Since it’s cricket, can I ask a question that’s been obsessing me as I’ve doggedly watched my way through five Ashes tests?
When did the traditional way of expressing a score (250 for 8) become 8 for 250? Is this just an Australia thing, or has it happened in England too while I haven’t been paying attention?
I put this down to good old Aussie contrariness. They have always expressed the score as wickets down first and then the run score and no one else does. They also consider the number 87 as unlucky because it’s 13 away from one hundred. I know!
It’s just an Aussie thing. One theory is that it is due to the way the displays were done on those old huge Aussie scoreboards (like the listed one at the Adelaide Oval), where the total is usually displayed at the bottom left, below the wickets count, simply because it was at the nearest to ground level, and scoreboard operators would not have to climb many stairs/ladders to alter the total.
That tournament in 2022 is to be held in November-December when the average temperature is a nippy 25-30 centigrade.
My personal hope is that it will not be hosted there for yet-to-be-proved reasons of financial skullduggery and the tournament will be held in the UK because we’re ready to do it without having to build any new stadia and we happen to have a population that would absolutely love it.
I’ve yet to hear a coherent summary of how the various European leagues will accommodate a winter World Cup. My arithmetic may well be flawed, but it seems like the ‘knock-on’ effects of a Nov-Dec tournament will extend across three seasons of top-flight fixtures.
Like you, I live in hope that the 2022 tournament will be played somewhere else during the summer months (which is what the various countries were supposed to be bidding for).
Joe’s diary was mapped out on Test Match Special this morning …
One day matches v. Australia, 2 Tests v. New Zealand, One day matches v. New Zealand, The Indian Premier League, and, after all that, the cricket season starts!
I’d amend that to 2 Tests v. New Zealand (fitness permitting; indeed, I’d rest him) and a couple of County games for Yorkshire before the Summer Tests.
No idea why they should think Joe is intending going to the IPL. Not on his radar at present, especially as most of it is played at the same time as the first month of the English season.
…more humid and over a longer period. Dean Jones famously scored 200 at Madras and went to hospital straight after the end of play and was put on a drip.
Think it was only the eighties when we went from 8 ball to 6 ball overs. So 2 extra balls to bowl in the heat of an Aussie summer.
Re Lyon , was sitting next to a journalist for Cricket Australia and he described him as the nicest bloke in the squad.
Just checked Delhi, normal high of 41 in hottest month of May. Looks like they play test matches at home at similar time of year to Australia, i.e. now. Mumbai is currently in low 30s, Delhi low 20s.
Not odd in the sense of bonkers. I was just curious to know when and why Oz diverged from the rest of the cricketing world. All part of my ongoing cultural inquiries.
Count Jim’s explanation is persuasive, as far as it goes, but it doesn’t explain why the runs should be right at the bottom, rather than at the top as is English practice. Too hot for scorers to roost up there all day maybe? They also contain way more information that, say, Lords or Edgbaston.
Because those old scoreboards in Australia are absolutely huge, and manually operated. The way they are laid out means that the operators would only have to climb to the upper reaches at the fall of a wicket or change of innings. Having the total at the bottom means less climbing about.
retropath2 says
Who’s Joe Root? Is it a made up name?
dai says
England’s cricket captain.
Campo says
What is cricket? Is it a made up sport?
mikethep says
Willey, Roots and Stokes, fine cricketers all.
Harold Holt says
Stokes, Woakes and Foakes, shirley ?
mikethep says
I was merely dangling something in front of Moose (hurr). See below…
Colin H says
I’m sure we’re all rooting for him.
Sitheref2409 says
Dehydration: more water out than water in.
As Lyon has observed – it’s worse in India…
dai says
Not sure it’s more than 47 degrees in India very often. Root was on the field more than anyone else yesterday and Lyon is clearly a tosser.
mikethep says
Quite a good offspin tosser thoough…
dai says
True
Sitheref2409 says
Per the BBC: He was in with gastroenteritis, and not dehydration caused by yesterday
dai says
I heard also heat stroke. Anyway hard to keep hydrated when it is coming out of both ends.
mikethep says
Since it’s cricket, can I ask a question that’s been obsessing me as I’ve doggedly watched my way through five Ashes tests?
