1st Semi Final - New Zealand v South Africa (24th March)

[Niall]

Wait, is Jaya Jayawardene or Jayasuriya?

The one with no hair.

 

[viriya]

And Jaya may have influenced the Kaushal selection, but why the **** were they playing Kaushal of Senananana?

Seems a lot like the Mahela/Sanga love of the raw, unseen, mystery spinner.

Senanayake looked meh in the Australia game.. Kaushal selection is **** obviously.. The guy who should've played was back in sri Lanka..

All that is irrelevant though.

NZ fans don't have to be so defensive about the rain/selections etc.. Every close game involves luck going your way, the kiwis did their job and got through like they deserved. It doesn't make their performance any less great to admit that things went their way in certain situations.

 

[Furball]

He wouldn't have gone for 0/52 off 8 overs though.

What's the lottery numbers for this weekend please?

 

[Sarun]

Incredible match! Shame I was away and could only follow through Cricinfo.

 

[_Ed_]

Has an official attendance been published anywhere? I'm just seeing a whole bunch of vague estimates between 40k and 45k.

 

[jcas0167]

Greg Baum has written some excellent articles and gets in a cake/icing metaphor for the semi-final

But when McCullum fell, it was clear that the match had been inverted. For the Kiwis, it was five overs of icing first, 38 overs of cake to come. It is the harder way around.

Cricket World Cup: Drama aplenty as New Zealand enter first final

 

[_Ed_]

Love a bit of upside-down cake.

 

[vandem]

Greg Baum has written some excellent articles and gets in a cake/icing metaphor for the semi-final

Cricket World Cup: Drama aplenty as New Zealand enter first final

Good link. I'd been using the Guardian for an overseas / non-Cricinfo view of WC news and analysis, but just read three Baum columns and they are good.

Cricket World Cup 2015: It?s no choke ? the five fielding clangers that cost South Africa in the semi-final

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Bowl first - I want Elliott to hit the winning runs. Ronchi can do likewise if we play Australia in the final.

I should've gone to the TAB

 

[Greenlite]

That was Daniel Vettori's last ever game in NZ, what a fitting way to end it (considering all the close losses he had with Chris Harris chasing over the years)

 

[halba]

cmon finch

 

[anil1405]

cmon finch

Nah, he's not coming to Auckland.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Has an official attendance been published anywhere? I'm just seeing a whole bunch of vague estimates between 40k and 45k.

Stats NZ have done a press release about attendances for the tournament across NZ - including the Auckland game. If you can't find it, let me know.

 

[Dick Rockett]

Attendance for the AKL semi was 41,279.

Sauce: http://www.stats.govt.nz/~/media/St...t-world-cup-2015-attendance/CWC2015-graph.png

 

[fishyguy]

no doubt in my mind the wat Miller and AB were batting SA wouldve scored 340-360 and NZ wouldve struggled but happy for NZ. NZ may not have another opportunity to got a final for a loooooooong time. I beleive SA should be ok and can win even next WC in England.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

NZ may not have another opportunity to got a final for a loooooooong time.

That's true, but a possible NZ side in 2019 looks pretty awesome - potentially even stronger than this current side:

Guptill
Latham (wk)
Williamson (c)
Taylor
Colin Munro
Anderson
Neesham
Mitchell Santner
Henry
Southee
Boult

 

[kiwiviktor81]

Yeah, if anything, we'll be stronger in 2019. We're keeping most of out best players now minus McCullum and Vettori, and Southee, Boult and Henry will have four more years of match experience.

 

[Dan]

Replace Munro with Watling and you have a winning combination IMO.

 

[_Ed_]

I must admit to being a fan of Munro. He'll come good IMO.

 

[Prince EWS]

Yeah, ideally Watling should be playing the Elliott role. There's probably too much icing in that side.