Cricket

[DarloRich]

He's a bit inexperienced and therefore occasionally inconsistent but I think Rabada is going to be one hell of a player.

no doubt someone will fiddle with his style or action and mess it all up - they would in England!

 

[Busaholic]

In July 2008 the England and Wales Cricket Board announced that all future test series between England and South Africa would be of five matches, having been given 'icon status'. The ICC warmly endorsed the proposal, which has never officially been declared nul and void but has in effect been reneged upon. We could now be in a position where England had to save a fifth and final test match in order to win the series: this would also have shown whether the batting triumvirate of Hales, Compton and Taylor are worth perservering with, instead of which most cricket commentators seem to think all three will be given further oppportunities in the two-test 'series' against Sri Lanka starting in May.

 

[Abdul Rehman]

Splendid performance by India. VK again spectacular, scoring 90 of 71 balls with a strike rate of 163 and Raina also played a solid innings. Aus started with a flare, but in the end, they fall short of 37 runs.

 

[Oswyntail]

... this would also have shown whether the batting triumvirate of Hales, Compton and Taylor...

You stick at those three? I would include Bairstow and, yes, Root and Stokes for needing a stiff examination. Throughout the series they were all playing one-day cricket. This is fine when it comes off, but Test cricket sometimes requires defence, long periods where whacking at everything does not make sense. It is all very well telling them to play their natural game - it is what caught the attention when they were playing for their counties. But how many of them have actually played much 4-day cricket? And yet we are about to turn over the main part of the season to the short form again. I despair.

 

[Busaholic]

You stick at those three? I would include Bairstow and, yes, Root and Stokes for needing a stiff examination. Throughout the series they were all playing one-day cricket. This is fine when it comes off, but Test cricket sometimes requires defence, long periods where whacking at everything does not make sense. It is all very well telling them to play their natural game - it is what caught the attention when they were playing for their counties. But how many of them have actually played much 4-day cricket? And yet we are about to turn over the main part of the season to the short form again. I despair.

Yes, I would stick at those three. Woakes too has shown that he's the new Mark Ealham - a very good one=day player, probably an excellent team man, but not good enough with either bat or ball to be considered a test player. The other Chris, namely Jordan, displays more class and may yet make a decent test player. I can't agree with anything you say about the other three. Stokes plays in the only way he knows, and is encouraged to do so by England management. Bairstow played very responsibly in his record-breaking stand with Stokes, and did not attempt to match shot with shot as Butler would probably have done in a similar position. Root is the number 1 batsman in the world at present, what more do you want?!

 

[Pakenhamtrain]

The first T20 internationals were played last night.
India took the day scoring 3/188.
Australia fell short being bowled out for 151. A very poor night for Australia.

 

[Abdul Rehman]

The first T20 internationals were played last night.
India took the day scoring 3/188.
Australia fell short being bowled out for 151. A very poor night for Australia.

Yes, specially VK innings was inspirational and i think India is certainly hot favorite for the upcoming T20 cup.

 

[Pakenhamtrain]

I have utterly no idea why Shaun Tait even gets picked. It's all good and well to bowl at 150 clicks but if you don't put it on the pegs it's a pie. Far too inaccurate to even be bothered to be picked.

Even more stupid is Khawaja isn't in the side. BBL he was destroying bowling attacks.

Speaking of the Thunder won the BBL final. But enough of that.

 

[General Zod]

I've always been a stalwart Test match cricket fan but I must say the up and coming T20 World Cup has the prospect of being one of the most exciting and competitive of all. Ind, Aus, SAf, Eng and NZ all have highly explosive cricketers and are playing a very aggressive brand of the game. A final of either of the aforementioned teams would be a fitting climax to the tournament. NZ are in smoking hot form at the moment and are playing spellbinding cricket. They've been making a very strong Pakistani bowling attack look thoroughly mediocre. Really looking forward to seeing Stokes and England's flamboyant strokemakers take on the rest of the world.

 

[Abdul Rehman]

Shaun Tait probably performed well in the BBL and that's why they have given him a chance. India's batting line up is always very strong and they have consecutively scored 300+ runs in all ODIs in Australia.I have never seen such kind of hitting against Australia in Adelaide. Australians are struggling in their bowling department. They don't have a genuine fast bowler in their side, which they always used to have like Brett lee, Mitchell Starc. I think they should give Tait this series and than review his performance.

 

[Pakenhamtrain]

India's batting line up is always very strong and they have consecutively scored 300+ runs in all ODIs in Australia..

The lumps of wood batsmen are allowed to carry out to the middle help a bit there. 300 is very fast becoming a par score for and ODI.
Don't blame the umpires wearing helmets these days.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

The lumps of wood batsmen are allowed to carry out to the middle help a bit there. 300 is very fast becoming a par score for and ODI. Don't blame the umpires wearing helmets these days.

I notice that the total of the seven overs in the latest ODI match bowled by Hastings, Faulkner and Lyon cost 85 runs at an average of 12.14 runs per over.

 

[Pakenhamtrain]

And so ends what is possibly the worst summer of cricket in Australia in a very long time.

India won the T20I series 3-0. In what was nothing more than our selectors playing around with the side and treating it as nothing more than glorified practice.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

India won the T20I series 3-0. In what was nothing more than our selectors playing around with the side and treating it as nothing more than glorified practice.

3rd Twenty20 international

Australia 197-5
Shane Watson 124 not out, with 6 x 6 and 10 x 4.

India 200-3
India needed to score 19 off the last over to win, which they did in some style, scoring a four off the final ball even though only two runs were needed then.

