World Cup 2011

Are minnows cheaping hat tricks?

Dunno why they played Kenya v SL before Ireland v RSA ... if the latter had been first, all teams would now have played 2 matches.

Henry wrote:Cricket is obviously nowhere near as popular as Rugby in NZ, but then again cricket is nowhere near as popular as Football in England. You could say the same about South Africa- Cricket is the third most popular sport over there, but it's still pretty ingrained into the sporting culture. South Africans care how the Proteas perform and Kiwis care how the Black Caps perform. On the other hand, do people in Canada even know that Canada is in the cricket world cup? Do they even know the world cup is on right now?

The Kiwi's will always be pretty competetive because cricket is still the main Summer sport over there.

Would be interesting to know how many registered players there are in each country and how many professionals. NZ will always have a small pool to pick from as they have a population of only 4 million, it's probably impossible for them to ever reach world number 1 in any format unless they just get a remarkable generation of players emerge, otherwise the limit of their potential is perhaps what they did in the Hadlee and Fleming eras.

It's easy to see why the ICC sees countries with hundreds of millions of people as having vast untapped potential but you just can't change the sporting landscape of a country which already has its own established interests. Bangladesh you suspect will develop with time as it is their national sport but they can't seem to produce bowlers of any pace or batsmen with the patience for Test cricket at the moment. Never having seen any of their domestic game it's hard to guess at why exactly that is! Most of the other countries though, it's probably a long shot.

Nath wrote:Kenya already 2 down in the 3rd over. Malinga will steamroll through them

after a slow start, got the prediction right in the end

Kenya has now conceded 2 World Cup hattricks, with Bung being the first v Kenya in South Africa in 03.

I wonder what odds you could have gotten on a hat trick being taken on consecutive days?

I reckon if you put a fiver on that happening you wouldn't have to work again.

Ed Joyce to stick it to his former countrymen with his new/previous former countrymen?

Don't count it out...

If you could call a 130 ball century "sticking it". Don't think Joyce really has the firepower to do anything other than quietly accumulate.

JKLever wrote:9-142

And to think some clowns wanted these as a test playing nation. Same with Ireland now.

Ireland would be more competitive if they got their players back from the poms and maybe could draft in some saffies poms

The Ireland players hone their skills in England's first class competition anyway so I think we have every right to pinch a few.

Henry wrote:The Ireland players hone their skills in England's first class competition anyway so I think we have every right to pinch a few.

lol...does this mean we can nick some of the better young pommy players playing local cricket here...btw you can have slaw

horace wrote:

Henry wrote:The Ireland players hone their skills in England's first class competition anyway so I think we have every right to pinch a few.

lol...does this mean we can nick some of the better young pommy players playing local cricket here...btw you can have slaw

That would be fine except that three losses out of the last four Ashes series has slightly devalued the worth of Aussie domestic cricket. HMS Cumberland will be docking in Sydney Harbour soon to evacuate any young promising Aussie cricketer wanting to rescue his career.

Basil wrote:

horace wrote:

Henry wrote:The Ireland players hone their skills in England's first class competition anyway so I think we have every right to pinch a few.

lol...does this mean we can nick some of the better young pommy players playing local cricket here...btw you can have slaw

That would be fine except that three losses out of the last four Ashes series has slightly devalued the worth of Aussie domestic cricket. HMS Cumberland will be docking in Sydney Harbour soon to evacuate any young promising Aussie cricketer wanting to rescue his career.

sage coment from young Basil...none of our young promising cricketers are likely to be selected anyway under the current regime

Mike Hussey has received an official green light to head for the World Cup - in place of any injured Australian player except his own replacement Callum Ferguson.

The International Cricket Council technical committee ruled last night that Hussey was eligible to return to the squad after recovering from the hamstring surgery that forced his original exclusion.

But Hussey is not allowed to replace Ferguson, the batsman drafted into the Australian squad as his replacement when there were doubts about the speed of his recovery.

"A player who recovers from his injury can return as a replacement for another injured player," an ICC spokesman told The West Australian.

"However, a player who is injured and is replaced in the squad cannot come back into the squad for his replacement."

That means Hussey could replace paceman Doug Bollinger, who returned home at the weekend after injuring an ankle.

Hussey said yesterday that he did not expect to replace Bollinger with Australia likely to send another bowler.

