Cheering the Opposition

[Richard]

Originally Posted by 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.

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]

Originally Posted by GuyFromLancs

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.

[GeraintIsMyHero]

Originally Posted by 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.

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]

Originally Posted by aussie

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

Why did you want Australia to win?

[pasag]

Originally Posted by Richard

You seriously thought there was a serious chance of Australia losing a three-match series at home to West Indies in 2009/10?

Watch the series?

[aussie]

Originally Posted by wfdu_ben91

Why did you want Australia to win?

Wasn't willing to accept AUS losing ATT to anyone TBH. During that period i saw AUS as invincible (which they technically where).

So in a way i did start the series neutral as always, but when ENG began to step up & emotion of IND 2001 came rushing back i was indeed hoping AUS could have stopped ENG a either win or at least draw the series.

[Edged&Taken]

cheering for the opposition ?

[GeraintIsMyHero]

Originally Posted by aussie

Wasn't willing to accept AUS losing ATT to anyone TBH. During that period i saw AUS as invincible (which they technically where).

So in a way i did start the series neutral as always, but when ENG began to step up & emotion of IND 2001 came rushing back i was indeed hoping AUS could have stopped ENG a either win or at least draw the series.

Er no, technically they weren't, seeing as they, you know, lost

[honestbharani]

Originally Posted by Black_Warrior

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.

=== was part of the Chennai crowd in 99.


And yeah, the Chennai crowd has always been a pretty sportiing on most occassions. I loved cheering Healy all the way when he was dismissed after a real good knock in the 98 test.. 90 odd I think it was..