2024 T20 World Cup

by Duty281 Wed May 22, 2024 12:04 pm

First topic message reminder :

Just over a week away now from some glorious six-hitting in the cricketing heartlands of Barbados, Trinidad, Saint Lucia and, um, New York City.

England are defending the crown they won at the MCG in front of 80,000 people in November 2022. They'll probably be hoping it goes a bit better than their defence of the 50 over title! The tournament is, as T20 competitions are, very wide open. If England were to win it again they'd be the first men's team to win back to back World T20 titles in the history of the competition.

Chasing them keenly are the bookmakers favourites India, who are very, very thirsty because of a drought that has existed since 2013 in ICC tournaments. Australia will obviously be there or thereabouts, and there's plenty of excitement around the West Indies, twice winners of this competition, and how glorious it would be to see them lift a trophy at home.

Or perhaps South Africa will finally stop being Tottenham and actually win something? But it's T20. So it could be anyone. Ireland, Scotland, Uganda....USA?

I thought the format of the last couple of T20 World Cups was absolutely perfect. Naturally, then, the ICC have altered it for this year! So we've now got 20 teams, up from 16, and 55 matches in total, up from 45.

There's no preliminary round this time. All teams start off the same. Four groups of five teams. All play each other once. Top two in each group go through to the Super 8s. Super 8s is split into two groups of four. No points are carried over and all teams play each other once in the Super 8s. Top two in each Super 8 group go through to the semi-finals, from which it's a straight knockout. Means a team will play nine games if they are to lift the trophy, in comparison to England's seven games to win it in 2022.

One curious thing about the format, and the ICC love curious things (such as there being no reserve day for one semi-final), is that the finishing places in the initial group are seeded. For example, England are designated B1 in their group, and Australia are B2, which means that it's irrelevant if England come first or second. They will go through to Group 2 of the Super 8s regardless of finishing first or second. I suppose it guarantees certainty for fans, as they know where teams are playing after the initial group stage.

While I don't think it's been directly said, the draw was not a fair and open one. It took place behind closed doors and ensured India/Pakistan were in the same group, as well as some other long-standing rivalries, such as USA v Canada. I'm surprised the ICC didn't put India and Pakistan in the same Super 8 group as well! The groups are:

Groups:

The fixture list is all over the place with timings, so try and keep up! If you're in the UK, games can start at 01:30, or they might begin at 18:00, and quite a few matches seem to overlap in the early stages.

Fixture List (All times BST):

Squads (Not yet finalised):

Outright Odds (Bet365):

The USA and Canada will be starting this one off in Texas. That's the most unlikely cricket sentence ever uttered.

by VTR Thu Jun 20, 2024 7:47 am

An excellent win, and Alfie's updates are very useful to understand the flow of the match. England seem to be finding a formula and some players coming in to form. The format is too unpredictable to say they will win it, but they are at least in contention now

by KP_fan Thu Jun 20, 2024 8:16 am

The two games yesterday in WI also have shown that 200 might be par now in this round

by king_carlos Thu Jun 20, 2024 1:40 pm

Cracking win for England against a good Windies team there.

The bowling looks more varied with Surran added. Which is to be expected. We are yet to see the batting depth tested with this line up though.

It's great to see Bairstow hitting some form. Just when he looked completely done. It's very Bairstow. If the pitches are a bit quicker and flatter such as this, then he's still a brilliant hitter of pace. I think he struggles to be as destructive against spin since his movement isn't the same post leg break.

Wood is an tricky one. He's very one dimensional as a white ball bowler. He just about has a slower ball now at 34-years-old, but it's not very good if we're being honest. He bowls lightning quick. Which with the wrong conditions and matchup can be disastrous. With the right conditions and matchup it can be invaluable though. There are hitters in T20 who can smash spin and fast-medium, but struggle to score from genuinely quick and short bowling. Without Wood, you could suddenly be looking at using Jof's overs during phases you don't want to in order to target such batters. I'm leaning towards Jordan for his death bowling, fielding and batting. I do think there's merit in Wood's ability to take wickets others might not even if he does go for runs. It's a tricky one. If Jacks is playing ahead of Surran, so you need 4 overs from your seamers, I'd lean towards Jordan. In this XI with 4 seamers and 3 spinners, I'm tempted by Wood.

by Duty281 Thu Jun 20, 2024 2:35 pm

Very nice win for England. They've arrived.

