Off Topic Cricket 2019

It's on!
Afghanistan are ahead of England at this stage of the match.

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OptaCopyright: Opta
(England are the ones in blue...)

 

They're actually ahead of where England were after 10 overs.

 

Astonishing knock from Morgan

 

Interesting last over NZ V SA 8 needed for the kiwis

 

Kane Williamson: New Zealand's 'gem of a player' anchors tense World Cup win
Kane Williamson: New Zealand's 'gem of a player' anchors tense World Cup win

Highlights: Williamson leads Kiwis to win over SA
It's the final over. Your team needs eight runs for victory. It's tense. So what do you do?
If you're Kane Williamson, you strike your first six of the match to reach a century and put your side within one run of victory.
The New Zealand captain's sublime 106 from 138 balls in a low scoring game anchored the Black Caps to their
tense four-wicket World Cup win over South Africa on Wednesday.
Chasing 242 for victory, Williamson hit a six and a four to reach the target with three balls remaining.
"It's the sort of game that makes you prematurely bald," ex-New Zealand captain Jeremy Coney said on Test Match Special.
"Williamson had to battle and battle, not just the pitch, not just the South African side, he was locked in a battle with himself.
"As he walks off now I'm sure there's a premature peak showing."
The win took New Zealand to the top of the Cricket World Cup table, while all but ending South Africa's semi-final hopes.

• TMS podcast: Clinical Kane and Woakes on the art of death bowling

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'Composure and class' - what they said
Ex-England captain Michael Vaughan: "Eoin Morgan grabbed the headlines for his power-hitting exploits yesterday and rightly so, but this Williamson innings was something else. Under immense pressure he played an old school gem. What a player. What a ton."
Former New Zealand captain Jeremy Coney: "It was mental quality from Kane Williamson today. He didn't look comfortable, couldn't play the shots he likes to play and he was frustrated.
"He had to battle the demons in himself. He trusted his instinct that he could do it and the four down to third man in the penultimate over was crucial. He taught his team a lot today."
South Africa captain Faf du Plessis: "I think Kane showed exactly what to do - he found it tricky to score but he waited for one guy, or a period, where he attacked. We had a lot of stop start."

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Journalist Mazher Arshad called Kane Williamson "the greatest batsman of this generation"
Ex-England captain Michael Atherton: "Gem of a player, Kane Williamson. Composure and class."
Former South Africa batsman Herschelle Gibbs: "Been asking for 100 from someone from the start. Can't win games with 60s and 50s. Kane Williamson great composure under pressure."
Ex-India batsman VVS Laxman: "What a marvellous innings from Kane Williamson. Fantastic game of cricket and his calmness stood out in taking New Zealand home. Terrific stuff."

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The century was Williamson's 12th in ODI cricket and his first at a World Cup.
He is averaging 225.00 at this World Cup, his 225 runs coming in three innings, two of which were unbeaten, and has a strike rate of 72.81.
"I don't really rank innings, but each time you go out and contribute to a winning performance is something that you're always wanting to do," Williamson said.
"It was nice I was able to achieve that today."
Wonderful Williamson guides NZ past SA in thrilling finish
South Africa had three opportunities to dismiss Williamson. He was dropped on 22 by spinner Imran Tahir in his follow-through, while David Miller fumbled a run-out opportunity with Williamson on 77.
Williamson also got a faint edge on a Tahir delivery that was caught by keeper Quinton de Kock, but it was given not out and the Proteas did not review.
The defeat leaves South Africa all but out of the World Cup, having lost four and won one of their six games.
A number of international players have signed Kolpak deals in county cricket, which means they are unable to play for South Africa again.
Fast bowler Duanne Olivier, all-rounder Wayne Parnell and Kyle Abbott have all moved on Kolpak deals in recent years.
"You always need your human resources, and South Africa is losing their human resources now," former Zimbabwe Test captain Tatenda Taibu told the Test Match Special podcast.
"A weak first-class system does not produce a great national team. I reckon they'll continue losing players if nothing is done by their cricket board or the International Cricket Council."

 

Starc sniggering when he took a Bangladesh wicket, is that how far the tigers have come or another piece of Aussie lack of class

 

The latter obviously.

 

Love us to get the cheating c*nts in the final and blow them away...

 

Bit of a recovery from SL 106/3 off 24 overs.....

 

Don’t England know I like to get a pint in my local and watch the last hour of cricket, England will need 33 overs to win

 

England strangling the SL batsmen 209/8 off 47 overs.......

 

Fantastic 92mph yorker from Wood.

 

Sri Lanka are a far cry from their teams of a few years ago, but the pace they have played at is mystifying. Either there is no confidence at all in that team or there is something odd with the Headingly pitch/atmosphere. Interesting to see how Malinga bowls/chucks. Though he must be well past his use by date now as well.

Nice to have two genuinely fast bowlers.

 

Take the rest of the day off.........

 

Malinga gets Bairstow 2nd ball

 

I thought early on that the ball wasn't coming on to the bat.
Whilst the Shri Lanka score is well below par, I reckon it may be a bit of a struggle for England.
No need for anything daft, just play sensibly and bat the overs.

 

Vince gone, 26-2

 

Not even 5 an over, England just knocking it about

 

73-3 now.
Not an easy wicket and England are under a bit of pressure to get 2 points here, with Australia, New Zealand and India to come!