Cricket World Cup 2019

[diggedy derek]

Stokes was heard to say “you’ve just caught the World Cup, but unfortunately your foot was on the boundary.”

[Greenlander]

Trent Boult was the one who stepped on the rope. I guess more clear thinking would have seen him just push it towards Guptill who I think was near him but knowing it was Stokes' wicket and the match.

[Ray de Galles]

Guptill will be haunted, the poor guy. The overthrows were decisive and he couldn't get 2 off the last ball.

In all the chaos, I didn't realise it was Guptil with the overthrows. Was he a strange choice for the Super Over, isn't de Grandhomme more of the kind of big hitter you'd want?

Who was it that seemed to have stopped Stokes' six but fell back on the boundary rope? I felt awful for them too but, again, making out detail by that point was nearly impossible.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

I feel absolutely terrible for NZ, who had the game won only to tie it thanks to the fact that Stoke's dive gave four overthrows. That's something I don't think I've ever seen before, and to see it happen on the third-last ball of a world cup final is nuts. And then to lose it on a stat that they would never have thought to play for, rather than through cricketing - although, as everyone has said, they knew by the time they played the super-over, so it's not some kind of fiddle. Or not being aware of a D/L score, or a run rate calculation doing crazy stuff. It's just extraordinary bad luck.

Yeah I've got mixed feelings about this too and I didn't realise until the start of the super overs that that was going to come into play, and I guess most people didn't as super overs themselves are very rare occurrences. Cricket is a game of stats and one way or another you win or lose by stats - theres a lot on twitter about the different ways England would have otherwise won (e.g. placing in the group stage, run rate in the tournament), which conveniently ignores firstly that NZ took more wickets in the game itself, and secondly that a second bout of super overs could have taken place. But on the other hand the rules would have been laid out and the modern game clearly wants to see more boundaries, so it's not inconsistent that they should be rewarded, and it is cricketing ultimately.

[Nocturnal Submission]

for work reasons, I stayed as long as I could watching that but I needed to go...and it ended up with me forced to leave the screen with England needing 24 off the last 2 overs. It seemed highly unlikely, but I had no way of knowing, what had happened - I didn't have internet, and I knew nobody I was with would find out the score (nor care). I got back to my room about 15 minutes ago, and miraculously managed to find a highlights video without finding out the score or the winners. i didn't get quite the same tension, because those last two overs were rushed through a bit and I only saw about 4 or 5 balls from them, and then the whole of the super over. Fuck. Ing. Hell. What a finish. I'm still breathless.

It was literally one of those games, or finishes, that would be rejected as a drama plotline for being utterly silly and unbeliveable.

[ad hoc]

for work reasons, I stayed as long as I could watching that but I needed to go...and it ended up with me forced to leave the screen with England needing 24 off the last 2 overs. It seemed highly unlikely, but I had no way of knowing, what had happened - I didn't have internet, and I knew nobody I was with would find out the score (nor care). I got back to my room about 15 minutes ago, and miraculously managed to find a highlights video without finding out the score or the winners. i didn't get quite the same tension, because those last two overs were rushed through a bit and I only saw about 4 or 5 balls from them, and then the whole of the super over. Fuck. Ing. Hell. What a finish. I'm still breathless.

[San Bernardhinault]

I feel absolutely terrible for NZ, who had the game won only to tie it thanks to the fact that Stoke's dive gave four overthrows. That's something I don't think I've ever seen before, and to see it happen on the third-last ball of a world cup final is nuts. And then to lose it on a stat that they would never have thought to play for, rather than through cricketing - although, as everyone has said, they knew by the time they played the super-over, so it's not some kind of fiddle. Or not being aware of a D/L score, or a run rate calculation doing crazy stuff. It's just extraordinary bad luck.

[Ray de Galles]

Well, what an extraordinary, exhausting game. There's been plenty of sporting drama around, like the Champions League last season, but I can't think of too many finals in any sport that could rival that.

Lots of little moments to pick over, but really there's no point. The rules were known, there weren't any VAR-type howlers, no underarms or forward passes or Wembley-Tors, so it was only unfair in the way that sport often is, not unfair in the sense of rigging and cheating. England were lucky, as NZ would have been equally lucky if the roles were reversed. So it goes.

