World Cup 2015

Yes, Finn's current state is a damning indictment on English cricket. He could bowl just as (un)effectively from a run up of about three paces at the moment. There's no momentum when he hits the crease, and he's just trying to put the ball there somewhere on the cut strip.

Only England's fast bowlers suffer such awful malfunction of action and crisis of confidence.

They bowl to the left, they bowl to the right... England's fast bowlers, coached by Kevin Shite...

Woeful Windies 38/2 (9.0), Crystal out for 4(14)

Samuels off to a flier, though. Surely he can't last long flailing away outside off stump, but while he's there, there's hope.

Henry wrote:Yes, Finn's current state is a damning indictment on English cricket.

Michael Holding once said on Sky how surprised he was when Finn told him he'd rather take 2-20 from 20 overs than 5-100 off of 15. Maybe Finn, like Harmison, just doesn't have what it takes mentally.

krikri wrote: Maybe Finn just doesn't have what it takes mentally.

I think that's a reasonable assumption of someone who forgot how to bowl and move his arms and legs in the right order.

He should get a gold star just for being able to dress himself and cut his food.

Fielding with balls, new techniques one learns from Pakistan.

As for England... can't polish a turd. That India lost twice to them in the run up worries me about how we'd have gone in group 1.

Pakistan 4 wickets for 1 run!

What a start by Jerome Taylor!!!

And how bad was the Wackie catching?? 5 flubbs cost them big time.

So Windies haven't laid down just yet.

Great win to the Windies, with a nice boost to their NRR. They aren't dead and buried by a long shot in Group B, but the Wackies will have to lift to make the QFs.

The washout in Brisbane is now confirmed, as if it were ever in doubt ... a point to both the Banglas AND Australia deepens England's misery. Can they beat Scotland to remain in contention for the next stage?

Not if Morgan/Moores/Farbrace/Finn/Bell/Ballance/.../.../.... have anything to do with it.

Some acerbic words from Sir Geoffroi, BEFORE the NZ fiasco ...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cricket/international/england/11422031/England-probably-think-Im-an-idiot-but-if-they-listened-they-might-improve.html

skully wrote:Great win to the Windies, with a nice boost to their NRR. They aren't dead and buried by a long shot in Group B, but the Wackies will have to lift to make the QFs.

Unfortunate for the Irish, as this result almost certainly eliminates them unless they beat another Test nation.

Pity for them that England are in the other group ...

Ireland v Pakistan is the last group game, could well be a straight knockout match.

I'll back Ireland to win that.

The crazy thing is, Pakistan could still suddenly click and win the whole thing. It's happened before.

Henry wrote:I'll back Ireland to win that.

So you hate the Oirish as well as the Aussies.

Don't worry. Pakistan have backed Ireland to win it as well....

I think, through a haze of drunkenness, I saw my favourite ever placard: Misbah Do Something.

PeterCS wrote:Not if Morgan/Moores/Farbrace/Finn/Bell/Ballance/.../.../.... have anything to do with it.

Some acerbic words from Sir Geoffroi, BEFORE the NZ fiasco ...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cricket/international/england/11422031/England-probably-think-Im-an-idiot-but-if-they-listened-they-might-improve.html

so I hope there has been some plain speaking in team meetings, and not just sitting there slapping each other on the back, and pretending they were unlucky at the MCG. That will not work.

Aye that worked well last time england were in Australia.

I hope England lose to Scotland I really do. It will be f*cking hilarious, and Moores will almost certainly lose his job (surely??). It will be a step in the right direction.

Hopefully that pillock Downton will be sacked as well.

Still, we thought losing to Holland in the T20 was the watershed moment... stopped Gashley getting the job permanently, but brought back Moores instead. The King of Spain is probably anticipating the call back from Shabby as we speak.

beamer wrote:Still, we thought losing to Holland in the T20 was the watershed moment... stopped Gashley getting the job permanently, but brought back Moores instead. The King of Spain is probably anticipating the call back from Shabby as we speak.

Well if the ECB is incapable of being bold then we might have to wait until their precious TV money stops coming in and the fans stop coming to the grounds to watch this pathetic excuse for a team. Then maybe there will be a shake-up of the ECB.

Colly has been having a go at England of late. Saying a few home truths. That probably rules him out of the head coach job. Jason Gillespie also had some less than complimentary things to say, so he's probably been ruled out as well. That leaves a comeback for either Ashley Giles or Andy Flower. F*ck. Off.

The worrying thing is, on-field performances don't seem to be a priority. They just like to keep a supposedly steady ship where everyone apparently gets along with each other. They could;t give a damn what the fans think, because they assume we'll still tune in, and keep paying 70 quid for a ticket to a test match to see England get hammered.

And we probably will continue to win home Tests against Asian and Caribbean teams for the foreseeable future, by exploiting the conditions with our signature brand of turgid, wait-and-see, bore-them-into-submission cricket. Which ticks the ECB's results box.