Cricket World Cup

I concur Mark Nicholas is an Aussie wannabe... a catch is a catch unless a player is horizontal in the air, it is not a superb catch... about all other catches should be taken in this day and age!

and Richo... we may have been helped by Smith... but conditioning is as an important part of cricket as the skill nowadays.... when the opportunity was there we jumped on it!

I actually think we've kinda had it easy so far. Both England and the Windies were shite. We've lost our best opener and fielder in Vincent and also a good bowler in Gilespie although he may still come right.

I just think against OZ and SA especially, it'll depend on the wickets NZ plays them on - if they're flat we're on trouble cos Oram is cannon fodder on good wickets - if they're slow - you're in trouble. Styris and Oram have had good bowling tournaments and have conceded nothing. Batting wise - we're looking good - but so is OZ and SA.

Also think the SA attack is too similar - 4 right arm overs and no decent spinner. Both NZ, OZ and Sri Lanka have good variety.

Looking forward to Ireland sticking it up the poms!!!

wolvesjr34 said:

I concur Mark Nicholas is an Aussie wannabe... a catch is a catch unless a player is horizontal in the air, it is not a superb catch... about all other catches should be taken in this day and age!

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Agreed! He goes overboard - everything is "spectacular" or "one of the greats" or "get em up here I wanna boof em" I noticed in the Ashes series he even started calling Mathew Hayden by his nickname....:shock:
Waaay too chummy

Catches win matches no doubt AJ - McCullum took a blinder off the inside edge today - one handed down the leg side going the wrong way....

ljandkg said:

Looking forward to Ireland sticking it up the poms!!!

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ha ha....

Tickets to the Windies: $3000

Tickets to the Super's: $125

Seeing Ireland beat England - PRICELESS

Mastercard... well worth the interest

MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA

ljandkg said:

Catches win matches no doubt AJ - McCullum took a blinder off the inside edge today - one handed down the leg side going the wrong way....

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Now thats a spectacular catch! or superb as some may say!

wolvesjr34 said:

and Richo... we may have been helped by Smith... but conditioning is as an important part of cricket as the skill nowadays.... when the opportunity was there we jumped on it!

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I watched the WHOLE GAME LIVE and I can tell you, we were in BIG trouble !

Had Smith stayed they may have won..........lucky Smith had cramps !

Having said that Australia did pound on the pressure once he left......I hope they finish on top of the Super 8's

Richo said:

I watched the WHOLE GAME LIVE and I can tell you, we were in BIG trouble !

Had Smith stayed they may have won..........lucky Smith had no heart

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Yeah I saw most of it and thought we were in huge trouble until Smith capitulated!

Hogg most wickets $15

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Mate hope you put some $$$ on that. It will make up for your lost monies on the Aus V SA game

That's a huge call, cause he is a favourite now. Tied with Malinga the Slinger after his 4wkts in 4 balls effort.

I STILL think South Africa will win the CWC !

I sooooo hope the Aussies bowling improves, if it can then so will our chances because we just don't seem to have the fire power without Brett Lee. Tait goes OK in his second spell but he is bowling too many wides with the new ball if you ask me.

I STILL think South Africa will win the CWC !

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If they had a better and more varied bowling attack they could. They are all right armers around 120-140 km/h, and Smith doesn't count as a spinner

Australia will be very hard to beat now, they are peaking at the right time.

They would have to stuff it up real bad to lose from here.

I really wanted the Windies to go to the finals, but they have been pathetic the last 2 games, so all their momentum and semi final chances are gone now.

ok, ive been out of the cricketing world lately, can anyone tell me the teams left?

www.cricketworldcup.com or www.cricket.com.au best places to look at what teams are in and tables and so on.

AndrewG23 said:

ok, ive been out of the cricketing world lately, can anyone tell me the teams left?

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What have you been locked in a cupboard or something ?

Australia
New Zealand
Sri lanka
West Indies
England
Bangladesh
Ireland
South Africa

The first 4 I listed won their respective groups and carried 2 points into the Super 8's

nah i watched most of the group stages but ive been real busy lately and havnt had time to see any action. all i saw were the Aussies beat South Africa and thats about it...

Well now you know who is in the Super 8's !
If your ever wondering again, try www.baggygreen.com.au

Australia
New Zealand
Sri lanka
South Africa

pretty obvious to the blind deaf man that that will be the semi's. Aussies will finish on top, the rest is a flip of the coin, nz are lookin ok but the injuries when the crunch comes are a real worry.As for SA , well that whole OH SHIT WE CAN WIN A GAME LETS TRY AND LOSE IT is still happening (yes im well aware of what i tipped thanks guyz haha).

