Cricket World Cup

[NickDRFC]

Very exciting start - England rocked by losing Bairstow early but decent recovery from Roy & Root, then they both fell in the same over and again Morgan & Bairstow have steadied the ship.

Will we win today? Will we win the whole thing? I'm not sure on either but I'm looking forward to enjoying the tournament either way.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Aren't they going to get done for cheating?

[Spud]

Ssshhhh.....

[silent majority]

It was a good opening game, enjoyed that.

[Filo]

Get Afra in that Test team, we’ve been crying out for a genuine quickie

[drfchound]

Get Afra in that Test team, we’ve been crying out for a genuine quickie

I said that to the wife just before bedtime.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Just seen that catch by Stokes. That must be one of the best of all time.

[Spud]

It was the icing on the cake, our fielding was outstanding today.

[NickDRFC]

Aren't they going to get done for cheating?

You’ll have to help me out there, you’ve lost me.

That Stokes catch was unbelievable, up there with the best ever. That first game was an extremely positive marker - our stars are our batsmen, and we managed to get past 300 without any one of them really getting going; our bowling unit was as good as I’ve seen it in a while and our fielding exceptional. On that evidence we are the team to beat.

[BillyStubbsTears]

You said Morgan and Bairstow steadied the ship...

[Campsall rover]

Aren't they going to get done for cheating?

You’ll have to help me out there, you’ve lost me.

That Stokes catch was unbelievable, up there with the best ever. That first game was an extremely positive marker - our stars are our batsmen, and we managed to get past 300 without any one of them really getting going; our bowling unit was as good as I’ve seen it in a while and our fielding exceptional. On that evidence we are the team to beat.

Jack Leaning took an almost identical catch for Yorkshire in the T20 at Headingley in 2017.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Actually, I took a better one for Denaby and Cadeby in 1988, only there weren't any video cameras there.

[Campsall rover]

Missed England yesterday as I was at Headingley watching Yorks try to force a victory against Hants.
Brilliant effort but in the end the lost hours over 4 days due to the weather won.
Gary Balance 4 centuries and one double century against Hampshire since 2015 That’s around 1.100 runs in total in 9 innings at the crease.
They must be sick of the sight of him. What a record to have against one County.
Quite staggering and i wonder if he may be near to a record there?

[Campsall rover]

Actually, I took a better one for Denaby and Cadeby in 1988, only there weren't any video cameras there.

I believe you. 

[selby]

  The West Indies could have changed the parameters today. They went back to hitting the wicket hard short of a length fast and tight into the body giving the batsmen no room.
 The modern batsmen hitting through the ball on the full are going to have to improve their footwork if they get it right, it is not going to be there five balls out of six to smack, I enjoyed that display, it was more like old fashioned hard cricket, you hit me I hit you with ball, cricket not baseball.
 The Aussies will do the same, and are used to playing that type of bowling.
   

[Geoff Blakesley]

I am sure the practise machine will be getting set to short pitched as I write.

[selby]

  Geoff, I can remember when the Windies had the battery of five quickies having a conversation about whether spin bowling was finished in test cricket.
  One of the older lads came up with, there has not been a leg spinner since the 1950's he reckoned that if a good one came along he would mop up wickets because everyone had forgotten how to play leg spin.
  The next season Warne came over with the Aussies and you know what happened.
   No team since that Windies side has come along with five fast bowlers one after the other, no let up in line and length, if you hit the ball you can only hit it to certain parts of the ground where the fielders are put, of course edges are an exception.
  This morning was the first time the same tactic was put into practice for a long time,  no spinner in sight and their opening bowler was missing.
 I can see why Archer has chosen England, he would not be assured a start in that team.

[NickDRFC]

Difficult to tell whether it was the Windies who are a force to be reckoned with or Pakistan putting in just another in a long line of abject displays.

[Campsall rover]

Semi finalists prediction.
England, India, Australia & either New Zealand, West Indies or Bangladesh.
Never fancied South Africa and that’s proving to be a good prediction,
Pakistan just blow hot and cold, Sri Lanka have their worst side in over 30 years & Afghanistan are simply not good enough yet.
I do genuinely believe we will win it this time as the players believe it and that’s what is needed, belief.
The talent is without question, & we have the best team on paper.
If they transform that on to the pitch there is only one winner.
Come on England. Your time has come.

[NickDRFC]

Semi finalists prediction.
England, India, Australia & either New Zealand, West Indies or Bangladesh.
Never fancied South Africa and that’s proving to be a good prediction,
Pakistan just blow hot and cold, Sri Lanka have their worst side in over 30 years & Afghanistan are simply not good enough yet.
I do genuinely believe we will win it this time as the players believe it and that’s what is needed, belief.
The talent is without question, & we have the best team on paper.
If they transform that on to the pitch there is only one winner.
Come on England. Your time has come.

Certainly a lot easier to write South Africa off after they’ve lost their opening two games!

Unless a team performs out of their skin England should win it. The chief concern I have is that usually in a one day series we will have an off day and get easily beaten. With only 2 knock out games in this format the chances for us to get punished by an off day are limited so fingers crossed.

[Campsall rover]

Semi finalists prediction.
England, India, Australia & either New Zealand, West Indies or Bangladesh.
Never fancied South Africa and that’s proving to be a good prediction,
Pakistan just blow hot and cold, Sri Lanka have their worst side in over 30 years & Afghanistan are simply not good enough yet.
I do genuinely believe we will win it this time as the players believe it and that’s what is needed, belief.
The talent is without question, & we have the best team on paper.
If they transform that on to the pitch there is only one winner.
Come on England. Your time has come.

Certainly a lot easier to write South Africa off after they’ve lost their opening two games!

Unless a team performs out of their skin England should win it. The chief concern I have is that usually in a one day series we will have an off day and get easily beaten. With only 2 knock out games in this format the chances for us to get punished by an off day are limited so fingers crossed.

Nick I said it before a ball was bowled. You can believe me or not.

[NickDRFC]

Haha I'm just pulling your leg, I'm sure you did!

[wing commander]

  I'm going to West Indies v Sri Lanka up at Durham,on the basis of the first round of matches I'm hoping the Windies bat first else it will be a short game..lol

[NickDRFC]

Unexpected and disappointing result today but a fantastic game to watch. Too many players misfired with both bat and ball - Roy, Morgan, Stokes, Archer, Rashid - and we didn’t look in the least bit polished in the field. On the plus side Wood bowled really well (I was surprised to see Plunkett left out but I’d imagine that all our quicks will have a role to play this tournament) and Root & Buttler looked in great touch.
Not the end of the world losing at this stage either - plenty of time to redouble our efforts on the training ground and renew focus (was there an element of complacency there today?) to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

[roversontheup]

I'm going to Eng V NZ at Durham and
NZ v South Africa at Edgbaston.  I thought the second match would be a great game and half the price of the England match. Unfortunately SA haven't joined the party yet.

[wing commander]

  I'm just hoping for better luck this year..Twice in the last two years I've had day 4 tickets for a England test match and never seen a ball bowled yet..weather and games ending in 3 days...etc etc lol