[john horscroft]

It's raining!  YEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeha

[john horscroft]

Squares flooded - please please please, no more play today................

[Jaspersharpe]

Sounds like any further play is unlikely. 

By the way, Daryl Harper is a fucking liability.

[john horscroft]

Oh yeah, Harper is the poorest international umpire by far.............

[tommytwotone]

Sounds like any further play is unlikely. 

By the way, Daryl Harper is a fucking liability.

Hopefully this mistake will cost Harper his job. Smith is one of those batsmen who thrive off such a let-off, I wasn't surprised he went in to make a ton.

[butters]

I will admit to not being a huge fan of the review system as it just weakens the umpires overall (regardless of the referral that saved Collingwood in the 2nd innings of the last test) and it is an apparently shambolic decision like this that just makes it all the more idiotic. To be honest I think that it is here to stay now though and so the technology available should be standardised ie we have the snickometer and hotspot or one or the other or none and if necessary they should be subsidised by the ICC who are so keen to see this used. By doing this at least we can avoid the situation we have at the minute where it is up to the TV companies disgression on a cost basis.

With regard to the Smith incident - I have not seen the appeal so it may well have been a faint nick but surely Tony Hill has to take responsibility as well being the umpire at the bowlers end.

[Zods Beard]

Well said Bluebrad, Harper has been a joke but none of the umpire's are covered in glory after the Smith decision.  Failing to turn the volume up (allegedly) is an awesome display of numptiness. I'd hate to see cricket go the same way of football though where officials get it in the neck every week though.

Wouldn't really matter if we hadn't batted like amateurs though.

[Bobling]

At first I didn't like the referals system, but after a few while I have grown to appreciate it.  They do (or should Harper excluded) prevent the howlers getting through, which must be a good thing.  I also like the fact that the first thing checked is always the no ball, which will make bowlers much more conscientious about not over stepping.  I also like the fact it cuts the umps a bit of slack, and highlights the fact they have a split second to make decisions which us mortals can find hard to judge given replays, slow mos and a host of other things.  However...

I don't like the hiatus after every disputed wicket, I will always remember being at Edgbaston for the final day of the test there in Ashes 2005 (showing off now eh?) and as soon as Billy Bowden starting raising that finger the whole crowd was up as one, knowing we had won the match. I can't quite imagine that scene followed by a referral.  I don't like the fact that deciding whether to review or not gets all tactical based on where you are (and whether you have snicko and hotspot available), how many wickets you have left (calling for a review because  you have one left and its the last wicket so you may as well) and *cough* whether you have seen your team mates telling you to after they have seen the slow mo and can tell you you weren't out.  Not that any low dirty cheating Saffers would ever do that.

As for our friend Daryl I refer you to Bumble - "I can't believe Aleim Dar (sp) is in the hutch and we have that clown out there".  I think this may be the last nail in his coffin.

[DaveC]

 





 
















Sorry, just couldn't resist...

[rich d]

Harper is a buffoon.in the windies he had his tv set to zoom, so couldn't see the ball, here he didn't have the volume turned up so couldn't hear the nick. Surely if you're there to review the decision using available technology you need to be able to use the technology,and we're only talking about using a tv and maybe a tv remote, hardly cutting edge. Unfortunately I don't think Smith being out would have stopped us getting ass raped in this test - only the rain can do that. Off topic my rain dance worked last night - unfortunately most of it seems to be falling on my house and not in South Africa. 

[Bobling]

Hey, hey, hey England back in the game?

[john horscroft]

As for our friend Daryl I refer you to Bumble - "I can't believe Aleim Dar (sp) is in the hutch and we have that clown out there".  I think this may be the last nail in his coffin.

     Aleem Dar has been excellent when he's been reviewing, consistent and logical.  Harper has committed another howler this morning with the De Villiers let off.  Useless Aussie twat....................

[GraemeA]

Just seen the de Villiers appeal. Glove and then bat. And apparently Harper didn't chose to watch the replays on slow motion. Muppet. String him up!!

The Saffers have definitely been the better team in this Test match but 2 glaring errors at fairly important stages of the match may have changed things.

[butters]

Declaration is in and England require 243 just to get on level terms though the reality is that they need to bat for something like 5 sessions just to have a chance of saving this match and that is taking the rain into consideration... 

