Can someone explain this to me?

[SkyHog]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K65_spUU05s

I don't get any of it, why underhanded throw is disgraceful to begin with....I hope to get explanation of that, but also, the explanation at the end, I'll quote:

There's a series of rules designed to make the game flow more freely and avoid incidents such as the one that happened here today. Now there's the relevant rule on page two, and it says that no bowler shall be permitted to bowl underarm (page is shown with the rule on it, it reads "No Bowler may deliver the ball underarm) and that's what Jeffry Howth is out there talking to them about, it is not in the Australian Benson & Heges World Series cup rules because the administrators didn't put it in. I hope they put it in by tomorrow morning, otherwise, there will be a lot of criticism for what was a disgraceful performance out there today.

The other thing is that, the reason it all happened, in my opinion, is that the captain got his sums wrong. Now from over number 42, he was saying in the commentary box that he made a nonsense of it, and that he was gonna be in trouble having Lillee bowl the 50th over, which was the ideal thing to do; you must have your best bowler bowl the 50th over. And Lillee Marsh and Greg Chappel and Hughes were there counting on their fingers trying to work out who should bowl 46 47 48 49 and 50. As it turned out, the sums were done so badly that Trevor Chappell was left to bowl the 50th over and that's how it all happened, it was panic station and then, when Mckitney had to hit a six off the last ball, just to tie, mind you, not to win, just to tie, the panic became real, and they made certain that New Zealand couldn't tie the match.

 

[AuntPeggy]

They can't explain cricket to us and we can't explain baseball to them.

 

[SCCutler]

Aunt Peggy nailed it.

Cricket's a game where they shrow the ball and hit the ball and run around every now and again, and the game can go on for days, until someone farts funny or has a brown booger or something, and the game's suddenly over.

 

[Chas]

Blimey!!! How did I miss that when it came out. Let's see, I was still in England at the time, but not following the game, clearly.

I haven't played cricket in .... ahem ..... thirty eight years, but I played a fair bit in my youth. Medium pace bowler (off breaker), second or third slip, square leg, fine leg or one of the silly positions (silly mid on, silly mid off, forward short leg), batted usually at number three or four (occasional opener). I've watched more test matches in my youth on the telly than I care to remember, and I must agree wholeheartedly with the Oz announcer, whose name I forget but whose voice is very familiar....

THAT WAS THE SINGLE MOST DISGRACEFUL event to have occurred in a game of cricket that I have ever seen! Thank you so much for sharing it, now I know how to put the screws on an Aussie opponent in any sport with the mere suggestion ....... I mean this was worse than any intentional short-pitched bodyline bowling, worse than greasing the ball (as in baseball), worse than bent-arm bowling (also a specialty of certain Oz bowlers), worse than, well, anything.

To any cricket lover, that video is utterly shocking and appalling, a complete travesty and cause for national soul-searching of the first order. If I were an Oz, I would have hung my head in shame for ten years, maybe twenty. Now a Kiwi team would never, ever have done that - those guys are true sports. And the limeys, it wouldn't even have occurred to them.



What do you say Henning?

 

[etsisk]

Uh, Chas ... huh???

I just don't get that game. The underhand thing seems to be a way to insure that the batter can't get a good hit off of it - and so is not very sporting, to be sure. But IF that's correct, I don't see much difference between that and the QB taking the hike and dropping to his knee, two - three times until the game is over.

 

[gibbons]

I don't understand the game, but I'm diggin' the outfits!! How'd they get the refs to wear those pimp hats? Almost looks as stupid as our baseball managers wearing uniforms.

Clearly I'm not as disgusted with the underhand throw as I should be.

 

[Chas]

Clearly I'm not as disgusted with the underhand throw as I should be.

Hmmm, as they say here in the States, "Where's The Outrage"?
I'm dying here, I really am ....

This thread is just too much - I only hope some other cricket lovers will discover it by chance as well. But if they do, they are sworn to secrecy. You see, cricket is an ancient and venerable game (actually, baseball is older I believe but never mind), the knowledge and appreciation of which will guarantee lifelong wisdom, prosperity and peace of mind. But clearly it does not guarantee an Empire upon which the Sun Never Sets ......

The sight of that cricket ball rolling the 22 yards between the wickets is the funniest, silliest and most outrageous thing that I have ever beheld .............

I'll say just one thing: the notion that the bowler involved did not have the confidence and skill to bowl the blasted ball properly in such a way as to prevent the batter from hitting a "six", with his fielders standing deep near the boundary and nicely spaced as they surely were, well it's just .... incredible and hugely embarassing to any sporting Oz the world over. BTW, a six is where the batter hits the ball deep and high into the air, such as to fly over the boundary before hitting the ground or getting caught by a fielder, who must stay within said boundary line at all times to make the play. It's an automatic six runs, which was needed by the Kiwis to get a draw on this very last "at bat".

But really, I give too much away as it is and will say no more.

And where is Henning when you really need him? Keeping a very, very low profile I would imagine, as any self-respecting Oz would in this context.

Help me here, I'm dyin' .... I'm dyin' .....

 

[Chas]

And what's even worse, the Aussies screwed up the math and Lillie didn't even bowl the last "over" (which is a set of six balls bowled at the batter). This is so-called "limited over" cricket, each side only gets 50 sets of six balls to try to score as many runs as possible .......

[Lillie is the famous Australian fast bowler (who I remember well from his heyday and successes against England at Twickers), best able to intimidate and suppress Kiwi batters desperately trying to score those last few runs in the 50th and last over]

What a shambles. Thank you so very much again for sharing that bit of video ... I'm still dyin' here ...

If I tell you any more, I'll have to shoot you all .......

 

[colomtnflyer]

Cricket isn't that hard to understand! But first, you need to imbibe several malt beverages, and have an Australian wife (now ex) sitting next to you, describing the action...

But underarm bowling... the Aussies will never live it down! lol

 

[Ghery]

"over" (which is a set of six balls bowled at the batter).

Thank you. In all my years that is the first time I've ever had the term defined. Maybe in another 55 years I'll get another one.

 

[HLT]

How'd they get the refs to wear those pimp hats?

They're Pimps!!

Clearly, to understand Cricket, you have to drive on the left side of the road with sticky wickets in your hand.

 

[SCCutler]

And where is Henning when you really need him? Keeping a very, very low profile I would imagine, as any self-respecting Oz would in this context.

Help me here, I'm dyin' .... I'm dyin' .....

...nothing close to what you'll feel when Henning finds out you thought he was Australian! (He just lived there for a while... learnt to appreciate the social, economic and political advantages of being Aussie, that sort of thing).