World Cup 2019

Ironic that, while England's catching was excellent (particularly Woakes in the outfield), their ground fielding was sloppy and probably leaked the amount of runs they lost by.

Well done to the Wackies a rather even batting performance , and did enough with the Ball to get the win. That said some poor batting by the Pomgolians in last 10 overs.

horace wrote:Well done Stannies.

John the Bookie must have been on an RDO.

England pair Jofra Archer and Jason Roy have been fined while Pakistan skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed has also been sanctioned following their match at Trent Bridge on Monday.

Roy has been fined 15 per cent of his match fee after he was found guilty of uttering an audible obscenity when he mis-fielded during Pakistan’s innings.

Archer has also copped a 15 per cent fine after being found guilty of showing "obvious dissent" at an umpire’s wide call in the 28th over of Pakistan’s innings.

The entire Pakistan team are also lighter in the wallet after they were found to be behind the over rate in their 14-run win against the tournament favourites.

Geez, the Lankans have regressed to minnows.

They contrived to go from 1-144 to 8-182 against the feisty Ghanis. Rain may have saved them from embarrassment.

Big Dog wrote:England pair Jofra Archer and Jason Roy have been fined while Pakistan skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed has also been sanctioned following their match at Trent Bridge on Monday.

Roy has been fined 15 per cent of his match fee after he was found guilty of uttering an audible obscenity when he mis-fielded during Pakistan’s innings.

Archer has also copped a 15 per cent fine after being found guilty of showing "obvious dissent" at an umpire’s wide call in the 28th over of Pakistan’s innings.

The entire Pakistan team are also lighter in the wallet after they were found to be behind the over rate in their 14-run win against the tournament favourites.

Roy should have been fined at least that for shelling that fumbling sitter.

I'm sort of glad Archer has lost his nimbus, as mentioned above. Maybe, free of almighty messianic qualities, he can just concentrate on doing what he does best. Which is not being petulant.

I did say "fumbling".

Hounds running out of wickets, but it’s still close on Vera Duckworth, with rain closing in again.

Almost certainly the wooden spoon contest, in any case.

So Lanka got out of jail with a good bowling effort, ay? Well done them.

Big opportunity passed up by Afghanistan, surely.

"Experience" is sometimes an overused word in sport, in cricket. If used glibly. After all, the technical basics of cricket are not all that complicated. Timing, placement and weight in the shot, adjustment to conditions, etc. Admittedly, once someone like Malinga gets his tail up and his Wasim-Akramesque big booming yorkers in the groove, that can test the best. But he needs his tail up for that. And Afghanistan gave him his tail.

The point about "experience" is the psychology, of not fearing failure too much, of having been there before and not panicking if you can't score, or lose a couple of wickets, get hit for a six or two, of not jumping into overconfidence and getting blinded by glory. ...

Afghanistan have played quite a lot of international cricket now.

But they reverted into an uncertain/nervous/bags-of-bull T20 approach too often yesterday. And it cost them.

They encountered Sri Lanka at a low ebb. Probably (one hopes) in an interregnum, without a core side, without as many outstanding players as normal for them over the past 25 years. But SL have won things,  and a couple at least of their veterans were there, know that.

Yes, Sri Lanka came through strongly in the end. Good for them, after their humiliation by NZ. But they were also allowed to.

Some of Afghanistan's players aren't getting any younger. Nabi, the burly keeper, 4 or 5 others over 30. I hope they are developing a sufficient fund/pool of international-class players for them not to have missed the boat in this tournament. Rashid Khan, Najibullah and a couple of others can't make it on their own.

( Now watch them smash England! )

De Kock out (not an order ...), Du Plessis, Amla, ThunderDoesn't already out as well ...! Four down for 80 (off 20).

Come on, South African team, get your fingers out and at least make a decent effort, or you'll be out of the competition before you've even got half way through the 'Robin!

PMSL @ Van der Dussen's reverse sweep effort. Bowled middle stump.

Yarps 0-3, so effectively playing knockout cricket already, although a team could sneak in at 5-4 in a crowded field. Can’t really afford a washout either...

SA just seem to be uncharacteristically lacking in game-changers, with bat in particular. AB packing it in a year in advance of this was perhaps a reflection on their chances, with hindsight.

Will an early exit here see SA cricket draw a line under an era and move on from the likes of Amla, Faf, Steyn etc. in all formats?

Talking of big opportunities missed:

SACK - MUSHFIQUR - NOW!

Missing a straightforward stumping is one thing. Bungling a golden opp to get rid of the skipper and one of the three or four best batsmen in the world - earlier in the same over - is absolutely dismal.

(PS: I don't really mean get rid of him. I couldn't resist the echo of an old, plaintive lament on here. But it WAS horrendous, two bungles in an over, one silver, one golden.)

Unexpected drama ensues ...

So the Bangers made the Sheep work for the win.

From Peter's description, they maybe should've even won it.

Is it too early to LOL at Yarps?

skully wrote:So the Bangers made the Sheep work for the win.

From Peter's description, they maybe should've even won it.

Is it too early to LOL at Yarps?

Maybe we should beat WI before smirking. Still they barely gave a yelp against the Bannies. Probably time for a clean out. Amla and Duminy will surely retire and perhaps it is time for Faff to fall on his sword.

horace wrote:Maybe we should beat WI before smirking.

Indeed h. It's why I asked the question rather than smirking outright.

Good odds for the Windies tonight.

skully wrote:

horace wrote:Maybe we should beat WI before smirking.

Indeed h. It's why I asked the question rather than smirking outright.

Confess I did have a chuckle.

horace wrote:

skully wrote:So the Bangers made the Sheep work for the win.

From Peter's description, they maybe should've even won it.

Is it too early to LOL at Yarps?

Maybe we should beat WI before smirking. Still they barely gave a yelp against the Bannies. Probably time for a clean out. Amla and Duminy will surely retire and perhaps it is time for Faff to fall on his sword.

Yeah, it’s the last remnants of the Smith era fizzling out really. They perhaps need another brave selection of a young captain as per 2003.

Their batting line-up seems rather like ours a decade ago - if De Kock doesn’t fire (the equivalent for us back then being KP) the rest is pretty pedestrian.

Crazy fact - if Kevin Pietersen was in the current England ODI side, he would have the lowest career strike rate of the batsmen and all-rounders

Wild and woolly first two overs. Fink gone.

Now Warner gone

Ooze bounced out. We’re in trouble.

what's the tearing hurry baby !