The ODI thread

[Tubby Isaacs]

The last time people were so uninterested in a series, England and India played some wonderful stuff.

So far Joe Denley's got injured playing football, sending Ian Botham off on one. Perhaps if he'd done more fitness stuff he might not have been finished at age 32.

[longeared]

The ODI thread

That India series proved that seven matches is not too long for a series if the cricket is of a good quality. Fingers crossed it'll be the same again.

Good time ahead for ODI fans though, as England could play up to seventeen of them before their next Test match.

[Gambrinus]

The ODI thread

What's the weather like there?

It's approaching midnight here and if it's raining I'm going to give up and go to bed...

[Gangster Octopus]

The ODI thread

It's pleasant enough in Harrow; I'd expect it to go ahead.

[Tubby Isaacs]

The ODI thread

England going well chasing a decent target.

Michael Holding, who I've always respected seems to have been struck by Sky-itis. "England have to do something in this powerplay", he told us. They needed about 5 1/2 an over with 9 wickets standing on a good pitch.

[Tubby Isaacs]

The ODI thread

Hard luck, England, well bowled Australia at the death.

Hussain was Sky-ing a bit, even if he's very good overall. Apparently Australia "desperately" needed Luke Wright's wicket when England wanted twelve an over. Then Cameron White signalled a four, because it was a four, but Sky managed to find a camera where it only looked about 80% like a four. "Could that be vital etc?"

Above all though a reminder of what a pleasure cricket is compared with top level football. Had a full toss in the last over been signalled as a no-ball England might well have won. No dissent from Rashid or Sidebottom, and I expect Andy Flower won't turn up for the interview foaming at the mouth like (insert any manager here).

[Etienne]

The ODI thread

I think England got a little hung up on the second powerplay, they needed to up the rate earlier but none of the top order seemed to be willing to do that - Shah unluckily out just as he seemed to be about to step up a gear.

I think Prior is a poor choice to have in during power play overs. He's a good striker of the ball, but he doesn't go aerial well, and he's not a good enough shot player to find the gaps consistently when there are 9 fielders in the circle. I think on a pitch like that sending in Broad or Swann at three would be a decent plan, between overs 7-14 say. Obviously you wouldn't if the ball was swinging or something.

[Tubby Isaacs]

The ODI thread

I know Swann and Broad had that wonderful partnership in the test match, but Bracken or Lee or whoever would quickly zero in yorker length in an ODI. Stuart Clark in the test match kept on bowling fairly normal first class stuff. I had the feeling Clark's test career was disappearing in that session.

Shah was number 3 at one time, wasn't he?

Btw, saw England's 2007 Commonwealth Bank Series team. Only Strauss and Collingwood are still in. Strauss is probably there just to avoid splitting the captaincy, so that's lamentable continuity. I think only Flintoff was unavailable for this game out of the 9 who aren't playing now.

[Guest]

The ODI thread

Tubby Isaacs wrote:

So far Joe Denley's got injured playing football, sending Ian Botham off on one. Perhaps if he'd done more fitness stuff he might not have been finished at age 32.

But don't forget he did march up and down Britain a few times after he retired, for charity, which the likes of Denley are hardly going to do...

[Gangster Octopus]

The ODI thread

Much as I love our Ryan, if it'd been Adil Rashid facing that last ball needing a six, I think he'd've done better.

[Tubby Isaacs]

The ODI thread

Yeah they didn't make that much effort to get two on the second last ball, as I recall.

Rashid played a couple of excellent offside strokes, I thought. Promising.

[Etienne]

The ODI thread

I'd have more faith in Broad than Swann, but I'm not basing it on his test batting, but on his one day stuff. I think he'd actually do better if he was coming in allowed to take risks, but not compelled to do so as he has to at 7-9.

Shah is an interesting player. He paces innings well, I think scoring steadily but with the ability to up the tempo. But he does have a habit of getting out having got set before he can accelerate. An excellent foil player, but I don't think an ideal player to set the team agenda.

GO, I don't think Rashid is much of a 6 hitter, great game though he had. Even todays bats can't stop it being a bit tricky for someone his size to hit a medium pace yorker over extra cover.

[Etienne]

The ODI thread

They did get 2 runs on the second last ball, Tubby.

Sequence was dot ball (Rashid swing and a miss), 4, 1, dot (Sidebottom's leave), 2, 1.

[Wizard in Black]

The ODI thread

The commonwealth bank series in 07 was a bit of a joke, especially towards the end...major overkill in ODI cricket. I swear there were more england fans in the latter matches. I wish I'd put some money on england winning, seemed so unlikely they'd win anything that tour. Paul Nixon certainly enjoyed it.

I'm too lazy to search on cricinfo, but am I right in thinking that out of 21 games played by all 3 sides, england won 4 including the deciders? And Australia won all their games but the final two?

It's a shame these games are at the fag end of the summer too, and way up in the northern territories. It's a well known fact in the UK that oz ex-pats rarely leave London let alone hammersmith. At least with India they have a sizeable NRI community across the UK. They seem to love their ODI cricket more than the 5 day format.

[Gangster Octopus]

The ODI thread

I wasn't expecting him to actually get it, I just thought he'd've had a better go, that's all.

[Tubby Isaacs]

The ODI thread

Yes, I recalled later that they did get 2. I was expecting them to go for the 3, which would have been a risk but it would have opened up the possibility of 4 to tie, wouldn't it?

[Tubby Isaacs]

The ODI thread

A dreadful anti-climax. Atherton backed up Etienne's point about Swann being a good hitter over the top.

I'm seeing the main problem as people getting out when set. The "New" Alistair Cook might be the man for the job.

[Etienne]

The ODI thread

Wizard, although the 20/20 were in Manchester, both ODIs have been in London and the next couple are in Hampshire, so they aren't going oop noorth.

Just a generally depressing performance again. The bowling is decent, though we still lack a wicket taking threat in the middle overs. But the batting is pitiful. I don't see how this England team will ever score 280+.

[Tubby Isaacs]

The ODI thread

And that performance was with the extra batsman picked,

[Gangster Octopus]

The ODI thread

What was the point in delaying that last power play until it was too late?

[adams house cat]

The ODI thread

All right, I've been away from cricket for way too long.

What the hell is a power play? I thought that was (ice) hockey.

[Gangster Octopus]

The ODI thread

It's summat to do with field placings. I'll let someone more intelligent explain.

[Gangster Octopus]

The ODI thread

We've gone in first today. And still collapsed...

[longeared]

The ODI thread

And we've won the toss in every match so far. You worry what might happen when the Aussies get the choice of conditions...

[Tubby Isaacs]

The ODI thread

AHC, the powerplay is a set of overs where the fielding side have to have a certain number of fielders in the circle (including, I think, two close catchers). The first 10 overs are compulsory powerplay overs, and then there are 2 more blocks of 5 chosen, one each chosen by the batting side and the fielding side.

Obviously, if you're fielding you choose to take it when you won't concede many extra runs. So very often it's taken at 10-15. Brian Lara once left a powerplay to the last 5 overs and his attack got hammered to all quarters. Batting powerplays typically come later- in the last ODI, England took theirs when they'd already lost 9 wickets and virtually lost.

I'm sure there are a couple of mistakes in here but you get the drift.