India v South Africa, ICCCT Match 1, Cardiff, 6 June, 2013

Meanwhile, India are well on top.

Lieutenant Loose let loose a few times, but just got looser and looser and finally lost his wicket.

Ishant. What a useless qunt.

I shan't comment on that.

India need a wicket soon to brake SA's runrush. They don't look like they are able to contain them.

We'll cock this up, almost as badly as the cricinfo website. Flinging boogers at them would be more threatening.

All over now

Nice win, and certainly didn't expect it. Bowling was crapulent from both sides.

India are looking pretty good. Must've put themselves up as favourites

Brass Monkey wrote:India are looking pretty good. Must've put themselves up as favourites

I'll counter that with Ishant Sharma.

Yeah, there is the Llama factor - but India won the WC without any bowlers.

Brass Monkey wrote:India are looking pretty good. Must've put themselves up as favourites

Depends on the weather, I guess.

If England turns all cold, damp and swingy, India will adopt the position and take it up the shitbox as usual.

Yeah maybe... but TBH I don't reckon there're many good bowling sides out there ATM - it's like a tonkalot haven for the loose techniqued.

All I know is, I've discounted England from being among the teams that could win the tournament.

Yeah, I'm probably with you. That powerplay sham seems more and more selfish and meek the more I see every other team have a wipe in the first 10. Haven't even got blind faith that our turgid and timid top three can turn it around. Triumvirate of sloth they are. Bowling-wise, I don't think we stand out as shite amongst this rabble. But, I do think we heavily have to lift our game in the field, it's been 1990's at times....

What happened to 260 plays 250 with dobbers swinging it around corners and no boundaries being scored in the power-plays? I thought this was the tournament where conditions were going to suit England down to the ground? Where their 1980s brand of cricket would come full-circle and finally prove itself worthwhile.

Oh, yeah. As we all suspected, that was England's HOPE. That was what they were telling themselves. If England's beliefs were a state of mind or being, they'd be locked away in an asylum somewhere.

Chivalry Augustus wrote:Oh, yeah. As we all suspected, that was England's HOPE. That was what they were telling themselves. If England's beliefs were a state of mind or being, they'd be locked away in an asylum somewhere.

What really grinds my gears is their indignant, to the point of boorish, attitude to the questions that there could be a possibility that they're getting it wrong. It's almost religious in its indoctrinated Stepford Wife mantra babbling. We'll see, anyway, just wish there was some sort of bet I could put on whereby I can set the parameters of England's next 1.5 ODI years, because I reckon I'd get it bang on. Where's my prize? WHERE'S MY PRIZE?????

What grinds my gears is that even domestic pro40 teams score 300 an innings, yet I doubt if the England ODI side will top 300 all tournament. Or all summer. Or ever again.

If you're England's opponents, the tactics against them are very simple - and totally unchanged from the last decade or so: bowl a lot of accurate medium pace and part-time spin at them, torpedoing the run rate to something around 3. Sit in and wait for the wheels to come off in a panic of late order slogging to try and catch up.

Works like clockwork whether they're trying to set a score or chase.

What grinds my gears is that England 'A' played England and got thrashed - so much for sticking it to the man metrosexual mouth-machines.

Looks at this stage like shitty weather may return by middle of next week - so England to get battered in 300+ conditions in game 1, then (as long as it's not too wet to get results) win the other two by reducing the opposition to 20-4 with the swinging ball. And suddenly English ODI cricket is fine again...

beamer wrote:Looks at this stage like shitty weather may return by middle of next week - so England to get battered in 300+ conditions in game 1, then (as long as it's not too wet to get results) win the other two by reducing the opposition to 20-4 with the swinging ball. And suddenly English ODI cricket is fine again...

Who's gonna swing the ball? Broad and Finn are struggling to land the ball on the cut strip. England's best hope is middle-order spin plus Bopara's McDobbers, imo. I'd go:

Cook
Warwickshire Sh*te I
Warwickshire Sh*te II
Root
Morgan
Bopara
Buttler
Swann
Tredwell
Anderson
Finn

Pom prospects aside ...

SAf at least did well to keep up the chase. Esp. if they can get Steyn back, I wouldn't bet against them disposing of those two mavericks, PAK and WIN.

But even if they lost one of those (narrowly), their reasonable differential might just keep them in it by the skin of their teeth. Mavericks being mavericks.

South Africa's bowling without Steyn and apart from Morkel looked very poor. They were England-like in their tactics of continuing to bang it in half way down.

Remember they are also without Philander. By the time Morkel had limped away, they were completely into a second-string attack.

They choose not to pick Philander for the ODIs.