Bowling was a bit toothless in the PowerPlay, but the middle overs mostly pulled it back and then, unusually, there were two excellent death overs from England, delivered by Curran and Archer. Topley's radar was a bit wonky, as was Wood's. Archer was punished when he bowled short, which was frustratingly too often, but when pitching it up he found reward. Curran has cemented his place in the team again, and Rashid was once again superb.

The one thing I really disagreed with was Livingstone getting the 15th. A baffling decision that shipped 20 runs. The debate over Wood and Jordan will rumble on.

But 180 was certainly at least 10 light, maybe more, on that track. Salt did the hard work, one of the most improved T20 players in the world over the last 18 months, and Buttler and Bairstow were in handy support. But please stop promoting Moeen to 3 for righty/lefty (I presume that's why).

Great win and one foot in the semis now, supplemented by a strong NRR start. The worst case scenario for England should now be four points and an NRR tiebreaker. The best case scenario involves beating South Africa tomorrow afternoon, a game where the pressure has been loosened for England, and cruising to the last four.

West Indies will be highly disappointed. Their bowling lacked any edge. The only bowler who gave England a modicum of discomfort was Chase (again!). All of the Windies top four gave themselves a good platform, but none launched to Salt's level and that was the difference.

Well done, England.

by Duty281 Thu Jun 20, 2024 3:11 pm

India batting first v Afghanistan. India backing spin, with Kuldeep in for Siraj.

KP_Fan's pessimism at dangerous levels, but that can be fixed with an Indian win.

by KP_fan Thu Jun 20, 2024 4:20 pm

Kohli continues his dated get set style of run a ball and pretends pitch is hard.
Pant shows how to go at 200%
Dubey is in to hit spinners and do a 50+ @200%
He's gotta show he can and get Ind.to 200
Wasted DRS by Pant though
Les than 200 won't be sufficient although Ind could fight and scamper thru with 180 also.
Less than 180 is gone

by alfie Thu Jun 20, 2024 4:36 pm

98/4 from twelve...pitch maybe not the belter we have seen in some of these games ; but India will want to finish off well here to set a total that will calm KP_fan's nerves Smile

by Duty281 Thu Jun 20, 2024 4:55 pm

KP_fan wrote:Kohli continues his dated get set style of run a ball and pretends pitch is hard.
Pant shows how to go at 200%
Dubey is in to hit spinners and do a 50+ @200%
He's gotta show he can and get Ind.to 200
Wasted DRS by Pant though
Les than 200 won't be sufficient although Ind could fight and scamper thru with 180 also.
Less than 180 is gone

Not with the strength of India's bowling v Afghanistan's batting!

by KP_fan Thu Jun 20, 2024 5:18 pm

A fighting total
Afg will give India a scare or narrowly win

by KP_fan Thu Jun 20, 2024 5:23 pm

Commentators are making it sound like India is well above par.
I don't think that's the case

by Duty281 Thu Jun 20, 2024 5:23 pm

Brilliant from Afghanistan's two key men Farooqi and Khan - combined 6/59 from 8 overs. Just imagine if they had Mujeeb as well!

by Duty281 Thu Jun 20, 2024 7:11 pm

Comfortable for India, Bumrah collecting his best T20i figures with 3/7. Surprised he hasn't actually picked up four in a T20 before.

47 run win, so very damaging to Afghanistan's NRR. India can start thinking about how they're going to ~~bottle~~ play the semi final.

Australia/Bangladesh the later game. Should be quite comfortable for the Australians.

by alfie Thu Jun 20, 2024 7:12 pm

Think KP_fan should be feeling a little more relaxed now Smile

by king_carlos Thu Jun 20, 2024 7:25 pm

Duty281 wrote:Comfortable for India, Bumrah collecting his best T20i figures with 3/7. Surprised he hasn't actually picked up four in a T20 before.

