Cricket

[Arglwydd Golau]

Interesting that England had previously been written off in this competition, one of the reasons given was that the English players - apart from Morgan - did not have IPL experience. All the other teams have, I understand, a considerable number of players who have played in the IPL. Now that England have reached the final, does it perhaps show that the IPL is not all it's cracked up to be? I'm happy to be corrected as I do not follow the IPL.

 

[Busaholic]

Interesting that England had previously been written off in this competition, one of the reasons given was that the English players - apart from Morgan - did not have IPL experience. All the other teams have, I understand, a considerable number of players who have played in the IPL. Now that England have reached the final, does it perhaps show that the IPL is not all it's cracked up to be? I'm happy to be corrected as I do not follow the IPL.

And the one England batsman to have failed overall so far is M...

 

[ExRes]

And there was even something to keep ExRes happy

Ooh, that one struck deep into my body and soul



Even so, I couldn't care less who wins the Cricket Lite competition, it just ain't cricket really and this old bugger prefers watching a game rather than a poor likeness for those with attention span deficiency

 

[Busaholic]

A couple of stats before tomorrow's final:- England and WI have met 13 times in T20, of which WI have won 9, including all 4 in the World Cup. Andre Russell, the WI batsman, has played in 3 T20 competitions this winter and has been in the winning team 3 times!

Reasons to be cheerful - Kevin Pietersen reckons in today's Daily Telegraph that it is an even contest, whereas if England had been playing India in that vast stadium full of Indian fans they would have stood little chance. He does think, though, that England's chances would increase considerably if they bowled first, as against NZ and SA.

 

[DarloRich]

England 155/9 from their 20 overs. Not enough runs surely. Not a good enough performance.

 

[backontrack]

[YOUTUBE]H07zYvkNYL8[/YOUTUBE]

They needed 19 off 6 balls. Brathwaite hit 4 sixes.

 

[Darandio]

They needed 18 off 6 balls. Brathwaite hit 3 sixes.

They needed 19 off 6 balls. He hit four sixes.

 

[ainsworth74]

Nuts. Ah well. I'd have liked England to win but I'm not distraught at the West Indies winning the tournament.

 

[Steveman]

Stokes bowled the worse over of the innings today not being able to defend 18 from just 6 balls is truly criminal.
It also was the definitely the most ungracious winning speech I've ever heard. A self-pitying rant that didn't mention England once.

 

[Glenmutchkin]

England lost because they did not use a Yorkshireman to bowl the last over.

 

[Arglwydd Golau]

Stokes bowled the worse over of the innings today not being able to defend 18 from just 6 balls is truly criminal.
It also was the definitely the most ungracious winning speech I've ever heard. A self-pitying rant that didn't mention England once.

It's not that bad! It's hardly criminal! You can't argue with Braithwaite's four sixes....I'm with ainsworth74 on this, England have come a long way in the last year, the team with the least experience were close to winning the tournament. No shame in that.
I still prefer proper Cricket, mind.....by a long shot!

 

[Steveman]

It's not that bad! It's hardly criminal! You can't argue with Braithwaite's four sixes....I'm with ainsworth74 on this, England have come a long way in the last year, the team with the least experience were close to winning the tournament. No shame in that.
I still prefer proper Cricket, mind.....by a long shot!

When you bowl a ball that goes for 6 then bowl 3 more exactly the same which also go for 6 it's certainly criminal.

So close to winning after the last but one over then throwing it away is so typically England.

 

[Arglwydd Golau]

When you bowl a ball that goes for 6 then bowl 3 more exactly the same which also go for 6 it's certainly criminal.

So close to winning after the last but one over then throwing it away is so typically England.

Each to his own, then! Thought it was pretty good six-hitting myself, that's what the WI specialise in.

 

[Busaholic]

England lost because they did not use a Yorkshireman to bowl the last over.

Namely, Joe Root, in view of his one previous over? Very conservative captaincy from Morgan. Nevertheless, even to get to the final was an excellent result for England. My players of the tournament, in descending order, are Root, Buttler, Willey, Jordan, Roy and Stokes, with honourable mentions for Plunkett and Rashid (the Delhi wickets on which he played three times didn't have much turn).

 

[Cletus]

England did pretty much everything right defending that total, but maybe Stokes tries just too hard.

 

[backontrack]

Namely, Joe Root, in view of his one previous over? Very conservative captaincy from Morgan. Nevertheless, even to get to the final was an excellent result for England. My players of the tournament, in descending order, are Root, Buttler, Willey, Jordan, Roy and Stokes, with honourable mentions for Plunkett and Rashid (the Delhi wickets on which he played three times didn't have much turn).

Plunkett, Rashid and Root are all Yorkshire players, aren't they?

 

[Greenback]

England didn't score enough runs, and I'd prefer to see the winning hits as great cricket rather than blame the bowler. I'm finding it a bit difficult, though.

