Test Series Stats. - Oz v. W.I.

couragous cloke · Posted: Tue May 27, 2003 11:15 pm

As we discussed donny, and you should have known, not outs even most of them out except for Sachin. can you prove your stats on his agressive captaining for me. i think he's attempted, like most captains, to bee agressive, but you have to remember, its not easy captaining the team he is. Put any other captain in his possition and im sure they'd be doing it a little bit tough aswell.

Donny · Posted: Wed May 28, 2003 12:46 am

Well, they all are but it would help their cause more to at least TRY and take advantage of winning the toss in Test matches !!

Hussain won the toss in the first Test of the Ashes series and immediately threw away the advantage and invited the Aussies to bat. He had a pedestrian bowling attack but he did have some batting strength.

Charlie did the same thing. No bowlers and he asks the best batting team in the world to pummel them into submission. Again, he did have good batsmen but sent them the worst possible message.

Fradam · Joined: 21 Jun 1999 Location: Bendigo, Victoria

Well I've been reading this topic waiting for someone to mention it but nobody did.

The fact of the matter is that Glen McGrath averaged 19 with the bat in the test series.

Well Done Pidgeon

Pidgeon to bat 10!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

couragous cloke · Posted: Wed May 28, 2003 10:51 pm

donny donny donny!! how long have you been studying cricket for again?????

you should no better then to start raving on about the coin toss and whether to bat first or not. I've read a book about Steve Waugh talking about the importance of the toss. He thinks there's not much importance at all. If you bat first, you bat first, if you bowl first, you bowl first. Its not going to make the slightest difference, if you play bad, you will lose. and if you play good you will win. Ive never seen Steve Waugh worry about losing the toss. As a matter of fact, ive never seen anyone worry about losing the toss.

Do you think that if Nass had of batted first, Australia wouldnt have made a good score?? and England would have magically won the game?? i dont see much importance in it. Besides actually wanting to see a team open the batting because you support them.

Donny · Posted: Thu May 29, 2003 12:55 am

Clokey. Anthony. Raymondo !! Long enough to know why Steve Waugh can afford to have that attitude. Plus he cons other Test captains into thinking they can do it too.

With his bowling attack, it doesn't really matter if he loses the toss and has to bowl. Same for Viv when he captained the Windies, m8.

And. No, I don't think England would have won the first Test if they had batted but the Aussies would have had a better workout AND the match just might've gone into the 5th. day.

HAL · Posted: Thu May 29, 2003 12:56 am

Yeah, it seems very long to me too.

Fradam · Joined: 21 Jun 1999 Location: Bendigo, Victoria

Im in agreeance with Donny on this one. The toss is vital. If there is a bit of humidity and cloud around then you want to bowl coz you know it's going to swing. Conditions tomorrow might not be the same.

Champion teams over come the odds so the toss is less important but if your not in that class the the toss is vital.

couragous cloke · Posted: Thu May 29, 2003 9:49 pm

the fact is........ if you play good u win, if you play bad u lose. no excuses at all, a coin toss should never be said as the reason why, that the end result has occured! am i not right?

Its all an illusion. sure it could be a tiny advantage at times but its all hyped up. I know when im watching the Toss, I dont care what the conditions, what the state of the ground is, or the weather, ive always been told to bat first, and im very disapointed if the team that i supports isnt batting first, purely due to entertainment.

Fradam · Joined: 21 Jun 1999 Location: Bendigo, Victoria

Your right, losing the toss should never be made as an excuse. It's ok if your watching not to care about the toss but when your playing and its 40 degrees in the shade then thats another time the toss is important.

How come my captain cant win a toss on 40 degree days.

HAL · Posted: Fri May 30, 2003 11:18 am

I'm not sure.

Donny · Posted: Fri May 30, 2003 11:55 am

Lol, Fradam. I sure do understand that one !!

One summer, in the early nineties, we turned up for our game. The heat was oppressive. 42 degrees and smoke filled the air. All week bushfires raged and half my team were looking for some respite from firefighting with a good game of cricket.

The 12th. man was sent up town to get more ice for the eskies.

The sun was a dull red glow through the smoke as I headed out to toss the coin with my opposing captain. It felt like walking into an oven.

It was to be a two day game, played over two Saturdays. The directive from my boys was chillingly clear. "Win the toss or don't come back !!"

I came back.

Clokey, that's just one of the reasons the toss is important. That day, I declared with 40 minutes to play and 200 on the board. At stumps, we had them (the top team) 5/17. The following Saturday was a much better day and by mid afternoon we were in the pub celebrating an outright win.

couragous cloke · Posted: Sat May 31, 2003 8:18 pm

lol, alright in that case i suppose its fair enough.

just last year the same thing happened to me, it was about 38-39 degrees, 2 day match over 2 saturdays, we lost the toss bowled first. It was impossible out there, just too hot to field, But...... we bowled the top side out for 180 and it was a tie due to our number 10 not taking a single on the last ball when the non striker was already on the other side.