Given that Ricky Ponting is such a perfect gentleman with impeccable manners ( vide him spitting on his palms all match and then shaking hands with those very same hands), I will refrain from commenting about the Third day and that walk off for bad light when Australia were in the lead and in a commanding position.
That said, I wouldn't have dreamt of the day when I would say this - Ricky Ponting comfortably out captained Andrew Strauss. Couple that with some abject lack of discipline with the bat in the England second innings and a test that should have been, by rights, dead and buried on Day 4, was given a new lease of life on Day 5 with the artificial excitement of the possibility of a result thrown in for good measure.
Finally this - a lot of people will hold up this test as an example of why Test cricket is all that it is made out to be. I beg to differ. Cardiff is a prime example of why Test Cricket will die out in the next ten years unless the administrators seriously look at the wickets on display.
A Test match where even getting 3 completed innings over 5 days is a stretch is a blot on Test Cricket.
And a ground where 1361 runs are scored for the loss of 25 wickets despite rain truncating play, is a poor advertisement for Test Cricket.
If the Test lasting the distance is the primary concern of the administrators versus a contest ( and a result), then R.I.P Test Cricket.
I wont be shedding tears over the loss!
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Test 1 Day 5 Cardiff
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4 comments:
Hi Homer
More bad news for you I'm afraid.
Not only did Ponting out captain Strauss ( not that that's a high bar)but I trhink you're agreeing with Ponting.
Remember his comment about test wickets being to flat & batsman friendly. I think that's what you were inferring as well.
I think you'll jusy have to come out into the open and admit it. Really you're a Ricky Ponting fan!!!
BTW I'm glad you seem to have dropped using the "Pricky" appellation. I alwys felt it was a little beneath you.
Regards
The Pav
The Pav,
Ponting made his comment about test wickets while comparing and contrasting Australian wickets against the West Indian and sub continental ones.
So no, not quite in agreement on that one :)
Cheers,
PS- As regards the appellation, I make no promises. Like Ponting's psycho babble, it will keep popping up from time to time :)
Couldn't agree more about the pitch, Homer. I think the Glamorgan authorities were desperate for the match to last five days and were terrified of the predicted turner.
More and more Test pitches seem like this and it's terrible for the game. Don't the people responsible know what they're doing?
Brian,
It is not that they dont know, it is that they dont care...
I mean, it is always easier to raise the bogey of " the primacy of Test Cricket" than to do anything concrete about it.
4 day Tests, Day night tests, limited over tests ( 100 per side per innings) - all of these will amount to naught unless they improve pitch quality..
But with the ICC hell bent on standardizing wickets, result oriented wickets will remain a chimera.
Cheers,
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