12/03/24
July 18, 2015
SportsFilter: The Saturday Huddle:
A place to discuss the sports stories that aren't making news, share links that aren't quite front-page material, and diagram plays on your hand. Remember to count to five Mississippi before commenting in anger.
Steve Smith and Mitchell Johnson leave England on the rack at Lord's, with Smith hitting the first Aussie Ashes double century in England since before WWII. England are fighting back, up to 266 for 7, but...
posted by billsaysthis at 10:27 AM on July 18, 2015
I watched the early morning restart of the second round of the British Open during the overnight hours (US time). That was a mess.
When the announcement was made that the final round would be played Monday, one of the ESPN guys said he fully supported a Monday finish, saying it was fitting for such a venerable tournament to crown a champion under proper circumstances.
My immediate thought was that such a venerable tournament also deserved better decision making and course management than it got last night and early this morning. All talk of proper circumstances is a bit hollow at this point.
This whole business seemed to hinge on the decision to get Tom Watson's final Open round finished last night at all cost. When they went through the major weather delay yesterday, they should have moved Watson's starting time up so his celebratory final Open round didn't affect the decision making for all the other groups. If the whole Watson thing was that important to them.
If DJ, Lawrie, Oost, Schwartzel, Day, or Matsuyama end up losing the tournament because of the continuance of play into darkness yesterday and/or the botched restart this morning, due to dropped strokes or missed scoring opportunities, that would be horrendous. The R&A had better hope that a clear cut champion is crowned, preferably with more than a 1 stroke margin. If any of those guys prevail, it will be in spite of how the tournament was managed.
posted by beaverboard at 11:25 AM on July 18, 2015
First Aussie double century at Lord's since 1938, I'll think you'll find, Bill. My former neighbour Tubby Taylor scored one at Trent Bridge in 1989, and I think Captain Grumpy also had another at Leeds.
Still, Smudge played very well and put a few critics in their place. We haven't enforced a follow on since the debacle in Kolkata in 2001, so hopefully there will be enough time to set 450 or so and bowl the Poms out.
Could be a good series.
posted by owlhouse at 12:58 PM on July 18, 2015
Could be a good series.
I guess that depends on which of the two Tests thus far is the aberration. If it's the second Test, then it could be a good series. If it's the first then it could be a laugher.
This was the first Test since January 2010 that Anderson hasn't taken a wicket. So, well done to the people preparing these tracks.
The scores got so out of hand that Chris Rogers got dizzy trying to count that high.
posted by Mr Bismarck at 07:51 AM on July 19, 2015
Or the pitch is so slow that was a delayed impact from when he was hit on Thursday.
posted by owlhouse at 10:24 AM on July 19, 2015
After nine months in a coma, Jules Bianchi has died of injuries sustained in the Japanese Grand Prix. He is the first F1 driver to die as the result of a race since Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.