ICC T20 World Cup

KiwiPie

Back in the 1980s when we invented T20 cricket back in England (social, usually pub, teams playing 20 overs a side from 6pm), I saw some shockingly bad bowling and batting.
 
Not sure I ever saw anything quite as comical as the dismissal of Stokes though ....

canefan

142 might just save England's blushes

Cookie

Well, at least we are providing plenty of entertainment. I've written England off at least 5 times in the last few days.

Cookie

I should just add we are now the perfect all round team. 1st our bowlers served up utter dross against SA, so not to be outdone our batsman really stepped up today with a manure masterclass.

gollum

England are my dark horses in this cup because they look pigshit awful so oiften, but they have Root, Butler & Morgan. All of whom can hit 80 off 40, Butler can hit 130 off 60 if he really goes. And one guy doing that wins you T20's. And on the bowling front at some stage Rashid & Moen are going to rip someone to bits.
 
But obv. they'll go crashing out after collapsing v someone

Cookie

I wish I could share your optimism Gollum but the 2nd scenario seems most likely to me. I mean our batsman just got their sphincters stretched by the Afgans ffs.

Virgil

The Bangles are giving India a real scare, 21 runs required off 13 balls. Only 4 wickets in hand tho.

Virgil

Wow make that 17 off 12...
 
India just about to leave their own party...

Virgil

Only managing singles, The Bangles now need 11 off the final over.
Maybe the odds are back to India now.

gollum

Well another comfortable win for the favourites there... jeez that was South African-esqe from the Bangles. The mother of all chokes 
 
Also, at the risk of provoking, that was very very smart work from Dhoni at the end

Crucial

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Virgil" data-cid="566762" data-time="1458754291">
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Wow make that 17 off 12...
 
India just about to leave their own party...
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They aren't England

Glath

It was like South Africa 1999 all over again. How do you even lose that.

Virgil

[attachment=2002:ImageUploadedByTapatalk1458758179.327940.jpg]

JK

That is a shocker.... 2 runs off 3 ball.....ends up being 3 wickets....wow!

Crucial

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Virgil" data-cid="566768" data-time="1458758185">
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<img src="http://www.daimenhutchison.com/rugby/public/style_images/master/attachicon.gif" alt="attachicon.gif"><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/rugby/index.php?app=core&module=attach&section=attach&attach_rel_module=post&attach_id=2002'>ImageUploadedByTapatalk1458758179.327940.jpg</a>
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or
 
<img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4013/4541796430_ee57b31f3f_z.jpg" alt="4541796430_ee57b31f3f_z.jpg">

NTA

Yeah going the slog for the last three balls when you just need to nudge a single shows either a hideous lack of nerve, or a serious appreciation of bank balance.

Catogrande

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Crucial" data-cid="566765" data-time="1458756753">
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They aren't England
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Fuck off Crucial. That is so last year.

KiwiPie

Little Bangle batter was even celebrating after his 2nd four - obviously was already writing his own headlines as he "creams the next one over mid-wicket for 6". Bowler even served up rank poor deliveries to make the 2 singles required easy. Kudos to Dhoni, actually thought he was going to be too late but he judged it well.
 
That Jasprit Bumrah (my current favourite cricket name) can certainly bowl a yorker - most consistent yorker bowler I have seen in a while

Siam

Bangladesh is by far my hatiest team in cricket, - corrupt little fuckers who have enough resources (sure 99% are dirt poor and one decent rainstorm from the afterlife but the cricket people are rich) and have done nothing for 10 years, BPL is rotten even when they do sometimes pay players and every coach runs for the door after a short stint. Horrible little twats if you ask me.
 
So the mother of all chokes brought too much joy from me
 
Besides I really want an Aus Ind shitfight to decide the other semi-finalist

Siam

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Crucial" data-cid="566673" data-time="1458689637">
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Surely the bowling mix is entirely down to the pitches? We got this aspect right in the first two games and others didn't.
If we move on to playing on better pitches then bring Boult and Southee back in but in reality they wouldn't be offering much more than what we are already getting.
Now we are qualified though, how does the format work? Is there an advantage in using the match fit guys and aim for a big win against the Bangles or can we give other players a chance to get some gametime?
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Yep, I agree. The only blip in execution was underestimating the skiddy sheen on that last pitch with Santner opening to a big lump slogger who we haven't seen much of.
 
For the Bangles game it'll be interesting who they pick. Do players need a rest? probably not so the AB's and lots of teams have preached momentum, habitual winning and don't tamper unless there is a physical necessity. I see little point in giving T and T a bowl at this stage
 
But
 
The statistical chances of winning 6 T20's in a row is very low (does that matter? dunno). I'll put my faith in Hesson but a rained off match or even an against form loss wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. But the venue is the same as the Final, so perhaps a dress rehearsal if that isn't looking too far ahead.
 
From Dylan Cleaver:
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11610448'>http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11610448</a>
 
Ego is a fascinating concept as it relates to high-performance sport.
The accepted wisdom is that all great sportsmen and women have to have a high-degree of ego to be successful in such an on-the-edge environment.
Yet you watch how the Black Caps have turned themselves into the most consistent short-format team we've ever produced, and you come to the conclusion that they've done it in large part because they've managed to either suppress or strip away the individual ego. They live that mantra that there is no 'I' in team.
If you're in the media, it can get a bit tiresome: the deflection of praise, the downplaying of individual achievement to highlight the "team effort", the All Black-like refusal to dwell on success in favour of looking ahead to the next game.
It's easier to find quotable quantity surveyors.
It's working though. Since New Year's Day, 2014, New Zealand have won 35 of 55 ODIs they have played, with three no results and a tie. That's a 64 per cent win record for a team that historically has won 44 per cent of matches played.
In the same timeframe, they have won 14 of 22 T20Is. Again, that's 64 per cent and again it's considerably higher than their overall win-record of 51 per cent.
With the shallowest talent pool of all the major nations, they have done this by defining roles and sticking to them. As counter-intuitive as this sounds, they have a team full of players willing to fail for the team.
The World T20 in India has just reinforced that.
Ross Taylor, one of the better strokemakers in New Zealand cricket history, is prepared to play the closer's role, where he's seldom going to get the chance to build big, headline-grabbing innings.
Elliott is happy to shuffle up and down the order depending on the situation.
Even Luke Ronchi, who's form has hardly been compelling of late, is willing to try to hit sixes from ball one, knowing that every time he fails it is more ammunition for those advocating a change of wicketkeeper batsman.
This is a team where individuals appear happy to sacrifice success (if success is measured by statistics; and in cricket it usually is) for the greater good.
Who knows, perhaps Elliott went back to his hotel room this morning and emptied the mini-bar after being shuffled down to No 7, where he faced one ball and had to act as a sacrificial runner off the last ball (he somehow got home), but you doubt it.
Maybe Tim Southee and Trent Boult are secretly embarrassed to be wearing hi-vis vests on the sidelines when for so long they've been New Zealand's spearheads, but they don't show it.
New Zealand have become a genuine limited overs power and a pool play force. 
There's just one hurdle to clear.
They have to win one of these things.

The Silver Fern

ICC T20 World Cup