Champions Trophy - England and Wales 2013

First topic message reminder :

We have had a few prediction/ speculation type threads but this will be the discussion thread for matches in the Champions Trophy which starts this morning.

The first game is India v South Africa at the Swalec Stadium, Cardiff.

3 wickets for no run. England throwing away a lot of the advantage.

Darn good over from Kulasekara 

Sri Lanka fighting back at the end of the innings...sensible batting will still see England to a good total , though it won't be what we were starting to expect ten minutes ago.

Come on Broad..

So probably get table on 45 overs if its a 300 pitch.

Another bowled.

Now if it rains they have an easy dl chase.

Bowden helping the was very poor though.  Like he respected slinger too much.

Pathetic from Bresnan. Two length balls patted back, then a missed hoick. That is very very poor.

Equally poor from Bopara who is patting balls and not running hard - that has been a feature of England's innings so far, and Bopara is just so lazy.

England finishing 30 runs short due to failings in the lower order. It's not even been good bowling apart from one Malinga slower ball.

alfie wrote:Darn good over from Kulasekara 

Sri Lanka fighting back at the end of the innings...sensible batting will still see England to a good total , though it won't be what we were starting to expect ten minutes ago.

49 runs short of good Alfie. England have no idea how to pace these innings.

If they made the semis.. Unlikely is, they would get destroyed.

Bresnan gone !  That was a poor shot.  Guess he didn't have much time to get his eye in , but still...

I wouldn't get too steamed up over this little collapse : with the score they had on the board , England were always going to throw the bat in the last five ...in fact that is what many on here were vigorously urging !
Sometimes it goes a bit wrong..

 Two more overs ...270 ?

Disappointed with this end tbh..

Poor showing.

Push the first one hard Ravi, that's pathetic. You're only in for 3 overs, you can sodding run for all 3.

England should at least get to 270. This time, the top order has been well and truly let down. Jonathan Trott played very good innings, and Joe Root played an excellent one. Cook at the top put runs on the board as well. Morgan, Buttler, just didn't come to the party.

This last few overs has been utter drivel from England. As soon as they feel the pressure to go big they blow it. Trott and Root were taking 8 an over off the likes of Malinga earlier, all ran in ones and twos. It doesn't always require a bludgeon in to the stands.

If they lose this now it'll be little short of what the middle order (yet again) deserve. I still think we've got enough though, but regardless I can't wait for KP to come back. Capable of destruction but also a proper cricketer, something which we need more of.

more like it Bops

Nice shot there by Broad. This will be a good score from England, not an excellent score that looked possible 20 minutes ago.

The key about Trott and Root's partnership was the running, and scoring singles off the good balls - that meant that when they took a risk for a boundary they were doing so on their terms. Bopara and Bresnan utterly failed on both of those, so Bresnan had to take a risk out of desperation.

Great blow from Ravi that. And good running from Broad previously.

A good last over can still get them to 280. He was badly let down by his fielders, but Lasith Malinga finishes with a still creditable 2-58.
Good start to the last over,
 10 of 2 balls from Bopara.

16 of 3- not bad i suppose lulz!

Lot of over reaction I think.

Everyone was happy with a projected 270 most of the day...then things went better than expected , and people got greedy..

This looked a good score at start of play - it is still a good score.

...as Ravi hits a six...

England should win this comfortably , and if they don't it will be bad bowling , not a few late wickets lost.

Relax and enjoy it ...go Ravi !

Now 16 of 3. Even 290 possible.

How huge was that one?! Ravi Bopara's having a party...

20 off 4!

Make that 20 of 4.

28 last over- unreal!


293 in the end

Ravi decided to get the score near par on his own.

Par is 300 here or so?

Well 15 short isn't anywhere near as bad.

One heck of an over.

Undid most of the collapse damage.

28 from the last over and near par.

YES BOPARA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Amazing batting from the Essex lad, just superb. Fantastic last over to give us a very good score. Shame Morgan and Butler both played crap, but also shows we don't have to rely on them. ITS ALL ABOUT RAVI!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Like I said , relax...

293.   Well played Bopara 

I'm off to bed , but I'll be seriously shocked if England don't win this.

Ravi Bopara take a bow.

Ravi Ravi Ravi Ravi aaahhhhaaahhhhaaahhhhaaahhhhaaahhhahhhhhaaaaahhhhh

28 off the over, brilliant. Now for his customary 1-48 off 9...

Aranga went for 28 of the last over. England finish with 293-7. Really don't see Sri Lanka chasing this down. They were horrible in the field, Aranga ahead of Perera has spectacularly backfired.
Fabulous effort from Ravi Bopara. This has to be among his best performances for England. Not a big contribution in terms of runs, but an absolutely brilliant  effort  in the contest of the match.

And that over has decided the game for England. A good score transformed into an excellent score with six swishes of the blade. Well done Ravi. Well done to Cook, Trott, and Root as well. 

Bopara catches up his earlier pats in some style... all is forgiven.

In doing so, he gets England somewhat out of jail, and more up to the total which looked likely for 9/10s of the innings. Importantly he gives England the momentum going into the second half of the game. In essence he played the Morgan/Buttler innings.

In truth, there has been a bit of hyperbole written the last few minutes - apart from overs 45-48 that was more or less ideal from England.

All the talk coming in was about Morgan/Buttler finishing off the innings, but Ravi's come to the party the last two games!!!

Should defend that, early wickets will be key

Bops second 6 was just unreal.. Looked like a tiger 6 iron with a touch of fade

Sri Lanka will have to go at just under run-a-ball pace on a slow pitch and under lights. Factor in that they have to face 2 world-class bowlers on their home turf, with back-up provided by Broad, Bresnan, Root, and Bopara, and England can whistle merrily home at a canter.

Beefy shreding Nasir

Nick Knight talks alot of sense. I swear he reads my comments!

This parrera thinks its 20/20 or something. What sort of batting was that!!

anyway wicket for england

Just what was needed! Hopefully we can nip out Dilshan/Sangakarra early as well now

Sangakkara is the key man for Sri Lanka. Dilshan has been patchy with his form of late, and despite a proper batsman at 7, I don't think that middle order is all that solid. Mahela too hasn't been among the runs consistently for some time now.

Sanga looking to be positive.

Sanga smashing Broad.  SL looking set to get these comfortably.

Sky just saying The kook ball just doesn't swing and engs bowlers struggle with it more.

Could do with another wicket, I quite fancy Bresnan and Bopara to do well on this wicket

Brisk start by Sri Lanka, but England shouldn't be too concerned as yet.

Sanga is looking dangerous, but Dilshan is not really on top of his game as yet. Joe Root ahead of Graeme Swann.

Joe Root ahead of Swann, interesting...

Looking to get a couple of cheap overs out of Root here I would imagine

The 50 partnership up between Dilshan and Sangakkara. Dilshan still not in control though.

They are playing well..

england had 10 boundaries in the first 35 overs.

SL have 10 in 14