2011 ICC Cricket World Cup

[Troy]

Group A
Australia
New Zealand
Pakistan
Sri Lanka
Zimbabwe
Canada
Kenya

Group B
India
Bangladesh
England
South Africa
West Indies
Ireland
Netherlands​

This should be one of the closest World Cups in recent history. Australia have won the last three going through the last two tournaments undefeated. However other teams have finally stepped up their game and India, South Africa and Sri Lanka are a real chance. England have never had the best ODI record so I can't really back them. Pakistan are so inconsistent but they will cause some big upsets.

Australia are still the number one ranked ODI team in the world by some distance but the fact it is being played on the sub-continent means that teams like India and Sri Lanka will have the advantage. I am still confident that Australia can win it even though our two best ODI bowlers from 2010 are injured and our two frontline spinners are injured and will miss the tournament.

I hope to see some of the smaller nations winning games as well. A couple of upsets would be nice and I would especially like to se Netherlands win a match since my parents were both born there. Kenya made the semi-finals two tournaments ago so something similar by Bangladesh would be fantastic for the game.

Opening Ceremony is tonight and the first game is tomorrow, Bangladesh vs India.

 

[Prodigy]

Im picking the Pakistan team to win. Idk why but a team in controvesy always win. England won't win, we got humiliated by the aussies. And that seems to be a trend with the ashes, the team who wins loses the one dayers lo..

 

[Troy]

If they were allowed to play some games at home I would have given Pakistan a great chance. They can still do a lot of damage as they can beat any team when they all click.

My pick outside of Australia is Sri Lanka. They are proven performers at big tournaments unlike other top teams like South Africa and India who regularly choke. Sri Lanka won the tournament the last time it was on the sub-continent in 1996 and they were the runners-up last tournament. They have a great team and will be tough to beat.

The time difference is going to be a bit hard to get around for this tournament. Games start in the evening here and go to the early hours of the morning. I am going to have some strange sleeping patterns for the next month and a half.

 

[Troy]

A lot of records will be broken this World Cup as the pitches seem to be flat as roads.

In the first game India scored 370 with Sehwag hitting an incredible 175 and Virat Kohli continued his incredible form with an unbeaten 100. Bangladesh scored 283 and were never in the game, their key batsmen were just going too slow.

Kenya played New Zealand today and were rolled for 69. New Zealand reached the total in 8 overs.

Sri Lanka vs Canada is on right now and Sri Lanka just posted 332 from their 50 overs. Not looking good for the Associates so far.

 

[Troy]

Australia played Zimbabwe last night and won by 91 runs. We batted first and started very, very slowly. Once Ponting came in the run rate picked up and Ponting was looking good until a brilliant piece of fielding ran him out. Watson topscored again and Clarke hit fifty but was very slow in the closing stages. In the end Zimbabwe were never in the chase as the fast bowlers easily took care of the top order and in the end it was a comfortable win.

England play Netherlands tonight and finally an Associate team is putting up a fight. Kenya and Canada were both pathetic so hopefully Netherlands and Ireland can do well against the full member teams. Netherlands are batting first and are 162/4 from 35 overs with Ten doeschate on 62*. The openers were aggresive and set a good platform. Tom Cooper, who plays for South Australia and only qualifies for a Dutch citizenchip since his mum was born in Duth New Guinea, played well for a score of 47 but his dismissal was soft. Hopefully Netherlands finish off well and bat the fifty overs, my parents were both born in the Netherlands so I want them to do well this tournament.

All I have to say is: HUP HOLLAND HUP!

 

[Troy]

HUP HOLLAND HUP!

292-6!!! Fantastic performance by an associate team. So far in the tournament the other Assosciate teams have score 69(Kenya) and 122(Canada). Awesome effort by Netherlands.

Ryan Ten Doeschate is a legend, scored 119 from 110 balls to give Netherlands a fighting chance. He was dropped on 47 as well when he skied a ball and Anderson and Pieterson both looked at each other and the ball landed in between them. He now averages 71+ in ODIs. He was cramping quite badly near the end but hopefully he can bowl since he is Netherlands best bowler. De Grooth added a quick 28 and the captain Borren scored 35 from 24 balls to finish the innings. Hilarious incident when in the 49th over he was bowled but in the end recalled because there were only three fielders inside the cricle when there has to be four therefore it was a no-ball and he was not out.

