World Cup 2015 Build up.....

booth70

Hopeless from India today :mad:

Pathetic batting ; even worse bowling and mystifying captaincy

booth70

Impressive stuff from Australia's reserve team today but in reality England should have got to 330 plus from 2/244 after 40 overs

Hope England play Hales at 3 next match and see how he does against India

Meanwhile NZ get better and better with each match as they get to 360/5 from 92/5 and thrash Sri Lanka

Hard to look past Aus,NZ or SA as the potential winners but are they all peaking too early?

Rjd2

booth70 wrote: »

Impressive stuff from Australia's reserve team today but in reality England should have got to 330 plus from 2/244 after 40 overs

Hope England play Hales at 3 next match and see how he does against India

Meanwhile NZ get better and better with each match as they get to 360/5 from 92/5 and thrash Sri Lanka

Hard to look past Aus,NZ or SA as the potential winners but are they all peaking too early?

Think India and Australia last 2 times went into the world cups they won in good form.

I'd be happy to rule out Pakistan and West Indies, but while I admit Australia are the stand out side, their is not much between the rest.

People are raving about South Africa but ultimately they are minnow bashing at the moment. Their death bowling and useless lower order has not been tested since they lost 4-1 in Australia. Ignore what they are doing to the West Indies, it means nothing.

England are getting some momentum to be fair, not perfect but not the shambles they were a few months ago.

India need some of the bowlers to step up while Lanka need to pin down the Dilshan opening partner, get Perera to do something and pray Malinga gets fit.

booth70

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricket/article-2927913/Michael-Clarke-war-Australia-s-selectors-lost-support-team-mates-miss-World-Cup.html

Can't understand Australia's obsession with Clarke in the One day format.....

They are good enough to win the World Cup without him and he's hardly going to be missed in the one day team

He should perhaps just stick to the commentary box for the World Cup and let the team move on

Gillespy

You underestimate Clarke and how long 50 overs are. Warner and Smith are their bankers and Clarke is another one. Plus there is his captaincy.

NZ are ticking all the boxes now with Taylor in the runs again and all bases covered in the bowling.

Sri Lanka desperately need Malinga back.

Brilliant to see Finn back. England could surprise a few people. Batting line to match anyone.

Rjd2

The Aussie batting is not exactly struggling though.

Warner- finch
Watson
Smith
Bailey
Maxwell/ Mitch Marsh
Haddin

Lets not forget they could also bat Faulkner in the top seven as well. He is a good ODI player but its tough to see who you leave out for him. You need Watson for the all rounder role and guys like Mitch Marsh and Maxwell are both capable of going bananas at the end. Their is also the Maxwell spin factor as well.

Clarke broke down in a test which did not cost them, but do they want to risk it happening again?

Gillespy

Always the likelihood of losing the top three cheaply the way they play or in ideal bowling conditions and Smith will fail eventually. Who better than Clarke to bat with the lower order and tail.

Given the choice I want him to focus on the Ashes but you can see why they want him out there. Home world cup is a big deal for him.

Rjd2

Gillespy wrote: »

Always the likelihood of losing the top three cheaply the way they play or in ideal bowling conditions and Smith will fail eventually. Who better than Clarke to bat with the lower order and tail.

Given the choice I want him to focus on the Ashes but you can see why they want him out there. Home world cup is a big deal for him.

Bailey? They both have similar stats, and Bailey has played a load more limited overs cricket than Clarke recently lets not forget. I dunno if Australia need the distraction of a fitness race with him really, the team is gelling fantastically right now.

Out of curiosity, what would be your Aus ODI eleven?:o

Gillespy

He'll have soft games to prove his fitness and form. Not the end of the world if he doesn't make it, my point is he will never be a passenger in that team.

My lineup.

Warner
Finch
Watson
Smith
Bailey
Marsh/Maxwell
Haddin
Faulkner
Starc
Johnson
Doherty/Hazelwood/Cummins

10 overs from Watson and Marsh. Maxwell if they need another spinner.

Hazelwood/Cummins if they come across a fast pitch.

Gillespy

Narine and Ajmal out of the World Cup. Narine is a huge loss for the West Indies. Chance to bring in Bravo now seeing as there isn't any standout like for like replacement?

yass100

Yeah well India's Virat Kohli joins an elite list of star Ambassadors to provide neccessary support in the build-up to the ICC 2015 World Cup.


worldcup2015.pk

Dozen Wicked Words

England battered by the Aussies, Johnson looked good, with England's help.

Don't know if this tournament has done the Aussies any favours though, the results have been very predictable and doubt they've learnt anything.

My money is on South Africa for the World Cup I think, maybe a couple of quid on New Zealand too.

riffmongous

I wonder if that weird blackmail thing actually did get to Morgan? 2 runs from the 3 games since then including 2 first ball dismissals

Gillespy

Faulkner will be a huge loss if he missed out with this side strain. Hopefully it's not so bad and he makes the business end at least.

Rjd2

Yeah they need Forkers, probably even more so than Clarke, good at the death and so clutch with the bat.
I'd assume Marsh would take his spot if he does miss

Warner-Finch-Watson
Clarke-Smith
Mitch
Haddin
Maxwell
Johnson
Starc
Hazlewood

Still a formidable 11 though. Watson has been a passenger recently, they will seriously need him to step up with bat and ball.

South Africa are strong, but they did get whipped in Australia and I'd pay no attention to them beating up the useless West Indies.

The concern for the Saffers will be the death bowling and their fifth bowling option and trying to figure out the point of Behardian.

New Zealand look dangerous, but I hope nobody refers to them as dark horses as pretty much everyone is tipping them up.:pac:

Rjd2

this is lovely.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cmy-s5Klvoo

KevIRL

Windies bowled out for 122 v England in the warm up. Hopefully its not their wake up call ahead of next weeks match

Rjd2

KevIRL wrote: »

Windies bowled out for 122 v England in the warm up. Hopefully its not their wake up call ahead of next weeks match

They have been rubbish in ODI cricket for years now though, its not just a one off.

Sadly they will still beat us as our bowling is nowhere good enough. Gayle has been a mug in non t20 cricket for a while now, but we are the type of side he will go bananas against.

Cricket fan

Evans taking Ireland apart here

Dozen Wicked Words

Cricket fan wrote: »

Evans taking Ireland apart here

Some figures he has so far, 4 overs, 4 wickets for 11 runs.

Cricket fan

100/6

From 50/0 to this. Embarrassing

Dozen Wicked Words

Ireland 117 all out, Scotland win by 179 runs, not great, putting it mildly but its good to get stinkers like that out of the way before the actual tournament.

BarryD

Bit of a hammering

KevIRL

That's a paddelin

Rjd2

Its a warm game, but looking at how they have done recently, we are ****ed.

riffmongous

Very good comeback so far from the bowlers, Ban 113/5

pajor

A win is a win, but I wouldn't find that scoreline too encouraging.

KevIRL

Some scoring by the Scots v WI. V close to a brilliant chase

Cricket fan

pajor wrote: »

A win is a win, but I wouldn't find that scoreline too encouraging.

Why not? We beat a full member by 4 wickets on what seemed to be a tricky batting surface, after the Scotland game I'd call that pretty encouraging, albeit the Wilson and Niall need to find some form

doledude86

Dying for the world cup.. is there a fantasy league for it, would anyone fancy doing one?