Cricket

[hardtailstar]

Caught the womens final earlier.

 

The cricket was good to watch but all the extras were a load of crap!

[dcwhitworth]

Well, that’s it. If I didn’t know it before, I can confirm that I am now officially and beyond all doubt a grumpy old man.

I’ve managed to avoid the hundred so far (sorry, but I refuse to dignify it with capital letters!), but I thought I’d watch the final as Birmingham are in it. What a load of rubbish. As if it wasn’t bad enough listening to Michael Vaughan shouting down the mic and trying to pretend that he’s ‘wiv it wiv da kids, bro’ (I may be slightly exaggerating - but only just!) we then have some stupid DJ and the modern day equivalent of Pans People in between innings. What happening to watching the groundsman re-mark the creases, running to the loo and entering into heated debate about whether they’re using the correct type of roller, for goodness sake?!

Thank goodness for the mute button. It may be a money-spinner - but cricket it ain’t!

 

I have a theory about the Hundred that seems to me, and to most I have mentioned it to, to be a plausible reason for it's existence, but one the ECB probably won't admit to. Basically over the last 10-15 years cricket has become better run and better financed than ever, but yet has also been declining in terms of player numbers, especially younger players. Hopefully the ECB have finally woken up to why this is - the contract with Sky. By shutting off cricket from terrestrial TV they have massively reduced the exposure to the game that children get these days. So finally they have realised they need to get some cricket out to a wider audience, but how ? All existing cricket is tied up in long term contracts with Sky, so they were forced to invent a new form of cricket in order to get it back onto terrestrial TV.

 

That's my theory, fits the facts pretty well I think and actually makes a little bit of sense of a situation that is otherwise pretty nonsensical.

[ICTDirect_Dave]

I have a theory about the Hundred that seems to me, and to most I have mentioned it to, to be a plausible reason for it's existence, but one the ECB probably won't admit to. Basically over the last 10-15 years cricket has become better run and better financed than ever, but yet has also been declining in terms of player numbers, especially younger players. Hopefully the ECB have finally woken up to why this is - the contract with Sky. By shutting off cricket from terrestrial TV they have massively reduced the exposure to the game that children get these days. So finally they have realised they need to get some cricket out to a wider audience, but how ? All existing cricket is tied up in long term contracts with Sky, so they were forced to invent a new form of cricket in order to get it back onto terrestrial TV.

 

That's my theory, fits the facts pretty well I think and actually makes a little bit of sense of a situation that is otherwise pretty nonsensical.

 

This is exactly what I thought. They're pinning the future of the game on a new format that is accessible to all, and that's commendable. The world cup final being live on fre to air tv was a huge success and they needed to capitalise on that.

 

It's not been the worst watch either. Certainly not to everyone's taste, but it's exciting and stuff happens quickly which will pull the youngsters in.

And once they're in, they can get hooked on tests like everyone else

[stevejp]

Completely agree with both of you - just don’t anyone ever expect me to watch it!

[XiJ]

I’ve watched bits of the hundred. The Northern super chargers vs Manchester can’t fields (or whatever they are called) was brilliant. But it was pretty much Yorks vs Lancs as far as the 20k crowd were concerned. Brilliant entertainment though.

 

I don’t mind the hundred or T20 - if it encourages kids to take up the game.

 

But there’s nothing like Test Cricket - when it’s good it’s bloody brilliant. Although there can still be long periods of nothing happening. I love it tho.

[dcwhitworth]

Completely agree with both of you - just don’t anyone ever expect me to watch it!

 

I suspect you're not target market ;-)

 

Of course one issue they may be overlooking is that the kids don't have money, it's the grumpy old people who do and you don't want to push them away either.

[stevejp]

I suspect you're not target market ;-).

 

I am 100% sure I’m not the target market - and am more than happy to keep it that way!

 

To be fair, I’m glad to see more people being brought into the game, as long as they don’t use this as an excuse to dumb down the red ball game any further.

