***Official*** South Africa In Australia

[Bees]

My general admission tickets to the East Grassbank of the WACA was $37. Apparently students (concession) get general admission for $27, but I didn't know. Oh well.

Still, even $37 is a fair price for an awesome day in the WACA. Price of admission also paid for a tan on my arms and legs, which is always a plus.

Haha @ the "my diamond shoes are too tight" line.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

All true, but none of those factors result in less of a hit in my pocket.

Well, if there was only 20 million people in England and 100,000 seats at Lords, it would.

The point is relative. Cricket has never been this expensive to get in to here and hence there's an outrage. I'm sure there's plenty of stuff here that's ridiculously expensive compared to there.

EDIT: And FTR, my food budget for the week is less than the general admission to the WACA on day 5. But I shouldn't be angry at that, because people in England pay more. Boo hoo.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Well, if there was only 20 million people in England and 100,000 seats at Lords, it would.

The point is relative. Cricket has never been this expensive to get in to here and hence there's an outrage. I'm sure there's plenty of stuff here that's ridiculously expensive compared to there.

EDIT: And FTR, my food budget for the week is less than the general admission to the WACA on day 5. But I shouldn't be angry at that, because people in England pay more. Boo hoo.

Those flights to Perth must reduce the old disposable income a fair bit tho, tbf.

It's obviously NIMBYism on my part, but proportionately I'd still guess sports prices in the UK are way up on those in Oz generally. For example, a ticket to get me into Cambridge City (three promotions away from league football) costs me £10 which, even allowing for sterling dying on its arse, is barely five dollars less than a concession ticket for the WACA.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

It's obviously NIMBYism on my part, but proportionately I'd still guess sports prices in the UK are way up on those in Oz generally.

I never said they weren't, but like I said, it's all relative.

 

[pasag]

Sheesh. $26?! How dare they!?!?

Seriously, you should try being an English cricket fan. 4th day at The Oval in 2007 set me back £50.

It's silly marketing though. In England they can charge whatever they want because with the ground size they'll sell anyways. However in Aus:

a) Inflation and fears over the economy and
b) Australia winning less and fewer players that bring in the crowds (eg Warne, Gilchrist)

mean the prices charged should be lowered, if anything, to protect diminishing crowd sizes.

 

[susudear]

The problem...........in the past his problem,.............. but that's not the problem,............ his problem is he isn't moving the ball.............

Richie Benaud was commenting that Lee has become more open-chested than he was when bowling at his peak. After watching the day's play, I think he's pitching it up far too much and doesn't have the pace he used to have to beat the bat on a consistent basis. Also a speedo analysis showed how his average speeds fell from 147-150 at the start of the innings to 140-142 towards his 8th or 9th over. So it is clear his body cannot take the earlier Lee's strategy, and he has to adapt to being a line and length than raw pace.

 

[BoyBrumby]

It's silly marketing though. In England they can charge whatever they want because with the ground size they'll sell anyways. However in Aus:

a) Inflation and fears over the economy and
b) Australia winning less and fewer players that bring in the crowds (eg Warne, Gilchrist)

mean the prices charged should be lowered, if anything, to protect diminishing crowd sizes.

That is true of cricket but other sports in the UK, whose stadia are comparable to Australia's cricket grounds in terms of capacity, still charge the proverbial arm and leg for admission too. I went to watch England lose to Australia at Twickenham (this is rugby union) in Nov for instance and had to pay £71 for the dubious privilage! After its latest refurb the old Cabbage Patch holds 82,000.

I mean, I know it's hard to be appreciative for what one doesn't have to suffer; but spare a thought for us poms at Christmas. Our rep teams are crap and we're also robbed blind to watch 'em lose.

 

[Matt79]

So, in essence, what BB is saying is that Australia>England.

Tell us something we didn't already know...

 

[pasag]

That is true of cricket but other sports in the UK, whose stadia are comparable to Australia's cricket grounds in terms of capacity, still charge the proverbial arm and leg for admission too. I went to watch England lose to Australia at Twickenham (this is rugby union) in Nov for instance and had to pay £71 for the dubious privilage! After its latest refurb the old Cabbage Patch holds 82,000.

I mean, I know it's hard to be appreciative for what one doesn't have to suffer; but spare a thought for us poms at Christmas. Our rep teams are crap and we're also robbed blind to watch 'em lose.

Yeah I've argued in the past that high English ticket prices threaten to cut the game off from the younger generation, the very age group cricket critically needs to attract.

Still, it's all relative to what was before. We complain through the roof when petrol prices go past $1.50 when apparently they pay triple that in Europe.

