Should the 2013/14 series be the final Ashes series held?

[mullarkey]

I want to ban the English team from ever coming to Australia again because this morning my son came to the breakfast table with earphones. When I asked him something he answered "LaLaLA I can't hear you". I then said "How do you know I'm saying something if you can't hear me?" which was followed by silence. True story.

he needs to learn some manners then.

 

[Burgey]

The day the Ashes is no longer played is the day cricket is no longer played. It won't happen.

 

[Jono]

2 days later Burgey responds to the banned troll. Old man is getting slower.

 

[wiff]

he needs to learn some manners then.

I am Kevin Pietersen's father

 

[archie mac]

I can understand why you are disappointed, believe me so am I, not only with England's heavy defeat but also the open hostility that seems to exist between the two sides. I think back to the first day at Trent Bridge and how excited I was, a feeling that was enhanced by the wonderful atmosphere between the supporters of both teams. The press in England talked of how soccer fans could learn something from this, a sentiment I agree with (and I speak as a seasoned soccer fan). I must say I despise (the 's' word) but it depresses me that I seem to be in a minority when I speak with other fans about it.
We must hope that common sense prevails and the players of both sides will conduct themselves in a better manner. To me Michael Clarke's on-field words are merely silly and childish while Jimmy Anderson's behavior, even in low key county championship matches, is extremely irritating, he is the new Glen Mcgrath who's behavior I also despised. Adelaide can't come quick enough for me though because England and Australia? Nothing like it.

Good post. McGrath was annoying and then when it was given back he lost the plot

Ok a bit of devil's advocate here.

There seems to be a common consensus that the OP is completely wrong, the writer's head is in the clouds, cricket has been Total War for a hundred years or more, and maybe even that the OP is by a wind-up merchant. Well, all that may be true. The author was a banned multi and the OP a bit too long to bother reading fully.

But I have two questions:

1. Is it really the case that the sort of sledging and behaviour that we see now, and that's been seen since the 1970s onwards, has always been there? I'm sure that in the 1900s there would have been the odd comment passed ("a fine ****ing way to start a series" etc), but my impression is that it's nothing compared with what we see nowadays. I'd be interested in what our more historically-minded folks (I'm thinking archie and fred, but there are many others) have to say about this.

2. Why is it that sledging - "mental disintegration" or whatever you want to call it - is regarded by everyone as so fundamental to this sport? I mean, isn't it meant to be a test of batsman against bowler? Of how these players execute their skills? Instead, it seems to have become a test of how they execute their skills while the opposition is trying to put them off. Now you can say, "it's a man's game and if you want to be a ****ing pansy you can try needlework", as if that's some kind of answer. But is it really somehow more manly to try to put your opponent off when you're playing sport?

Now I like a bit of needle* as much as the next guy (and have enjoyed a fair amount of on-field banter in my time), but I am genuinely interested in the answer to those questions.

It was becoming pretty bad in the late 70s and into the 80s. The send off was a big one. I think Lillee was the worst though Thommo and Tong Greig were not far behind with their antics. The fact they needed to bring in a match referee after over 100 years with out one says it all really

 

[fredfertang]

Ok a bit of devil's advocate here.

There seems to be a common consensus that the OP is completely wrong, the writer's head is in the clouds, cricket has been Total War for a hundred years or more, and maybe even that the OP is by a wind-up merchant. Well, all that may be true. The author was a banned multi and the OP a bit too long to bother reading fully.

But I have two questions:

1. Is it really the case that the sort of sledging and behaviour that we see now, and that's been seen since the 1970s onwards, has always been there? I'm sure that in the 1900s there would have been the odd comment passed ("a fine ****ing way to start a series" etc), but my impression is that it's nothing compared with what we see nowadays. I'd be interested in what our more historically-minded folks (I'm thinking archie and fred, but there are many others) have to say about this.

I don't think so - the "Ikin incident" in 46/47 was to all intents and purposes the same as the Broad one from this summer and had nothing like the same ramifications

 

[91Jmay]

Any Australians I decide to assault randomly will be done on there own merits, not because of any comments made by the England or Australian cricket team.

 

[Burgey]

*their

 

[Furball]

10 garden gnomes for fielders

One Shane Watson is enough, thank you.

 

[mullarkey]

Good post. McGrath was annoying and then when it was given back he lost the plot



It was becoming pretty bad in the late 70s and into the 80s. The send off was a big one. I think Lillee was the worst though Thommo and Tong Greig were not far behind with their antics. The fact they needed to bring in a match referee after over 100 years with out one says it all really

McGrath is probably flitting around various stations in the ground and one of those is TMS both during the English summer and this series. He is a man, who despite what I have said about his (sometimes) poor conduct is a very interesting great ex-player to listen to and I look forward to hearing more from him in the times ahead. We know he and his poor departed wife and children have had much sadness to cope with but just wish I could remember his brilliant career without that awful 's' word.

