t20 time…. want it done tonight!

blimey almost an opening stand of 100, i need to lie down 😉

Why come off for light? Surely nobody wants to come back tomorrow. Must be particularly annoying for today’s crowd.

Will England snatch defeat from the jaws of victory?

Why come off for light? Surely nobody wants to come back tomorrow. Must be particularly annoying for today’s crowd.

Daft as it seems, them’s the laws. There’s a balance between consistency and common sense, everyone wants both and that’s not achievable. Although in this case it seems neither side wanted to come off and back today. Although not to the extent SA were saying ‘it’s inevitable, we’ll put on a couple of buffet bowlers and be done in 10 mins’

What happens in the future if a side is 8 down trying to save the game, the forecast is bad for tomorrow, and the bad light threshold gets reached. Play on because it’ll be annoying to have to come back (if they can come back?)

Tickets for the Oval are free today if you fancy 30 minutes (hopefully) of play. They were £20 to charity (can still donate if you’ve paid already). Annoying as I couldn’t go yesterday and today isn’t worth the time off/travel – so TMS it will be. And yes frustrating, but those are the rules and they might save a draw in other circumstances. Play will start on time based on a cursory look out of my office window.

Just catching up on this mornings game (flaky mobile signal at work so only heard Eng innings) I see the Aussies are cheating still

At least they are not trying to hide it from the cameras anymore 🙂

for those who haven’t seen it….

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQPKhkkMDMU&ab_channel=FantasySupport

Wow. I listened live and no one mentioned how clear cut it was! Obviously it was a Aussie broadcast but still…😱

Mich marsh plays some of the ugliest shots I’ve ever seen Rashid took him apart.
Even the Aussie commentary knew that was cheating, good rugby 7s hand off.

On the positive side, how good does Hales look? Lovely to see him batting with Stokes too…

Always love watching England playing away from home, but dear god the Aussie commentators are unbearable. Combine them with Warner playing his irritating best and I had to mute it at one point. Love the balance of the team though, great to see Buttler back. That 1st over was glorious.

Oops.

thoroughly amateur by England. Running 10-15 runs behind on D/L right from 5 overs when the game becomes valid, with rain on the radar and made no effort to get up with rate until drinks at 10 overs when the message must have been sent out, as they then were dropped twice and caught once in the 11th over, presumably trying to catch up.

I can see the tactic to stay thereabouts, keep wickets in hand and then score big in the last 5 overs is genuinely a valid one; not when the game could end at any point. Rubbish.

Well played Ireland as well. 160 is the sort of total that keeps you in it and their bowlers were being compared to jimmy Anderson with the hoop they wee getting…. high praise indeed.

Agree, poor tactics and game awareness, though Ireland did look very hard to get away and bowled well.
The group is now wide open, makes for an interesting few games.

that was tense !

Tighter than I imagined tbh

NZ win toss and bat. Hoping for a Pakistan win as I’d prefer England to face them if they reach the final

I think everyone bar English fans is looking for a Pak v Ind final so I too an keen on a Pakistan win.

England win toss and bowl.

Good win by Pakistan yesterday, NZ didn’t get going at all

Wood a big miss for England.

But not a bad replacement for him :0)

Not looking to bad for England here.

Jordan always feels he has a dreadful over in him……

SSSSHHHH!!!

Good to get Yadav but Kohli scores runs here and against us out of spite, while he’s there and set anything can happen.

And getting the spinners away will be key and not easy.  It’ll depend if our power men can slog sweep them to the short square boundaries (66m I think the commentator said – some of our guys hit 90+ easily, so you can put the fielders where you like if the balls going 20m over their heads)

Oh Dan!

Oh yes!

Going well so far…..

For me, Jordan is the seamer’s equivalent of Monty Panesar. As a pure bowler, excellent, but batsmen seem to know what is coming.

Phew, was worried when the rate dipped briefly below 10 an over, but they are back on track now.

India seem somewhat miffed.

Very entertaining, especially with Hales banging a 6 off just about every over.

We’re making this look way too simple.

this is brutal!

it’s a shame these 2 can’t duplicate this in tests :/ they can clobber it all over the ground but don’t have a forward defensive! 😉

Drubbing

What a thumping.

Now it depends on which Pakistan team turns up on Sunday

Trouncing! Now watch us get bowled for 50 in the final….

Supposed to be raining in Melborne on Sunday.

Yes , Melbourne looking very rainy for the final. I assume they have a reserve day? Monday looking better.

Channel 4 to show the final. Hope it’s not washed out!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/63591572