or manage to get to any games these days?
Do you play or manage to get to any games these days?
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Cricket fan here. Play and coach - the Ashes is always a great contest!
Personally, Bazball is right up my street. Aggressively moving an innings forward. I love watching this approach. Great seeing Root ramping the bowlers this morning. Harry Brook is from my hometown - great to see his progression!
Personally, Bazball is right up my street. Aggressively moving an innings forward. I love watching this approach. Great seeing Root ramping the bowlers this morning. Harry Brook is from my hometown - great to see his progression!
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Curiously, me - not a given as (i) I'm Scottish & (ii) I loathe all competitive sports - particularly football. I have no idea of the rules of cricket - I don't care - the reason why I'm listening to the Ashes - or any test match - is solely because of Test Match Special on the BBC. I love the commentators and the pace of the whole thing - their quiet erudition - a lexicon I don't understand - what the fkcu is a Yorker? - let's face it - not a lot happens for quite a large part of the time in a test match - so they have to fill in. Wonderful tangential flights of fancy. I find Tuffers hilarious. The old days when Johnners and Blowers were allowed to broadcast after a particularly generous lunch - several bottles of claret consumed. Other than that - I'll be supporting Australia. I am Scottish after all.
- I.
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I’m still trying to get my head around this Bazball way of playing, part of me likes it and part of me thinks that sometimes you just have to play the situation. The main thing is that if it gets the youngsters watching and playing cricket it can only be a good thing in the long term. One thing for sure it’s fantastic entertainment.
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I don't play, I turned out for a pub cricket team a few times back in my youth, more to make the numbers up really. I just really enjoy watching it, test matches more than anything.
Don't go to games either, apart from watching Durham a few times when they first started out and were without a ground, they used a few grounds around the north east and when they played at Hartlepools park drive ground I used to go. It's always been my dream to go to a test match at Lord's but every time I mention it to friends I think the expense puts them off .
Grew up watching test matches on bbc2, bob Willis, Geoff boycott and the like. Love it when the summer comes round and I have it on the radio all day at work, it's a beautiful noise
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So - humour me here - Bazball - an ugly portmanteau word surely - is the style of play that came with the new coaching staff at English cricket? Much more aggressive - reverse scoops - whatever they might be. Taking the game to the Aussies? - I.
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Yes I agree it’s a horrible buzzword that is used to describe the new ultra attacking way of playing the game but I suppose it’s a catchy term.
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Ah yes growing up watching it during the summer. The likes of Peter West, Jim Laker, Tony Lewis and Tom Graveney, happy days. I like listening to TMS although I really miss the knowledge of Geoff Boycott.
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From a non-cricket fan point of view - it makes for much more interesting listening. TMS anecdotes being interrupted by wickets and reviews aplenty. Great.
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He always made me laugh when he was doing commentary, a very funny man. Was watching highlights of him playing last night on YouTube, a fantastic player. Seemed to be the norm to knock him for being boring but he was a brilliant batsman.
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Yes he was a superb opening bat in a time when there were some seriously quick seam bowlers. I think people who know the game appreciate what a fine player he was. He was by far and away the most knowledgeable voice in the commentary box, perhaps it was his forthright views that the Beeb didn’t like.
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A great finish to the first match today. Very tense. I think the bowling and fielding was a let down as opposed to Bazball. TMS was great throughout the afternoon! Had it on in the background whilst working.
@Digimonkey - as a music fan - how about this....
@Digimonkey - as a music fan - how about this....
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What a wonderful test match.
As an Aussie, I was naturally delighted, but I was equally enthralled with the cricket on every day.
Two teams going for it, and played in good spirit and mutual respect. It is going to be a terrific series.
And I think it is ridiculous for the press to have a go at the England side and staff for their aggressive brand of play.
These tactics saw England ahead of the game for almost the entire test, and they were unlucky to lose. The Aussies got the rub of the green in the last couple of hours, and England would have easily won the match if they had not missed a number of chances in the field.
As for Stoke's declaration late on the first day, I am of the opinion that most Aussie captains would have done the same; Ricky Ponting, Mark Taylor, and Ian Chappell for sure. Hats off the England for having the bottle to go for it; attacking cricket has been their formula for success in recent years, and I believe they would be unwise to change strategy mid-series.
As an Aussie, I was naturally delighted, but I was equally enthralled with the cricket on every day.
Two teams going for it, and played in good spirit and mutual respect. It is going to be a terrific series.
And I think it is ridiculous for the press to have a go at the England side and staff for their aggressive brand of play.
These tactics saw England ahead of the game for almost the entire test, and they were unlucky to lose. The Aussies got the rub of the green in the last couple of hours, and England would have easily won the match if they had not missed a number of chances in the field.
As for Stoke's declaration late on the first day, I am of the opinion that most Aussie captains would have done the same; Ricky Ponting, Mark Taylor, and Ian Chappell for sure. Hats off the England for having the bottle to go for it; attacking cricket has been their formula for success in recent years, and I believe they would be unwise to change strategy mid-series.
A great advert for test match cricket, what a finish. I welcome Bazball as a new approach to the game (unless it's been tried before?) although it'll need some time to develop and produce results. Five day test cricket needs an overhaul and this kind of cricket could revive its fortunes. At the very least, it almost guarantees a result as long as the weather holds out, of course!
In football, a few years German manager came to England with his brand of "rock n roll" football in a similar way to this Bazball. An all out attacking style of play. Initially, results were mixed but games were high scoring and very entertaining. Then, he won everything in sight. The only problem with this (in football) is that you can't keep that up for every game, every year as players get older, injured, or move on. However, other teams have adopted similar styles of play which is great for the fans.
At the moment am I right in saying only England are playing this way? The Aussies seem content to play the more orthodox way.
In football, a few years German manager came to England with his brand of "rock n roll" football in a similar way to this Bazball. An all out attacking style of play. Initially, results were mixed but games were high scoring and very entertaining. Then, he won everything in sight. The only problem with this (in football) is that you can't keep that up for every game, every year as players get older, injured, or move on. However, other teams have adopted similar styles of play which is great for the fans.
At the moment am I right in saying only England are playing this way? The Aussies seem content to play the more orthodox way.