World T20 discussion thread

[Duty281]

First topic message reminder :

Blimey, Cross takes five fours off the sixth over. 48/1 after the PP, Scotland still in the game.

[JDizzle]

NZ win the toss. Bigger for them as I think their chances would be slim if England were chasing. England can win both ways but this does make it trickier.

Billings and Bairstow to open. Correct call I think.

[Duty281]

New Zealand win the toss and field. Billings is the one coming in for England.

England 1 Jos Buttler (wk), 2 Jonny Bairstow, 3 Dawid Malan, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Liam Livingstone, 6 Moeen Ali, 7 Sam Billings, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Chris Jordan, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Mark Wood

New Zealand 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Daryl Mitchell, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Devon Conway (wk), 5 Glenn Phillips, 6 James Neesham, 7 Mitchell Santner, 8 Adam Milne, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Ish Sodhi, 11 Trent Boult.

Get 180+ and win the game.

[eirebilly]

Afternoon lads,

Big game today. Not sure that i would have gone for Billings, probably would have gone for Vince but that is just me. 

Big toss for the Black Caps to win and it is now advantage them I feel.

[alfie]

If they get 180 I will be fairly confident of defending it. Still got to do that though...

NZ will of course be pleased to have won the toss as chasing has generally been assisted by conditions in these night games. And the side batting first cant be entirely sure what constitutes a "good" score : though since England seem pretty committed to attacking from any position that ought not bother them too much.

May give Morgan some tricky calls re his bowling changes later if the dew becomes heavy. Especially if any one of the bowlers is having a rough day . But that's all for later : let's hope the batsmen can do their part first...

[eirebilly]

My Mrs is Welsh. She is not going for England simply because she has a mad crush on Trent Boult...

[king_carlos]

My Mrs is Welsh. She is not going for England simply because she has a mad crush on Trent Boult...

He's no Pat Cummins but I wouldn't kick Boult out of bed for farting to be fair to Mrs Billy.

[king_carlos]

Plenty of swing here for Boult and Southee.

Other than the last ball of Southee's over they've been bang on the money too as expected.

[guildfordbat]

My Mrs is Welsh. She is not going for England simply because she has a mad crush on Trent Boult...

Conversely, Rachael Heyhoe Flint probably had something to do with me not following the England womens cricket team as a teenager.

[Duty281]

England have done very well, and trusted a little to luck, not to lose a wicket in those opening two overs. Prodigious swing.

[eirebilly]

Bairstow looking very off. Great bowling so far but Bairstow does not look like he will get much over 10 (if that).

[guildfordbat]

Margins, eh? 12/0 after 2 overs. If Bairstow's inside edge had not gone to the boundary, it would have gone into his stumps and had us at 8/1.

[king_carlos]

13-0 after 3

Bairstow is looking very scratchy but it's being brought out by good bowling to be fair.

[guildfordbat]

Two neat overs from Southee (0/7) but that's probably him done for a bit.

Mrs Billy's pin up Boult also having a consecutive second over ....

[king_carlos]

Buttler's hands and wrists really are unbelievable. He's nowhere near that four through cover but absolutely creams it!

[Duty281]

Buttler's hand-speed is amazing. That first ball by Boult in the fourth would have bowled a lot of batsmen - Buttler got it through mid-off for four.

And now Boult's lost his discipline. This is a very good start for England - 29/0 after four, and NZ's two quality bowlers have used up 50% of their quota.

[guildfordbat]

Poor and costly over from Boult.

What I liked most there from Buttler and Bairstow was their running for an extra run and their awareness to do so.

A third over on the spin now for Southee. Those waiting to go in won't mind that at all.

[king_carlos]

Some variable bounce out there for sure. One that absolutely took off and one that stayed a bit low from Boult in that over.

What Milne gets out of this pitch will be a good indication of how Wood might go.

[JDizzle]

Three in a row for Southee. It is fun how these things go full circle. Never used to see guys get two in a row! A lot of spin to come in the middle overs.

Hopefully Bairstow starting to get the pace of the pitch…

[king_carlos]

When Bairstow hits down the ground, over the top like that off the seamers it's usually a sign he's getting set.

[king_carlos]

Poor and costly over from Boult.

What I liked most there from Buttler and Bairstow was their running for an extra run and their awareness to do so.

A third over on the spin now for Southee. Those waiting to go in won't mind that at all.

These two are very quick but Bairstow is fairly ridiculous. In the England fitness tests he still holds the record for their 'run 2' test. He used to be right at the top of the 40m sprint as well but I think read somewhere that Billings and Willey are up there as well.

When Bairstow and Warner batted together in the IPL their running between the wickets was absurd at times. It just felt like they could run for everything and always make it.

[JDizzle]

Bairstow gone. Shame. That was right in his arc too!