[dcwhitworth]

I am 100% sure I’m not the target market - and am more than happy to keep it that way!

 

To be fair, I’m glad to see more people being brought into the game, as long as they don’t use this as an excuse to dumb down the red ball game any further.

 

I agree. It's good to attract new people, but not at the expense of the existing people. They've sacrificed too much at the altar of money recently.

 

On a different note, I'm off to Bradfield in Norfolk on Saturday for the final game of the season to umpire the exciting winner takes all, top of the table clash between Bradfield and Thetford in Division One of the Norfolk Alliance cricket league.

 

https://norfolkca.play-cricket.com/website/division/94783

 

Hopefully everyone is well behaved and it's a good game !

Edited August 25, 2021 by dcwhitworth

[stevejp]

I agree. It's good to attract new people, but not at the expense of the existing people. They've sacrificed too much at the altar of money recently.

 

On a different note, I'm off to Bradfield in Norfolk on Saturday for the final game of the season to umpire the exciting winner takes all, top of the table clash between Bradfield and Thetford in Division One of the Norfolk Alliance cricket league.

 

https://norfolkca.play-cricket.com/website/division/94783

 

Hopefully everyone is well behaved and it's a good game !

 

Good luck! Four games to go, here - three league games, and one 50-over game tomorrow scoring for Central Sparks academy.

[hardtailstar]

Well England are doing terribly against India! Haha.

 

Watched the highlights last night, I can't imagine that the editors had much work to do with India's wickets falling quickly!

[stevejp]

Well England are doing terribly against India! Haha.

 

Watched the highlights last night, I can't imagine that the editors had much work to do with India's wickets falling quickly!

 

Makes a nice change, doesn’t it!

[dcwhitworth]

Makes a nice change, doesn’t it!

 

Well barring the inability to get Steve Smith out the bowling attack has been good for a long while, but the batting has not been solid since Strauss and Trott retired. Can't remember the last time we had a century opening partnership (which given my memory means it was probably three tests ago or something).

[dcwhitworth]

I agree. It's good to attract new people, but not at the expense of the existing people. They've sacrificed too much at the altar of money recently.

 

On a different note, I'm off to Bradfield in Norfolk on Saturday for the final game of the season to umpire the exciting winner takes all, top of the table clash between Bradfield and Thetford in Division One of the Norfolk Alliance cricket league.

 

https://norfolkca.play-cricket.com/website/division/94783

 

Hopefully everyone is well behaved and it's a good game !

 

Well it was a cracker, but I was very glad to be accompanied by an experienced colleague. Had a rain delay at the start and had to talk them down from a 50 over game to 45, which turned out to be wise as it went pretty much the full distance and the light was fading fast.

 

Thetford set a really challenging target and Bradfield proved themselves to be worthy champions by chasing it down in the last over. Really enjoyed umpiring it. Quite a lot of high pressure appealing but no serious misbehaviour. A great game to decide the division winner and I was really honoured to get to umpire probably the most significant single game played in Norfolk on Saturday. Can't wait for next season.

[stevejp]

Two more games to go here - one away from home against third from bottom, and the final one at home against third from top. We’re not totally safe yet, but it would take a very strange set of results for us to be relegated!

[Seb1780]

Sad news

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/60622426

[ICTDirect_Dave]

Very Sad!

 

I never saw him bowl, but the one time I watched him play was the final day of the 3rd Ashes test at Old Trafford in 2005.

His magnificent 90 runs under severe pressure was the difference between England winning that day and the Aussies holding out for one of the great test draws.

[stevejp]

Shane Warne and Rod Marsh on the same day!

[techy32]

Sad to see such a legend to depart so early [emoji24]

[dcwhitworth]

Had our first face to face umpires meeting in two years on Monday . . . and someone there has tested positive.

[stevejp]

Had our first face to face umpires meeting in two years on Monday . . . and someone there has tested positive.

