World Cup Predictions Competition - Charity Donation for Winner - Entries by Fri 13th Feb

First topic message reminder :

Get your predictions in now and let's see how we all did at the end of the tournament. I have kept it simple so it's not too onerous to contribute. £25 donation to a charity of the winner's choice

Scoring System:
3 points per semi finalist
4 points per finalist
5 points for picking the overall winner

The maximum score is therefore 25

Tiebreak (TB) is number of sixes hit in the whole tournament.

VTR:
Winner: South Africa
Runners Up: New Zealand
Beaten Semi Finalists: England, Australia
TB: 450

Kingraf
Winner: Australia
Runners Up: South Africa
Beaten Semi Finalists: England, New Zealand
TB: 440

JDizzle
Winner: Australia
Runners Up: New Zealand
Beaten Semi Finalists: England, India
TB: 398

Guildfordbat
Winner: Australia
Runners Up: South Africa
Beaten Semi Finalists: Sri Lanka, New Zealand
TB: 680

Mike
Winner: Australia
Runners Up: New Zealand
Beaten Semi Finalists: South Africa, India
TB: 591

Stella
Winner: South Africa
Runner Up: Australia
Beaten Semi Finalists: New Zealand, England
TB: 563

Biltong
Winner: Australia
Runner Up: New Zealand
Beaten Semi Finalists: South Africa, India
TB: 327

Liverbnz
Winner: New Zealand
Runner Up: Australia
Beaten Semi Finalists: South Africa, West Indies
TB: 284

Duty
Winner: England
Runner Up: South Africa
Beaten Semi Finalists: New Zealand, Australia
TB: 387

Mad for Chelsea
Winners: Australia
Runners-Up: NZ
Beaten Semi Finalists: England, South Africa
TB: 527

Fernando
Winner: Sri Lanka
Runner Up: West Indies
Beaten Semi Finalists: Australia, India
TB: 437

The Loaded Dog
Winner: South Africa
Runner Up: Australia
Beaten Semi Finalists: New Zealand, England
TB: 416

Corporal
Winner: New Zealand
Runner Up: Australia
Beaten Semi Finalists: South Africa, Sri Lanka
TB: 512

Gerry SA
Winner: South Africa
Runners up: New Zealand
Beaten semi finalists: Australia, Sri Lanka
TB: 485

KP Fan
Winner: Australia
Runner Up: Pakistan
Beaten Semi Finalists: South Africa, New Zealand
TB: 450

mystiroakey
Winner: Australia
Runners Up: South Africa
Beaten Semi Finalists: England, New Zealand
TB: 438

alfie
Winner: Australia
Runners Up: England
Beaten Semi Finalists: New Zealand, Sri Lanka
TB: 468

Olly
Winner: New Zealand
Runners up: Australia
Beaten Semi Finalists: West Indies, South Africa
TB: 505

Sportform
Winner: South Africa
Runners Up: Australia
Beaten Semi Finalists: New Zealand, West Indies
TB: 366

Hi Mysti. Why you no frequent the golf board no more? You're missed!

I don't really watch cricket but it was big news here in Eire about beating the West Indies, hopefully Ireland will go far and give us an excuse for a party!

Golf forum is a rather intimidating place.... plus Mclaren is a bit of a so-and-so. Made a brief foray, and would rather not again.... but I'm not Mysti.

Hey dude- How are you doing? I miss lots of you lot over there..SR comes over to the Football forums sometimes to wum us English fans but its all in good enough humour!

My life has been golf golf golf since the age of 12- and now that i rarely get the chance to play it and handicap/scores are rising like a hot ballon i get a type of anxiety thinking about it!!!

ANyway- Dont worry as soon as the season starts(the masters- my proper start to the season) I will be back

kingraf wrote:Golf forum is a rather intimidating place.... plus Mclaren is a bit of a so-and-so. Made a brief foray, and would rather not again.... but I'm not Mysti.

