Super Eight

[simmy]

I'm usually a (long-suffering) fan of Marshall but his shot last night was absolutely terrible. I hope Ross Taylor comes back for the next game and reduces Marshall to the role of sub fielder.

It was good to see the middle and lower order get some batting time, but the way the top order played has given me more reason to worry.

Still look good for the final imo.

But then again any side with Shane Bond should do pretty well.

 

[JASON]

Given England and West Indies can only get a max 8 points (and since NZ on 8 points and SL are more or less assured of 8 points -if they beat Ireland) and since these 2 teams beat England West Indies, IMO NZ and SL are now thru to the Semis.

SA is the only team they can upset under these circumstances.

 

[Tim]

It was a stupid innings really from Marshall. He was battling with Fulton for the final batting spot and Fulton showed that he wanted it more.

With Ross Taylor coming back, our batting will still be very strong. The one player im concerned about is James Franklin. Its clear they want him in the team cause he can score 20 quicks runs at the end but his bowling is neither here nor there. Gillespie has shown he is capable of scoring some runs and he's at least 2 yards quicker with the ball so I think Gillespie needs to play the next game.

 

[AussieDominance]

Rankin will be representing England soon enough.

Piss off Ireland's talent is Ireland's talent not England's.

 

[Jono]

I think if you are 161/2 after 28 overs with two batsmen well set, you are competing. Yeah of course Australia got back into it after that, but even after 30 overs of the Australian innings, the game could have conceivably gone either way. If England had have got say another 20 runs and maybe a tad more luck when in the field, England could well have won that game.

Jono, I am an Australian fan. I dont accept that a team that allows 377 odd is competing particularly well. I will accept that if we beat a team with a couple of overs to spare, in the end it is comfortable but it isnt a easy win.

At no point in the SA vs Australia game were SA genuinely favourites to win. The bookies may have installed them as faves at that time, simply because they (and the punters) instantly hark back to a one off freak result a couple of seasons back. Realistically, SA were never going to win that game. But even if we do say SA were in it for a bit, they werent in it as much as England were for most of the game. An England victory was conceivable for 60% of yesterdays game...its quite competitive in my book

its tricky to say really, completely different situations. Chasing 377 and being 70/0 after ten or 160/0 after 20 proably equates the same as 90/2 after 20 chasing 250. Fact is SA didnt compete in the field at all, at least England were the team on top for large chunks of yesterdays game
Just because we have been scarred (hopefully not not life ) by 434 doesnt mean that chasing an equally improbable 377 (given the conditions etc) is going to be likely. Even after 20 overs, SA being whatever they were (170 ish) , chasing such a big total, its nothing more than a flying start

Firstly, 377 is closer to 350 than it is to 434. Australia have lost trying to defend a total of 340-350 at least 3 times to NZ, and almost lost defending similar totals 2 other times to them. Those were not freak results. The SA game was never in the bag until Gibbs and Boucher were out.

Honestly Swervy, you may be an Australian supporter, but you've showed tendencies in the past to favour England so saying "I'm an Australian supporter" doesn't mean you're an unbiased fan, and the fact that you thought Australia were safer defending 10 overs into their defence of 377 against a wonderful batting line-up that was taking the Australian bowlers apart, compared to chasing 247 against an ordinary bowling line-up shows it.

The bookies didn't have SA favourites because they were stung once before. No they had SA favourites because they had been stung many times before, because Australia have struggled to defend big totals on flat tracks, simple as that. What that means is, there was a real chance that Australia would lose.

Look at the posts in this thread alone (well actually, the Aus/SA group thread) compared to the ones the other night. There were a lot more concerned Australians in that one compared to the England game. The fact that it took Australia ages to get their first actually earnt wicket from a bowler (AB was freakishly run out and Smith went off injured) says something about how close SA were to winning that game.

 

[dinu23]

hey simmy, is your avatar a GIF? I put a GIF in my avatar but it didnt show the animation.

 

[Perm]

It was a stupid innings really from Marshall. He was battling with Fulton for the final batting spot and Fulton showed that he wanted it more.

Marshall was always a stop gap measure IMO until Ross Taylor regained full fitness. Otherwise the selectors would have opted to have him opening at some stage.

Piss off Ireland's talent is Ireland's talent not England's.

Tell that to Ed Joyce.

 

[Prince EWS]

Rankin will be representing England soon enough.

O'Brien has infinitely more chance of that IMO.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Ireland are so cool. It's amazing the amount of home grown young talent they have, for a country where cricket is quite marginal. They're been competitive in just about every match this WC so far. Amazing effort.

 

[Blaze]

Ireland are so cool. It's amazing the amount of home grown young talent they have, for a country where cricket is quite marginal. They're been competitive in just about every match this WC so far. Amazing effort.

agreed.

It is ridiculous. Would have been cool if Joyce had have stuck around as well, as their batting is a fair bit weaker than their bowling.

Is this an indication that cricket has a chance in Ireland? I honestly don't know enough about their situation to make a judgement call on that...

Worst thing that could happen now is that England steals their best talent.

