Australia v England, 4th Test, Melbourne, 26-30 December, 2017

A story on last night's SportsTonight (Foxtel) reported Tim Paine had returned to Bicraniumville (that'd be your Hobart, Benny) in response to a family emergency (no details but obv not good) and was still unsure whether he was available for Boxing Day

So whoever said Handscombe might play may have their story half right... spesh seeing as some clown on the NSP and some other clowns in the meej seem determined to get Handy behind the stumps come hell or high water, even though the man himself doesn't want the gig and doesn't rate himself in it,

Interesting.

Paines father in law had a stroke but Paine is still expected to play on BD.

It said this morning selection is unclear with the players starting preparations today and Paine still away from the squad. No reinforcements as yet have been named though.

Ima will play. Kept well in WA and made useful tailender runs. Form has improved since the poor error prone performance in Chip Central.

Like Haddit he is suspect on the left, but his footwork improved in WA.

Some concession from h re: Paine. Noice.

Good luck to Ima's pa-in-law.

http://www.theage.com.au/sport/soccer/ricky-ponting-tells-joe-little-boy-root-to-grow-up-20171223-h09mv3.html

Punter has told Root to grow up.

skully wrote:I agree the the MCG is the "G", h. No dramas here.

And, as I said in an earlier, I love Melbourne as a place to visit.

It’s always seemed incredibly pretentious that one particular ground can own the term “the G”... given what it stands for, every patch of grass where cricket is played has equal claim to that name!

Regarding the nicknames debate - it’s a fun aspect of the forum though it does help to have a reference source... they tend to be Aussie-dominated (as the forum itself is) these days, but I’ve tried to coin a few for English and other players to even out the balance - only “AC” seems to have really caught on at all though!

The idea of “common usage” barely exists any more as there’s only a small core of regular posters, as others have pointed out. The Glossary is still a great reference point though, even if nobody can agree what should be added to it so nothing ever is now.

I remember we had an “Ashes nicknames thread” once in the past, and it degenerated into an argument about which nicknames were racist/bad taste...

NCN bowled 4 overs today ...took 3 wickets

NSP will call him up for Boxing Day

embee wrote:NCN bowled 4 overs today ...took 3 wickets

NSP will call him up for Boxing Day

Yet another meaningless nickname. WTF is NCN?

embee wrote:NCN bowled 4 overs today ...took 3 wickets

NSP will call him up for Boxing Day

And he'll pull a hammy getting into the bus on the way to the ground.

taipan wrote:

embee wrote:NCN bowled 4 overs today ...took 3 wickets

NSP will call him up for Boxing Day

Yet another meaningless nickname. WTF is NCN?

Nathan Coulter-Nile.

JGK wrote:

taipan wrote:

embee wrote:NCN bowled 4 overs today ...took 3 wickets

NSP will call him up for Boxing Day

Yet another meaningless nickname. WTF is NCN?

Nathan Coulter-Nile.

And I hoped for one of the big fish.

Just another wa weevil.

Starc officially ruled out. Bird is the word.

Congrats to Tweety. I hope he does well.

He's been bowling well in the Shield, so should do well. Wonder if 2nd will get his chance to open the bowling.

Surprised Ima is playing, particularly if dad in laws stroke was severe.

Realistically, his wife and indeed his father-in-law would want him to play, after all he's been through and the unexpected second chance he's received. He can't miss a trick now.

... Sure. Most folk turn up to work in the days following a family crisis. You are imputing the advice of wife and family. Who knows you could be right. It does happen.

I'm generally wary, and weary, of people assuming 'what he would have wanted' was exactly the same as what 'they' would have....you saw a lot of that in the stupider parts of the SBM after the Walsh and Hughes tragedies.

'stupider parts'?

implying ...

Looks like Overton is out due to his rib injury. No replacement named as yet but will have to come from either Curran, Ball or Wood.

Big Dog wrote:Looks like Overton is out due to his rib injury. No replacement named as yet but will have to come from either Curran, Ball or Wood.

Shame for him and the match. Bowled, batted and fielded with great gusto.

Starc is the bigger loss for Oz. Drying westerly wind here on Xmas eve.

lardbucket wrote:'stupider parts'?

implying ...

Without a doubt. If you're a moron in desperate need of a safe space, news comments fields (called 'the S Bend of the Internet' by Clem Ford) are about as safe as you'll find. One of the less marvellous things about 'fredumbovspeach' as it applies in the S Bend, is that all you need is an Opinion and that puts you in the same category as Plato or Stephen Hawking and said Opinion is sacrosanct.

But you are allowed to stick to your own on-line community, most of whom presumably are not morons. If not much is happening there, you always have the option of looking outside the SBM for something to pass the time until it livens up.