Desperately shaky from england. Alli and Curran was desperately timid and threw wickets away playing to fielders. No aggression and relying on stokes to prod them to semis. Fell over line that should have been easily reached
It was pish. If the batted first they'd have swung away and put up 170 or 180. They needed 36 off 40 with loads of wickets and the sheer panic on alli and currans face. Alli got 1 from 9 or something? The ball that got him tightened in on him but he was just barely wafting his bat and it was catching practice. Curran did **** all and then moved and tightened himself and chipped it over his shoulder at a fielder he knew was there. Mindless stuff.
Watched bits of it and we were cruising when started and then just seemed to fall apart. Not sure what to make of the middle of that innings. ironically that sort of game was perfect for Malan to come in number 4 or 5 and just go and score 20 from 20 and cruise home.
It looked like collective panic. Sri Lanka sat back on to ropes and left easy singles but certain people didn't take them and run twos. Livingston was done by a slower ball and it looked like he didn't have a good hold of the bat so it opened the face and popped straight up to fielder Alli as I said had the ball come in tight on him but he was flapping for 9 or 10 balls wasting time and he barely tapped the ball and chipped it up to fielder. Then panic set in. Curran was all over the shop. All they needed seriously was 1s and 2s but at times Curran wasn't even running. He rejected at least two chances for a single and stokes was having a word. Stokes basically didn't kill the ball and knocked it out into space slow enough to run 2 rather than smash one to a fielder for 1. He kept it ticking over and was only reason we got close. Even that Hales wicket was ****. He was sweeping and had the face of the bat wide open and chipped the ball up off it rather than smothering the spin.
It's a shame they don't play the t20 over best of 3 cos this is a lottery. England have chosen to bowl so this has to work out really.
Great start but India really came back in those last 5. Great knock by Hardik. Should be a good chase
could have been better, could have been worse 169 to win. Its enough to worry us and have to chase so IMo the opening pair decide this. nobody else. if they can't get in and score we won't make it.
half way there, 104/0 waiting for the other shoe t drop here and the panic to ensure really. We have 65 to get off 59 balls
Should be able to just rotate strike against the spinners here and then put the seamers away. Very good opening partnership this.
So next big worry will be we peaked to soon and will think we are invincible IF we finish this off like in Rugby when we beat NZ in semi final
What a performance. Two absolute high quality batsmen. Let’s hope we can go again v Pakistan. Beat them pre tournament. Beat them in series in Pakistan as well so we should be big favs for it.
