Rest of the World

[KP_fan]

Rahkeem Cornwall makes it to West Indies Test squad
He is an all-rounder from the islands of Antigua and is perhaps the heaviest cricketer ever. He stands at a towering height of 6’6” and weighs around 140 kg.

Cornwall made his first-class debut in 2014 and has since become a regular for Leewards Islands, even captaining them earlier this year. He has 260 wickets from 55 first-class matches and finished as the leading bowler in the most recent regional four-day tournament.

[Gooseberry]

Samit Patel and Mike Getting would make ideal running mates for this guy.

[Galted]

Samit Patel and Mike Getting would make ideal running mates for this guy.

Dwayne Leverock be the ideal captain.

[Gooseberry]

I was trying to remember that chaps name!

Jokes aside though this does show how unprofessional cricket in the West Indies has become.
Yet somehow they still manage to be a match for the disaster zone that is England

[guildfordbat]

Meanwhile, some Oval regulars believe that Surrey's heavy concentration upon fitness is a reason why so many of their players have missed so many games through injuries this season.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Cornwall may be large, but he’s a damn good spinner and big hitter - really should’ve played a lot more for the WIndies already

[Gooseberry]

Well given they are still willing to pick gayle thats a fair comment. Fat is one thing, but fat and lazy is worse.

[VTR]

I'd like to see Devon Smith recalled to play alongside him

[Gooseberry]

Apparently he played against England in 2016 and has previous of duffing up the Indians on tour too. Favourite story about him is retiring hurt after being hit IN THE STOMACH. (What are the rules about lost balls in cricket?)

Athlete.
https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/3f70ed70784d7286c795dd2053b2cdce?width=700

[KP_fan]

Nowe that the high pressure world cup is over....Kohli starts getting his ODI hundreds again.
India won but the known weakness of leaving runs on the table in the last 15 overs.....and a frail lower order were exposed again in the win.

Shreyas Iyer is a very bright spot.....I have rated him the best youngster for all forms of the game in India currently.

Khalil Ahmed the Left arm pacer confirms further depth availability in Indian pace bowling resources

[Gooseberry]

What exactly is the point of these games?

[Soul Requiem]

What exactly is the point of these games?

Boosts Kohli's record when it doesn't matter?

[KP_fan]

What exactly is the point of these games?

Optimize -Prepare for next world cup
Cashflows for boards
Try out young potential in ODIs & check their suitability for tests. These days test ODIs are seemingly suhc a long format that they do give a glimpse of test match potential of palyers

[Gooseberry]

Test ODIs are such a long format.
Yet England can't chase down ANY total.


You know they could just play a test.

[Duty281]

Sri Lanka-New Zealand in a two match test series starts tomorrow. If New Zealand win 2-0 they go top of the old rankings system for the first time, which I think is still in use.

Nice team are New Zealand, and they're firmly on the up and the up having won 7 of their last 8 test series, including a sensational win in the UAE. 11/8 on them winning this series is very decent.

[KP_fan]

I know NZ beat Pak in UAE and SL lost to Eng at home.....
BUT I won't rule out Lanka drawing the series or even winning

You just do not know what kinda Lankans will turn up.......we do know solid organized, nZ palying percentage cricket will be there

[Gooseberry]

Do NZ have the spin resources England did when they went there? I don't see SL suddenly getting any better mind.
And whilst it's creditable for any non Asian side to go to the UAE and win a series Pakistan were right in their all round slump at the time and brealy seem to bother with test cricket these days, only playing the bare minimum to retain their status. Its not that long ago they nearly lost to Ireland (cough)

So I'm not convinced they are straight up the best team in the world ever quite yet, but if they win in SL they do deserve the position even if they haven't played long series they will have shown they can win anywhere...something India keep failing at nonmatter how rubbish England are.

They have some solid players and SL are pretty awful now so it does seem an OK price if they are sending their best players.

[KP_fan]

the Off/Leg break Dhananjaya caused a mini top order collpase from 64-0 to 72-3....incl Williamson for a zero.
but since than Taylor and Nicholls have rebuilt.

That NZ will be bowling 4th and have 3 spinners in their playing 11 make them favorite if they can cobble 275+ in the first inning from here.

[Duty281]

Dananjaya keeping Sri Lanka in the game; everyone else looks toothless. 171/4 - another wicket falling when NZ seemed in control.

But with good turn on day one, the Kiwis picking three decent spinners and looking set to score 300+ in this innings, and Sri Lanka batting last, it's difficult to see the home side getting out of this with a positive result.

