O/T the cricket thread

[ramAnag]

As good an idea as any.
So, assuming Root is number four, who are your top three now Cook is no more?

[Andy_Faber]

Fantastic day yesterday, I envy anyone who was there although the experience through the wireless was pretty special anyway. Classy, unassuming and understated as well as a determined cricketer, Cook deserved all the plaudits and good for Virat Kohli and the Indian team offering their hands in congratulation.

Contrast that with Serena Williams, no issue with her losing it but to then take the limelight away from her conquerer's possible career highlight was crass in the extreme, and IMO throwing the ***ism card was just a device to divert from her bad behaviour. She might well have thrown the race card if her opponent ad the ref had been white. Nice to see the UK tennis community coming out against her actions

Two ends of the sporting spectrum

[MadAmster]

I see two ends of the sporting spectrum in the Serena outburst. One the Umpire who is known for being a stickler who has in the past handed out penalties to Djokovic, Nadal and others in the top half a dozen men in the rankings including at least one this calendar year. I fthere is a question mark on any of the 3 calls, it might be the coaching one but he called it as he saw it so, maybe not. The other 2 were plain and simple to call.

Serena has raised the point that (and this ump isn't one of them) Umpires appear to let the men get away with far more than they do the women. That point DOES need addressing. However, she should have raised this in a different way and off the court. Get the video evidence of half a dozen nothing incidents have resulted in penalties against women players and worse offences from men that didn't get sanctioned.

Her opponent, Naomi Osaka, has just won her first Grand Slam tournament. She deserved her day in the limelight. She didn't get it.That is a crying shame IMO.

[Geoff Parkstone]

MA - the coach admitted he was coaching so that call isn't in question. Seems they all do it though

[Andy_Faber]

MA - the coach admitted he was coaching so that call isn't in question. Seems they all do it though

Back to the O/P.

I am SO glad I like cricket.

[ramAnag]

Staying with the cricket. Seems Joe Root is quite an adept tosser. 5/5 against India I think, but isn’t it time the toss was largely done away with?
Maybe start the series with a toss but then just take who chooses to bat/bowl first alternately...or is that much to progressive groundbreaking and...fair for the traditionalists?

[Andy_Faber]

Staying with the cricket. Seems Joe Root is quite an adept tosser. 5/5 against India I think, but isn’t it time the toss was largely done away with?
Maybe start the series with a toss but then just take who chooses to bat/bowl first alternately...or is that much to progressive groundbreaking and...fair for the traditionalists?

see your point but the current method does add an element of the unknown - and avoids the (further) doctoring of pitches to the benefit of one team or the other

[MadAmster]

MA - the coach admitted he was coaching so that call isn't in question. Seems they all do it though

I saw that. The reason for my "some doubt" was Serena's claim that she hadn't seen it....... If she is telling the truth then it's down to the wording of the ruling. Is it a problem if a coach tries to coach or does it only become an issue when the player sees it? I don't know the Tennis rules on this.

[Andy_Faber]

I saw that. The reason for my "some doubt" was Serena's claim that she hadn't seen it....... If she is telling the truth then it's down to the wording of the ruling. Is it a problem if a coach tries to coach or does it only become an issue when the player sees it? I don't know the Tennis rules on this.

I'm told by a tennis nut who lives next door but one that coaching is not allowed at Challenger Tour (think League 3) and above, maybe even lower, and the offence is committed on transmission, not receipt.

It seems that this one will run and run, the Aussies pitching in now and the race card having been
pulled after offence was taken at a cartoon of Williams' strop.

Despite being a tennis nut, my neighbour did make the point that it is tennis' approach to discipline in general that is at fault, not variation between different colours and genders - he made the point that a footballer offering the same level of dissent would have been sent off and probably suspended

[MadAmster]

I'm told by a tennis nut who lives next door but one that coaching is not allowed at Challenger Tour (think League 3) and above, maybe even lower, and the offence is committed on transmission, not receipt.

The non [B]bolded[B] part is also what I also understand to be the ruling. Her coach having admitted to coaching, the offence was committed and the Umpire got it right. That makes him 3 for 3 as the Americans would say.

The Bolded bit? The WTA allows coaching during end changes and it happens frequently that a coach will go to their player during that 1 minute break in play to give instructions and/or encouragement. It is not allowed at the Grand Slams.