3rd Test: Australia v West Indies at Sydney on Jan 3-7, 2016

[Twizzle]

Burns back to his old habit of angled bat, he really needs to work on his technique or the Kiwis will work him over on their pitches.

He'll get away with this on a flat deck in Oz but not over the ditch.

 

[Timbo]

So turns out Holder declined the chance to make a game of it despite the fact they'd already lost the series.

Viv or Lloyd would have jumped at that chance.

 

[Pete Cash]

Australia would have had to go at over 5 an over. He gave holder a pretty good chance to win tbh.

 

[Twizzle]

And we may have got more than a handful of people in as well for the last day, could have been a good way to end an unexciting series.

 

[Pete Cash]

I think the concern was holder enforcing the follow on in a prick move to go into a can't lose position. Smith wanted to make a game of it, not make it impossible for him to win but possible to lose.

He just had to check if the windies were keen

 

[JJ]

for sure, fair enough - just think the higher powers could have stepped in and said let's play a T2- or something and get the people along

Draw was the right result though, good on Smith for trying I guess

 

[Pete Cash]

I understand why it was turned down. Tbh if a result was forced either way could you imagine the whinging from the betting markets. Imagine if the windies won lol.

 

[Twizzle]

I understand why it was turned down. Tbh if a result was forced either way could you imagine the whinging from the betting markets. Imagine if the windies won lol.

social medial has been all over this this morning

its akin to a contrived result and there was stacks of cash on the draw, so contriving a result in this day and age with sports betting the way it is would have caused a huge kerfuffle

 

[Timbo]

Wait, so now we need to think of the betting agencies?

It would have been a legitimate result and if you lost money betting on the draw it's your own fault.

 

[JJ]

Wait, so now we need to think of the betting agencies?

It would have been a legitimate result and if you lost money betting on the draw it's your own fault.

I think there needs to be care around manipulation of outcomes - clearly this was a draw, then if the two captains come tp an agreement then two unlikely results become possible - obviously there would have been a lot of pre-existing $$ on an Australian win, but if the series had been even that really is an issue

I might sound like a dinosaur, but I really don't like test cricket being cheapened - if they'd contrived a result, there really would have to be an asterisk beside the result

 

[Pete Cash]

Smith did check with the match officials who gave him the OK

 

[African Monkey]

Can't say I blame Holder when they've barely taken 10 wickets all tour.

 

[JJ]

Smith did check with the match officials who gave him the OK

Yep - I think the thing to be pleased about here, is that BOTH Smith and Holder made the right decisions - tbh with those two captaining test teams (assuming the Windies can be competent again), and the likes of Cook (Root?) Williamson (presumably), Mathews, de Villiers, Misbah (for now) in charge, I reckon the game is in pretty good hands on the field

 

[simmo1]

Hard to blame Holder. His bowlers have been terrible all series, and in all likelihood the Windies would have still lost the game.

All well and good to say Lloyd or Richards would have done it - but look at their f**king bowlers.

 

[ANTiLAG]

370 off 70, don't blush baby.

 

[billygilmore]

Man i miss the competitive west indies teams from times gone by

 

[ANTiLAG]

Man i miss the competitive west indies teams from times gone by

I do not think that the batsmen do.

I like where world cricket is at the moment in terms of talent on the field. Its in a pretty healthy place. Domestic T20 looms to cause problems for poorer countries outside of the big 3, but we're not quite at panic levels there yet. Yes, the West Indies are a shambles - but you can throw a blanket over teams 1-6. And that is a very good thing for the game.

Bangladesh had their best year ever last year. Ireland is threatening to continue to develop.
Pakistan has gone a little bit of time without someone destroying their credibility.

World cricket has been in worse spots.

 

[Pete Cash]

Afghanistan beat zimbabwe in an odi series to move to 10th on the icc ranking

 

[billygilmore]

Dont get me wrong mate, I agree international cricket is much more competitive than it was when i first started watching. Any of those top 6 can beat the other makes for good unpredictable viewing.

 

[ANTiLAG]

Afghanistan beat zimbabwe in an odi series to move to 10th on the icc ranking

Wow.

ZImbabwe are not absolutely bad at all at ODI cricket either.

They're suffering a bit with no Brendon Taylor, who is a classy player.

But they've got some good lower middle order batting.

I remember a few years ago they had a won one and lost one 300+ may have even been close to 350'ish matches against Australia. I think it surprised the heck out of the Australian line up. Actually, I think it surprised most of the cricket world.