Roach gets Gulbadin Naib.
Afghanistan 1/5 (1.3).
cricinfo's forecast drops from Afghanistan 35% to 25%.
The punters reckon that's too optimistic.
Odds: Afghanistan 6%, WI 94%.
ODI World Cup.
But finally another wicket. Rahmat Shah 62 (78 ).
Afghanistan 2/138 (26.2).
cricinfo's forecast drops from Afghanistan 63% to 50%.
Just before that wicket, the broadcast predictor said WI 71%, Afghanistan 29%.
Odds: Afghanistan 32%, WI 68%.
--------------------------------------
And at 2/154 (29), cricinfo forecasts Afghanistan 46%.
RRR is nudging up towards 8.
Afghanistan 2/138 (26.2).
cricinfo's forecast drops from Afghanistan 63% to 50%.
Just before that wicket, the broadcast predictor said WI 71%, Afghanistan 29%.
Odds: Afghanistan 32%, WI 68%.
--------------------------------------
And at 2/154 (29), cricinfo forecasts Afghanistan 46%.
RRR is nudging up towards 8.
At 2/182 (34), cricinfo's forecast is up to Afghanistan 51%.
But Gayle gets Ikram Alikhil LBW. He reviews, but the TV umpire confirms it's out. 86 (83).
Afghanistan 3/189 (35.3).
And two balls later a run out!
4/194 (35.5). Najibullah is furious! He bangs his bat as he walks off.
After the first wicket, cricinfo's forecast fell from 47% to 43%. After the second wicket, it fell to 37%.
Odds: Afghanistan 22%, WI 78%.
But Gayle gets Ikram Alikhil LBW. He reviews, but the TV umpire confirms it's out. 86 (83).
Afghanistan 3/189 (35.3).
And two balls later a run out!
4/194 (35.5). Najibullah is furious! He bangs his bat as he walks off.
After the first wicket, cricinfo's forecast fell from 47% to 43%. After the second wicket, it fell to 37%.
Odds: Afghanistan 22%, WI 78%.
And now Roach gets Shinwari.
Afghanistan 6/227 (41.4).
cricinfo's forecast drops below Afghanistan 20%.
Odds: Afghanistan 14%, WI 86%.
--------------------------------------
Asghar Afghan out for 40 (32).
Afghanistan 7/244 (44.2).
And another wicket in the same over.
8/255 (45).
Two wickets, a 6 and 3 wides in a row, 11 runs in total, in that over.
--------------------------------------
Rashid Khan out.
9/260 (46.3).
--------------------------------------
Final wicket off the final ball.
Afghanistan all out 288 (50). WI win by 23 runs.
Afghanistan 6/227 (41.4).
cricinfo's forecast drops below Afghanistan 20%.
Odds: Afghanistan 14%, WI 86%.
--------------------------------------
Asghar Afghan out for 40 (32).
Afghanistan 7/244 (44.2).
And another wicket in the same over.
8/255 (45).
Two wickets, a 6 and 3 wides in a row, 11 runs in total, in that over.
--------------------------------------
Rashid Khan out.
9/260 (46.3).
--------------------------------------
Final wicket off the final ball.
Afghanistan all out 288 (50). WI win by 23 runs.
Peter Handscomb replaces injured Shaun Marsh in Australia's World Cup squad
Cummins fractured Marsh's forearm in the nets.
And Starc hurt Maxwell.
If only they could be this brutal to batsmen in games, e.g. break Morgan's forearm . (Starc is getting lots of late-over wickets, but Cummins is struggling.)
Langer: "Glenn Maxwell also underwent scans after he was struck on his right forearm in the nets. The scans have cleared Glenn of any serious damage and we'll continue to monitor him over the coming days. We are hopeful he will be fit to perform for us on Saturday against South Africa.
"We have made the decision to call up Peter Handscomb to replace Shaun in our World Cup Squad of fifteen. Pete is a like for like player, in terms of batting in the middle order, and he performed very well for us during our recent tours in India and the UAE."