[Gooseberry]

2013/5 is not a bad position but Im a little more dubious about NZs spinners than Duty. Satner and Patel are pretty ordinary, and the other guy is 35 and barely played any professional cricket at all (although he did take 7 wickets in his only test). Still in the wait and see category for me, but that SL have relied entirely on one bowler does add weight to the argument that they have a lot of weak links now and lack the quality of star player the team was built around 10 years ago. Or to put it another way SL are rubbish.

[Duty281]

West Indies 114/0 after 10 overs in the third ODI against India. We're gonna see 500, lads!

Disclaimer - we're probably not going to see 500.

[Nathaniel Jacobs]

The universe boss Chris Gayle seems to have retired after today's innings. Over 450 caps for the big man.

[KP_fan]

Iyer continues to impress and confirm what I wrote of him....the best of the Indian youngsters....and with 4 seasons of FC cricket under his belt....and nearing 25.....not that young....juts the right balance of youth and maturity.
His batting style reminds of a young Kohli

Pant continues to bat like a mindless slogger......they will give him a long rope in ODIs but dump him eventually if he does not show ability to build an innings

[KP_fan]

The Kiwis meanwhile bowled out for 249......atleast 30 runs short of par.

SL's only chance of winning is to bat NZ out...with a 150 run lead
a 50 to 100 run lead......is likely to set up a 170-220ish chase that SL will fail narrowly, in my prognosis

[Gooseberry]

Apparently Gayle has not retired again and will continue to hold back the development of new players who actually might care further.

The display yesterday showed what he's still capable of, but didn't produce through the world cup. The guys become a millstone more interested in personal milestones and agarndisment than the future ( or even present) of west Indies cricket.
If anything it seems to suit him that everyone else is rubbish as it only adds to his apparent brilliance.

And how rubbish are they? Quite how they managed to chuck away that start so comprehensively rain or not. Barely mustered 500 between the two teams in the end and quite a comfortable win for India.

Agree with Kpfs comments on Pant, he's not doing great and really is batting at least a place too high. If they can't accommodate him lowest down they should find a proper batsman.

[KP_fan]

It might appear that Lanka is ahead because NZ lower order fell apart & Lankan's resisted...giving a sense of momentum.
BUT¨
It's down to a single inning shoot-out and with 3 spinners in the eleven NZ would be favorites if they can set a 200ish chase

[Duty281]

A test of collapses so far - NZ went from 171/3 to 249 all out. SL were then very comfortable at 143/2, before slumping to 161/7.

Kiwis will be favourites if they push the lead beyond 200, maybe even 180+ will do. And they've got the middle order - Williamson, Taylor, Nicholls - to do just that.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Well NZ are gonna need their tail to wag today - 25-3 with only a lead of 7 runs, Williamson and Taylor both out already.

[Duty281]

Yes, Taylor and Williamson threw away their wickets in appalling fashion. Williamson trying to hit over the top very early on, and Taylor chasing a wide one like Jason Roy.

98/5. Barring a counter-attack from Watling, it's difficult to see NZ winning this one.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Not entirely sure why they went with Southee ahead of De Grandhomme...surely the extra batting depth trumps the few overs of seam bowling?

[Nathaniel Jacobs]

Not every day you see the King of New Zealand fail twice in a Test match, in fact the aggregate of 4 runs in the second worst of his career

[KP_fan]

This is the game on knife edge and ever run tilts balance a little bit in NZ's favor

As Southee & Watlig put together 50 runs worth their 50 pounds of gold

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

NZ end the day 177 ahead, with 3 wickets in hand - Watling playing a typically gritty knock, still there on 63*

Pretty in the balance, NZ maybe just ahead. If NZ can get that lead over 200, approaching 230-240 then they're well in the drivers seat. Fascinating test

[Duty281]

Yes, Watling did get a good counter-attack in. He respected the pitch and didn't try to force his shots, unlike most of the batsmen above him. He also got able support from Santner and Southee, as well as some poor Sri Lankan fielding and field placings.

I'd say NZ are in front. 200 is probably too much to chase on this pitch. If Watling can steer his side to a lead of 240+ then it really is game over.

[KP_fan]

all 3 inings have in this test have shown similar pattern.....collapses and a couple of partnerships.

175-180 chase would have been 50-50 in my view and now NZ look like finishing with 230 lead....that would make it 80-20 in their favor

[Gooseberry]

If England do manage to roll out Aus shortly after lunch, which given they don't have much batting aside from Smith isn't impossible then that still leaves 5 sessions plus a handful of extra overs.
I guess the biggest threat to England winningbfrom that position would be themselves batting too long, but given how awful they are is that likely to be a problem? Sadly maybe with players under pressure to spend time in the middle and save their careers.

