[WakeyTerrier]

I know Headingley usually gives blocks A,B,C,D and E of the Western Terrace to the drinking culture(No children allowed) and the family section is Block I(No alcohol allowed.)

[Devongone]

I used to think I knew a bit about cricket, but I retired from playing at 40 and that's now an amazing 28 years ago. And now I find I don't even know the rules and probably never did!

In the England v Pakistan game, whilst going for a run out a bail was accidentally dislodged before the ball arrived at the stumps. I would have said the only way then to achieve a run out was to uproot a stump with ball in hand, but apparently if only one bail has been dislodged all you need to do is dislodge the other bail. It surprised the England batsman Livingstone and came as a total shock to me.

Anyway it set me thinking about the rules and the inventive way batsmen are now encouraged to play, and I wondered has this always been allowed? Did the rules change? Why I ask is the prevalence of the reverse sweep. To me that seems the equivalent of changing to bat the other way round mid-ball. I question this because I used to play in the same team as a totally ambidextrous player. If he felt his timing was off batting right handed, or perhaps that the team would benefit if the bowler were disrupted by having to bowl at a left and right handed partnership he would change and bat left-handed. BUT to do this he would tell the umpire, who let the bowler and captain know, so that the field could be changed and we would bring out a pair of left-handed batting gloves. He was a very decent player and would have been very capable of changing from left to right handed during a bowler's run up if he were playing T20 or the One Hundred now. So if a reverse sweep is okay can a batsman change hands now at will Ronnie O'Sullivan style? And could we always have done that? Is it just innovation and not a rule-change?

Then last night I watched Nerine bowling very cleverly, running up with the ball hidden behind his back so the batsman had no chance to read the spin he was going impart from his grip (much like a top table-tennis player serving). I'd never seen that done so slyly before. Naturally, me being an idiot, I started to consider an ambidextrous bowler. We always announced ourselves, "Right Arm Over Sir" to the umpire who then informed the batsman. Is that a rule, or simply etiquette? Could an ambidextrous bowler run up with the ball held in front of him in both hands, transfer to one hand at the last moment and bowl right-arm outswing one ball and left-arm inswing the next?

I ask because we played a couple of times against a player, whose own team listed him in the paper as Percy Fruitbowl as a joke, because his delivery was so eccentric. He wasn't a chucker, but he would arrive at the wicket not looking as though he were in any position to deliver a ball at all. Then his head went down somehow, his arm came round and ball appeared, swinging from somewhere near his ear. Right-arm over was information of no use at all if you'd never seen him bowl. He was kind of a massively more eccentric and much much slower version of Malinga the slinger. As someone who has never got the concepts of left and right I just wonder whether right-arm-over tells a batsman much? If you could bowl with either hand, could you just decide to do it or would there be worldwide disapproval?

Only recently having Sky, I haven't watched much top-class cricket for years. Things that have occurred to me are that whilst now everyone fields in the way I and just a few others fielded years ago and the game is better for it, they almost all bounce the ball into the keeper when throwing Can't they wing it in just over the bails like we did. Why take the shine off the ball? And wicket-keeping, how has it been allowed to slide so far back. Rizwan's a lovely keeper, but England seems to have only Foakes, who is anywhere near that level. The rest don't dive properly, regularly drop catches and let the extras mount up without looking suicidal. For sure they can bat, but, but, but I'd better say no more.

The Hundred is okay, but it's just T20 by a different marketing outfit isn't it? If for instance you got 4 for a boundary hit in the air over the ropes and a 6 for hitting the ball along the ground through a ring of fielders that would be a radical change. If hitting the ball completely out of the ground or bowling a hat trick gained your team an extra over, that would be a radical change ......... but this is just different shirts and team names which have little basis of support. Entertaining, but is it sport or an excuse to get pissed with your family? And will the kids excited by this form of the game learn to play that way and no other, leaving them ill-equipped to compete in the game at the highest levels? Or worse still will the highest levels begin to become more like baseball? I love exciting hitting and innovation, but I also like to see an excellent bowler met head-on by a determined defensive batsman ..........

[Devongone]

Well you can switch legally right to left or vice versa during the bowler's run up. Kevin Pietersen was the first to do it. It was ruled legal by the ICC. So we wasted one of our great weapons years ago and our batsman could really have messed up bowlers, captains and fielders ...... but never did.

Don't know whether an ambidextrous bowler can change hands and disguise which arm he intends to bowl with ......

[spireitematt]

Well you can switch legally right to left or vice versa during the bowler's run up. Kevin Pietersen was the first to do it. It was ruled legal by the ICC. So we wasted one of our great weapons years ago and our batsman could really have messed up bowlers, captains and fielders ...... but never did.

Don't know whether an ambidextrous bowler can change hands and disguise which arm he intends to bowl with ......

Has to inform the Umpire before a delivery. I reckon ambidextrous bowling is rare. Left handed batsman can bowl right handed and left handed bowlers can bat right handed. I suppose it's what feel comfortable.

