The Ashes

[dundeecub]

This is a massive deal over here (I expect even more so south of the border in England...), but is it even being reported in the US? I know cricket is having a mild resurgence in America, but has this appeared in any media over there?

dc - 2nd XI Dundee University Cricket Team

[Zamby38]

I have not heard of it.
No offense, but cricket is not widely spread/talked about in the US

[dundeecub]

I'm just taking a quick surbey really, but i dont expect much. :(

No, I know, but I swear the numbers are getting better. (And I'm not gonna take offence to that, btw). Its mostly baseballs fault too, arrr!

[Zamby38]

lol yeah.
I have actually never watched a game of crickett in my life, but I would like to as im sure it would be very interesting.

[dundeecub]

I was gonna say its actually really boring, but quite interesting: a sport of subtleties. But one could say the same of baseball...

[HOLYCOW!25]

I never really watch cricket. My brother does sometimes, but he's not here.

[DLee25]

Cricket isn't huge over here, people do it for fun I think, like at parties.

personally I have never done it.

What is The Ashes?

[dundeecub]

playing cricket at a party?

The Ashes is a biannual set of matches between England and Australia that is regarded as the pinnicle of international cricket.

Personally its an opportunity to watch England get their 'gentlemens sport' shoved up their arse by the Aussies.

[DLee25]

IDK where you play it, I have never seen it, I have heard of people playing it.

Interesting note you made last sentence.

[Zamby38]

so I take it england claims to be good at crickett, but in reality sucks ***?

[VanMan]

I've never played cricket, but I've seen bits and pieces of matches. For those of us on this side of the pond, cricket is played on a large field (if you've ever seen Australian Football, that's the same kind of field it's played on) with two wickets in the center about 60 or 90 feet apart. The ground in between the two wickets is rolled and hardened so the ball, which is about the same hardness as a croquet ball or a skeeball, can bounce as it's thrown -- or bowled -- from one wicket to the other. There are 11 players a side. Each team gets one turn at bat, and their turn ends either when they run out of innings or 10 players are out. Batsmen are out when a defender catches the ball in the air (like in baseball) or when a wicket is knocked over. Two batsmen are on the field near the wickets, and when one batsman hits the ball, they both run back and forth between the wickets. If they're successful at going to the opposite wicket without getting out, their team scores a run. The offensive team also scores 4 runs when a ball rolls or bounces out of play (the same as a ground-rule double) and 6 runs when the ball leaves the field of play on the fly (the same as a home run). There is no foul territory.

This is a rough sketch of the game of cricket from a Yank. Anyone from across the pond want to correct me or add to it, please help out.

[DLee25]

Respect his country, they probably think half of our sports suck ***.

Show some class.

[dundeecub]

Good description VanMan, its 22 metres so 60 feet. And a cricket field is about the same size as a baseball one, except round and play is conducted in the middle.

And Zamby: England are reasonably good, one of the best teams in the world, but Australia are by a country mile THE best. But in the last Ashes England actually managed to win (for the first time since the 80s), so the press (most of Scotlands quality media is England based) has gone into overdrive for this tourney. They do this for everything at the moment: soccer, rugby, etc. Its gruesome....

dc

[Zamby38]

Sorry for the mix-up.
I thought you meant that england was cocky,over confident, and then gets shown up by australia.
sorry for the confusion.

I have no problem with crickett, or that being the favorite in other countries.

[dundeecub]

Zamby: that was exactly what i meant!

Dlee: I'm not English (and England isnt a country either - if im going to be pedantic)

[VanMan]

Dlee: I'm not English (and England isnt a country either - if im going to be pedantic)
Actually, England is considered a country, but part of the United Kingdom. FIFA, the IRB (rugby's governing body) and a few other sports recognize the individual countries of the United Kingdom as individual entities (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland), but FIBA, IBF (baseball's international governing body), the IOC and other entities clump them together as Great Britain.