Even I can't begrudge England that win, oh how I'd like to try, because witnessing such an absolutely insane, tense, almost surreal sporting event was just astounding. What sport is all about despite, as you say, the final nature of the victory being unfair in the way great contests are often decided in an unfair way.

I was lucky enough to snag a third ticket on Friday so now have an extremely happy (and still pretty stunned) England-supporting son & wife and sharing it with them only added to the wonderful nature of it all.

[tee rex]

Had to turn off before fucking Prince Andrew got involved in the presentation,mind.

Yeah, my attempts at warm feelings towards the England victory were certainly diminished by those TV shots inside the long room, where the chinless wonders were like pissed hearties at the debs' ball.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

It could be worse. They're nowhere near as shamefully embarrassing as Paddy fucking Power.

They are getting there though, and should know better. Doing #banter bets so lads who play five a side talking about tekkers and worldies can show their mates that they've had a "cheeky" bet? Get in - as I believe is the parlance - the fucking sea.

[diggedy derek]

What. A.Game. Wow. Bloody hell. That has to be the most thrilling final in any sport for a decade or more.

[Etienne]

Had to turn off before fucking Prince Andrew got involved in the presentation,mind.

[Favourite Worst Nightmare]

I know we have to have the final at fucking Lords because Lords, but someone needs to have a word with the ground staff to explain what home fucking advantage means.
Why prepare a terrible pitch like this for the final when England pay 50 times better on a flat track.
You'd never catch the Aussies making such a pathetic mistake.
It's not like it's impossible in London. At the Oval England would have walked this final.

Pitches for World Cup matches are prepared under the durisdiction of the ICC, home groundsmen don't have the opportunity to produce a surface favourable for the home nation as they do in other internationals.

Well done England, cricket...bloody hell! Now bring on the Ashes.

[hobbes]

This is true. Apologies if I offended.

No, you're alright. I went in a bit hard there. I too apologise.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

Ladbrokes can fuck off and stop trying to cheapen proper sporting drama.

It could be worse. They're nowhere near as shamefully embarrassing as Paddy fucking Power.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

Ladbrokes are offering evens on Ben Stokes ending up in the cells tonight!!

Ladbrokes can fuck off and stop trying to cheapen proper sporting drama.

[NickSTFU]

Really feel for New Zealand, some rotten luck on the day, but England, blimey, how did they manage that?

Lucky buggers.

[Sporting]

Excellent post.

[tee rex]

Losing fewer wickets used to be the tie-breaker in some one-day competitions, didn't it? Not a whinge (well, not a serious one), arguably fairer than a super over, but far less gripping for the punters, if that's what they're going for.

[tee rex]

Well, what an extraordinary, exhausting game. There's been plenty of sporting drama around, like the Champions League last season, but I can't think of too many finals in any sport that could rival that.

Lots of little moments to pick over, but really there's no point. The rules were known, there weren't any VAR-type howlers, no underarms or forward passes or Wembley-Tors, so it was only unfair in the way that sport often is, not unfair in the sense of rigging and cheating. England were lucky, as NZ would have been equally lucky if the roles were reversed. So it goes.

If cricket in England doesn't build on this then heads should be on pikes.

[longeared]

New Zealand were better on the day, but they only got out the group because it rained in the second week. Or because Carlos Brathwaite didn't hit his shot a couple of yards further. Them's the fine margins of elite level sport.

Breathtaking game, this has been and now forever will be my favourite World Cup ever.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

Congrats to all the England cricket fans. Watching the coverage of the crowds beforehand and afterwards, I must say that it's nice to see that there is at least one sporting culture in England that is capable of putting on a display of sporting nationalism and pride that makes their neighbours happy for them, rather than leaving them fearing invasion. That and it's nice that things worked out for Eoin Morgan.

[Satchmo Distel]

Jesus, you're a sour prick.

This is true. Apologies if I offended.

[Etienne]

If it hadn't been for the boundaries tie breaker, England would have won due to finishing ahead of NZ in the group stage.

But I completely agree NZ were astonishingly unlucky. Apart from winning a crucial toss, almost every bit of luck went England's way.

[Nocturnal Submission]

What an absolute credit Williamson and his team are to the sport.

Moeen and Rashid trying to avoid the champagne being sprayed around.