Cricket

I don't think Union is a class signifier outside of England, hardly. I don't dislike watching Union matches, tho I far prefer League which to me is a way faster, more beautiful game to watch. I just hate the England team and their smug, Daily Mail reading, management book co-writing players.

Oh i dunno, lots of posh people play rugby. But when it comes to the national team no-one cares as if they can beat England then it's good enough for them. It was one of the few sports we were good at.

collingwood's gone. 2 runs from 50 balls.

Collingwood lbw Vettori 2 (Eng 59-5)
xpost

i know, it's just i'm not smug and don't read the daily mail, but i prefer union etc etc. talking to my wife's uncle in keighley the other day, he used to report on league for the local papers. an avowed league man, had ended up watching the england france union game a couple of weeks ago. "and that constant rucking at the end of the game, that leaves me cold", whereas there was me feeling england had ground out the victory.

herman, i think what fuels english union fans is the knowledge that all the other home/euro nations have made their season if they stuff the english. it makes me (as an england supporter) feel like a man utd supporter (which i bloody ain't). but when it got to the last 10 minutes in murrayfield today i had to go to the kitchen to start cooking the kids' steaks. that horrible, hollow feeling.

No fucking chance of england grounding out anything in cricket. I should've learned by now really, yet I put myself through it all the time. The ashes is such a distant memory now.
x-post

(Eng 60-7)

and xxxxxpost, no posh people play league.

i can't get over uncontested scrums: if you don't contest them why bother locking down? why not just have a tap free kick with the opposition having to be 5 yards?

for fucking 7?????? (xp)

at least we're up to 2 runs an over...

67-8

Bells got us over 100 at least

110 all out. A fucking shambles.

I don't think Union is a class signifier outside of England, hardly.

A kind of relevant article I read yesterday: http://www.smh.com.au/news/sport/its-a-crime-how-footy-heroes-go-bad/2008/03/07/1204780065538.html

Also It's pleasing the NRL season starts next week :):):)

bump for ^^^ this article.

League is nothing in Scotland. We like Union

"We" being some border hill farmers and assorted bankers/ brokers/ lawyers in Edinburgh.

I don't think Union is a class signifier outside of England, hardly

Ha ha, right

Okay, I didn't know this. So Union is a poshoes sport everywhere except Wales?

I don't know about Ireland, but I would have guessed so there too

No it's NOT a fucking poshos sport!

Nor is Union a working class sport.

However folks of all classes play and watch it. I suppose it's predominantly middle-class.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/graphics/2007/09/01/wags/p4.jpg

It is in Scotland (xxp) Which is why next-to-nobody plays it or watches it

http://www.sportingheritage.co.uk/acatalog/spc416_jason_leonard.jpg

extract from an interview with Jason Leonard :

When did you first begin playing rugby?

The main sport at my school, in Barking, East London, was very much football. Everyone wanted to play for West Ham, the local team. Rugby took off under a new sports teacher who loved the game and it appealed to me immediately. I liked the idea that you could run round for 80 minutes knocking lumps out of each other

I know that Bath considers itself to be posher than Bristol because it's a rugby town and not a football town. Also football games at the Mem = public transport is packed, streets busy with pedestrians; rugby games at the Mem = roads crammed with 4x4s and BMWs.

Look POLO is a posho's game. Rugby Union isn't.

Aussies postpone tour of Pakistan http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/7288996.stm

lol awesome stuff there. Vettori on the last ball of the over goes for a single to keep strike, but the ball goes to monty who lets it go through his legs for a 4. 2 balls later Gillespie is bowled and David Lloyd says it was all part of the monty masterplan.
NZ 181-9 in reply to England's 342

League is nonsense. However, Union might be the best sport played.

... wait isn't this a cricket thread?

rong.

anderson's one good test for another 3 years (and 2 back problems)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/counties/somerset/7297935.stm

and Vettori out for a duck. Didn't expect that. 3 wickets or 187 runs to win.

Billy Corgan is at the game!!

David Lloyd says Siamese Dream was a smashing album. lol
Roger Daltrey is there too.

Sidebottom and Broad are bowling really well. Impressive stuff. I hadn't realised Broad was so tall. He's 6'6 and still growing, so he might end up 6'8.
Used to love watching Joel Garner and Curtley Ambrose bowl. They were huge guys.

Mills out LBW. 270-8

311-9

Monty takes the final wicket Sidebottom shows his team mates how to catch the ball.. McCullum out on 85. Series is now 1-1.

Hair is back
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/7303232.stm

NZ collapsing like an English batting order here. Gone from 100-1 to 138-7
Sidebottom with 6 wickets.

Strauss makes a century!!!!!!!!!

And now Bell.

1 wicket to go at lunch.
Sky are showing the england fan from the other test falling while carrying his pint. I dont think i'll ever tire of seeing that. Hope its on youtube.

Here it is ! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyc22i1hVbk
youtube says its a kiwi. It was amazing that it was actual live footage as it happened. They were focussing on the crowd pointing out all the crazy barmy army fancy dress and they picked up the drunk guy and then he fellover. The whole commentary were pissing themselves.

This was brilliant too http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhP8d9U3RXI&NR=1

A win by 121 runs. Southee 77 not out after smashing sixes all round the ground in only 39 balls

Shoaib Akhtar given five-year ban
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/other_international/pakistan/7323360.stm

IPL has just kicked off, is this end of cricket as we know it?

Holy shit 158 off 73 balls from McCullum!