Havng said that a win is a win and they would have taken it against the lankans at the start of the day i think it will be nz or lankans playing us in the semis which gives SA an easier run. Im still happy to have my $$$ on them cos they might get a psychiatrist and come good. I think the SA V AUS is a fair chance. What are your thoughts?

Banladesh Defeat South Africa

BANLADESH DEFEAT SOUTH AFRICA - UNBELIEVEABLE !!!

Ashraful scripts stunning victory

The Bulletin by Siddhartha Vaidyanathan

April 7, 2007

Bangladesh 251 for 8 (Ashraful 87, Nel 5-45) beat South Africa 184 (Gibbs 56*, Razzak 3-56) by 67 runs


Spurred on by a delightful 87 from Mohammad Ashraful, Bangladesh pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the tournament, thrashing South Africa by 67 runs at the Providence Stadium in Guyana. With 251 on the board, Bangladesh's trio of left-arm spinners thrived on the sluggish surface, one that resembled a sub-continental sandpit during the second half of the match, and pulled off a truly memorable triumph.

South Africa were outplayed. Having been given first use of the surface, their bowlers unravelled as the first innings went on. Barring Andre Nel, who snared his maiden five-wicket haul in ODIs, the rest were predictable and, worryingly, wayward. Their batsmen didn't come to grips with the deteriorating pitch, stifled by probing medium-pace and canny spin, and chose aggression when graft was essential. It was South Africa's first loss to Bangladesh and opens up the Super Eights to a number of possibilities.

Having been inserted under overcast skies, Bangladesh turned in their most impressive batting effort in five matches. Undeterred by a Nel engineered top-order stumble, when they were reduced to 84 for 4, Bangladesh recovered through some meaningful middle-order partnerships. They followed that up with an efficient bowling effort, backed up by tigerish fielding, and didn't allow any sizeable partnerships to flourish. Herschelle Gibbs, forced to come in at No.7 after suffering a calf strain earlier, battled till the end but lack of support, and a mounting run-rate, reduced it to an effort in vain.

Ashraful's knock, the highest individual score by a Bangladesh batsman in World Cups, was a delightful blend of caution and aggression. He was forced to play safe early on, gliding singles to third man and cobbling together a reviving stand with Aftab Ahmed, but ended in a flourish of paddle-scoops and rasping drives redolent of boyish audacity.

For two batsmen with a similar aggressive bent of mind, they reined in their instincts and the 76-run stand was a steadying influence in the middle overs. Aftab fell just when he appeared to be stepping it up, lashing straight to extra-cover, but Ashraful made his knock count. He brought up his second World Cup fifty with a smoked loft over Makhaya Ntini's head and followed it up with a cheeky four past fine leg, shuffling across the crease and angling it cutely. The final ball of the over, the 44th, was clattered past point and Ashraful stepped up the ante in fine style. Mashrafe Mortaza clouted three fours and six, giving Bangladesh exactly the kind of boost they needed to rattle the total past the 250-mark.

Syed Rasel provided Bangladesh with two crucial early blows. Smith tried to manufacture drives through the off side, backing away outside off, and paid the price for trying often, missing a straight one and losing his off stump. Jacques Kallis was uncharacteristically edgy early on, nibbling eagerly, and he appeared to want to dominate the bowling from the outset. Rasel, though, stuck to the basics and lack of width did Kallis in, mistiming an attempted loft to mid-on.

That was enough of an opening for the spinners to barge in. Enter Abdur Razzak with his snarling darts. One spun slightly away and foxed de Villiers, the next went straight on and rattled his stumps. Enter Mohammad Rafique with his 117 matches of experience and the pressure valves were slowly tightened. Just five runs came in the third Power Play, between overs 15 and 20, and three wickets were winkled out. Enter Saqibul Hasan with youthful vim, and Mark Boucher was prised out with flight. Justin Kemp was undone by a smart return catch next ball and South Africa were being spun out in quick time.

Shaun Pollock and Gibbs added 45 but the asking rate was climbing too fast and it took a sharp direct hit from Tamim Iqbal to end that resistance. Rafique's loop was too good for Nel and Razzak returned to mop up No.10 and Jack. Gibbs limped on, with a runner for company, but strangely never made a serious attempt to go after the bowling. He was content with finding the gaps and never really tried to smash the bowling out of the ground. Maybe he was too hamstrung, maybe the bowling was accurate. Whatever the reason, the match was going only in one direction by then.

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan assistant editor of Cricinfo

Yeah,.....saw the highlights for this.....BANLADESH played pretty well....but SA must have played real shit to not chase down 250 odd on these small grounds!!

Dayam.... South Africa really do like to choke... btu the best bit about this is.... NOW my South African friends cannot give me shit about Aussie having lost to Bangladesh.... at least we didn't lose at a World Cup, the most important ODI tournament.... LOL

Tait has two wickets GO AUSSIE!!!