Infield Chatter

[The Doc]

English gloom in Barbados     

England 154 all out in 48 overs.  (Strauss 46, Hall 5-18 in his 10 overs)

South Africa 157-1 in 19.2 overs (G C Smith 87 no)

South Africa win by 9 wickets

Pathetic 

[Starless Scotch]

Gotta agree Doc. They had no spine, no passion, no desire - and they still thrashed England!
On a serious note, I'd rebuild the entire side, including the backroom staff. I'd keep Duncan Fletcher, but ditch Kevin Shine. Appointing Darren Gough as a fast-bowling coach would have been inspired, but the ECB don't like taking chances.
Of the current squad, I'd ditch Bell, send him back to Warks and let him find his best batting position, without interference from the ECB. I'd also get him to bowl his medium-pacers a bit more, concentrating on accuracy. I'd never have Vaughan again - he's a liability now. He's had his time, and he should bow out now. He used to be a good, occasional off-spinner, but he hardly does these days. I'm not sure about Strauss - I don't think he's a good enough ODI player. Pietersen stays, but I'd like to see him do some more bowling. After all, didn't he start out as an off-spinner? Collingwood stays, co he's the only one with a genuine desire to win. Flintoff has to stay, but he needs time at the Priory, and to learn to swim (especially when buggering about on a Pedalo). Nixon goes, as does Mahmood. Mahmood is a dreadful bowler - expensive, inaccurate and inconsistant. I'd drop Monty. He's not an ODI player, unless he's guaranteed a turning wicket. Bopara stays, but only by default - I'd let him bowl more. Anderson and Plunkett are both erratic, so they go.
Replacements? Matt Prior; Michael Yardy; Jamie Dalrymple needs another chance as does Stuart Broad; I'd try Bilal Shafayat. I'd like to answer this in a couple of months time after the new season gets established. I don't fancy Tim Bresnan - he's too expensive.
England seem incapable of finding real cricket talent with a good, positive attitude. I don't think England will ever win the CWC in my lifetime.

Nick

[owen]

Oh man, that's a shocker of a result.

This whole Cricket World Cup is a farce though. The Ashes are the only thing that count... and who won those again?

 

O!

[The Doc]

Last match of the "super 8" stage and at last a decent England performance.

West Indies (aka Wisconsin) 300 all out off 49.5 overs. Gayle 79, Smith 61, Samuels 51.  Vaughan 3 - 59 of 10 overs

Englands best bowler was their captain and opening batsman.  Great start by the Windies but we managed to restrict the scoring in the last 10 overs.

England 301 for 9 in 49.5 overs.  Vaughan 79, Pieterson 100.

A nailbiter of a finish, Finely balanced up to the last few overs, with the asking rate building to a difficult but not impossible 9 an over.  When Pieterson was out in the 47th followed immediately by the new batsman Plunkett, leaving only 2 wickets in hand, England wicket keeper Nixon, who had been playing a supporting role to KP up to then, stepped up and took 12 off the 48th over, leaving only 12 to get in the last 2 overs (12 balls).  8 off the 49th left us with a seemingly simple task, but after a single off the first ball Nixon was clean bowled going for the big one off the 2nd.  This left 3 runs to win with the last two batsmen in. New batsman (and certified number 11) Anderson got a leg bye* and left Broad on strike with 3 balls to go.  nothing of the next ball then 2 off the last but one ball to win the match. 


* Leg bye - when the batsman misses the ball but it hits his pads and a run is taken.  counts to the teams score but not to the individual batsmans total.  If the batsman run without the ball touching bat or bad this is a bye, and is unusual as it requires the wicket keeper to miss the ball as well.

[The Doc]

Congratulations to Owen

Unsurprisingly, and deservedly, Australia win the Cricket World Cup

in a rain affected match-

Australia 281 for 4 (Gilchrist 149) in 38 overs

Sri Lanka 215 for 8 (Jayasuriya 63, Sangakkara 54) in 36 overs


There's a thing called the Duckworth-Lewis method that works out who wins when rain or bad light stops the second side having their full quota of overs, and you really don't want to know about that, anyway suffice to say that Australia won by 53 runs.  Now we beat Australia in the one day series a couple of months ago so that must make us the best in the world??

