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World Cup 20/20 thoughts?
This thread is mainly an excuse to post this (to the tune of Champagne Supernova)
How many special people came? How many flights we had to change? Where were you when we were in Chennai?
"Hit for four with his first ball, Then got Gambhir and The Wall.
Where were you when we were in Chennai?
"Somewhere you will find him, taking loads of wickets, in a Swanny Super Over in Chennai.
"Somewhere you will find him, taking loads of wickets, in a Swanny Super Over, a Swanny Super Over...
"Because some people believe that we shouldn't even come here at all...but you and I will never die, and Graeme Swann is just the reason why, why, why, why."
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As for the competition, cannae see past India. Think Bangladesh might surprise a few people if they get their fielding up to scratch. England looked devestating yesterday even though they were playing a lollable West Indies side.
i don't like twenty twenty
watching it yesterday it just seemed that all attempts at technique had gone out of the window. it was fun, but just a bit rubbish for a professional world cup.
It's interesting though...
how the art of proper wicket keeping is making a comeback in 20-20. I mean look at how England picked Foster instead of Prior. Foster might not get the runs but he won't drop things and can stand close up to the stumps much better then Prior.
So basically I disagree all the technique has gone.
plus Bopara played with plenty of technique yesterday
Wright is a heave merchant. I am glad it came off yesterday and hope it spurs him on but I can't see him hitting big against good bowling.
that's true
and obviously there are some players who're really exploiting the game and just use different technique which is all good, but so much of what i saw yesterday was just like watching kids in a park madly dashing between the wickets and not really playing any nice shots.
One of the Bangladeshi players was playing amazing shots against Sri Lanka (Shakir I think)
and then he stepped to leg, heaved across the line and got bowled, with ten overs left... that's what I dislike about 20/20. It does encourage some pretty amazing strokemaking (like Rohit Sharma yesterday, and Bopara from what I heard), but also encourages horrific slogs because there's a never-waste-a-delivery, boundary-a-ball mindset, which can't be good for young player's techniques and could lead to some very low test scores in the future. But its impact on fielding is incredible, so good to see actual wicketkeepers again.
See now personally I think the Saffas will win it
although it's definately between them, India and the Aussies. Those three are streets ahaed of the rest. New Zealand could get far though so I'll call them the 'dark horses' mainly because they play in black. (Although I'd love it if they played in beige again)
It will be very interesting to see Ajantha Mendis in this country as well and how he copes.
It's India's tournament for me, IF their bowling can back up the batting well enough.
Otherwise Australia have got it nailed on.
I'm off to see the opener at Lord's tomorrow
I've never been to a 20/20 match before: test cricket FTW. But I'll be intrigued to see how bizarro the opening ceremony is. Big cricket balls hatching to reveal flaming unicyclists please.
I've been to quite a few
It's quite amusing how the first innings always has quite a subdued atmosphere and by the time of the second eveyone is tanked up and the fun begins.
Also.. was that song actually sung?
The BBC Sport chant page always annoys me as I don't believe the more wordy ones were ever sung. I only say this cos one week they had one from Pride Park and I didn't hear it at all.
If it was sung en masse, then i bow before thee.