The Ashes 2013

[Kevin Thurlow]

Walking - the great sportsman Colin Cowdrey used to walk if he had a 100, but if he got a thin edge after he'd scored about 12, he didn't! Fooled a lot of umpires. I used to walk, then got given out when I wasn't and decided the correct thing to do was just accept the umpire's decision. So if you're given out LBW when it pitched outside leg, you accept it, and if you hit the cover off the ball and get given not out, you also accept it.

[Alan Burke]

It has often happened where a batsman has been given out but ultimately found via tv replays to have been the victim of a miscarriage of justice.

On those occasions I never recall the fielding team saying he could return to the crease at sometime later during the innings and recommence his knock.

Therefore, isn't that just as unsportsmanlike as a batsman not walking ?

Yes, I agree that 'walking' has always been part of the "gentlemans' agreement" at cricket, but if a batsman is expected to follow that code of conduct, then the fielding team should also be governed by similar expectations.

[Alex Holowczak]

Speaking as a rookie umpire, I appreciate it when batsmen walk. I get irritated when they've clearly nicked it and stand there. There was an instance recently when I'd got as far as collecting the ball from the wicket-keeper as he joined his team to celebrate, and marking my card for the fall of wicket; and suddenly realised the striker was still stood there.

There was one instance where the batsman walked, giving himself out lbw. This is strange in itself! He was a long way down the wicket and it hit him reasonably high up on his back pad, but I wouldn't have given it out. I thought it strange that he walked. Turned out the next guy in was a bit of a slogger, and with about 6 overs left, he'd made the decision to sacrifice himself for the greater good.

[Simon Brown]

Clarke didn't walk and he's the Aussie captain. Cricket has moved on, but has lost something I think.

[John Foley]

Clarke didn't walk and he's the Aussie captain. Cricket has moved on, but has lost something I think.

It's not cricket.

[Paul McKeown]

Thrilling game so far. It looked like Oz was well set for a while, but not now. Another twist in the tale, or will England knock them over in half an hour?

[Paul McKeown]

Two overs of Finn ... why????

[Sean Hewitt]

Another thrilling match!

[Paul McKeown]

Uggg. 22 to win after that dropped catch.

[Alex Holowczak]

Is cricket the only game in the world that, as the match reaches its climax, they stop to eat lunch?

[Angus McDonald]

They don't have a roof they can close so they break out the sandwiches instead.

[Simon Brown]

Never in doubt really..........

[Kevin Thurlow]

"
Clarke didn't walk and he's the Aussie captain. Cricket has moved on, but has lost something I think.

It's not cricket."

We've heard stories about WG Grace cheating outrageously, so the so-called spirit of cricket was probably always a myth.

I think waiting for an umpire's decision when you're batting is perfectly correct. Frequently you can't be sure if you hit it (e.g. Root), or if it carried. Claiming a catch when you know it bounced is different.

Chess used to be fairly sporting. Now you get match captains backing up their players when they cheat, even to the extent of telling lies about the opponent, and making frivolous appeals when the decision goes against them. I don't know how people like that can live with themselves.

Finn seems to be turning into Andy Caddick, being unplayable some of the time, and not very good the rest of the time. As we were down a seamer for a while when Broad was hurt, why didn't Trott get a few overs, he's not usually terrible? You can't expect Anderson to bowl all day. I don't think he's Terry Alderman. Selection will be interesting for the next match, especially as it was proved risky to go in with only 4 bowlers.

Matches like that show that 20-20 and ODIs are not as good as proper cricket.

[Andrew Bak]

To be fair to Finn, the pitch did not help his style of bowling. In hindsight Bresnan, or perhaps even a second spinner might have been a better choice.

Broad infuriated the Aussies even more today with his stupid taking the boot of routine which didn't even work!

[Alex Holowczak]

To be fair to Finn, the pitch did not help his style of bowling. In hindsight Bresnan, or perhaps even a second spinner might have been a better choice.

Bresnan had a good record in previous Tests on this ground. However, I don't think he's played enough on the ground for that to necessarily be statistically significant. At their best, Finn is better than Bresnan as a bowler I think; but Bresnan is a better batsman.

Perhaps England should add Bresnan for Finn in order to help combat the one advantage Australia have over us: Depth to our batting!