NZ are a lock for the semi in my book.

Faulkner injury is probably the first cricket injury I've cared about since Mcgrath hurt his stomach when I was about 10. Bringing the grand total to 2.

Tough luck re: Faulkner. Great finishing record with the bat. Looks as though Clarke will be back to take the helm. Whilst Bailey hasn't got a great batting record of late in his last several knocks (short knocks). Thoughts ?

My thoughts are if he is fit to go, he plays - despite his absence in the ODI arena.

Not a bad Summer to date result wise with the exception of the sad loss to Phillip Hughes.

NZ have got a terrific record at home, almost a monty for the Semi's one would suggest.

we need Clark back as captain for now... Smith looks great but still lacks a little maturity, & more discretion, less negative body language.

12 - 18 months should do clark IMO.

NZ are a lock for the semi in my book.

Faulkner injury is probably the first cricket injury I've cared about since Mcgrath hurt his stomach when I was about 10. Bringing the grand total to 2.

I'd also say 2, but the first was when McGrath rolled his ankle in England in the 2005 Ashes.

An interesting piece in The Guardian-

Just not cricket – how Channel Nine is destroying a legacy

but nine, & other commercial media aren't selling the game, they're selling their own brand, 'prestige', as it sells to like minded people, who buy status buy the shyte bucketfull.

the people learn superficiality from such an early age these days, they don't know the difference from 'pre$tige/$tatu$' & basic Integrity.

With regards to the 9 commentary team ... most TV's these days have an audio capacity where one can increase the crowd noise and decrease the commentary 'noise' ... after that, I turn the volume down.

Finchy is going great guns here ... could be a big big hundred (it's already a fair sized hundred)

Edit: 2 balls later ... he's out. Top innings all the same and we do bat deep.

.

Edited February 14, 201510 yr by Macca

Unlucky for James Taylor, how the umpires could not have known it is dead ball after the finger is raised is beyond me, really.

Nonetheless, we looked really good. We bat deeper than any other side and our fast bowlers to me rival any other sides'.

Getting Clarke and Faulkner back into the side is going to be interesting. IMO Watson has to go. Can't drop Warner, Finch or Smith, whilst Maxwell is running into form (and provides spin if we don't play Doherty) and Marsh just took a 5-for. How does Watson keep his spot over either of those two? I assume Bailey is the other one to go, but IMO Watson goes first. It won't happen though, it never happens.

An interesting piece in The Guardian-

Just not cricket – how Channel Nine is destroying a legacy

Fantastic piece. Slater and Taylor have made their way into the WC coverage but it's mixed with Fox and Sky commentators and, yesterday at least, focused more on the game and less on banter.

Australia toyed with England like a killer whale with a sea pup.

Really impressive polished performance especially when Watson and Hazlewood had days to forget.

Clarke and Faulkner have to come in and Watson and Hazlewood will go. Bailey did his job well yesterday. And with the all round benefits of Faulkner and Marsh, we have Watson covered.

Zimbabwe a chance?

Fantastic death bowling here from Pakistan.

India were well placed all innings to run away with it and entered the final ten at 2-217 probably eyeing 320 plus.

56 runs from the first 5 overs threatened to blow them out of the match in my opinion.

5-27 from the final 5 overs.

Could be a great evening of cricket, hopefully.

On the umpiring, very poor on their behalf and it denied a well-deserved ton. Also denied england the indignity of securing the most meaningless century recorded in the game to go alongside the most meaningless hat-trick.

Zimbabwe a chance?

They reached South Africa's same score for the same loss of wickets 33 balls earlier but they look like they may fall 50 or so behind.

111 off the last 6 overs they conceded! Even if they went for ten an over during that period they still could have won.

After 32 overs Zimbabwe were 2-189.

South Africa were 4-136.

One of the most enjoyable games if cricket i have ever seen. F England, Eazy Mornin Morgan is scared to death with the willow and in the field. Kiwis with the ball moving in the air are formidable.

Feeling very disconnected from the World Cup (I don't have Foxtel).

I think they made a big mistake giving the broadcast rights to pay TV and allowing Channel 9 to cherry-pick the handful of games it wants to show. All the games should be on Gem or Go at least, even if it is Afghanistan versus whoever. Chris Gayle hit a double ton today and all you get is 15 secs on the news.

The excitement that should accompany an event of this magnitude is totally missing.

In Wellington NZ and our ship is parked right next to Westpac Stadium where Sri Lanka play England in a few day's time. Pity that we'll be in the Tasman by then.

Hopefully not IN the Tasman!

What a collapse!

6 wickets lost for 24 runs ... Watson, Warner, Smith, Maxwell, Marsh & Clarke all gone.

