Cricket

[Stanshall]

After a monster summer and one of the greatest, most dramatic sporting spectacles ever with the World Cup final, we are now knackers deep into probably one of the best, most perfectly poised Ashes series in living memory.

Jofra Archer is playing his second Test match (after bowling the winning 'super over' in the WC final) and this lad is immediately my favourite person on Earth. I haven't felt so excited by an individual sportsman since Usain Bolt.

Jofra came in last Test and concussed Steve Smith, the best Aussie batsman since Bradman and best Test batsman in the world. I haven't seen such hostility from an England bowler ever in my lifetime. He got up to 96mph and nearly broke the guy's arm before putting one in his neck. It was an absolutely brutal spell of fast bowling, terrifying and intimidating and while I don't want Smith or any player to be hurt, it was an exhilarating contest between an exceptional debutant and arguably the greatest cricketer in the world, and our boy came out on top. I was sat there with a painful rictus grin for the best part of an hour, totally buzzing, I got goosebumps. And then he gives a heartwarming big grin to the umpire like the baby-faced assassin he is.

For further context, the Aussies were 1-0 up in the five-match series, Smith scored nearly 300 runs in the first Test (where Archer didn't play), vastly more than any other player on either side and he seemed almost invincible, on a different planet to everyone else. Enter Jof and an hour of brain music and the best player in the world got battered and flattened. When he came back in after retiring hurt to run concussion tests, his head was completely gone and he was out very promptly after a bizarre series of slogs and non-shots. Whether it's the concussion or Archer getting in his head, I don't care. For the first time in his career, he looked properly fallible. Advantage Jof. That is such a wonderful thing as an England fan.

The Third Test has begun today and without Smith, ruled out due to the concussion under medical protocols, Jofra has just run through the buggers, taking six wickets and being virtually unplayable at times. He's bowled slower to suit the swinging conditions and give the ball the chance to move. Such a natural talent and a brilliant reader of the situation, where many of England's other experienced bowlers toiled with too much desperation to take wickets. Jof just let the ball and the conditions do the work and he concentrated on tying the cunts up. The kid is on top of the world. He has the potential to go down in history. And best of all, he was wearing his jumper round his waist like he's at after school club. A total natural, the joy of sport.

Any cricket fans here? If not, there's the context for you. This series and this summer will go down in history.

[Alex79]

Yes, lifelong cricket fan here, used to regularly go to watch Worcestershire play with my dad when I was younger, and just waiting for my boys to be old enough to take.

It's been a brilliant summer for cricket, you're right! The world cup in particular was absolutely nail biting!

[Chopper]

I watched England a lot in the '90s, when they were so incredibly bad that I am constantly surprised when I hear they have won something, or look at the world rankings. This coincided with me having summers mostly off as a student or seasonal worker; I haven't had time to follow the sport since then. Also, I lived in the US for a good while since then, so baseball (which I'm still quite into) has supplanted cricket for me. But I'm very happy that England got out of that 80s/90s hole they were in.

My younger brother got into it at the same time and is still interested. He was texting me excitedly during the WC final to 'turn it on now!!' He was out and about that day, but managed to get back to watch the final over and the super over. He was ecstatic.

EDIT: I should state that the above behaviour is very unusual for Irish guys. The sport is not followed and is largely impenetrable to us over here.

[Stanshall]

Yeah, about the cricket...

Best get out now unless you want to contract dementia.

[Chopper]

I think there was a 39 all out back in the day when I watched it. Not as bad as it could be

[Alex79]

Anyone watching this? Talk about tense!! Incredible scenes!

[Alex79]

Fuck me! We did it! Two hours ago I thought we had no chance! One all then going in to the fourth test.

And Stokes was 100% LBW in that final over, they shouldn't wasted their review!

[Stanshall]

The greatest Test Match of my lifetime.

Absolutely incredible.

With the rest of the spineless, brainless oafs throwing away their wickets along the way, to do that with the very last man is astonishing.

Indescribable.