Official Cricket Thread Part 104 off 31

[Vlad n U 2]

I can't wait for England to not put up a fight.

 

[cobl04]

Geez he's good though. Terrific stuff from the Aussies

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Honestly I just wish England weren't so fucking useless. This will be just too anti-climactic.

 

[cobl04]

Agree. Very disappointing.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

And Finn gets a hat-trick with the last 3 balls of the innings. WTF.

 

[youarenotimmune]

Hat-trick for Finn to finish the innings. Ha!

 

[cobl04]

Hilarious finish.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Oasis blaring after England boundaries. Do the teams get to choose the music or?

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Still not playing as if they're really that bothered. Bell's dismissal is one of the laziest I've ever seen, what was he thinking?

Marsh doesn't have to bowl anything great, it'll just fall into his lap.

 

[Axver]

This really is turning out to be a tremendously underwhelming innings. Come on England, surely you can do better than this.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

I think at this rate I'd back Ireland to beat them again. It's just, there's no heart? When you watch Australia play in recent times, and when you watch NZ play of late, there's a lot of heart and desire in the way they carry themselves. England just don't seem bothered, and it's not for a lack of talent because they really do have enough.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Even the UAE did better than this. In a warm-up match, but still. Morgan should be thinking about returning to Ireland.

 

[Axver]

England just lack that killer instinct I think.

And boy oh boy wowee what a catch by Smith!

 

[Vlad n U 2]

I don't understand the obsession with James Taylor's height.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

This is one of the most ridiculous finishes I've ever seen. Taylor gets called out lbw, successfully challenges, the ball isn't ruled dead so the run out at the other end gets called out? Taylor misses out on a century. Ridiculous stuff.

 

[Axver]

That decision at the end was farcical. The ball's dead once the LBW is given - the fact the dismissal was later overturned is immaterial. Why would Anderson have even kept running, knowing that not only is his partner out but that the game was over (had the decision stayed)? No way should that runout have been given.

I recall we had a similar situation in the Big Bash but I don't remember what decision was made. The rules really need to be clarified to ensure this doesn't happen again. We're just lucky that the game was obviously lost. Imagine if England had been just a few runs behind with a couple of balls to go and that had happened.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Good crowd in for South Africa v Zimbabwe.

 

[Axver]

What a good start for Zimbabwe, a maiden first over. Hope they can keep it up. I'd like them to give South Africa - and a few others - a scare. I miss when Zimbabwe were the great promising minnow. The first Test I ever went to was a Boxing Day Test in Wellington between New Zealand and Zimbabwe when I was probably twelve or so.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Got 'im! De Kock caught out.

 

[Axver]

Wow, the start gets even better with de Kock dismissed cheaply. Go the Zimbabweans!

And the ICC has acknowledged the runout of Anderson to end last night's game was the wrong decision: ICC accepts umpiring error on Anderson run-out | Cricket | ESPN Cricinfo

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Chatara almost strikes again, lbw correctly overturned, but great bowling nonetheless.

 

[Axver]

Yeah good review - but I was really hoping it would be a second wicket. I'm not sure there's too much depth to Zimbabwe's bowling attack so the more damage they can do early, the better.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

BOWLED HIM! Boy oh boy, Amla's gone. Hilarious celebration.

 

[youarenotimmune]

Hahaa this is fucking fantastic.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Faf hits a big six, Chigumbura gets him to nick it two balls later. Really good work by Zimbabwe because it felt like Faf was getting there.

 

[Axver]

I went out for lunch kind of figuring South Africa might start to kick on, but I get back and they're three down! Good showing so far by Zimbabwe, though as long as de Villiers is in - especially with these short boundaries - you know it could get very brutal very quickly.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

How about that catch by Ervine to get AB out! So damn good.

 

[Axver]

That was fucking incredible! Surely will be a candidate for catch of the tournament.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Smith's and Karunaratne's yesterday were fantastic too but I just loved how effortless Ervine's looked, the original take was hard enough as it is, but to follow it up like that is even better.

 

[Axver]

Zimbabwe really need to follow up this good start with another couple of wickets really soon or South Africa could get a great total anyway.