sneak preview of T's back

and there is the front. the colour strip was not a funky design thing, it was put on because for some reason when i was doing the names they went through and so were backwards on the front...crazy! so it was a bit of a cover up.








just a few more lines to cut out of the front stencil and they will be done- here is a sneak preview of the back.

i'm not an expert, so they are not perfect with a few smudges and the like...but they are unique!

next year, i'm running a pole and only doing one back and one front- this was a CRAZY BIG job!!!
just as well i've been home sick this last week, or i wouldn't have got it done!

stoph verismo
down the wicket

ps. 2 more sleeps ntil the DTW crew hit Adelaide! TOPS!

Your club logo and link here

hi all, look to the right and tremble in fear at the mighty Bloodhound!
as a supporter of grass roots cricket, i'd like to offer you the chance to put your club logo and link right here at the top of DTW.

send me a pic of the logo and web address and i'll put it up for all to see.

BOXING DAY II

What a day!
Thanks to everyone for being so organised that the whole thing ran like clockwork for the meet-ups and was just fun times from the start.




Nospmas, Lefty, Sledgey, Blacky


Stoph and Paul amongst 59K


our view for the first session


Highlights for mine:
Finally meeting Lefty and enjoying his reaction as he entered the G.
Seeing Sledgey getting pulled for 4 by the kid!
Blacky declaring his excitement was almost enough to have a public massy!
Nosmas' (not so) sly kip- how he wasn't "asked to leave" is beyond me!
Sledgeys super fast reflexes in dealing with my forgetfulness! Cheers!
fine knocks from the top 3 batsman.
the first spell from Aamer... then wondering why he was bowled into the wind while the spinner bowled with it????
Having Paul now on a hat-trick for not being ejected!
the noise as Kat approached the 100; the smallish crowd should be proud to have been so loud!

down the wicket at the cricket

Nospmas' kip



I have just this morning seen the wickets, as those that were there would know i missed them all... and the replays!
the run-out was pathetic, Kat fessed to being guilty of ball watching and therefore creating half the problem.
I can see the Aussies geting 500+ with easy this morning, and hopefully putting the Pakis in for the entire last session.

Lango, you missed out on a ripping day!

stoph verismo
down the wicket

DTW team scoreboard

Because you guys are so supportive, and because you all love cricket as much as i do, i've decided to reward your loyalty to the site and hopefully motivate more to get on board DTW and increase the debate and depth of conversation here.

So here it is, the downthewicket scoreboard:

Scores for POTD (play of the day).

5 points for POTD awarded every day.

50 points for introducing a new member

25 points to person who introduced a new member, when that new member introduces someone else.

10 points when your post gets 10 or more comments from others apart from yourself.

15 points for getting a post on another cricket site or blog that you sign off with, or mention/link downthewicket


The prize will be either a latest release or classic cricket book or cricket DVD of your choice. If the person with the highest score has over 1000 points i'll double the prize!

To allow for new members to accumulate points this will run until the end of the ODI series of the 09/10 Australian summer cricket season.

Play of the day will reset as a new day after a POTD has been awarded- this will allow for all of us living in different timezones/lifestyles.

There are literally hundreds of cricket sites and blogs around the world, so go get 'em tigers!

atb

stoph verismo
downthewicket

cricket trivia- #1 formative years

Obviously i can't tell if you have just googled for answers, but i though it might be fun to see how much everyone knows about the formative years of cricket.

I hope you find this quiz challenging and interesting.

Could answers be emailed to verismo@live.com to give others a chance without seeing your results in a posting; please still post comments so i can get peoples opinions on the merits/interest/value of this.

good luck
stoph verismo
downthewicket

1) What came 1st, the ACC (precursor to ACB/CA), or Federation of the states?
And by how many years?

2)From where was the soil for the pitches acquired for the QLD Cricket Associations Bowen Bridge Ground (QLDCA's ground before the 'Gabba)?

3)How long after the 1st Test were the Ashes created?

4)How did the Sheffield Sheild get its name?

5)How many ball overs were bowled in the 1st Test? When did it change?

6)What was unique about W.Midwinters Test career?

downthewicket

A ring-a-ding ring-in

What do you think about NSW getting McCullum on board for the 2020 final?

Certainly on other cricket sites/news sites the attitude is that it stinks! Even being compared to the underarm delivery in that while it is legal, it is "not cricket!"

This has caused a knock-on affect where T.Dodemaide has stated he would like to get A.Gilchrist in for the match... or S.K.Jehova (I now will be taking a break to clean up the mess around me due to this proposal)!

Is this a joke? Does this practice lessen the value of the competition?
Comparisons have been made to the 3 Pakistani players here at the moment, but they have been playing all/most of the season and ARE a part of their current teams; not ring-ins for a final.

And then there is the A.Symonds comments, "That's not Australian to me." http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=731843
It reads to me as a gift to the media to add an extra -mostly irrelevant - comment into the controversy; what does that really achieve? Is it just another way of letting Symonds slam his foot into his gob? Or is it Symonds trying to uphold his profile while recuperating?
Now don't quote me on the speaker- i think he was introduced as T.Moody (didn't here as i was in traffic!), but a reply to Symonds saying this was, "...that's a bit much of a comment from someone taking millions from the IPL!" If it was Moody (I'm pretty sure it was, but i haven't been able to find the quote on the radio stations website), what was his point? How was Symonds being bought and paid for by the IPL relevant to the McCullum situation?

