2015 Cricket World Cup

2015 World Cup – Games 20 & 21 – New Zealand v Australia & India v UAE

LordCanisLupus35 Comments

A small change as I put both the games together for the comments thread. The first game, starting at 1 am our time, I do believe, is seen as a clash of the form teams. I fancy Australia, who have not played for a fortnight, might get caught cold, as the Black Caps, already with three games under their belt, have been very impressive. This is the best chance for the home team to win, so I’d suggest a home defeat may have a huge effect.

The second game couldn’t be more of a contrast. India have discovered World Cup form while the UAE, who have won many friends with their play against Zimbabwe and Ireland now meet a full test nation foe (I don’t really consider Zimbabwe to be that) and we’ll see how competitive they are.

All comments below….

2015 World Cup – Game 19 – South Africa v West Indies

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Any comments on this game, please add below. West Indies have made 300+ in all three games, while South Africa’s big guns – Amla and ABdeV – have not fired. Should be an interesting contest, because if the Windies win this, suddenly South Africe might get the nerves.

Sorry there’s not been a lot else. I hope to do a full comment on the week’s nonsense tomorrow or Saturday. But to the person who suggested four day test matches – leave. Now. Just leave.

2015 World Cup Game 17 – Scotland v Afghanistan

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Short post to introduce the game tonight. Scotland will be batting first in this battle of the associate nations. If it lives up to the Ireland v UAE match then we are in for a cracker.

I had a late evening so not able to comment on the information paper provided by the ECB. It seems beyond parody to me, especially the re-name.

I’ll have a say….

But keep coming with your comments. Really appreciate them.

2015 World Cup – Game 16 – Ireland v UAE

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The Gabba hosts this battle of the associates in a game with a lot of meaning, especially for Ireland, fresh from their win against the WIndies, who, since then, have bashed two more scores of over 300.

I’m not feeling overly enthused about writing at the moment. I saw that throwaway line by Andy Bull in The Spin, and just feel as though these people are maliciously misrepresenting many people’s line. Then there is the reinforcement of Giles Clarke in a position of power, meaning those people who actually feel like Andy Bull’s mythical beings, have every right to be angry. How else can the refuseniks lash out at these people? Oh, of course, we all want KP back….

Any comments on this more refreshing, more enriching match-up should be added below. Keep being strong outside cricket, people.

2015 World Cup – Game 15 – West Indies v Zimbabwe

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Canberra is the scene for tonight’s game, starting in the wee small hours, between perennial ICC strugglers Zimbabwe, fresh off a win against UAE and a creditable performance against South Africa, and West Indies who have made 300 twice, and won once.

Comments for the game on here, please. Should be a fascinating contest.

2015 World Cup – Game 14 – England v Scotland

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In just over an hour this crunch match for England commences. Given my need for sleep, I think I’m going to make about an hour and a half of it, whereupon I expect to top up the Lordly coffers with contributions to the old Christmas Fund Swear Box. It’s certainly had some replenishment over the last few days as those who told us all last year to quit flapping our gums over the departure of the evil Pietersen, and that all will be right with the new MD, fresh from JPM, and with BFIs, as well as the greatest coach of his generation (and will that clown ever live that down) all on the good ship Iron Rod with a core of steel.

They have to win this one, or the consequences are unthinkable for the hierarchy. Hell, they may even have to talk to the outside cricket plebs for once.

Feel free to comment below, read Maxie’s annoyance on TFT, or just listen to George Dobell’s podcast with Peter Miller one more time to actually convince the weapons grade cretins who think this is all about KP that we weren’t THAT serious about one man, but rather about the leadership and how it runs things. Why is Flower still, according to these sources, so influential when his methods resulted in a total implosion even our losers of the 1990s never quite managed (and they were up against much better teams).

OK. It’s England v Scotland in Christchurch. Have fun.

UPDATE – 75/0. Good start by Moeen, but Bell looks too cautious to me.

I’m getting royally fucked off (a quid for the swear box) by the “only care about the Ashes” mob. Many of this mob have also been the most vociferous when we are supposedly cheering against England, accusing us of all sorts. It’s needling me no end. While I appreciate this country needs something to focus on, and beating Australia is always nice, it should not be the only thing. I’m having Rugby Sevens thrown at me (indirectly) but ask the England World Cup winners in 2003’s rugby tournament, and many of them are most proud of winning in New Zealand a few months before that – not the World Cup. The sevens thing may have its world tournament, but the main format of the game does. Cricket doesn’t have a test championship, so this is its world event. If we go a distance in this, people will be interested all right.

Winning prefaces winning. The great teams don’t opt out of things. I believe these players desperately want to do well.

We have a real problem in this country in focusing on winning the big one every so often, instead of creating a culture of domination. Roger Federer won Wimbledon, won all the hard courts stuff, but desperately wanted to win the French. You don’t think not winning the French eats at Djokovic? They want a culture of dominance. We seem happy if we peak just to win a test match series against one team. I’m sorry, I’m not like that. Most great teams don’t have that mentality.

2015 World Cup – Game 13 – India v South Africa

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The big one in Group B in terms of prospects for the World Cup, rather than prospects for the Indian TV revenues. Comments on this match up between the two favoured nations in the supposedly weaker group should go below.

Another supposedly 90000 fans (how many times have we heard that about attendances at the MCG) will pack the concrete jungle for this match. I’ll probably be a kip for most of it.

2015 World Cup – Game 10 – West Indies v Pakistan

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This game is being played in Christchurch and features two teams who lost last time out. The game starts at 10 pm UK time, so I may actually get to watch some of it.

Weather looks set fair for this one at the moment, so let’s hope for a good game.

Comments below.

The West Indies are all pulling in the same direction. The President of the WICB shows the sort of leadership we love…