Would be a huge heel turn from Kane if he had grassed it then claimed it though! But clearly out.

[Duty281]

Bairstow's struggles in the tournament continue. He was fortunate not to chop on earlier.

Interesting to see who England put up at 3...it is Malan, also under pressure. Had Bairstow fallen earlier it would have likely been Moeen.

[king_carlos]

That's fantastic from Williamson as you'd expect. Low, moving fairly quick and he had to make up ground.

Important for NZ to get Bairstow out before Sodhi and Santner come on for the middle overs.

[eirebilly]

Now, Malan really has to perform today. He has not had the best of tournaments in fairness.

All in all, a decent first 6.

[eirebilly]

Butler gone. 

This is it for them i feel.

[Duty281]

Wow, huge wicket for New Zealand. Buttler was, as ever, looking in sublime touch.

[JDizzle]

Good move getting Mo in at 4. Santner and Ish both turning the ball in. Might force them to bring Neesham on.

[king_carlos]

Huge wicket.

With wickets in hand England should still be thinking they can add 100 from the second 10 overs. Moeen matches up well against their spinners and Livingstone well against the quicks.

[JDizzle]

Deliberate drop from Conway?

[guildfordbat]

Good move getting Mo in at 4. Santner and Ish both turning the ball in. Might force them to bring Neesham on.

Neesham now on for the 10th. As so often, I feel that's a sound move from Williamson. Gives him options and flexibility later on. Could have and should have got a wicket as well as Conway grounds a chance from Malan.

[Duty281]

Blimey, Malan's suddenly timed a couple through the off-side.

67/2 - despite the loss of Buttler, England ahead at this stage and well set. Pitch not as good for batting as I expected, some variable bounce and plenty of grip. I think I'd back England to defend 150, but from here they should be looking for 165 minimum. Moeen and Malan at the crease, Morgan/Billings/Livingstone still to come.

Williamson's captaincy will be tested here, Southee's only got one left and Boult two.

[alfie]

Very interesting first half. This looks to me to be a slightly tricky surface for the bats - though whether this will be the case as the night and dew come on remains to be seen.

Apart from that one uncharacteristically loose over from Boult the Kiwis have managed to restrain England rather well : their bowling has generally been spot on. Only the two wickets gone so still plenty of scope for upping the rate in the second half...but you'd have to say there's a bit for England to do if they're going to post a score they'll be comfortable defending...

[JDizzle]

Glenn Phillips on. Could this be a case of over thinking match ups vs two left handers? You still have to be good

[JDizzle]

Glenn Phillips on. Could this be a case of over thinking match ups vs two left handers? You still have to be good

This is good from Malan. Recognising the lesser bowler and attacking.

[guildfordbat]

Glenn Phillips on. Could this be a case of over thinking match ups vs two left handers? You still have to be good

Very surprised by Phillips getting a bowl. Unnecessary and potentially harmful imo.

[JDizzle]

Glenn Phillips on. Could this be a case of over thinking match ups vs two left handers? You still have to be good

Very surprised by Phillips getting a bowl. Unnecessary and potentially harmful imo.

This is the third over in a row not bowled by Sodhi/Santner. Malan will be over the moon about that.

[Duty281]

Time for these two to push on, inside the final eight overs and plenty of batting to come.

[eirebilly]

Time for these two to push on, inside the final eight overs and plenty of batting to come.

Agree, really time to push on now.

[king_carlos]

Got to go now for Mo in particular. He's there to hit spin and the spinners are on.

England will want Livingstone facing against as much as possible during the 5 overs left from Milne, Boult and Southee.

[king_carlos]

Only 6 from Milne's over.

6 overs left and 8 wickets in hand. They have to go.

[JDizzle]

Moeen has upped his intent. Both can afford too. Such a waste if Livingstone doesn’t have the potential to face 15+ balls.

[eirebilly]

For the love of all that is holey. Go for it lads...

140 is looking far away from here...

[Duty281]

110/2 after 15. Should be targeting 170 minimum and going at 12 per over at least from here.

Boult has been really poor today, albeit he should have had Moeen in that last over!

[eirebilly]

Livingston now please...

[king_carlos]

10 from Boults over which from this base is only par.

You can see that England are desperate for that big over. Southee's first ball of the 16th goes for 6. Is this it?

[JDizzle]

Not the worst thing that could happen. Good knock from Malan. Although one of him or Mo should have gone harder a touch earlier I think.

[king_carlos]

Malan goes. 41 from 30. He has done his job well to be fair.

England need Livingstone to tee off.

[Duty281]

Only 9 from the over, but Southee's now bowled out. Interesting call to use him in the 16th.

[JDizzle]

2 overs from Neesham/spinner to come. They could decide the game.

[eirebilly]

Williamson has captained very well this innings. I think he has been bang on with his bowling changes and field placements so far.

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