Topic: T20 Cricket Thread

[Chakan]

Woohoo cricket

[nicholasanthony]

Shane Watson being order home to prepare for the upcoming summer.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/cricket/shane-watson-to-be-ordered-home-from-champions-league-twenty20/story-e6frey50-1226495688720


Also nice to see Moises Henriques continue his good form last night.

[The 5th Benitle]

Shane Watson being order home to prepare for the upcoming summer.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/cricket/shane-watson-to-be-ordered-home-from-champions-league-twenty20/story-e6frey50-1226495688720

Fucking hell, why allow him to take part at all? Pulling him out halfway through the tournament is boneheaded.

[nicholasanthony]

Fucking hell, why allow him to take part at all? Pulling him out halfway through the tournament is boneheaded.

I guess. Don't feel strongly either way. Nice for him to keep getting a few hits and overs in over in SA, and then gets back in time for a bit of prep for the Test series. Should be doing the same with Hilfenhaus too.

[The 5th Benitle]

I guess. Don't feel strongly either way. Nice for him to keep getting a few hits and overs in over in SA, and then gets back in time for a bit of prep for the Test series. Should be doing the same with Hilfenhaus too.

His Sydney Sixers teammates, their fans and the tournament organisers won't see it like that.

[nicholasanthony]

His Sydney Sixers teammates, their fans and the tournament organisers won't see it like that.

Oh well. I dont care at all about the last two and if his teammates want to be upset at Cricket Australia that fine by me.

[nicholasanthony]

Made no difference anyway.

[The 5th Benitle]

Thanks to Michael Lumb

[carl5363]

I know this is an old thread but plenty of T20 cricket going on around the world at the moment.

I've recently watched the Big Bash and enjoyed it. They seem to have a celebrity in the croud as well, and if they catch it some money goes to a family watching on TV. Ponting & CO as the commentators also.

I expected Melbourne Stars to win after winning 8 out of 8 in the league, but they choked in the play offs.

May see Kevin Pietersen in a lot of these tournaments shortly; Ram Slam T20, T20 Blast, Caribbean PL, Big Bash etc

[nicholasanthony]

Except that bloke cannot bat or bowl. And believe it or not some people still genuinely think he can do either, it actually infuriates me.

I said that about Steve Smith. Proving me wrong.

[carl5363]

I said that about Steve Smith. Proving me wrong.

He's looking good, in my opinion the Sixers wouldn't have got to the play offs without him.

[nicholasanthony]

Ponting & CO as the commentators also.

He was the best part of the tournament. His analysis is usually interesting and isn't afraid to call bad stuff bad. Nine need to sign him up quick and get rid of Healy, Brayshaw, and Slats.

[Klippity Klopp]

City-based Twenty20 tournament moves a step closer as ECB reveals more details

English cricket's new eight-team, city-based Twenty20 tournament moved a step closer on Monday as further details were revealed.

The newly created tournament is proposed to begin in 2020.

England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive Tom Harrison said it could rival the Indian Premier League and was "not a gamble" for the counties.

"What we are doing here is future-proofing county cricket," Harrison told BBC sports editor Dan Roan.

"I don't think it's so much a gamble, I think it's about looking into the future and saying, 'What do we want our business and our game to look like?'"

A referendum is expected to be dispatched on Tuesday inviting stakeholders to sanction a tournament including eight teams, rather than the 18 first-class counties.

What is changing?

On Monday, the ECB presented a detailed overview of its proposals for a new Twenty20 competition to its 41 members. These included:

Eight new teams playing 36 games over a 38-day summer window, with four home games per team
All games televised, with significant free-to-air exposure
No scheduling overlap with the existing T20 Blast competition
An Indian Premier League-style play-off system to give more incentive for finishing higher up the league
A players' draft, with squads of 15 including three overseas players
Counties guaranteed £1.3m

Why does the ECB want to change?

It says cricket has the chance to be part of "mainstream conversation" and believes the new competition can make the sport "relevant to a whole new audience".

Following a period of consultation including more than 10,000 interviews, the ECB decided on three key principles:

To have a major positive impact on driving participation
To focus on recruiting the next generation of fans, in particular promoting attendance to a diverse, young, family audience
To ensure complete differentiation from existing cricket tournaments to protect and support the future of the county game
"What we absolutely need to do, is start appealing to a younger audience," said Harrison.

