The Cricket Thread

[Super_horns]

Ireland having a bit of a struggle against the UAE.

 

[LeoRahi]

Ireland pull off a nail biter. Best game by far in this WC.

 

[LeoRahi]

What we usually lack is rotating the strike. See good ODI teams like AUS, India, SA they all know how to rotate the strike well. To get an idea of that just compare the Run-rate in mid overs of all the top teams with England.

But our bats thinks ODIs are just about hitting 4s and 6s. They don't even rotate the strike. We either have someone who is too attacking or one who doesn't know nothing but defense. Good examples are Moeen and Bell.

Just try to rotate the strike every ball, there will be boundary balls at times and we could easily get 8-9 runs out of a over.

 

[Saddlerrad]

Tell you what, these Afghan bowlers on a decent wicket vs Scotland, don't half look decent. It's embarassing when you think that when we play them in the group game, both of their opening quick bowlers will individually bowl quicker than any of our bowling attack. We really need to produce a couple of youngsters who average around 90mph but can actually go at somewhere close to 93-95mph when required too.

One other thing. We play 2 group games in 15 days after the Scotland game. How fucking farcical is that? This group stage should have been no longer than 2-3 weeks, not an entire month.

 

[Murphy]

Caught the last 10 overs of the Ireland game this afternoon, brilliant stuff to watch. Thought they were going to blow it towards the end when O'Brien saw caught, but they saw it through. Should probably make it through the group now.

 

[Skinner]

We could with Sri Lanka winning this

 

[lordofthepies]

Great to see a win for Afghanistan. The two best games, as usual, have featured associate members. It's just fantastic that none of them will be there for the next world cup. Fuck the ICC.

 

[Saddlerrad]

We will still go through and if we don't, I don't care - I'd rather us have longer in the Windies to focus on a huge year of test cricket. If we want to go through we are going to have to beat Afghan heavily with a good net run rate. I'm honestly hugely concerned that we won't beat Bangladesh, like seriously - they are a decent ODI outfit.

 

[NiallQuinnDiscoPants]

i agree - Bangladesh throw the bat at everything and seem to have no fear. I can imagine us posting another sub-par total of about 270 and thinking that's enough, then to have Finn carted off for 40 off 3 overs & Bangladesh half way to the target after 15 overs.

 

[lordofthepies]

I think England will probably beat Afghanistan and Bangladesh, but I'm not that bothered if they don't as they're not exactly likely to win the thing and I think the tournament would benefit more from having Bangladesh or Afghanistan in the quarters. It would also make a mockery of the ICC's despicable attempts to basically sideline every country that isn't England, Australia or India.

 

[Skinner]

SA hit 408. We could bat for 2 days and not reach that

 

[NiallQuinnDiscoPants]

probably one of the best one day innnings i've ever seen from De Villiers that. SA were 80/1 off 20 overs, and they still hit 400. that is sensational.

 

[Saddlerrad]

That's what happens when you play ODI specialists, in the ODI format. Something we will never do properly. Great innings though. I've almost become used to seeing ABDV doing those kinds of things.

 

[DarkSithLord]

An Incredible superhuman effort from AB de Genius!

 

[lordofthepies]

There's nobody like de Villiers. The guy is a freak - an amazing fielder as well as being the best batsman in the world in all 3 formats. He was also the best in South Africa at about 7 sports as a junior. Ridiculous.

 

[JonBCFC]

And he even played wicketkeeper when Boucher retired initially didn't he?

 

[Super_horns]

Really has been some top hitting in this tournament.

 

[Pyeman]

The brilliance of AB De Villiers just goes to show how far England are away from the top of the ODI game. I know he's a unique example, but we haven't got anyone that's even half as good as he is.

 

[lordofthepies]

Australia seemed to be going quite nicely a few overs ago, but NZ have got them in to a bit of trouble now - 96/5.

I love that they're playing a bit of Jesus Jones over the PA system by the way, that can't have happened at many sporting events since about 1996.

97/6!

 

[lordofthepies]

And another! And it's Clarke! Truly heart-warming scenes.

 

[Camborne Gills]

Johnson now as well , my heart pumpeth (not) .....and now Starc 106 -9 ha ha ha

 

[lordofthepies]

106-9! NZ bowling brilliantly, McCullum's captaincy is superb and Australia are batting like England.

 

[Camborne Gills]

Come on you Nuzzies

 

[lordofthepies]

They were 80-1! Boult's figures for this spell are 3-2-1-5.

 

[Camborne Gills]

Could be over before the lights go on

 

[RavenBish]

Ridiculous stuff from Boult.

 

[lordofthepies]

Mitch gave away a boundary and a no ball from the first delivery. Guptill clobbered the free hit for 6. Great start to the innings!

 

[lordofthepies]

Wow, what a game. Shame that the Kathmandu power cuts prevented me from watching the last few overs.

 

[DarkSithLord]

106-9! NZ bowling brilliantly, McCullum's captaincy is superb and Australia are batting like England.

Never thought Id see the day

 

[lordofthepies]

I think India have probably got this one...