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Matt the Shrimp
aka Harry Potter
It's a bloodbath. To be honest, the Lankans have looked like the only side there who might give the Ockers a game.
Much as it pains me to say it, this has been an awful World Cup unless you're Irish or Bangladeshi. Woolmer's murder overshadowed the first part, the super 8s were like a long, drawn out cortege, the cricket has been woefully uncompetitive other than the (largely) meaningless dead rubber between England and the Windies, and Australia have crushed everyone into submission making it a deeply one-sided tournament.
All in all, this will sadly go down as one of the least memorable World Cups in living memory, unless Lanka can pull off the nigh-impossible on Sunday.
:(
Much as it pains me to say it, this has been an awful World Cup unless you're Irish or Bangladeshi. Woolmer's murder overshadowed the first part, the super 8s were like a long, drawn out cortege, the cricket has been woefully uncompetitive other than the (largely) meaningless dead rubber between England and the Windies, and Australia have crushed everyone into submission making it a deeply one-sided tournament.
All in all, this will sadly go down as one of the least memorable World Cups in living memory, unless Lanka can pull off the nigh-impossible on Sunday.
:(
Davros
The Whippet
indeed, the lankans will have to play like they did yesterday to stand any chance of winning.... however, they cannot afford to lose Jayasuria for 1 against the aussies!
Also, they're gonna have to replace thats Fernando in there attack... compared to Vass, Mulinga and Muri, he is such a weak show
Also, they're gonna have to replace thats Fernando in there attack... compared to Vass, Mulinga and Muri, he is such a weak show
Cheltenham Shrimper
Guest
I really hope South Africa do them, but i'm not sure it will happen this year. Will it be as close as the semi's in the 1999 final?!
number11
"Good morning everybody........"
Is this tournament still going on???
Awful format has deprived the competition of meaninful games, tension and drama.....the England W.Indies game, with nothing to play for was more exciting then many of the live rubbers in the super8's.
Awful tournament.
Awful format has deprived the competition of meaninful games, tension and drama.....the England W.Indies game, with nothing to play for was more exciting then many of the live rubbers in the super8's.
Awful tournament.
C C Csiders
Life President
Desperately needs a re-think to the format of the competition.
Back to 12 countries I say, with 3 groups of 4. Top two qualify, and then into Super 6's, as it used to be.
Matt the Shrimp
aka Harry Potter
104/8... oh dear.
Matt
Matt
number11
"Good morning everybody........"
I really want Sri Lanka to win on sunday for the brand of cricket they play (Ive now got over the fact they tend to chuck the ball, aided by anti Ozzie feelings).... but such a win would give the tournament a final and outcome it doesnt deserve. An australian win inside 30 overs (eg bowl Sri Lanka out for 100 odd and knock those off in ten overs) would be far more fitting...
The General
The Mouse (*)
5 overs gone and Aussies are a sixth of the way there already ...
Ailsa Road Shrimper
Coach
I was glad Sri Lanka beat New Zealand yesterday, I enjoy their exciting cricket. Sri Lanka have plenty of flair in their batting and bowling, even their fielding is energetic and vibrant. New Zealand are a solid team, however they lack match winners and the aesthetically pleasing brilliance the Sri Lankans can conjure, so I'm glad they were knocked out.
However, Sri Lanka's batting line-up doesn't look as solid as Australia's and Fernando's bowling needs to be much better for the final as he looked woeful yesterday. Australia don't appear to have any weaklinks in their line-up. They haven't been put under a period of sustained pressure yet though, so hopefully Sri Lanka can rattle them on Saturday and we'll see how they respond...
Ailsa Road Shrimper
Coach
As much as I dislike Australia I think I'd rather see them in the final than South Africa. I find the South African accent so irritating, I don't want to hear their droning commentators again in the tournament!
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Ailsa Road Shrimper
Coach
Indeed, it's been a very disappointing tournament. Although England's World Cup efforts have been widely criticised, at least they've been involved in two of the most exciting matches (against Sri Lanka and West Indies) which I think were the only games won in the last over of the match, plus they actually put the Aussies on the back foot for an hour which no other team has been capable of!
canveyshrimper
R.I.P
Good call, I think the only other match that generated any excitement in the super 8's was South Africa v Sri Lanka, and only because Malinga took 4 in 4 at the death.
As much as I love cricket this tournament has been interminable, and for the future the whole thing needs a complete over haul. It needs a group stage, then a knockout stage, with quarter & semi finals, and one final. I don't subscribe to this best of 3 malarkey for finals, another bloody American "innovation" that we can do without.
The fact that this tournament has been played in half empty stadiums also shows that the ICC and organising committe need to look at ticketing costs and allocation.
I hope that Sri Lanka repeat their 1996 triumph over the convicts, I think as Matt said we've seen 6 weeks here when it was fairly plain to all the Sri Lanka v Australia was going to be the final.
Gotta disagree that it was obviously going to be a Aus v SL final. Australia are head and shoulders above everyone else, but not much separates NZ, SA and Sri Lanka. Remember Sri Lanka lost to South Africa and nearly lost to England. They are a good team, but both South Africa and New Zealand are capable of beating them and it really wouldn't have been that much of a surprise had one of them beaten them SL.
ps Those bemoaning the length of the tournament have got it wrong: the problem is it isn't long enough! A long tournament would wear down an aged Austalia side (cf 2005 Ashes, 2007 CB series).
ps Those bemoaning the length of the tournament have got it wrong: the problem is it isn't long enough! A long tournament would wear down an aged Austalia side (cf 2005 Ashes, 2007 CB series).
Pubey
Guest
pure destruction by the aussies, although like people have said you definitely can't write off the lankans
canveyshrimper
R.I.P
:D
I've not checked it, but I wouldn't mind betting that this tournament has lasted longer than the recent CB series. And playing 5 Ashes tests in 6 weeks didn't do the convicts any harm this winter.:cry:
Sorry, should have made myself clearer. The CB Series (and the convicts series against the Kiwis) followed straight on from the Ashes, which is what tired the Aussies out.
The 2005 Ashes was at the end of a 3 or 4 month tour as it followed on from the tri-series with England and the Bangles.
canveyshrimper
R.I.P
Yes, good points, I had also forgotten the 3 match series against the Kiwis after the CB.
sufcintheprem
This is a modified caption
I don't think you can blame the tournament for Australian dominance. At times, their cricket has been absolutely breathtaking in spite of losing Brett Lee before the tournament and they've continued the Aussie approach of beating teams methodically and in a variety of ways.
It was almost as though they waited until the peak of the tournament to demonstrate their quality, smashing New Zealand in to submission and bowling through South Africa before they had a chance to get started.
You almost wonder what fate awaits Sri Lanka.
I don't particularly like Aussies but in the same way I didn't particularly like Michael Schumacher. Sometimes you have to just appreciate how good an individual or team has become.
It was almost as though they waited until the peak of the tournament to demonstrate their quality, smashing New Zealand in to submission and bowling through South Africa before they had a chance to get started.
You almost wonder what fate awaits Sri Lanka.
I don't particularly like Aussies but in the same way I didn't particularly like Michael Schumacher. Sometimes you have to just appreciate how good an individual or team has become.
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