The Sensible Bond has been casting aspersions: he had the temerity to suggest that I was missing the Scotney Blognic in order to stay home and follow the cricket... the cad!After Benediction, a couple of the servers decided to further my cricketing education. One of them started humming what he claimed was the theme to The Third Man... a reference which was totally lost on me, because I don't have a clue who "Harry Lime" is.
I was then taken through first, second and third slips... the position of the third man, and the fact that Australia tend to put a man in mid slips (I think that was what David said...) I was also pleased to find that I remembered Trott was the chap who'd been "run out."
I'm now just waiting for play to resume after lunch...
Oh, and Joe... one of the first things I was told was that, if the umpire says you're out, then you're out... added to which, not having TV coverage, I haven't a clue about controversial dismissals!
UPDATE: It wasn't "mid" slips, but "fly" slips. And I've been sent a diagram showing all the fielding positions... Tomorrow should prove interesting, but I'm completely at a loss as to why England declared before the end of the day's play... I mean, surely two days are sufficient to bowl Australia out? As it is, they now have 80 without loss...
I notice you enjoy cricket !! I expect you will be celebrating England's victory very soon if the forecast is correct; I shall raise a glass as well! I enjoy your blog very much and have added you to my sidebar.
ReplyDeleteDear Mulier Fortis. Thank you so much for your continued excellent coverage of the Ashes Test at The Oval (it saves me having to listen to the wireless). I was a bit bemused by "Sensible Bond" (related to James ?) apparently casting nasturtiums at you !!! Is it an old cricketing tradition or something ? In addition, the continued improvement in your knowledge of the correct terms for cricketing fielding positions is most impressive. P.S. I think Harry Lime was a slow off-spinner in the fifties. I could be wrong. Come on, England !!!
ReplyDeleteFr Míċeál - thank you for your kind words. I have put your blog on my sidebar as well.
ReplyDeleteZephyrinus - we shall be having words...
In re the declaration:
ReplyDeleteIt's a question of balance. And the target for Australia would be unprecedented with or without the declaration. So on balance I think that Strauss probably declared when he did simply because Trott was out. He probably wanted to give Trott the chance to score as many runs as possible. If he'd been out earlier (given that he was the last recognised batsman) the declaration would have come earlier.
They could have gone on a bit longer, but with only one wicket remaining the game would probably not have been much different. Australia would have had a slightly larger record target to aim at, and slightly fewer overs to get them in. But really, the game now is only about one thing - can England bowl them out? - and not about runs or overs.
That's why Agnew and Boycott were irritated by the defensive fields set by Strauss this evening. That's something I couldn't explain!
Wow... ok... Thanks, Simon!
ReplyDeleteCad? Cad? That's Mr Cad to you!
ReplyDeletehttp://thesensiblebond.blogspot.com/2009/08/scotney-and-12th-man.html
Margaret - thank you so much!
ReplyDelete