Cricket World Cup 2015

[LA10]

What a game! Feel for the SA team though.

 

[Warks]

NoNews calling SA 'chokers' again which is very unfair. 1999 was a choke. This was just a great match which could have gone either way.
If the IND-AUS game is anything like that (or the final) I might need a defibrillator on stand-by.

 

[JohnK]

Certainly was possible- Eden park helps...

I was referring to the wide. I have seen wides given where the batsman has played over, under and around the ball. A wide is a wide regardless of whether a batsman hits it or not. Anyway.

It must have been a great match. I followed the final overs of both teams on Cricinfo. I didn't think New Zealand could do it although South Africa was severely disadvantaged by the rain delay. They were well on top when their innings was interrupted. But good luck to New Zealand.

 

[serfty]

I was referring to the wide. I have seen wides given where the batsman has played over, under and around the ball. A wide is a wide regardless of whether a batsman hits it or not. Anyway.
...

It was on channel 90 free to air ...

Wide (cricket) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A batsman cannot, by definition, be out bowled, leg before wicket, caught, or hit the ball twice off a wide, as a ball cannot be ruled as a wide if the ball strikes the batsman's bat or person. He may be out handled the ball, hit wicket, obstructing the field, run out, or stumped.

 

[Spongbob]

It would have been a total injustice if NZ had lost to SAF in the semi-final, as they were clearly the best team in Pool A. The only game they might have lost was against AUS.

I am glad I bought tickets to the SCG semi-final in February 2014 (hope it does not rain).

 

[QF WP]

As a slight aside but also to put into perspective Guptils' innings of 237 - check out the innings by Colin Munro for Auckland in their Plunket Shield match against Central Districts (NZ version of our Sheffield Shield). Obviously he was influenced by Guptil:

Central Districts v Auckland at Napier, Mar 24-27, 2015 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

Yes you're reading it correctly. 281 runs off 236 balls. 23 sixes and 17 fours - broke some world records.

He'd done it before as well, an unbeaten 269 off 252 balls against Wellington in 2012/13 season.

Back on topic - hope they don't bring him into the NZ squad.

 

[drron]

There was a much more important innings in Australia long ago.A number eleven winning the match with the top score-
How McDougal Topped The Score

 

[wazza888]

Hope the aussies do it against the Indians tomorrow. Love the trans-tasman rivalry like the rugby, league, netball etc in the final.

 

[Warks]

I'm on call for a spare ticket today so will be ready to go at the drop of a ticket...

Some Indian fans seem to be mouthing off a fair bit in any comments section I read on Cricinfo or news sites. Be good to win to keep them quiet! On the other side supposedly the crowd will be 70% Indian (how do they know?) and the pitch has been prepared under "the direction of the ICC (read BCCI)". A lot of sensationalist rot around.

Let's just hope for a great game with no significant controversies.

 

[TomVexille]

Cricinfo is usually just Indians and Pakistanis mouthing off at each other

 

[whatmeworry]

I'm on call for a spare ticket today so will be ready to go at the drop of a ticket...

Some Indian fans seem to be mouthing off a fair bit in any comments section I read on Cricinfo or news sites. Be good to win to keep them quiet! On the other side supposedly the crowd will be 70% Indian (how do they know?) and the pitch has been prepared under "the direction of the ICC (read BCCI)". A lot of sensationalist rot around.

Let's just hope for a great game with no significant controversies.

Well Karl Stefanovic did ask an Indian fan who will be minding the 7-11's today?

 

[LA10]

“I was just gonna ask ... Who’s going to be manning 7-Elevens today?” asked Stefanovic.
One of the Indian fans being interviewed laughed off the comment before firing back with, “I’m not sure about who’s going to be manning 7-Elevens but you might have to look at Centrelink as well I think Karl”

Karl Stefanovic asks Indian cricket fan about 7-Elevens

 

[QF WP]

23 minutes until the start...what chance of much work being done this afternoon

 

[TomVexille]

23 minutes until the start...what chance of much work being done this afternoon

Good thing I rolled through my exam in no time

 

[QF WP]

Damn, Warner out for 12 and Aust now 1/38 off 8 overs.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/icc-cricket-world-cup-2015/engine/match/656493.html

 

[QF WP]

Smith tees off in the 9th over whilst Finch flounders (is he trying for the sheet anchor role??):

Excellent and so typically Aussie-style positive batting from Smith. You could see Dhoni wanted Smith out, which is why he gave Yadav an extra over. Normally you would expect the batsmen to be watchful and see off the strike bowler. Smith, though, targeted him. The first ball was only a little short, and he cut it away for four. And then he rattled him with the pull shots. Brilliant from Smith

9.6
Yadav to Smith, no run, defends a length ball to leg


9.5
Yadav to Smith, FOUR, this is ordinary bowling. India have used the bouncer well through the World Cup, but this is Australia, and they are not bowling it like they mean it. Only about rig high, and Smith shuffles across to pull it through square leg for four more. All along the ground


9.4
Yadav to Smith, FOUR, this is a limp short ball. Shows that Yadav is in his fifth over. Just waist high, Smith shuffles across, and pulls this through square leg to beat the man at short midwicket

One wide slip and a short midwicket in

He has broken his bat. Chipped it really. At the toe. He will have to change it

9.3
Yadav to Smith, no run, full this time, driven back down the ground, Yadav fields to his left

9.2
Yadav to Smith, FOUR, Smith hurts Yadav. Bowled short at 149ks, between waist and chest high, wide outside off, and he has drag-pulled it through midwicket. All along the ground. In full control of this pull

9.1
Yadav to Smith, FOUR, short of a length, wide, Smith lets rip, doesn't quite control it, but finds the gap between point and cover-point. Don't think this would have carried even if it had been hot straight at the man, but fair to say he wasn't in control of the pull

 

[QF WP]

Finally, Finch remembers where he is after Smith hows him the way:

11.4Kohli to Smith, FOUR, short this time, why are they feeding Smith? He loves it. Shuffles across, and pulls this through midwicket

12.1
MM Sharma to Finch, FOUR, gentle-paced bouncer, only about chest high, and Finch has pulled this powerfully between deep backward square and deep midwicket. This will give Finch some confidence after a tentative start

 

[QF WP]

Yes, we hit a century already - for the loss of still only 1 wicket.

Aus 101/1 (19.3 ov, AJ Finch 34*, SPD Smith 51*, R Ashwin 0/3) | Live Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

 

[QF WP]

Review time

huge lbw shout, given not out, but Dhoni has gone against his instinct to review this

Needless to say, it was unsuccessful.

22.4
Jadeja to Finch, no run, huge lbw shout, given not out, but Dhoni has gone against his instinct to review this. Finch is sweeping, is beaten, and the umpire reckons he is outside the line of off. Dhoni thinks the same too, but Jadeja is persistent that he has hit him in the line. Dhoni asks him where he hit him on the pad. Jadeja says the inside part of the bat. Dhoni finally gives in. You can see this is just a risk. Dhoni is not convinced about it. Replays show umpire's call. Desperate review. Wrong review

Smith 55, Finch 44 (coming good I see )

 

[Warks]

Found it too hard to listen after Warner blew it. Such a partisan crowd - you only know it's a boundary by a few claps and the commenator's say so. Hard to get much done I agree.

Tried watching it on a streaming service at the office but there must be tens of millions around the world trying to do the same so the picture kept freezing.

Australia need to just keep building and tee off in happy hour to push it out beyond India (if there is such a thing). No one has chased more than 294 at the SCG to win. But records fall all the time.