Sport Cricket World Cup

[tonyw]

I was thinking that and equally poor at the Netherlands/Pakistan game.

It does seem that Indian cricket fans are solely interested in India. General World Cup crowds are always pretty good in the UK, Australia, South Africa and even the West Indies, although I suppose, unlike India, there are large immigrant communities to bolster the numbers.

Watching a bit of the India/Australia warm up, I was struck by the fact that it was completely silent when the Aussie's scored a boundary or took a wicket and I mean deathly silent, unless the ball was in the air for a while. I've watched a bit of cricket around the world and there will generally be at least a ripple of appreciative applause for the opposition.

I guess we will be seeing a lot of small crowds in the group games, except for India themselves.

Although it should be noted that the crowd by the end of the England/New Zealand game was larger than the crowd that attended the opener in England in 2019.

It's just that the Oval only fits 27,500.
Whereas the 30,000 that turned up yesterday looked a little lost in a ground that holds 132,000!

 

[Big Ron]

Although it should be noted that the crowd by the end of the England/New Zealand game was larger than the crowd that attended the opener in England in 2019.

It's just that the Oval only fits 27,500.
Whereas the 30,000 that turned up yesterday looked a little lost in a ground that holds 132,000!

Don't know about ticket prices but there's a big population of cricket lovers!

 

[tonyw]

This tournament could really, really do with a decent game.

Six matches played, and they've all been massively one-sided.

No obvious benefit to winning the toss - three have been won by the side batting first (by between 80 and 100+ runs), three have been won by the side batting second (by 6,6 and 9 wickets.....all with 50+ balls to spare).

Maybe England will serve up a cracker against Bangladesh tomorrow? We're in trouble if we lose......

 

[tonyw]

And as an aside (because this seems to also be the unofficial Rugby World Cup thread as well), I was trying to work out how the egg-chasing World Cup quarter-finals were so lopsided with England and Wales getting comparatively easy games (despite having been pretty poor for a couple of years) whilst Ireland, France, NZ and South Africa have to play each other.

And apparently it's because the draw was made three years ago!?! And based on the World Rankings then. That's a decision so absurd that I don't think even FIFA would have done it!!

 

[Marked Ox]

And as an aside (because this seems to also be the unofficial Rugby World Cup thread as well), I was trying to work out how the egg-chasing World Cup quarter-finals were so lopsided with England and Wales getting comparatively easy games (despite having been pretty poor for a couple of years) whilst Ireland, France, NZ and South Africa have to play each other.

And apparently it's because the draw was made three years ago!?! And based on the World Rankings then. That's a decision so absurd that I don't think even FIFA would have done it!!

FIFA will use 5 years old rankings now to reclaim their crown.

 

[SteMerritt]

Much better from England, looks like we have finally woken up. Currently 257/1 off 36.1. Malan 134*, Root 67*

 

[SteMerritt]

England finished on 364/9 after a wobble in the last 10 overs where they lost 7 wickets.

Topley already doing his work (should have played in the first game), 2 wickets leaving Bangladesh 17/2 off 2.4

 

[Marked Ox]

Appalling review by England there. Clearly pitched outside leg.

 

[Marked Ox]

Corker from Topley.

 

[ZeroTheHero]

No obvious benefit to winning the toss - three have been won by the side batting first (by between 80 and 100+ runs), three have been won by the side batting second (by 6,6 and 9 wickets.....all with 50+ balls to spare).

I didn't actually realise that the matches were going to be played in places so far apart (geographically). Today's England game is being played near the foothills of the Himalayas! And what's more it started a couple of hours before some other games. Both factors must make a difference to the conditions, humidity, dew at different times etc - so I suppose it isn't surprising that there's no pattern. And that's a good thing!

And yes, a couple of close games would be a good thing as well...

 

[Foley]

I assume that Topley in for Moeen was due to conditions.
Rashid has bowled 2 overs and the other to date have been bowled by seamers.

 

[Pompeyyellows]

And as an aside (because this seems to also be the unofficial Rugby World Cup thread as well), I was trying to work out how the egg-chasing World Cup quarter-finals were so lopsided with England and Wales getting comparatively easy games (despite having been pretty poor for a couple of years) whilst Ireland, France, NZ and South Africa have to play each other.

And apparently it's because the draw was made three years ago!?! And based on the World Rankings then. That's a decision so absurd that I don't think even FIFA would have done it!!

As someone who loves his rugby i couldn't agree more. Yes it really has been an advantage for England and Wales. On the other hand how bad must Australia be as they didn't get out of their group to take advantage of such a weak half of the draw.

 

[holdsteady]

As someone who loves his rugby i couldn't agree more. Yes it really has been an advantage for England and Wales. On the other hand how bad must Australia be as they didn't get out of their group to take advantage of such a weak half of the draw.

Reading how Rugby Union is really struggling in Australia at the moment, it’s not massively popular over, miles behind League and Aussie Rules and they are finding it hard to keep the players they do produce, be surprised if they do return to the top of the international game.

 

[Marked Ox]

I assume that Topley in for Moeen was due to conditions.
Rashid has bowled 2 overs and the other to date have been bowled by seamers.

Partially for the conditions and partly as they wanted to change the new ball bowler according the commentators.

 

[Big Ron]

Reading how Rugby Union is really struggling in Australia at the moment, it’s not massively popular over, miles behind League and Aussie Rules and they are finding it hard to keep the players they do produce, be surprised if they do return to the top of the international game.

Don't they have the next World Cup?

 

[holdsteady]

Don't they have the next World Cup?

Yeah, big turnaround needed to go from as bad as they are now to do anything in 4 years.

 

[tonyw]

Finally, a half-decent game between Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Great chase from Pakistan, although I have to believe that the Sri Lankan attack may not be all that? Partly because I've never heard of any of them. But mostly because in their first game, they conceded the highest total in the history of the World Cup. And then they followed that up in their second game by conceding the highest run chase in the history of the tournament!

 

[Foley]

How embarrassing is this?
We will have to do incredibly to make the SF now. It looks like we will (deservedly) be out in the group stage

 

[ZeroTheHero]

From the very first ball of this morning when we gave away 5 wides, it has been a shambles. Why Woakes is opening the bowling I cannot fathom. Why an unfit Stokes was taken is another question mark. Why we didn't try spin earlier will also have to be thought about. The preparation was poor, the attitude has been complacent and the performances stuttering (to be kind).

 

[MJB]

How embarrassing is this?
We will have to do incredibly to make the SF now. It looks like we will (deservedly) be out in the group stage

Weird how we immediately look like the 2015 England. Tentative, not taking enough wickets.

The lack of 50 overs cricket is probably not helpful, but that’s the same for every team really.