Test XI for The Last Quarter Century

[cnerd123]

Just like your posts.

Look if you have something to say then say it to me. The fact that you’re making insecure indirect comments just makes you look like a coward.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Look if you have something to say then say it to me. The fact that you’re making insecure indirect comments just makes you look like a coward.

well he is a lawyer

 

[Burgey]

Look if you have something to say then say it to me. The fact that you’re making insecure indirect comments just makes you look like a coward.

How were the hot springs?

 

[cnerd123]

How were the hot springs?

Delightful tbh

Best part is the one cold spring after all the hot ones. It's tough, but once you get out of that you feel so refreshed and energetic. Skin becomes so smooth too.

 

[Mr Miyagi]

Unless a player takes strain from overall workload, I doubt there is too much of a relationship between keeping and batting average in ODIs. Time on the field as you say.

Sanga averaged less with the bat in ODIs when he didn't have the gloves. But this is early in his career when he wasn't the bat he became. There's no correlation between Sangas batting performance in ODIs + tests for keeping/not keeping, but there is one for batting performance by age.

There is a definite relationship between batting position and average in ODIs. In general, the higher you bat, the higher you average. Partly a result of having time to build an innings, but partly a result of putting your best bats near the top. As Sanga improved, he got shifted up the order. This probably created what looked like a positive feedback loop, and boosted his stats more than his improvement alone did. What was the relative impact of his improvement and his changing batting position? No way to tell, but he would never have moved up the order in the first place if he had not improved.

In tests, I would think there is a disadvantage to batting up the order. I don't think his performances improved from batting at 3. He was batting at 3 because his potential to perform improved. In

Sorry was in the car before and missed this. Young Sanga averages more in say his first career half (78 till 31 Dec 2006 and 84 mid 2008) when playing as a non keeper than he does in the next career half years as a non-keeper.

I agree that batsmen many, maybe the majority, have peak periods and what not. There's the initial spark to keep them in the team coupled with/or just the promise on talent and the steady climb till they peak and then trail off later in their career. But saying this for Sanga isn't shown as a batsman alone by age in tests. He was doing huge numbers quite young in his career as a specialist bat when playing as one, bigger in the first half than the second half in terms of years.

Sanga was kicking off big time as a specialist batsman right from the get go in tests.

 

[Burgey]

Delightful tbh

Best part is the one cold spring after all the hot ones. It's tough, but once you get out of that you feel so refreshed and energetic. Skin becomes so smooth too.

Was it a pilgrimage or were you looking to heal yourself?

 

[cnerd123]

Was it a pilgrimage or were you looking to heal yourself?

Aren't those both the same thing?

It's was just a weekend get away. It's very normal here in HK to have micro vacations. We don't get a lot of days off but do happen to have access to one of the best airports in the world. So we do what we can. Not sure if Australia has a similar culture, you guys probably just travel within the country more.

 

[Burgey]

I suppose you can have a pilgrimage without healing yourself.

Yeah, given the distance we tend to do weekends within the country rather than travel overseas, NZ aside. It's only a 3-4 hour flight from Sydney so a weekend there is doable. Am hoping to be going to Queenstown in July for a four dayer.

Mudgee was awesome btw. Would recommend to anyone wanting a long weekend out of Sydney. A lot better than the Hunter, which is a bit like Indian cricket - been there a long time without doing much, but now tarted up and really uppity.

 

[cnerd123]

What I don't like about travelling within the country -and that's possible in HK despite the small size; the outlying islands make for nice weekend holiday spots- is that I'm still reachable by phone and people expect me to respond to messages and take calls and such.

Leaving the country is freeing in that way - I'm off the grid until I return. Sure I still have internet access, but it's not a granted, and I can always just act like I didn't and no one would think twice.

I also do like the feeling of being somewhere where I don't speak the language (and am not expected to), where no one knows me, and there is no risk of bumping into someone I recognize.

