Cricket

they did it!

Woo!

I claim (potentially spurious) Afghan heritage so they're my joint second team. Delighted they beat Australia's B squad today.

Shade thrown

Boyd Rankin, good Ulsterman

looking forward to Afghanistan knocking out England in the Super Sixes

Smith should resign, he's an appalling cheat.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/43526870

Australia's Cameron Bancroft has admitted he tampered with the ball during the third Test against South Africa - and captain Steve Smith says he knew of the plan in advance.

Smith said it was a "big mistake" but added he would not stand down.

He said the team's "leadership group" had spoken about it and "thought it was a way to get an advantage".

loooooooool

'lol england' vs 'lol australia'

cheating will kill cricket. Bradman will be birling in his grave

guy who played in Bodyline tour freaked out by ball-tampering

stepping down.... for rest of match. Fuck that, life bans required!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/43533070

'life bans' is ridiculous

this is all really funny though

ICC off the money

xp

not when they're aussies :D

I feel sorry for Bancroft and think he should face no further punishment but Smith should never play for Aus again, Warner should be sacked too along with lehman. Who else is in the 'leadership' group?

Smith deserves as long an ICC ban as Afridi got when he spun his spikes on the pitch that one time - I'd even say the Afridi one was worse. However, Australia can do what they like re: selecting him

remember when Lehman wanted the Aussie public to abuse broad and send him home crying?

I should imagine he's going to be laughing until he goes home now

Unless we see a Malan 150 today, England in not much position to brag about the cricketing side of things

England will lose but broad will still be lolling at Aussie cheats

Also, Afghanistan lazily swatting the Windies away today. What a force they could be if they've learnt how to chase targets!

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/mar/25/steve-smith-must-go-australia-jason-gillespie

Footage has since emerged which it is alleged shows Bancroft putting sugar in his pocket during the Ashes, while Vaughan has highlighted the amount of tape certain Australia players wore on their fingers during the series. Both could be used to affect the condition of the ball.

Vaughan, who captained England to an Ashes series victory in 2005, told BBC Radio 5 live's Tuffers and Vaughan Show: "I cannot think that has been come up with over lunch in Cape Town.

"I look at the amount of tape some of the fielders have worn, particularly during the Ashes series at mid-on and mid-off. You don't have to name names, they know who they are.

"I am pretty sure it was going on throughout the Ashes series - but it was not the reason England lost 4-0. They still would have lost the series."

He added: "One unwritten rule is that you do not take an object out there to tamper with the ball. I am pretty sure the Australians and the players involved in that leadership group will face the consequences."

Vaughan is not the only former international cricketer to have his suspicions, with former South Africa fast bowler Fanie de Villiers saying he told camera operators to keep an eye on the Australians in the field while commentating in Cape Town.

"I said earlier on, that if they could get reverse swing in the 26th, 27th, 28th over then they are doing something different from what everyone else does," De Villiers told RSN Radio.

"We actually said to our cameramen: 'Go out (and) have a look, boys. They're using something.'

"They searched for an hour and a half until they saw something and then they started following Bancroft and they actually caught him."

does anybody believe Boof didn't know? I sure don't and I don't think the Aussie public does either.

It also seems like Warner is the chief culprit. Cant see him playing for Australia again nor Smith. They will taint any team from now on if they play.

It's hard to believe that Lehmann didn't know, but the team culture review that's going to happen should be enough to end his tenure before his contract runs out, after next year's Ashes.

I think that Smith will play at the highest level again, but won't be captaining his grade side let alone Australia. Warner will hit the KP/Gayle T20 circuit sooner rather than later. The threat for the other players and staff is that Warner might take a few down with him if told outright that his international career is over.

so game on at Malahide then...

Is it ever

If this doesn't bring Slop back to ILX, nothing will

Surprised Tom hasn't posted yet either

I only just noticed and an actual Scotsman scored 140 no, not an Aussie or a Springbok or whatever.

there must be some Scot-fixing going on here!

gadzooks!

Sweet of England to let Scotland get 371 really

Let's see if they can finish it by the 40th over, just for laughs

;)

lol

lol indeed

Oh my good God. Athers, Blowers, Boycs, Belly, Beefy, we gave your boys a hell of a beating.

Looks like a decent track, Brian.

watching this rather than the wc tbh

i know this is fast-food nonsense but

world record!

This is fucking mental.

Let's see those Australia faces.

Everything's coming up England!

LOL England.

maybe get somebody involved who gives a shit about Test cricket idk

India just have better players?

not mutually exclusive to my point

true

Ooh, getting pretty tense now.

England do have good bowlers at least