I was sure Braithwaite had won it on that last ball there. Looked for all money to be a 6.
I was sure Braithwaite had won it on that last ball there. Looked for all money to be a 6.
As someone not shitting themselves at the thought of it going for 6, I knew he didn’t have enough on that one.
He needed to calm the fuck down there. He had swing and got lucky a few times. He could have taken that deeper without needing to be silly. I suppose when you think it’s your night though.
It's a travesty that the associates aren't here. The format is a bit silly really.
But I realise the economic necessities. Can't we just write "India and Pakistan must always be drawn in the same group" into the rules somehow?
Funnily enough for the next World T20 they haven't been drawn together, for the first time since forever.
I don't know what it's like at Lords but it feels like win the toss and bowl conditions here today. Juicy.
Should probably consider replacing Vince with James Anderson at the last minute.
I don't know if it's funny or depressing that our attempts to play the sort of cricket you need to do to win in the rest of the world is going to be undone by an unusually (lol) damp British summer nullifying the slow bowlers and the batting 400 brigade.
I would back us to beat anyone in any ODI over the last 2-3 years. Now it's down to the nitty gritty of a World Cup tournament, I'm shitting bricks and can't see us winning another game.
All I can see happening this morning is the sun coming out and the Aussies battering 120 off the opening 15.
I think we will win this. Even if they get 300, you can get at all their bowlers after the openers.
Australia are sickening. Literally every piece of luck has gone their way in this whole tournament.
Sonething on twitter says it's statistically the luckiest 15 overs of the tournament.
Statistically the luckiest??
TMS said it was something like 8 or 9 play and misses in the opening 10.
And now they're through that sticky period, they're making hay. I'm resigned to the defeat.
Yeah we need something here, pronto.
We're already basically through to the semi-finals. I'd rather get it there now. As it is, that's where the wheels will fall off the luck-train.
EDIT: This is not to say we can't lose from here. Far from it - England are still favourites, albeit less so than when the game started. They're just giving themselves something to chase, and drag it out to maybe 45 overs.
If we had Roy I'd agree, but instead we have James Vince.
England losing makes the tournament better I guess. Christ.
Lol at Stoinis sprinting all the way through there.
Well this is a bit more like it.
Of course we ourselves are essentially starting at 24-1 but at least we're looking at a target more doable with that in mind.
Jeez they should have got 340 with that start. They're a four man team, opening bats and opening bowlers.
I don't watch a lot of ODI outside of World Cups. Is Maxwell a Gayle-esque figure where he's only really interested in hammering it to the boundary?
Nope. He'll put together an innings if he comes in before the 30th over. But after that, his instructions are to go hard. And he gets forgiven if it doesn't go off. What's nice is that he plays good shots - he's no slogger.
That wound up a lot less worse than I dreaded, but still likely not enough.
This is a piss easy chase 95% of the time in the last 4 years so we'll no doubt spack it up here. If Vince is going to get out wafting for an attractive 24 hopefully he can do it at a good rate and not see Bairstow golden ducked at the other end whilst he's at it. Starc full and straight at wee Jonny is surely going to be the plan.
Ah, Vince has cut out the middle man I see.
Twat.
Vince is absolutely fucking useless. The greatest example yet of this country's predilection for cricketing style over substance. Bring back Trott getting 85 off 120.
Oh no.
Gonna need to be a Buttler miracle knock incoming I feel.
It's like nothing ever changes. Stupid shot to play given the situation.
That being said, Finch and Warner sliced their way to a 100 partnership so maybe he was trying to emulate that.
You have to remember Morgan is the most stubborn man going. He will keep bowling first and he will keep batting the same way.
I swear we as a nation just can't do major tournament play. Applies in every sport.
Was that shot from Bairstow as lazy as it looks to my ignorant eyes?
Vince.
The aggressive brand.
Hales sat at home lolling his tits off.
"Lolling his tits off" or "lolling, off his tits"?
Vince needs to fuck all the way off though. Maybe he can specialise in doing mo-cap for cricket games if his technique is so fucking dreamy.
Both.
David Willey too.
Some ball to get rid of Stokes. It was a valiant effort.
All on Mo and Bloakes, deep square on red alert.
All I can say is I hope it's Pakistan who snare fourth spot and not fucking Sri Lanka.
You’ve got to laugh. Finally crack one day cricket, smashing everyone in sight for four years. Oh and it’s a home World Cup and we’ve just found a cracking fast bowler two months before it starts and we still manage to fuck it up.
I love Pakistan. I only have the radio but the atmosphere sounds proper scenesy.
India v Pakistan semi would be orgasmic.
We might need the bangers to do us a favour and beat them at this rate.
That said, we really should be winning one of the last two. Unmitigated disaster if we don't.
We're fucked, aren't we?
Probably going to need to win the last 2, so very much need to press the Roy button or whatever the line was and hope all guns blazing comes off against India.
(before getting merked on a murky greentop by Tim Southee)
If the pitch at Edgbaston is anything like the one in that last game we might as well just fold our hand now and make Vince captain.
I am quite angry really given that the ECB have flattened everything for these mooks.
Jimrage 3 soon, lads.
Windies really taking their time laying this foundation here.
They've dug too far down.
About 6 foot by the looks of it.
Nicholas Pooran down my trousers is probably their best player now, so you never know.
I see the chief exec of this World Cup has now been put in charge of the Hundred, good luck old boy.