Its Summer! - the Fever Cricket Thread. (Part 2)

Well the Windies bowlers have looked good though...pity about their batters...

Hard luck Zimbabwe, undone by some dodgy third-umpiring. Amazes me that players can be routinely given out by a computer algorithm but an umpire is apparently blind to a boundary line obviously moving after a fielder has trod on it.

I watched SA throw away a game last night. They had the chase comfortably in hand. Why they needed to play shots to balls a yard outside off and 2 yards over the stumps when leaving it would have been the smarter option, amazes me. If you its not on the stumps, and a lot of deliveries are not these days, you can then only be out caught. Teams prefer the big hits to working the strike and quick singles so.... ABdV had a complete brain explosion. Take the runs where you need to, shield the other end, but was reckless to a crap ball he should have left.

Afghanistan won the toss and are batting first.  Should be another quick game.

Over before 3pm

I thought that there wasn't enough evidence, that it wasn't at all clear cut. Even after that Zimbabwe had their fate in their own hands. 

Vettori is a dead-set legend.

flat track bully ;-)

big question marks over Milne though.

Respect to Afghanistan.  They almost batted out their 50 overs and have put up a decent total. 

How awesome is Hamid Hassan?

Shouldn't be any runouts when you're chasing 187.

Ross Taylor involved again

carn the Lankans!

What does that mean in English?

Respect to the Afghani team. Well, especially the bowlers! They've represented.

Calls from Simon Doull for teams to play games against the associates and I'd fully back that. These teams look like they've got the determination to improve. 

Looks like the Aussies will hammer Sri Lanka

Give us the lotto numbers while you're at it.

Look at the score, that might give you  a clue.

Haha Dilshan pastes Johnson for 6 boundaries in an over. Brilliant. 

I'd love the lankans to beat the aussies here. Long way to go though.

God these Fujitsu ads are bloody awful.  But I still think you're a legend Fleming.

Every cricket ad in this country is cringeworthy.

That ANZ heritage/legacy/warm fuzzy-fail one is the worst...slow, super white, rhyming, staid...nothing on the young guns or anything like that...can't really fire up and get behind super slow insincere nostalgia. 

The worst one is the Rutherford (Snr), Cairns (Snr) effort.

Anyone want to join Yakcall (Matt), Azevo (Alex) and I (Brandon) at the Caketin for the CWC15 Quarter final? 

We have 4 tickets, so one left, for $72.73 in Aisle 6.

Starts at 2pm Sat Mar 21st.

send me a tweet @kiwibardy, or txt or call me on oh too nien, to three for, seven seven three 7.

Trumped up charges sink the Alternative Commentary Collective! My guess is the real reason for this is that the ICC didn't  appreciate the *ahem* "edgy" *cough* commentary:

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11414387

Bangladesh doing well against Mother England

not happy about that -I enjoyed thier work

Real well, pack YA bags Blighty. 

Cheerio, Cheerio, Cheerio, Cheerio, Cheeriooooh, Cheerio, Cheerio, Cheerio

So QF likely to be us v Windies... it will be a great day!

I am Paul the Octopus

India looking pretty impressive

Indeed. Got me thinking about what hypothetical power rankings would look like at this stage:

1. India

2. NZ

3. Australia

4. South Africa

5. Sri Lanka

6. Pakistan

7. Bangladesh

8. Ireland

9. WI

10. Zimbabwe

11. England

12. Afghanistan

13. UAE

14. Scotland

India are becoming a big threat. The old cliche comes to mind "never write off the defending champions". They, along with us, are the only team to have bowled out every opponent so far, and their bowlers have been the most economical. We all know their batsmen are world class, but thought perhaps the bowling and fielding would let them down, however this hasn't been the case at all so far.

South Africa have so much talent, but the big C is lurking over them yet again at a major tournament. They've made an absolute meal of several of their run chases so far i.e. when the pressure is on. 

Pakistan redefine the meaning of hot and cold. Some commentator tonight put it well, such a temperamental side. Only they could recover from a 150+ run walloping at the hands of a poor WI side to defend 220 at Eden Park vs SA. Still in the balance whether they will even qualify for the last 8.

Pakistan v Ireland is the only match of any real purpose left in the group stage. Could go either way. Our group will 99% likely finish NZ, Oz, SL, Bangladesh. Apart from India top, no idea how that group will finish. Tighter than a gnat's pube.

Look out for the Aussies.

Agreed, Australia has to be favourites to win. Especially with the final at the MCG.

It hasn't cost them a result, but they are still terrible fielders.  Dropped catches galore the other night.  A few misfields tonight.  I just can't see them getting past the semis.