Group B Discussion

Originally posted by vote4peace Man what a WC we are having folks!!! The number of thrillers unbelievable!!  I think we've had more close games in this WC alone than the whole of last year. so much so makes me wonder if the whole thing is being staged by the ICC to save the game.. Pardon moi crooked tentative mind. Have to agree  this turning out to be one of the best group stage competition in a WC. Watching both those matches felt like was on a roller coaster ride. Kept twisting and turning topsy-turvy till the end.  I'm loving IT!!!

Have to agree with you. it really has been a  very interesting world cup so far. Not much upsets in group A though. That match was a thriller between Ind and SA.

Yup That is highly unlikely but a possibility.

BAN win today and this is a big step forward in getting that QF berth, they have opened up a few doors for themselves now and the scenarios they can qualify are:

1) WI beating ENG - BAN will go through
2) BAN themselves beating RSA - BAN go through
3) even if they lose to RSA and WI lose to ENG then hope for IND to beat WI, then on a better NRR they can go through

among all three options the 1st one perhaps has a more chance of happening, although a good team will leave everything else out of their mind and concentrate on the 2nd option, win yourself and go through.

Windies still have a good run rate and even if they lose their remaining two - I think BD wont qualify. They just have to do it themselves-- of course unless England steps up to help them in a hurry to go back. Swan is not interested in day nighters anymore, so you have a clue here.

Originally posted by Sledger It's all up in the air , but Thursday's clash between England and the Windies will answer a lot of questions methinks.   If England win it , then the Windies are really up against it and I see them missing out - India won't lose that final match.

Super Excited for that game!!!! I think you should be more worried if England doesn't win , which would mean the end of their WC campaign. In effect England have already entered the knock out stage, one game early.
The whole of Bangladesh is sure to be hooked on come Thursday.

Ireland seems to be stuggling against the South Africans so far in this match....then again I guess it was expected.

Yeah maybe so but they need to increase their run rate before it gets to high and it's impossible to achieve!

Alright thats the end of that.. No exhibits from O'Brien tonight. End of whatever slim and unlikely chance the irish had of qualifying. None the less you've entertained us this WC. Thank You and chao

Agreed Sam , Ireland were the best of the rest and played some very decent cricket. Unfortunately they came up against a very determined and professional unit yesterday and were heavily outgunned. Smith and Kallis's run outs apart , they sent a message to all the others that they're here to win it.
          Well done Ireland , you did yourselves proud.

Must win tonight for the boys- worried about the Gayle factor to be honest he might show about and destroy an already confidence battered bowling line-up without their best bowler.

I don't know what to expect from England either SW !  I'm hoping that this last chance saloon match will be enough to lift them to something like their playing potential - anything below that and they're on their way home.

Hold on to your seats ladies and gentlemen.  WI 150/6 Swann has just struck got rid of Pollard. Can't help but see a very uncanny resemblance between england's and pakistan's 92 run like slegde had mentioned earlier.
Or I'm i jumping the gun over here!!! I don't know I'm going nuts over here

That catch given as 6 might well have cost ENG a place in the QF's, no way that you can give it as 6 when there is no clear evidence, got to take the fielders word, got to, pathetic umpiring, ENG are going home for sure now.

ENG win!!!!!!!! unbelievable, what exciting games are they giving us in this WC!!! They surely deserve to be alive in this tournament, such an exciting side cannot go out so early! Heart break for the WI, but they also stay alive... Group B remains WIDE OPEN, what competition, who says ODI cricket is boring, who says something is wrong with the WC format???? 

Really disappointing performance from West Indies. They failed in so many aspects. Way too much extras!!! And I cannot understand what Sammy was thinking when he shuffled around that batting order so muich!! Seriously what was he trying to do? Clearly it did not work! The last pair really should not have taken that second run. It was suicide. Well we all know that the WI is not going to beat India....so where do they stand with regards to making it to the quater finals?

So the show goes on and my blood pressure is yet to return to anything approaching normal!   A far from perfect performance yet again by England , but that's why they're the team to watch!   Tredwell did fantastically well in what was his first game of cricket in an age and the whole side really rallied when the Windies looked like coasting to vitctory.  Bopara's little seamers worked beautifully and maybe Collingwood should have been preferred to Tremlett - it was that type of pitch.
            So Chennai has been very kind to England - two great tosses to win and even that "catch" by Trott didn't matter in the end - although I was apoplectic at the time!
            Will they get through though ?  SA should beat Bangladesh and India should be too good for the Windies , but I'm not counting my chickens just yet - this World Cup is frazzling my nerves !