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3rd Test at Headingley, Leeds

Uppercut

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Great article. I've been thinking a lot about this one in light of Stokes's innings: https://www.ribbonfarm.com/2010/09/14/cricket-as-metaphor/

In classic narrative models, such as Joseph Campbell’s monomyth, there is often a “Valley of Darkness” phase when the hero must struggle alone through a scary set of trials. The emotion and tempo in these narrative phases is one of gritty persistence, and the ability to press on through the darkness, driven only by faith and a sense of bloody-minded relentlessness.

The characteristic feature of such narrative phases is the length. You can’t have a story where you claim there’s a gritty “valley of darkness” phase and it is wrapped up in five minutes. If Frodo, Samwise and Gollum had finished their journey from the border of Mordor to Mount Doom in five minutes, you’d have felt cheated. It is the sheer length of the journey, that sense of hopelessness that descends, that makes it such a critical phase in the “Hero’s Journey” narrative template.

Cricket is the only game I know of that can produce this phase. Where Frodo trudges, burdened by despair, one step at a time, in cricket there’s a phrase used to describe what bowlers must do: “line and length.” For hours bowlers must attack with a very steady, disciplined control, not allowing the ball to stray. The batsmen must remain equally disciplined, resisting the temptation to take unnecessary risks, and milking runs from every loose ball.

There’s plenty of anxious negative space with nothing happening.

Sounds a lot like life itself, doesn’t it?
 

Maximas

Cricketer Of The Year
The image I saw of the tracking had it sort of curving towards middle in a way that looked a bit suspicious, but going by the impact point (which we can assume is correct?) and where the ball pitched the angle seems to be lining up the leg stump
 

Spark

Global Moderator
The image I saw of the tracking had it sort of curving towards middle in a way that looked a bit suspicious, but going by the impact point (which we can assume is correct?) and where the ball pitched the angle seems to be lining up the leg stump
The "curve" at full speed would just be the tiny deflection off the front pad onto the back pad, but it seems that the Hawkeye selected the correct front pad impact point anyway. From there Newton takes over.
 

Maximas

Cricketer Of The Year
The "curve" at full speed would just be the tiny deflection off the front pad onto the back pad, but it seems that the Hawkeye selected the correct front pad impact point anyway. From there Newton takes over.
It was out and 3 reds was correct yeah
 

Jack1

International Debutant
I was at the game. Part of me thinks the innings was incredibly lucky, the other part of me thinks I should appreciate it in full. It's clear England made a mistake saving Leach until 11, even though it paid dividends. I think that Leach should be batting above Archer and Broad if there's a set batsman in. That being said Aussies panicked in the field and overall the biggest chance to seal it was the Lyon run out chance. The lbw didn't look out to me in real time, but part of me thinks the umpire could have taken a guess when England had 2 reviews left. Just one of those things I guess.
 

TheJediBrah

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I was at the game. Part of me thinks the innings was incredibly lucky, the other part of me thinks I should appreciate it in full. It's clear England made a mistake saving Leach until 11, even though it paid dividends. I think that Leach should be batting above Archer and Broad if there's a set batsman in. That being said Aussies panicked in the field and overall the biggest chance to seal it was the Lyon run out chance. The lbw didn't look out to me in real time, but part of me thinks the umpire could have taken a guess when England had 2 reviews left. Just one of those things I guess.
Excellent analysis, good to have you back John
 

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