World Cup 2011 numpty games

I see the Gilly is kicked off with Bannies v Bangers, Kenya v Sheep, and Lanka v Canada.

The concensus seemed to be to discuss games of lesser interest in a single thread. Or does the 1st one rate its own thread?

Here it is.

Numpty games - isn't that everything bar the knockout matches?

Fair call, Bas. We can discuss them all here.

However I think you'll find that the pool games between the bigger nations may generate their own threads.

so I take it this is the thread for discussing all matches involving Hilditch's crew and the Poms

It'll just be you, Nerky and Merls then h.

so you don't think our games will be numptified

I think there will be enough interest from many FB posters to warrant individual threads for many Aus and Eng games. Perhaps not v the minnows but certainly v the higher ranked sides.

hmmmnn...so you want to highlight our ineptitude?

Basil wrote:Numpty games - isn't that everything bar the knockout matches?

Australia's game v the Zimboks is virtually sudden death.

hopefully for Hildy

JGK wrote:

Basil wrote:Numpty games - isn't that everything bar the knockout matches?

Australia's game v the Zimboks is virtually sudden death.

I certainly wouldn't write-off the Zimmers chances of doing a World Cup 83 to us.

if Hildy was guaranteed to be axed if we lost, I'd have to think about barracking for the zimbots....for the long term good of our game

Unfortunately the Board of CA seem incapable of making any hard decisions. The useless Sutherland-Hildick-Nielsen coterie turns my stomach.

I have been watching some of the "How I won the World Cup" on Fox over the last few days. Last night they had the 2007 tournament. I had forgotten how enormous Hayden was in that tournament, just how farking good Pidge was and generally how far ahead of everyone Aust was.

Comparing that to the pile of gash we have defending the title is very depressing.

Aye, massively depressing, JGK. It's why I just don't wear this "oh, but McGrath, Warne, Gilchrist, Hayden, etc, etc" were once-in-a-generation players. Sure they were greats but WTF has CA been doing about succession planning? SFA.

And continuing to feed qunts like Hildick and Nielsen just compounds the depression.

JGK wrote:I have been watching some of the "How I won the World Cup" on Fox over the last few days. Last night they had the 2007 tournament. I had forgotten how enormous Hayden was in that tournament, just how farking good Pidge was and generally how far ahead of everyone Aust was.

Comparing that to the pile of gash we have defending the title is very depressing.

99 just made more cry. Some blonde bloke who was supposedly out of form was there doing freaky things and making saffies look like complete numpties

Not even Ricky Ponting in a rickshaw or Radiohead's appearance could garner any interest in the WC opening ceremony

When was the Opening Ceremony?

G.Wood wrote:

JGK wrote:I have been watching some of the "How I won the World Cup" on Fox over the last few days. Last night they had the 2007 tournament. I had forgotten how enormous Hayden was in that tournament, just how farking good Pidge was and generally how far ahead of everyone Aust was.

Comparing that to the pile of gash we have defending the title is very depressing.

99 just made more cry. Some blonde bloke who was supposedly out of form was there doing freaky things and making saffies look like complete numpties

My fave summary of that game...


2nd Semi-Final: Australia v South Africa
Michael Henderson - 17 June 1999
Australia triumph at the brink of defeat

Australia (213) tied with South Africa

WE'VE seen just about everything now. After the first tied match in seven World Cups, and after far and away the best game of the current competition, Australia reached the World Cup final by the squeakiest means available. By virtue of finishing second in the Super Sixes, ahead of South Africa on run rate, they will play Pakistan at Lord's on Sunday.

Lance Klusner completes what would have been the winning run but Alan Donald is rooted to his crease

This was a magnificent game, which, quite literally, had something for everybody. Only dullards and knaves would glean nothing from such a feast. There was doughty batting by Steve Waugh and Jonty Rhodes; a display of immense courage by Jacques Kallis; overwhelming fast bowling by Allan Donald and Shaun Pollock; and superb out cricket by the finest fielding teams in the world.

Above it all, and let's shout it from the rooftops - Glory, glory, Hallelujah! - there was a performance by Shane Warne that people will talk about when they are old and grey and nodding by the fire. Combining the brilliance and bravery that is granted only to the great, he took hold of this match when it was drifting away from Aust- ralia and enabled them to win it. Hooray for Warne, and hooray for cricket- lovers everywhere. He was sensational.