No doubt there'll be several news stories on this and they'll keep being updated. Here's one:
https://www.cricket.com.au/news/glenn-m ... 2019-07-05
Handscomb isn't really a late-overs hitter (which Oz desperately need), is he? I have to check again how low in the order he batted in the India & UAE series.
Cummins fractured Marsh's forearm in the nets.
And Starc hurt Maxwell.
If only they could be this brutal to batsmen in games, e.g. break Morgan's forearm . (Starc is getting lots of late-over wickets, but Cummins is struggling.)
Langer: "Glenn Maxwell also underwent scans after he was struck on his right forearm in the nets. The scans have cleared Glenn of any serious damage and we'll continue to monitor him over the coming days. We are hopeful he will be fit to perform for us on Saturday against South Africa.
"We have made the decision to call up Peter Handscomb to replace Shaun in our World Cup Squad of fifteen. Pete is a like for like player, in terms of batting in the middle order, and he performed very well for us during our recent tours in India and the UAE."
No doubt there'll be several news stories on this and they'll keep being updated. Here's one:
https://www.cricket.com.au/news/glenn-m ... 2019-07-05
Handscomb isn't really a late-overs hitter (which Oz desperately need), is he? I have to check again how low in the order he batted in the India & UAE series.
That’s true - but Handscomb tended to get away very quickly and keep the score ticking over at slightly better than a run a ball. Marsh and Stoinis, by contrast, tend to go at a strike rate of around .5 from the first 20 deliveries - it’s that stagnation that often piles the pressure on. As you know, it’s not just the runs they don’t get while they’re getting “in”, it’s the strike the other batsman doesn’t get, as well.
On the matches I saw in India and the UAE, I expected Handscomb to be picked. I don’t think he’s going to start belting hundreds - but a few neatly-compiled 30s/40s that keep the scoreboard ticking over in the middle order could be good. Of course, at the moment he’s just going as backup, so he may not play.
On the matches I saw in India and the UAE, I expected Handscomb to be picked. I don’t think he’s going to start belting hundreds - but a few neatly-compiled 30s/40s that keep the scoreboard ticking over in the middle order could be good. Of course, at the moment he’s just going as backup, so he may not play.
NZ officially qualified for the SFs and Pakistan bowed out of contention after 11 balls of the Bangladesh innings.
(It could have been earlier, if Bangladesh had won the toss and elected to bat.)
Pakistan needed to bowl Bangladesh out for no more than 7 runs. Not surprisingly, they failed.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
But back to the start of the game...
Pakistan won toss, elected to bat. (They had to, we're told.)
In the first Powerplay...
at 0/22 (6), odds: Pakistan 64%, Bangladesh 36%; line: 283.5.
In the last Powerplay...
at 3/246 (41.5), odds: Pakistan 79%, Bangladesh 21%; line: 310.5.
Pakistan finished on 9/315 (50).
Odds at change of innings: Pakistan 78%, Bangladesh 22%.
...................................................................................
At halfway of the Bangladesh innings...
at 3/115 (25), odds: Pakistan 88%, Bangladesh 12%.
(It could have been earlier, if Bangladesh had won the toss and elected to bat.)
Pakistan needed to bowl Bangladesh out for no more than 7 runs. Not surprisingly, they failed.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
But back to the start of the game...
Pakistan won toss, elected to bat. (They had to, we're told.)
In the first Powerplay...
at 0/22 (6), odds: Pakistan 64%, Bangladesh 36%; line: 283.5.
In the last Powerplay...
at 3/246 (41.5), odds: Pakistan 79%, Bangladesh 21%; line: 310.5.
Pakistan finished on 9/315 (50).
Odds at change of innings: Pakistan 78%, Bangladesh 22%.
...................................................................................
At halfway of the Bangladesh innings...
at 3/115 (25), odds: Pakistan 88%, Bangladesh 12%.
