Now the season is over

So now there's no more football to be played, who is looking forward to some cricket?

Personally can't wait for the world cup to kick off now there's no big matches until the Nations League. Reckon England will make the semis with ease but can see them slumping to a match-losing score in one of those two knock-out games.

 

England are typically peaking too soon, or already have.

You're right, they'll lose the toss, have to bat first, and get skittled for less than 200 in a match that counts.

And blow it.

Then the Aussies will win.

 

Am I right in thinking none of it is on terrestrial TV?

I've not checked, just assuming as much.

 

Peaking too soon? We've got the best team in the world by a distance imo. I don't see anybody close to our level. Maybe India.

Pakistan are ****e, it's no wonder we have blew them away.

I think we'll win it. I can't see anybody beating us at the moment. We have quality right throughout the squad, not just the first XI.

 

Every match is on Skysports

 

Spending the summer forming blisters on my shaft.

 

Sorry, I went off ODI's when they brought in all that Power Play bollox.

300+ scores all about hitting 6's turned it to ****e and ruined the art of bowling in the limited overs game.

Not been interested in the Cricket World Cup since tbh. Just no drama throughout the game anymore.

 

There's no power plays anymore. It's mandatory fielding restrictions for 3 stages during the innings.

 

Yeah, ODI cricket is now very good to watch. High scoring yes, but bowling is still a crucial skill, it's not all about crash bang wallop.

I agree England should win but I also think we've proper **** up in us, we always do.

Some good teams out there; England and India are the obvious but you can't overlook New Zealand, the Aussies or the West Indies.

 

Same thing for me Saffy. It just ruins it imo, I literally cannot watch, I find it so dull players knocking it over the top over and over again and damned fine bowlers and good fielding being curtailed, in essence having one arm tied behind their back.

 

Vaguely similar story except I went off all forms of cricket as soon as I realised what it was at the age of 5 and realised all forms of the 'game' were ****ing ****.

 

There's test cricket for that, to make ODI cricket appealing they needed high scoring.

That's what we now have. The format was dead otherwise.

 

It's just a personal preference mate, as a life long cricket fan I don't see high scoring as appealing but I appreciate others who also follow cricket will enjoy it.

I'll explain it from my POV, 20 years ago Cricket World Cup held over here, par score of around 230-240 made a game of it. Real drama, things could turn at any point in the game with a wicket and swing the other way with a flourish of runs. A maximum score was around 260 and then it's really edge of the seat stuff because you're on for the chase which is doable.

Bowler and captain's field selections made all the difference because the whole 50 overs was a battle of wits between the bowler doing his homework on the batsmen, and the batsmen using their skill to work the field.

Now this world cup I'd hazard a guess the maximum score is 350+ and then for many teams that's a record run chase and very few will make it. Restricted fields will hinder the bowler more than without them, that's a given. And wickets when they do happen will often kill any chance of reaching those scores.

Ironically, having said that I find the 20-20 game at least entertaining, but only because it's not endless batting for 50 overs lol.

Love test cricket btw but that's separate.

 

I also never gave ODI a glance up until very recently.

Some recent rule changes have changed that, I find it far easier in the eye now.

Bowling skills are nowhere near as important as batting, obviously, but to get bums on seats they need genuine entertainment and the runs give you that.

Give me tests any day of the week though, absolutely. Even tests are more gung ho now of course, won't be long before it's a four day format.

 

Tests are the best, of that there should never be any doubt.

ODI's are pretty good, much better than 20 years ago in my opinion but not because of the rule changes so much as because the teams don't treat it as a secondary format in between tests any more. You look at the players we used to have turning out for ODI's in the 90's and it makes you cringe, Atherton one of my favourite players but there's no reason for him to get near limited overs.

I'm pretty sure after this world cup they'll change some of the rules to balance it a bit more but expect to see a handful of 400+ scores and one or two of 450+. Will we get a 500? I doubt it to be honest.

 

England are deservedly the number one ranked team in the world. Our 2nd team would also be in the top 3-4 teams in the world too (easily I reckon). However I fully agree we'll lose a couple of games at least, chances are one of those will be the semi-final or final. Hopefully we just mess up in the group stage but qualify anyway, my concern is that we blow people away then, get over-confident and then fold like a pack of cards the first time we're 100-3...

If I had to guess I'd say Windies knock us out in the semi-finals to set up a Windies-Oz (after Oz beat New Zealand in the other) final. Hope not though.

 

Hold on what do you mean 'obviously' lol, I think bowling skills are very important. I love the skill involved in bowling - swing, reverse swing, off spin, leg spin, the doosra, old or new ball.

For me the art is just as much in taking a wicket as it is in hitting a 50 (dare I say more so). I love watching geniuses with the ball like Ambrose, McGrath, Akram, Jayawardene, Devon Malcom doing the things they did with the ball. Not just in knocking the stumps and the bails out but in duping a batsman into giving a catch exactly where they want.

What was the last world cup without restrictions South Africa 2003?

I'll have a look at this tournament, it's over here so why not see how it is, and I hope I feel differently.

Nothing tops Test Cricket. Shame it's no longer on terrestrial TV as I miss a lot of it nowadays.

 

No mate disagree, the 90's was simply a lull in English cricket, nothing to do with the ODI format. Look at the quality of players worldwide in the game at the time. It was exceptional.

On your last point, fck me I hope not!

 

I was taking about in ODI cricket, in improving the format.

Cricket can't exist without bowlers, but in current ODI style the batting is king.























Obviously.