Welcome in MI Melbourne.
1 Like
But they’re combining staff?
1 Like
But it’s not a merger. They’re closing the two clubs, and combining (yes I guess merging) the staff that are on CV’s payroll, and starting a new club. It’s not like they’re merging the Lions and the Bears. The current Stars players (or the Renegades depending on which list they like the most I guess) will be with the new team, the other squad will be with the external buyer’s team.
1 Like
Keep the Thunder. Sell the Sixers. 
I am fairly sure that Cricket Victoria will not have gone down this route have the Stars and Renegades each managed to snare 2-3 BBL titles.
1 Like
Could have been so so different if they hadn’t sacked the boards and brought them in house after they both reached the final in 2019.
4 Likes
This afternoon’s meeting is a critical one for the future of cricket in Australia.
— Tom Morris (@tommorris32) June 3, 2026
QLD instigated the phone hook-up with five states, didn’t invite Victoria “due to the nature of the discussion”, and expressed disappointment with the merger of the Stars and Renegades.
Stay… https://t.co/ixryB59RMD
NSW, QLD and SA have asked to meet with Cricket Australia tomorrow to understand the current state of play amid the privatisation debate.
— Tom Morris (@tommorris32) June 3, 2026
This follows 👇 yesterday. These states are adamant they were caught off guard by CV’s decision to merge the Renegades & Stars. @1116sen… https://t.co/IMWJi5aeVj
NSW, Queensland and South Australia meet after bombshell call on Stars and Renegades
Australian cricket could be about to explode into a state of civil war, with rival states meeting to vent their anger at Cricket Victoria’s call to shut down the Renegades and Stars
1 Like
Australia reached 2/98 at the start of 23rd over, before losing the next eight wickets for 59 runs.
On the rain affected opening day of the first test at Lord’s, England were bowled out for 140, before ripping through New Zealand’s batting order to have the team at 6/20. The Blackcaps were 6/61 at stumps.
2 Likes
Wickets continued falling like leaves in the England-New Zealand test.
Following the conclusion of day 2, England’s second innings finished at 226 and New Zealand’s is at 3-36.
The test continues tonight and, if necessary, tomorrow.
Yeah I haven’t been watching, I just being listening to very small snippets on the BBC needing a VPN. It’s annoying the VPN bit , is the wicket really bad or is it just bad batting? I have to find coverage without a VPN.
1 Like
England and Wales Cricket Board posts daily highlights of the test match on its YouTube channel.
1 Like
The pitch is a bit ordinary but gee whiz, there’s been some typically lackadaisical batting from both sides. This is the new normal in test cricket outside Asia (Asian pitches are usually batter friendly, at least until the fourth/fifth day).
‘Test cricket for the TikTok generation’ is a fine way of putting it.
I am refusing to watch any more franchise T20 cricket as a result. I will wallow in the nostalgia of past games instead, thanks to Cricket Gold and others on YouTube. If test cricket is like this from now on I will have to abandon the game altogether.
2 Likes
Yeah it’s a shame. Where is the longevity in batting? Let us see if New Zealand can win tonight.
1 Like
They showed stalwarts like Geoff Boycott and Mike Gatting in the crowd yesterday; I wonder what they make of it all (especially Boycott…the current style of play would be totally anathema to him).
1 Like
Yeah, I feel the same way unfortunately. This style of Test cricket leaves me cold, it’s close to being unwatchable.
1 Like
Similar to the MCG debacle on Boxing Day, the pitch is bad but the batting has not been up to test standard from either side.
3 Likes
Melbourne’s new BBL team name is likely to be called the Rangers, the Magic or the Blazers.
The Rangers is the hot favourite (according to respected cricket writer Dan Cherny), however, cricket fans are unimpressed and are slightly baffled as to why the Bushrangers, the former nickname of Victoria’s state team, is on the nose.
Cricket Victoria believes ‘the Bushrangers’ name is not gender appropriate, even though Australia does have several high-profile female Bushrangers from the past, including Mrs Winter, Elizabeth Jessie Hickman (The Lady Bushranger) and Mary Cockerill (‘Black Mary’).
3 Likes
England still need five wickets to win the test, after day 3 was affected by rain. Only 9.8 overs were bowled, in which the Blackcaps lost another two wickets to be 5/55 at stumps.
1 Like