There is one thing to note about Mclaren- He knows nothing about Golf.. so as long as you have hit a golf ball you could out debate him on a sporting front. However on any other issues he can be a proper snidey bstard.

Actually played the front Nine with the TaylorMades my girlfriends dad got me for Christmas two weekends ago. Was the first time I'd played at my "home" club (Kempton Golf Club - Els' old club ) and shot a 40. Not the best of days, but this year I'm planning on at least playing like my listed handicap (4), and then improving.

mystiroakey wrote:so we have had 11 6's per game on average and there is 42 games?
going by the small sample we are looking at around 460 plus. which is very similar to our average of 459.

There's 49 games in total, so our collective prediction is just under 10 per game which doesn't look bad at the moment. We were on 11 sixes per game but Sco-NZ brought that down as there were only 2 sixes in that match.

All to play for though, as the SA-UAE match is in New Zealand, if SA bat first all sorts of records could go!

Sounds great.

Els these days lives on Wentworth.. My most memorable moment ever was meeting the Legend Safa Gary Player there and he sat me down and spoke to me for 5 mins in between rounds at the Wentworth Junior open.

I also use taylormades- cracking irons.

VTR wrote:

mystiroakey wrote:so we have had 11 6's per game on average and there is 42 games?
going by the small sample we are looking at around 460 plus. which is very similar to our average of 459.

There's 49 games in total, so our collective prediction is just under 10 per game which doesn't look bad at the moment. We were on 11 sixes per game but Sco-NZ brought that down as there were only 2 sixes in that match.

All to play for though, as the SA-UAE match is in New Zealand, if SA bat first all sorts of records could go!

I also particularly reckon that Bangladesh will go for a fair few sixes in the group games.

VTR wrote:

mystiroakey wrote:so we have had 11 6's per game on average and there is 42 games?
going by the small sample we are looking at around 460 plus. which is very similar to our average of 459.

There's 49 games in total, so our collective prediction is just under 10 per game which doesn't look bad at the moment. We were on 11 sixes per game but Sco-NZ brought that down as there were only 2 sixes in that match.

All to play for though, as the SA-UAE match is in New Zealand, if SA bat first all sorts of records could go!

I think my prediction of about 440(cant be bothered to look back) will be beat- I based it just under ten from 42 games not 49!!

Yeah, working class place is Kempton. Certainly not the home of multi millionaires!! I try make a few of the local European Tour events, and almost always try to make the Nedbank Golf Challenge. Met Westwood a few times now.

They are fantastic, I've only ever used TaylorMades. The old ones had just gotten a little small for me (I'd grown three or four inches since I first owned them)

Yeah i suppose as a youngun- You didnt get the blade buzz!

I started of with hogans that were so soft they would bend out of shape after a certain amount of hits.. Then Mizunos, then pings, then back to blades(titliest 980's(still use them sometimes)

But my Taylormades were custom fit and are really a great all round club for shaping and have the bigger sweet spot.

Nice one mysti, yeah the golf forum maybe isn't the best place to go if you are in any way sensitive!

Its ok on the golf forum- I think it is a little bit clicky. But the best and worst thing about the place is that it isnt over modded like say the rugby forum where you can get a ban for literally nothing. But then that is the busiest place so i also understand why they are so strict.

The mods/admin on here let the golf members do what they want- but even then it never gets that nasty does it.

And Kwini is the best poster on these boards in regards to what i suppose is almost real 'journalism' . I still read his stuff. And I will be back

Don't mind it so much honestly. Gotten into a few rumbles on the rugby and OT boards, can more than hold my own... Just not worth the effort.

It's safe to say that LD's prediction of 367 was probably for the first four rounds of completion

With the pitches getting harder to play on, and the better teams being there, I'd think the six totals would drop significantly towards the end... the problem is... Only six of the 49 matches are knockouts!!!