"We know that by doing things differently, by building new teams, we can be relevant to a whole new audience and bring this very diverse, multicultural Britain in to our stadiums in a way perhaps we haven't been successful in doing."

Is this the end of county cricket?

This will be the first time in the history of domestic cricket that first-class counties are not represented, hence the need for a change to the ECB's articles and constitutions.

It was confirmed on Monday that all 18 clubs have signed "media rights deeds" to allow the governing body to include the new Twenty20 in their forthcoming broadcast portfolio.

Asked if the move to a city-based format signalled the end of the county system, Harrison said: "Not at all. I think what we are doing here is future-proofing county cricket.

"Cricket has been a sport which has always had the ability to evolve and change where it's needed to, and its shown itself to be incredibly adaptable.

"We are the sport which came up with short formats through T20, and other sports have been trying to find the T20 equivalent of their own.

"So we have demonstrated we are capable of it, we've got the format, we now just need to create the competition which enables these new fans to get involved.

"It's a hugely exciting moment."

Questions remain about schedule and players

The ECB says the proposed competition can rival the incredible success of the Indian Premier League and Australia's Big Bash, which draws average crowds of more than 28,000.

Questions remain around where the tournament will fit into the schedule, and which of the world's best players will be available.

The ECB insists it will not impact on the T20 Blast, which last season featured the likes of West Indies star Chris Gayle and New Zealand's Brendan McCullum.

"We think there's a lot of room for growth in the Blast," said Harrison. "It's done a tremendous job at bringing in a county cricket audience.

"But the evidence we have suggest cricket exists in a bubble and we've got to get outside this bubble."

He added the tournament could "absolutely" rival the IPL,

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/39407046

[Gili Gulu]

If the games are to be played on Test grounds, then there could be teams in Durham, Leeds, Manchester, Nottingham, Birmingham, Cardiff, Southampton, North London and South London.

I wonder which one of those will miss out. I would bet there will almost certainly be two London teams, with Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds definitely getting one each.

Three from Cardiff, Durham, Nottingham and Southampton.

[Garrus]

Except that bloke cannot bat or bowl. And believe it or not some people still genuinely think he can do either, it actually infuriates me.

Well, he's worked on his batting in the last 4 years! 

[nicholasanthony]

Well, he's worked on his batting in the last 4 years! 

Fuck off, I called myself out on that 3 years ago. 

[Danny Boys Dad]

All this T20 stuff seems like a bit of a mess.

If this new competition is going to be played over 38 days in July and August how does it fit in with any test matches that might be played during that period?

[CheshireDave]

All this T20 stuff seems like a bit of a mess.

If this new competition is going to be played over 38 days in July and August how does it fit in with any test matches that might be played during that period?

This year for example from 6th July to 15th Sept we will play home test series against South Africa and West Indies. To answer your question safe to say they'll be less home tests arranged to accommodate this.

Or it's like the Big Bash where the Test players are not involved. Think that's the case isn't it?

[Danny Boys Dad]

This year for example from 6th July to 15th Sept we will play home test series against South Africa and West Indies. To answer your question safe to say they'll be less home tests arranged to accommodate this.

Or it's like the Big Bash where the Test players are not involved. Think that's the case isn't it?

If the test players aren't involved, and I think that's the only way they can accommodate both, then surely there isn't any difference between this and the Blast other than the rebranding and the non-County teams.

With the Blast you got the funny team names and the star overseas players but you didn't get the England players very often. There were some decent matches and some big crowds but it's all on Sky so hardly anyone else sees it.

Can't see why they can't just make the Blast FTV instead of inventing a new competition which will probably just go to Sky/BT anyway.

[CheshireDave]

If the test players aren't involved, and I think that's the only way they can accommodate both, then surely there isn't any difference between this and the Blast other than the rebranding and the non-County teams.

With the Blast you got the funny team names and the star overseas players but you didn't get the England players very often. There were some decent matches and some big crowds but it's all on Sky so hardly anyone else sees it.

Can't see why they can't just make the Blast FTV instead of inventing a new competition which will probably just go to Sky/BT anyway.

I think eventually they will sack the blast off and just have this. I will be surprised if this is not the case prior to it's launch.

[Danny Boys Dad]

I think eventually they will sack the blast off and just have this. I will be surprised if this is not the case prior to it's launch.

Probably right which is a shame as the Blast is a decent competition (for T20) which has got everything other than FTV coverage and the addition of a few England players a bit more often.

