Cricket World Cup (50 Overs)

[The General]

Whoops....

Haha. Oh god, how addicted am i! HELP!

 

[Uncle Leo]

England are second favourites with most bookmakers (bear in mind that this would be in no small part due to us wanting to avoid the 'patriotic pound' as opposed to them necessarily being the second best team in the tournament)

Best prices:

India 7/2 (Paddy Power)
England 5/1 (Ladbrokes, Stan James)
Sri Lanka 5/1 (Hills)
Australia 6/1 (SportingBet)
Pakistan 9/1 (Ladbrokes)
New Zealand 20/1 (BlueSQ, bet365)
West Indies 22/1 (VCbet)

50/1 bar

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

England are second favourites with most bookmakers (bear in mind that this would be in no small part due to us wanting to avoid the 'patriotic pound' as opposed to them necessarily being the second best team in the tournament)

Best prices:

India 7/2 (Paddy Power)
England 5/1 (Ladbrokes, Stan James)
Sri Lanka 5/1 (Hills)
Australia 6/1 (SportingBet)
Pakistan 9/1 (Ladbrokes)
New Zealand 20/1 (BlueSQ, bet365)
West Indies 22/1 (VCbet)

50/1 bar

I'll have £100 e/w on South Africa then please James.

 

[Uncle Leo]

I'll have £100 e/w on South Africa then please James.

:hilarious:

Well they always bottle it at some stage, thought it safe to leave them out :stupidme:

Yaapies trading around 11/2 with most bookies.

 

[number11]

So, after an abysmal end to the tour (what on Earth were the ECB doing, not only playing 7 one days, but having them spread over 3/4 weeks....madness) England have been decimated by injury and I presume the odds have been lengthened. Morgan is out after playing with a broken finger. He was in poor form but was one of our genuine match winners.

Bopara comes into the squad as replacement and it is a massive opportunity for him. If he convincing with his work ethic and attitude and performs in the middle, there is a chance he could leapfrog Morgan into the test team and take Collingwoods place (and a nicely protected number6 slot). Lets hope he wants it enough.

Although obviously that would be bad news for Essex.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

So, after an abysmal end to the tour (what on Earth were the ECB doing, not only playing 7 one days, but having them spread over 3/4 weeks....madness) England have been decimated by injury and I presume the odds have been lengthened. Morgan is out after playing with a broken finger. He was in poor form but was one of our genuine match winners.

Bopara comes into the squad as replacement and it is a massive opportunity for him. If he convincing with his work ethic and attitude and performs in the middle, there is a chance he could leapfrog Morgan into the test team and take Collingwoods place (and a nicely protected number6 slot). Lets hope he wants it enough.

Although obviously that would be bad news for Essex.

I think it's fair enough playing that many games with the World Cup coming up, but what stuffed England was the lack of fresh faces in the squad. Our ODI team is too similar to our test team. We needed a fresh core and then rotate the test players in amongst them so test players were given half the ODIs off.

The other thing, is the ICC's ridiculous insistence on naming the squad too soon. Why couldn't they have waited until the end of the series?

 

[Matt the Shrimp]

Lets hope he wants it enough.

Indeed. A gift horse has wandered slap bang into the middle of Ravi's career. Let's hope he doesn't look it in the mouth.

Can't see how England remotely justifies a 5/1 billing (shorter odds than SA! Don't make me laugh!). India or Sri Lanka to win, I reckon. Not sure which at the mo.

Matt

 

[number11]

I think it's fair enough playing that many games with the World Cup coming up, but what stuffed England was the lack of fresh faces in the squad. Our ODI team is too similar to our test team. We needed a fresh core and then rotate the test players in amongst them so test players were given half the ODIs off.

The other thing, is the ICC's ridiculous insistence on naming the squad too soon. Why couldn't they have waited until the end of the series?

Its a fair point about needing the match time, but surely it would have been better to condense the games (I know Australia is vast but Im sure the players would have preferred to half the time the games took), or leave Australia earlier, get home for a break and then play more games in India.....

Good point about the similar teams, but these guys are (when in top form) mainly the best we had. I know you are no fan of Strauss, but what kind of line up would you pick for the end of this tour, or the world cup if you are discarding test players?

Agree with MTS.....it is hard to see England being fancied, but the format of the tournament (bore fest) sees only a bit of a disaster preventing us getting to the quarters. There it is just a 3 match shoot in which the fittest and least bored team can prevail.....we can beat anyone on our day.....but I wouldnt put my house on it!

 

[canveyshrimper]

Indeed. A gift horse has wandered slap bang into the middle of Ravi's career. Let's hope he doesn't look it in the mouth.

Can't see how England remotely justifies a 5/1 billing (shorter odds than SA! Don't make me laugh!). India or Sri Lanka to win, I reckon. Not sure which at the mo.

Matt

The Saffers are bound to **** it up or bottle it.

I think India may be a bowler short, but on their own tracks will along with Sri Lanka be there or thereabouts.

 

[MrB]

The Saffers are bound to **** it up or bottle it.

I think India may be a bowler short, but on their own tracks will along with Sri Lanka be there or thereabouts.

My South African friend summed it up when he said 'We'll reach the final, I'm just not sure who we'll lose it against yet'.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Its a fair point about needing the match time, but surely it would have been better to condense the games (I know Australia is vast but Im sure the players would have preferred to half the time the games took), or leave Australia earlier, get home for a break and then play more games in India.....

Good point about the similar teams, but these guys are (when in top form) mainly the best we had. I know you are no fan of Strauss, but what kind of line up would you pick for the end of this tour, or the world cup if you are discarding test players?

