Windies move to 27/9.
The New Zealand class of 1955 preserve their record.
Windies all out for 27.
What did the Windies bowl out England for in mid 90s? The Lara series. It was 30 something. Must be the pitches
46 all out.
Caribbean pitches are generally tough to bat on. Australia have plenty to think about as regards their batting line up ahead of the Ashes.
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Dickie Bird, the heralded former Test cricket umpire beloved across the game has died at the age of 92.
His passing was announced by Yorkshire Cricket Club, who said in a statement: “It is with profound sadness that the Yorkshire County Cricket Club announces the passing of Harold Dennis “Dickie” Bird MBE OBE, one of cricket’s most beloved figures, who died peacefully at home at the age of 92.
“The thoughts of everyone at the Yorkshire County Cricket Club are with Dickie’s family and friends during this time. He will be truly missed by all at the club, having spent an incredible amount of time in support of everyone here, and will be remembered as one of the greatest characters in Yorkshire’s history.”
Bird set records for the most Test matches (66) and one-day internationals (69) umpired, during a long and storied officiating career that spanned 26 years, and he became perhaps the most popular official in all of sport. His eccentricities added to his charm and made for some memorable anecdotes.
As his great friend, the late journalist and TV host Michael Parkinson, said: “Only Shakespeare could have invented a character so full of life’s rich juices as Dickie Bird. Cricket’s genius has been to accommodate his foibles and celebrate his humour.”
Harold Dennis Bird picked up the nickname “Dickie” at school, and it stuck throughout his life. The son of a coal miner, Bird grew up in Barnsley and was proud both of his working-class roots and of his identity as a Yorkshireman, going on to represent his county. His image remains cast in bronze on a high plinth on Barnsley’s Church Lane, where he was born. The statue had to be raised to stop people from hanging things – often women’s underwear – on his outstretched finger.
Bird was a handy player who liked to open the batting, but a persistent knee injury disrupted his progress. He recorded two first-class centuries in 93 matches, including 181 not out against Glamorgan at Bradford in 1959 after standing in as an opener for Ken Taylor, who was on international duty with England. Despite his giant score, once Taylor returned, Bird lost his place.
He never represented his country, but scored more than 3,000 runs at an average of 20.71 for Yorkshire and Leicestershire, before a four-year stint racking up runs for Paignton and coaching at Plymouth College.
Aged 36, Bird took up umpiring. He took charge of his first county game in 1970, and his first Test match three years later for the visit of New Zealand, at Yorkshire’s home ground, Headingley.
In 1975 he also umpired the first ever Cricket World Cup final, which produced one of his most memorable stories. West Indian fans invaded the pitch after their team’s victory, and Bird’s wide-brim hat was pinched in the melee. A year later, he spotted it on the head of a London bus driver.
Bird could be a bowler’s nightmare at times, refusing to give out lbw unless absolutely certain. But he was good-humoured with a dry wit, and he was respected and well liked by the entire cricket community. Bird was also a great character – or, as Sir Ian Botham described him, “barking mad”.
There are many stories of Bird’s unusual approach to his extraordinary life. When he was invited to lunch at Chequers with the cricket-mad prime minister John Major, Bird was so worried about being late that he drove through the night and arrived at the gates at 7am. Security was bewildered, and Major was still in bed. “We ended up having breakfast and lunch together,” Bird recalled. “He sends me a lovely card every Christmas.”
Of his approach to umpiring some of the biggest matches in world cricket, which included three World Cup finals, Bird once said: “I don’t care much about the television cameras. I just give my decisions. As I see it. As you and I see it.”
He later reflected: “If I had to describe myself as an umpire, I’d like to say I was honest and fair. I treated everybody on the field as human beings and as professional cricketers. If I had the respect of the players, then marvellous.”
Bird was given a guard of honour by India and England before his final Test match in 1996, which moved him to tears. His love of cricket never wavered, and he was honoured to become president of Yorkshire CCC in 2014, describing it as the “greatest cricket club in the world”.
His life intertwined with that of his friend Parkinson. They were both coal miners’ sons and played cricket together in Barnsley as children. They remained close throughout their lives, often talking for hours on the telephone, and they shared one last phone call the night before Parkinson died, in August 2023.
“We said our goodbyes,” Bird told The Telegraph “We shed a few tears. That meant more to me than anything. We had a wonderful friendship . There’ll never be another Parky. Never. I miss him. He was the best. He was the king.”
