Australian International Summer 2023/24

[FlyingHigh]

I can understand the lack of respect/hope for a good series vs West Indies prior to the 1st Test, but I was surprised to see people double down after Adelaide. I went to the 2nd day and it was one of the best days of Test cricket I've been to. Had it not been for Travis Head, West Indies probably take a 1st Innings lead in that match too. So often we've seen Australian teams put the foot down in the final hour, as Hazelwood did on Day 2. The West Indies were very well lead, alert in the field and their bowlers looked dangerous.
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Agree. I went the first two days, and thought the final result didn't fully reflect the contest. Even though Atahnaze and Hodge only scored a dozen each on the first morning they didn't give their wickets away, considering they were playing their 3rd and 1st tests.
However we have seen that many times, a bit of fight to start with and then the rest of the series a whitewash.

[FlyingHigh]

They captured the spirit of the great 60-61 Windies tour here.

I can’t remember so much love for an opposition team beating Australia in Australia … ever.

What does that say to us?

I think it is simply Aussies still love and respect the underdog if they are playing with a real spirit.

Funnily enough, during the Tests I wondered if this is what 60-61 was like too. Also, Chappelli used to talk of the rapport between the two sides in the 70's before the agro seem to come into it in the 80's.

[Rik E Boy]

They captured the spirit of the great 60-61 Windies tour here.

I can’t remember so much love for an opposition team beating Australia in Australia … ever.

What does that say to us?

I think it is simply Aussies still love and respect the underdog if they are playing with a real spirit.

Funnily enough, during the Tests I wondered if this is what 60-61 was like too. Also, Chappelli used to talk of the rapport between the two sides in the 70's before the agro seem to come into it in the 80's.

Not quite. In Viv Richards' autobiography, Hitting across the line, he called the chapter about the 1975-76 tour 'Fear and Loathing in Australia' which tends to suggest relations were anything but cordial. That series was the unofficial championship at the time and plenty of stuff that wouldn't wash today was said and the intimidation factor of Lillee, Thompson, Walker and Gilmour set the template for two decades of West Indies domination as Lloyd learned his lesson well.

regards,

REB

[whufc]

I can understand the lack of respect/hope for a good series vs West Indies prior to the 1st Test, but I was surprised to see people double down after Adelaide. I went to the 2nd day and it was one of the best days of Test cricket I've been to. Had it not been for Travis Head, West Indies probably take a 1st Innings lead in that match too. So often we've seen Australian teams put the foot down in the final hour, as Hazelwood did on Day 2. The West Indies were very well lead, alert in the field and their bowlers looked dangerous.

Any score over 200 is hard to chase in the 4th innings of a Test match. West Indies batsmen did a fine job in both innings to push to competitive totals.

It was one of the best Test match wins you could hope to see. Shamal Joseph an absolute breath of fresh air, as was his team. Craigg Braithwaite and Kemar Roach, wonderful leadership on field and off. The press conference after the game with Braithwaite and Joseph a late Christmas present for every cricket lover around the world. Hopefully just in time.

The players want to play Test cricket. The administrators must make it work. There needs to be dedicated windows for Test Cricket, World Cups of the shorter formats and IPL and clever fixturing of the local T20 leagues to make it work with international cricket. It can't be that hard. Cricket has never been richer, the ICC must subsidise the pay of the best 15 cricketers from West Indies, Pakistan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan and Ireland to ensure they are available to play Test cricket for their country.

We have three very good and viable formats. Strike the right balance and we continue to see what we've seen at the Gabba and in India over the weekend.

^^^^^^^

It's the only thing that can keep test cricket alive in 10-15 years time. No changes to rules etc will work.

[FlyingHigh]

They captured the spirit of the great 60-61 Windies tour here.

I can’t remember so much love for an opposition team beating Australia in Australia … ever.

What does that say to us?

I think it is simply Aussies still love and respect the underdog if they are playing with a real spirit.

Funnily enough, during the Tests I wondered if this is what 60-61 was like too. Also, Chappelli used to talk of the rapport between the two sides in the 70's before the agro seem to come into it in the 80's.

