Solved: Cricket World Cup

[moa]

Not sure how many cricket fans there are around but I quite enjoy watching the odd match probably because, as a Nzer, I don't mind losing in any sport other than rugby so it's a bonus when we win.

My pick for the semi-finals: Australia, South Africa, Sri Lanka and New Zealand.

Final: Australia v South Africa.

Winner: Australia


Anyone else care to pick?

[johnske]

...
Winner: Australia


Anyone else care to pick??Is there really any other possible outcome? :devil2:

[Bob Phillips]

Yes, England v Bangladesh.

In reality, Oz v NZ, with NZ to win (moa will like that one!)

[moa]

Hi Bob,
I might dare to dream after we (NZ) play South Africa, Australia and Sri Lanka in the next week or two before the semis. So far we haven't really played anyone good, England aside (they just seem to be playing to a really bad plan or no plan at all)

[Bob Phillips]

What do you mean? You have the best bowler in the tournament, a great bowling variety, best outfield in the competition. All you need is a more consistent batting performance, and you are all set.

And Ross Taylor will be fit again soon.

I think NZ have the mental capability for it, they fear no-one, and they are tough.

As for England, why is Vaughan playing, what is up with the bowlers, why ...?

[moa]

Dammit, you're right! We rock. Others should cower before us.

Unless Bond gets injured...


why is Vaughan playing?
Good question. They should dump him and get Trescothick to go over. Always been a fan of his. I see he hit 250 or something off about 120 balls for Somerset. Poor guy doesn't seem to handle travelling very well though.

[Bob Phillips]

Marcus has obviously got some sort of problem. He is clearly not a well man, and he tried to come back too quickly last time. Windies look gone now.

[moa]

Yeah, pretty dissappointing the Windies. Not many of the 'top' teams have played well. Not even South Africa, despite the big victory last night.

England could get into the semis if KP plays for the team and Bell doesn't play like he's in a test match.

[Bob Phillips]

England could get into the semis if KP plays for the team and Bell doesn't play like he's in a test match.

:rotlaugh:

[moa]

Your team is playing today. Bet Vaughn gets 70 odd... but slowly.

[Bob Phillips]

So we'll have 2 test match players.

As Pat Murphy said, getting 70 against Bangladesh won't answer any of the questions.

[moa]

Some of the english players remind me of a NZ wicket keeper, Adam Parore, who was a slow accumulator of runs in the one day game. He looked completely at ease out in the middle but just didn't seem to realise that you need runs to win games. Fantastically annoying to watch when they were chasing big scores.

He also had an amazing gift for running out his teammates with bad calls (Stephen Fleming has a mean glare BTW) and, when stump microphones were introduced, would not shut up while keeping.

[moa]

Ian Bell talks up Bangladesh:

"We know they have talented young cricketers and they have proved that they can play against some of the best sides in the world."

Surely he meant "beat some of the best sides in the world".

[Bob Phillips]

I remember Parore well.

Maybe Bell is not counting us in the best sides :(

[moa]

looks good for england so far. bowled well. might watch this one at the pub...

[lucas]

Cricket.....what's that...do you race them..?:tease:
Seriously, I lost all interest in sports in the US. It used to be about sportsmanship, charactor building, exercise, etc. that concept is lost here. Now it's about winning at any cost. Public schools funding depends on it(and that means they must win)...it's not just sad it's heartbreaking. The kids lose....(we all do)
accepted now is cheating: drug enhancement(steriods are everywhere), corked bats, etc.(they say it's not acceptable but it continues)

Public schools spend more by far on stadiums, sports equipment, etc. than they do on education. It has become what the public shools here are about.....

My son(home schooled) is a junior at Okla State Univ. taking engineering classes and maintaining a 3.89 GPA....Calculus III, Statics, Differential Equations, etc. and there are students(atheletes) who never attend the classes that get passing grades....all sense of fairness is out the window. How can this be?

I think it has even invaded the international community...the Olympics. Records have been set by people using drugs that cannot be beaten without them.

Sorry for the rant......we've lost a lot of ourselves here in USA and it's just sad.

[Bob Phillips]

looks good for england so far. bowled well. might watch this one at the pub...

I am listening on the radio at this moment.

Bell 0
Strauss 23
Vaughan 30
Pieterson 10
Flintoff 23
Bopara 0

Apparently, the first run-out is a farce. Habibul Bashar dollies it to Vaughan, Vaughan drops it, picks it up and slings it back in anger, Bashar suddenly realises he isn't out and starts to run, a run out is coontrived.

[moa]

Engalnd looked a little wobbly last night didn't they? Vaughan top-scored with 30...

Lucas, having spent a few months in the States I can say I too would be put off sport altogether. It's not just the blowhards that play sport it's the whole way it is packaged. Gaudy, loud and overblown.

I also remember when the Olympics were in Atlanta and a lot of people were freaked out by the stadiums ringing with "U S A!, U S A!". It was kind of intimidating for the other countries. I liked the Aussie fans chanting "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie. Oi, oi oi" though. Of course if the whole stadium was full of Aussies that would be a little scary too...