Right now its Smith who holds the key

[KP_fan]

from 124-6 and 178-7 to 285 is very strong rear-guard on the back of No. 10s and 11s highest test scores and a super 70odd from BJ Watlig...amazing but not uncommon these days such rearguards,

I would out 90-10 in NZ's favor now...10% to Lanka if one of their top-4 plays a freak inning of life......like one of them did in a 4th inning chase vs SA last year

[Duty281]

Sensational effort from the lower order. Last four batsmen contributed over 100 runs in the second innings...not bad for a team criticised for a long tail!

Sri Lanka need 268. Next to no chance of getting that.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

For some bizarre reason NZ opened with two seamers, weird

[Duty281]

28 overs and SL 55/0. The amount of near misses, edges and LBW shouts...all that and still not a wicket! Extraordinary.

[Duty281]

133/0 at stumps. One of the most unusual test innings I've seen. At no point did those openers look in control, but they somehow survived and had every morsel of fortune go their way. Extraordinary.

Game still in the balance though. Collapses very prominent on this wicket and SL have a very weak lower batting order. Hope the rain stays away.

[KP_fan]

yeah collapse can be triggered anytime on such a pitch and one wicket brings another 4.
But so far credit to Lankans

[alfie]

133/0 at stumps. One of the most unusual test innings I've seen. At no point did those openers look in control, but they somehow survived and had every morsel of fortune go their way. Extraordinary.

Game still in the balance though. Collapses very prominent on this wicket and SL have a very weak lower batting order. Hope the rain stays away.

Amazing score line for fourth innings at Galle. You'd think Sri Lanka would have to fall over to lose from here. Imagine you'd get good odds down the betting shop for NZ if you fancy a gamble ?

[Duty281]

Probably could, yes! About 6/1 I think.

I do favour Sri Lanka from here, but worth remembering 143/2 in their first innings became 161/7, and the Kiwis lost 5 wickets for 50-odd runs in their first dig. It's very tough to bat out there and SL will need to get through another 50 overs to get home.

Two test matches excellently placed going into the final day. Great for the game.

[alfie]

Sri Lanka doing it pretty easily in the end. Karunaratne doing the heavy lifting and now Matthews and Perera making sure there are no late twists.

Pretty good fourth innings chase - especially for Galle

Ha ! Perera holes out now just as I type...but only 18 more needed and with six wickets left they still have it well in hand...

[Duty281]

Incredible chase, well done Sri Lanka who go top of the WTC. Comfortably the highest successful 4th innings chase at Galle.

[KP_fan]

Incredible chase, well done Sri Lanka who go top of the WTC. Comfortably the highest successful 4th innings chase at Galle.

Lanka has been the at successful end of 2 superb 4th inning chases....the one against SA last year was a pure miracle and this one was magnificent.

As i said some-where earlier in this thread......you don't know which Lanka will show up

[Gooseberry]

Does this also say something about new Zealand's spinners? No doubt any team has it on and off days games ( west indies, Pakistan and England equally can have flashes of brilliance and utter dross) but I can't believe any of their players are auddenlybworld class test best man. Even Mathews has slipped considerably.
England's spin trio took 8 190 ( and root 0 for 1) in the 4th innings on that ground to a not dissimilar batting line up. New Zealand's mustered 2 for 185.

Mind although sides haven't made that kind of chase before at Galle because it is such a spin paradise it's worth noting SL did make 250 against England, well short of the target they had then but very close to what they needed in this test.

So all in it shows they have a big of application and have bothered to turn up, but honestly I just don't think Patel wanted Sommervile is in the same bracket as Leach confidentMoeen and fit Rashid as a front line attack.

For me this is some vindication that when England prepare properly for a series and have the right players as they did for that one they can actually be a half way decent side. Going to Sri Lanka and winning a series is really tough even if this is a rubbish SL side, especially for the non Asian teams.

Be interesting to see how the rest of this series goes but I just feel NZ lack the depth of quality in their spin attack to really expose how bad SL are.

[alfie]

One thing about NZ ...they don't die easily. Expect them to hit back next Test.
Agree their spinners are nothing special. Sri Lanka deserve massive credit for that fourth innings chase...just the concentration required is something we've not seen much for other Test teams recently !

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Sri Lanka-New Zealand in a two match test series starts tomorrow. If New Zealand win 2-0 they go top of the old rankings system for the first time, which I think is still in use.

Nice team are New Zealand, and they're firmly on the up and the up having won 7 of their last 8 test series, including a sensational win in the UAE. 11/8 on them winning this series is very decent.

They clearly don't want you winning money Duty - for some absolutely bizarre reason, NZ have ditched a spinner and replaced him with a seamer - so now instead of one redundant seamer, you'll have two - De Grandhomme had to come in for Southee or Boult if he was coming in for someone, not Santner. Bizarre selection

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