The Cricket Thread

[Stuttgart88]

Nerve wracking stuff. Runs have been hard to come by in the last 10 minutes and O'Brien looked shaky in that last over.

Will we do it?

[Schumi]

O'Brien gone. ****

[holidaysong]

Balls.

[osarusan]

Stupid f**king shot to play.

[Noelys Guitar]

Its going to take some rustic hikes from Botha and Mooney, Johnson to get to 206 now mixed in with the singles.

[Stuttgart88]

4. it's been a while since one of them.

I doubt we'll do it now. I've got to collect the kids from school in ten mins. I think they'll be left hanging around!

[Stuttgart88]

Jeez that was close.

[geysir]

Hawkeye doesn't necessarily rule.

[geysir]

The crowd look nervous, are Bangladesh the Wolves of the cricket world?

[osarusan]

Another stupid f**king shot. 42 needed from 62 balls - no need for wild shots.

[Noelys Guitar]

Mooney looked very nervous and no surprise he is out. Now up to Johnston and Botha. They can do it. These two have to get us to 190 at least. Ah ******.

[osarusan]

Oh dear. Only 2 wickets left.

[Schumi]

Botha gone. Game over now I think.

[passinginterest]

Dockrell was great with the ball maybe he can be the unlikely batting hero.

[Noelys Guitar]

Johnston has to keep the strike. Great play in that over.

[osarusan]

Johnston gone, one wicket left, 35 runs needed.

[SwanVsDalton]

And TJ's gone. Shame. Another brave Irish effort?

[geysir]

A brave effort indeed.

[bennocelt]

have to be honest - thought that was rubbish!!!!

[Noelys Guitar]

Pity. Could have won that one.

[WindmillWarrior]

Pity. Could have won that one.

Should have won it :-(

[TheBoss]

It was an excellent bowling performance. This team really rely's on its bowling, batting has always been a problem, too many poor shot selections.

[ArdeeBhoy]

Except like I said up thread, the law of averages was against us beating the Banglas in their own backyard, as they're capable of beating most of the Test nations on their day in an ODI.
We did beat them in the Super Sixes last time round in a dead game, but the Windies & Eng et al will both struggle against them without some decent individual performances.

It would have taken a fairly superlative effort earlier. We can give both the above teams and the Dutch a game and shouldn't be disgraced or fall much outside our World ranking. Though expect us to get trounced by India & SA who're both way out of our league. As are the Aussies and probably SA in the other group.
Reckon we're better than Canada and Kenya also.

[mypost]

We definitely got the tougher group, but Bangladesh are about our level. They can't field properly, we can't bat. 200 looks like a low total to most teams, but not Ireland, as we rarely get it at WC level. Even the low total needed to beat Pakistan came at the expense of 7 wickets.

Should have won today, but losing 40 runs in the first 23 balls killed the game for us. Bangladesh shouldn't be a Test side at all, and will lose every other game in the group bar the Dutch, as will we. Still very disappointed to lose that one.

[boovidge]

Bangladesh may be one of the weakest test nations but they are definitely no mugs. They've got alot of wins against the better sides in recent years and are a much higher standard than any of the associate nations. plus theyre at home with subcontinent conditions which helps them and of course the packed out stadium.

[OwlsFan]

Yes, Bangladesh beat England recently. Big one coming up. Hopefully, England drained from their fantastic match with India.

[ArdeeBhoy]

Think I'll take losing for <100 runs.
Short of freak weather like our last game v.them in Beal-feirste, sadly think we have no chance.
Unless Eng & Wales/ROTW implode in their batting, but they seem to be beyond this longer-term except v. the very top teams.

[Noelys Guitar]

Hopefully win the toss and choose to bat first against England. Ireland are capable of getting to 250+ if everything goes right and the sloppy early wicket giveaways is not repeated. Porterfield, Stirling and Joyce are all capable of much better than they showed in the first game. No shocks yet so hopefully we can be the first one tomorrow.

[Noelys Guitar]

Plenty of Irish support. Come on Ireland.

[geysir]

Maybe 15 or 20 Irish fans there?

[ArdeeBhoy]

Good batting wicket, again.
350 for them possibly, if no collapse.

[geysir]

England 272-2 42 overs, 350 - 400 is within range,
Moral victory if ireland keep them below 350

[geysir]

The commentators were apologising for an unavoidable audible obscenity which crept in to the coverage.
Wait 'til they see the Irish batting.

[geysir]

Commentators says, these days nobodies frightened of chasing 300 or more. That's reassuring.
Ireland did well to restrict the English score in the last few overs.

[boovidge]

Well done to Ireland for keeping it a realisitic total. It will be a massive task to chase down these runs but hopefully they'll have a decent enough go.

[osarusan]

Hard to see Ireland lasting more than 45 overs, for more than 250, if I'm honest.

[geysir]

50 runs would be good, 100 runs - magnificent.

[holidaysong]

Porterfield out first ball...

[Mr A]

Ireland currently 100-1 to win the match.

[boovidge]

nice few boundaries!

[geysir]

This type of scoring would have been grand against Bangladesh.

[boovidge]

Same as the last match. Poor shot selection. We were going nicely and it's been thrown away with a needless shot.

[geysir]

6 runs/over average.
Just when this seems kinda normal, Stirling gets caught.
If that England fielder had opened his mouth a bit wider, it would have been a hole in one.

[Noelys Guitar]

A real sickener Stirling getting out with the run rate ticking along nicely as well.

[geysir]

Butterfingers

[Noelys Guitar]

Two lucky breaks. Surely a century each now.

[boovidge]

massive let off twice in a row. Ireland have some talented batsmen, they just don't seem to want to stay in.

[geysir]

South Africa A V South Africa B next Sunday.

[geysir]

A direct hit on that Union Jack would do rightly.

[boovidge]

ffs you can only ride your luck so much against Swan.