Swalec Stadium

[Scaly piscine]

Forgot to comment on the outfield as well, which is pretty slow. Particularly compared to most grounds in England which are like billiard tables.

 

[Uppercut]

Personally I don't think lightning-fast outfields add much to the play.

The pitch has been fascinating so far tbh. It's not a minefield, but no one really knows what it'll do. Just enough there to keep the batsmen honest.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Just to summarise this as a Test ground compared to the others available to the ECB.

Lowest capacity
Crap backdrop
Bad transport links
Terrible pitch
Slow outfield
Worst weather
Lazy groundstaff
No international cricket history
Very forgettable county cricket history
Home of no international players now or in the foreseeable future
Poor atmosphere


Congratulations ECB. You'd rival Robert Mugabe for twisted incompetence.

 

[TT Boy]

Personally I don't think lightning-fast outfields add much to the play.

The pitch has been fascinating so far tbh. It's not a minefield, but no one really knows what it'll do. Just enough there to keep the batsmen honest.

 

[Uppercut]

In the sense that nobody knows what it's going to do.

Although it's not now. Now it's just boring. And looking like a nailed-on draw.

 

[Scaly piscine]

In the sense that nobody knows what it's going to do.

Although it's not now. Now it's just boring. And looking like a nailed-on draw.

Was pretty obvious. I called it months ago as have most of the players. Guys like Swann and Simon Jones have said exactly how it would behave.

 

[Uppercut]

Was pretty obvious. I called it months ago as have most of the players. Guys like Swann and Simon Jones have said exactly how it would behave.

That's not what I meant.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Poll added...

 

[superkingdave]

Hoping the new drainage system is as effective as the Frenchies one

 

[PhoenixFire]

Haha indeed ^^^

Poor atmosphere, lacked the grandeur needed for an opening Ashes Test (that Lords would have given), loads of empty seats today, terrible pitch, crap weather and rubbish supporters.

Great show Cardiff. Sick of everyone in the BBC and Sky Sports harping on about how great everything has been, when it really hasn't.

 

[GIMH]

TBH I am not reading anything into the current state of the match seems as it's being played in a neutral venue. Fully instead an Ashes Test in Wellington next year to return the favour.

 

[Matt79]

TBH I am not reading anything into the current state of the match seems as it's being played in a neutral venue. Fully instead an Ashes Test in Wellington next year to return the favour.

Wow - you post English about as well as your team bowls mate...

 

[GIMH]

Haha, wtf happened there

 

[Richard]

lacked the grandeur needed for an opening Ashes Test (that Lords would have given)

I'm dead-set against Lord's hosting the Ashes opener. Was an ancient tradition for it to host the sophomore match, and what's more there's Australia's outstanding record there to consider.

Between 1899 (when the five-Test series became the norm) and 2001, there were 24 series', and only once (in the impromptu, relatively hastily arranged series in 1977) was the Lord's Test anything but the Second Test.

I'm glad it's back to the proper pattern this year and hope it reverts to it again from now on. Have absolutely no idea why Lord's rather than Edgbaston hosted the opener in 2005.

 

[Richard]

Haha, wtf happened there

12:36AM I guess.

 

[GIMH]

Never touched a drop of anything last night though and had slept in yesterday morning so wasn't tired. Inexcusable tbh.

 

[Richard]

I make mistakes almost as often when tired as when myself TBH. And I imagine you had the lie-in this morning not last night?

 

[GIMH]

No, up early this morning, kids

 

[oitoitoi]

can't be bothered to trawl through the thread to find it but I do believe I predicted KP to fall early and Strauss and Colly to be the key wickets....