The 5th Investec Ashes Test, England v Australia, The Oval 21-25.08.13

[KZNSeagull]

Did anyone else notice that when the umpires went up to collect their medals and were roundly BOOED, Aleem Dar was laughing and raising his arms as though he was the taking the acclaim of the crowd? What an absolute prick. He's just ruined a fascinating end to a match after five long days and he thinks it's all a joke. Considering his nationality, you have to wonder just what he gained out of it being a draw.

I did see that. He is just implementing the ICC rules, that's all. Blame them, not him.

 

[KZNSeagull]

I'm not debating the issue of whether he was right or wrong to end the match. I'm saying that, in a situation where there are 20,000 people who have paid £50+ for a day of cricket and you have personally had to end it in that fashion leading to them booing and jeering you, surely a professional and respected individual in a position of authority should not be waving to the crowd as if to incite them?

It's a bit like Darren Sheldrake walking off at half-time on Saturday laughing, joking and gesturing to the Amex crowd, despite it hurling abuse at him from every corner.

He was acknowledging the crowd, that's all. I thought it was quite funny actually. I felt rather sorry for him - he gets all the grief on the pitch whilst the ICC can just hide. And it did not incite the crowd did it?

 

[KZNSeagull]

Fair enough, maybe I just saw it in a way it wasn't intended. It just seemed a bit inappropriate for the umpire to be in such a seemingly jovial mood minutes after ending a match in that way.

I don't think he was jovial at all - probably extremely pissed off at having to implement a stupid rule which he will get all the grief for. Who'd be an umpire nowadays - not a job I would want to do.

 

[spring hall convert]

Did anyone else notice that when the umpires went up to collect their medals and were roundly BOOED, Aleem Dar was laughing and raising his arms as though he was the taking the acclaim of the crowd? What an absolute prick. He's just ruined a fascinating end to a match after five long days and he thinks it's all a joke. Considering his nationality, you have to wonder just what he gained out of it being a draw.

He was just doing his job, the rules aren't his fault. I think your last sentence here is nothing short of embarrassing really.

 

[Mackenzie]

The umpires would have got shit either way. I think Cook was very dignified with his post match interview. Clarke and Australia have lost a lot of the moral high ground as well. Broad may not have walked, but Lehman's pub talk interview and Clarke's badgering of the umpires over light have shown them up for what they are. Bad losers.

 

[Da Man Clay]

It gets dark at 7:30pm in late August. Oh, was I right again?

You are such a dullard. I did notice you were incredibly quiet as we looked for all the world as we were going to chase it down. Oh, and it certainly was do-able in 63 overs.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

You are such a dullard. I did notice you were incredibly quiet as we looked for all the world as we were going to chase it down. Oh, and it certainly was do-able in 63 overs.

England proved you right. It was absolutely achievable in the allotted overs. In fact, had Pietersen not gone when he did, they'd probably have won by the point the umpires called a halt.

(Although possibly not, as if England had got close a little earlier, then 'spirit of cricket' Clarke and his pals would have started harassing the umpires earlier, too...)

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Anyway Swann won me my £55. I think we can all agree, that that's the main thing

 

[KZNSeagull]

Anyway Swann won me my £55. I think we can all agree, that that's the main thing

I read on the BBC yesterday that someone put 10 quid on England to win yesterday morning at 175/1!

 

[NS Herald]

I read on the BBC yesterday that someone put 10 quid on England to win yesterday morning at 175/1!

Someone sitting next to me put 40 quid on before play at 100-1 - not a happy bunny and nor was I after what had been a brilliant days entertainment just missing a conclusion

 

[Deleted member 18477]

I read on the BBC yesterday that someone put 10 quid on England to win yesterday morning at 175/1!

And while they're unhappy they'll be a few very happy people who had a 3-0 England series win...

 

[Triggaaar]

I just wish cricket didn't have to conceive new ways of making itself look ridiculous.

Indeed. The 25th August was the day that cricket was almost interesting. But no, that would have been too much for the sport to bear, so they called it a draw.

Anyone else think Clarke's declaration was generous in the extreme?

Not really, England did very well to get that many runs with that run rate.

I did see that. He is just implementing the ICC rules, that's all. Blame them, not him.

So if England had needed 1 more run to win, would they have taken them off for bad light? That is the rules after all. Now that would have been funny (not from an England point of view, but from a laughing at cricket point of view).

Obviously we all think that common sense would be to allow play to continue if England only needed one run, but no, common sense was to play no part of the decision making, the rules are the rules, and common sense isn't allowed.

 

[Wozza]

I'm not debating the issue of whether he was right or wrong to end the match. I'm saying that, in a situation where there are 20,000 people who have paid £50+ for a day of cricket and you have personally had to end it in that fashion leading to them booing and jeering you, surely a professional and respected individual in a position of authority should not be waving to the crowd as if to incite them?

It was £30 and, regardless of the premature end, a fine day's entertainment.

The booing was panto-style. No anger anywhere.

 

[KZNSeagull]

So if England had needed 1 more run to win, would they have taken them off for bad light? That is the rules after all. Now that would have been funny (not from an England point of view, but from a laughing at cricket point of view).

Obviously we all think that common sense would be to allow play to continue if England only needed one run, but no, common sense was to play no part of the decision making, the rules are the rules, and common sense isn't allowed.

Well he had Michael Clarke in his face and everyone watching at home already knew what the light meter reading was from the other day when, I seem to remember, it was in England's interests to come off.

He had no choice but to implement the rules. Had he carried on after the TV had seen what the light meter reading was, he would now be accused of cheating/match fixing. As it is, it has already been insinuated on this thread that he wanted a draw!

 

[knocky1]

Clarke had every right to demand for the game to stop because Cook and Root had gone off in 'lighter' bad light on Thursday. The arguments about use of floodlights does not come into it as the ball is red, although England were playing as if it was white. Good cricket and wish I had gone rather than leaving my £47.50 ticket with me in Hove all day. That was the bad call of the day.....