 

[DarloRich]

England didn't score enough runs

Exactly - insufficient runs meant we shouldn't really have had a chance. Even if the final over was cafeteria bowling to whack four sixes in a row is impressive work. How many could do that?

 

[Greenback]

England did put themselves in a position where they could have won the game, so they deserve credit for that. Similarly, the Windies deserve credit for actually winning it, and in some style. Four sixes on the trot is not something to be sneezed, speaking as someone who never managed one during a three season extremely low lever cricket career!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

England did put themselves in a position where they could have won the game, so they deserve credit for that. Similarly, the Windies deserve credit for actually winning it, and in some style. Four sixes on the trot is not something to be sneezed, speaking as someone who never managed one during a three season extremely low lever cricket career!

Even in my best-ever innings of 63 not out for Middleton 2nd XI, batting at number three (four places above my normal batting slot of seven because of injury to that regular) against Castleton Moor 2nd X1 in 1961, I only managed two consecutive 4's and that was on their postage-stamp sized ground..

 

[DarloRich]

England did put themselves in a position where they could have won the game, so they deserve credit for that. Similarly, the Windies deserve credit for actually winning it, and in some style. Four sixes on the trot is not something to be sneezed, speaking as someone who never managed one during a three season extremely low lever cricket career!

Even in my best-ever innings of 63 not out for Middleton 2nd XI, batting at number three (four places above my normal batting slot of seven because of injury to that regular) against Castleton Moor 2nd X1 in 1961, I only managed two consecutive 4's and that was on their postage-stamp sized ground..

I hit one six and that was a top edge on a tiny pitch! By bat has more marks on the edge and back than the centre line

Top score? 27 not out. All off the edge!

 

[Arglwydd Golau]

Top score? 27 not out. All off the edge!

The same as me! Although I can't say that my runs were all off the edge. Admire your honesty! I preferred bowling anyway.

 

[ainsworth74]

I must admit I think the score was sub-par and personally I think the bowlers did rather a good job to run the West Indies as close as they did. If England's batsmen had got up towards 200 (say 180/190) then I think the finger could probably be firmly pointed at the bowlers. Even in T20 those sorts of scores are easily defensible with good bowling and fielding. But to only have 155 to defend on a pitch which did not appear to have many demons in it I think the bowlers did well.

I'm also far from convinced that 19 from the last over was easily defensible. Perhaps I've been watching a different tournament and a different type of T20 but going into the last over defending less than 20 is always a very very dicey proposition unless you've got two tailenders at the crease.

 

[Phirstman]

19 is definitely difficult to defend off an over if you bowl four consecutive length balls all in the hitting slot and all at the same pace.

He bowled straight and at his legs to his strength - should've mixed it up with one outside off stump.

It was very brainless bowling. Stokes is a great talent but has little between the ears.

 

[Busaholic]

England did put themselves in a position where they could have won the game, so they deserve credit for that. Similarly, the Windies deserve credit for actually winning it, and in some style. Four sixes on the trot is not something to be sneezed, speaking as someone who never managed one during a three season extremely low lever cricket career!

I captained Pakistan and opened the batting for three seasons, and never scored a century either - did carry my bat a few times though! Should perhaps explain that my school's cricket teams were divided into nation states

Dispensation should have been given to award joint Man of the Match awards to Samuels and Brathwaite - the latter's bowling figures were also excellent. It used to happen years ago to make a joint award, but the digital age requires a 'winner-takes-all' mentality.

 

[Cletus]

England cricketer James Taylor has been forced to retire because of a serious heart condition.

 

[backontrack]

I know, terrible news.

 

[Donny Dave]

Top score? 27 not out. All off the edge!

About 20 higher than my top score then but to be fair, I was a reasonable bowler for the college XI where my greatest strength was to get the ball to seam and swing a bit even on 'tarmac' pitches!

 

[DarloRich]

About 20 higher than my top score then but to be fair, I was a reasonable bowler for the college XI where my greatest strength was to get the ball to seam and swing a bit even on 'tarmac' pitches!

my specialty was bowling in that "corridor of uncertainty". The batman was uncertain whether to smash it for a six or whack it for a four and from time to time got so confused they edged one to the keeper!

 

[Busaholic]

England cricketer James Taylor has been forced to retire because of a serious heart condition.

I know he never quite cemented his place in the test team, but he will certainly be missed in the 50 over internationals, not least for his short leg fielding.
Of the three England batsmen who didn't thrive in South Africa, it was interesting to read the thoughts of Michael Vaughan at the end of the tour. He believed Taylor and Hales were worth persevering with, but Compton should be ditched as he was never going to get any better.
I do hope that England don't go back to Ian Bell, though, even if he does continue to make centuries for Warwickshire. Gary Ballance must be worth a second chance if (a) he has overcome his technical problems and (b) he continues to score runs for Yorkshire, like his century last month against a MCC X1 in Abu Dhabi.