Super Eights

Yeah some of deliveries looked very suss.

Originally posted by Sledger No tonks , Australia don't play SA in the super 8's - you've an easier passage than most matey!

 Great pity that the weather seems to be playing a more important role as this tournament progresses. What are the chances that the team that finishes 5th will have been eliminated because they shared the points with Ireland and maybe Bangladesh?  The extra day for each match is some comfort , but doesn't guarantee that matches will be completed.
        The Windies wouldn't be devastated if it rains all day in Antigua today , but the  Aussies and their fans certainly would!
       Nice to see a big ground too - it plays into the hands of sides like the Aussies , they have so many batsmen who are quick between the wickets.

        Fine effort again by Hayden - he's in a rich vein of form , although Sarwan went from hero (Ponting run out) to zero after that missed catch on the boundary. It never fails to amaze me how what would be a waist high catch on the fence sails over the fielder's head because he's 10 yards infield!  As mentioned by others in this thread , Samuels has a suspect action and really should have been reported. As far as I'm aware , that hasn't happened.
          322 is more than competitive , to have a chance Gayle and Chanderpaul need to give them a century start at the very least and that still might not be enough.  Lara is crucial , he must bat higher and take it to the world champions.

           Lastly , and I don't like harping on a about it , but just where are the fans??  When the hosts play the champs  the ground should be packed to the rafters - it looks like a marketing mistake , the ticket prices just are out of reach for the  average local , sad that.

    If the horrible weather persists today and tomorrow I think the South Africans will happily settle for a point - they are running scared of Murali - the local papers are panicking already!
         

Originally posted by Sledger            Lastly , and I don't like harping on a about it , but just where are the fans??  When the hosts play the champs  the ground should be packed to the rafters - it looks like a marketing mistake , the ticket prices just are out of reach for the  average local , sad that.

they did say in commentary that in terms of ticket sales the match was all but a sell out, though you are right about the large empty spaces. They did speculate that maybe people had bought seats but then took occupation on the grass bank instead.

let's hope the sun turns up as well

  I'm with you all the way Bondy , but when has sound commonsense ever influenced the ICC?  Today I read that the top man running the WC says that the semis and final are sold out and he's happy with the crowds so far.

    I'm no marketing man , but I could've sold out the 2 semis and the final by standing on a quiet street corner here in Cape Town - not much savvy needed to do that!
     That he's happy with the attendances is disconcerting . In a cricket mad part of the world the masses are priced out of the showpiece , that's a disgrace.

Originally posted by Sledger It strikes me that some sides have been dealt a better hand than others when you consider the venues for each fixture in the super 8's. Just look at the number of times each side plays at a certain place and comment on who you feel has been looked after well or not so well.     Team           Antigua         Guyana         Grenada       Barbados Australia             3                    0                    2                    1 West Indies         2                   1                    1                    2 South Africa       0                    3                    2                    1 Sri Lanka            1                    2                    3                    0 New Zealand      2                    1                    3                    0 Ireland                0                    3                    1                    2 England             2                     1                    0                   3 Bangladesh       2                     1                   0                    3  It seems to me that SA have drawn the short straw. Guyana's weather must be a major concern , a few no-results could seriously damage SA's chance of a semifinal birth.   Australia , on the other hand seem to have the best of it - that win over SA might have been worth a lot more than just the two points.

Originally posted by spin wizard Not really Daisy! Remember, the Windies have to play everyteam except the Irish so it doesn't matter in which order they play the 2nd place of this group or the 1st place!   And for some people, you might see d2 on the fixture for the windies and they are playing the Aussies. D2 doesn't mean the team that finished 2nd in group d. The ICC had already given the seeded teams a tag.

Well, it's rules! I don't know how in the world they haven't reported him as yet whether he is good or bad with the ball. 

Problem is, he can't be called, so if it affects the outcome of a game, it will be too late when he gets sited.

No surprise there really! Guyana is always a beauty to bat on! The short stuff from the proteas won't work on these surfaces!

There is a lad back here and he says all the track in Guyana plays the same. They are flat and grassless - makes you toil all day long. He was speaking from his experience with the Windward Island U-19 side so......

Samuels dismissal was absolutely disgusting, no ticker what so ever.

Edited by 143no - 28 March 2007 at 3:24pm

Has Langeveldt come to the party or what?  I am not sure if he is taking the pace off the ball now and then or if the pitch is just making the ball stop on the batsman a bit.  Jayasuriya and Jayawardene both played their shots way too early.  didn't read the pace of the ball.

Was that Jonty Rhodes???....Oh no Im sorry it was Herschelle Gibbs!!!!!!!  Brilliant!!!!!!!