Bird was deeply religious and attended church on Sundays. He never married, and said: “I’ve had girlfriends – I’m not afraid to admit it – and I nearly married twice. But I never married, because in cricket you are never at home. I thought it would never work. It would have been wonderful to have a lad and watch him play. I missed that. But you can’t have everything. I gave myself to cricket, and it has given me a real good life.”
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Tense finish in store in a low scoring 1st test at Eden Gardens, Calcutta.
South Africa 159 & 153 India 189 & 93/8
31 runs needed, 2 wickets in hand.
India finish with a 6 and two wickets.
South Africa win by 30 runs.
South Africa 159 & 153 India 189 & 93.
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The Ashes commence on Friday, in Perth of all places and not the traditional opening test at the Gabba.
The Gabba does get the pink ball test, rather than Adelaide this time.
I’m not very optimistic to be honest. Inspirational captain Pat Cummins misses the first test (and who knows if he’ll be right for the rest of the series) along with Josh Hazlewood. Having both right arm quicks out may reduce the effectiveness of Starc’s left arm chnage ups.
I can’t stress how important Cummins is. He’s the leader, the standard, a very intelligent cricketer and of course a devastating bowler. Much more responsibility will be heaped on Mitchell Strac, who is more than able, but it’s a new bowling line up at least for the first test.
Stephen Smith is rewarded for hanging around like a bad smell and completing his rehabilitation from being a cheat with the captaincy for the first test.
Debutants Jake Wetherald (who will open the batting) and bowler Brendan Doggett are both 31, hardly an optimal age to be blooding long term test players.
It points to the biggest problem Australia has, they’re old. Nathan Lyon is 38. Usman Khawaja is about to turn 39 (Steve Waugh deciding to give him an early birthday present during the week by criticising the selectors for keeping Khawaja in the team). Josh Hazlewood is 35. Mitchell Starc is 36.
What was it they used to say? It’s harder to get out of the Australian cricket team than get in.
I can see Smith having a stinker of a series, which puts more pressure on the rest of a dodgy line up, so you need Travis Head to be at his best. Though Marnus Labuschagne has been in outstanding domestic form since he was dropped after the Caribbean and he’ll be a solid No 3 (again though, he’s 31).
So it’s a creaking side with some band aids plastering over a few sores.
But like a wounded animal, they could lash out viciously.
England seem to have a bit about them. Wood and Archer will relish the bounce on Australian pitches. Brook seems to be a player who can take a test away from you very quickly. And I fully expect Joe Root to break his cherry and score at least one century on Australian soil. Then there’s the captain, a warrior and just a brilliant cricketer.
Right now, I reckon it will finish 2-2 and Australia will poxily retain the Ashes.
But it could go horribly wrong and England could be flying home in the New Year with a famous 3-1 victory.
Should be fun.
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I’m looking forward to watching the sun drenched highlights.
If England’s bowling unit fire on all cylinders they’ll win I think, because no matter how good you are, three 90 mph bowlers will find you sooner or later.
There’s every chance that England will finish one ire more tests down one or more bowlers though.
I wouldn’t be buying a day 5 ticket, nor hanging my hat on day 4 in any of them weather excepting.
Think I seen the whole Aussie squad bar 1 player are 30+, that’s mad.
First two tests in Perth and Brisbane the two Australian venues where England struggle most.
It’s the first test for England at new stadium in Perth. England have lost the last 8 tests they played in Perth and only won 1 of 14 tests in Perth (that in 1978), since it gained test status in 1970.
Despite all that, with the Australian injuries and the all out England pace attack, this first test really feels a must win for England.
England win the toss and have elected to bat.
Crawley out for a duck last ball of first over. Awful stroke.
England 0/1
Duckett on his way and wastes a review as well caught plum lbw.
England 33/2
Pitch is fast.
Root departs for a duck. Third wicket for Starc
England 39/3
Just when England were putting a decent partnership together, Cameron Green breaks it and Pope’s gone for 46.
23 rd over, it’s 103/ 4.
Two plumb LBW’s, two dumb reviews. England have wasted two reviews now for no reason other than frustration or stupidity.
Starc bowls Stokes for 6 with another stunner. He’s on 4 / 29.
England 115 / 5
They need Brook to hang around here.
168/8 Brook, Atkinson and Carse all depart within a few overs.
5 for Starc. He’s more or less done if all himself. Pitch is looking really fast and not easy to bat on presently. Australia so will probably post 400-500.
172/9
Smith departs slogging to the deep. This is just dismal and all too predictable batting from England.
And Wood out first ball.
England all out for 172 in just under 33 overs. Yet another epic England batting collapse. Last 5 wickets lost for just 13 runs. 7 for Starc.