Comical fielding performance by England and they have been a shambles today.

In saying that this is a flat wicket and Netherlands don't have a strong bowling line-up. England should be able to chase this down but it won't be easy.

Also I got on Ten Doeschate and Cooper to be top scorers when the odds for both were in the 4's so that is a win. I also put a small amount on Netherlands to win when the odds were 13/1.

 

[ants]

ahh i wish the dutch had beaten the poms. How excited I would have been. Nonetheless, Pakis last night set 300, and aimed to bowl them out for 120 because thats what sides of the calibre should be doing to sides the calibre of Kenya. Bowled them out for 112 I think, and thus won quite convincingly.

Just a note on my tips for the tournament, how good are India and South Africa? How much better are they than the rest of the competition. I think much better, and they will play off in the final. Ausies to make the semi final stage, I would love to see us go all the way again, 4 in a row, but I think we are missing the X-Factor (mike hussey) with the bat. Time will soon tell.

 

[Troy]

Clinical by Pakistan last night, they slowly built up thir innings before exploding at the end and their bowling was simply too good for Kenya. Kenya giving another poor performance. I am looking forward to seeing Ireland play just to see if they will be more like Netherlands or like Canada and Kenya. Hopefully they will be more like Netherlands so that two Associate teams perform well.

India I worry about their bowling line-up. They have an awesome batting line-up and they bat deep with Yusuf Pathan coming in at number 7 but they just don't have the bowlers that a top team needs. Khan and Singh are fantastic especially at home but the back-up for them isn't that strong. South Africa don't seem to have a weakness, amazing batting line-up especially with Amla is such good form. They have some excellent pace bowlers and some handy spinners.

Australia I do worry about our ability to play spin bowling, Ponting and Clarke can but the rest have a weakness against them. Another issue is bowling teams out. We had Zimbabwe seven down for not much and then the tail scored quite a few runs. We need to be ruthless and finish teams off quicker.

 

[Andrew]

Extras (lb 3, w 37, nb 6) 46

I think that explains how crap Kenya are. Ireland should beat Bangladesh, should be a good game tomorrow night.

I'm hoping the Windies smash South Africa to ensure this World Cup is interesting.

 

[Troy]

Yeah Kenya were pathetic with the ball, they bowled so many leg side wides that went for four.

Not sure if Ireland will beat Bangladesh since Bangladesh are playing at home but I home that they will at least put up a challenge. They can't just be pushovers like Canada and Kenya are.

West Indies started great against South Africa, they did lose Gayle very early but Darren 'mini Lara' Bravo and Devon Smith batted well until there was a collapse. They are now 122/4 with spinners Botha and Tahir taking two wickets a piece.

 

[Prodigy]

Meh. Considering how crap Kenya are they did pretty well to bowl Pakistan 12-2 but it really show's if you haven't got experience you won't capitalize on opportunities like that.

 

[Troy]

In a Twenty20 match they could get away with it but they just couldn't stay focused for the entire 50 overs, it really cost them because like you said they started bowling well and that included one awesome catch by Waters.

 

[ants]

West Indies are a side that could randomly cause an upset against a side like South Africa or India. 4-157 in the 35th, if they can knock up 260 which they should if they don't lose another wicket with Bravo and Chanderpaul at the crease, they could do that tonight. That being said, I'd expect an upset to come on the back of a Chris Gayle hundred of 20 overs, where they set over 300. Mouth watering at the prospect of watching that happen.

 

[Troy]

I didn't expect much from West Indies but they have done well so far today. They still have Keiron Pollard to come in and as he showed for South Australia he can turn a game in no time. If these two can bat for another five overs together and then Pollard comes in to finish the innings they should get 275+ Be interesting to see how West Indies bowling goes. They have one front line spinner plus Gayle and Sarwan who can spin it. Other than that they have one fast bowler and the rest are basically medium pacers.

 

[ants]

Well so much for talking West Indies up lol. Only setting 222 was never going to be enough, and proven with AB DeVilliers making a brilliant ton, and a good partnership with JP Duminy to get the South Africans home by 7 wickets. They really are the real deal, and if I was betting man....wait I am a betting man...I'd be putting my money on them winning this tournament. Unless they choke again.