As for Cook, anybody can have a lucky year against mediocre bowling! Well, actually, anybody can have a lucky streak covering 19 test centuries. Well not anybody exactly because not many Englishmen have done it but, well it could just be luck couldn't it? Just like it could be luck that allowed Cook to score the sixth highest score ever in tests by an Englishman. And it could all be down to luck that will see Cook pass the century totals and run totals of all the former greats of the England team.
Cook, he is so fluky isn't he? And Ravi? The guy is clearly a genius, he just needs yet another chance to show it!
"West Ham's former scales-buster Benni McCarthy described me from South Africa as "a devil with tits."
ReplyDeleteNice of him. But Benni, I'm meant to have tits, you aren't!"
Hahaaaaa!
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/sunsport_columnists/3749736/Karren-Bradys-football-diary.html
Cooky is the master at boring the opposition to death!
ReplyDeleteA terrible day's cricket yesterday but that was because India tried to strangle the runs. Cook just took runs with maximum efficiency and minimum risk. It was a Steve Waugh innings. Come on Stani, swallow your pride and hail the guy for his achievements.
ReplyDeletePure greed. Could have left some runs for others...and look what happened when he tried be aggressive! Out! And his jaw's asymmetrical.
ReplyDeleteI have not an ounce of pride.
Not an ounce but a ton, which is why your bathroom scales keep breaking!
ReplyDeleteWhat are you guys going on about? I mean really! This is a football blog. What is this game you call cricket and who in the world really cares? I mean really!
ReplyDeleteThat comment sums up the decline of Greece mate! The Ancients would have loved cricket. Socrates and Aristotle would have written philosophy based upon the nuances of the game.
ReplyDeleteOh Stani, from the previous thread you say
ReplyDelete"No HF, with all due respect I think it’s Travelling Hammer talking the ‘bollocks’ and it gives us an idea of what your opinions are as you’ve called them superb stats. Let’s see how I can put this…not every country has a quality bowling attack all of the time so what exactly was the point of quoting Cook’s averages against those countries? Yep, I thought so."
You then go on to illustrate your point by removing Cook's 110 from his performance against Pakistan, missing the fact that despite his poor form he still managed such a score. Of course in doing this, as an intelligent man, I am sure you were just being provocative as you know you can use statistics to prove any point you wish.
However if not, I thought I was taught at school that the accuracy of the conclusion you draw from statistics was more reliable the greater the sample size becomes, hence cricket analysts tend to use career stats in their final assessment of a players talent rather than a snap shot.
Of course we can all use sub-sets of statistics to make pointless arguments, e.g. remove all of Cook's hundreds (as they must have been made against easy bowling), but do the same to Tendulkar and interestingly they both average around 33, so do we conclude they are as good as one another or do we conclude that all top order batsmen average 33 if they don't get 100?
Finally taking the tactic of your own Pakistan series analysis. In the 1932-33 Ashes series if you take away Bradman's hundred in the 2nd test, he only averaged 37. Not such a great after all then!! (Yes I realise that the historians do not see this as England's finest hour of cricket)
HF, I leave you to explain "Bodyline" to USA Dave, but I guess there are similar misdemeanours in baseball so you should have a start!!
LOL Very good TH. Do you come back to UK to watch cricket from time to time? You forgot to add, by the way, that Tendulkar's average is boosted by the fact that umpires don't dare to give him out LBW in home tests, which is why the Indians don't want referrals for LBW decisions of course!
ReplyDeleteTH, my dear...I agree with you about the sample size in statistical analysis but there is no point using the incorrect sample (however large) to try and argue something. If every country had the same strength seam attack for every time Cooky faced them then your stats would have been highly significant. The fact they haven't had the same strength pace attack means the stats are pointless.
ReplyDeleteI think Tendulkar's overrated anyway :) It's Bradman then Lara :) And Tendulkar's centuries are largely made in losing causes. Then add the fact of India's tactic of designing batsman friendly home tracks and the conclusion is obvious. You can see what he's done here as evidence.
1932? I think I'll leave you and HF to reminisce on that one! Unlike you guys, I was at least 50 years away from my entrance on the bloody stage.
And speaking of the other post...your point about bowlers being knackered come the second new all is garbage HF. The second new ball isn't always taken at the end of a day! And as you've admitted, middle to late order batsmen still have to face it whereas opening batsmen only face the real old ball when they make a large score, hence it's the middle to late order batsmen that require a wider range of skills.
Sav,
Shush! Cricket's a real man's game ;)
End of day or not, the bowlers have still bowled 20 overs and been in the field for a day. That saps the energy!
ReplyDeleteBy the way, you are apparently comparing Cook to Bradman and Lara and conceding that he is in a different class from EVERYBODY else. I think Cook would take third best ever in the history of the game!
ReplyDeleteResident in the UK, actually Sussex, so proud of Mr. Prior's efforts over recent times and incidentally stood next to him one day on the bus out of T5 to the aircraft. Off on travels next week.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with you Stani on the "real mans game" point but would also add "intellectual" as rugby is covered by the former!
57-4, personally hope Sachin gets a 100 if only to provide some entertainment for the crowd, and yes once again in a losing cause!
Sussex. I have suggested to Headmaster taking in a day at the cricket. Fancy it?
ReplyDeleteReal men are intellectual TH!
ReplyDeleteTempted, not been to Hove for a long time, however off to the US for most of the remainder of the season. Cheers all the same..
ReplyDeleteOh that's a pity the 100 100s will have to wait, not sure Swann really intended that!
Good point Stani, Ramadan Kareem, by the way
ReplyDeleteWow, why thank you TH, much appreciated! They're a toughy this year....approx 3:30am to 9pm...about 17 hours! At least my six pack has popped back out!
ReplyDelete