 

[Furball]

I don't think so - the "Ikin incident" in 46/47 was to all intents and purposes the same as the Broad one from this summer and had nothing like the same ramifications

Without clicking the link (I'm lazy) that's the Bradman catch where he didn't walk and wasn't given wasn't it?

Put the lack of ramifications down to the (relative) lack of media. The only people who would have likely seen the incident would have been people at the ground and people who watched newsreels at the cinema.

I think we can also put the lack of ramifications down to it being an Australian. There's a common theme here - Lillee and Thomson in 74/75 - good hard Test cricket. Bodyline - unfair, against the spirit of the game. Bradman doesn't walk - no incident. Broad doesn't walk - uproar.

It's because Australians are a bunch of whingers.

 

[benchmark00]

McGrath is probably flitting around various stations in the ground and one of those is TMS both during the English summer and this series. He is a man, who despite what I have said about his (sometimes) poor conduct is a very interesting great ex-player to listen to and I look forward to hearing more from him in the times ahead. We know he and his poor departed wife and children have had much sadness to cope with but just wish I could remember his brilliant career without that awful 's' word.

I am without words.

 

[Furball]

I am without words.

Do us a favour and stay that way for the rest of the series.

 

[Jono]

its getting hot in here!

 

[archie mac]

Without clicking the link (I'm lazy) that's the Bradman catch where he didn't walk and wasn't given wasn't it?

Put the lack of ramifications down to the (relative) lack of media. The only people who would have likely seen the incident would have been people at the ground and people who watched newsreels at the cinema.

I think we can also put the lack of ramifications down to it being an Australian. There's a common theme here - Lillee and Thomson in 74/75 - good hard Test cricket. Bodyline - unfair, against the spirit of the game. Bradman doesn't walk - no incident. Broad doesn't walk - uproar.

It's because Australians are a bunch of whingers.

Bradman didn't think he was out and either did the umpire or non striker. Broad new he hit it. Not that I thought he should have walked anyway.

Bodyline and Lillianthompson were not even close to the same thing.

Snow bowled a lot of bouncers in 1970-71, no complaints from memory.

If you're going to post silly things at least make them plausible.

 

[fredfertang]

Bradman didn't think he was out and either did the umpire or non striker. Broad new he hit it. Not that I thought he should have walked anyway.

Bodyline and Lillianthompson were not even close to the same thing.

Snow bowled a lot of bouncers in 1970-71, no complaints from memory.

If you're going to post silly things at least make them plausible.

I think there were weren't there? That was when that photo was taken of Snow being grabbed by the fans when he was fielding on the boundary and Illingworth either did or threatened to take England off

 

[Burgey]

Illingworth took England off after Jenner was hit by Snow. When Snow went to field on the boundary at fine leg at the end of the over he was booed and abused by a couple of spectators, so he did the smart thing and walked up to them to remonstrate with them. They grabbed his shirt and then there were a few bottles thrown on the ground.

Illingworth rightly took his team from the field until their safety could be guaranteed.

Security wasn't what it is now. This fact was borne out by my grandfather who, during a test in the 60s when there was a delay decided the light was now good enough for him to leave the bar in the Bradman Stand at the SCG mid afternoon and go and inspect the wicket. Finding it satisfactory for play according to his standards, he apparently walked towards the Members' Pavilion to tell both teams the ground was fine and he'd played on a lot worse.

He didn't quite make it.

 

[Adders]

If that's a true story thats an absolute pisser!! And good to know you're not the first in the family with inflated ideas of your own importance

 

[archie mac]

I think there were weren't there? That was when that photo was taken of Snow being grabbed by the fans when he was fielding on the boundary and Illingworth either did or threatened to take England off

Haha, well there was that. I was referring to the Aussie players and the media. Chappelli and the rest thought he was a great bowler. Even Jenner said the hit he took was his own fault. Snow liked to antagonise the crowd. I think if he was playing now he would be public enemy No.1 for the Aussie fans.

 

[Burgey]

If that's a true story thats an absolute pisser!! And good to know you're not the first in the family with inflated ideas of your own importance

I've had that story confirmed to me by three different sources so I suspect it's true. He used to take the kids in the cricket team he coached to the test or a big shield game every year.

My grandfather was one of those blokes who knew everyone. I mean everyone. You'd walk into the scg and within 10 steps he'd be talking to some bloke he knew which generally led to him being in the bar for the next few hours.

Legend of a bloke. Greatest man I've ever met.