Which series/tournament got you most pumped up?

[_Ed_]

2007 World Cup.

It failed to live up to my expectations.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Not South Africa again?

Either is obviously possible but I consider India the more likely prospect, given the way Australia tends to struggle in Indian conditions, if nothing else. Mind you, I think South Africa are more likely to actually take the #1 test team position, given the potential for them to actually beat Australia in Australia, but that's another matter.

 

[Uppercut]

Well, you can look at it that way but TBH I don't think Trescothick's 2006/07 problems could've been anticipated as such, because he'd lasted until 2005/06 and we mostly presumed it was a one-off problem.

Giles? Well as a bowler of course he'd have been highly unlikely to have made a difference, and I've long wished he wasn't picked in the opening 2 Tests, for a multitude of reasons. But his lack of fitness then apparent return to fitness on the eve of the series was undeniably an unsettling matter.

Many English players are injury-prone, it's true - if you pick players who have chronic injuries (which Jones and Vaughan both of course did, though perhaps not at the time of their debuts) it's always a risk. But equally, general unpredictable accidents seem to happen disproportionately often and that can be described as nought but misfortune.

Yeah, obviously the truth lies somewhere in between- it would've been hugely lucky to have all those injury-prone players available, but it was very unlucky to have none of them (bar perhaps Flintoff).

 

[Langeveldt]

Any England v SA series..

World Cup 99

 

[pup11]

Every cricket series that has a good build-up to it and promises a (really) close contest gets me pumped and excited as a hardcore cricket fan, but i folllow all the Aussie series more religiously, so therefore the following series are the ones that really got me all pumped up:
1.Australia in India 2001
2.Australia in India 2004
3.Ashes 2005
4.Ashes 2006-07

 

[Richard]

Its Nz tour of Australia in 2002/03 IIRC

2001/02?

 

[Raghav]

2001/02?

Yep you are right. Thanks

Really love that tour

 

[Burgey]

Aus v WI v Eng 1979-80 was a huge one from my youth, as it was the 1st summer post-WSC and everyone was back for Australia. Three tests each v England and WI, both of which weren't bad sides at all, esp. WI who were awesome. Probably remains the single best summer of cricket I've ever seen.

Have to agree with Aus v WI 95 - that was massive as well. And after the 1st day of the 05 Ashes, well I just sat there and thought "If we're going to get this for 5 tests, it should be something special" - and it was.

 

[roseboy64]

In no particular order:
1. WC 2003 - First WC torunament I paid attention to so was pretty interesting.
2. WC 2007 - First WC I got a chance to see live. The Irish are awesome.
3. WI v Australia 2008 - Wanted to see how good Australia still were and how bad the West Indies were/ how much improvement. Test series was good as was the T20 but the ODIs................
4. Australia v India 2007 - Top teams in the world at the time.
5. Ashes 05 - First time I was getting to see cricket other than that involving West Indies. Plus the English were good then.
6. South Africa v WI 2007 - Captain Gayle.

 

[honestbharani]

2001 Ind vs Aus


1999 Aus in WI

 

[burr]

WI v Aus '95

WC '99

tie b/w Ind v Aus '01 and Ind v Aus '04

 

[zaremba]

Every Ashes series since I was a nipper.

1997 hasn't been mentioned yet but it had a pretty special build-up. England had an exciting and promising team, won the ODI series convincingly, then won a glorious first Test in wonderful style at Edgbaston. Sadly it went badly ****-up for the rest of the series (before Australia decided to pick random people wearing clown outfits in the dead-rubber Test at the Oval to give us a chance).

I was deeply excited before the 2005 Ashes but probably no more so than for 1997.

As for which series got me most excited as it unfolded,

1. 2005 Ashes
2. 1990 West Indies v England
3. 1981 Ashes (would have been number 2, but I was a bit young to appreciate it fully)

 

[GIMH]

2005 and 97 aren't all that different, a couple of held catches here and there either way and the winners could be swapped round

 

[silentstriker]

Either is obviously possible but I consider India the more likely prospect, given the way Australia tends to struggle in Indian conditions, if nothing else. Mind you, I think South Africa are more likely to actually take the #1 test team position, given the potential for them to actually beat Australia in Australia, but that's another matter.

Don't think India will be #1, and SA have a better chance at that title, but:

In the last eight matches that South Africa have played in Australia, they are 0-6-2.
In the last eight matches that India have played in Australia, they are 2-3-3.

I am not sure how you can say that South Africa has the better potential of beating Australia in Australia.

 

[GIMH]

Because they are a better side?

 

[silentstriker]

That's not what we are talking about though. I agree they have the better potential to be #1. We're just talking about one specific place.

 

[Uppercut]

Mmm. Isn't there current test form something like, won 9 of their last 10 series and drawn the other one due to the joke-pitch in India earlier this year?

 

[GIMH]

Well how the previous incumbents perfomed in Australia on their last respective visits isn't necessarily relevant.

 

[silentstriker]

No, but if you have a recent history of one side actually winning matches, while the other getting consitently beaten, I don't see how you can say anything about the latter until they actually do it.

 

[Uppercut]

That's not what we are talking about though. I agree they have the better potential to be #1. We're just talking about one specific place.

TBH i don't really read much into those particular things. This team is very different from other tours, and when the team steps out onto the pitch, the failings of previous generations of players is the last thing on their minds. Generally i don't think either particularly likely to beat Australia in Australia, but i'd give SA a marginally better chance.