ICC Cricket World Cup - Part 3

Table

Australia	8	14	1.00
India	7	11	0.85
New Zealand	8	11	0.57
England	8	10	1.00
Pakistan	8	9	-0.80
Sri Lanka	8	8	-0.93
Bangladesh	7	7	-0.13
South Africa	8	5	-0.08
West Indies	8	3	-0.36
Afghanistan	8	0	-1.42

Remaining Pool Fixtures

Tue, Jul 2 
10:30 Bangladesh vs India (Edgbaston)

Wed, Jul 3 
10:30 England vs New Zealand (Riverside Ground)

Thu, Jul 4 
10:30 Afghanistan vs West Indies (Headingley)

Fri, Jul 5 
10:30 Bangladesh vs Pakistan (Lord’s)

Sat, Jul 6 
10:30 India vs Sri Lanka (Headingley)
13:30 Australia vs South Africa (Old Trafford)




Knock Out Fixtures


To Follow

Jimmy Anderson saying the chase may not quite be a walk in the park as the pitch is getting a bit slower. First few overs indeed England have not really been flowing .
However Vince has unfurled a couple of lovely fours...

..and then , of course , nicks to slip

Indeed might be trickier than expected. Certainly can't be "T" now ...and even "E" will need a partnership or two...

Ah, James Vince, never change!

Time to get Hales back in, Vince just is not upto international cricket

robbo277 wrote:There goes Vince and the chance of a thrashing on the tipping contest.

England still red hot favourites, but if Vince can't make scores against Afghanistan and Sri Lanka in pool games you'd worry about him in a World Cup semi-final or an Ashes test.

Quoted for the point on Vince. Not sure where he goes from here. We don't really have any other options in the squad. Hopefully Roy returns, but makes it trickier for Vince later in the summer.

Not easy , this. Morgan nearly caught at slip now...

Need Root to stay or this could get a bit nervy.

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:Time to get Hales back in, Vince just is not upto international cricket

They wont.

Also since March hes played 2 games of cricket and not at all since in over a month. Chances are hes not even match fit let alone match sharp.

38/2 off the first ten...

Long time since we've seen that from England ! Does show how much they're used to the power openers firing.

Sri Lanka have bowled very well , so credit to them

Game on.

Okay, so let's say Roy has a complication in his recovery and fails a fitness test on the day of the semi-final. Who opens? I guess the options are:

Vince to open, Root at 3
Root to open, Vince at 3
Root to open, bring an extra bowler into the team
Moeen to open, bring Vince into the middle order
Moeen to open, bring an extra bowler into the team

I think I'd still go with Vince to open, but not with any confidence in what he would do.

alfie wrote:38/2 off the first ten...

Long time since we've seen that from England !  Does show how much they're used to the power openers firing.

Sri Lanka have bowled very well , so credit to them

Game on.

If they get these two out fairly sharpish then I'd say game on, at the moment it's just a sniff of an opening, especially with run rate required being very low

If England are four down (or more!) by the 20 over mark, then it becomes a intriguing contest. As it is, England are still in control for now. 188 to win @ 5 per over should be simple enough.

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:

alfie wrote:38/2 off the first ten...

Long time since we've seen that from England !  Does show how much they're used to the power openers firing.

Sri Lanka have bowled very well , so credit to them

Game on.

If they get these two out fairly sharpish then I'd say game on, at the moment it's just a sniff of an opening, especially with run rate required being very low

Agreed. RRR still at 5. Neither of these two are sloggers either, they can bat long, especially at that rate.

Gooseberry wrote:

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:Time to get Hales back in, Vince just is not upto international cricket

They wont.

Also since March hes played 2 games of cricket and not at all since in over a month. Chances are hes not even match fit let alone match sharp.

Indeed. If they need a replacement it would surely be Denly.

As for Tests I really wouldn't want Vince in for the Ashes against Starc and co. Rather bring in a new cap (Sibley ?) or recycle Ballance ...or just stick with Denly.
Pity : he is so aesthetically pleasing when playing his strokes ; but just keeps getting out for thirty. I'd consider trying him again perhaps if he's making a bucket of runs ; but not against Australia.

Whatever the options are no more Vince! Our best option is to all pray that Jason Roy recovers

VTR wrote:Whatever the options are no more Vince! Our best option is to all pray that Jason Roy recovers

We can surely rustle up a hamstring between us to donate?

robbo277 wrote:

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:

alfie wrote:38/2 off the first ten...

Long time since we've seen that from England !  Does show how much they're used to the power openers firing.

Sri Lanka have bowled very well , so credit to them

Game on.

If they get these two out fairly sharpish then I'd say game on, at the moment it's just a sniff of an opening, especially with run rate required being very low

Agreed. RRR still at 5. Neither of these two are sloggers either, they can bat long, especially at that rate.

