International Cricket Thread

[Etienne]

Kevin O'Brien hit 46 off 27 balls, but everyone else got out trying to push the rate up. Balbirnie with the anchor, 105 off 146. 271-9 final score.

A good score in a generally low scoring tournament, but with NRR in the mix maybe not enough if they need a big win.

[Satchmo Distel]

Scotland cruising currently at 86/1 off 17. Given Afghanistan's NRR, it looks likes a 3 horse race between Scotland, Zimbabwe and WI, settled by the matches between those sides. West Indies I think have to beat the other two by virtue of the Afghanistan defeat. Infact if WI loses to Zimbabwe, I think that would be curtains.

[Satchmo Distel]

Ooops, but now 112/3, swinging towards Ireland slightly.

[Etienne]

114-4

[Etienne]

125-5

[Satchmo Distel]

143-6

[Diable Rouge]

Ireland's victory leaves them on life-support. The Sunday Independent's cricket writer suggests that rather than seeking unrealistic Emirati favours, a host victory over the West Indies would leave matters decided by run rates.

[Etienne]

Yes. I think that is what I said too.

[Satchmo Distel]

Or Scotland v West Indies is rained off/a tie

[Satchmo Distel]

Zimbabwe 230-4 off 41 overs v WI. Taylor 125*. Very big total in prospect if Taylor stays in.

If WI's NRR takes a hammering but they then narrowly beat Scotland, Ireland are back in it, Afghanistan cling on.

[Vicarious Thrillseeker]

Zim got 289. WI currently 46/1 off 8. Gayle gone.

[Satchmo Distel]

Required RR creeping up to 8 an over, but WI are playing a clever game in that they need to just beat Scotland and keep their NRR above Ireland, so a narrow defeat is not a disaster here whereas collapsing to 150 all out would have been far more damaging.

[Vicarious Thrillseeker]

Yup - 194/2 off 37. Hope and Samuels both with 50s

[Satchmo Distel]

245/3.

45 needed off 6. Would normally be a breeze...but pressure..

but, as above, narrow defeat is maybe OK

[Diable Rouge]

Presumably Ireland/Afghanistan would have to absolutely hammer the other in the final game to have any hope, even if WI beat Scotland?

[Diable Rouge]

Could well prove redundant, WI poised to snatch victory in the final over.

[Satchmo Distel]

On your first post: Yes it might be all but mathematically impossible (like the losers would have to be bowled out for 50 or something)

EDIT: Otherwise Zimbabwe losing to UAE is the last desperate thread of hope

[Satchmo Distel]

Game situation: WI just need to get them in singles: the danger is getting out slogging needlessly.

[Satchmo Distel]

WI win it. Great effort to chase down 290 although Zimbabwe knew they could afford to lose with UAE to come.

Scotland v WI decides who goes through with Zimbabwe. Ireland and Afghanistan out barring UAE win or NRR miracles.

[Tubby Isaacs]

This is a good tournament. Lots of unfamiliar teams, but plenty of competition. Having the minnows in the World Cup has been too much like having minor counties in the Nat West Trophy. Turkey shoot.

If the second tier can play more games each other that really matter, then we could get to where, say, a core of upper minnows are a worthwhile addition to the World Cup proper.

[Satchmo Distel]

West Indies and Zimbabwe are not really minnows though, except in the sense that WI have been playing badly in 50 overs for several years whereas Zimbabwe are a basket case politically. A minnow would be Scotland, Ireland or Afghanistan and I think it's a shame that Scotland won't make it if they lose to WI because they have been equal to Zimbabwe and WI up to now (whereas if WI lose, they will really have gone out due to the Afghanistan defeat, the proverbial bad day at the office).

I think 10 is too severe, 16 too much of a turkey shoot, so 12 is about right. Two groups of six should not have been impossible to sort out, followed by a Super Six or Super 8.

[Etienne]

I agree, 12 is a good number.

UAE out for 177. I think the Afghans need to treat that as a T20 target.

[G-Man]

The Free Kagiso Rabada campaign has paid off. He has been unbanned and lives another day to tell Smith and Warner to "fuck off".

Actually, what he ought to do is to make it a point of shaking their hand when they are dismissed and give them encouraging words. It will infuriate them.

[Duncan Gardner]

16 for me. The 'turkey shoots' are a price worth paying to make tournaments inclusive.

Super 6 or 8 stages are just flogging every last cent from the whole thing. If you had 4 groups of 4 followed by 3 knockout rounds, all of the last 4 would get 5 or 6 games (including against 3 or 4 of the top 8). Even in the 8 team 'elite' tournaments the finalists play 5 others if it goes with seeding

[Etienne]

If you are existing in a world where the contractual and commercial reality of India (and England to a much lesser extent) getting a guaranteed 6 games minimum.

I like this qualifying tournament, but I think that dropping in two more of the top nations into it would make it even better.

Afghanistan recover well to win in 34.5 overs. NRR is not impossible for either them or Ireland, but they do need a UAE win now vs Zimbabwe, or a Scotland win over West Indies.