[geekgirlau]

After years of patient study (and with cricket there can be no other kind) I have decided that there is nothing wrong with the game that the introduction of golf carts wouldn't fix in a hurry. It is not true that the English invented cricket as a way of making all other human endeavours look interesting and lively; that was merely an unintended side effect. I don't wish to denigrate a sport that is enjoyed by millions, some of them awake and facing the right way, but it is an odd game. It is the only sport that incorporates meal breaks It is the only sport that shares its name with an insect. It is the only sport in which spectators burn as many calories as the players (more if they are moderately restless).
... Listening to cricket on the radio is like listening to two men sitting in a rowing boat on a large placid lake on a day when the fish aren't biting; it's like having a nap without losing consciousness.

From one of my favourite authors, Bill Bryson :devil2:

[moa]

"There is, of course, a world of difference between cricket and the movie business ... I suppose doing a love scene with Racquel Welch roughly corresponds to scoring a century before lunch." - Oliver Reed
:dunno

...yeah, he drank a lot.

[Bob Phillips]

"There is, of course, a world of difference between cricket and the movie business ... I suppose doing a love scene with Racquel Welch roughly corresponds to scoring a century before lunch." - Oliver Reed
:dunno

...yeah, he drank a lot.

and has obviously never scored a century, let alone before lunch.

[Bob Phillips]

Engalnd looked a little wobbly last night didn't they? Vaughan top-scored with 30...

Did you see the run-out. Hilarious. It was obvious that Vaughan was not aware of the run-out possibility when he threw it back, but he certainly milked the accolades.


I liked the Aussie fans chanting "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie. Oi, oi oi" though. Of course if the whole stadium was full of Aussies that would be a little scary too...

There is a whole country full of them, that's scary enough. And they let them out!

[moa]

Did you see the run-out. Hilarious. It was obvious that Vaughan was not aware of the run-out possibility when he threw it back, but he certainly milked the accolades.

No, I heard all about it this morning but I didn't get to see any of the game in the end:( . It's probably on Youtube.


There is a whole country full of them, that's scary enough. And they let them out!
Well aware of that. Playing spot the Aussie is fun here in London. Ever heard of the Queensland Waddle?

[mdmackillop]

and has obviously never scored a century, let alone before lunch.
I doubt he scored with Racquel Welch either.:bug:

[moa]

and has obviously never scored a century, let alone before lunch.

yeah, NOTHING compares to that.

[Bob Phillips]

yeah, NOTHING compares to that.

I think there is, and Malcolm put his finger on it (colloquially speaking).

[geekgirlau]

There is a whole country full of them, that's scary enough. And they let them out!

Well we do occasionally need to let the rest of the world see what they're missing out on - down under is always on top in my book:trophy:

[geekgirlau]

There is a whole country full of them, that's scary enough. And they let them out!

Well we do occasionally need to let the rest of the world see what they're missing out on - Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oy Oy Oy!:trophy:

[johnske]

I agree with Steve - the US has gone too far, and Oz is going the same way, the brits have got the right idea about sports tho - just go in and let everyone beat you at everything, but the brits enjoyment lies is seeing how hard everyone else is working and trying to show you how much better they are while deep inside you just know that you're better and could beat them if you tried - a much healthier attitude :devil2:

[moa]

And I thought the English cricket team were boring to watch. The Kiwis were dire.

Papers in NZ will be writing the team off already whereas (some of) the English papers are still saying that Engalnd's tournament is just beginning and that they have a good chance of making it to the semis. Must stop reading the newspapers but when you are stuck in a tunnel in a packed train on the way to work you aren't supposed to people-watch so there is no alternative.

[Bob Phillips]

Tosh mate. Semi-finalists will be Oz, NZ, SA, and SL. That was true before yesterday's game and is true today. And I still say NZ to win it, yesterday was a good shock to the system IMO.

[Bob Phillips]

Interesting fact (shows how sad I am!).

Polly (Styris) has scored a century in both of the last ODIs against Sri Lanka, and has been on the losing side both times, and had to rescue a dire NZ situatio both times. The matches were separated by 4 years (world cup in 2003, 2007)

[moa]

You're not a cricket fan if you don't enjoy reading the stats...

Styris is averaging 126.33 in this world cup. Top of the heap at the moment.

[johnske]

So if you read the stats - who's the only unbeaten team in the comp??

[moa]

Looks like it's Austria... but I don't have my glasses on.

[Bob Phillips]

Looks like it's Austria... but I don't have my glasses on. You certainly don't. Take a look here http://shop.dreamcricket.com/dreamcricket/pavilion/shopexd.asp?id=65&cid=11&tname=DVDs&tid=23. make the mouth water (apart from the fact that it says Sir John Hobbs at one point, and selling to the Yanks?). But where is Michael Holding, and Gordon Greenidge? Certainly two of the best cricketers it has been my pleasure to watch (my all time favourite - Barry Richards).

