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1st Test: Australia v Pakistan at Gabba, Nov 21-25 2019

Bazal

Post Whore
Messages
99,898
Good bowling, not great, and good discipline from Pakistan. Old fashioned grinding session so far.

The balls to nick have been there, and Pakistan have resisted them
 

Mr Angry

Not a Referee
Messages
51,790
I will be like a 1920s cricket fan, just read it in the paper the next day.

I see Pakistan debut a young fella, we went Matthew Wade 4 100's in 42 test innings, under 30 average instead.

Langer is a putz.

That said finally got the bowling line up right.
 

undertaker

Coach
Messages
10,817
"Very surprised by the lack of movement after 10 overs"

AB, you shouldn't be surprised at all. As I just said in a previous post that Kookaburra balls have been crap for many years. They're nothing like what they were during your playing career in the '70s/'80s/'90s, when they were still hand-stitched and made from better raw materials compared to today.

When the test match balls have gone out of shape, split, and have had to be replaced as early as only a couple of overs into the new ball like they did in both Australia and New Zealand in 2015, when the ICC laws of the game have had to be modified to allow a new ball from each end in order to accommodate the fact their white balls can't last a 50 over per side match (whereas the Dukes can), and when white balls have had to be changed even during T20 matches due to discoloration, you know the quality of the product is crap.

And to think Kookaburra have the audacity to charge $130+ each for those Turf balls used in international matches....what a joke. Must've compensated Cricket Australia well to continue using them (as well as New Zealand Cricket Board, who were contemplating a change to Dukes not long ago).
 

bazza

Immortal
Messages
30,039
Good bowling, not great, and good discipline from Pakistan. Old fashioned grinding session so far.

The balls to nick have been there, and Pakistan have resisted them
I think India last summer showed that batting patiently is what you need to do against Australia in Australia
Only difference this summer is we have Smith (and a few other half decent bats) that might be able to match a 300+ score
 

Fufu Andronez

First Grade
Messages
8,464
Doesn't help that Kookaburra balls have been crap for years. Batsmen know that once the shine goes and seam flattens out, they can crank up the run-rate with consummate ease.

It's going to take a lot of balls from Cricket Australia to start using Dukes in test matches here.
What is the roadblock to this? Is it a money thing?
 

Matt23

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
16,495
Doesn't help that Kookaburra balls have been crap for years. Batsmen know that once the shine goes and seam flattens out, they can crank up the run-rate with consummate ease.
Is their a contract in place? But your right the Duke ball would be the go, but knowing CA they'll use the kookaburra forever, cos runs yay...
 

undertaker

Coach
Messages
10,817
What is the roadblock to this? Is it a money thing?

Yes, most definitely. Money talks


Kookaburra remind me of how the tobacco and sugar industries have operated for decades, trying to lay the blame at other things such as saturated fat, trying to use words such as 'eat/drink in moderation' so that their products wouldn't be targeted or identified as the cause of a lot of problems (but continuing to buy their products keeps the revenue/profit margins ticking over), paid off researchers such as Harvard University to write favourably on them, advertised their products everywhere, sponsored major sports events and festivals ad nauseum (who could forget all those Coca Cola ads during the '90s). Coca Cola even sponsored organisations supposedly representing the best interests of the people such as the Dietitians Association/Lifestyle Medicine etc. "Here's some money for you, just shut up and don't say anything negative about our products" is the mentality.

http://www.thecricketmonthly.com/story/1160615/how-kookaburra-balls-came-to-rule-the-world

Back to Kookaburra, once they got the ICC to explicity state that their ball was the official ball for all ICC white-ball tournaments, they got the ICC to change the laws of the game in order to allow two new balls from each end (i.e. 2 x 25 over), hence shutting out Dukes whose white-ball can last 50 overs. But they have significantly killed off the reverse swing bowlers like Akram/Younis etc. used to get in the last 10 overs with an ODI. Also, with the exception of Rashid Khan/Adil Rashid and a few of the top wrist spinners, most spinners have struggled since this rule change was introduced as they haven't been able to get the turn that they could with an older ball.

Kookaburra put pressure on the ICC to do this and other scare tactics because deep down, they know their product is inferior to Dukes, ex-international players such as McGrath/Ponting/Warne have spoken out in favour of Dukes, and local club bowlers like myself and others who've bowled with both Kookaburra and Dukes know Dukes is a better ball to bowl with and you always feel in the contest.

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricke...cket-ball-change-proposal-20121024-284fw.html

I mention scare tactics because Kookaburra chucked a dummy spit, trying to link their crappy product with all this emotive language that Australian jobs will disappear if Dukes becomes the official ball in Australia etc. And it seems like Cricket Australia have taken the bait so far, and New Zealand Cricket also took the bait.
 
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