[WakeyTerrier]

Had a good day at the cricket on Saturday, enjoyed both the ladies and mens games. It also helps that our team won both games.

Only problem with Headingley is the location, no substantial parking nearby and the trains from Burghley Park are only every half hour and not big enough to take the crowds that flock to the station afterwards.

Could do with them reducing the price of a pint as well...Carlsberg £6.15/pint

[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

Had a good day at the cricket on Saturday, enjoyed both the ladies and mens games. It also helps that our team won both games.

Only problem with Headingley is the location, no substantial parking nearby and the trains from Burghley Park are only every half hour and not big enough to take the crowds that flock to the station afterwards.

Could do with them reducing the price of a pint as well...Carlsberg £6.15/pint

What would you estimate the ratio of the crowd was in terms of newbies vs diehards?

From some of the rumblings going round, the price of a pint - and the pint itself - might well get reduced to nothing at all, at least during men's matches. Over the weekend, Lord's introduced new restrictions on alcohol being brought in (only MCC members now allowed to do so), and the bars also close at the innings break in the evening match. This will continue for the duration of the competition, and was introduced due to a flood of complaints after the Thursday double-header saw families pushed together with drunk, chanting fans in the stands and concourses. As I said further up the thread, if they're going to cater for all fans, they desperately need dedicated party areas and alcohol-free zones, and maybe an in-between section with a limited drinks coupon system to let your pint-of-ale-and-a-glass-of-white-wine mums and dads unwind responsibly with the kids in tow.

[Lord Snooty]

Headingley's a shit hole. Probably the worst international sports stadium I've been to. And the only sports stadium I've been sexually assaulted in as well.

I'm not keen on the place. I was hoping a few years ago that the new stadium at Durkar, near the M1 turn off at Wakefield would go ahead, but it never did.

[Devongone]

Well you can switch legally right to left or vice versa during the bowler's run up. Kevin Pietersen was the first to do it. It was ruled legal by the ICC. So we wasted one of our great weapons years ago and our batsman could really have messed up bowlers, captains and fielders ...... but never did.

Don't know whether an ambidextrous bowler can change hands and disguise which arm he intends to bowl with ......

Has to inform the Umpire before a delivery. I reckon ambidextrous bowling is rare. Left handed batsman can bowl right handed and left handed bowlers can bat right handed. I suppose it's what feel comfortable.

Does he HAVE to, or is it just long-standing etiquette? Is it a rule? Our ambidextrous batsman used to inform the umpire and opposing captain if he changed left to right, but that was in the days when gentlemen were gentlemen and our captain once sent off one of our players for deliberately baulking a player about to catch him out.

Bowlers in the hundred and T20 do everything they can to disguise the delivery. Howell holds it two handed in his run-up, Narine keeps it behind his back. Would it be any more deceiving coming left instead of right arm? And if the batsman can change his stance during the run-up why would it be unfair for the bowler to do so?

[WakeyTerrier]

Had a good day at the cricket on Saturday, enjoyed both the ladies and mens games. It also helps that our team won both games.

Only problem with Headingley is the location, no substantial parking nearby and the trains from Burghley Park are only every half hour and not big enough to take the crowds that flock to the station afterwards.

Could do with them reducing the price of a pint as well...Carlsberg £6.15/pint

What would you estimate the ratio of the crowd was in terms of newbies vs diehards?

From some of the rumblings going round, the price of a pint - and the pint itself - might well get reduced to nothing at all, at least during men's matches.  Over the weekend, Lord's introduced new restrictions on alcohol being brought in (only MCC members now allowed to do so), and the bars also close at the innings break in the evening match.  This will continue for the duration of the competition, and was introduced due to a flood of complaints after the Thursday double-header saw families pushed together with drunk, chanting fans in the stands and concourses.  As I said further up the thread, if they're going to cater for all fans, they desperately need dedicated party areas and alcohol-free zones, and maybe an in-between section with a limited drinks coupon system to let your pint-of-ale-and-a-glass-of-white-wine mums and dads unwind responsibly with the kids in tow.

Lots of families and ladies present on the day, many wearing the Northern Superchargers shirt which was good to see. Difficult to say how many were newbies though but non the less encouraging that so many families were in attendance. We were sat in the Lower tier of the North east stand so away from the more boisterous support on the day in the Western terrace.
I'd agree with you on the in between section for mums and dads that want the glass of wine, G&T or the odd pint. If they want the families to come then they after offer them a little bit more to suit the whole family.
I will certainly return next year for another weekend double header and I've even said to the Mrs that I'd happily buy a Full Yorkshire membership when i retire to help fill the days.

[Tobias Chuddlewick]

I'm guessing the profit margin on a pint of Carlsberg is in the region of £4 + at least selling at £6.15 !! Very pricey but I suppose if you want to join in with the singing . .


Meanwhile, back to the cricket . . . . . . . .