World T20 Champs, Second Round, Oct 22 - Nov 13

[sussexpob]

I've always assumed there was more to it than that, tbh, but that's based only on the vehement nature of Morgan's determination that Hales would never play in one of his teams again

Well, if you want to add the Bristol saga into it, then you can ....

Of course, the main person responsible for that is now a captain of the side, so if it is held against Hales, then one must say it has unfairly been the case.

As I have argued for years, team spirit cant hold a bat or ball.... quite what someone does with their spare time, shoves up their nose, or whatever means when a ball is being thrown at 95 mph at you, I have no idea. If someone takes a kilo of cocaine a day, so long as they still can hold a bat and wield it, I dont care in the slightest.

Play your best players, and in T20 context, Hales is one of England's elite choices...

[Durhamfootman]

no, I discounted the Bristol thing, because Stokes was given a route back. I discounted any effect on team spirit because Pietersen was ultimately given a route back, so I didn't understand quite why Hales was denied something similar. Morgan always talked about trust, so I figured that there must have been something else going on that Morgan found completely unable to forgive or to forget.... I just didn't know what..... or even if there was something else. Perhaps Morgan just disliked him enough to ignore any benefit he might have brought to the team.

It just felt to me as though everyone in the know stopped talking about it and something was being hidden from us somehow


but that is all based on nothing

[yuppie]

I guess if someone is found to break the law then there must be some punishment on that.

Its probably not the image you want to portray to the sporting public. Should a player be excluded for life, i really don't think so at all.

For the record I'm all for recreational drugs and have a past and occasional present with them.

[bigfluffylemon]

Like DFM, I always got the impression there was more to it than the drug use per se. Morgs always talked about trust, I wondered if Hales had been lying to them about his drug use.

But it was very notable that as soon as Morgs stands down, Hales is recalled. There must gave been something personal in it.

[bigfluffylemon]

Weather not looking good for the final.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Maybe England will win on some arcane countback rule, again.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Sounds like Wood and Malan will not be available.

[sussexpob]

Sounds like Wood will not be available.

Going to be written on his tombstone...

[sussexpob]

Maybe England will win on some arcane countback rule, again.

Well its marginally better than Ben Stokes getting smashed for 24 runs in 4 balls....

[GarlicJam]

Weather not looking good for the final.

10 overs each side need to be played, and it seems that they now have a second day that they can play the game on.

I asked the question online if the game can be stretched over the two days, and was told that it can (it was answered by just another poster though).

If that IS the case, surely 20-30 overs can be squeezed in over the two day period.

[GarlicJam]

Just after posting that, I see this on Facebook:

[sussexpob]

Only cricket could manage to have its showpiece tournament end with a shared trophy because of rain.

Its the T20 Final, wait until its dry and play 20 overs

[alfie]

Only cricket could manage to have its showpiece tournament end with a shared trophy because of rain.

Its the T20 Final, wait until its dry and play 20 overs

That would be sensible. But for some reason cricket refuses to favour practical flexibility over common sense. The bit that annoys me is the insistence that if they start a game on Sunday , and then have cause to officially reduce the overs - before realizing no further play is possible on the day : those reduced overs will still apply on Monday even if the weather is fine for a full forty overs !.

Unlikely scenario given forecasts but it would be farcical if we ended up completing a ten over match in fine conditions on the reserve day just because they'd bowled a few balls on day one before abandoning...

On the bright side : 11.30 am here and the sun is out - no rain yet this morning. Hoping the worst of the predicted rain might miss the city - though I am not getting carried away yet as things can change rather rapidly in a Melbourne Spring in any year , let alone this wretched La Nina special.

[alfie]

An hour or so to the toss and it is still dry ! Not a drop here all day yet...no thunderheads in sight... Radar still showing all the action is passing north of the city...

Dare we hope ?

[bigfluffylemon]

England win the toss and bowl.

Gulp.