So many question for you to address. My belief is Cricket NSW is desperate, selfish and frankly pathetic in doing this; i want to see McCullum go first ball, and grass every catch coming his way as well as miss fielding returns (although i have since been informed he is playing only as a batsman) for 4 byes frequently! Or am i just a surly Vic?

I don't blame McCullum, it is his career and he will do what he thinks is best for him (including giving himself 2 chanced at the Champions league now with Kolkata and NSW), it is just weak of Cricket NSW to try to field a team better than they have had throughout the competition from an outside source.


stoph verismo
downthewicket

smells like team spirit

has anyone else notice the obvious increase in esprit de corp shown by the Aussies in this test?

clearly the players are making a greater effort to support each other: Clarke when batting with the lower order, although he always does.
everyone around the bowlers as they succeed.

it is more like the team of the past in this respect, and i think it will lift a mediocre team out of ruts if they continue with this approach.

certainly in the other 2 tests this was missing, and maybe a reason why we failed to go in for the kill when SA were on the ropes... we looked beaten when we were beating them... now- hopefully- we will drive home the advantage with self belief and internal support, not dropped shoulders!

stoph- you can tell i'm at home on leave- verismo!

downthewicket

Trials, not tribulations!

Here we go...
It's not do or die; that's done and dusted!
This is about pride; about avoiding the whitewash; about starting off the new year with self respect.
Last SCG test is still a sour tasting memory for many; I'll take the win, but it was pretty grotty!
With no series on the line and a few fresh faces, we really have nothing to lose.

So the questions are:
Apart from the obvious inclusion, have the selectors got it right in the replacements for the injured? Sure there maybe players that might have been better picks, but is this a good start?

Does this test really mean anything to you/the rest of the Australian cricketing public/ the world opinion of Australia's cricketing position, now that the series is decided?

Will Hayden get dropped if he scores around or under his 22.35 average (since returning from India)?


What about Bollinger over Hilfenhaus? I know if i was a new fast bowler that can swing old and new balls, i'd be looking to extract some revenge for my nation! Not that the SA bowlers bowled in a fashion unsportsmanlike. Johnson spoke of "chin music" at the start of the series, but no one has got the short ones up underneath enough to be threatening (Siddle did get a beauty into Amla hands last match- not that that put him off too much!).

What about McDonald? Can another Vic add something or does it just reek of Victorian nepotism at the selection level?

Will there be any pressure on Ponting should we lose by an Innings?

As an Aussie cricket fan, this will certainly be an interesting dead rubber. And fodder for this site should it all go very ugly!

new poll below

stoph verismo
downthewicket

two sides please

ok blokes, do your homework.
we've got a few day until the next test; given our respective ages i'd like an 1978-2008 world side, and because Ponsford is a big sook, an all time greatest world side to keep us going until Perth.


stoph verismo
downthewicket

"are you being sarcastic?"

What is sledging and what is verbal abuse?

There is no doubt that you can sledge someone without abusing them, but isn't just out and out verbal abuse just abuse: and should be dealt with under that title.

The ICC is on a mission to get sledging out of the game once and for all it seems: this is going to open a whole can of worms to be sure when semantics come into play. It will make the sub-continentals happy though, as it is mainly their disdain for the practice (honourable, as long as they live up to it) that has brought it to a head with the ICC- which of course crumbles quicker than an Indian dust-bowl pitch! This is all a bit hypocritical when India threatened to take their bats and balls home in the 07-08 tour of Australia when Harby got pinged for sledging.

How are the ICC going to govern such an undertaking?
There are already regulations regarding racial vilification- (page 217 of the ICC Playing handbook)


3.3 Using language or gestures that offends,insults,humiliates,intimidates,
threatens,disparages or vilifies another person on the basis of that person’s
race,religion,gender,colour,descent or national or ethnic origin
ICC CODE OF CONDUCT
FOR PLAYERS AND TEAM OFFICIALS

So what exactly are the ICC going after? To me, the above extract reads like it would cover any of the complaints i've heard/read from players that have genuine grounds to take issue over what has been said to them out in the middle.

If the ICC are out to remove every type of on field talk- short of, "Good shot, old chap!" (could that be said sarcastically and not be sledging?) they are removing an important element of sport- GAMESMANSHIP.
Graeme Thorpe recently stated, 'In my third Test match, we were eight down. I'm on 60 not out, batting with the tail. Ian Healy says, "Boys, watch this guy play to get a not out." The pride inside me said, "Stuff this, I'll show you." I charged out to smack [Shane] Warne for a six and got stumped. That was gamesmanship.'

While abusive sledging can be outright vile stuff, another definition of sledging is "verbally distracting to break a players concentration" , and in my opinion this is done best with humour.

Are the ICC out to take away all non play related conversation between sides? Or are they going to expand the rule book to define EXACTLY what players can get away with?
I can see long nights in mediation or tribunal for mere utterances... ridiculous!


stoph verismo
downthewicket