*Official* Quarter Final 4 - Sri Lanka v England

[wpdavid]

SL are doing it easily!!

Yup, there's a gap in class that you could drive a bus through. Of course, Strauss is now compensating for bowling Swann too soon by not bringing him back soon enough. This feels like the 2006 series, which isn't a good place to be from an English pov. From a neutral perspective, I suppose it's yet another boringly one-sided game. Good job the saffers made the other QF interesting.

 

[social]

Looks like the "group of death" was really the "group of really average teams who all happen to be about the same standard"

 

[Prad100w]

SL to do a SA and drop short by 15 runs

 

[Migara]

Swann back in, now Tharanga and Dilshan both should be careful. Dilshan should try to take more balls from Swann.

 

[Jono]

Wow Botham just sprayed Athers there, and Athers didn't reply.

Showing highlights of SL vs. Eng in 96 WC.

"Did you play Athers"
"Yep, had a stiff neck from seeing Jayasuriya hit the ball all over"
"It was an ODI and you played?"
***silence***

 

[Prad100w]

 

[Prad100w]

SL looks infallible at the moment.

 

[Furball]

Looks like the "group of death" was really the "group of really average teams who all happen to be about the same standard"

At least Australia didn't lose to a side from this exceptionally average group...oh.

 

[smash84]

Wow Botham just sprayed Athers there, and Athers didn't reply.

Showing highlights of SL vs. Eng in 96 WC.

"Did you play Athers"
"Yep, had a stiff neck from seeing Jayasuriya hit the ball all over"
"It was an ODI and you played?"
***silence***

haha......poor athers.....how good an ODI player was botham?

 

[wpdavid]

Wow Botham just sprayed Athers there, and Athers didn't reply.

Showing highlights of SL vs. Eng in 96 WC.

"Did you play Athers"
"Yep, had a stiff neck from seeing Jayasuriya hit the ball all over"
"It was an ODI and you played?"
***silence***

Charming stuff from Botham. Athers should have asked him to describe some of his own great performances in WCs, which would have ended the discussion pd quick.

 

[wpdavid]

haha......poor athers.....how good an ODI player was botham?

Surprisingly moderate.

 

[smash84]

Looks like the "group of death" was really the "group of really average teams who all happen to be about the same standard"

 

[Bun]

And when England were 170 after 40 overs, messrs Botham & Co were saying England were in front

 

[Jono]

I think they were. But they took the powerplay too late (plus played Swann ahead of Wright in the powerplay, which was stupid) and then when they finally took the powerplay they bombed.

They didn't say England were ahead at the half-way mark. They said they were ahead at a point in the game. Which they were.

 

[Bun]

Wow Botham just sprayed Athers there, and Athers didn't reply.

Showing highlights of SL vs. Eng in 96 WC.

"Did you play Athers"
"Yep, had a stiff neck from seeing Jayasuriya hit the ball all over"
"It was an ODI and you played?"
***silence***

Buhahaha did it happen before or after Athers quite bluntly ticked off Botham for talking loud about how 'lucky" SLians were today

 

[Bun]

I think they were. But they took the powerplay too late (plus played Swann ahead of Wright in the powerplay, which was stupid) and then when they finally took the powerplay they bombed.

They didn't say England were ahead at the half-way mark. They said they were ahead at a point in the game. Which they were.

They weren't. They should've been atleast 200 at 40 overs imho on this pitch, factoring in dew and etc. Seems like England has gone the Australian way of underestimating the SL batting lineup.

 

[Jono]

Buhahaha did it happen before or after Athers quite bluntly ticked off Botham for talking loud about how 'lucky" SLians were today

Before that.

 

[Jono]

I think Nasser is right in criticising Strauss' innings. Blocking back regular Dilshan deliveries was itstl. Then going out to him in crazy fashion was worse.

Surely there's a middle ground in between those two extremes?

 

[Bun]

I think Nasser is right in criticising Strauss' innings. Blocking back regular Dilshan deliveries was itstl. Then going out to him in crazy fashion was worse.

Surely there's a middle ground in between those two extremes?

True. It was moronic from Strauss. Also to be blamed is Bopara who ate up a lot of deliveries and Trott who did anchor but never really upped the ante. After 50 overs, with just 6 wickets lost, England should've put on a bit more on the board, minimum 250. They've to thank the SL fielders for reaching atleast 230 imho.

 

[Jono]

Nah in my view it was Morgan. He had 4 lives (3 catches and an LBW turned down) and still didn't bat late into the innings.

He needed to be there in the powerplay so he could launch, but he ended up going out.

Trott tried his best and couldn't up the rate. Wasn't due to a lack of effort.