You could add Easter Sunday to that too.
Any MS pals enjoying Boxing Day today? 
Thoughts on what we’re seeing? One quick comment: phew with the wicket, actually rather impressed, not amazing, but even Ponting is praising it. And Boland and Green, the rising stars keep impressing on the big stage 
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Scotty is 33 - imagine if he’d played earlier!
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Yeah in the current squad that is
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It’s been a very low-key Test summer due to the quality of the opposition. We all talk about the decline of West Indies cricket over the last couple of decades, but the fall in the quality of South African batting since the retirements of de Villiers, Amla, and du Plessis has been alarming. They are truly scraping the bottom of the barrel to find test class batsmen. I was really looking forward to this series given the bowlers in both line-ups but it’s been depressingly one-sided. Next season isn’t going to be better with the West Indies touring again.
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Sure, but I for one have still been enjoying this Boxing Day Test, probably a lot of factors for that too, but easily the best of the 4 that have been played so far and makes up for the hilarity of the last one at the 'Gabba with that wicket. I also think the Aussies have significantly improved this test, namely the veteran reliables, Warner’s historic double century today a highlight.
Fifth Test at SCG will be interesting.
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Sydney Thunder thumped Brisbane Heat by ten wickets in tonight’s BBL match at Sydney Showground, reaching the target of 122 in the 12th over. It was a huge turnaround from two weeks ago when the Thunder were bowled out for 15 at the same venue.
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It was briefly mentioned earlier during the 7 broadcast that today is the 10 year anniversary of the passing of Tony Greig. I knew it had been some time, but I can’t believe it has already been 10 years.
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Australia thrashed South Africa by an innings and 182 runs in the second test at the MCG this afternoon. The result sees the Aussies winning their first home test series against SA since 2006. It is also the Proteas’ biggest test loss in Australia.
Australia’s big win was set up in the first innings thanks to David Warner’s double hundred (in his 100th test match) and wicketkeeper Alex Carey’s maiden test century. However the victory also comes at a cost with Mitchell Starc and Cameron Green to miss the third test in Sydney next week, both suffering finger injuries.
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Was this out? By your personal opinion.
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This could be interesting to watch how it plays out.
India-Pakistan Test at the MCG - MCC and Victoria government show interest
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My radical view is that it should be out even if it did hit bat first.
I don’t get the logic that you can take a bat-pad catch and be out, but a pad can get in the way of edging onto the stumps and it’s not out. If there’s enough doubt of the order of bat or pad, then the batter didn’t hit the ball away from the stumps so it would likely have gone on to hit the stumps.
We give batters way too much benefit of the doubt.
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I know they had a great crowd for the World Cup T20 game but sustaining that across a 5 day Test that has a bit less meaning is a challenge.
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There’s a huge Indian population in Melbourne and they’ll go to anything related to cricket so I don’t think they’ll have too many issues for crowds compared to many other countries if they’d tried to run similar.
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I doubt they’d expect 90k each day, but I’d say 150k across a 5 day test would be achievable if they pick the right time to play it. A d/n slot could also work to make viewing times more friendly on the subcontinent.
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Yes - clearly hits the toe first
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Will be fun to see an IND-PAK series in Australia
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There was controversy during tonight’s BBL Melbourne derby at the MCG. In the 20th and final over of Renegades innings, Stars captain Adam Zampa attempted a Mankad, running out Renegades batter Tom Rogers at the non-striker’s end. However the TV umpire said that Zampa completed his bowling action before going back and hit the stumps, so Rogers was ruled not out.
Rogers had the last laugh, taking 5/16 as the Stars were restricted to 9/108, losing the match by 33 runs.
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