[Cricket] The Ashes - England v Australia - 4th Test, Old Trafford, July 19-23, 2023

[Bozza]

...and another jump.

Draw 58% / England 42%.

 

[Bodian]

Old Trafford drains really badly from memory doesn’t it? I’m sure I remember there being pools and pools of water on it in one summer recently

Tomorrow there will definitely be dry spells, I’ve used accuweather for years + their ‘minutecast’ and always found them very reliable, much more so than BBC when it comes to changeable weather, BBC just seem to hedge their bets, rain sun and a cloud.. that’s helpful.

I reckon they will get at least 30/40 overs in tomorrow, relies on luck obviously as it’s a showery scenario tomorrow.

Says on the BBC that it takes two hours to prepare the pitch after it stops raining. Two hours!!

 

[Jim in the West]

The Met Office rain map (which is great fun, and very detailed) changes every time I look at it, but there seems to be a decent chance of a dry spell from about 2.30pm tomorrow for most of the rest of the afternoon. And on the final day the last "hour" has to be 20 overs long, if I recall. A bit of straw-clutching , perhaps.

 

[nwgull]

It’s stopped raining in Manchester. Still cloudy, but actually quite bright.

 

[Pevenseagull]

Ground staff doing stuff

 

[Eeyore]

Old Trafford drains really badly from memory doesn’t it? I’m sure I remember there being pools and pools of water on it in one summer recently

Tomorrow there will definitely be dry spells, I’ve used accuweather for years + their ‘minutecast’ and always found them very reliable, much more so than BBC when it comes to changeable weather, BBC just seem to hedge their bets, rain sun and a cloud.. that’s helpful.

I reckon they will get at least 30/40 overs in tomorrow, relies on luck obviously as it’s a showery scenario tomorrow.

The length of time that it takes to restart matches really annoys me sometimes. I just can't understand why in the modern world that isn't a way to get things running sooner. At Birmingham, they used to have something called the Brum Brella. It covered the whole ground. This meant that matches could start a lot quicker. Whatever happened to that ?

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

Yes, although with a 1 day match you only lose 1 day. Here we've had the best part of 3 days play, everyone is still hanging on for another 2 days (the players can't leave), so 5 days can be wasted, and the winner of the ashes determined. It's completely mindless. There's an easy solution - 5 day matches could have a 6th day available such that a minimum of 360 overs (4 days play) is played, and if a team can't win in that time, then the other team has earned a draw.

What decent sports just call it a draw because of the weather? Things like tennis and golf return the next day, football matches get postponed if necessary.

The cricket comparison would actually be T20. If they can get a 5 over match in they will get a result that way. A bit like penalties at the football. It could be argued that result is a little contrived whereas in test match cricket a team only wins if it actively beats the opposition. A win means more. A result in every match is not necessarily a fair reflection of the contest. Actually it’s also not needed. Winning the Ashes doesn’t lead to anything because it’s an end in itself. Another difference with football. I guess each to their own. I like it.

 

[The Wizard]

Few hours break in the rain now, with further heavy rain this evening, if we could even get 10 overs in these conditions that would be a bonus in day that looked a right off.

That being said, I’m guessing it will start raining just as the ground staff get the ground dry, like usually happens in England.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

Another thing Trig. What other reason would give us eclectic bunch of Albion fans the opportunity to spend hours discussing the Manchester weather ? Living life on the edge

 

[Triggaaar]

The cricket comparison would actually be T20. If they can get a 5 over match in they will get a result that way. A bit like penalties at the football. It could be argued that result is a little contrived

No that's not the comparison, that's another example of an unsatisfactory method (again, it's cricket). They don't stop tennis or golf matches and say 'well he was winning, so he wins'.

whereas in test match cricket a team only wins if it actively beats the opposition. A win means more. A result in every match is not necessarily a fair reflection of the contest.

If you want to go with a result not necessarily being a fair reflection of the contest, you can apply that to the first 3 matches of this series - all of them were pretty equal and either team could have won, and teams didn't particularly deserve to lose the games - the one single game of this series where one side has completely outplayed the other, is this one, where the weather might dictate that it's a draw. It's stupid. It's not sport, it's just stupid.

Actually it’s also not needed. Winning the Ashes doesn’t lead to anything because it’s an end in itself. Another difference with football. I guess each to their own. I like it.

It's an end in the same way that winning the FA cup is an end.

 

[Triggaaar]

Another thing Trig. For what other reason would us eclectic bunch of Albion fans spend hours discussing the Manchester weather ? Living life on the edge

So it would be good if all sport that had the potential to be great (as we have seen in this series) could also be crap, just so that we could discuss it.

 

[Bozza]

Betfair odds now going the other way - weather optimism was short-lived.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

No that's not the comparison, that's another example of an unsatisfactory method (again, it's cricket). They don't stop tennis or golf matches and say 'well he was winning, so he wins'.



If you want to go with a result not necessarily being a fair reflection of the contest, you can apply that to the first 3 matches of this series - all of them were pretty equal and either team could have won, and teams didn't particularly deserve to lose the games - the one single game of this series where one side has completely outplayed the other, is this one, where the weather might dictate that it's a draw. It's stupid. It's not sport, it's just stupid.




It's an end in the same way that winning the FA cup is an end.

Winning the FA Cup these days is a ticket to Europe. Not to us fans but certainly to the pundits and probably the players.
When I said winning a test means more because you actually have to beat the opposition I didn’t mean you have to deserve to win. I meant it in the literal sense of bowling the other side out and scoring more runs. If you don’t then you draw. Any other interpretation of ‘deserving’ is subjective.

 

[Triggaaar]

When I said winning a test means more because you actually have to beat the opposition I didn’t mean you have to deserve to win. I meant it in the literal sense of bowling the other side out and scoring more runs.

Like all other sports (not cricket). The obvious solution is to have a 6th day available if < 300 overs have been played. I clearly wasn't advocating that a team just be gifted the win when they haven't bowled the opposition out.

 

[pasty]

Covers are coming off

 

[banjo]

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

So it would be good if all sport that had the potential to be great (as we have seen in this series) could also be crap, just so that we could discuss it.

Difficult to see an alternative. I read your suggestion of utilizing a rest day but there’s enough rain in an English Summer to lose that as well at times. I don’t think it matters too much. The cricket has been brilliant. We’ve enjoyed it. All that matters really. If this match gets washed out then so be it. Life goes on and there’s always more cricket. Tbh I’m the same with the football. I’ve enjoyed my day out plenty of times when the Albion have lost.

 

[Bodian]

Umpire inspection at 2pm.

 

[Jim in the West]

Betfair odds now going the other way - weather optimism was short-lived.

Slightly strange, as the Met Office weather map is now slightly better for tomorrow afternoon (after circa 14.30/14.45).

 

[pasty]

Umpire inspection at 2pm.

2pm: yes the ground is fit to play. We will start at 2:30

2:29: more rain

Always winds me up about cricket. If there is an inspection at 2pm then tell the players to be ready to play at 2pm.