Cricket-Match-Special ... A forum for discussion

ianp1970 wrote:
15 years on, the mention of that name still send shivers down my spine!!

it was always Michael Bevan who did that to me

Durhamfootman wrote:it'll help them erase the memory of the test series.... 'nothing wrong here'

I see it was the inaugural intentional event for the new stadium in Perth. How did it look?

The ground itself, good. Fast outfield, and the pitch seemed fine on first showing.

The stadium a different matter. Sterile and characterless, imo. Like a mini-MCG, but the 'G gets character from it's grandeur and the massive crowds it has. More like an up-market version of the 'Gabba.

I reckon it will be more suited for football (Aussie Rules) than cricket. Most of the 30 or so games a year to be played there will be at night, and it is at night that the stadium may show some character - with the ability to light up the stadium in whatever colour combination they want.

Also, the gap between stadium walls (the stands) and stadium roof adds an extra layer of distracting sunlight/shadow. I assume they need this due to the heat they can get in Perth.



Contrary, maybe, to some other views here, I think the redevelopment of the Adelaide Oval was done very well, and is still an impressive looking stadium - even if it doesn't have the beauty that it once had - the powers that be in Perth would have done well to look at that very closely, imo.

Agree with the new Perth stadium. It looks soulless and characterless next to the WACA. Apart from Adelaide, the Aussie stadiums have all lost their individual charm. And also, what an insipid name - I hate the increasing trend to name stadia after companies that sponsor them. It's the same in the BBL - we have the 'Bunnings wicket replay' and the 'Harvey Norman ball tracker'. FFS.

England are up to 3rd in the rankings, Australia down to 5th. There's not much in it though. First and second are about to play each other with the top spot up for grabs, and 3rd and 4th (now New Zealand) are also about to play each other - there's an enormous variety of combinations available, and any of the top 4 could end up number 1 by the end of February depending on the results of those two series.

Apparently Australia are coming to England in the summer for an utterly pointless ODI series, which England somehow have to squeeze around their usual 7 test summer, a full India tour and the new T20 comp. Oh, and Pakistan are touring again - didn't they only come a couple of years ago? But no, we don't need to manage schedules more intelligently, no siree.

bigfluffylemon wrote:
Apparently Australia are coming to England in the summer for an utterly pointless ODI series, which England somehow have to squeeze around their usual 7 test summer, a full India tour and the new T20 comp. Oh, and Pakistan are touring again - didn't they only come a couple of years ago? But no, we don't need to manage schedules more intelligently, no siree.

Yes, the feeling of ravenous commercialism leaves me feeling a bit grim, and the ongoing squeezing of the fixture is surely wringing a lot of the charm out of the grand old contest.

Fluffy, I think that the SCG is saved by their keeping of the couple of old stands - Ladies and....?

The 'G, as I say, gets away with it because it is so effin huge - and a large crowd there is a real sight. I am biase about this, I suppose, as I have been there a number of times, and most of those times have been 80K+ Always a great occasion.

Never was a great fan of the WACA though. It looked like a crap place to be a spectator, especially on a 30+ degree day.

Said it before, but I reckon the MCG is the most impressive sports ground I've been in (admittedly in that comparison I'm including a lot of English lower division football grounds). The Ladies and Pavilion stands at the SCG are fantastic, but the best is a bit rubbish. The old Kensington Oval in Barbados would be second, though for very different reasons. At one point I would have made Trent Bridge my third, but it's starting to look a bit tatty. Lord's is disappointing. TB is probably still the best in UK, but not been to Lord's.

so, you've been to the 'G, Artie? Cricket, I assume? What was it/were they?

Only one Test match, during the 06-07 whitewash.

Got a great view of some bewildering captaincy from Flintoff.

Saw Warne get his 20 000th Test wicket.

Not been to The Oval, obviously I've been to Lord's as I say so earlier in the post.

GarlicJam wrote:Also, the gap between stadium walls (the stands) and stadium roof adds an extra layer of distracting sunlight/shadow. I assume they need this due to the heat they can get in Perth.

It has a roof?

Arthur Crabtree wrote:Only one Test match, during the 06-07 whitewash.

Got a great view of some bewildering captaincy from Flintoff.

Saw Warne get his 20 000th Test wicket.

We were both there at the same time.

I wa there for Days 2 and 3. Last time I saw test cricket live.

Perhaps you noticed us - we were the group of 8 Aussies behaving ourselves.....


I lie, 2 were Poms. 1 of them was a vegan - it wasn't you was it?


Great times.

Durhamfootman wrote:

GarlicJam wrote:Also, the gap between stadium walls (the stands) and stadium roof adds an extra layer of distracting sunlight/shadow. I assume they need this due to the heat they can get in Perth.

It has a roof?

Sorry, no.

Just for the spectators - and I wonder the effectiveness of it.

GarlicJam wrote:

Arthur Crabtree wrote:Only one Test match, during the 06-07 whitewash.

Got a great view of some bewildering captaincy from Flintoff.

Saw Warne get his 20 000th Test wicket.

We were both there at the same time.

I wa there for Days 2 and 3. Last time I saw test cricket live.

Perhaps you noticed us - we were the group of 8 Aussies behaving ourselves.....


I lie, 2 were Poms. 1 of them was a vegan - it wasn't you was it?


Great times.

I remember a group of lads singing 'We love you Victoria, we do' for most of one day. Raised plenty of money for the ground through the bar.

But I'm guessing you weren't one of those by your description.

We were with the members on the first day. That was pleasant.

Stayed in Sorrento, I think. Which was the second Sorrento I've been to on holiday.

We were all ripped to shred by your Aussie insects.

Amazing ground. Excellent approach to the ground. Splendid city and environs. Amusing drive in bottle shops.

Hope to go back with the missus sometime. She'll want to go to Uluru though. I know she will.

Terrible beer though.

Good to see that all our efforts in training the insects to recognise the English were not in vain.


I have not been down the Mornington Peninsula since the mid-80's. That will be rectified in April, when we have a couple of weeks seeing some of Victoria. (Yarra Valley, The Dandenongs, Mornington P, Great Ocean Road, Ballarat, and Melbourne) really looking forward to it.