[BRIAN]

Baseball is a very skillful sport. The batters hit a ball quite often further than a cricket batsman hits a cricket ball. If you have never watched a game then your comment is unfair.

[leeiswba]

Baseball is a very skillful sport. The batters hit a ball quite often further than a cricket batsman hits a cricket ball. If you have never watched a game then your comment is unfair.

No expert but I’d say Baseball is a lot easier to hit.

No seam movement or spin off the deck etc - just as full tosses in cricket are a lot easier to hit compared to a normal delivery

[seteefeet]

Have to say I enjoyed the Hundred game. Two evenly matched teams and went right to the wire, so, entertainment wise, it was good value.

[Baggies]

No expert but I’d say Baseball is a lot easier to hit.

No seam movement or spin off the deck etc - just as full tosses in cricket are a lot easier to hit compared to a normal delivery

I'm not sure I agree on that. In cricket, you get scores of 200 in a twenty twenty game, while in baseball you get scores of 3-2 and 4-2. Pitchers aim for something called a "no-hitter", which basically means you don't get hit at all. No bowler in cricket would have a few overs without a batsmen making contact with the ball.

Cricket is more enjoyable but it's tougher to hit a baseball with the much smaller bats and the ball coming quicker at you.

[Albionic]

I'm not sure I agree on that. In cricket, you get scores of 200 in a twenty twenty game, while in baseball you get scores of 3-2 and 4-2. Pitchers aim for something called a "no-hitter", which basically means you don't get hit at all. No bowler in cricket would have a few overs without a batsmen making contact with the ball.

Cricket is more enjoyable but it's tougher to hit a baseball with the much smaller bats and the ball coming quicker at you.

i dont get how swinging and missing is entertaining though, its a bit like going to a shadow boxing match or a game of foot (no ball) to me.

[MarkW]

I don't claim to be a baseball aficionado, but I don't really think they are comparable.

From what I do know, pitchers in baseball seem to have been getting the upper hand over the past few years, whereas cricket has become more batsman dominated. Also the fact that an "at-bat" for a single player in baseball can only last a certain number of balls (excluding foul balls), then you just have a very different dynamic.

[Baggies]

I take it that everyone's boycotting the Hundred as I've seen nothing said of the Birmingham games today? 

The women were meant to be one of the stronger sides but lost at home. The men have however kept the cockneys to an achievable total.

Waiting to see what Ali and Livingstone can do.

[hardtobeat]

With regards the hundred I’ve been wondering how the monies are distributed as in what do the first class counties get out of it ? Have seen today for example Lancashire playing at Sedbergh school (no me neither ) presumably because OT will be needed by the hundred

[Baggies]

That might explain why Lancashire had a friendly with Cumbria there last week (it's one of Cumbria's grounds). Not sure why rhe game wasn't played in Liverpool really, or somewhere similar, rather than in Cumbria

[BRIAN]

leis WBA. I can assure you a baseball pitcher certainly does make the ball move in the air just as a cricket bowler uses the seam and his fingers.

[LiamTheBaggie]

I take it that everyone's boycotting the Hundred as I've seen nothing said of the Birmingham games today? 

The women were meant to be one of the stronger sides but lost at home. The men have however kept the cockneys to an achievable total.

Waiting to see what Ali and Livingstone can do.

No boycott from me - despite my original scepticism I’ve found the games entertaining.

I missed the Birmingham games last night but Chris Benjamin kept up his good form

Will look at going to one of the games at Edgbaston

[Baggies]

Is it just me or are the Birmingham team light on "star" players? I look at some of these teams and they are packed full of England caps and other top franchise cricketers but the Birmingham side has a distinctly county cricket feel.

Hasn't hurt them so far I guess.

[LiamTheBaggie]

Is it just me or are the Birmingham team light on "star" players? I look at some of these teams and they are packed full of England caps and other top franchise cricketers but the Birmingham side has a distinctly county cricket feel.

Hasn't hurt them so far I guess.

I guess Moeen is considered the star. Not a household figure but effective with bat and ball

Some of the England lads disappear next week for their training camp at Loughborough so we won’t see much of Buttler, Stokes, Root, Wood, Crawley etc..

[DaveWBA]

Good start (again) for England.

[leeiswba]

Good start (again) for England.

No red ball cricket for 2 months really, think there was just one round of fixtures couple of weeeks ago but not sure how many of these players played. First red ball match of the summer for a few players as well.

Sums up where the ECBs priorities lie, awful prep for one of the best teams in the world

[DaveWBA]

Shocking from England today.

On one hand Burns, Sibley, Crawley, Bairstow, Lawrence should never play test cricket again.

On the other hand who the hell is scoring the runs in county cricket and making a case to replace them?

[LiamTheBaggie]

After my initial moaning, I went to Edgbaston tonight to watch Birmingham Phoenix against the Oval Invincibles.

What a fantastic evening - by far and away one of my best cricketing experiences. Good atmosphere, largely helped by a stellar performance from Will Smeed and Moeen Ali.

It also meant I missed the test cricket which was an added bonus.

[Adder]

Shocking from England today.

On one hand Burns, Sibley, Crawley, Bairstow, Lawrence should never play test cricket again.

On the other hand who the hell is scoring the runs in county cricket and making a case to replace them?

The Bairstow situation says it all really. Dropped for not scoring heavily enough over a period mainly due to technical deficiencies. He goes off plays a load of T20 and ODI cricket, gets a recall and the same technical issues continue. If he gets a couple of decent bowlers probing around middle and off he's struggling big time.
At least Burns had a half decent series against NZ so he's bought himself some more time for now. Crawley plays some nice shots but now averages under 30 despite having a highest score of 267 in there.

[leeiswba]

Not a massive fan of Burns but he had an ok series against NZ and get done yesterday by superb bit of bowling that any batsman would have probably been done by when you look at the previous balls he was bowled

[seteefeet]

After my initial moaning, I went to Edgbaston tonight to watch Birmingham Phoenix against the Oval Invincibles.

What a fantastic evening - by far and away one of my best cricketing experiences. Good atmosphere, largely helped by a stellar performance from Will Smeed and Moeen Ali.

It also meant I missed the test cricket which was an added bonus.

I was there too mate and agree wholeheartedly. Fantastic atmosphere, loads of kids and families, game flowed brilliantly and a great performance by both sides.
You have to love Will Smeed at the minute.

[Mikkyk]

Was also there last night and was first hundred match i've been to. Was pleasantly surprised by the whole experience.

[LiamTheBaggie]

Moeen Ali 👏👏👏👏

This hundred marlarkey is fine providing Birmingham Phoenix keep winning 

[leeiswba]

Moeen Ali 👏👏👏👏

This hundred marlarkey is fine providing Birmingham Phoenix keep winning 

Rumours Ali could be called up to second test so that will hurt them

[LiamTheBaggie]

Rumours Ali could be called up to second test so that will hurt them

I’d boycott them if I was him.

The way they’ve treated him and Woakes over the last few years has been rubbish.

[leeiswba]

I’d boycott them if I was him.

The way they’ve treated him and Woakes over the last few years has been rubbish.

Hasn’t been great has it but he does have a ECB central contract so the ECB are paying his salary in full so no choice really.