Injury update:
"Glenn Maxwell batted for almost an hour in the nets on Friday and appears set to take his place in the Australian side for Saturday night's World Cup clash against South Africa. ...
Shaun Marsh had surgery on Friday on the broken wrist he suffered while also batting in the nets on Thursday..."
And...
"... Hashim Amla is is doubt for tonight's World Cup clash against Australia after hurting his knee at training.
Amla, 36, was playing soccer with his teammates before official training began at Old Trafford on Friday when he fell to the ground and clutched his left knee. ...
A Cricket South Africa spokeswoman said Amla had iced his knee and it was being monitored."
(Fairfax)
"Glenn Maxwell batted for almost an hour in the nets on Friday and appears set to take his place in the Australian side for Saturday night's World Cup clash against South Africa. ...
Shaun Marsh had surgery on Friday on the broken wrist he suffered while also batting in the nets on Thursday..."
And...
"... Hashim Amla is is doubt for tonight's World Cup clash against Australia after hurting his knee at training.
Amla, 36, was playing soccer with his teammates before official training began at Old Trafford on Friday when he fell to the ground and clutched his left knee. ...
A Cricket South Africa spokeswoman said Amla had iced his knee and it was being monitored."
(Fairfax)
J. Pierik:
"Be prepared to adjust tactics
The Australians settled on a plan before the tournament and have executed. It's essentially built on preserving wickets in the opening power play and exploding late. However, when that didn't work against the West Indies and New Zealand, an adjustment was made, and runs were grafted. England, by comparison, know only one way to play, and that contributed to losses against Sri Lanka and Australia when conditions didn't suit. The West Indies' plan was built on pace and bounce - it worked against Pakistan and briefly against Australia. But it failed from there. The pre-tournament talk focused on the importance of wrist spin. When conditions didn't suit, Australia were prepared to adjust further, in this case axing Adam Zampa.
...
How to deal with the "dark arts" of pitches and conditions
Again, it's a matter of adjusting - rather than complaining. England had wanted all pitches to be flat to suit their power hitters but that hasn't been the case. They were mystified by what was offered up at Headingley and Lord's. They were then concerned Edgbaston would spin too much, thus helping India. Instead, it was flat and, not only that, the boundary square of the wicket was short. Thirteen sixes followed. So, who was that designed for? Another theory has been the pitches, in general, have suited India - the game's biggest broadcasting market. The ICC says its only instruction to curators has been to prepare "sporting" decks. "Earlier, we used to ask for 260-to-280-run track as that was supposed to be the ideal. Now, the only thing we want is that the pitches should have good carry and bounce," ICC chief Dave Richardson said."
https://www.theage.com.au/sport/cricket ... 523vx.html
There's a huge question, though: Can Australia adjust to the really flat tracks and tiny boundaries, which are tailor-made for England? There hasn't been any sign that they have. The death-over bowling has been atrocious. We can only hope that having Behrendorff in and bowling many new-ball overs, allowing Starc & Cummins more late overs, works. Cummins, though, has been struggling both early and late in the innings. They should watch what Bumrah does. Bumrah's bowling has been unbelievable. It may not be replicable, though, because his teammates also bowl rubbish. Bumrah will bowl five of the overs after the 40th and they'll go for maybe 25 runs. At the other end, Shami will get smashed. Two Shami overs will go for more than 25 runs.
If Maxwell is injured, the late-over batting will be even worse. He and Carey are the only ones who look like scoring quickly. Khawaja was praised for his last game, but he was given at least two lives early, so he cannot be relied on even to do the Test-like batting stuff. Then, in the late overs, after facing over 100 balls, he couldn't middle the ball -- well, there were many swings and misses, so often he couldn't even edge it.
The less batsmen-friendly pitches were supposedly a fluke caused by the rain. I'll have to look at the weather forecasts, but it's highly likely the SF & F pitches will be bowler killers. How anyone can call the non-rain-affected pitches "sporting" I have no idea.