Agree with MTS.....it is hard to see England being fancied, but the format of the tournament (bore fest) sees only a bit of a disaster preventing us getting to the quarters. There it is just a 3 match shoot in which the fittest and least bored team can prevail.....we can beat anyone on our day.....but I wouldnt put my house on it!

I'd have sent the likes of Bell, Trott, Collingwood and Broad on a fortnight's holiday and looked to start the ODI series with a team something along the lines of this:

1. Davies+
2. Cook*
3. Pietersen
4. Hildreth
5. Morgan
6. Bopara
7. Wright
8. Bresnan
9. Rashid
10. Shahzad
11. Anderson

Then send Cook, Pietersen and Anderson home after the 3rd or 4th game, recall Bell, Trott, Collingwood and Broad.

1. Davies+
2. Bell
3. Trott
4. Hildreth
5. Morgan
6. Bopara
7. Collingwood*
8. Bresnan
9. Rashid
10. Shahzad
11. Broad

Add in the likes of Jimmy Adams (opener), Josh Buttler (middle order), Craig Kieswetter (keeper), Chris Woakes (seam) and Michael Yardy (darts) as cover.

That way, everyone gets a rest and a couple of young players get the chance to make their claim. Those teams look more convincing to me than any England fielded during the series and there should still be enough experience in both line-ups. I appreciate injuries may the whole juggling a bit trickier but Buttler could have come in for Morgan, Woakes in for Broad, Finn in for Bresnan.

 

[canveyshrimper]

My South African friend summed it up when he said 'We'll reach the final, I'm just not sure who we'll lose it against yet'.

Reaching the final will be one better than they've previously achieved.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Dale Steyn's figures so far in the warm up versus the Convicts: 6-2-10-1

Not quite in his class, but a very good one day bowler nonetheless, Lasith Malinga's taken 3-0-9-1 whilst Gayle was teeing off and everyone else was going at 7.

I'd also be looking forward to seeing Kemar Roach bowl for the WIndies, or at least I would if I had Sky:'(

For all the talk about the importance of taking the pace off the ball in India you can't beat high class pace bowling.

 

[number11]

Dale Steyn's figures so far in the warm up versus the Convicts: 6-2-10-1

Not quite in his class, but a very good one day bowler nonetheless, Lasith Malinga's taken 3-0-9-1 whilst Gayle was teeing off and everyone else was going at 7.

I'd also be looking forward to seeing Kemar Roach bowl for the WIndies, or at least I would if I had Sky:'(

For all the talk about the importance of taking the pace off the ball in India you can't beat high class pace bowling.

Steyn is a class act and had been for a few years now. Some of his recent spells against India were as good as any produced by the great pace bowlers of the 90's and earlier.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Steyn is a class act and had been for a few years now. Some of his recent spells against India were as good as any produced by the great pace bowlers of the 90's and earlier.

Yep, I think he's established himself as an all-time great and I don't award that distinction lightly.

His strike-rate is the best of the last 100 years. His bowling average is maybe a touch high at 23.21 for his 238 test wickets when we're talking all-time greats (10 players have taken more wickets at a cheaper average), but he's only now entering his prime and his last 200 wickets have come at 21.44 (including in his last series, against reputedly the best batting line-up around, he took his wickets at 19.66).

 

[number11]

In our first warm up game we were bowled out for less than 250.....by Canada.....

Interestingly, KP opened and Prior (who top scored) batted down the order. Unusually for Flower and Strauss they seem to be doubted their own plans and reacting on a game by game basis rather than sticking to their guns...... it will be an absolute miracle if we win the World cup as we just dont have as settled a side as the likes of SA and India.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

In our first warm up game we were bowled out for less than 250.....by Canada.....

Interestingly, KP opened and Prior (who top scored) batted down the order. Unusually for Flower and Strauss they seem to be doubted their own plans and reacting on a game by game basis rather than sticking to their guns...... it will be an absolute miracle if we win the World cup as we just dont have as settled a side as the likes of SA and India.

Our side is actually fairly settled (injuries permitting), it's our strategy that's all over the shop.

I'm however concerned by the fact that we only bat down to 6 (and at least two, probably four, of those top 6 shouldn't be in the side), yet have only two proper bowlers. I'm not sure how that's possible, but we've managed it. Fortunately one of those two bowlers is Stuart Broad.

 

[number11]

Our side is actually fairly settled (injuries permitting), it's our strategy that's all over the shop.

I'm however concerned by the fact that we only bat down to 6 (and at least two, probably four, of those top 6 shouldn't be in the side), yet have only two proper bowlers. I'm not sure how that's possible, but we've managed it. Fortunately one of those two bowlers is Stuart Broad.

Oh yes that's what I meant....the personnel has been similar for the past year or so (when we have been succesful) but the plans are all over the shop, and the decision to play Prior really has thrown the plans into a bit of a mess as he has now been put down the order. The use of Kieswetter or Davies as a pinch hitter was a fairly settled plan. KP opened in this game, Trott and Bell have been considered..... the success we had over the past year was down to a fairly settled plan.

As for the team being short, the problem is we dont have an allrounder. Throw Flintoff into this side and it is transformed to a different level.Given the conditions they clearly wanted 2 spinners, but went for Yardy as a bits and pieces spinner rather than pick and out and out spinner who is less able with the bat...... Yardy is fine in 20/20 where his non spin darts can be awkward at first, but across 10 overs he is going to be easy to line up. I doubt they do odds for such things, but Id think he will go for over 20 runs in at least one over during this world cup.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

India today scored 360. Against NZ.

England today scored sub-250. Against Canada.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Another failure for Strauss and another nothing score from Bell that took up too many balls.

Useful knocks for Capey, Bops and Colly all at a decent enough rate. Good to see three key players get some runs and time in the middle under their belt.

Let's hope Colly can push on.