OK, seeing as the opportunity has marvellously presented itself as someone started a cricket thread , perhaps I'll start things off with a reflection of the awesome Chappell-Hadlee Trophy that finished yesterday. Fortunately the thread-initiator allows gloating. The 3-match series involved numerous entries in the record books, including:-
1) Another entry for NZ on the Won by 10 wickets list, which also happens to be Australia's first entry on the "Lost by 10 wickets" list.
2) Hayden's appearance high on the Highest Individual Scores list with 181*. OK, make that a as it was awesome. Unfortunately for Hayden it is also the highest score ever in a losing cause.
3) McMillan appearing high on the Fastest Tons list with a ton off 67 balls. He also unseated Oram as the Kiwi with the fastest ton on the list only a month after Oram made the list. This also follows McMillan's 27-ball 50 two days before.
4) Two appearances right near the top of the Highest Run Chases list in the space of two days. Australia's habit of posting big totals also means they're now on the receiving end of the four biggest successful run chases ever. And that they struggle to defend big totals when NZ is chasing, as is clear from NZ's three appearances in the Top 4.
5) Record number of sixes in a match (26 of them, 16 from Australia and 10 of those from Hayden). This equals the number of sixes hit in that unbelievable match in SA last year.
Australia 3.25 South Africa 5.50 Sri Lanka 8.00 India 8.00 West Indies 8.00 England 9.00 New Zealand 9.00 Pakistan 11.00 Bangladesh 301.00 Zimbabwe 501.00 Kenya 501.00 Holland 1001.00 Ireland 1001.00 Scotland 1001.00 Canada 1001.00 Bermuda 1001.00
My opinion is that Australia is rated too highly there. They had a 'good' bowling lineup in NZ over the last few days, but it didn't stop them losing a match by 10 wickets, then conceding 337 and 350 in the next two matches. They don't have a problem with batting even without Ponting and Gilly, but IMO need to pick up their bowling in a big way to justify being hot favourites.
I think it's a wide-open contest. Anyone from the top 8 could win it. I can't wait.
quote:Originally posted by Se�n They don't have a problem with batting even without Ponting and Gilly, but IMO need to pick up their bowling in a big way to justify being hot favourites.
I agree. The Aussie team was looking bulletproof a month ago but they are pretty vulnerable in the field at the moment. Hopefully this is the wake up call they need for the World Cup.
BTW congratulations to NZ on an awesome performance in the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy - great never-say-die attitude.
Australia 3.25 South Africa 5.50 Sri Lanka 8.00 India 8.00 West Indies 8.00 England 9.00 New Zealand 9.00 Pakistan 11.00 Bangladesh 301.00 Zimbabwe 501.00 Kenya 501.00 Holland 1001.00 Ireland 1001.00 Scotland 1001.00 Canada 1001.00 Bermuda 1001.00
I think it's a wide-open contest. Anyone from the top 8 could win it. I can't wait.
There's not many sporting competions these days where there's such a clear, even, split. Half the teams have no chance at all and the other half are all contenders.
I'm still thinking the Aussies will seriously pull themselves together and are going to be the team to watch, but whatever happens, it's gonna get interesting. Oh yeah
There's not many sporting competions these days where there's such a clear, even, split. Half the teams have no chance at all and the other half are all contenders.
I'm still thinking the Aussies will seriously pull themselves together and are going to be the team to watch, but whatever happens, it's gonna get interesting. Oh yeah
Possibly the Rubby World Cup, but that's for another day.
Last four in the competition will be England, The Windies, and two from the Aussies, Sri Lanka and South Africa. I can't see NZ, India or Pakistan doing much.
Last four in the competition will be England, The Windies, and two from the Aussies, Sri Lanka and South Africa. I can't see NZ, India or Pakistan doing much.
Interesting. Check out the ODI Championship Table. NZ is third on the list having just beaten Australia 3-0, and England is near the bottom. Here's the list anyway:-
1 South Africa 128 2 Australia 125 3 New Zealand 113 4 Pakistan 111 5 India 109 6 Sri Lanka 108 7 England 106 8 West Indies 101 9 Bangladesh 42 10 Zimbabwe 22 11 Kenya 0
In a nutshell, the Warm Up Matches don't count, but there will be an easy match then a tough match for the serious contenders.