Victorians Dirk Nannes, Peter Siddle and James Pattinson are the likely candidates should Australia decide to replace Bollinger with another paceman.

But Hussey predicted that Australia might also consider sending another spinner, with left-armer Xavier Doherty returning to action with Tasmania last month, Michael Beer impressing for the Warriors and newcomer Nathan Lyon starring for South Australia.

First-choice spinner Nathan Hauritz, who was forced out of the World Cup squad after dislocating his bowling shoulder six weeks ago, is not expected to be fit until just before the World Cup quarter-finals start on March 23.

Hauritz hopes to be available for NSW in the Sheffield Shield final.

Australian chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch said there was no hurry to replace Bollinger and that the eventual replacement would be selected to maximise the team's chances of winning the World Cup.

"Currently all our fast bowlers are fit and we have John Hastings in the squad ready to play if an opportunity presents itself," Hilditch said.

"We also have cover in the event of an injury to Brad Haddin or any one of the batsmen, so there is seen to be no rush in making the decision."

Kenya did well today, Malinga was just too quick in the end.

Meanwhile, Marlon Samuels turned down the chance to make his comeback for the Windies, saying he's not ready yet.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/icc_cricket_worldcup2011/content/current/story/503722.html

Kind of admirable that he apparently wants to focus on the longer form of the game, but also strange that he would knock back a chance to get back into the Windies team after a three year absence.

Anderson likely to be dropped for Broad, who is feeling better now. I'd like them to slot Bopara in there somewhere as well. Maybe instead of Yardy?

samuels doesnt want to come for the world cup as he is scared he may get arrested for match-fixing charges from his last tour to india in 2007

So Paddies v Poms tonight.

really in that case

CARN THE OIRISH....SMASH THOSE POMGOLIANS GOOD

embee wrote:
Mike Hussey has received an official green light to head for the World Cup - in place of any injured Australian player except his own replacement Callum Ferguson.

The International Cricket Council technical committee ruled last night that Hussey was eligible to return to the squad after recovering from the hamstring surgery that forced his original exclusion.

But Hussey is not allowed to replace Ferguson, the batsman drafted into the Australian squad as his replacement when there were doubts about the speed of his recovery.

"A player who recovers from his injury can return as a replacement for another injured player," an ICC spokesman told The West Australian.

"However, a player who is injured and is replaced in the squad cannot come back into the squad for his replacement."

That means Hussey could replace paceman Doug Bollinger, who returned home at the weekend after injuring an ankle.

Hussey said yesterday that he did not expect to replace Bollinger with Australia likely to send another bowler.

Victorians Dirk Nannes, Peter Siddle and James Pattinson are the likely candidates should Australia decide to replace Bollinger with another paceman.

But Hussey predicted that Australia might also consider sending another spinner, with left-armer Xavier Doherty returning to action with Tasmania last month, Michael Beer impressing for the Warriors and newcomer Nathan Lyon starring for South Australia.

First-choice spinner Nathan Hauritz, who was forced out of the World Cup squad after dislocating his bowling shoulder six weeks ago, is not expected to be fit until just before the World Cup quarter-finals start on March 23.

Hauritz hopes to be available for NSW in the Sheffield Shield final.

Australian chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch said there was no hurry to replace Bollinger and that the eventual replacement would be selected to maximise the team's chances of winning the World Cup.

"Currently all our fast bowlers are fit and we have John Hastings in the squad ready to play if an opportunity presents itself," Hilditch said.

"We also have cover in the event of an injury to Brad Haddin or any one of the batsmen, so there is seen to be no rush in making the decision."

Ah cheers, A. Hadn't heard or seen this. Now will Hildick be pig-headed enough to ignore this golden opportunity to get Paris over there? I'm betting yes.

Broad returns for the totally shafted Shahzad.

The guy who basically tied the last match for England with his six, and who didn't bowl all that badly (Shahzad) is dropped whilst Jimmy 'last went for less than 70 runs in my 10 overs about 6 months ago' Anderson is retained yet again.

Henry wrote:The Ireland players hone their skills in England's first class competition anyway so I think we have every right to pinch a few.

Could go a long way to sorting your soccer team as well.

I'm looking forward to seeing Ireland's 18 year old left arm spinner George Dockrell bowl. Word is he'll be qualifying for England from this year.