When did the traditional way of expressing a score (250 for 8) become 8 for 250? Is this just an Australia thing, or has it happened in England too while I haven’t been paying attention?
Facts and theories gratefully received.
dai says
Aussies only (maybe NZ too), has always been like that.
mikethep says
Strange, I wonder why?
dai says
Aussies used to have 8 ball overs too.
Black Celebration says
I put this down to good old Aussie contrariness. They have always expressed the score as wickets down first and then the run score and no one else does. They also consider the number 87 as unlucky because it’s 13 away from one hundred. I know!
count jim moriarty says
It’s just an Aussie thing. One theory is that it is due to the way the displays were done on those old huge Aussie scoreboards (like the listed one at the Adelaide Oval), where the total is usually displayed at the bottom left, below the wickets count, simply because it was at the nearest to ground level, and scoreboard operators would not have to climb many stairs/ladders to alter the total.
Harold Holt says
re:playing sport in 47C conditions … so you’ll all be looking forward to the World Cup in Qatar then?
Black Celebration says
That tournament in 2022 is to be held in November-December when the average temperature is a nippy 25-30 centigrade.
My personal hope is that it will not be hosted there for yet-to-be-proved reasons of financial skullduggery and the tournament will be held in the UK because we’re ready to do it without having to build any new stadia and we happen to have a population that would absolutely love it.
Raymond says
I’ve yet to hear a coherent summary of how the various European leagues will accommodate a winter World Cup. My arithmetic may well be flawed, but it seems like the ‘knock-on’ effects of a Nov-Dec tournament will extend across three seasons of top-flight fixtures.
Like you, I live in hope that the 2022 tournament will be played somewhere else during the summer months (which is what the various countries were supposed to be bidding for).
deramdaze says
Joe’s diary was mapped out on Test Match Special this morning …
One day matches v. Australia, 2 Tests v. New Zealand, One day matches v. New Zealand, The Indian Premier League, and, after all that, the cricket season starts!
I’d amend that to 2 Tests v. New Zealand (fitness permitting; indeed, I’d rest him) and a couple of County games for Yorkshire before the Summer Tests.
count jim moriarty says
No idea why they should think Joe is intending going to the IPL. Not on his radar at present, especially as most of it is played at the same time as the first month of the English season.
dai says
Heard that on TMS yesterday, the money has gone up apparently. It’s a short career …
Moose the Mooche says
Somebody with that surname who goes to Australia is just asking for trouble.
Junior Wells says
Fail to see how 8 for 250 is any odder than 250 for 8. Solely a matter of familiarity.
India surely is hotter and more humid at the
Junior Wells says
Having phone trouble. So onto the laptop.
…more humid and over a longer period. Dean Jones famously scored 200 at Madras and went to hospital straight after the end of play and was put on a drip.
Think it was only the eighties when we went from 8 ball to 6 ball overs. So 2 extra balls to bowl in the heat of an Aussie summer.
Re Lyon , was sitting next to a journalist for Cricket Australia and he described him as the nicest bloke in the squad.
dai says
Just checked Delhi, normal high of 41 in hottest month of May. Looks like they play test matches at home at similar time of year to Australia, i.e. now. Mumbai is currently in low 30s, Delhi low 20s.
So Lyon being a jerk is an affectation?
Harold Holt says
I think he meant the least jerky in a team of jerks. S’all relative.
mikethep says
Not odd in the sense of bonkers. I was just curious to know when and why Oz diverged from the rest of the cricketing world. All part of my ongoing cultural inquiries.
Count Jim’s explanation is persuasive, as far as it goes, but it doesn’t explain why the runs should be right at the bottom, rather than at the top as is English practice. Too hot for scorers to roost up there all day maybe? They also contain way more information that, say, Lords or Edgbaston.
count jim moriarty says
Because those old scoreboards in Australia are absolutely huge, and manually operated. The way they are laid out means that the operators would only have to climb to the upper reaches at the fall of a wicket or change of innings. Having the total at the bottom means less climbing about.