Cricket Thread - England win T20 World Cup

[Darren]

Very much so. Last year it hooked me in, and turned me from a very casual cricket fan to someone who goes to matches, and subscribes to Now/Sky to watch as much as I can get away with.

 

Is it sad that one of the things I'm looking forward to is seeing how/if they've tweaked the on-screen graphics, which I honestly thought was the best innovation of the whole tournament? The visual depiction of runs v balls down the sides of the screen made it really clear at a glance how each game was going. I hope they've not messed it up!

[milko]

I'm feeling slightly cricketed out, but I can't separate from whether that's the crazy amount of white ball stuff they just crammed in for the England team or closer to home with the amount of work sport is causing me at the moment. And I'm not working at any Hundred games this year after doing quite a few last time out. Meh! I'll still give it a go on telly.

 

[Sirloin]

It’s ended up in a weird place this year as people are blaming it for taking up too much if the schedule but half the England team are resting during it due to the insane schedule of internationals recently. Was hoping the overseas standard was going to pick up a bit but it’s more or less the same as last year. Looking forward to seeing Smeed, Jacks and a few of the other young English bats as I think they might have a good chance of breaking into the T20 side if they have a strong tournament.

[Sirloin]

Interesting thing is that it’s almost sold as many tickets as last year already.

[Gabe]

That's good and I helps vindicate the creation of the new format.

[Darren]

It was a bit of a one-sided match last night, but still very entertaining, especially the almost double run out. And The Big Moon are always good to hear.

 

The most important thing though is the on screen graphics are exactly the same as last year, so I'm happy.

[Sirloin]

Big total but I think they are 15 short.

[Sirloin]

Lol maybe not, another blowout.

[Sirloin]

Ended up being reasonably close.

 

EDIT: Very close.

[merman]

New Zealand only made 71-9 in the Commonwealth T20 match, England won that fairly comfortably despite a couple of hiccups.

[Sirloin]

Welsh Fire are so bad.

[feltmonkey]

I'm excited for the return of test cricket this morning.  The games against New Zealand and India were pretty crazy, so it feels like anything could happen.  England might lose six wickets for ten runs, or score 450 runs in a day.  Or both, actually.

[Sirloin]

Think SA are more or less the best Test side in the world. Expect them to win the series.

[feltmonkey]

Their pace attack is amazing.

[milko]

they're top of the league aren't they, for what that's worth? Very good morning from them. I like that basically all of their guys are under the radar compared to the big media stars.

[Gabe]

It's going to be a challenge for the England bowling unit today. Early wickets will be massive. 

[milko]

Nice for Rabada to get a fiver.

[milko]

Hmm. This is looking ominous. 

[Gabe]

It's not easy when the team has such a long tail, and yet only 3 main bowlers. Stokes bowls so few overs nowadays that it puts so much pressure on whichever 3 pace are picked.

 

Of course, he brings himself on as I type this, but the point stands he hasn't bowled a great deal this summer. 

[Gabe]

I do find this short ball tactic pretty frustrating to watch. I know that this summer the team has generally had success with it, but nobody has the speed to really scare anyone and most of the deliveries can be safely ignored.

 

Anyway, great catch from Braod to start the day, if they can wrap up the tail quickly then I think they are still in the game. 

[Gabe]

You would expect the game has gone now, but I don't think it's a bad thing. We all wondered how things would look when England had to bat first against a good bowling attack and it has been a very different scenario. 

 

It sets the next two matches up very nicely though. 

[milko]

one typical tail collapse away from an innings defeat here. The saffers have been very good, it must be said. I wonder if they can keep it up enough through the whole series.

[Gabe]

Well this is turning into a rout and will be over tonight. I was hoping for a weekend of cricket! 

 

I suppose the same old questions remain - soft openers, long tail, poor shot selection. Much debate to be had.

 

The Crawley debate will be a big one, but it's funny that Lees flatters to deceive, and at least Crawley has shown he can score a test century, whereas Lees has thrown away good opportunities. You'd still expect Crawley to kiss the third test unless something dramatic happens in the next match, but I don't think Lees should escape scrutiny. 

 

Foakes is the other one for me. Whilst Stokes is very much on record as saying he's the best wicketkeeper in the country, the batting has always been his issue,  and with such a long tail he becomes a bit of a luxury perhaps.

 

Not entirely sure who can come in though. 

[Gabe]

Well that was an absolute smashing.

 

The one positive is that I don't think any of it was down to the new, more attacking approach with the bat - I think it was just a combo of excellent bowling and some poor shots. 

 

Certainly fingers can be pointed to leaking 70-odd runs last night from 211-6 from the short ball stuff (and none of the final 3 wickets this morning fell to that tactic), but I think you just have to tip your hat and say South Africa were, by some distance, the better side in every department. 

[milko]

Lees was looking pretty good against the Kiwis in a "might be turning the corner" sort of way. Ah well, Bazball is back to earth with the expected bump! Although yeah, wasn't thrown away through reckless attack so much as the standard folding under examination of good bowling.

[merman]

James Anderson bowling from the James Anderson End - two wickets in two balls!

But.. he still doesn’t have a Test hat-trick.

[Gabe]

How has Southern Brave won this, they were way behind the pace with 40 balls left!

[feltmonkey]

Brilliant batting performance from England today. I was worried when Bairstow and Crawley got out, but Stokes and Foakes were brilliant.

[merman]

1 hour ago, feltmonkey said:

Brilliant batting performance from England today. I was worried when Bairstow and Crawley got out, but Stokes and Foakes were brilliant.

 

Good idea to declare and have a bowl for nine overs at them, shame it didn’t pay off with any wickets.

[merman]

Elgar’s stump being flattened by that Anderson delivery was gorgeous.

 

Three down at lunch and still needing 180 to make us bat again.