Positive reaction to Twenty20/Pro20 style Cricket in South Africa.

[one_dayer]

Like in England last year the 20 overs version of the game is getting
a positive reaction from the press, here are a few articles.

Take guard, it's a whole new game

Cullinan gives Pro20 Series ten out of ten

Make the popcorn, it's 20 overs action

Hot-dogs in more ways than one

What will the 'old farts' think of this 20-over stuff?

... and then there is the 'old farts' opinion, lol.

Cricket for dummies

 

[Langeveldt]

Good stuff...

I was pretty positive the whole cricketing society over there is more condusive to 20.20 than in England... it was a roaring success in England too...


"BATH A BABE JACCUZIS"... I bet that works well in Centurion.. dont think it will catch on in front of the members at lords though.. :s

 

[a massive zebra]

20/20 Cricket is basically Baseball with stumps.

 

[one_dayer]

20/20 Cricket is basically Baseball with stumps.

lol no it's not, its limited overs cricket, Baseball is a completely different game.

 

[a massive zebra]

lol no it's not, its limited overs cricket, Baseball is a completely different game.

OK its mindless cricket where less skilled players can succeed. For example, Andrew Hall was the most successful 20/20 bowler last year. Since when was his bowling anything special (im not saying he is clueless, he is just nowhere near the best bowler)?

 

[Langeveldt]

OK its mindless cricket where less skilled players can succeed. For example, Andrew Hall was the most successful 20/20 bowler last year. Since when was his bowling anything special (im not saying he is clueless, he is just nowhere near the best bowler)?

Well you dont have to watch it.. Do you not find it entertaining at all? As long as it doesnt get out of hand, i see a very valid place for 20/20..

After all, players arent going to be using any skills they learnt in 20/20 on the test field, so youve got nothing to worry about...

 

[Neil Pickup]

Well you dont have to watch it.. Do you not find it entertaining at all? As long as it doesnt get out of hand, i see a very valid place for 20/20..

After all, players arent going to be using any skills they learnt in 20/20 on the test field, so youve got nothing to worry about...

No aggressive fielding, no super-quick singles, no athletic diving ultra-committed stops, no handling pressure, no improvisation, no quick thinking..

None of that would ever be any use in a Test.

 

[Langeveldt]

No aggressive fielding, no super-quick singles, no athletic diving ultra-committed stops, no handling pressure, no improvisation, no quick thinking..

None of that would ever be any use in a Test.

And none of that is at already prevalent in 45 over cricket that everyone plays anyway....

 

[a massive zebra]

Well you dont have to watch it.. Do you not find it entertaining at all?

I guess im just a purist.

After all, players arent going to be using any skills they learnt in 20/20 on the test field, so youve got nothing to worry about...

Im not so sure. Run rates in Test cricket are much higher than they were 50 years ago. Bowling strike rates are better, too. Much like one-day cricket. 50 years ago it was possible for a world-class bowler to go for less than 2 an over (ie Alan Davidson, Bill O'Reilly), now the best in the world is around 2.3 (Pollock, Murali). Furthermore, take a look at the strike-rate of Shoaib or Bond. You would never find that 50 years ago. Clearly, the invention of one-day cricket has increased the positivity of batting.

This in itself is not a bad thing. I, however, feel that 20/20 cricket might have a damaging effect encouraging the production of mindless sloggers like Afridi, who just belt everything they can reach, irrespective of the quality of the bowling. This could threaten the existence of genuinely great proper Test players like Dravid or Barrington.

The people that go and watch 20/20 cricket and no other type of the game, are not cricket fans, they are almost all working class thrill seakers. If these type of people become the main cricket fan-base, this great game will lose the status it once had, and become football's little bunny.

Sorry if I sound like an old man

 

[DJ]

Since when was Andrew Hall's bowling anything special? Since 20/20 cricket was introduced.

Different forms of cricket will require different skills and will produce a different set of star performers (see Bevan, Michael for further info).

The techniques of Test players will not suffer (except that they will be better equipped to score quickly and hit big when the situation demands). No 'slogger' is ever going to be picked for a Test team, no matter how good he is at 20/20.

 

[luckyeddie]

.

Sorry if I sound like an old man

Leave me alone

 

[marc71178]

Since when was Andrew Hall's bowling anything special? Since 20/20 cricket was introduced.

Didn't look too bad in the Tests over here last summer.

 

[DJ]

Hardly special though. He's an adequate Test performer at best. There are only a handful of bowlers today that you could really call special, and Andrew Hall certainly is not one of them, despite what his mother says.

 

[PY]

Hardly special though. He's an adequate Test performer at best. There are only a handful of bowlers today that you could really call special, and Andrew Hall certainly is not one of them, despite what his mother says.

I'd call him a regulation all-rounder to be honest. In the Freddie mould.

Big hitting batsman and a tight if not penetrative fast-medium bowler.

 

[DJ]

He's a poor man's Jacques Kallis. I'd rather have Freddie than Hall to be honest.

 

[PY]

Well, the mould broke after Freddie.

Have to admit, I probably would take Freddie as well. Done more with the bat recently. Though Hall's 99 a while ago against England was pretty powerful hitting.

 

[DJ]

I suppose it did go some way to making up for his three first ball ducks.

 

[jot1]

I've been watching pro20 cricket (as it's being called here) lately, and I love it. It is fast, exciting and very entertaining. Granted the batting is a bit sloggish (is there such a word?), but the bowling is everything test and ODI bowling is. The field work though, definitively lifts everyone's game. Great stuff for an entertaining night out. Much better than pubhopping and having to cope with amorous drunkies, or night clubbing and having to cope with high flying druggies. Just have to make sure I go out with a guy who loves cricket.

 

[Langeveldt]

I've been watching pro20 cricket (as it's being called here) lately, and I love it. It is fast, exciting and very entertaining. Granted the batting is a bit sloggish (is there such a word?), but the bowling is everything test and ODI bowling is. The field work though, definitively lifts everyone's game. Great stuff for an entertaining night out. Much better than pubhopping and having to cope with amorous drunkies, or night clubbing and having to cope with high flying druggies. Just have to make sure I go out with a guy who loves cricket.

Are you from Gauteng jot?

 

[Scaly piscine]

I personally don't think the SA pitches are as conducive to good Twenty20 cricket as England pitches (it seems you have to be able to muscle the ball around like Pietersen or Kemp in SA, otherwise it's hard to score and hard to get anyone out rather than someone getting themselves out) but it looks like there've been quite a few good close games, anyone know if the crowds have gone up since last season?