Group B - Pakistan, South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka

[JASON]

This is a most satisfying win.

Thank you Dilshan.

A real off day for Dilshan.
In fact I think a re evaluation of his position in the Team is needed IMO .

He seems to have survived in the team on few individual fielding performances and occasional bowling efforts against the likes of England and some teams at home, despite averaging poorly with the bat .

CK needs a go IMO and possibly depending on where the next game is Bandara to come in to the Team in place of Dilhara, perhaps .

 

[JASON]

Should be a good contest on the cards between the Lankans and the Kiwis. Both pretty evenly matched IMO.

I would say NZ are stronger bowling wise and SL possibly slight edge batting wise(only in the subcontinent pitches) .
Overall NZ are Tad stronger IMO.

 

[adharcric]

A real off day for Dilshan.
In fact I think a re evaluation of his position in the Team is needed IMO .

He seems to have survived in the team on few individual fielding performances and occasional bowling efforts against the likes of England and some teams at home, despite averaging poorly with the bat .

CK needs a go IMO and possibly depending on where the next game is Bandara to come in to the Team in place of Dilhara, perhaps .

SL should not be playing four seamers this regularly in the subcontinent. For the next match, I agree with your choices ...
Tharanga, Jayasuriya, Jayawardene, Sangakarra, Atapattu, Kapugedera, Maharoof, Vaas, Bandara, Muralidaran, Malinga

 

[Smudge]

Edit: Voltman, do you know Jonathan Millmow? If so, give him a kick up the *** for being so negative about our bowlers.

No, I don't. My dress shoes are poor for kicking anyway.

 

[Jono]

I still can't believe Pakistan won. Really.

Pakistan should just drop Inzamam for the WC and play Younis as captain, I mean its not like Inzy does anything at World Cups anyway



I'm kidding by the way before someone jumps me from behind.

 

[Pratters]

I still can't believe Pakistan won. Really.

Pakistan should just drop Inzamam for the WC and play Younis as captain, I mean its not like Inzy does anything at World Cups anyway

Also, Darrel Hair should be felicitated by PCB as he was indirectly responsble for the win.

 

[Poker Boy]

At last a match with some decent scores - but Sri Lanka will be kicking themselves. Too many batsmen got in and got out, and should have bowled Dilshan instead of seamers - apart from anything else if he was bowling he wouldn't have dropped THAT catch! Pakistan now seem able to fight back when in trouble - Pakistan teams in the past might have FOLDED after the week they've had - and although it's been said before I was AMAZED the Indians supported Pakistan - I can't imagine England fans (or Kiwis or S Africans) ever supporting Aussies. Talking about SA, they lost because Smith started to play the captain's innings Fleming did but couldn't go on..not for the first time either.

 

[James]

Black Caps hit by injuries

 

[nightprowler10]

Not a huge loss for the Kiwis, except of course Bond.

 

[R_D]

At last a match with some decent scores - but Sri Lanka will be kicking themselves. Too many batsmen got in and got out, and should have bowled Dilshan instead of seamers - apart from anything else if he was bowling he wouldn't have dropped THAT catch! Pakistan now seem able to fight back when in trouble - Pakistan teams in the past might have FOLDED after the week they've had - and although it's been said before I was AMAZED the Indians supported Pakistan - I can't imagine England fans (or Kiwis or S Africans) ever supporting Aussies. Talking about SA, they lost because Smith started to play the captain's innings Fleming did but couldn't go on..not for the first time either.

not really that suprising really... Pakistan usually get a pretty good support even when they are playing against India.

 

[Perm]

Hope Styris can pull through and I hope Mark Gillespie isn't too serious because he's a little bit injury prone isn't he?

 

[JASON]

SL should not be playing four seamers this regularly in the subcontinent. For the next match, I agree with your choices ...
Tharanga, Jayasuriya, Jayawardene, Sangakarra, Atapattu, Kapugedera, Maharoof, Vaas, Bandara, Muralidaran, Malinga

Next game at Brabourne stadium , I would go with 4 seamers there. If its the Sawai Mansingh then I would go with Bandara instead of Dilhara, But at Brabourne 4 seamers would be the smarter option.

 

[Poker Boy]

Not a huge loss for the Kiwis, except of course Bond.

Actually you could say Stryis is more of a loss for NZ as he plays more often! I reckon Fleming and Bracewell probably plan for games on the basis that Bond will NOT be there and treat it as a bonus when he is.

 

[shortpitched713]

Pakistan now seem able to fight back when in trouble

To be fair, Pakistan's best attribute over the last year or so has been their ability to fight back from tough situations. Still, I got to agree with you that this performance was really something else.

 

[magsi23]

not really that suprising really... Pakistan usually get a pretty good support even when they are playing against India.

As long as they are not playing at Calcutta, Banglore or Mumbai

 

[aussie]

Will Bond me fit 2moro?, if not i think Sri Lanka will win, but it should be a competitive game.

 

[cbuts]

its 50/50. from what i have heard, Bond went and had scans on his back which showed nothing. thus its just a stiff back. Half the bowlers at this torunament probally have a slightly stiff back - especailly if they havent played in a while. i think they are jsut being to precious with Bond - anytime he gets a a bit of a pain they immediatly fear the worse.


I think we showed against South Africa that we have developed a team outside of Bond - largely cos we play so much cricket without him. So i give us a 50/50 chance tonights game - should be a cracker!!!

 

[JBH001]

Hmmm, yeah it should be a cracker.

I wanna watch it but I got a big assignment due on Monday - and I wanna watch Waikato take on Wellington tomorrow night in the final of the Air NZ Cup too, so time is a bit of a factor.

Hmmm, maybe I can spare an hour and race down to the pub for a bit tonight.

Btw, though I want SL to win I think NZ may just sneak it - it really depends alot on how Flemo goes.

One more thing, imo, it is time Murali was dropped or stopped playing in the ODI squad - if not now, then after the world cup. Bandara would be better, as he is a better bat, and a better field - especially as injury and age have really slowed Murali in the field.

I know all the arguments about the bowling - but the point is that Murali's bowling in ODI's have shown a marked deterioration post 2004. Upto that time, iirc, his econ for example was around the 3.5/over mark - but now it is up around the 3.8/over mark.
Moreover, he is taking less wickets too.

His ODI bowling was poor in 2005, and in 2006 it has - for the most part - been an absolute shocker. I looked at his figures over the last 2 years, and in this year especially (pre CT) he has some extremely poor statistics. If he were anyone else, he would probably have been dropped - maybe it is time he was dropped, or he that he gives up ODI's post 2007 WC if not in this CT. Might be better for him in the long run anyway, in terms of test longevity.

[Edit] Had a look at cricinfo stats. My error - at the end of 2003/2004 Murali's econ was around 3.75/over and is now around 3.85/over.
But 2005 - 2006 has seen him going at about 4.5 an over with lower wkts/match ratio and a higher SR. CT has improved his figures a little. [/End Edit]

 

[irish swinger]

Good news about Bondage's scans...the BC's management are overly cautious with Bond's fitness...which is fair enough...he's our one true world-class player and we need him fit for the WC...no point risking him this early in the season.

 

[cbuts]

i think we are being too cautious though. wats sports player - even at club level doesnt play through niggles.

i want to watch Wairarapa bush V wanganui tomorow, but i got my own cricket too play.