[moa]

I think I actually saw an episode of that when it aired on a sports channel in a casino bar in the early hours a couple of years ago (I don't gamble so I watched probably half an hour of it). It was the Barry Richards part. He kicked Aussie butt. He scored a few hundreds before lunch in his time...

Hate to say it but one of my favourite players of all time is Dean Jones. Viv Richards was fantastic to watch and I don't think he bothered to wear a helmet.

[moa]

Those Austrians are destorying the Irish.

[Bob Phillips]

Yeah, Dean was okay, but he was no Baz.

I live on the South Coast, so I went to see Baz regularly when he played for Hampshire, imperial he were. Richards and Greenideg opening the batting ... makes me faint rememebering it.

Baz's problem was keeping the interest going. I still remember a ton he scored in the Sunday league back when, against Warwickshire I believe, in about 60 balls, and as soon as he did, he holed out next ball ... job done.

I honestly believe that if he had been able to play test cricket, he would now be remembere as the greatest batsman of the modern era. Only Richards could compare.

[johnske]

I don't follow cricket but caught a bit of that match on the news 2nite, didn't have my glasses on either, but boy - can those Austrians play!!! Absolutely brutal but fantastic cricketers - wow!! (PS I knew they were playing the Irish team because the others had green shirts on).

Like I said, I don't follow cricket so feel quite free to tell me to shut up about it if you like.....

[Bob Phillips]

Those Austrians are destorying the Irish.

Is that deliberate? If so, it is quite witty.

[Bob Phillips]

(PS I knew they were playing the Irish team because the others had green shirts on).

SO do Bangladesh, so do South Africa. Boy, those Irish get around.

[Aussiebear]

There remains two classes of people in the world..... those who can see cricket as a sport and those who.... don't.

Then again there's those who think they can play but can't (England), those who think they can and really can (New Zealand), and those who know they can but sometimes don't (Australia).

Don't get me wrong here for I support Australia, but I wish they'd show some real humility in doing so.

BTW Just for Glen "Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi.""

[Bob Phillips]

About time you joined in!

As they say about your lot, they are bad winners, and even worse losers.

[moa]

Aussie vs Sri Lanka soon. Might be Austalia's first loss if they have to bat first on the wicket that NZ played South Africa and Sri Lanka.

Thanks for the Ois Ted. At least the Australian fans are good value ...even after a whole day of watching cricket and sinking (more than) a few "tinnies" in the sun.

[moa]

Weird. Sri Lanka have rested Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Muralitharan.

[Bob Phillips]

Not giving the Aussies a chance to pop at them before the final.

[Bob Phillips]

Well that was an interesting experiment, score slowly and throw away wickets at the same time. I guess we thought that if we shock them, they might be nullified when it come to their turn to bat, and they would be like rabbits in the headlights.

First run in the 3rd over. Bell, 7 off of 22 balls. Vaughan gets off the mark in the 7th over ... it ain't test cricket! For God's sake, we were only scoring at 1-2 runs an over during the POWERPLAY!

Can't see Vaughan or Fletcher surviving this. Quite honestly, the whole system needs a big shake-up. Flintoff is demoralised, Pitersen has the weight of the team on his shoulders, we keep taking injured players on toure ...

Well at least I got the semi-finalists right.

[moa]

Spot on Bob. especially about Vaughan. He doesn't seem to care about playing oneday cricket at all judging by his comments. And he made an awful decision to bat first agaisnt the seamer-packed SA team. Can't bat, can't think, can't survive this.

[Aussiebear]

The last couple of days has been eventful. England wins against the West Indies, and Australia thumps New Zealand.

[moa]

yes, eventful. I can't see Australia losing it now unless Sri Lanka do something special.

...like win.

[Aussiebear]

New Zealand are struggling with the loss of 4 quick wickets....

[moa]

Oh the pain!

[Aussiebear]

Don't worry, I can feel it from here. Fleming has stood down as Captain according to news reports

[Bob Phillips]

Sorry to hear that result Glen, but I am afraid they bottled it.

[moa]

yep, still too inconsistent to win a world cup.

Go Aussie though. They're really steamrolling everyone. Good to watch now that I don't have to see NZ lose to them.

[moa]

I hadn't heard about Fleming. I went into media blackout mode after the game so I wouldn't be reminded of the scoreline. I hope he still plays one-dayers. He could be quite a good batsman if he didn't have to worry about everything else.

[Aussiebear]

So its finally over..... and if anyone needed a good laugh the last hours play is a great example of what not to do if you ever become an organiser. The Umpires called offered bad light to the batsmen, who surprisingly took the offer, then the organisers thought Australia had won and started putting the platforms on the ground only to be told by the Umpires to "get off". Earlier they couldn't communicate or didn't understand the Duckworth Lewis system because they were unable to adjust the runs required even though the number of overs to be faced had been reduced.

The management procedures of the World Cup need a serious upgrade.

[moa]

Congats to the Aussies. Gilchrist's innings would have been good to watch but I missed the game.