He has five-fers in T20s, just not T20is. Teams have started playing Bumrah out. Which makes it all the more incredible that he's still taking wickets. When other bowlers such as peak Bhuvi Kumar or Sunil Narine have been so dangerous that teams play them out, their averages have got worse but economy stayed very good. As you'd expect. Bumrah has the economy of someone that teams are just batting out but still takes wickets. It's nuts. I think Bumrah and Rashid Khan are the only two bowlers to do that consistently at the highest levels.

I've argued before that Bumrah is quietly the all format cricketer, let alone bowler, of this period. The last year has been phenomenal individually. He was the best bowler in the CWC by a distance. He's looking unplayable here. Since returning to Tests, he ran through SA in SA and was mesmerising against England in India. If he has another good series in Australia later this year for the Border-Gavaskar, then he'll really be nailing home how much of a standout talent he is across the game.

by KP_fan Thu Jun 20, 2024 7:39 pm

The pitch gripped a lot more then it appeared in first half...and got slower...and Bumrah continues his bizarre & unreal bowling efforts.
Him & Axar were the ones who created the choke...rest picked easy pressure wickets on a pitch that got worn off a lot from first to second innings.

Kohli, Rohit & Dubey all appear liability with the bat.....and while the 2 big-stars cannot be touched Dubey should make room for Jaiswal or Samson

by alfie Fri Jun 21, 2024 3:58 am

Having woken late i missed the Bangladesh innings...including the Cummins hat trick , alas. But 140 isn't going to trouble Australia , who have started strongly already , Warner and Head with 18 each in the first four overs. Head just caused a ball change after thumping one into the surroundings so Bangladesh will be hoping it brings a change of luck.

by alfie Fri Jun 21, 2024 4:09 am

59/0 from the power play. No drama . Some of the Bangladesh fielding not up to standard, which isn't helping their bowlers. But here's a twist...the rain returns and we're off. Australia well ahead on DLS , I believe Wink

by alfie Fri Jun 21, 2024 5:20 am

Well they got back on and the handy looking Rishad Hossein cleaned up Head and Marsh quickly to leave Australia 80/2 after ten. But Warner kept them on track...past fifty now and cruising at 100/2 in the twelfth...with more rain seeing everyone back in the pavilion again. Might be a soggy but inevitable end to this one.

by alfie Fri Jun 21, 2024 6:31 am

Soggy end it is...28 run win on DLS for Australia. Pretty much as expected : if the weather was going to spoil a game probably this was one in which it made no real difference and didn't deprive us of too many thrills... Bangladesh did well to get out of the group but they're exposed at this level and should be easy meat for India and Afghanistan as well. Barring a surprise Afghan upset of Australia (not going to happen !) this super group is already decided.

by KP_fan Fri Jun 21, 2024 9:13 am

alfie wrote:Soggy end it is...28 run win on DLS for Australia. Pretty much as expected : if the weather was going to spoil a game probably this was one in which it made no real difference and didn't deprive us of too many thrills... Bangladesh did well to get out of the group but they're exposed at this level and should be easy meat for India and Afghanistan as well. Barring a surprise Afghan upset of Australia (not going to happen !) this super group is already decided.

Looking at the insipid show from BD & Afg in their first games, the die is seemingly cast for this group. Aus & Ind appear vastly superior.

The other group still holds some interest if WI beat SA & SA beat Eng and assuming all beat USA

by Duty281 Fri Jun 21, 2024 10:21 am

Looks like an easy day for Australia. They and India can wrap up that group tomorrow as they swap opponents over, but I'm definitely not ruling out the Afghans toppling Australia.

England v South Africa this afternoon, on another good batting track. England win and it's last four. Lose and there'll still be some work to do. Last selection call seems to be Wood v Jordan again. The West Indies will be hoping England beat SA.

Then after that the West Indies play USA. Shouldn't be too tricky for the West Indies, though stranger things have happened.

by guildfordbat Fri Jun 21, 2024 2:29 pm

alfie wrote:8 wicket win with 2.5 overs to spare... excellent partnership 97 from 43 balls. Salt 87 from 47 , Bairstow 48 from 26. Probably a good thing the selectors didn't listen to Duty ? That is a very good win...

Agreed, Alfie. I watched the whole game on record yesterday having managed to avoid knowing the result. Rashid gets better and better whilst Salt batted excellently and Bairstow found some form.