Not quite. In Viv Richards' autobiography, Hitting across the line, he called the chapter about the 1975-76 tour 'Fear and Loathing in Australia' which tends to suggest relations were anything but cordial. That series was the unofficial championship at the time and plenty of stuff that wouldn't wash today was said and the intimidation factor of Lillee, Thompson, Walker and Gilmour set the template for two decades of West Indies domination as Lloyd learned his lesson well.

regards,

REB

Yeah, fair point about that series and have heard about Viv's book but haven't read that chapter. I think it was more about off-field camaraderie (possibly 72-73 as well) and both sides being so heavily involved in World Series Cricket.
Chappelli, according to him, was all over potential racism when Pakistan were here a couple years before that.

[Rik E Boy]

According to Viv, Windies were called 'black b+++++++s' routinely during the series.

regards,

REB

[whufc]

According to Viv, Windies were called 'black b+++++++s' routinely during the series.

regards,

REB

Not surprised in the slightest. Go down to the front bar of your local, chat with any of the 70-80 year olds and you will still here some seriously 'colourful' language.

[Rik E Boy]

According to Viv, Windies were called 'black b+++++++s' routinely during the series.

regards,

REB

Not surprised in the slightest. Go down to the front bar of your local, chat with any of the 70-80 year olds and you will still here some seriously 'colourful' language.

Yeah remember my old man and his mates. Different time.

regards,

REB

[Armchair expert]

Bison wins the AB medal

[amber_fluid]

Bison wins the AB medal

Good on him!
Great story
Persisted and never gave up.

[The Dark Knight]

Bison wins the AB medal

Also named ODI player of the year, Lyon named test player of the year and Jason Behrendorff named T20I player of the year.
https://youtu.be/JXvTZiahgLU?si=stxdZ-NuBBQCKOI8

[dedja]

Bison wins the AB medal

Not an important enough event for your mate to turn up?

[Booney]

The players want to play Test cricket. The administrators must make it work. There needs to be dedicated windows for Test Cricket

12 weeks in Northern hemisphere in June-August, 2 x 3 test match series. Sides could play one home and one away.

12 weeks in the Southern hemisphere in December-Feb 2 x 3 test match series. Sides could play one home and one away.

( Or 1 x 5 ).

This leaves Sep-Nov and March-May open for World Cups, IPL and pointless T2o internationals.

[MW]

Bison wins the AB medal

Is this proof that the AB Medal voting system is stuffed?
He clearly was not the best player in 2023...

[whufc]

The players want to play Test cricket. The administrators must make it work. There needs to be dedicated windows for Test Cricket

12 weeks in Northern hemisphere in June-August, 2 x 3 test match series. Sides could play one home and one away.

12 weeks in the Southern hemisphere in December-Feb 2 x 3 test match series. Sides could play one home and one away.

( Or 1 x 5 ).

This leaves Sep-Nov and March-May open for World Cups, IPL and pointless T2o internationals.

Completely agree.

For financial purposes five test series when England, India and Australia play each other are always going to be preferred and do make sense.

However if you were starting test cricket from scratch with no history or financial worries 2 x 3 test series so each nation plays 12 tests a year (4 x 3 test series, 2 series at home, 2 away) would be the perfect test cricket set up.

I would then have the test championship with 12 teams, the current 9 plus Ireland, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe.

That way in theory you could easily play a series against each test nation in 3 years (if my math's is correct)

[whufc]

Bison wins the AB medal

Is this proof that the AB Medal voting system is stuffed?
He clearly was not the best player in 2023...

All the 'best of' type medal systems are somewhat biased and favour a certain type of player.

Brownlow/Daly M favour midfielders
Border Medal will favour 3 format players and in particular gives all rounders a fair crack.

[dedja]

India effectively run world cricket, so unless it’s in their financial interest it’s not going to fly.

Until the ICC grows some balls (ain’t going to happen), expect more of the same.

[MW]

Bison wins the AB medal

Is this proof that the AB Medal voting system is stuffed?
He clearly was not the best player in 2023...

All the 'best of' type medal systems are somewhat biased and favour a certain type of player.

Brownlow/Daly M favour midfielders
Border Medal will favour 3 format players and in particular gives all rounders a fair crack.

True, but rare does a sport have such different formats that can skew the overall result. IMO they are three different awards, leave it as that and no point having an overall award.

[Armchair expert]

Bison wins the AB medal

Is this proof that the AB Medal voting system is stuffed?
He clearly was not the best player in 2023...

Bit of a suprise to me I thought Trav was the likely winner.

[Dinglinga75]

Any coincident that Mitch's game is more free flowing and not restricted since Langer has gone