The Cricket thread

[Norf Tyrone]

Malinga ran out with the scores tied!!!

Here comes the number 11 to the crease!

[Norf Tyrone]

Murali needs one run to win and up against Shane Watson!!!

[Norf Tyrone]

Everyone around the bat!!!

And he creams a 4!!!!!!!! Sri Lanka win!

[Denn Forever]

England will be rubbing their hands is glee.  An Ashes in Australia.  When was the last time that happened?

[Gabriel_Hurl]

England will be rubbing their hands is glee.  An Ashes in Australia.  When was the last time that happened?

They last won in Australia in 1985-86, however, they were reigning Ashes holders at the time

[Denn Forever]

England will be rubbing their hands is glee.  An Ashes in Australia.  When was the last time that happened?

They last won in Australia in 1985-86, however, they were reigning Ashes holders at the time

So the portents are with them.

Hopefully Morgan will show them how to play.

[anglocelt39]

Poms last Ashes win down under was at a time when the Ozzies were at half strength due to bans arising from a seriously strong rebel team that took the filthy rand and toured South Africa at the time of the worldwide sporting, economic etc. boycott on foot of the apartheid regime. So Poms to go down under and get skinned again, as much a part of sporting life as the All Blacks Choking during the Rugby world cup. Two Cavan men posting about cricket, surely a record......

[Orior]

My money would still be on Australia.

[Denn Forever]

On BBC4 tonight.  Will Afganistan be at the World Cup?  Australian back on form.

22:00 Out of the Ashes (T) (2010, Documentary) Premiere. Documentary following the Afghan cricket team's efforts over two years to qualify for the World Cup, progressing from playing on rubble pitches to games on an international scale. The programme features behind-the-scenes footage of players at practice sessions in Kabul and charts their journey to South Africa, where they face their greatest test.   

23:30 Not Cricket - The Hansie Cronje Story (R) (T) The story of South African cricketer Hansie Cronje, who fell from grace after taking bribes to fix international matches and betrayed the spirit of the game. Featuring interviews with Marlon Aronstam, one of the bookmakers involved, team members and the cricketer's boss and coach Bob Woolmer, filmed just weeks before his death.

[Denn Forever]

Zimbabwe used to be good?  Another victim of Mugtabe I suppose.

Cricket World Cup: Ireland beat Zimbabwe in warm-up 

Andre Botha on his way to compiling 79 against Zimbabwe in Nagpur

Ireland defeated Zimbabwe by four wickets in their second warm-up game ahead of the Cricket World Cup.

Zimbabwe won the toss in the Indian city of Nagpur and batted first, scoring 244-8 in their 50 overs.

Andre Botha and Trent Johnston were best with the ball for Ireland, taking two wickets apiece.

Botha (79) and Kevin O'Brien (62 not out) put the Irish in control before John Mooney hit the winning runs as Ireland won with three balls to spare.

Zimbabwe clawed their way back from a top-order collapse with captain Elton Chigumbura's fighting 103 not out off 81 balls leading the way.

Johnston and Boyd Rankin did the early damage before wicketkeeper Tatenda Taibu steadied the ship with his 119-ball 45.

Taibu and Craig Ervine built a useful 62-run stand for the fourth wicket but that was ended with Ervine run out for 27.

Zimbabwe lumbered their way to 100 in 31 overs but Taibu lost his cool and an attempted slog was caught by Andrew White, off Albert van der Merwe.

A 52-run partnership between Chigumbura and Prosper Utseya came to the rescue with the latter contributing 26 before falling to Botha, while Chigumbura hit eight boundaries and three sixes during his quickfire innings at the death.

In reply, Niall O'Brien and Alex Cusack helped the Irish recover from the first-over loss of Paul Stirling for a duck to reach 40, before the former departed for 15 off Ray Price.

Cusack hit five boundaries and was looking good for his 47 off 67 balls but was caught out by Chigumbura off Graeme Cremer in the 22nd over.

Botha played a patient innings despite the fall of Andrew White (19) and reached his fifty in 77 balls.

O'Brien got to his half-century at nearly a run-a-ball, as he supported the 99-run stand well, hitting six boundaries and two sixes to finish the match unbeaten on 62.

Botha's wicket in the 47th over followed by Wilson's (seven) was too little too late for Zimbabwe, as Ireland were able to chase down the remaining runs to ensure a positive step in their build-up to the start of the World Cup on Saturday.

Ireland lost by 32 runs to New Zealand in their opening warm-up game at Nagpur on Saturday.

[Doogie Browser]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/england/9403795.stm

The World Cup has come alive!

[Denn Forever]

Good total for the Netherlands but England need 170 from 26 overs.  If they have any pretensions of doing well, they should get it.

Andrew Strauss hits form as England make a good start in pursuit of 293 after Ryan ten Doeschate's magnificent century drives the Netherlands to 292-6 at the World Cup in Nagpur.


But go Holland.

[Doogie Browser]

First shock averted then, Ireland's first game is on Friday morning against Bangladesh.

[Gabriel_Hurl]

We getting the old bandwagon started again? 

[Denn Forever]

We getting the old bandwagon started again? 

No fairy tale ending this year as everyone seems up for it and Pakistan are doing the business. 
Maybe the West Indies this time.