Anyone for cricket?

[Macca 16,173]

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.

The bowing was fast and furious ... just goes to show what happens to the batsmen when they have to face a multitude of quicks at 150klm plus. Their young bloke (Milne) looks a likely type too - nice action and swift.

Starc just keeps getting better and better and Cummins is still learning ... he's got to know that Williamson was going to tee off but sometimes it's hard to think on your feet. I reckon he was trying for a yorker but just didn't execute well enough.

Great finish all the same.

As for the tournament, there seems to be great interest from an overseas point of view but we should be getting a lot more matches on free-to-air here ... CA should have worked out some sort of deal.

[Nasher 33,133]

Great finish. The McCullum Show aside, it was definitely the bowlers' day (Johnson and Southee being wayward notwithstanding). Boult was amazing as was Starc.

Tim Southee had a game to forget all round - a golden duck to go with his 2/65 off 9!

[45HG 1,539]

Don't forgot Johnson, 1 off 7 and 0-68 off 6!

[Nasher 33,133]

Don't forgot Johnson, 1 off 7 and 0-68 off 6!

Amazing how the two innings were almost mirrors of each other actually. In addition to Southee and Johnson sucking immensely, it was hard to split Boult and Starc's performance with the ball after both absolutely tore through the oppositions middle-lower order. In the first three overs of his second spell, Boult had 5/1. Wow.

[titan_uranus 22,658]

Amazing how the two innings were almost mirrors of each other actually. In addition to Southee and Johnson sucking immensely, it was hard to split Boult and Starc's performance with the ball after both absolutely tore through the oppositions middle-lower order. In the first three overs of his second spell, Boult had 5/1. Wow.

Remarkable really. Both have super-aggressive openers (Finch/Warner had us 0/30 off two overs, Guptill/McCullum had them 0/40 off four overs), both have iffy middle orders which failed (Maxwell, Marsh and Clarke still getting match practice, vs Elliott, Anderson and Ronchi), both have lower order batsmen who can bat but failed (Johnson and Starc for us, Milne and Southee for them). Both also have possibly the two best ODI pace attacks in the game.

McCullum's early hitting and Williamson's steady hand were the differences - we didn't have one batsman who could hold an end and score steady runs (could have been Watson but he threw it away) and McCullum lasted longer than Finch did.

[Jumping Jack Clennett 1,627]

I reckon we'd have won but for the 11 from Johnsons first ball.

No balls must be avoided at all cost.

[titan_uranus 22,658]

We play Sri Lanka on Sunday (Afghanistan on Wednesday in between). Sri Lanka's win over England means they are our threat to second place in our pool. If we lose to them we'll draw South Africa in the quarters and NZ in the semis (in NZ), which IMO is game over. Must-win game this weekend, then.

[jazza 1,323]

.

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

Fleming did introduce opening the bowling with a spinner at a world cup{unheard of until that time}

He also introduced one sided field setting's.{copied by many}

And also re-introduced a slips cordon and agressive starting feild position's.

[Gipsy Danger 1,067]

Watson Dropped!

[Grapeviney 8,882]

Anyone else listening to the ABC broadcast and the excellent commentary from a female commentator?

Anyone know who it is? British accent, so I'm guessing it might be Alison Mitchell from the BBC?

Whoever it is sounds a natural.

Edit: Nope, it's Ebony-Jewel Rainford-Brent: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebony-Jewel_Rainford-Brent

[titan_uranus 22,658]

Watson's back.

So what was the point of dropping him?

[Ted Lasso 16,968]

Batting order looks quite shakey, not too confident that we can beat some of the better teams

[Earl Hood 5,806]

Sri Lanka having a real dip at the moment. Dilshan 7 fours in a row, six off Johnston! If Sangakkara stays in they are a chance, arguably the best cricketer in the game at the moment.

Their supporters are going mental.

[daisycutter 28,639]

Sri Lanka having a real dip at the moment. Dilshan 7 fours in a row, six off Johnston! If Sangakkara stays in they are a chance, arguably the best cricketer in the game at the moment.

Their supporters are going mental.

they go mental, win or lose..................very colourful fans

[titan_uranus 22,658]

Good game that. I wonder how much closer they could have gone if Chandimal hadn't pulled his hamstring.

Our knock-out games will be at Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne - the first two of those will likely be slower pitches on which a spinner will be useful. Doherty didn't do anything yesterday to suggest he is worthy of being selected in those games though. We're pretty much better off playing Cummins or Hazlewood as a third paceman and using Maxwell, and Smith and/or Clarke for back up.

If Watson's going to hold his spot over Marsh he's most likely to do it batting at 5 or 6 rather than 3. He's a better batsman than Marsh but a worse bowler so the runs are the critical component.

[P-man 13,239]

Watto MUST bat down the order at 5/6. He benefits which means the team benefits.

Clarke looked very relaxed with some stroke play to remind everyone he's still one of the best going around.

Starc is bowling Ike a man possessed.

The tournament deserves an Aus v NZ final. The atmosphere will be off the scale.

[Macca 16,173]

England are out of the world cup!

Good on Bangladesh - they won the game fair and square and they're now in the QF's.

[Grapeviney 8,882]

from the Daily Telegraph in London

[daisycutter 28,639]

wonder if we should cancel the ashes tour and go to bangladesh instead?

[dee-luded 2,958]

from the Daily Telegraph in London

it could be saaid, it would seem their most ruthless have traveled to the east.

[Gipsy Danger 1,067]

wonder if we should cancel the ashes tour and go to bangladesh instead?

Maybe a tri series with Afghanistan

[ManDee 7,091]

Pet hate.

Sth Africa won by 9 wickets. How are wickets relevant in 1 day cricket? Surely they won within 18 overs.

You can lose more wickets and win. You could score 9 for 200 and win against a side 1 for 199 is that a win by 1 wicket even though you lost 8 more wickets?

Any mention of wickets when defining a victory in one day matches is anathema.

Edit: You can win by runs - if they fall short chasing. Or you can win with balls remaining if successful in run chase or you can win on the last ball. You cannot win by wickets.

Edited March 19, 2015 by ManDee

[dee-luded 2,958]

India favorites, IMO. they are running Hot.

[45HG 1,539]

Guptill.

[daisycutter 28,639]

Guptill.

gulp

and dropped in first over