Cricket Thread

[ShadowDancer]

This is a very interesting contest. Morgan - cats lives.

[prinnysquad]

Terrible from Swann! Mag bastard.

[toythatkills]

I thought powerplays were supposed to advantage the batting team. Why do we always collapse in them?

[prinnysquad]

It's pathetic, isn't it? Seeing them screw it up within balls, then cower for the rest of the overs.

[ShadowDancer]

I'd imagine we'll be bowing out soon.

The main topic at the interval was 'will it be enough' don't look like it now..

Steady run rate..which seemed was going to peak, then the powerplay. Sigh sigh sigh.

Swanns predmidated shot...very ugly. It went wrong.

Dashing Nicky Knight seemed confident...I just felt there was more in this the pitch that had gone before. Sri Lanka are now proving that...

Sigh. Gutted. Lots.

[abigsmurf]

Well this is all set to be an undignified exit.

[prinnysquad]

Urgh terrible.

[MonkeyJuggleDX]

Urgh terrible.

Typically English!

[Shoju]

There's not the innovation in the English side that Sri Lanka have, neither with the bat or ball. Sri Lanka have unorthodox bowlers and batsman willing to take chances and play unconventional shots, there weakness however is their lower middle order and long tail which England couldn't exploit with that low score.

To be fair conditions were heavily in favour of Sri Lanka and England must be exhausted after the long punishing Australian tour prior to this tournament. They've said they'll never again follow an ashes tour with a world cup.

[toythatkills]

I'm pretty sure they say that every time.

[prinnysquad]

Broad has been a big miss. The bowling today was pretty toothless, and MagSwann was rotten.

There's plenty of reasons why England performed so poorly. But it was the quarter finals FFS. You have to raise your game, no matter how tired.

[Shoju]

It looked they weren't prepared to go after it enough, they were too content to block and hit the odd single with no real urgency to up the scoring rate. That didn't happen until Joyce came in who was really lucky to make 50. The firepower from Pietersen, Flintoff and Trescothick (who's never been replaced at the top of the order) is really missing.

Still England could be the no 1 test side in the world by the end of the year.

[ShadowDancer]

I think you meant Morgan (But i know you know your stuff, genuine error )

Gotta agree...no real urgency, they seemed content to tick the scoreboard over at a very steady and slow rate...this isn't test cricket!

Still gutted, all said and done, we did post a score, and then made no inroads.

Anyone got dates for our summer tours?

I hope this don't go unoticed.......

Theres a fair few of us posting here, maybe we can get together and go to a test match? even if its for the day....

[Shoju]

I think you meant Morgan (But i know you know your stuff, genuine error )

Yeah got those 2 Irishmen mixed up. In the last world cup I think Joye played for England and Morgan for Ireland and this time it was the other way round .

For the summer tour here it's Sri Lanka 1st and then India, in the winter it's South Africa. India and SA are the top 2 teams in Test match cricket so beating them could make England no 1.

Never been to a test match before but I have been to Lords (under 15 world cup final) and the Oval (county game). Would quite like to get to Lords again, the atmosphere is really something in that ground.

[ShadowDancer]

Nice...Well, I'm in...if we can get dates (easy enough)

Decide a venue and a day, day 5 is nice but obv risky.

I think it could be good

I'll be watching the rest of the WC with interest regardless.