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20 down, Twenty to go and I want to like the concept, really I do, but you know...

Comments

[Tony.T]

Actually, I also want to know why Tubby and Slatts didn't know why Gilly was called Church.

[Bruce]

I think they were doing their 'interviewer' role as I'm pretty sure they were both on the same tour as the anecdote.

The game is interesting only in the "Geez he hit that well" stakes. Especially when we post an ungettable score. Mind you - I thought 420 was ungettable too.

If those are the likely pie-chuckers that will be lining up for the rest of the silly season I see both the Aussie and Shrill Lankan top orders taking them apart every time. Sangakara and Jayasuriya have been happily spanking the Kiwis around for the last couple of games too.

[Tony.T]

Yeah, the hitting's huge, but I thought we were playing the Kiwis, not the Shrees.

[Tony.T]

Big news! I bought a ladder today.

[Tony.T]

What's this hanging around for the replay business? Can't you get fined in 20/20?

[Tony.T]

Vaughan "out" off a no-ball. Doesn't that bring the memories flooding back. Shudder.

[Tony.T]

Choice. Gilly just took the piss out of ole Pawk Pie.

[Anthony from Chippendale]

I'm annoyed that Mr Cricket dumped his nickname!

[Anthony from Chippendale]

Not sure we needed Heals' and the kids on the boundary?

[Tony.T]

But they were cute, dammit! You killjoy.

[Anthony from Chippendale]

Hilfy looks like Thorpie! (BTW - Is Thorpie the only sports star who hasn't slept with Lara Bingle?)

[Anthony from Chippendale]

I'd like to see Punter send Clarke, Hussey and Symonds off and replace them with those inflatable things you can buy from KFC.

[Tony.T]

Stickers - that's what you get for having tattoos.

Has there ever been an easier catch grassed?

[Tony.T]

Better not put any KFC in front of Porky Parker.

[Tony.T]

Jesus, Gilly makes some howlers behind the "poles".

[Bruce]

Oh yeah. The Kiwis are still more than a match than the crocks playing tonight.

[woody]

Fred scoring fuck all, Pietersen getting run out - is this the sixth test?

Have we unleashed our deadly reverse sweep doomsday option yet?

[woody]

Bruce:

That'll be the Kiwis that battered 73 all out against the Sreee Lankaaans on Saturday?

[Tony.T]

Bruce & Woody: The Kiwis are a lot better than that. In fact, they're a good punt for the World Cup. (The Sorth Effies, too.)

Woody: The doomsday option didn't quite work out. You'll be disappointed to know ONLY half your team were out via reverse sweeps. At least, it seemed that way.

[Mr Z]

Dear Engerland,

It is bash and crash, not bend over and pull your pants down.

Hugs,

Mr Z.

[Amanda]

I was there in Bay 3, the offer of a ticket crossed my path yesterday and I thought why not.

Fun to watch and funner to howl at Pommie fielding catastrophes in the flesh but all a bit meh. At least with 50 overs you've got a chance to regroup after a bad start, this was all done after the second over.

AND the fireworks were lame-o.

AND I got refused service at bar because I had no fracking ID. Nothing like being a *thirty* year old treated like a deliquent in public to make your night. Then someone dropped a catch and I felt better again.

[Amanda]

The Kiwis with Bond and Flemo back will be good to watch. Got tickets to the second ODI final (christmas present for father) and you'd have to say the hopeless joke poms will be the odd ones out come those games.

[Clem Snide]

It's clear England needed Andrew Johns in their line-up to bolster their batting. I love Tw20enty, especially for the fact that it only takes 3 hours to reveal that England can't bat or bowl or field, rather than 25 days. And didn't Monty and the non-Geraint keeper completely change the face of the game again? The one surprise to come out of the game is that Gilchrist makes a more insightful and quick-witted commentator than the rest of the professional commentators put together, even after being tired from his batting and with his mind mostly occupied with wicketkeeping.

[Mr Z]

Also good to see Aussie umpires again. One could say they were 'solid'.

[Pedro the Ignorant]

40 overs= 20 middies, if you don't leave the bar and buy 4 at a time.

You can get to bad mouth the security blokes too, because everyone else is doing the same thing, but don't pick on the big fat Tongans, they are surprisingly quick on their feet, and can hit you REALLY hard.

Oh, is someone playing cricket? Nah, I didn't think so.

[Mr Z]

I was also impressed with the clearly second string Aussie bowlers - intelligent use of pace, Hilfenhaus' swing, Hogg's control. Maybe we aren't in the shit as much as we thought.

[Bilbo]

That's the first 20/20 I've ever seen. It'll be the last.

It brought two things home to me - the world turns on "instant anything" - custard, porridge, lasagna etc & now cricket. Bah!

