Things that matter

[MajGenl.Meade]

I also don't remember your being so fixated on these off brand marginal sports when you were living in Cleveland.....

Come, come dear fellow. During my 30 years in Cleveland, I frequently mentioned the Cleveland Indians, the Cleveland Browns and the Cleveland LeBrons to demonstrate my active interest in off-brand marginal sports. Those names still do occasionally arise.

However, in the land of the stunted sense of sportsmanship there was an appalling paucity of televised sports events that the entire civilized world enjoys - such as real football (foot+ball), real rugby and the most vastly widespread and enjoyable game of cricket.

One is delighted to report that, whatever other failures South African shores may encompass, the enjoyment and open broadcasting of the three major sports which the British Empire spread throughout the worhwhile world is a breath of fresh air.

I did recently watch the 8th and 9th innings of a Bosox/Yankee game; have done my best to follow the golf majors (another world sport that as yet does not have a "World series" confined to U.S. participants [C eh N eh D eh being the 51st state]); and will doubtless enjoy the U.S. Open Tennis next week. I shall even hope that an NFL game may be televised here - although ESPN and ESPN-C have been withdrawn from Africa, Europe and Asia, indicating to me a realisation that the rest of the world doesn't care all that much for minority (i.e. U.S.) sports. Why I've even snoozed through bits of Australian rules football and the Americas Cup.

But back to the things that matter - Gob, that was a gutsy move by the Oz skipper to declare given the odds of a draw, an English victory and an Australian victory in that order with the third option being vanishingly unlikely five minutes after England started their 2nd innings. In the end, "bad light stopped play" saved the Australians from a 4-0 humiliation that would not, by any measure, have been deserved. Very exciting day of cricket that was. Shame it ended on a flat note. But hey - T20, ODIs and another Ashes series in November - can't be bad!

And be it noted (hold your jealous heart at bay Jim) I once patted Fred Trueman on the back. On purpose. Huh? Huh? How about that!!!

Meade

[Gob]

Meade, if I hadn't have been working this morning, I would have stayed up for that. Sounds like a thrilling day's play.

And I will give it to him, for all his faults, that was a gutsy move by Clarke, risking a 4-0 series defeat.

The series down under, starting in Brisbane in November has now got a lot going for it, pride at stake for the home side, and the Ashes to retain by England.

We're going up to Sydney for the final test, and my birthday treat!

[oldr_n_wsr]

I also don't remember your being so fixated on these off brand marginal sports when you were living in Cleveland.....

All he needs is the start of American football to make him "right in the head" again.

[Lord Jim]

I think there's been some serious brain washing going on...

He needs an intervention and de-programming...

[Guinevere]

Agreed.

However, I note that last weekend in Seattle, almost 70K took in a MLS soccer game. . .

[Lord Jim]

BTW Gen'l I didn't want to post a digression in Dale's birthday thread, (I figure given the trivial nature of the subject matter in this thread, it ain't no big thang)

When will all this aging stop?

I notice that you've taken a huge age jump with your avatar...

Looks like you kinda had an emo thing goin' on with the hair there...

[MajGenl.Meade]

That was a school rules thing - hair not permitted below collar length. So if it couldn't go low at the back, I grew it collar length (eventually) in the front - used to sit in class with my hair over my face* and just a nose poking out. Such a rebel!




*teachers thought it an improvement

[Guinevere]

As I said in a different thread when I noticed the new pic:

Kittehs!

[oldr_n_wsr]

However, I note that last weekend in Seattle, almost 70K took in a MLS soccer game. . .

Many years ago the original Cosmos used to fill Giant stadium. I'm sure having Pele and to a lesser extent Shep Messing on the team didn't hurt.
It didn't continue. I went to more than a few Cosmos games, including when the Cosmos played Brazil and Pele switched teams halfway through the game.

[Long Run]

Things are different now, oldr. There is a modest sized fan base for MLS, and it is growing. MLS is here to stay and will continue to get stronger and better. The 67,000 fans at the Seattle match were a unique thing as at least 1/3 of the crowd was from Portland; that migration turned the usual traffic slow down as Seattle-ites return from a weekend away into one hellacious traffic jam. In the end, it was a typical scintillating 1-0 game favoring the home team.

[Gob]

Separated at birth?

Fry...................................................Meade

[MajGenl.Meade]

The difference is that I like pussies

[Gob]

Aaron Finch smashed a world record 156 as Australia beat England by 39 runs in the first of their two Twenty20 internationals in Southampton.

The opener hit 14 sixes and 11 fours in a 63-ball knock to help Australia record their first win of the summer over England and first win in 200 days.

Shane Watson's 16-ball 37 lifted Australia to 248-6 - the second highest T20 international score.

Joe Root scored 90 not out off 49 deliveries as England ended on 209-6.

"Sometimes you have to hold your hands up, it was a magnificent knock by Finch and he won the game for Australia," England captain Stuart Broad told BBC Sport.

"It was incredible striking and to hit 14 sixes in an innings is pretty special. It was amazing to watch but unpleasant to bowl at.

"The crowd will go home happy having seen 460 runs off 40 overs but there are 11 disappointed Englishmen that's for sure."

On any other night, Root and England's effort may well have kept them in touch but Finch's extraordinary innings left them with too tough a target to chase.

[Lord Jim]

The difference is that I like pussies

Well as a cricket fan, that would only stand to reason...

[MajGenl.Meade]

I might be offended LJ...



...except that I like you too much!

[oldr_n_wsr]

I might be offended LJ...



...except that I like you too much!

LJ is a pussy? Who knew?

[Gob]

Oh bollocks!

The first one-day international between England and Australia at Headingley was abandoned without a ball being bowled.

Heavy rain throughout the morning left puddles on the outfield and the umpires called the game off at 13:30 BST.

The two sides will hope for better weather in the second game of the five-match series at Old Trafford on Sunday.

England will be captained by Eoin Morgan in the absence of regular skipper Alastair Cook, who has been rested.

England v Australia ODIs

1st ODI: 6 Sept, Headingley (Match abandoned)

2nd ODI: 8 Sept, Old Trafford

3rd ODI: 11 Sept, Edgbaston

4th ODI: 14 Sept, Cardiff

5th ODI: 16 Sept, Southampton

Batsman Kevin Pietersen is back with the squad after missing the drawn Twenty20 series but James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann and Ian Bell have also been given time off following the Ashes, which England won 3-0.

Their absence has meant call-ups for 19-year-old Somerset pace bowler Jamie Overton and Sussex's 24-year-old Barbados-born paceman Chris Jordan.

Australia have included Aaron Finch, who hit 14 sixes and 11 fours in 156, the highest international Twenty20 score, in the first T20.

Pakistan-born leg-spinner Fawad Ahmed, who made his ODI debut in Tuesday's 200-run win over Scotland, and Josh Hazlewood, a fast bowler who made his debut in 2010 as a 19-year-old but has not featured for three years, are also in the squad.

[Lord Jim]

And I was so hoping that if I just kept my mouth shut and my fingers crossed that we had seen the end of this...

[MajGenl.Meade]

And I was so hoping that if I just kept my mouth shut and my fingers crossed that we had seen the end of this...

Fell at the first hurdle?

In other news that matters, the Boks just ground the Wallabies into Big Macs in Brisbane - an historic first for the underdogs - for whom I have been contending for the past few days with all the naysayers around me who had no faith.

[Lord Jim]