I thought it was timely to update how the sixes are going after Gayle's innings today (am busy rest of today so can't wait for the result unfortunately)

There have been 125 in 14.5 games so far. One game was abandoned though, so the round average is 9 per game at the moment.

UAE are yet to play a top 8 team so that average could well rocket if they bowl first at any stage

Also England's bowling attack still have at least 3 games to help bring the average up

Getting close to 10 x 6's per game now.

What is the current count? It must be around 280 now after 28 games, is it?

About 265.

Very timely request TLD, as I was just looking at this

244 sixes so far. There have been 27 matches, with one abandoned, so for an average 26 count.

So its nearly 10 a game so far!

Here's the statsguru query I have been using if anyone wants to check at any point:

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=2;filter=advanced;orderby=sixes;series=6537;size=200;template=results;type=batting

Number of games played can be found here:

http://www.espncricinfo.com/icc-cricket-world-cup-2015/engine/series/509587.html

Just realised, we are almost at the 258 in the whole of the last tournament already!

I was thinking 264 from 27 games, forgetting one was abandoned. I was wrong on both counts.

Cheers for the link to that statsguru query, VTR.

Stella wrote:I was thinking 264 from 27 games, forgetting one was abandoned. I was wrong on both counts.

Wasn't a bad guess. There are still quite a few big team vs associate matches to go as well. I have a feeling there is more carnage to come and a score close to 500 somewhere in this tournament.

Yeah, it's looking that way. The grounds aren't big enough these days!

By extrapolation we're already at 443... and the trend is rising for each game it seems.

Given the massive number of sixes I predicted for the tournament, I'm keen for the Pools Panel to rule on the abandoned Australia v Bangladesh game! You may need to be British and of a certain age for that!

guildfordbat wrote:Given the massive number of sixes I predicted for the tournament, I'm keen for the Pools Panel to rule on the abandoned Australia v Bangladesh game! You may need to be British and of a certain age for that!

One of the joys of the pools panel was getting annoyed if the predicted result went against your team. Almost as bad as a loss itself!

Well given that I was officially appointed V2's resident DL expert for the tournament (not that there's been much use for it so far, think only the BD-WI game has been DL-affected, and that was a one-sided thrashing so scarecely relevant), I do believe I should be put in charge of ruling the Pools Panel for the abandonned Aus-BD game. I have indeed already come up for a formula for the number of sixes which would have been scored on average, although it's rather convoluted and involves a number of factors, such as where Shane Watson slept the night before (so if anyone has this info please pass on). I'll give you the result after the tournament, obviously, since it also depends on all the matches yet to be played.

PS: If, by some completely random chance, it were to give me the best prediction for total number of sixes, then this would be pure coincidence

guildfordbat wrote:Given the massive number of sixes I predicted for the tournament, I'm keen for the Pools Panel to rule on the abandoned Australia v Bangladesh game! You may need to be British and of a certain age for that!

Looks like only Mike and Biltong still in the running for correct prediction of all four semi finalists.  (For this to be correct both need NZ to beat WI). The semi final draw means that both Mike and Biltong are still in running for correct prediction of winner, runner up and losing semi finalists.

Far too many punters wasted one of their votes on England!  

Corporalhumblebucket wrote:Looks like only Mike and Biltong still in the running for correct prediction of all four semi finalists.  (For this to be correct both need NZ to beat WI). The semi final draw means that both Mike and Biltong are still in running for correct prediction of winner, runner up and losing semi finalists.

Far too many punters wasted one of their votes on England!  

Yes indeed, Corporal.
That's the last time I follow my heart in making predictions!

The sad thing is I didn't even use my heart. Just thought it logical that since England beat India twice already in Australia... they'd win if they matched up. I didn't however allow a variant of England dying out against Bangladesh

Yes, that was the same logic I used regarding India v England... had a small gut feeling about BD but thought surely lightning couldn't strike on the same team twice; four years apart!

There goes my number of sixes with still 3 and a half matches to go.