Australia didn't just win; they broke South Africa's hearts, and it would be the meanest of spirits who did not sympathise with Hansie Cronje's players last night. Twice in a week they have lost dramatic matches to Australia with two balls to spare. They could have given no more and yet, it wasn't enough. When it comes to the important matches Australia still have the beating of them.

For Lance Klusener, who was implicated in the final wicket, the evening sunshine must have seemed as gloomy as the darkest cavern. He made 31 from 16 balls in that blistering manner and, as he does so often, he left the field undefeated. To drag his team level on runs, and then to lose as they did, was unbearably cruel.

That closing passage of play was almost too intense to take in. South Africa, who needed 18 from the last two overs, with three wickets in hand, lost two of them when Glenn McGrath ripped out Mark Boucher's middle stump and Paul Reiffel's return from long-on was deemed, after David Shepherd referred the decision to the third umpire, to have beaten Steve Elworthy.

At that point South Africa needed 16 and Klusener immediately belted six, through Reiffel's hands on the long-on boundary, and then pinched the strike. It was now nine from the last over. Damien Fleming had finished an unnervingly tight semi-final against West Indies in Chandigarh three years ago by bowling Courtney Walsh. How would he stand up here?

The 'Zulu' smote the first ball through cover for four, a vicious stroke. He found a withering drive for the next ball: four more through extra cover. The scores were level. Steve Waugh brought all his fielders in, and the third ball almost brought a run-out when Darren Lehmann, gathering at mid-on and aiming at the non-striker's stumps, missed by inches.

Klusener drove the next ball to mid-off, where Michael Bevan fielded. He relayed it to Fleming, who rolled it to Adam Gilchrist. Donald, hopelessly short of safety, was out. South Africa were out. Australia, to their barely contained stupefaction, were through and their players congregated to dance a triumphant jig.

What a shame that it had to be Donald, on his home ground. Nobody could have bowled much better as he took four wickets, two in his first over and two in his last. Pollock bettered him by one, topping and tailing the innings. Kallis did them proud, too. Playing with a stomach strain that kept him out of the first meeting between the sides at Leeds, he bowled a full complement of overs, and made 53 to repair an innings devastated by Warne's trickery.

What can possibly be said to men like these? And what can be said to Herschelle Gibbs, who shelled that catch at Leeds in an act of premature celebration, and then watched Steve Waugh win the game with an unbeaten hundred? That was punishment enough, but to get a snorter from Warne yesterday marks him as one of the damned.

Pitching outside leg- stump, and hitting the top of off, the delivery left Gibbs utterly confounded. Gary Kirsten, sweeping, was bowled in Warne's next over and Cronje was caught at slip, apparently off his boot. If he was unlucky, it was still intoxicating to watch a master at work.

Two masters, in point of fact. When Australia needed high definition performances they got them from their captain, at Leeds, and again yesterday, and from the most brilliant bowler of the age. Warne has endured a lot of stick in this competition from braying half-wits. He kept his counsel, and at his leisure supplied a gloriously emphatic answer.

This was a great game of cricket, and it was won by a great player. He is back on the big stage, and Sunday can't come quickly enough. What was he singing last night? A number from another wandering minstrel's back pages, of course: ``Ah, but I was so much older then. I'm younger than that now.''

JGK wrote:When was the Opening Ceremony?

Last night I'm guessing. But good on Bangledash for including some girl on girl action

LINK

G.Wood wrote:Not even Ricky Ponting in a rickshaw or Radiohead's appearance could garner any interest in the WC opening ceremony

What about Ponting's head in a basket?

was he giving or receiving?

I was thinking circa 1794.

Saw one of the shows (or a different one) that JGK referred to yesty. Had highlights from 2003 and 2007 Gillys. Ponting was in his full pomp on SAfferville, and Dossie and Gilly were simply unstoppable in 07. Drunky was telling a story of how the team was in discussion prior to a game v SAffies and how they had to respect Polly. Dossie and Gilly interjected and said "don't worry about him, we'll handle him". They murdered him.

PeterCS wrote:I was thinking circa 1794.

Why did you stop?