I suppose all of that's possible in Australia too tbh. It's not like you all speak real English anyways, and do you guys actually have internet outside of the main cities? Plus the added threat of potentially dying from a spider bite is exciting i suppose.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Aren't those both the same thing?

It's was just a weekend get away. It's very normal here in HK to have micro vacations. We don't get a lot of days off but do happen to have access to one of the best airports in the world. So we do what we can. Not sure if Australia has a similar culture, you guys probably just travel within the country more.

We get 4-5 weeks annual leave a year, do you guys generally get less?

And yeah Australia is practically one big holiday destination as it is, but most people still try to head overseas at least once a year. Fiji is another popular one, also ~4 hours flight.

 

[cnerd123]

We get 4-5 weeks annual leave a year, do you guys generally get less?

And yeah Australia is practically one big holiday destination as it is, but most people still try to head overseas at least once a year. Fiji is another popular one, also ~4 hours flight.

2 weeks of annual leave in HK is the norm for a big company and a 'proper' job that requires a degree/qualifications. Lots of people get 10 days or less. If you're getting 4-5 weeks you're in the extreme, extreme minority.

 

[Burgey]

We go to NZ to find people who don't speak English....

It'd be rpetty easy to fall off the grid in China wouldn't it? Just post something politically controversial and you'd be off for good.

It's really more snakes than spiders once you're away from the coastal fringes. I was chatting with a wine maker on the weekend who had a beautiful Sharpei at his cellar door. He was saying he hasn't had a dog last more than five years because of the Eastern Browns. Fortunately it isn't snake season atm, as we had Indie and Ace with us, who are both stupid enough to try to take one of those bloody things on. Have to watch for them in Spring apparently.

Internet is mostly ok. Would have been a lot better if the current govt hadn't deliberately bastardised the NBN project though. Mobile reception is pretty patchy between towns once you're west of Lithgow. Also, certain providers don't work well in certain parts of the country. I was in northern Tassie a few years back and had no mobile reception with Vodafone, as only Telstra was available in that part of the island. Part of living in a country bigger than a postage stamp I suppose.

 

[Burgey]

We get 4-5 weeks annual leave a year, do you guys generally get less?

And yeah Australia is practically one big holiday destination as it is, but most people still try to head overseas at least once a year. Fiji is another popular one, also ~4 hours flight.

Yeah Fiji is a great joint. Pricier than SE Asian destinations but a lot closer for many people, and certainly a shitload cheaper than the Qld islands

 

[TheJediBrah]

2 weeks of annual leave in HK is the norm for a big company and a 'proper' job that requires a degree/qualifications. Lots of people get 10 days or less. If you're getting 4-5 weeks you're in the extreme, extreme minority.

Damn that's harsh. You'd want to make the most of them then wouldn't you.

 

[Burgey]

If I have a week I'd definitely do a SE Asian destination from Australia though. Value for money is ridiculous compared with almost anywhere else that isn't Mexico, and that's a crazy distance to travel for a week. Bali, Boroki, Thailand, Vietnam. All awesome destinations imo.

 

[cnerd123]

Damn that's harsh. You'd want to make the most of them then wouldn't you.

Yea. Parts of mainland China, Macau, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Taiwan, Vietman, Philippines...all these nearby destinations are extremely popular for weekend trips. Take the Friday/Monday off, leave as early in the morning as possible and make sure you land in HK with enough time to get a full night's sleep, and off back to work the very next morning. Or you take a bunch of leaves around the Christmas/Easter/CNY public hols and have a 'proper' vacation that way.

It's why I can't see myself making a journey out to Australia or Europe, let alone the Americas, any time soon.

 

[Burgey]

Thank Dog for that.

 

[cnerd123]

Australia would be lucky to have me grace her shores tbh.

 

[Burgey]

Shame you don’t get enough time off to come here by boat

 

[cnerd123]

Australia would be lucky to have me grace her shores tbh.