"Be prepared to adjust tactics
The Australians settled on a plan before the tournament and have executed. It's essentially built on preserving wickets in the opening power play and exploding late. However, when that didn't work against the West Indies and New Zealand, an adjustment was made, and runs were grafted. England, by comparison, know only one way to play, and that contributed to losses against Sri Lanka and Australia when conditions didn't suit. The West Indies' plan was built on pace and bounce - it worked against Pakistan and briefly against Australia. But it failed from there. The pre-tournament talk focused on the importance of wrist spin. When conditions didn't suit, Australia were prepared to adjust further, in this case axing Adam Zampa.
...
How to deal with the "dark arts" of pitches and conditions
Again, it's a matter of adjusting - rather than complaining. England had wanted all pitches to be flat to suit their power hitters but that hasn't been the case. They were mystified by what was offered up at Headingley and Lord's. They were then concerned Edgbaston would spin too much, thus helping India. Instead, it was flat and, not only that, the boundary square of the wicket was short. Thirteen sixes followed. So, who was that designed for? Another theory has been the pitches, in general, have suited India - the game's biggest broadcasting market. The ICC says its only instruction to curators has been to prepare "sporting" decks. "Earlier, we used to ask for 260-to-280-run track as that was supposed to be the ideal. Now, the only thing we want is that the pitches should have good carry and bounce," ICC chief Dave Richardson said."
https://www.theage.com.au/sport/cricket ... 523vx.html
There's a huge question, though: Can Australia adjust to the really flat tracks and tiny boundaries, which are tailor-made for England? There hasn't been any sign that they have. The death-over bowling has been atrocious. We can only hope that having Behrendorff in and bowling many new-ball overs, allowing Starc & Cummins more late overs, works. Cummins, though, has been struggling both early and late in the innings. They should watch what Bumrah does. Bumrah's bowling has been unbelievable. It may not be replicable, though, because his teammates also bowl rubbish. Bumrah will bowl five of the overs after the 40th and they'll go for maybe 25 runs. At the other end, Shami will get smashed. Two Shami overs will go for more than 25 runs.
If Maxwell is injured, the late-over batting will be even worse. He and Carey are the only ones who look like scoring quickly. Khawaja was praised for his last game, but he was given at least two lives early, so he cannot be relied on even to do the Test-like batting stuff. Then, in the late overs, after facing over 100 balls, he couldn't middle the ball -- well, there were many swings and misses, so often he couldn't even edge it.
The less batsmen-friendly pitches were supposedly a fluke caused by the rain. I'll have to look at the weather forecasts, but it's highly likely the SF & F pitches will be bowler killers. How anyone can call the non-rain-affected pitches "sporting" I have no idea.
And, to illustrate the gap in class between Bumrah and the rest, this time with the new ball, Bumrah bowls a maiden (for the second over of the SL innings), and the next over from Bhuvi goes for 12 runs.
And next over (the fourth of the innings), Bumrah gets a wicket!
SL 1/17 (3.4).
And Bumrah completes a wicket maiden.
Two overs, two maidens and one wicket for Bumrah.
Odds: SL 16%, India 84%.
Line: 251.5.
.....................................
And the next over from Bhuvi goes for 11 runs.
So in four consecutive overs, Bumrah bowls two maidens and picks up a wicket, and Bhuvi bowls two overs that are plundered for 23 runs.
In fairness to Bhuvi, we should mention there is a dropped catch off the first ball of this over (the fifth of the SL innings).
And next over (the fourth of the innings), Bumrah gets a wicket!
SL 1/17 (3.4).
And Bumrah completes a wicket maiden.
Two overs, two maidens and one wicket for Bumrah.
Odds: SL 16%, India 84%.
Line: 251.5.
.....................................
And the next over from Bhuvi goes for 11 runs.
So in four consecutive overs, Bumrah bowls two maidens and picks up a wicket, and Bhuvi bowls two overs that are plundered for 23 runs.
In fairness to Bhuvi, we should mention there is a dropped catch off the first ball of this over (the fifth of the SL innings).