***Official*** 4th Test at the MCG

[SeamUp]

This is one of Dobell's better recent articles with some good points in there; there were definitely sour grapes from Oz journos (and the cricket side) on their failed recent England tours; certainly Lehmann was moaning about the pitches in 2015 being too seamer-friendly and the story about the English side urinating on the pitch in 2013 seemed timed to undercut from England winning that series.

And - notwithstanding I visit it pretty regularly - the foxsports.com.au website is pretty dire; an ugly mix of sport from a corporate perspective and tediously sensationalist headlines.

But Dobell still seems to have a real chip on his shoulder about Australian cricketing culture; I reckon deep down he's jealous of how mainstream and popular the sport is. English cricketing culture and media can be jingoistic and sensationalist as well, but because the sport is nowhere near as popular in England as it is in Oz the suffocating media presence that touring teams feel in Oz is nowhere near as significant.

As for the public banter and verbals that's been engaged in this series, sure it can be tedious at times but for professional sport in 2017 you sometimes need hype and nonsense and provocation to stay in the social media/mainstream media eye and the verbals have helped ensure that's the case.

I agree. I thought it started well and he raised pertinent points. With the ball tampering hypocrisy and broadcasters needing to be smarter.

As it went on about it did get worse though and more typical of Dobell.

 

[Spark]

I agree. I thought it started well and he raised pertinent points. With the ball tampering hypocrisy and broadcasters needing to be smarter.

As it went on about it did get worse though and more typical of Dobell.

Yeah, it started well. Then it gave the most perfunctory, box-checking "this paragraph is purely so I can dishonestly point to it as me being even-handed on Twitter" wrist-slap of the English media, then it went full-Dobell complete with "look, Jackson Bird really is **** and Australia have no pace depth and if you think otherwise you're just a boor", sneakily trying to present a highly questionable cricketing argument as so unimpeachable as to question it, you must be disgracefully biased.

He's such a hack.

 

[SeamUp]

Yeah, it started well. Then it gave the most perfunctory, box-checking "this paragraph is purely so I can dishonestly point to it as me being even-handed on Twitter" wrist-slap of the English media, then it went full-Dobell complete with "look, Jackson Bird really is **** and Australia have no pace depth and if you think otherwise you're just a boor", sneakily trying to present a highly questionable cricketing argument as so unimpeachable as to question it, you must be disgracefully biased.

He's such a hack.

Watching him and Firdose Moonda on polite enquiries last year left me wondering what they actually did to get their jobs.

Ocassionaly they start the odd piece well but the worst thing you can have is obvious and constant agendas.

So not only is their cricketing knowledge full of ****, they are as well.

 

[Spark]

Watching him and Firdose Moonda on polite enquiries last year left me wondering what they actually did to get their jobs.

Ocassionaly they start the odd piece well but the worst thing you can have is obvious and constant agendas.

So not only is their cricketing knowledge full of ****, they are as well.

It's what frustrates me the most. Dobell clearly knows a lot about the game, and has clearly forgotten more about the English county system than I'll ever know, but his agenda is so patently, painfully, almost Warnesque the way it seeps through all his work that it renders it borderline unreadable at times.

 

[quincywagstaff]

As an aside, I think any Cricinfo journo that appears on 'Polite Enquiries' does damage to their credibility. Could be a great segment but it's done as such a smug, smart-alec in-joke that only Cricinfo employees would find funny (like whatever that gesture they do at the start is all about) that you want to read less of their work afterwards.

 

[Daemon]

The greatest part of this thread is how sincerely vcs believes the baseball guy is actually a baseball guy

 

[oblongballs]

This should be a nothing thing. All teams do it and the ump did his job setting a limit with a warning. It's the fault of the mcg pitch more than anything else.

Why can't they just have a fingernail rule like in the football, where the ump checks your fingernails are within bounds and then just play the game?

Why is it that we in England have to do the whole "everyone does it" schtick every time one of ours does something bad/stupid? That just isn't the case and neither is it a sound defence even if it was.

Like I said earlier, good on him for trying to make something interesting happen in the game.

So you think players should be allowed to change the condition of the ball in anyway they deem fit?

 

[Gob]

When should Aust declare?

 

[S.Kennedy]

I completely agreed with everything Dobell said in that article. I think what surprises most Englishmen is Cricket Australia, news agencies and television companies (inc/ pundits) operating like pravda. It is like this gigantic state operated propaganda thing solely designed to do one thing which is to degenerate the English. You even were advertising this Ashes beginning with the women's with the slogan, ''beat the English''. Can you imagine the English doing that, walking around with ECB designed ''Beat the Australians'' t-shirts? We just do not operate like that; we find it sort of tacky, except in Barmy Army circles. This is where most of the miscommunication and disagreements emanate from. It is a real clash of cultures. Say what you want about the English but their media is rarely unified on anything, and their television coverage (famously the BBC) has usually been impartial to laughable extremes.

 

[T20_specialist]

Warner and Smith are very strong batters who can hit big.

What I love about this sport is the attacking mindset in the pursuit of quick runs.

If Smith or Warner are struck out early tomorrow I wonder if Australia will consider sending in a pinch hitter? Someone that could play great offence on the counterattack. If they do that it could really send a message of intent.

 

[Adders]

Any one know what they'd be charging to get onto the G today?

Made an impulsive decision this morning and sitting on the train for 4 hours heading up.

 

[fredfertang]

Any one know what they'd be charging to get onto the G today?

Made an impulsive decision this morning and sitting on the train for 4 hours heading up.

Roughly translated means the wife is sick of him being at home and has kicked him out for the day, but has skilfully made Adders think it's his idea

 

[Adders]

Something like that Fred......actually I just carried on like a child last night pissing and whingeng that I never get to do anything just for me.....and letting anyone who would listen know it will be 4 years before I get the chance again.

Eventually the familly all got sick of it and told me to go. Was some of my finest work itbt.

 

[ImpatientLime]

scenes at adders gaff when the whole day is rained off

 

[Adders]

Beutifull morning here....not a cloud in the sky. Supposed to be showers later though.

Not setting any expectations for the cricket. Could end up a day for the ages or it could be dull af. Tbh Spark has inspired me onto make the trip........Im just going to sledge Jackson Bird

 

[fredfertang]

Beutifull morning here....not a cloud in the sky. Supposed to be showers later though.

Not setting any expectations for the cricket. Could end up a day for the ages or it could be dull af. Tbh Spark has inspired me onto make the trip........Im just going to sledge Jackson Bird

Have a great time Adders

 

[Arachnodouche]

Can't stand Dobell's writing or his smug face. Melinda Farrell seems to like him though. Ever see how she warms to him as opposed to poor awkward Daniel Brettig?

On the subject of the Barmy Army, they're pretty peaceful when they're touring other places, aren't they? They set up stall and cheer their team but there's very little bile towards the opposition. Makes me think Aus and Eng deserve whatever **** they heap on each other.

 

[GIMH]

Have a good one Adders, hopefully it’s a good day. If I don’t wake up to stacks of drunk posts from you then we’re finished

 

[Adders]

I will do my best to oblige mate.

 

[fredfertang]

I will do my best to oblige mate.

If you 'invade' the pitch at the end of the Australian innings we'll know who you are, and GIMH and I will use a pic of your doing so for our avatars for the next three months