[Bobling]

Stage is set for a classic Pieteresen innings.  Pretty please?

[rich d]

Stage is set for a classic Pieteresen innings.  Pretty please?

Hmm that's what worries me, he'll hardly have been in five mins until he starts trying to bash it round the park, and he'll be caught hooking. Think we need a minimum of a first wicket ton partnership.
Still you never know, south africa have failed to capitalise twice before in this series and Smith seemed to keep them batting for a long time.

[Bobling]

Twats.  Keppers goes again.  Back to the Ginger Twins to save the match.  An innings loss looks very likely now.

I take it back - the way Collies playing he'll have knocked off the desired runs by lunch!

[john horscroft]

I think it's bloody decent of us to handicap a pretty decent test side by offering sanctuary to a couple of useless sef effricans who consistently contribute nothing to the collective effort.  Kind of a work experience thing is it?

[butters]

I think it's bloody decent of us to handicap a pretty decent test side by offering sanctuary to a couple of useless sef effricans who consistently contribute nothing to the collective effort.  Kind of a work experience thing is it?

I am guessing that you missed the smilie off the end there John.

Bit more on the URDS here and also a link to the Mark Benson "retirement" mentioned in the first link here.

Can any of the convicts that reside here shed any more light on this as it is the first I have heard of it.

[john horscroft]

"I am guessing that you missed the smilie off the end there John."

I was saving my smilie face until I'd got a pint of Pictish in my hand Lee!

Good links.  Harper has the worst overturned decisions figures for any international umpire.  There was little problem with the review system when there was a decent man at the helm.  Still not entirely sure it's good for cricket though...........

[SA Chris]

I think it's bloody decent of us to handicap a pretty decent test side by offering sanctuary to a couple of useless sef effricans who consistently contribute nothing to the collective effort.  Kind of a work experience thing is it?

Funny how when they are playing well they are Brits, but if they play badly they revert to Sef Effricans.

Anyway, justice was served.

[john horscroft]

I think it's bloody decent of us to handicap a pretty decent test side by offering sanctuary to a couple of useless sef effricans who consistently contribute nothing to the collective effort.  Kind of a work experience thing is it?

Funny how when they are playing well they are Brits, but if they play badly they revert to Sef Effricans.

Anyway, justice was served.

Ouch!  Good point, well made.  Maybe I'm just bitter and twisted...............

[DaveC]

Funny how when they are playing well they are Brits, but if they play badly they revert to Sef Effricans.

Anyway, justice was served.

  Nail hit firmly on head there!

Bit more on the URDS here and also a link to the Mark Benson "retirement" mentioned in the first link here.

Can any of the convicts that reside here shed any more light on this as it is the first I have heard of it.

Benson flew off back home halfway through a test over here and at the time it was rumoured he was seriously pissed off with the review system (he was overruled on one of his decisions.) Subsequently, both he & the ICC claimed he had left for health reasons but not many really believe that.
BTW, the referral system worked well over here as such things go but too many batsmen at the top of the order were too quick to appeal against LBW decisions which were pretty obviously correct meaning that by the time number 5 & 6 came into bat there were no referrals left. Of course, the use of the "snick-o-meter" and hot spot made it all a lot less controversial.

[GraemeA]

That was the problem in the last Test, no snicko or hot spot.

It shouldn't be left to the host broadcaster to decide what technology is used. The ICC should be saying you use it all or there are no referrals

[butters]

I was saving my smilie face until I'd got a pint of Pictish in my hand Lee!

Good links.  Harper has the worst overturned decisions figures for any international umpire.  There was little problem with the review system when there was a decent man at the helm.  Still not entirely sure it's good for cricket though...........

I knew there was an obvious explanation - just couldn't figure it out.

BTW, the referral system worked well over here as such things go but too many batsmen at the top of the order were too quick to appeal against LBW decisions which were pretty obviously correct meaning that by the time number 5 & 6 came into bat there were no referrals left. Of course, the use of the "snick-o-meter" and hot spot made it all a lot less controversial.

Ian Chappell makes a few good points with regard to UDRS here but they are somewhat obscured by an article that really defines the word hogwash at times. IMO.