However, it was a pretty poor performance and loss by the West Indies. Batting wise, they started fairly well but (Livingstone's over apart) they never properly cracked on from a decent base to make the most of it. So many England overs seemed to go for 8, 9 or 10. Not bad for the hosts but not really telling either. It was mentioned on comms that England bowled 51 dot balls plus, I reckon, 30 odd that only went for a single. So often a Windies batter would hit a boundary and then take a single off the next ball - that's sensible and admirable in 4 and 5 day matches but here it failed to land a killer blow.

England clearly merit praise for generally keeping it reasonably tight but I do feel the Windies should have tried to disrupt them more. I suspect South Africa will more obviously try to go for the jugular if they can. To best restrict them, we'll need more wickets in the PowerPlay and the first 10 overs than we've taken so far in the tournament (not counting Oman).

by alfie Fri Jun 21, 2024 2:55 pm

Yeah would be nice to get some early wickets. Agree SA would be unlikely to fall away after a fairly decent start with the bat but who knows ? It is t20.

England probably haven't forgotten that it was SA who really derailed them in that 50 over WC : guess it won't be high thirties in the shade this time if Jos wins the toss though Smile

Am reading on Cricinfo that England may still be going with Wood rather than Jordan. We will see. New pitch so something of an unknown there. This could be a very interesting game ...and easier than much of the schedule for those of us down this part of the world in terms of time...

by alfie Fri Jun 21, 2024 3:07 pm

So won toss and fielding first. Suspect SA won't mind batting first as they'll back their bowlers to defend whatever they put up. No change for England also not surprising. SA have ditched the wrist spinner in favour of Baartman.

by Duty281 Fri Jun 21, 2024 3:07 pm

England bowling first after winning the toss and remaining unchanged.

SA have brought Baartman back in for Shamsi.

by Duty281 Fri Jun 21, 2024 3:45 pm

Archer losing his length (again!) and getting carted for 21.

by alfie Fri Jun 21, 2024 3:51 pm

SA going through the gears quite quickly...very expensive over from Archer ! de Kock seems to fancy this today. Topley again keeping things tight...but still no (non- Oman) wickets for England in these early overs. Can Curran do anything to change that ?

by king_carlos Fri Jun 21, 2024 3:53 pm

Blistering from QdK. The first pickup 6 from Archer and the 4 behind point from Topley were just class and timing.

England are going to need all of those bowling options at this rate!

by Duty281 Fri Jun 21, 2024 3:55 pm

Continual PowerPlay problems in the field for England.

74/2 for Australia after 6. 54/0 for WI after 6. Today, 62/0 for SA.

De Kock has certainly found form after a slow start to the tournament. 74 v the USA, now 49 off 20 thus far today.

England up against it and need something from Adil Rashid. Or Wood, who hasn't yet bowled.

by guildfordbat Fri Jun 21, 2024 3:56 pm

Another wicketless PP and 63 conceded which is what I was banging on about earlier.

by JDizzle Fri Jun 21, 2024 4:00 pm

QDK in full flow remains my favourite batter to watch in world cricket. Looks to have all the time in the world.

by Duty281 Fri Jun 21, 2024 4:02 pm

Going to be 9 overs in and Wood not bowled an over. Erm

by king_carlos Fri Jun 21, 2024 4:03 pm

Typically straight on the money from Dilly.

I'd be tempted to gamble on Livi from the other end. Leggies to Hendricks and off-breaks to QdK.

Mo it is though. 6 from it. Tidy. Just what England needed after that PP.

Either way, spin looked tougher to score from there. Stopping in the pitch a touch. That's good news for England with 3 spin options. Whereas SA left out Shamsi but do have Markram as a second option.

by KP_fan Fri Jun 21, 2024 4:08 pm

This fingers underneath the ball is a monkey game that umpires play.
Trying to interpret a 3D situation thru 2D images

by Duty281 Fri Jun 21, 2024 4:08 pm

Tight call that one, but probably the right one. Has been a typically neat start for Rashid, but no breakthroughs.

