2015 World Cup

First topic message reminder :

March

Semi-finals

24 Semi-final 1, South Africa v New Zealand, Auckland (01:00 GMT)

26 Semi-final 2, India v Australia, Sydney (03:30 GMT)

Final

29 Final, Melbourne (05:30 BST)

Lol, de Villiers has a knack for taking wickets. If anybody saw him bowling vs Australia in The Test series, it would be the shock of your life to learn that he has five ODI wickets at a SR of 27

Pak roller coastered their way to what's a scraping total and they have the bowling to make SA struggle.

tough game it will be for SA..who are favorites...but Pak have a chance of pulling this one

msp83 wrote:
I was almost expecting India to mess this one up before the game got underway after they went through the tougher games rather comfortably. And they nearly did it too!. From 92-7 to 182 all out, the bowlers provided a reminder of their awful face that has been totally absent in the tournament otherwise. And then Rohit Sharma failed to surprise, Dhawan and Kohli, the 2 in-form batsmen failed, Rahane got a tough call and Raina failed.
But then the best thing that could happen to India in this situation happened, world's best finisher got some much valuable runs under his belt, and ones again saw his side through to the finish line in a calm and collected way.
Solid support from Ashwin too, it has to be said.
But Ashwin has bowled well in the tournament, doing well in his primary responsibility is the way to go always, the 2nd string makes his case a bit stronger.......
Jadeja has bowled well, but he hasn't been scoring enough runs. Won't call for Akshar or Binny as yet, the former isn't good enough with the bat, the latter not so with the ball. Anyways don't fix something that isn't broken. Perhaps promoting Jadeja up the order for the next game would be a good idea though.

meaningful post msp...agree with all
including the part in bold that made me chuckle
yes giving Jaddu some batting practise against one of the minnows will be good.....actually him and Dhoni should bat nos 4 and 5 for some acclimitization.
That said the next two games are in NZ and pitches won't suit Jaddu...so there is a chance Binny might play.....

India's weakness as I had stated many times after first two games....is the next 4 batsmen if the top 4 didn't deliver all the runs...especially against good pace on seaming bouncy pitches ( the Nos 5 to 8 are all CSK batters incidentally)
and chasing even 250 is a different ball game...

and that's the biggest risk for India....go undefeated in the group stages.....run into Eng in QF...concede 250 runs and collapse when chasing and are knocked out.....

Look at Eng and Pak knocking out the group leaders

Amla looks sublime

Pak pacers making a difference as does having a regular WK

I told ya...battle of two best seam attacks.......Pak has runs on the board..and making SA struggle.

Tow days in a row....we will see tight games between top sides

102 - 6

Steyn has showed an ability to stay in, and AB seems to be seeing it as big as a watermelon at the moment, so we still have a chance.

Little annoyed at Dale, and the lack of work he's put into his batting, if I'm honest. Scored a massively important 76 against the Aussie all those years ago, really should have pushed him to working more on his batting, because he has the ability to be at least as good as the Lee, Warne type guys

Morning / evening folks - two cracking games in progress.

Ireland 331/8 off their 50 against Zimbabwe. A ton for Joyce and 90 odd for Balbirnie. You have to applaud that team score but I still felt Ireland could have pushed on for another 10 or even 20 runs in the closing overs on a small ground with wickets then still in hand. Kevin O'Brien wasn't at his thuggish best (24 off 21 - ok but you would expect more from him in all the circumstances) and never fully adjusted to the apparently slow pace of the wicket. Also, I felt Balbirnie's partners (not so much Balbirnie himself) got a little distracted by thoughts of his century and played with that too much in mind.

Ireland are in a good position at the half-way stage but certainly don't have the points yet. A couple of good Zimbabwe innings could still see Ireland looking down the barrel.

Meanwhile, South Africa making a real mess of things against Pakistan. With bags of overs left, they need 94 for victory but now with just 3 wickets left. Steyn out minutes ago caught behind wafting unnecessarily. He had one job to do - ''Stay with AB'' - but blew it miserably. Everything now seeming to rest on AB - surely too much given the lack of remaining partners. Hope I'm wrong and so will Ireland who don't want Pakistan getting points today ....

One ball at the tail ender Wasim, what are you bowling

"Well I'd definitely bowl a length delivery leaving him, because I've got two slips, or maybe bowl full at the stumps. But I definitely won't bowl it short"

Sohail proceeds to bowl a bumper Morne ducks under

Pak need that invincible player off strike..

Ireland with 2 wickets. That's gonna end well. Ireland becoming favs

Omg what a moment.

ABDV OUT

ABDV falls....smart innings......but was always a bit chancy

Pakistan should close this out now....32 runs to play with

Pak win.

Great game.. Only saw the start and the end.. But that's a proper game

the've done it

Ireland huge favs now. Can their inexperienced bowlers keep up the intensity

Pakistan needs a moderate score and they have the bowling to defend it.....and a regular WK...to ensure their bowling is backed up

Pakistan needs a moderate score and they have the bowling to defend it.....and a regular WK...to ensure their bowling is backed up.

Rain coming like a curtain...wonder what the D/L result would have been had it been 9 down only ?

Pak-SA-WI have all beaten each other...only WI has lost to IRE...and so IRE will hang in with a chance if they beat Zim today

Not sure that would work v Aussies batting line up. But I didn't see how good the start was.. It's all about quick seem . And if they have that on the money. Yep they are in this tourny.

SA's quicks didn't take the wickets early on , but there seamers where special and made it impossible for the batters to score.. I think they were a seemer down to be honest. Even though the spinners took early wickets they were getting smashed.

