The cricket thread

RandallFlagg

Good win by Pakistan, that’s how you do it. Puts England under even more pressure.

Gassage

Lawrence of A-Failure ....

sixstringsupplies

RandallFlagg said:

Good win by Pakistan, that’s how you do it. Puts England under even more pressure.

Yep and Babar is a superb batsman. No shame in losing to Pakistan....Sri Lanka on the other hand. I think England will qualify with 2 more points, on NRR. I’m hoping the sun bakes edgbaston and Durham over the coming days and get some harder batting friendly wickets. Loving the “par” scores of this World Cup but would like to see a couple of high scoring games in England’s final 2 games, seems to be our only chance of winning. 

sixstringsupplies

RandallFlagg said:

sixstringsupplies said:

I've cleared my schedule for tomorrow. Competely free day and beer. England to win, Vince to score 150+ and Archer to skittle Australia out for 200.

HA. Wishful thinking. 

Me too, on hols in Kos but found a way to get TMS on the phone so will be listening ball by ball by the pool in baking heat!

@RandallFlagg can I ask how you got TMS abroad? I’m abroad for the India game on Sunday....

RandallFlagg

sixstringsupplies said:

RandallFlagg said:

sixstringsupplies said:

I've cleared my schedule for tomorrow. Competely free day and beer. England to win, Vince to score 150+ and Archer to skittle Australia out for 200.

HA. Wishful thinking. 

Me too, on hols in Kos but found a way to get TMS on the phone so will be listening ball by ball by the pool in baking heat!

@RandallFlagg can I ask how you got TMS abroad? I’m abroad for the India game on Sunday....

I used my work iPhone, I can get TMS on Radio 5 Live Sports Extra via the TuneIn Radio app when using cellular data (4G) but not on local wi-fi. I think my company somehow sets up and locks down some features on our work phones (we cannot save data to iCloud, I can sign in but not access or save data to iCloud from my work iPhone) and the cellular networks thinks I'm in the UK but when on Wi-Fi the apps know I'm outside the UK.

Perhaps some IT wiz can explain it better.

sixstringsupplies

^thanks, I’ll find away. You can normally stream the audio off YouTube. 

crunchman

Go Rabada

RandallFlagg

SA look like they are going to help England's cause, cantering to a win over SL barring a batting collapse.

Big day for England on Sunday, I'm priming the BBQ and getting the ciders in.

RandallFlagg

NZ has Aus in all sorts of a pickle at Lords!

scrumhalf

RandallFlagg said:

NZ has Aus in all sorts of a pickle at Lords!

Sme fantastic catches, but NZ fielding in long-sleeved black shirts in this heat.

RandallFlagg

NZ taken the foot off the Aussie throat and Aus rebuilding. Game on here.

sixstringsupplies

Mmmmm Afghan / Pakistan game was a thriller. Call me sceptical, I wonder if the afghan captain deliberately threw that game.

absolutely inexplicable decision to bowl himself for that over that conceded 18 runs and then to bowl himself again for the final over.

this being the captain who was controversially appointéd on the eve of the tournament. Bonkers. Oh well, England have to win tomorrow now. 

RandallFlagg

sixstringsupplies said:

Mmmmm Afghan / Pakistan game was a thriller. Call me sceptical, I wonder if the afghan captain deliberately threw that game.

absolutely inexplicable decision to bowl himself for that over that conceded 18 runs and then to bowl himself again for the final over.

this being the captain who was controversially appointéd on the eve of the tournament. Bonkers. Oh well, England have to win tomorrow now. 

Who knows, with Asian market betting he may have taken a bung to drop the game. Would be a shame if the whiff of corruption was to infest the CWC.

At the other match Aus are choking NZ with both hands and keeping it tight.

guitars4you

100%  essential now we beat India - Loose and it is out of our control in that if Pakistan beat Bangladesh, then we are out

Looking forward to it from 10.30 onwards

scrumhalf

I have this ominous feeling that the Aussies are going to win this. Their bowling attack is pretty bloody good.

RandallFlagg

scrumhalf said:

I have this ominous feeling that the Aussies are going to win this. Their bowling attack is pretty bloody good.

Yep, that's been my thought from their first match, Aus look solid and just don't lose the belief that they can win and are always, always aggressively working to win. Look at yesterday's match, NZ had them them at 92-5 at one point but Aus relentlessly rebuild to get a defendable total and then bowl sharply to contain NZ.

If England were 92-5 they would be all worried faces, panic, recklessly slash with the bat and collapse or just fizzle out. It's like England just lose the belief and lack the mental strength to stay calm and get out of those situations. It's only Ben Stokes that has shown that strength and discipline and determination to overcome the situation in this tournament.

it's not batting, bowling or fielding coaching they need, there's more than enough talent in the team to easily win this tournament, it's emotional intelligence, self and situational awareness they need to work at. 

England need to win against India and NZ, then smash through the semis and final, they need to believe it and deliver it and deal with the unexpected situations intelligently such as sudden wicket losses or bowlers being heaved for repeated 6s.

But, Pakistan can't be ruled out, they are unpredictable but have started playing some excellent cricket, If England flop then I could see Pakistan getting to the final.

Gassage

Re Afghanistan- my mate is about to take over as Dir of Cricket for them (Andy Moles) and he said that there's a huge ego issue with Gulbadin and a few others.....I think it was arrogance not match fixing!

guitars4you

RandallFlagg said:

But, Pakistan can't be ruled out, they are unpredictable but have started playing some excellent cricket, If England flop then I could see Pakistan getting to the final.

I might agree with you on that - Pakistan can morph from brilliance to despair but when they play with that emotion they can be electric - No shortage of skill, it is  a case of which team will turn up 

My worry with England is the bowling attack is to one dimensional - Pace is fine, but I don't think we are clever enough about any variation with in that and adjusting to the needs of the moment in time and conditions - Need to be more 'cunning' at times

Let's see what today brings - I'm in for the long haul today

SouthpawMark

I get the feeling England are going to get a walloping today. India in front of a home crowd are always formidable. 

RandallFlagg

SouthpawMark said:

I get the feeling England are going to get a walloping today. India in front of a home crowd are always formidable. 

I know, I'm having a medicinal vodka and coke to settle the nerves...been banished to the man cave but watching on the 27" iMac via SkyGo app and got the near field monitors on nice and loud.