80/0 after 9. Great platform this. Hendricks probably reaching the point where he needs to hit out or get out, because he's putting too much pressure on de Kock.

by Duty281 Fri Jun 21, 2024 4:11 pm

Great wicket for SA. Brook should have genuinely dropped it.

by alfie Fri Jun 21, 2024 4:12 pm

And we have our first Controversial Decision of the day... I thought Wood took that catch a little too casually; but reckon he got it cleanly. But of course with a TV view at distance it looks dodgy so de Kock survived. No doubt about the Hendricks dismissal though...spinners gaining some joy for England.

by KP_fan Fri Jun 21, 2024 4:13 pm

On view so far, spinners not easy to hit out of park
Hendricks wicket blessing for SA

by GSC Fri Jun 21, 2024 4:13 pm

Not sure you can give him out on those replays honestly

by king_carlos Fri Jun 21, 2024 4:14 pm

Really poor fielding from Wood to not come in further and remove the doubt regardless of the decision there. It's been hit straight to him. He should be coming forward and taking that waist high.

Those calls are generally a complete lottery. We know that the foreshortening from the cameras plays tricks. So the umpires are making borderline calls from images you can't fully trust. I was leaning towards not out from the angles available.

It all comes back to the old Tony Greig demonstration I bring up after all these calls. He stood on the outfield with a camera alongside him, put his hand flat on the ground and put the ball on his fingers, clearly not on the ground. They showed it from the camera next to him on the outfield, it's clearly in his fingers. They show it from the long lens past the boundary that's used during the game, the ball looks like it's on the turf. It's an issue the game has tried to deal with by pretending it doesn't exist. Which is very cricket of us.

Hendricks goes. The England spinners have done a really good job here. I'd be tempted to save some Dilly overs for later, get Livi on now whilst the pressure has eased that tiny bit.

by alfie Fri Jun 21, 2024 4:20 pm

Rashid bowling beautifully. But he's only got one left. Pace men have to do some work in this back nine. Jofra will hope to do better than his opening over now Wink

by GSC Fri Jun 21, 2024 4:24 pm

Klaasen getting stuck and Jofra gets de Kock. Good comeback after the power play

by alfie Fri Jun 21, 2024 4:25 pm

Aha ! Top catch by Buttler to remove de Kock ....Wood might be relieved his carelessness hasn't cost too much. Archer indeed doing better with this older ball Wink

by king_carlos Fri Jun 21, 2024 4:26 pm

Jof makes sense with Klaasen up the the order. He's right up there with the most devastating spin hitters going now.

He's taken that straight pull that Buttler started using and perfected the art. It's such a smart shot as it prevents spinners bowling that Sunil Narine length. Just too short to properly full square, but too fast to come down the track. You need insane hand speed and a brilliant eye to pull it off when there's turn. The few batters such as Buttler and Klaasen who can do so are changing how spin is played in T20s through that shot.

QdK goes. Brilliant catch by Buttler and excellent bowling from Jof. England have been very good in the middle overs so far.

by alfie Fri Jun 21, 2024 4:31 pm

Still plenty of batting to come. Still no Wood at the bowling crease.This lbw review might be close ? Ha...umpires call on height , slightly surprising, so the batsman survives by a whisker. Good over from Curran though...and here's Wood at last

by GSC Fri Jun 21, 2024 4:33 pm

Wood could bring anything here

by Duty281 Fri Jun 21, 2024 4:36 pm

Extraordinary day for Buttler with the gloves.

by alfie Fri Jun 21, 2024 4:36 pm

Apart from that early onslaught by de Kock , the SA bats have been largely contained...and now a bit of brilliance from Butler has done for Klaasen ! He's having a good day , is Jos

by king_carlos Fri Jun 21, 2024 4:37 pm

Really good from Surran. 6 from the over after a 4 first ball.

Wood into the attack. As said yesterday, I think he's largely there as a matchup bowler for these sorts of circumstances. It feels like Surran is in the side so that Wood doesn't have to bowl 4 overs a game. It makes Wood a real luxury pick though given they now have Jof carded at 8 and 36-year-old Dilly with his painted on eyes as well as 10 first-class centuries carded at 9. Not to mention the flattering to deceive Livi at 6.

If he's there to bowl a very specific way in specific matchups then Wood really needs to deliver in these scenarios. It's a good first over from him considering that pressure.

by GSC Fri Jun 21, 2024 4:37 pm

de Kock currently has twice as many sixes as the rest of the team have boundaries. Weird innings so far

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