**Official** Sri Lanka in England / Scotland - 2011

[hazsa19]

****ing unbelievable isn't it. This is the time of year I look forward to most. Play every weekend and watch 7 test matches live or on tele, but this weather is just bizarre, even for England. It doesn't feel like summers started yet, i've watched hardly any cricket!

The most annoying thing is that April into May was glorious!

 

[GIMH]

Yeah I'm the other end of the country from Hampshire but the weather up north is grim today. Hope it's a bit better in Southampton.

 

[keeper]

Yeah I'm the other end of the country from Hampshire but the weather up north is grim today. Hope it's a bit better in Southampton.

I'm in Farnborough and it's absolutely pissing down.

As above, it's mid-June and summer hasn't started. Still, it's been generally grey rather than wet and the Tests have been pretty unlucky. None of me or my two sons has had a game called off for the weather.

 

[keeper]

Mind you, it's passing over...

Met Office: British Isles: Rainfall radar

Starting time may depend on how well the outfield drains.

 

[four_or_six]

Chucking it down according to Aggers.

 

[Howe_zat]

Tom Fordyce has declared that we're more likely to get a swimming race than cricket this morning.

 

[Nate]

dammit dammit dammit dammit

 

[BoyBrumby]

Good news is that it isn't raining in Southampton at the mo; bad news is that it'll be an hour and a half before we get any play with the mopping up that needs to be done.

Meanwhile: Warney's been botoxed to ****. Looks like an animatronic waxwork version of himself.

 

[Howe_zat]

Right, so, one thing that pisses me off, and led to nigh-endless ranting in Cardiff is this:

Why the name of holy **** to we have to schedule the toss?

Just get it done now and then we can be out to play asap. In Cardiff, the sun came out just after lunch and it was announced the toss would be in half an hour. We thus enjoyed half an hour of glorious sunshine before we got another shower, which apparantly delayed the toss. The rain we got on the afternoon was never actually heavy enough to get the players to come off. It just kept us waiting for the start of play. We ended up losing an extra two hours thanks to trying to get the toss out of the way.

The final kicker? When they got around to doing the toss, it ended up being done under umbrellas during a shower anyway.

Just do it at 10.30 or whenever, regardless of the sodding weather. If it's thunder and lightning, do it in the bloody pavillion. Don't waste everyone's time and money by scheduling a toss.

 

[BoyBrumby]

TBF as the pitch needed to be cut and rolled I think it's fair enough as, until the finish deck has been seen, winning the toss wouldn't be any advantage.

"Andrew, you've won the toss. What do you think the pitch might be like under these plastic sheets?"

 

[vcs]

Right, so, one thing that pisses me off, and led to nigh-endless ranting in Cardiff is this:

Why the name of holy **** to we have to schedule the toss?

Just get it done now and then we can be out to play asap. In Cardiff, the sun came out just after lunch and it was announced the toss would be in half an hour. We thus enjoyed half an hour of glorious sunshine before we got another shower, which apparantly delayed the toss. The rain we got on the afternoon was never actually heavy enough to get the players to come off. It just kept us waiting for the start of play. We ended up losing an extra two hours thanks to trying to get the toss out of the way.

The final kicker? When they got around to doing the toss, it ended up being done under umbrellas during a shower anyway.

Just do it at 10.30 or whenever, regardless of the sodding weather. If it's thunder and lightning, do it in the bloody pavillion. Don't waste everyone's time and money by scheduling a toss.

Maybe they feel the captain should not be forced to decide until right before the start of play (taking all the latest weather conditions etc. into account)?

EDIT : Good point by Brumby about having a look at the actual strip and it's latest condition.

 

[Howe_zat]

Do it as soon as the pitch is ready, then. My beef here is the half-hour wait we always seem to get.

 

[Howe_zat]

Laughing at Athers trying to explain Strauss' (and a few other left-handers) problems with left arm pace.

"Maybe it's because there are fewer duff left-armers around? I mean, Zaheer Khan... Mohammed Amir... Mitchell Johnson... Okay never mind"

 

[Uppercut]

TBF as the pitch needed to be cut and rolled I think it's fair enough as, until the finish deck has been seen, winning the toss wouldn't be any advantage.

"Andrew, you've won the toss. What do you think the pitch might be like under these plastic sheets?"

Hmm. You say "but winning the toss wouldn't be any advantage" as if that's a bad thing, surely that's exactly what you want? Make the bastards guess imo.

 

[Burgey]

Cricket in England is always rank because if your **** climate, but it is gratifying to hear lunch has been moved back to 1.30 apparently. Always been an immovable feast.

 

[hazsa19]

The players don't need a ****ing lunch break, cricket is so frustrating!!!

 

[Nate]

Ian Botham should sit still when he talks.

 

[Spark]

Warne on comm? ITSTL. Pleasant surprise.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Warne on comm? ITSTL. Pleasant surprise.

Hants stalwart, tbf. Dare say he played more FC games for them than for Vic.

 

[hazsa19]

So play starts 75 minutes after schedule. But they need a 40 minute lunch break after a 75 minute session.

Ridiculous, just play to tea, add a couple of drinks breaks, and get all the overs in.