[Starless Scotch]

Now we beat Australia in the one day series a couple of months ago so that must make us the best in the world??

Don't say things like that, it'll only raise antipodean hackles, AND we'll never hear the end of it!!!

[The Doc]

Yes fans, its back! Another summer of Googlies and Chinamen, reverse swing and bouncers, long legs and silly points.

Today starts the first test (thats the five day game - but you knew that) between England and West Indies at world cricket HQ, Lords.

West Indies have won the toss and asked England to bat.




Oh, and it's raining

[The Doc]

Got 56 overs in before bad light stopped play

Stumps day 1

England 200 for 3. Cook 102 not out.

West Indies would have hoped to take more early wickets in the overcast conditions, so advantage England so far.

[The Doc]

1st Test, Lords.  Close of play day 2

England 553 - 5, Cook 105, Collingwood 111, Bell 109no Prior 126no.

Prior's century was scored of only 104 balls and is a record for a wicket keeper on their England debut.  England very much in the driving seat, expect an overnight declaration.

[The Doc]

Day 3

We declared overnight on 553-5

W Indies 363-7 Chanderpaul 63no. Panesar 4-108 off 31 overs

Despite Monty's 4 wickets WI avoid the follow on (they are already less than 200 behind) so we will hav eto bat next and given the forcast for Monday it's looking suspiciously like a draw

[The Doc]

Stumps Day 4

England 553 - 5 dec

West Indies 437 all out Chanderpaul 74, Panesar 6-129
A marathon bowling performance from the Sikh of tweak, partly neccesitated by an injury to Matt Hoggard one of our four frontline bowlers.

England 284-8 dec.  Peiterson 109
The declaration set a target of 400 with only 3 overs remaining today which were succesfully negociated

West Indies 7-0

Rain forecast for tomorrow so the  most likely outcome a draw, unless Monty produces something remarkable.

[The Doc]

Day 5

As predicted rain limited play to only 20 overs.

West Indies 87-0. Match drawn

hey ho!

[The Doc]

Good Lord - we are actually doing quite well

Stumps Day 2 (see I gave you all a bit of a rest)

England 570 for 7 declared. Pieterson 226, Vaughan 103, Prior 75

Given the weather forcast a sensible declaration mid afternoon

West Indies 146 for 9 (all out) Sidebottom 4-42

"What" you say, "all out? But I distinctly recall 10 wickets have to fall for a team to be all out."

Quite correct, but the West Indies captain had been injured in a freak fielding accident and was unable to bat.

"Alright, but I also know that if the team batting second finishes more than 200 runs behind they can be made to bat again"

Dead right, the follow on was enforced and ...

West Indies (2nd innings) 22 for 2.

What can you say - brilliant double hundred from KP, a ton for Captain Vaughan on his return from injury and a 50 from new keeper Prior (to follow his century in the first test.  Oh and six wickets in the day for Ryan Sidebottom on his return.  WI still 402 behind with only 7 wickets to fall and 3 days to go.  It would take a monsoon to save them.

[The Doc]

No Play day 3 (rain)

Day four (beetween hail, yes hail showers)

West Indies 141 for 9 (all out - see above) Bravo 52.  Sidebottom 4-44, Harmison 3-37

England win by an innings (because they only had to bat once) and 283 runs (which is WI biggest losing margin in tests)

Woo Hoo

Now where can youd cricket smilies when you need them?

[The Doc]

3rd Test - Old Trafford (yes, next to where that team play

Stumps Day 2 (I thought you deserved a little rest)

England 370 All Out .  Cook 60, Bell 97

Not a bad score on a pitch which offered some help to the bowlers.  England lasted to 12.30 this morning.

West Indies 229 all out. Chanderpaul 50, Panesar 4 for 50

At one point WI were 216 for 4 but lost the last 6 wickets for only 13 runs, a collapse of monumental standards (But like us against Australia last year )

We had to bat out another 6 overs losing one wicket for 34 in th process.

So already 175 aheasd with 9 wickets standing and plenty of time - should be able to set a winning target


Photos

(Check out number 13 for a happy bowler!)