Edit: Johnson goes ... now 8/106 after being 1/80

Edit (II) 9/106 now - diabolical.

Edited February 28, 201510 yr by Macca

8/26. Wow.

I still don't rate Maxwell as a batsman. I know he has shots but they only seem to appear when we're in front. I'd personally have a lot more faith in seeing Bailey walk out at 6. He's holding that spot because he can bowl spin I guess.

Being 9 down puts us pretty much out of the game but they've used up Boult and Vettori and Southee only has one over left. They've gone for the kill but if Haddin and Cummins can just hold in, they have to use Milne (their third-string paceman), and then Anderson (iffy bowler) and maybe Elliott to do some overs (worse than Anderson). With that kind of bowling the chance is there to score some runs and push the score to 200. NZ had trouble chasing Scotland's 170-odd so there's no guarantee they're going to breeze their way to 200 if we can get there.

Edit: of course, Haddin gets out to Anderson's second ball. 151. Terrible performance really. Have to knock McCullum and Williamson off early, but even then I don't think we're any chance at all.

Edited February 28, 201510 yr by titan_uranus

i saw this coming and just hoped

our batting can be very danniherish and we are carrying a couple

without a total they can now play safe....bit over 3 an over....test pace

i saw this coming and just hoped

our batting can be very danniherish and we are carrying a couple

without a total they can now play safe....bit over 3 an over....test pace

What does 'danniherish' mean? I agree with you (I think) though - Warner and Finch usually give us a solid platform but Watson is hopeless (drop him already), Maxwell is too hot and cold, M Marsh is still learning and Clarke is out of form. NZ has the best bowling line up in the world and we got found out.

We're also now pretty much certain to finish below NZ which means if we draw them for a semi-final we have to go back to NZ. Only way we might beat them is in the final here at the MCG where NZ pretty much never plays (100,000 would be a massive difference for them).

Also, is McCullum the most aggressive captain there's ever been (both with bat in hand and when fielding)?

Just watched the wickets video.

Finch, Warner and Smith were beaten by great deliveries.

Watson threw it away off a half-tracker (standard Watson), Clarke hit in the air when they had short extra cover and a short point in place (i.e. poor decision-making), Maxwell and Marsh simply didn't move their feet. Good bowling, but poor batting too.

What does 'danniherish' mean? I agree with you (I think) though - Warner and Finch usually give us a solid platform but Watson is hopeless (drop him already), Maxwell is too hot and cold, M Marsh is still learning and Clarke is out of form. NZ has the best bowling line up in the world and we got found out.

We're also now pretty much certain to finish below NZ which means if we draw them for a semi-final we have to go back to NZ. Only way we might beat them is in the final here at the MCG where NZ pretty much never plays (100,000 would be a massive difference for them).

Also, is McCullum the most aggressive captain there's ever been (both with bat in hand and when fielding)?

danniherish - up and down

Feeling very disconnected from the World Cup (I don't have Foxtel).

I think they made a big mistake giving the broadcast rights to pay TV and allowing Channel 9 to cherry-pick the handful of games it wants to show. All the games should be on Gem or Go at least, even if it is Afghanistan versus whoever. Chris Gayle hit a double ton today and all you get is 15 secs on the news.

The excitement that should accompany an event of this magnitude is totally missing.

I think you missed the part about it being the WORLD cup. Channel 9 doesn't get great reception in the UK or India. Not to mention I dnt think the ICC gave anything away. I'd imagin Fox sports invested very heavily the broadcast rights and 9 would have to pay them just to air the Aussie games

It's the way all sports broad casting is going. If you go to the U.S. it's all on pay TV. As it gets cheaper and more popular, free to air just won't keep up.

faaark.....they might pinch it yet 1 wicket vs 7 runs

oh well, 1 6 did it.....kiwis better team

I think you missed the part about it being the WORLD cup. Channel 9 doesn't get great reception in the UK or India. Not to mention I dnt think the ICC gave anything away. I'd imagin Fox sports invested very heavily the broadcast rights and 9 would have to pay them just to air the Aussie games

It's the way all sports broad casting is going. If you go to the U.S. it's all on pay TV. As it gets cheaper and more popular, free to air just won't keep up.

No-one said anything about channel 9 broadcasting into India (although pay TV there does show our domestic season via ch9 on Star Sports). The ICC could have structured the broadcasting rights deal however which way it wanted, separating the international deal from the local one here. It's not like the pay tv audience here is substantial - it's the market on the sub-continent that really matters.

Anyway, that was a ripping finish with some great bowling from Starc. At the start of the day you would never have guessed that the two teams combined wouldn't be able to get 300 runs between them.