Secondly, the Poms can't play any form of cricket that has thus far been invented. But we are trying to find something they might like,,,,,,,,,

Still it brings the punters and the money in,,,,

Bilbo

[woody]

I saw my first 20/20 a few years ago. It was a test match against South Africa and Jimmy Anderson was bowling.

Graeme Smith got 250, which as humiliations go far exceeds this ..er, unsuccessfull foray down under.

[Vindicate]

Cheer up Woody, we posted the highest ODI total ever (434) and then promptly lost the match.

[murph]

We might beat 434 in the Carribean this year.

That's if we meet England.

[woody]

434?

Give me a break. You'll be lucky to get 420.

[The Editor]

I want to like the concept, really I do, but you know...

Yeah, I know.

[ThirdCat]

yeah, I know too.

[Mr Z]

Well, against most opinion, I like it. It's a bit of fun that brings in a crowd and will never overshadow Tests.

[Mr Z]

And that seems to have killed this thread ...

[nick]

What's the hassle - it was entertainment, not cricket. If young players can grow up with 20/20, the available pool of talent for cricket will grow, leading, hopefully, to an increase in quality. 20/20 will foster attacking cricket - just look at how Australia, the world's no.1 50 over side, attacked England, ranked no.8 in 50 over cricket, at key moments in the Ashes. Bell and Collingwood were frozen, and Flintoff's fields let Australia off the hook many times. The no ball rule in 20/20 will eradicate no balls in all forms of cricket, and the fact that wides kill you in 20/20 will foster more accurate bowling. Fielding will improve as well (that means you, Cosgrove, and you, Robert Key).

As an aside, 'Hilfy' looked the goods, and KP...well, KP. I think the Aussies have knocked the stuffing out of him. I wonder if he will apply to go back to Yarpland for the World Cup - he has a passport, I presume?

ps Paul Nixon - wanker.

[Tony.T]

It wasn't your fault, Zed, TypePad was down this afternoon. I tried to post the following wonderful comment at about 1:00pm:

Well, I didn't dislike it. And Nick has since made some excellent points. This 20/20 also fits neatly into our current summer calendar. Just as long as we don't over-egg the golden goose.

But lets not start getting all pissy on the Pommy fielding. Our fielding was shithouse, too. Three dropped sitters, plenty of fumbles and over-runs, a "catch" off a no ball and those smirks. Can the players please crowbar those rictus grins off their dials. (Except to Gilly, who was grouse and Vaughan, who really does have a sense of humour.)

What is it with Strayans and crackers, anyway? They are very tedious. Why do we ALWAYS have to have the bastard things? I'm going to start a new cliché "That was about as exciting as watching fireworks pop."

I'm also starting "The Hilf".

[Gareth]

Twenty20's good mindless entertainment, but I'm a bit worried about how long it's going to remain interesting if the toss keeps deciding the victors.

[Tony.T]

WA have just won the toss at the MCG. Will it be 11/11 for toss winners this summer? There are people already talking about tweaking the rules to even things up for the side batting second.

[Gareth]

The Vics appear to have started the chase rather well. Or rather Cameron White has...

[Gareth]

Magnificent Mozz!!!

[Gareth]

Followed closely by a reverse mozz. That looked like some innings of David Hussey's. Well, it did on cricket.com.au anyway.

[Tony.T]

Curse this Foxtel-less, dial-up house!

Chalk one up for the good guys, anyway.

[Yobbo]

There's an English bloke who looks exactly like Michael Vaughan who owns a hostess bar in Koh Samui, Thailand.

To make 20/20 more interesting, how about the captain who wins the toss can elect to bat first - with a 20 run penalty - or bowl first? As it stands it seems to be way too much of an advantage to win and bat first (unless you are playing England in which case you can swim first if you like and come back at 7pm).

[Amanda]

The real Andy G "massive maelstrom of manifest destiny"
http://andrewg.tv/blog/index.php/pop-will-eat-itself/#comments

[Tony.T]

Ok so many, many years ago I loved the 12th man records and learned each one by heart word for word. I dreamed that one day, years later I would meet Billy Burmingham to shake his hand and thank him for teaching me how to swear. So one day, years later, I met Billy Burmingham. He and I chat. Years later still, he calls up and asks me to be on his new 12th Man Cd. I dance around in joy and wear my best '81 world series shirt for him when he comes over. We do the voice over session in my kitchen and he directs me. The man who taught me how to swear on record is now in my kitchen teaching me how to swear. A few weeks later, the guys at work start calling me "Nathan Bracken". I turn on the TV tonight and there he is, Nathan Bracken with my name written on the back of his cricket jumper. Pop culture fantasy and reality are all coming crashing together for me in one massive maelstrøm of manifest destinty.

I think I have to lie down now.

I know why he needs to lie down, Amanda, it would take vast reserves of calorific energy to construct such a cumbersome paragraph. But much less energy to spell destinTy" wrong.