Cheering the Opposition

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

WI played well enough (although some could argue AUS played below par) to win the 2nd & 3rd tests.

You could definitely argue the Aussies were below par. They allowed WI back into the 3rd Test. No question about it. WI were dead and Australia refused to bury them. What WI did with that lifeline was quite admirable though.

 

[aussie]

And who you've chosen to support this time?

What do you mean by "this time"?

 

[aussie]

You could definitely argue the Aussies were below par. They allowed WI back into the 3rd Test. No question about it. WI were dead and Australia refused to bury them. What WI did with that lifeline was quite admirable though.

Word..

 

[Richard]

What do you mean by "this time"?

You often seem to support all of England, West Indies and Australia, and when they're pitted against one-another it sometimes seems a toss-up who you're supporting.

 

[aussie]

You often seem to support all of England, West Indies and Australia, and when they're pitted against one-another it sometimes seems a toss-up who you're supporting.

I support ENG & AUS in cricket. But when they clash in Ashes series i've seen from 97-2009 i dont support anyone of these teams - but rather good cricket. (except for 05 Ashes when i did want AUS to win).

I never support WI. I just have a soft spot & strong interest & understanding in what happens with them by default. Since culturally thanks to family, i am heavily linked to the WI.

 

[Uppercut]

Graeme Smith coming out to bat at the SCG with a broken hand is the notable recent example of this. The whole Aussie crowd seemed to get behind him. The whole context of that match- the dead rubber, the quality of cricket throughout the series- contributed to that though. It's a very, very unique set of circumstances where fans will actually cheer for the other team.

Funnily enough, I don't know of too many English players during my time that stir the senses in quite the same way. KP is one, maybe Simon Jones when the force was with him, Gough at a stretch, but after those...?

You can't help but get a bit swept away with the current attack when they do that Power Rangers transformation thing where they all turn into all-time great bowlers for one session.

 

[Richard]

Graeme Smith coming out to bat at the SCG with a broken hand is the notable recent example of this. The whole Aussie crowd seemed to get behind him. The whole context of that match- the dead rubber, the quality of cricket throughout the series- contributed to that though. It's a very, very unique set of circumstances where fans will actually cheer for the other team.

I wonder if that applause was actually "we're hoping you don't get out because you deserve not to for showing that sort of selflessness" or whether it was just "we're recognising and admiring your selflessness, but we still want you to get out".

I'd interpret "cheering for the oppositon" as actually actively wanting their players to do well - and thus, by chain, their team. Merely acknowledging the calibre of their play and\or their conduct is a bit different - any decent set of fans should IMO do that and if they don't they're not fans of the game but merely of their team.

 

[Uppercut]

I'm aware, but there did genuinely seem to be a lot of fans at the ground who wanted to see Smith bat the last few overs out.

 

[zaremba]

I was at Edgbaston last summer and saw Ponting getting booed to the crease, which was much reported and condemned by some as an act of unspeakable crassness by lager-lout England cricket fans. What was less reported was the fact that during that innings he went on to pass 20,000 FC runs and to become Australia's record run-scorer and both achievements were greeted by standing ovations from the entire ground - including those who had booed him to the crease.

Basically cricket fans (in the places where I've watched cricket, at least) are sporting and fair. The contrast with football is pretty stark.

 

[Uppercut]

Basically cricket fans (in the places where I've watched cricket, at least) are sporting and fair. The contrast with football is pretty stark.

Completely true, in this country anyway.

 

[Richard]

I was at Edgbaston last summer and saw Ponting getting booed to the crease, which was much reported and condemned by some as an act of unspeakable crassness by lager-lout England cricket fans. What was less reported was the fact that during that innings he went on to pass 20,000 FC runs and to become Australia's record run-scorer and both achievements were greeted by standing ovations from the entire ground - including those who had booed him to the crease.

Basically cricket fans (in the places where I've watched cricket, at least) are sporting and fair. The contrast with football is pretty stark.

Perfect working example of what I was talking about in my previous post.

Applauding and acknowledging a player's excellence and revelling in their success and cheering them on to more of it are different things.

 

[Black_Warrior]

Just reminded myself of something when I made a post on India's tour of England in the summer of 2007. It's not often I cheer the oppoistion in any cirumstances, but I can think of one significant time I did it in this tour:

- I was on my hols in Tenerife with the missus, and got talking to another Lancastrian who happend to be a cricket fan also. I mentioned the match that was taking place between England and India at Trent Bridge I think it was. He told me their was an Irish pub down the road that had Sky Sports so we went and caught India's superb batting performance in which all but 1 (Wasim Jaffer) of the top 8 scored a half century and Kumble made 110, his first century in 118 tests and 17 years. Even as a (drunk by this time) England fan I wanted him to make the 100 when he got to the 75 mark and cheered robustly when he made a century.

Goes to show that cricket can unite people from opposing sides in a way in which football (my other favourite sport) rarely does.

Totally..not sure about football but cricket definitely does. I still remember the sight in Chennai in 99 when Pakistan won a nail biting test match by 12 runs after India went down fighting..and the Chennai crowd gave Wasim Akram's team a standing ovation..
Also I was pleasantly surprised to see the crowd in Pakistan cheer for the Indian team when someone got a hundred in 2004.. It was truly a beautiful thing.

 

[four_or_six]

People who thought Ponting got boo'ed badly last summer should have been at the T20 world cup match day I went to last year that was 90% India fans, and the other match going on had Pakistan in. I've never heard anything like the booing that Afridi came out to in my life. Incredible.

 

[four_or_six]

On the subject of the thread... I cheered when Watson bounced out Flintoff in the ODI in the Champions Trophy in 2006, totally as a natural reaction. Then I felt really terrible about it for ages afterwards.

 

[GIMH]

I was at Edgbaston last summer and saw Ponting getting booed to the crease, which was much reported and condemned by some as an act of unspeakable crassness by lager-lout England cricket fans. What was less reported was the fact that during that innings he went on to pass 20,000 FC runs and to become Australia's record run-scorer and both achievements were greeted by standing ovations from the entire ground - including those who had booed him to the crease.

Basically cricket fans (in the places where I've watched cricket, at least) are sporting and fair. The contrast with football is pretty stark.

Football fans can be fair as well tbh. We drew with Yeovil last season, the point kept them up. It was their last away game so their players were on at the end applauding their fans and they got a standing ovation from all of ours. Have seen various similar instances of this, alas they are outnumbered by the uglier side of things I guess!

I booed Ponting on at Headingley with all the venom in the world, gave him an enormous ovation as he left though because he had put on a masterclass.

 

[_Ed_]

Was proud to be part of a standing ovation for Hayden down in Hamilton after his 181* in an ODI. Don't like the guy, but **** he earned that - broken toe and all.

 

[Burgey]

Tendulkar got a valedictory tour around Australia last time India was here - cheered him to the wicket every time, and then again at the end of his innings' - and he scored heaps against the hosts.

Was a nice touch I thought.

 

[Julian87]

Zimbabwe against Aus, obv.

 

[pasag]

Was just reading that McGrath always loved getting booed because it meant he mattered. He said his worst nightmare is noone caring about him enough to boo him.

 

[wfdu_ben91]

(except for 05 Ashes when i did want AUS to win).

Why did you want Australia to win?