TMS reporting Lyon out of the test and a doubt for the rest of the series
Yes you’re right, although Pope would have done something daft sooner or laterPope rather than Root - but yes, I agree.
I would laugh, but that's not a joke.Disappointing to give away those 3 cheap wickets in the last 2 hours (although 90 for 3 isn’t a disasterous middle-order collapse) but definitely a good day.
At the start of play the Aussies could have been on for 500, so any England fan would have taken us to have only a 138 deficit and 6 wickets remaining at the close. We’ll probably be declaring with a 10 run lead just before lunch.
I did think while following the score during England's opening partnership, that Australia genuinely would have been better off declaring with about 10 overs left yesterday and giving their bowlers a go at us under cloud cover with the lights on.I would laugh, but that's not a joke.
His fingers don’t have to be under the ball. If he catches it cleanly while it is in the air, and then proceeds to ground it (whilst still in control of it) it is still out.Aussies on back foot,
Didn't think his fingers were under ball. Replays appeared to show ball hitting ground!
He has to be in control of his own body as well, so if the ball touches the ground while he's diving/sliding to take the catch it should be not out even if the fielder has a firm grip of the ball.His fingers don’t have to be under the ball. If he catches it cleanly while it is in the air, and then proceeds to ground it (whilst still in control of it) it is still out.
Saw that on Twitter, the most awkward TV exchange I can remember seeingSince I mentioned Ian Chappell earlier, I see he's still not made up with Ian Botham.
Ashes rivals Botham and Chappell clash over 45-year feud with "coward" jibe
England legend Ian Botham and former Australia captain Ian Chappell have been feuding for over 45 years and came face-to-face in a new documentary, with Chappell branding Botham a "coward" and the all-rounder calling his rival "sad and lonely"www.mirror.co.uk
Pair of absolute dicks.Since I mentioned Ian Chappell earlier, I see he's still not made up with Ian Botham.
Ashes rivals Botham and Chappell clash over 45-year feud with "coward" jibe
England legend Ian Botham and former Australia captain Ian Chappell have been feuding for over 45 years and came face-to-face in a new documentary, with Chappell branding Botham a "coward" and the all-rounder calling his rival "sad and lonely"www.mirror.co.uk
I'd say about 5% of what Ian Chappell says is actually insightful about batting or captaincy.Pair of absolute dicks.
Not sure I read the rules area that - doesn’t say anything about grounding it and the ball being alllwed to touch the ground?His fingers don’t have to be under the ball. If he catches it cleanly while it is in the air, and then proceeds to ground it (whilst still in control of it) it is still out.
The flaky area is the definition of 'ground'. The grass is not the ground. But the firm beneath it is. Generally speaking, if a player has his fingers underneath a low catch, and his hand is on the grass, it will be awarded unless it is apparent that the ground is involved in the stability of the catch (as in the ball is clearly grounded beneath his holding fingers). It's pretty much impossible to take a catch at pitch level without the ball touching a blade of grass.He has to be in control of his own body as well, so if the ball touches the ground while he's diving/sliding to take the catch it should be not out even if the fielder has a firm grip of the ball.
The soft signal was removed a few months (weeks?) ago.The flaky area is the definition of 'ground'. The grass is not the ground. But the firm beneath it is. Generally speaking, if a player has his fingers underneath a low catch, and his hand is on the grass, it will be awarded unless it is apparent that the ground is involved in the stability of the catch (as in the ball is clearly grounded beneath his holding fingers). It's pretty much impossible to take a catch at pitch level without the ball touching a blade of grass.
The key issue is the soft signal of the umpire.
Cameron Green's catch is a tough one as his fingers were so spread. I thought Smith's, looking a the real time replay and hand movement, was okay.
But it's such a grey area.
Or a green one.
Blimey, yes, the soft signal has gone.The soft signal was removed a few months (weeks?) ago.
The decision has to be taken by the 3rd umpire based purely on the available camera angles.
Realistically you can't tell from a magnified image recorded from about 70yds away whether the ball is just in contact with the ground or not. And the camera will tend to make the ball look closer to the ground than it actually is.
That said, I thought Smith's catch looked fine, even if I was hoping the 3rd umpire would take the opposite view.
The caught law makes no reference to grass, it shouldn't matter if a few blades are touching the ball through the fielders fingers or not.
Good catchI was yelling at the third ump to tell him it was grounded. But actually, it was a pretty good catch.