Cricket fred

[Galfon]

We're off ! - T20 Windies / US of A.
Wins so far for US, WI, Nam, SA, Afg, Net
Eng saved by the rain v Sco in the Barbados less-dry season to get a draw, and Cummins signs multi-year deal for the Unicorns in MLC.
Plenty more eye-brows to raise in the next few weeks !

[Galfon]

Eye-Brow #2: NY pitch for Ind v Ire - bit of a shocker.

[Banquo]

USA mighty triumph over Pakistan....

BCCI looking to USA as huge new market. as a by the by

[Galfon]

BCCI looking to USA as huge new market. as a by the by

A good showing here and MLC building, with cricket in the next 'Lympics there too.. it could be real big in 5 years, esp. with the growing Asian diaspora.

Meanwhile looks like Eng. need to better Sco net run rate from
Nam / Oman games to progress.
Great showing from young Afg team so far too.

[Galfon]

Netravalkar bags 2 big scalps early doors - modest target for Ind, but could be squeeky Bumrah time if US can knock a few more over before they get going..

[Galfon]

19 balls to overhaul Oman ..
massive shift in net R/R is that.

[Puja]

19 balls to overhaul Oman ..
massive shift in net R/R is that.

Bit of a statement. Not sure the spectators got their money's worth with just 16.3 overs in the game!

Puja

[Galfon]

wun-wate wequirement achieved, now just need to avoid..
- a wash-out
- Oz engineering a convenient loss
- Sco playing an absoloute blinder

[Galfon]

Unlucky Sco - did play a blinder, but Oz keep their Head after wobbly start. Could hardly have been tighter for Eng;
' No Eng., no Par-ty...'

[Galfon]

Party could be over soon for Eng unless they tonk the hosts (US).
Afg beat Oz to leave the semi slots wide open.

[Galfon]

70 -sh from 15 with all wickets in hand suggests job done
Always good to see a hat-trick (Jordan).- 3 here in recent days now

[Banquo]

oops...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/art ... nng85x104o

[Galfon]

Navigating dampness & possible future wetness seems to be a bit of a theme in the Windies at this time, Eng choose to bowl first on a slowie, for place in final v. SA, who despatched Afg comfortably earlier on a challenging strip at Lara-Stad.

[Banquo]

Not much savvy on display

[Banquo]

This team needs a bit of a culling.

Dire batting and very patchy bowling

[Galfon]

This team needs a bit of a culling.
Dire batting and very patchy bowling

Yup, Beaker-lobbingly poor.
Re-set needed.

[fivepointer]

That was a lame effort. Time for a shake up.

[Banquo]

Jimmy. Fantastic. Legend.

[Puja]

Jimmy. Fantastic. Legend.

Such a shame he's not being allowed to play out the series. I get that we're looking to move on and build for the next Ashes and that we're doing him a mark of respect by giving him "one last Test" instead of binning him off-screen (like they've done with Foakes), but I'd like to've seen him overtake Warne in terms of wickets and it feels weird forcing retirement on him halfway through a series.

Puja

[Banquo]

Jimmy. Fantastic. Legend.

Such a shame he's not being allowed to play out the series. I get that we're looking to move on and build for the next Ashes and that we're doing him a mark of respect by giving him "one last Test" instead of binning him off-screen (like they've done with Foakes), but I'd like to've seen him overtake Warne in terms of wickets and it feels weird forcing retirement on him halfway through a series.

Puja

Agree emotionally. But also need to move on, harsh world and all that.

[Puja]

Jimmy. Fantastic. Legend.

Such a shame he's not being allowed to play out the series. I get that we're looking to move on and build for the next Ashes and that we're doing him a mark of respect by giving him "one last Test" instead of binning him off-screen (like they've done with Foakes), but I'd like to've seen him overtake Warne in terms of wickets and it feels weird forcing retirement on him halfway through a series.

Puja

Agree emotionally. But also need to move on, harsh world and all that.

Agree on the general respect about moving on, but then why the hell are we playing Woakes and Wood, who are 35 and 34? That goes doubly for Woakes, who is vicious in English conditions, but a complete waste of space as soon as he gets his passport out, so has a very limited lifespan. I'd be absolutely behind binning Jimmy mid-series if we were planning on blooding the next generation of pace who will take us through to the next Ashes OR I'd be absolutely behind keeping some of the old guard there to shepherd the youngsters and give vital support and control if it starts not going well. I don't get how we're ditching Jimmy and then not playing the young pace attack.

Puja

[Banquo]

Such a shame he's not being allowed to play out the series. I get that we're looking to move on and build for the next Ashes and that we're doing him a mark of respect by giving him "one last Test" instead of binning him off-screen (like they've done with Foakes), but I'd like to've seen him overtake Warne in terms of wickets and it feels weird forcing retirement on him halfway through a series.

Puja

Agree emotionally. But also need to move on, harsh world and all that.

Agree on the general respect about moving on, but then why the hell are we playing Woakes and Wood, who are 35 and 34? That goes doubly for Woakes, who is vicious in English conditions, but a complete waste of space as soon as he gets his passport out, so has a very limited lifespan. I'd be absolutely behind binning Jimmy mid-series if we were planning on blooding the next generation of pace who will take us through to the next Ashes OR I'd be absolutely behind keeping some of the old guard there to shepherd the youngsters and give vital support and control if it starts not going well. I don't get how we're ditching Jimmy and then not playing the young pace attack.

Puja

Kinda, but certainly wood has had more impact when fit than Jimmy and Woakes has a different job.

Mind I’d started from the viewpoint that it was Jimmys choice to step down, and it wasn’t. They gave him the choice of where, somewhat different

[Banquo]

looks like Jimmy would have been handy. Attack being flayed, relatively, by a poor WI lineup this time.

[Stom]

looks like Jimmy would have been handy. Attack being flayed, relatively, by a poor WI lineup this time.

Won comfortably in the end.

I still don't see why Woakes is there...but there are a number of injuries, no?

[Banquo]

looks like Jimmy would have been handy. Attack being flayed, relatively, by a poor WI lineup this time.

Won comfortably in the end.

I still don't see why Woakes is there...but there are a number of injuries, no?

Need an experienced swing bowler, decent bat, was excellent last summer lest we forget