 

[thierry henry]

At the risk of raising the ire of my fellow Kiwis, I have to point out that our own Brendan McCullum is an absolutely epic minnow basher.

Also good to see Dan the Man taking more wickets lbw and bowled against the right-handers today....I thought he was supposed to turn the ball away from the right handers?....when the world (or, minnows and Australia) figure out that Daniel has turned a ball since 1999/2000 I'm sure they'll be a lot better at playing him.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Worst thing that could happen now is that England steals their best talent.

Pretty sure at Niall and Rankin would be being looked at.

 

[Perm]

At the risk of raising the ire of my fellow Kiwis, I have to point out that our own Brendan McCullum is an absolutely epic minnow basher.

Indeed, he performs against Australia and the minnows basically.

 

[Prince EWS]

At the risk of raising the ire of my fellow Kiwis, I have to point out that our own Brendan McCullum is an absolutely epic minnow basher.

Also good to see Dan the Man taking more wickets lbw and bowled against the right-handers today....I thought he was supposed to turn the ball away from the right handers?....when the world (or, minnows and Australia) figure out that Daniel has turned a ball since 1999/2000 I'm sure they'll be a lot better at playing him.

Yeah, I think it's been said before, but Styris turns the ball more than Vettori these days - seriously. Whenever he takes a wicket, people ramble on about his arm ball, but he pretty much bowls it every ball so it's more his stock ball than his arm ball. Occasionally he'll turn one, for variation. It's still been very, very effective in ODIs lately - although that could possibly be due to the fact that NZ have played about half their games against Australia recently...

 

[pasag]

Firstly, 377 is closer to 350 than it is to 434. Australia have lost trying to defend a total of 340-350 at least 3 times to NZ, and almost lost defending similar totals 2 other times to them. Those were not freak results. The SA game was never in the bag until Gibbs and Boucher were out.

Honestly Swervy, you may be an Australian supporter, but you've showed tendencies in the past to favour England so saying "I'm an Australian supporter" doesn't mean you're an unbiased fan, and the fact that you thought Australia were safer defending 10 overs into their defence of 377 against a wonderful batting line-up that was taking the Australian bowlers apart, compared to chasing 247 against an ordinary bowling line-up shows it.

The bookies didn't have SA favourites because they were stung once before. No they had SA favourites because they had been stung many times before, because Australia have struggled to defend big totals on flat tracks, simple as that. What that means is, there was a real chance that Australia would lose.

Look at the posts in this thread alone (well actually, the Aus/SA group thread) compared to the ones the other night. There were a lot more concerned Australians in that one compared to the England game. The fact that it took Australia ages to get their first actually earnt wicket from a bowler (AB was freakishly run out and Smith went off injured) says something about how close SA were to winning that game.

Indeed, I was going to respond to Swervy but I don't have to, agree 100%. Anyone who was watching the game live, not the replays with the benefit of hindsight would know how much trouble Australia were in and how good Smith and AB were looking.

I think I posted at the time that people who just look at the scorecard or watch the highlights wont understand how good SA were looking with those two on song, ahead of the NRR and with a deep batting line up to come. I was ****ting myself. The England game however was totally different and nowhere near this one. If Smith didn't go off injured, they would have won, simple as that.

Anyways, spot on Jono.

 

[Prince EWS]

Indeed, he performs against Australia and the minnows basically.

McCullum and Vettori should start a club, in that case.

Either that, or we should just face that fact that Australia simply aren't ODI standard and are in fact minnows themselves...

 

[LA ICE-E]

Rankin will be representing England soon enough.

Pretty sure at Niall and Rankin would be being looked at.

Uh, it's not that sure for either of them. England is going to get Morgan though because he already hinted about selling out his country to play test cricket at england. but its ok irelands doing good and not all are going to play for england specially people from rep of ireland.

Again, even though they lost my 100 and i'm little disappointed with that, they didn't get bashed. It was a competitive game somewhat until NZ went for the kill. Ireland just lacks the experience and the power to finish off nice at the death overs. This happened in the england game to...they keep their opponents in check for almost the whole game except 3-4 overs at the death. Also i though the O'Brien bro's we playing well until one gave out on the other and then the collapse came but that happens to the best of teams. Not the best from Ireland but not something they should be ashamed of. They did ok.

WI vs SA. i really hope WI wins this for the sake of the world cup and for their cricket...

 

[Perm]

Don't have the will power to stay up and watch West Indies go down to South Africa, as much as I would love to see it. Nevertheless, an attempt will be made.

 

[Jono]

I've got eager interest in this one. I want SA to make the semis, I have money on them, and key SA players are vital to me in my CA.com DT league, which too boils down to money.

I'm worried about Gayle finally clicking. I think he's due.

 

[TT Boy]

Loots is inline to make his World Cup debut this afternoon, Herschelle Gibbs according SuperSport has not fully recovered from his calf strain. Bosman will open and AB will take Gibbs position at four. Can’t wait to see Bosman in action, if the wicket is as slow and low as they say it should be brief but you never know with Loots, struggling attack, new hard ball, I’ll fancy him.