Then in the Group Stage, the serious contenders have two easy matches and one tough match. Presumably the 8 also-rans will be eliminated and the 8 serious contenders go through. They then take the win from the other qualifier from the Group Stage through to the Super 8 Stage and play everyone else in the Super 8. So, by the time the Super 8 is finished, everyone will have played each other once each (7 matches each). The four highest qualifiers then go to a simple Semi-Final knockout.
It's a pretty good structure, although the competition is clearly split between 8 serious contenders and 8 also-rans. I suspect the serious teams will be resting key players for the easy matches.
So, by the time the Super 8 is finished, finalists will have played 7 serious matches (that almost certainly count) and 2 easy matches (that almost certainly don't count)*. In addition to those there are one easy and one serious match that don't count in the Warm Up matches.
* Subject to upsets, e.g., Bermuda beats Australia etc.
1. Windies. 2. Brian Lara. 3. Curtly Ambrose. 4. It's kinda like baseball, except the bowler, especially if it's Curtly, is a wild man.
[All this info comes from an auto trip through the Scottish Highlands about ten years ago -- thus the Curtly Ambrose reference -- where a Windies Test match seemed to be on telly everywhere we stopped. During the cocktail hours at the various places we stayed, our kind fellow guests seemed to think this Yank's newfound interest was cute, and tried patiently to teach me the rules. They didn't stick, but we had lovely conversations which then drifted to other subjects.]
[Plus, we vacation every year in Jamaica, among Windies fans. We even got to see our very first cricket venue in person last Dec, when we visited the new Trelawny Multipurpose Stadium, one of the sites for the very upcoming World Cup you mention! They were only having practice before some kind of intermural match, but the facility, the grass and the pitch were all very beautiful. I'd love to be there for a real match, and one day I will.]
Here endeth all I know about cricket. Talk amongst yourselves.
quote:Originally posted by Se�n They don't have a problem with batting even without Ponting and Gilly, but IMO need to pick up their bowling in a big way to justify being hot favourites.
I agree. The Aussie team was looking bulletproof a month ago but they are pretty vulnerable in the field at the moment.
NZ has the same bowling problems. Has made a habit of conceding massive totals against Aus.... fortunately chases some of them down.
quote:BTW congratulations to NZ on an awesome performance in the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy - great never-say-die attitude.
The whole country was a-buzz over that series. Unfortunately NZ doesn't usually do too well under pressure. I think that's why NZ is better at chasing than setting big totals, there isn't any real pressure on the batsmen as they have to score fast whether they like it or not, there's no choice. Hopefully we'll always win the toss and always bowl first.
Some interesting matches and results in the warm-ups. Not sure what to make of it. Some close matches where they were expected to be thrashings, and thrashings where they were expected to be close.
1. Windies. 2. Brian Lara. 3. Curtly Ambrose. 4. It's kinda like baseball, except the bowler, especially if it's Curtly, is a wild man.
[All this info comes from an auto trip through the Scottish Highlands about ten years ago -- thus the Curtly Ambrose reference -- where a Windies Test match seemed to be on telly everywhere we stopped. During the cocktail hours at the various places we stayed, our kind fellow guests seemed to think this Yank's newfound interest was cute, and tried patiently to teach me the rules. They didn't stick, but we had lovely conversations which then drifted to other subjects.]
[Plus, we vacation every year in Jamaica, among Windies fans. We even got to see our very first cricket venue in person last Dec, when we visited the new Trelawny Multipurpose Stadium, one of the sites for the very upcoming World Cup you mention! They were only having practice before some kind of intermural match, but the facility, the grass and the pitch were all very beautiful. I'd love to be there for a real match, and one day I will.]
Here endeth all I know about cricket. Talk amongst yourselves.
Come on the hireland! We're playing Pakistan on Paddy's day apparently! Should be a novel distraction in the pub next weekend.. after the rugby of course!!
Something tells me we might not make it out of our group though, despite overturning the mighty Canada last week.