Oh I agree England are still favorites . But using the old Boycott theory (we are in Yorkshire , after all) , lose two more wickets and then it doesn't look so easy...
They certainly aren't cruising at the moment.( 38 off the first ten , 13 off the next five ). Work to do.

Yeah these two have to play sensibly and stay in for a while. But they can do that as there is no pressure from the scoreboard.

robbo277 wrote:Yeah these two have to play sensibly and stay in for a while. But they can do that as there is no pressure from the scoreboard.

And on cue they take 10 off the over before the drinks break. Just need to rotate the strike and put away the bad ball - no need to force the issue and take risks, especially as our net run rate is already quite positive.

Looks like we're going to make hard work of it...

Oops. Morgan gone...lucky full toss but fine reflex catch Udana.

73/3. Making heavy weather of this chase. I'm not chalking this one up yet. Beginning to wish I'd opted for "C" rather than "E" today...

This is poor from stokes - got to be able to rotate the strike better than this, placing unnecessary pressure on the chase

Joe Root crosses 50 for the fifth time in six attempts at this World Cup. What a player.

England behind where Sri Lanka were at this point and just behind D/L par. However I'm not really worried at all about this one. I just think we have too much quality in our batting.

Sri Lanka lost 2 wickets in the 30th over on 133. The next 14 overs went for 57 before a 6th wicket fell. There was no acceleration until a bit of slogging in the last 5.

Root is looking good, another 50. I think he needs 80 to top the charts for runs, and he's nearly there. And Stokes creams Mendis for 2 sixes. A lot of dot balls for Stokes, but if he can get at the spinner then it will cause Sri Lanka problems. Stokes up to a strike rate of 80 with those hits.

Looks like England have decided to go after Mendis. Fourteen off the over a welcome boost to the scoring rate.

Root playing the role that suits him best and holding the innings together after early setbacks ; on a pitch which is definitely trickier than anyone thought initially.

I think the acceleration was necessary. Sure the RRR wasn't getting all that high. but on this sort of pitch you really don't want to be chasing even seven or eight per over later on in case you lose a couple of set batsmen and suddenly find yourself under pressure.

Starting to look like this is under control. 111 required in 21 overs with 7 wickets left would normally be a routine win, even on a somewhat sporting wicket.

Probably good practice for later on that Stokes is having to bat under some pressure.

Oh, and take it from someone born within 10 miles of Headingley - a large soft bread roll is (locally) a tea cake (as opposed to a currant tea cake, which is the one with fruit in it). WTF is a Barm?

alfie wrote:Looks like England have decided to go after Mendis. Fourteen off the over a welcome boost to the scoring rate.

Root playing the role that suits him best and holding the innings together after early setbacks ; on a pitch which is definitely trickier than anyone thought initially.

I think the acceleration was necessary. Sure the RRR wasn't getting all that high. but on this sort of pitch you really don't want to be chasing even seven or eight per over later on in case you lose a couple of set batsmen and suddenly find yourself under pressure.

Those 12 runs helped. We're up at 5.4 after them - 108 needed off the last 20.

Root given not out caught behind and Sri Lanka have reviewed. Overturned and Root's gone.

Root out to a leg side strangle...thought from Root's body language he knew he'd touched that. Good review Sri Lanka ...and the contest is still very much alive.

Buttler's been busy, the run rate isn't going to creep up with him in. If these two can stick around for 10 overs, we'll be close enough with the quality of our lower order.

Is it worth just leaving anything that is going to the leg side of your body / pads and just taking the wide?

Well whoever accused me of being England strategist from 2015 earlier it appears they had the formula pretty well worked out.

It's still a should win from here but heavy weather.

dummy_half wrote:Is it worth just leaving anything that is going to the leg side of your body / pads and just taking the wide?

I thought this. If you can nudge it round the keeper though it could be 4, especially if fine leg is in the circle, but yeah, take the wide and then make them bowl it again.

Malinga bowling brilliantly ...first the clever plan so nearly gets Buttler
Caught at short mid on...then he traps him lbw !

Sri Lanka right in this ...in fact they are possibly favorites now...

alfie wrote:Malinga bowling brilliantly ...first the clever plan so nearly gets Buttler
Caught at short mid on...then he traps him lbw !

Sri Lanka right in this ...in fact they are possibly favorites now...

If you believe that Alfie, get yourself on the generous odds that bookies are offering in play my man!

Buttler gone. Well.

Down to the all-rounders, but we've got some good ones.

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:

alfie wrote:Malinga bowling brilliantly ...first the clever plan so nearly gets Buttler
Caught at short mid on...then he traps him lbw !