The Blast is also rooted in a bit of county history and existing support rather than these new 'franchises'. I've been to Old Trafford to watch Lancashire play T20 matches but I doubt I'll be going to watch the 'Manchester Titans' or whatever they call them.

[BeautifulGame91]

I think eventually they will sack the blast off and just have this. I will be surprised if this is not the case prior to it's launch.

I don't see why England cant have both Blast and this new competition.

India still has its original T20 competition apart from IPL.

If ECB removes the blast completely then lot of county players will completely miss on the opportunity to play T20 cricket,wouldn't they.

Think it can be converted into a sorta of scouting tournament for new T20 tournament ECB is launching.

[mc_red22]

RCB look poor without Kohli & AB.

[amirani]

RCB look poor without Kohli & AB.

Even when they're back, they still have to worry about their piss poor bowling. 

[mc_red22]

This bowling is fucking pathetic.

Makes me laugh that they spent so much on getting Mills and they nearly didn't play him. As if one of these amateurs was going to play over Mills

[mc_red22]

What is the point in Watson playing in this match if he can't field and he can't bowl? That's 2 very good catching opportunities that have come his way but he can't move.

[Gerry Attrick]

This bowling is fucking pathetic.

Makes me laugh that they spent so much on getting Mills and they nearly didn't play him. As if one of these amateurs was going to play over Mills

To be fair I think it was Badree who would've played if Mills hadn't. He's very good as well. RCB's bowling has been shite for years but Chahal looks a good 'un.

[mc_red22]

To be fair I think it was Badree who would've played if Mills hadn't. He's very good as well. RCB's bowling has been shite for years but Chahal looks a good 'un.

Mills has to be better than Choudhary though, surely? This guy is pathetic, or at least he's playing like he is.

I really like Chahal.

This game is over unless Gayle can produce something big with the bat.

[Gerry Attrick]

Mills has to be better than Choudhary though, surely? This guy is pathetic, or at least he's playing like he is.

I really like Chahal.

This game is over unless Gayle can produce something big with the bat.

Mills is better than Choudhary but you can have 4 overseas players in the XI, so if Mills wasn't playing he'd have been replaced by another foreign player I assume.

RCB's batting doesn't look that great today either. Kohli and De Villiers are injured.

[amirani]

Yuvi playing for a seat on the plane to England for the champions trophy.

[BeautifulGame91]

Mills has to be better than Choudhary though, surely? This guy is pathetic, or at least he's playing like he is.

I really like Chahal.

This game is over unless Gayle can produce something big with the bat.

Choudhary had 3 catches dropped today.

He is a pretty good prospect.Every bowlers gets hit out in IPL particularly when Yuvi is in that form.

[mc_red22]

Choudhary had 3 catches dropped today.

He is a pretty good prospect.Every bowlers gets hit out in IPL particularly when Yuvi is in that form.

The rest of his bowling was a bit of a joke though, well before Yuvi even came on.

[amirani]

Nehra is stealing a living as a cricketer.

[amirani]

So Kolkata Knight Riders just chased 184 in under 15 overs with zero wickets lost. Chris Lynn with 93 of 41 balls.

Smart purchase by KKR.

[Gerry Attrick]

So Kolkata Knight Riders just chased 184 in under 15 overs with zero wickets lost. Chris Lynn with 93 of 41 balls.

Smart purchase by KKR.

He's been with KKR for a while hasn't he? He just hasn't received many opportunities. He's a fantastic T20 player.

[amirani]

He's been with KKR for a while hasn't he? He just hasn't received many opportunities. He's a fantastic T20 player.

Gotcha. I wasn't sure. Hadn't heard his name too often in IPL before. But surely won't forget his name after today haha

[BeautifulGame91]

Rishabh Pant.

Lost his father two days back and still came back and played for Delhi yesterday.Nearly won the game on his own.

He is a very special talent.Our biggest batting talent since Kohli arrived on the scene.

[voodoo ray]

GOLD! WE MUST HAVE MORE GOLD!!!

IPL is no doubt for the marquee names the best t20 competition going. I still reckon it goes on too long though personally.

and I'm obviously not a fan of all the gold on the gear either.

[mc_red22]

AWFUL shot selection from Watson there and he's out for just 1 in the first over.

[Gerry Attrick]

De Villiers needs to go big for RCB to have a chance I reckon. Jadhav is good but seems like a weak batting lineup for Bangalore.