Great game Pak v SA, well done Pakistan. Such a small odd ground at Eden Park has thrown up two intriguing low scoring games, who'd have thunk it.

changing channels to the Zim-IRE game.....and immediately a 20,000 feet drop in quality of bowling.......pie-chuckers at 115kph and non-turning spinners

and its not even a competition....Zim fallen too far behind

Well done to Pakistan. We've got some serious problems chasing, but we all knew that.

The bowlers did a top job, with bat and ball, which will be encouraging, as there were questions about the lower order. The batters didn't even do too badly. Three starts is reasonable going, I'd say.We just lost, but I'm not too sad or anything. Pakistan played really well, we also did, it made for a good match.

Rilee and David failed, but it's their first real failures all tournament. JP also failed, but it's his first match back. Not a great chase, but I liked the outline of how we played it. Just short, but it's very positive, and that's how we have to from here.

Only real concern is Quinton's continued failures. I love the boy, but it's nearing time to give his position serious consideration. Rilee can open, and is in hot form. If Rilee opens we go:
Rossouw
Amla
Du Plessis
De Villiers + *
Miller
Duminy
Behardien
Philander
Steyn
Morkel
Tahir.

Get an extra bowler in there, and the way Quinny is going, doesn't really weaken our batting

One partnership KP and ZIM may have a chance.. As you say it's pie after pie.

An attacking move by Ireland to bring on Dockrell ahead of fellow spinners McBrine and Stirling. Dockrell's clever variation often makes him a greater wicket taking threat than the other two who seem to concentrate more on keeping it tight.

Meanwhile, O'Brien again looking slow and ordinary as he proves expensive. Very much the weak link in Ireland's bowling despite his opening over wicket.

Zimbabwe 74-4

Cmon Ireland. Couple more quick wickets, should be game over.

Westy - you just might get two wins today!

Ha. Lets hope so.
Very rare for a villa and Ireland win In any sport on the same day.

Still annoyed with you lot putting us under the cosh last week. Tough game that. The GS is yours pal. 

This cricket game could turn on its head. The ZIM players just need to think. Luckily Ireland's total was very good. But it's not ovr yet.

Brendan Taylor is always the one Zimbabwean wicket to get

Lets hope do re grand slam.
Yeah Zimbabwe ahead in terms of runs.

Need to get a wicket soon.

kingraf wrote:. The batters didn't even do too badly. Three starts is reasonable going, I'd say.We just lost, but I'm not too sad or anything. Pakistan played really well, we also did, it made for a good match.

Well actual the game I saw...and the games I have seem of SA....batting is a problem and cause for concern.
They got 8 down for 130odd........the ABDV's rear-guard and always chancy......also in the knowledge that they will defnitely qualify...hence not feeling the real pressure.
They are missing the batting of Philander in the lower order.
It may be a good idea to let ABDV keep and include an allrounder

KP_fan wrote:

kingraf wrote:. The batters didn't even do too badly. Three starts is reasonable going, I'd say.We just lost, but I'm not too sad or anything. Pakistan played really well, we also did, it made for a good match.

Well actual the game I saw...and the games I have seem of SA....batting is a problem and cause for concern.
They got 8 down for 130odd........the ABDV's rear-guard and always chancy......also in the knowledge that they will defnitely qualify...hence not feeling the real pressure.
They are missing the batting of Philander in the lower order.
It may be a good idea to let ABDV keep and include an allrounder

You are misunderstanding what I'm saying. Du Plessis and Amla got starts (and are 2nd and fith on the run chart), de Villiers got runs. Miller and Rossouw failed, but they've been very good most of the tournament, and JP failed, but he had a 100 two innings ago. We didn't bat badly for the chase. If you're chasing 230 and three of your batters get starts, you'd back yourself to get there, we didn't, but it's not indicative of any hidden problems. And you're right, there wasn't any real pressure (I think we'll still finish second?), so it was a little bit of complaceny, Steyn probably doesn't try hit Irfan out the park in a KO game, but I like the intent behind the chase, no step back taken, just Flat out we won't be dictated to, we are the bullies cricket.

Ok Ireland how about a wicket asap.

Zimbabwe 144/4 off 27. 187 needed off the remaining 23.

Those 4 wickets are a big plus for Ireland but they're going to need another one before long.

McBrine returns with a decent over. Now need to get O'Brien off at the other end.

Bit nervy.
We don't take another wicket soon, could be on the way to a loss.

Got to out in half an hour, so will miss the finish.

Hope we can do it.

180/4 off 32. Taylor and Williams going well and have put on over 100. 152 more needed.

Stirling's only bowled 1 over which was expensive but I would still give him another spell than stick with O'Brien who doesn't seem threatening.

Dockrell still has 3 overs left. Soon be time to be thinking about using a couple of those.

Excellent batting by Taylor - that's how England should treat 6th bowlers. Superb knock so far

Dockrell back on. Tidy over but no wicket.

McBrine who has been more expensive than earlier in the tournament now replaced at the other end by Stirling. However, that's a disaster for Ireland with 14 coming off the over.

Zimbabwe looking in charge at the moment although a wicket soon would change that.

Taylor is probably Zimbabwe's only player who could make most other international teams, so it's good to see he's had a good world cup.

Also, don't worry Westy. Zim aren't going to get there

Good move to bring Cusack back for the 36th. His opening 5 overs were on the money.

No half measures from Taylor! Dockrell on for his last over of what had been a good spell. Rather than see him out, Dockrell smashes him for 18.

This is superb batting by Taylor

Taylor gone to Cusack - you needed that, Westy!

That's the one they wanted, slower ball gets Taylor!

Cusack's bowled really well. Important for Ireland that Mooney is also near to that level at the end.

Jeez kob's bowling has been sh1te today. Ireland's problem is seam bowling apart from Cusack whoo has been excellent

they have been keeping up top the RRR of 8.5 for a long long time inspite of being 4 wkts down