Sri Lanka right in this ...in fact they are possibly favorites now...

If you believe that Alfie, get yourself on the generous odds that bookies are offering in play my man!

Not a betting man , Olly. And to be honest I still fancy England will get the runs - which is why I said "possibly". Malinga only has three more overs , after all. And Woakes is still to bat...

But don't tell me you aren't a little bit nervous right at the moment ?

alfie wrote:

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:

alfie wrote:Malinga bowling brilliantly ...first the clever plan so nearly gets Buttler
Caught at short mid on...then he traps him lbw !

Sri Lanka right in this ...in fact they are possibly favorites now...

If you believe that Alfie, get yourself on the generous odds that bookies are offering in play my man!

Not a betting man , Olly.  And to be honest I still fancy England will get the runs - which is why I said "possibly". Malinga only has three more overs , after all. And Woakes is still to bat...

But don't tell me you aren't a little bit nervous right at the moment ?

I’ll be nervous if Stokes gets out - pretty calm at the moment albeit not ideal Buttler is out!

Well whatever happens from here we can't complain it's been a boring walkover !

Glad it's Saturday tomorrow 'cos I can't turn in assuming the job is done ...going to be after three here before this is sorted...

This is far more important an innings for moeens redemption than his happy slapping the other day.
If he can make a serious contribution to seeing this to a win then some of his recent uselessness can be overlooked.

Malinga withdrawn with two overs up his sleeve...sensible. If Sri Lanka can get a couple of wickets from their other bowlers , Malinga might well take care of the tail.
But from an England viewpoint , if they can proceed with care against the other bowlers and get near the target , his last two overs will be too little too late.

Moeen not totally convincing with that lofted drive...Prefer to see him play a bit more circumspectly ...

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:

alfie wrote:

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:

alfie wrote:Malinga bowling brilliantly ...first the clever plan so nearly gets Buttler
Caught at short mid on...then he traps him lbw !

Sri Lanka right in this ...in fact they are possibly favorites now...

If you believe that Alfie, get yourself on the generous odds that bookies are offering in play my man!

Not a betting man , Olly.  And to be honest I still fancy England will get the runs - which is why I said "possibly". Malinga only has three more overs , after all. And Woakes is still to bat...

But don't tell me you aren't a little bit nervous right at the moment ?

I’ll be nervous if Stokes gets out - pretty calm at the moment albeit not ideal Buttler is out!

A bit far out to do this without Stokes, but they still need to bowl us out. No way are we losing this with wickets still out there.

Need to make hay before Malinga comes back for his last two you'd think though.

Gooseberry wrote:This is far more important an innings for moeens redemption than his happy slapping the other day.
If he can make a serious contribution to seeing this to a win then some of his recent uselessness can be overlooked.

Not his biggest fan , are you , Goose

He was left out earlier and it was thought that might continue : but the current theory seems to be that Rashid needs him as a spin partner to be effective... Hmm. I think it may depend a lot on the pitch.

And right on cue Moeen hits a six...and holes out next ball.

Up to Stokes and Woakes now...

England’s number three strides to the crease #SirChris

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:England’s number three strides to the crease #SirChris

Handy player to have coming in at eight. Really want these two to gather most of the runs now. Rashid we know can bat. And the other two can hit pretty well...but I'm not sure I'd fancy them facing Malinga in the forty ninth chasing the last fifteen runs...

Ouch ! Woakes gone ...

Sri Lanka are definitely in the pound seats now...

This is more or less over. Bad performance but maybe we're getting it out of the way now!

We’ve gone full england here chaps

I apologise - my post earlier brought this on

Rashid gone.

That might be about it.

We should have taken the "generous odds " , Olly

Not looking forward to KP_fan's column tomorrow...

Making De Silva look like Murali here

alfie wrote:Rashid gone.

That might be about it.

We should have taken the "generous odds " , Olly

Not looking forward to KP_fan's column tomorrow...

I got £5 on at 5/1 after the Buttler wicket - Chinese is paid for tonight at least!

VTR wrote:This is more or less over. Bad performance but maybe we're getting it out of the way now!

Few too many bad performances lately...

Australia warm up game ...Pakistan ...now this. Seems the favorites tag and the nerves are starting to tell.
Not sure the other "big" teams will be too scared of England now.

Even if Stokes and the bowlers can work a miracle now , the other teams will reckon they have a template to beat England...especially on pitches that do a bit...

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:

alfie wrote:Rashid gone.

That might be about it.

We should have taken the "generous odds " , Olly

Not looking forward to KP_fan's column tomorrow...

I got £5 on at 5/1 after the Buttler wicket - Chinese is paid for tonight at least!

You bet against your team , Olly ? For shame !