 

This would have been the meeting to tell you about the relaxation of all of the covid regs, no doubt…?

[dcwhitworth]

Just found out that the club hosting the game that I'm umpiring on Saturday are hoping to live stream the game ! No pressure there then ! Wondering if I'll get anyone waving a mobile phone at me in the bar afterwards.

[stevejp]

Just found out that the club hosting the game that I'm umpiring on Saturday are hoping to live stream the game ! No pressure there then ! Wondering if I'll get anyone waving a mobile phone at me in the bar afterwards.

 

You are, I believe, allowed to refuse. Pretty sure that they are supposed to ask your permission, anyway.

I’ve managed to resist, so far - mainly because my laptop only has an i5 processor (quite deliberately) so any attempts to plug a camera system in would probably result in a fried processor. I’d rather concentrate on scoring, rather than dealing with the inevitable visits to the scorebox asking whether I knew that the live-stream has gone down. “Yeah, ok, I’ll just stop scoring while I go and fix it, shall I? After all, I’m sure the umpires and players won’t mind stopping the game while I climb up the back of the sight-screen.”

[dcwhitworth]

You are, I believe, allowed to refuse. Pretty sure that they are supposed to ask your permission, anyway.

I’ve managed to resist, so far - mainly because my laptop only has an i5 processor (quite deliberately) so any attempts to plug a camera system in would probably result in a fried processor. I’d rather concentrate on scoring, rather than dealing with the inevitable visits to the scorebox asking whether I knew that the live-stream has gone down. “Yeah, ok, I’ll just stop scoring while I go and fix it, shall I? After all, I’m sure the umpires and players won’t mind stopping the game while I climb up the back of the sight-screen.”

 

I'm pretty sure they're following ECB guidance on this. I have a few misgivings but overall I'm OK with this.

 

I'm not surprised you don't want to get involved with something like streaming. I do wonder who is watching anyway ?

 

This is going to be an interesting game. It's a Norfolk League game between Mellis and Kirkley. Both of which are in Suffolk . . . go figure.

[stevejp]

I'm pretty sure they're following ECB guidance on this. I have a few misgivings but overall I'm OK with this.

 

I'm not surprised you don't want to get involved with something like streaming. I do wonder who is watching anyway ?

 

This is going to be an interesting game. It's a Norfolk League game between Mellis and Kirkley. Both of which are in Suffolk . . . go figure.

 

I know of at least one club locally who can’t/won’t start a match without the cameras because of a contract with one of their main sponsors. I’d love to test that one out…

 

I can’t see how the economics work out, to be honest - if people are watching at home, then they’re not spending money at the clubhouse bar - and the cost of cameras, mounting poles etc is well into the thousands, to say nothing of the license.

 

The first time I saw cameras being used in action, I was scoring as a one-off for a local team. They asked to put the cameras through my laptop, to which I politely refused, for reasons already stated. The club chairman was setting up the system when I arrived in the scorebox at 10.00 - he finally got it working at 12.30, half an hour after the match had begun…

[dcwhitworth]

I know of at least one club locally who can’t/won’t start a match without the cameras because of a contract with one of their main sponsors. I’d love to test that one out…

 

I can’t see how the economics work out, to be honest - if people are watching at home, then they’re not spending money at the clubhouse bar - and the cost of cameras, mounting poles etc is well into the thousands, to say nothing of the license.

 

The first time I saw cameras being used in action, I was scoring as a one-off for a local team. They asked to put the cameras through my laptop, to which I politely refused, for reasons already stated. The club chairman was setting up the system when I arrived in the scorebox at 10.00 - he finally got it working at 12.30, half an hour after the match had begun…

 

Law 16.3.1.2 - a match shall be lost by a side which in the opinion of the umpires refuses to play. If so, the umpires shall award the match to the other side.

 

I can understand the idea of recording a match, but actually live streaming it seems excessive.

 

Nearly had a batter timed out last week !