Cricket

Terrible start for Australia.

Finch gone for a first ball duck, Warner gone for 9.

Currently 2 for 13, already into the 6th over.

Interesting tweet on the World Cup

Apparently lots of empty seats

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Apparently the empty seats at Edgbaston were due to Indian fans snapping up tickets thinking their team would be playing today.

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The crowd will be about just under 10k at edgebaston. I would think it will be a boring and lopsided game - Steve Smith not doing too good. Peter handscomb, Aaron finch, David Warner played so badly and were dismissed,

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I think Australia will make a reasonable score (220 maybe?), but I don’t think it will be enough given the slow run rate and the fact that they are 3 down already.

I’d say enthralling rather than boring. You also jumped the gun on Smith wouldn’t you say?

Eat my words out. I thought smith did badly but now he scored 85 runs

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Sooooo… AUS 223 all out at the end of the 49th over.

I don’t think it’s enough, but cricket is a funny game.

Starc will be the key I think, if he can get a few early wickets, 223 will seem like 300.

Batting conditions seem pretty good though. The new ball will probably do a bit, but after that, batsmen should do well. No real demons in the pitch, fast outfield and shortish boundaries,

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Australia scraped to 223 thanks to Steve Smith’s 85 and Alex Carey’s 46. Their 103-run fourth wicket partnership saved the team’s innings. I doubt it will be enough, but in 1999 Australia scored 213 in their semi-final against South Africa and most of us remembered what happened next.

We don’t have Warne and McGrath anymore.

Well, 223 proved to be not enough to defend, as England made the target at the start of 33rd over, winning by eight wickets. Jason Roy scored 85 but was fined 30 per cent of his match fee and earning two demerit points for showing dissent.
Chris Woakes was named player of the match for his 3/20 from eight overs.
The UK tabloids were right after all. What was Justin Langer thinking by asking his players walking barefoot on the grass of Edgbaston? It might have worked for NSW State of Origin side but not in cricket. The loss will give the tabloids more ammunition ahead of the Ashes tests in August.
So it will be England v New Zealand in Sunday’s World Cup final, and either team will win the trophy for the very first time. TV audience in both countries will be huge after the pay TV broadcasters (Sky Sport UK and Sky Sports NZ) promised to show the match live on FTA, however I think interest in Australia will plummet with the team’s elimination.

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England has advanced to the cricket world cup final since 1992. This will be the third straight time that a home nation has gone into a final. Both 2 sides have never won a World Cup Final. Can The home side win or the Kiwis take The prize?

  • ENG
  • NZ

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No sugar-coating it- that was a bad loss. I was hoping that the meat of our bowling attack, Mitchell ‘Steak’, could pull it out of the fire once more but not to be. The old batting frailties in English conditions were exposed again and some more work needs to be done ahead of the Ashes.

Let’s all get behind the Kiwis on Sunday. It will be one of the greatest sporting fairytales if they do get over the line. I admire Kane Williamson as a leader; hopefully nice guys can finish first. England are the firm favourites of course.

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Certainly does.

Australia struggles more against the red Duke balls used in Tests over there than the white ball.

Hard to see how they are going to retain the Ashes now, which hasn’t been done there since 2001.

Now that we’re out, go New Zealand.

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Last night was the last time for 4 years until the next World Cup that FTA audiences see Australia playing an ODI match. Hopefully ODI cricket isn’t dead by 2023.

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Doubt it’ll happen but it’d be funny to see Nine or Ten pick up some international series which are timezone friendly, especially the ridiculous Indian one next January.

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I know the Aussies aren’t playing, but interested to see how this World Cup Final plays out.

NZ surprised me by opting to bat first after winning the toss, given the overcast conditions (though we are expecting a full days play despite some early morning rain in London).

NZs strength is their bowling, I think they needed to get ENG batting first and restrict them to a mediocre total. I don’t think they can effectively out bat ENG by setting a target.

Goodness, this is a cracking finish.

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Crazy!

ENG need 2 off the last ball to win!

This could be a tie!