*Official* Warm-up Matches Discussion

[Howe_zat]

Ireland lose Stirling early, they're 37/1 after 8.5. Could be a very tricky chase with Price, Utseya and Cremer all to deal with.

Meanwhile, the Dutch have made a great start, 67/0 off 10, Kervezee 49* (32).

 

[Spark]

Good start. Could well have been two without gain.

 

[kingkallis]

Thats a good start by Steyn.

 

[Spark]

Oh good. Now a run out.

 

[Howe_zat]

Australia carving it up with a run rate of 0.63.

Sound like an immense bowling display.

lovely delivery coming in from Steyn and Watson gets hit on the pad, loud shout and given by umpire Saheba.

...

a beauty from Tsotsobe, fuller and angled across, beats the outside edge as Haddin flirts at it.

...

lovely delivery from Steyn, pitches and moves away, left alone through to the keeper.

...

Steyn getting good movement outside the off stump, through to the keeper

...

terrific delivery pitches on a good length and moves away ever so slightly to beat the outside edge.

 

[Spark]

At least he's playing and missing instead of nicking them...

 

[Howe_zat]

Early wickets, scoring rate choked, an opener run out.

Sounds like Australia are batting like they do in Tests.

 

[Spark]

5.3
Tsotsobe to Clarke, FOUR, another flowing drive through the off side through extra cover to the fence.
5.2
Tsotsobe to Clarke, no run
5.1
Tsotsobe to Clarke, FOUR, lovely drive down the ground to the fence for a boundary, wonderful shot.

Well that's good at least. Barely saw that shot at all this summer.

 

[smash84]

Shakib struck in his first over against Pak

 

[Spark]

Is this being televised anywhere? Specifically on Fox Sports? That way at least there'll be highlights available...

 

[pup11]

Bowlers are gonna bowl well at times but as a batsman its your job to push them out of their comfort zone, I just don't see that with the Australian batsmen these days. We just allow bowlers to dictate terms and before we realise it we are way behind the 8-ball, here too we have lost two wickets already with barely any runs on the board, I certainly won't have minded it if we lost those wickets trying to counter attack but we instead just seem to be going through the motions here.

 

[Spark]

It's bloody hard to score runs of Steyn bowling well tbf. Especially when your best player falls in the 1st over and your other aggressive batsman is run out. Really, it's Ponting doing the snail routine and since time in the middle is more important than playing a "good" ODI knock right now I'm not hugely fussed. So long as we actually set a decent total

EDIT: What did Clarke eat for breakfast? Hitting Tsotsobe over mid-off?

EDIT2: Ponting though, ick. Been beaten six times (I think), few edges and an LBW shout already. And now a top-edged pull to 3rd man...

 

[pup11]

Its pretty obvious that Clarke is making an obvious attempt to ensure that he bats more positively which is great for Australia and I guess the booing fans deserve a lot of credit for this change in approach by Clarke.

 

[Gee]

Thx Agent Nationaux

 

[Howe_zat]

Really interestingly poised game between Bangladesh and Pakistan. Pakistan fell to 58/3 but Shehzad's fifty and a good partnership with Misbah has let them recover to 94/3, off 24. Runs haven't come easily though and Shakib and Razzak have gone 7 and 6 overs respectively for less than four an over. Pakistan will want another 50 on this partnership before kicking onto 250+, Bangladesh will feel another couple of quick wickets - fetching in Razzaq and Afridi early - could restrict them to under 200.

 

[Spark]

Its pretty obvious that Clarke is making an obvious attempt to ensure that he bats more positively which is great for Australia and I guess the booing fans deserve a lot of credit for this change in approach by Clarke.

I honestly thought he couldn't play that shot any more - obviously not.

EDIT: Meanwhile, Gayle made a 39-ball 58.

 

[alvarez]

Kenyas spinners taking care of the Dutch. Although Rtd is still out there. Loving all this cricket.

 

[Spark]

Really is very annoying following matches with cricinfo commentary only, especially when it's very terse, undescriptive commentary.

And how are they getting commentary anyway? I thought they only commentated on televised matches? FFS.

 

[Spark]

Looks a lot more fluent against spin than pace does Ponting. Isn't that a turnaround...

Clarke 50. Apparently a good innings, but no one here really knows

 

[Burgey]

Botha getting a bit of tap here. Been a good fightback by these two.