Official Cricket Thread Part 302

[Vlad n U 2]

Still think Australia have got it in the bag. India just don't win here.

 

[Axver]

Yeah, right now the Channel 9 dickheads are actually right (I suppose they're like the stuffed clock that shows the correct time twice a day) - Australia have got this right back to an even game. India need another wicket or two to regain the advantage.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Reckon India might lose the series in a whitewash if they go on to lose this.

 

[Axver]

This game is doing nothing to dissuade my opinion Dhoni is a poor captain. Mediocre bowling and fielding options, nothing threatening. Kohli should captain in this format too.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

This is dire. Why even bother making a target of 310 on Australian pitches when Stevie and George are going to run it down without raising a sweat.

International cricket played in this country is trash at the current time. Yuck.

 

[cobl04]

Dhoni has been a pretty poor captain for a long while. India's game plan is to rely on their batsmen to either set a big total or trust them to chase down a big one. And they can, but when they don't, he's got nothing to fall back on and he looks very exposed.

 

[Axver]

International cricket played in this country is trash at the current time. Yuck.

Cricket's always been a sport that's heavily in favour of home sides, probably more than any other sport, but at the moment it seems especially difficult for teams to win away. Look at how Australia dominate at home but struggle in the subcontinent or, lately, in England. (It's partly why I think New Zealand have a good chance to win the upcoming series against Australia.)

 

[Vlad n U 2]

One of the more bizarre BBL matches I've ever seen. Strikers chase an easily gettable 144, they go at least half of the innings with 8 wickets in hand, Ludeman wastes so many bloody balls and the Hurricanes get 2 wickets late. Then the TV feed cuts out at the 19th over and goes to an infomercial channel, lasting a couple of minutes, which later broadcasts the last over of the Strikers/Stars match from the start of the BBL season. It gets to the point that the Strikers likely pissed away a comfortable run chase and it's left to Darren Lehmann's son to hit a four of the last ball - and he hits a six to win it.

 

[Axver]

If the Strikers are going to play a memorable game, you can guarantee I'll be out and won't see it.

 

[Axver]

If Chris Lynn misses the World T20 the selectors are brain dead.

 

[cobl04]

Shattered I missed it.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Faulkner flukes a run out because Rahane hit it down the ground and it grazed his hand and hit the stumps whilst Sharma was out of his crease.

 

[cobl04]

He was out on 80-odd caught behind too.

I can't fucking believe we refuse to pick a genuine spinner. You can roll with outright pace when you've got Johnson and Starc steaming in but this attack...


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[Vlad n U 2]

I think they've brought in Boland just to bowl yorkers and nothing else. I like Richardson as a bowler for the SA sides but don't think he's world standard.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Not convinced Dhoni has all that much to offer as an international batsman anymore.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

India botch yet another strong start to struggle past 300 when 350 should have been in their range. I can't believe the game is at this point where 300 is merely decent in many places. Can't wait for another easy chase.

 

[Axver]

Wow India really blew that at the end. Can their bowling attack actually be threatening this time? With Dhoni's poor field settings I won't hold my breath.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

A wicket sometime would be nice, y'know.

 

[Axver]

This is a waste of time. Anything less than 350 Australia can chase with ease, at least against mediocre bowling and fields.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Not to mention pitches that do absolutely nothing. This is not enjoyable at all and forgive me for complaining about this until the cows come home.

 

[Salome]

Maybe for Melbourne Australia shouldn't select any recognized bowler and see whether India can get close.

 

[Axver]

Remember when Australian pitches had character?

The WACA in particular is as useless as a road now.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

I generally hate anything played at the WACA nowadays, ugly stadium, ugly field, meaningless pitch. Cricket at the Gabba is a bit of a dirge too.

 

[Axver]

It's hilarious the Heat have been so shit in the BBL because the Gabba more than almost any ground seems custom-made for thrashing big totals.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

The Heat have been ordinary purely because aside from Lynn (and Simmons/Burns when he's available sometimes) they don't have any real quality batsmen, and their bowling is weak.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Henry Nicholls who played in a few NZ ODIs recently is in for the Thunder tonight.

 

[Axver]

Damn, he didn't make much, but by god the rest of his team did. Thunder are first team to pass the 200 mark this season, I think. And for the Sixers to stay in contention they need to get there within 16 overs! Good fucking luck.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

lmao @ Maddinson having his bat snap in half after hitting a full toss.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

God bless Cricingif, by the way.

 

[Axver]

lmao @ Maddinson having his bat snap in half after hitting a full toss.

That was hilarious. Glad the Sixers made a real go of if, though even when they had wickets in hand there was a sense of inevitability.

Bad start for the Stars...