Cricket World Cup
Whilst we wait for fixtures, signings and investment news anyone else going to follow the Cricket World Cup starting today.
It's been a long time since we've hosted it and a longer time since we were any good. This England team is genuinely exciting to watch (granted in crickets spectrum of excitement) but I do fear our chances will be scuppered by weather and one bad batting collapse.
Anyone going to any games?
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Fixture-wise, this is the greatest summer ever to be a cricket fan. The World Cup on home soil, the Ashes and the domestic calendar all crammed into one summer.
This England team have a genuine chance but, there are four or five other sides who will be in with a shout. We will need a bit of luck to go all the way. Also, some creative leadership. I see Bairstow is out first over and SA opened with their leg spinner. Those kinds of calls will be crucial.
As for watching the games, my office is a 10 minute walk from Lord's. I often just pitch up halfway through a game and get a cheap ticket.
I’m going to England Afghanistan at Old Trafford.
The ODI World Cup has blanket TV coverage until mid July (Final Sunday 14th), neatly bridging the gap between now and the eagerly awaited (?!) pre-season Friendlies.
I’ve been watching today’s game. It seems finely poised and it will be interesting to see if England’s fast bowlers will be as successful with slower balls as South Africa were.
One of the South African commentators described the target (312) as “manageable”. Can’t argue with that.
Meanwhile, Kent are once again battling to stave off defeat during the last few hours of their game against Essex. I fear a further calendar year of watching my teams battling against relegation!
I'm fortunate enough to have tickets to Windies vs Australia at Trent Bridge next week, as well as England vs Sri Lanka at Headingley in a few weeks. Very much looking forward to it. As for today, we've managed to get ourselves back into it... I fear Moeen may be targetted though!
Big wicket - de Cock.
@micra great to see Daniel Bell-Drummond getting a big score but it seems like it will be for a losing cause. Still, not a terrible start to the season so far although we could have done with Surrey beating Warks.
You can always rely on cricket commentators for some fantastic quotes. Shaun Pollock a little earlier; “you can really feel the pressure building on De Kock”
The convicts must be quivering in their sandpaper factory at the prospect of facing Archer. So many strings to his bow.
Brilliant @LX1 ! And my apologies to the South African opener. I was too lazy to check the spelling.
More cock! England argued with it pretty well.
I was there yesterday and was right behind Stokes's catch..... which made it an even better day !
Have to say I was pleasantly surprised @Cyclops. More feared than South Africa? Australia (of course) and the short-form renascents, the Windows. Bloody predictive- Windies.
At least only one team gets relegated this season! They are switching the CC with 10 in the top flight and 8 in the second tier, so it will be 3 up, 1 down this year.
Thanks for that @Shev. Reasonable chance of survival then. With one exception, Kent’s main problem seems to be a lack of consistency. One obvious exception is the remarkable Darren Stevens who at the age of 43 still appears to be performing as well as ever. He has bowled nearly 35,000 balls in all competitions (with a bowling average around 26) and has a batting average of around 35 in County Championship matches. An incredible record.
That is incredible indeed, @micra. Hopefully Kent can stay up - Notts have not exactly covered themselves in glory so far, around a win behind, though with a game in hand.
Mind the windows @micra!
Like my windows, a little obscure that one @LX1 ! But love the “Freddie” clip. I have great memories of the man who (presumably) was the source of Andrew’s nickname.
Amazing how that Jeffrey Archer guy has adapted to playing cricket. “Jaffa” perhaps?
Got it! I’d clean forgotten my Windies Windows post and Flintoff v Langer and Ponting was the bit of video that came up clearest on my tiny little iPhone screen.
After two washouts this week, today’s game in Southampton looks set to go ahead and promises to be a cracker.
Hopefully it won't be a damp squib @micra!
Going well currently with England 99% to win on the result predictor but anyone just switching on and seeing Woakes at the crease might get a slight shock until they see that there’s only one wicket down. Morgan and Roy both injured.
Isn't the result predictor another pointless bit of information?
After years of TV telling us to stay tuned just in case we are now constantly told that quite often most of the second half of a match is pointless and the joy of a shock turnaround discounted due to 'the stats'.
IPL has turned cricket in to a different TV sport and the current World Cup coverage has gone down the same path. Even TMS seems different. I can't wait for the Ashes for normal service to be resumed (hopefully).
Probably but I’m just enjoying the cricket. Call me old-fashioned!
That’s a relief. No-one’s called me that. So far.
I think the intention is to give better information to those who don’t have the knowledge of cricket to analyse the match position. In football, you can tell who is winning from looking at the score. In cricket, in the absence of the predictor it isn’t that easy to see who is on top.
Great excitement and superb contests over the past few days. India and New Zealand win by the skin of their teeth and England lose in a situation where, but for the finest of edges (by ‘Wood’, ironically), they could also have scraped a win.
Apart from @Chris, I don’t suppose anyone else gives a damn! Great win for Kent against Notts to cheer us both up. Commiserations to @Wendoverman but doubt whether that will have spoilt his holiday.
There had been some really exciting matches. Yesterday was particularly enjoyable. Could all come diwn to how much sticky tape the Aussies van get away with
Pakistan we’re going really well against South Africa before being checked by the brilliance of Imran Tahir, the oldest player in the tournament at 40. In one of the earlier games he was three years older than one of the umpires.