 

[Pakenhamtrain]

India 200-3
India needed to score 19 off the last over to win, which they did in some style, scoring a four off the final ball even though only two runs were needed then.

That last ball would had of of been the stupidest delivery I've ever seen. The field on the offside was brought up to protect the single. Proceeds to bowl something easy to hit outside off stump.

 

[Busaholic]

3rd Twenty20 international

Australia 197-5
Shane Watson 124 not out, with 6 x 6 and 10 x 4.

India 200-3
India needed to score 19 off the last over to win, which they did in some style, scoring a four off the final ball even though only two runs were needed then.

Watson's score was the second highest ever in an international 20/20, yet he ended up on the losing side. He also had the most economical bowling figures. Hope he at least got Man of the Match award.

 

[Abdul Rehman]

Watson's score was the second highest ever in an international 20/20, yet he ended up on the losing side. He also had the most economical bowling figures. Hope he at least got Man of the Match award.

Also, Virat is in absolute form, scoring back to back 50s. India made that score look very easy.

 

[backontrack]

A controversial run-out here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/35470796

This is in an important game, too. Zimbabwe were about to win!

 

[Whistler40145]

Indeed, it's not gone down very well in the world of Cricket, they see it as very underhand.

 

[tony_mac]

It was underhand - I don't think it's something that should be encouraged in young cricketers.

New Zealand keeping up their strong form with a good victory over Australia, and England are attacking against SA - records could be breaking if they keep this up. (Queue collapse and all out for 200....)

 

[Abdul Rehman]

Eng 201/2 in 26.1 overs, and the kind of cricket England is playing, it's just amazing. Butler hitting all over the park, he surely is in great form..!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Eng 201/2 in 26.1 overs, and the kind of cricket England is playing, it's just amazing. Butler hitting all over the park, he surely is in great form..!

All the top four English batsmen scored 50's. England went on to accumulate 399-9, their second highest ever ODI total, with Buttler making 105 with 5 x 6 and 11 x 4.

In a match where wicketkeeper-batsmen were notables, South Africa had reached 250-5 in response after 33.3 overs, with de Kock in at opener scoring 138 not out with 6 x 6 and 12 x 4....then the weather intervened. England won the match by 39 runs under the Duckworth/Lewis methodology.

--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

New Zealand keeping up their strong form with a good victory over Australia.

New Zealand batted first and scored 307-8 in their 50 overs. Guptill 90 (5 x 6 / 8 x 4) and Nicholls 61 both registered 50's.

Australia collapsed to 41-6 at one stage before a late recovery made a bad score a little better, but were still all out for 148 in 24.2 overs...not even the half-way point to their 50 overs. Boult with 3-36 and Henry with 3-41 had good bowling returns but at the end, Santer came on to bowl and took the final two wickets with his first two balls.

 

[Pakenhamtrain]

I left the house to go for a walk when we were about 2 down. 45 minutes later 4 wickets had fallen for not many runs. How Shaun Marsh gets a gig when Khawaja was making runs is beyond me.

Faulkner is out with a hamstring injury.

In the second ODI Australia have walked away with a 4 wicket win.
NZ set 9/281 off thier 50.
AUS chased it down with 21 balls left.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Second ODI International

South Africa 262-7
DeVilliers 73

Topley 4-50

England 263-5
Hales 99
Buttler 48 not out from 23 balls faced

Abbott 3-53

England win by five wickets with over three overs to spare.

 

[Abdul Rehman]

Butler is in such great form and the good thing about his batting is "clean hitting". He is not just muscling the ball, but timing is also there, most of the time and that what makes him very dangerous..

 

[Fahad]

England looking strong as Alex Hales hopes to get another chance to succeed as Alastair Cook's Test opening partner! http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/story/970199.html

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

ICC Women's Championship.....1st ODI

South Africa 196 all out (49.2 overs)
Trisha Chetty 90

Anya Shrubsole 10-1-29-4

England 150-3 (Match ended due to weather after 28.3 overs)
Sarah Taylor 41 not out from 44 balls

England win by seven wickets under the Duckworth/Lewis methodology.

 

[Busaholic]

England looking strong as Alex Hales hopes to get another chance to succeed as Alastair Cook's Test opening partner! http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/story/970199.html

Alex Hales is a victim of inconsistent thinking by England management. Mick Newell, a Test selector as well as being involved at Nottingham, told him at the beginning of last season that his best chance of test cricket was at no. 3 as Adam Lyth was expected to fill the opening slot for a while. So Hales, in his first or second game at no. 3 ,scores a double century at Headingley against the county champions, follows it with another century shortly afterwards and proves a point, so England then decide to change their plan, put him in as opener and play Compton, with two centuries as an opener, at no. 3. No wonder it didn't work out!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Third ODI International

England batted first and in their 50 overs, scored 318-8. Root top scored with 125 with 5 x 6 and 10 x 4. Hales made 65 and Stokes 53. They were 161-1 at one time.

South Africa, recognising the undoubted batting style of their wicketkeeper/batsman de Kock in this 50 over game had him opening with Amla. It was the right decision to make on this batting track and together, they put on 239 for the first wicket before the partnership was broken. de Kock made 135 with 4 x 6 and 16 x 4 and Amla made 127 with 2 x 6 and 13 x 4.

South Africa reached their winning target, scoring 319-3 in 46.2 overs and deservedly won by seven wickets.

 

[Abdul Rehman]

IND vs SRI
India lost a first T20 in their home, against a new Srilankan side. It was green top and Indian batsman just couldn't handle the swing, pace and bounce. Virat didn't play.
IND 101/6 18.1 overs
SRI 105/5 18 overs