Holy Poopie Daniel Vettorri

Tim Southee will not want to relieve today

Boult and Southee were quite close in the esteem they were held. After this world cup, I think the Alpha male is well established.

LD - I remember us discussing Hussey's role in the SA team a few weeks ago. Apparently he's in as the "Explain what teams think about when they face South Africa" consultant as well as the "This is how you should at in Australia" consultant

This match has single handedly destroyed my tie break prediction

Have been away so will update this on Monday with who is in the running and six count

The scoring system rewards getting the result right, so people with three semi finalists correct will be well in the running

VTR wrote:Have been away so will update this on Monday with who is in the running and six count

The scoring system rewards getting the result right, so people with three semi finalists correct will be well in the running

Cheers, VTR.

Btw, I'm claiming Guptil's hit onto the lid of the Cake Tin as at least a double six!

By my (non negligeable, even if I say so myself) maths skills, if Biltong and I get the rest of the tournament right (which remains a big if) then 459 is the number of 6s which splits us down the middle. I can't find precisely where we are currently, but seem to remember an early 400 number flashing during the NZ innings so possibly around 420 by now?

If so I would be very interested to find out the conclusions from the pools panel re the abandoned Aus-Ban game ;-)

If sa beat nz. I think I will overtake you.

It's at 430 sixes now, Mike.... there were 31 in yesterday's match.
A record for a WC match and 2nd behind the 38 scored in a India-Australia match a couple of years ago.

Mike Selig wrote:By my (non negligeable, even if I say so myself) maths skills, if Biltong and I get the rest of the tournament right (which remains a big if) then 459 is the number of 6s which splits us down the middle. I can't find precisely where we are currently, but seem to remember an early 400 number flashing during the NZ innings so possibly around 420 by now?

If so I would be very interested to find out the conclusions from the pools panel re the abandoned Aus-Ban game ;-)

Nice to hear from you again, Mike, even if it is only to sing when you are winning!

I plead business for recent sporadic presence. That and the fact that everytime I read about people still questioning the "modern" technique of taking the ball in front of the stumps I have this urge to punch a hole in my computer ;-)

Mike Selig wrote:I plead business for recent sporadic presence. That and the fact that everytime I read about people still questioning the "modern" technique of taking the ball in front of the stumps I have this urge to punch a hole in my computer ;-)

Excellent! Had hoped that post would penetrate your deeply buried bunker!

kingraf wrote:
LD - I remember us discussing Hussey's role in the SA team a few weeks ago. Apparently he's in as the "Explain what teams think about when they face South Africa" consultant as well as the "This is how you should at in Australia" consultant

Not sure I understand the thinking behind that decision, raf.
I suppose it's something only a South African could dream up. It smacks of an arrogant and clueless desperation as usual.  

I hope it works for their sake but the idea of "explaining what teams think about when they face SA" or the other one (I don't quite follow that?) is just another example of unnecessary over management and misses the whole point completely. Just get out there and play the game - should be their guiding principle. Who cares what the opposition really think? (well to give you a hint: they are only human!)

He must be having a laugh (inside the meeting rooms) thinking that: "...and they are paying me for this!" That must be a lot of fun actually...

Ok, quick update. I think its been stated, but 430 sixes so far. That's the tie-breaker only though so it might not come into play!

Mike and Biltong are leading with all 4 semi finalists correct, BUT the order of things brings plenty of others into the running who have got 3 of them correct. If though (like me) you have a now impossible combination as the final, I would say you were out of it!

Those with SA to beat Aus in the final in particular are well in the frame.

Or Aus to beat SA

But Graf would then beat me as he predicted 440 6's to my 438...

mystiroakey wrote:Or Aus to beat SA

Possibly, but less sure on that scenario as both Mike and Biltong have Aus to win, so would also gain the 5 points if Aus win

EDIT: Actually I think you are right as it would be 4 points extra for the correct finalist, outweighing being 3 points down at the current stage. My head hurts....