Paid Members gadge Posted July 18, 2017 Paid Members Share Posted July 18, 2017 England women just scraped into the final of the World Cup but blimey, it was tight. England went from needing something like 78 from 102 when I started watching,Ā to needing 40 from 40, 6 from 12 and 3 from the final over, with Shrubsole securing a 2 wicket win with 2 balls to spare. The running was infuriating at times.Ā Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members JNLister Posted July 19, 2017 Paid Members Share Posted July 19, 2017 I was there and it's one of the tenser games I've seen. Most of the England innings was on course but nothing better and very nervy, then you had three major wickets in a couple of overs. As Gagde says, from about 40 balls left it was pretty much hovering at a run a ball needed, with England down to the middle order and just keeping pace. You then had South Africa give away three extras in a couple of balls, and England hit a couple of boundaries, leaving a seemingly simple 10 from 3 overs. Somehow they still had three needed from the final over, but you had Gunn (the last in the order who was at least an all rounder) on strike. She got dropped on the first ball, then a single on the secondĀ which put a bowler on strike. She was bowled on the third, bringing in Shrubsole, who is in the tail end and had previously been carried off the field just before the England innings ended. You're pretty much praying that she can squeak a single in the next three balls, setting up a tie and maybe evenĀ giving GunnĀ a chance of winning it. Instead she marches straight out and hits a four. Unbelievable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Cod Eye Posted July 19, 2017 Paid Members Share Posted July 19, 2017 Ballance has been ruled out of the third test with an "injury." I hope they use it as an excuse to bring in a new opener to partner Cook, and either move Jennings to 3 or give Root a talking to and persuade him batting at three is best for the team... Ā Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Power Posted July 20, 2017 Share Posted July 20, 2017 It's ridiculous the lack of blokes who can bat time. Everyone under the age of 25 has been brought up with white ball cricket now, so they've no idea how to build an innings. Mind you, you can't blame them - that's where the money is at the minute. I'd stick Hameed in. Sod this lack of form. If he's the long term solution (which hopefully he is) then get him in there.Ā Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Lion_of_the_Midlands Posted July 20, 2017 Paid Members Share Posted July 20, 2017 So Ballance is out with his injury, and Stoneman has been released because they are sticking with Jennings to open. They've brought in Westley to bat at 3 and Malan as the extra bat if they go down that route.Ā Ā Ballance got the job because he is Root's mate and I'm guessing Westley got the call because he is Cook's mate, and when you've been shot out in double quick time playing attacking cricket you bring in a T20 specialist. Madness in my eyes.Ā Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Devon Malcolm Posted July 23, 2017 Author Paid Members Share Posted July 23, 2017 Here's a brilliant but also pretty sad interview with Patrick Patterson that I saw on Twitter today. http://indianexpress.com/article/sports/cricket/patrick-patterson-an-unquiet-mind-4762590/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Gus Mears Posted July 23, 2017 Paid Members Share Posted July 23, 2017 That's quite depressing. People forget about Patterson in the midst of the Garner's, Holding's and Marshall's of this world, but a cracking express pacer who would have played a fair bit more without the discipline issues and the incredible quality of his peers. Though for my money the absolute best of the almost forgotten West Indies seamers will always be Sylvester Clarke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PowerButchi Posted July 23, 2017 Moderators Share Posted July 23, 2017 Andy Roberts was an absolute killer brute. Ā Ā Ā That thud. Sickening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Gus Mears Posted July 23, 2017 Paid Members Share Posted July 23, 2017 I absolutely love in that clip the totally blase way in which Richie Benaud (I think it's him) does fuck all for an age before saying "side of the jaw". Ā Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Devon Malcolm Posted July 23, 2017 Author Paid Members Share Posted July 23, 2017 The thing about these West Indian fast bowlers is how effortless they all seemed to make it look. They just loped in, pretty quiet delivery stride, and it's down the wicket at the speed of light. Compare that to the effort Mark Wood puts in, looking as though he's absolutely wanging it down the pitch, and he's struggling to touchĀ 90mph. Pretty sure I read an interview once where Wasim Akram (one of my idols) said that Patterson was two yards quicker than he ever was. Two yards quicker than Akram! Fuck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PowerButchi Posted July 24, 2017 Moderators Share Posted July 24, 2017 (edited) How good was that Women's final today? The World Cup, at least from a cricketing stand point has been a fantastic tournament. I don't think I saw many shit games, to be fair. Was better than the Champions Trophy anyway. Shrubsole was brilliant with the ball. Compare the standards of women's cricket to women's football, then compare the funding each receives and Women's cricket is far and away the superior. Why is this? Edited July 24, 2017 by PowerButchi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fog Dude Posted July 24, 2017 Share Posted July 24, 2017 Apples and oranges, Butch. The England women's cricket team would still be one of the best teams in the world even if they were considerably more rubbish, because there are only 6 other decent international sides. I was at the New Zealand v Pakistan group stage match and that was one of the few games that was one-sided and woeful. It's been a good tournament, but there are only 8 countries in it and one of those looked out of their depth so there's no real scope for expansion. The football team, on the other hand, haveĀ gone from international also-rans two decades ago to third at the World Cup two years ago. I'm not sure about the relative performance compared to the funding received. Despite the fact that football is an Olympic sport and cricket is not, I bet a greater proportionĀ of the cricket money comes from the Lottery Fund. It was a great final though. Shrubsole absolutely played out of her skin near the end there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Gus Mears Posted July 24, 2017 Paid Members Share Posted July 24, 2017 Shrubsole is the best cricketer Somerset have produced since Trescothick. Seen her play quite a few times and she is superb. That was a very good tournament. In my personal view, it felt like a genuine breakthrough for the credibility of women's sport in this country, which is really nice to see. Some outstanding games as well. Like Fog Dude, I also caught one of the earlier matches and there was a recognisable buzz.Ā Ā Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fog Dude Posted July 24, 2017 Share Posted July 24, 2017 Can't disagree there about Shrubsole. The encouraging thing about that group stage match was the average age of the crowd, actually. There was a free programme that counted for the whole tournament and covered the history of the women's game in a very engaging and accessible way. Let's see if the club game can carry on this momentum now. Onwards to 'Western Storm' (*sigh*) v 'Loughborough Lightning' (ugh) in under 3 weeks now...Ā Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PowerButchi Posted July 24, 2017 Moderators Share Posted July 24, 2017 8 hours ago, Fog Dude said: Apples and oranges, Butch. The England women's cricket team would still be one of the best teams in the world even if they were considerably more rubbish, because there are only 6 other decent international sides. I was at the New Zealand v Pakistan group stage match and that was one of the few games that was one-sided and woeful. It's been a good tournament, but there are only 8 countries in it and one of those looked out of their depth so there's no real scope for expansion. The football team, on the other hand, haveĀ gone from international also-rans two decades ago to third at the World Cup two years ago. I'm not sure about the relative performance compared to the funding received. Despite the fact that football is an Olympic sport and cricket is not, I bet a greater proportionĀ of the cricket money comes from the Lottery Fund. It was a great final though. Shrubsole absolutely played out of her skin near the end there. Ā I'm referring more to the actual quality of the teams, relative to the men's game. Not where they stand in the women's game. The goalkeeping in women's football is fucking farcical for example, whereas I'd rather rather Sarah Taylor behind the stumps than Jonny Bairstow to be honest for actual keeping ability. Especially the way she stands up to the seamers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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