 

[Matt79]

You have to wonder why they charge anything like what they do, when gate-proceeds only amount to about 5% of earnings for the boards anyway. If nothing else, full stadia with a good buzz make for a better tv product anyway, and that's where the significant income comes from.

 

[Uppercut]

26 dollars a day to see South Africa-Australia!? And they're complaining?

Bloody idiot.

 

[Johnners]

Awesome days cricket. Surely Clarke can put the whole pressure thing to bed now, thought it was one of his top 5 innings simply because of the way he stuck it out, then capitalised this morning. Quality spells from Moobs as well, which he was clearly excited about 8| had a massive lol at his appeal for ABs wicket, and then at Haydos imitating him.

Good stuff from Smith as well. Wait I mean, I'm appalled at the way he himself signalled for the 3rd umpire, "who needz umpirez we'll juz do az smiff sez"

 

[pup11]

Indeed. I didn't think he bowled all that badly in the first Test - in fact a couple of his spells were really good - but he was nothing short of dreadful today.

His first over to Smith today was pretty good as he had both pace and movement going for him in that over, but after that everything he bowled went gun-barell straight and when that happens to a bowler like Lee he becomes very easy for the batsmen to play, Lee doesn't get much seam movement or neither does he gets same kind of lift of the deck a Johnson or Siddle gets, so minus his swing Lee just ends up being a skiddy bowler who the batsman can hit through the line with the ball coming nicely onto the bat.

P.S: And btw i wasn't only talking about Lee' bowling today, i was talking about his bowling in general through this series.

 

[Uppercut]

His first over to Smith today was pretty good as he had both pace and movement going for him in that over, but after that everything he bowled went gun-barell straight and when that happens to a bowler like Lee he becomes very easy for the batsmen to play, Lee doesn't get much seam movement or neither does he gets same kind of lift of the deck a Johnson or Siddle gets, so minus his swing Lee just ends up being a skiddy bowler who the batsman can hit through the line with the ball coming nicely onto the bat.

P.S: And btw i wasn't only talking about Lee' bowling today, i was talking about his bowling in general through this series.

Think you're right there. How ridiculous that he loses his threat so soon after finally finding his accuracy. He had about a one-year period in which he had both and now it looks like that's over.

 

[pup11]

Think you're right there. How ridiculous that he loses his threat so soon after finally finding his accuracy. He had about a one-year period in which he had both and now it looks like that's over.

As i said earlier he is letting the media bull**** get into his head, stuff like he is losing his pace and he would no longer be effective are utterly ridiculous, i mean FFS when the guy was bowling in 140-142kmph mark and swinging the ball knocking over one batsmen after the other just a season ago, everyone was praising him as to how well Lee has matured, as he has cut down his pace for more accuracy, but as soon as he has that one bad series in India all hell broke lose, which obviously has put Lee under tremendous pressure.

Lee has one of the best seam presentation and wrist position among the current crop of fast bowlers among the world and its almost perfect for outswing bowling, but if you look at the way the ball is coming out of his hand atm, its no wonder the ball isn't swinging for him and all this imo is due to the fact that he is striving for that extra yard of pace, whereas he would be much better off trying to ball in the right channels and look the move the ball, like he was doing all along til the West Indian series.

 

[PhoenixFire]

Yeah I've argued in the past that high English ticket prices threaten to cut the game off from the younger generation, the very age group cricket critically needs to attract.

Still, it's all relative to what was before. We complain through the roof when petrol prices go past $1.50 when apparently they pay triple that in Europe.

I'm forking out about what is equivalent to 110 AUD to see the Ashes at Headingley and I doubt that many people my age could afford that, the only reason I an is because I have a job.

 

[chalky]

Sheesh. $26?! How dare they!?!?


That's Dickinson-esque. TEC clearly thinking CW lacking a bit on the mean-spirited dickhead front in Dicko's absence.

What did Richard get banned for? Was reading the thread where Richard said he was better qualified than most national slectors & Warne & McGrath where bad selections at the start of their careers & thought there was trouble ahead.

 

[BoyBrumby]

What did Richard get banned for? Was reading the thread where Richard said he was better qualified than most national slectors & Warne & McGrath where bad selections at the start of their careers & thought there was trouble ahead.

The mods just got together & thought, "What can we get CW for Xmas that everyone will enjoy?" & it became obvious.

Just watching the highlights now. Can see what T_C meant about Siddle's nipples! Jesus, you could cut glass with them.

 

[Evermind]

The mods just got together & thought, "What can we get CW for Xmas that everyone will enjoy?" & it became obvious.

The gift is much appreciated!

 

[chalky]

Harris already taken a couple of blows to the body this morning. Joins Claude Henderson in the list of South African tall slow left arm bowlers that get some stick from the Aussie quicks.