The Cricket Thread 2015-16

All the seamers were brilliant. Buttler fantastic.

 

Fabulous over from Stokes. England through, SL and SA OUT!

 

Nothing for three games, but Stokes (and to a degree, Morgan) turns up when needed most.

 

No need to worry was there

 

Um. Quite big.

 

Get Dawson in for the next game, can't be any worse than the other spinners.

 

Hmm, not sure. Dawson could get hammered if the pitch doesn't turn.

 

Closer than we might have thought, but qualifying is the important thing.

 

Not sure Root would do any worse than Rashid or Ali did today.

 

They'll never give Dawson a debut in a SF.

And besides, those figures given me hope that we might be able to hit NZ's spinners. Although having seen Willey's figures (today and during the week), NZ may well give Boult his first run-out of the competition.

Indeed, we might even consider recalling Topley, for Rashid.

(I'm assuming that Afghanistan won't smash WI, and hence we won't jump into 1st place)

 

I'd rather play NZ than Australia or India TBH so 2nd is fine with me.

 

Blimey, big match tomorrow between India and Australia, loser goes home!

 

Yep, that really is a QF in everything but name.

 

If Australia win tomorrow, then there will be no sub-continental sides in the SF. Given that it's in India, I don't think many people would have been predicting that at the start.

 

Afghanistan beat WI by 6 runs. Well done to them.

 

Great result for Afghanistan. But Gayle's wonder innings against us aside, WI's batting has been nothing to shout about so far. If Gayle can be kept quiet in the SF (it'll be back in Mumbai, where he played that innings against us), then I can see a England-India/Australia final. Talking of which...

 

I'd suggest that Aus are 20 - 30 runs short of both par and their target after 4 overs, when they were 53-0. NZ made 180 here, and Aus themselves made 193. Both some way above 160.

The one time I wanted Aus to win, but things aren't looking great at the half way stage.

 

Yep, 160 was never really going to challenge the best run chaser in the world. Even when the RRR got up to 12, I never got the impression that Kohli (and Dhoni) were feeling any pressure.

Given the lack of risks India took in the first 15 overs, I think they'd have chased 180 if they'd needed to.

 

I love this... Chris Gayle is a big man in every respect...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/35907710

 

England Ladies bowl out Australia for 132-6. Two terrific run outs at the end with direct hits from distance. High score to get though for England....need to break some kind of a record....England Mens did that recently so why not?