Cricket-Match-Special ... A forum for discussion

Arthur Crabtree wrote:

Gingerfinch wrote:Any reason why Morgan batted so low or is that his position now?

Giving the others a knock so they're tuned in for the final?

The grand plan!

So NZ are the best over all team in world cricket at present.

Test champions

ODI finalist with no luck

T 20 finalist.

Certainly putting their bigger better looking brother to shame of late.

Uh oh

I had a feeling that would happen.

NZ's time?

NZ very sensibly avoided the need for a super over

Some pretty suspect bowling in the death there.

Not just Stokes who can stuff up the death bowling under pressure.

Somehow I had a feeling England would lose this one. Maybe a full strength team would have done it?

yuppie wrote:So NZ are the best over all team in world cricket at present.

Test champions

ODI finalist with no luck

T 20 finalist.

Certainly putting their bigger better looking brother to shame of late.

Without a doubt.

Can we now please stop referring to them as 'dark horses', 'underdogs', 'quiet achievers' etc. I didn't seem them discussed among the favourites - everyone was talking about England, India and after the first couple of group games, Pakistan.

They should considered favourites (or among the favourites for a tournament) going into just about anything apart from maybe test series in India or Pakistan for the foreseeable.

Hats aloft to NZ for that chase. Really spectacular finish.

I read there was no dew, so no big advantage with the toss.

Excellent win for NZ ... thoroughly deserved

Looked down and out once or twice in that chase - especially needing 57 off four overs : but it only took them three. The reward for refusing to panic after a poor start and backing yourself to get the job done at the end.

Big disappointment for England after the (in my opinion) rather overblown priority accorded the white ball campaigns , going out in a semi final. Don't think the UAE pitches have really suited them - their wins were against fairly poor opposition with the exception of Australia who got their selection badly wrong for their match ; and perhaps led to more confidence in their favoured status than was justified. NZ don't seem to care much what the conditions or format are - they just play good solid cricket. Must have a fair claim to be World Number One taken over all forms of the game , at the moment.

Doesn't mean they will win the cup , of course. This short form is always going to be unpredictable. But they must have a great chance.

England will hope to do better next year in Australia - which might actually suit their game better. But I hope they can concentrate on the red ball stuff for a while now : plenty of work needed there !

After 2019 I won't hold any grudges with NZ winning last night. Shame for England as this tournament felt like it was there to be won, but they lost to the better team on the night.

While the test side is in ruin, we don't need a long debrief for the T20 team. It's a quality side, it's a knockout. It happens. Re-run the game 5 times I'd expect to win 2-3 times. It happens in 20 over cricket

Aussies win the once all important toss. Both sides unchanged I think.

Pakistan start well though.

Pakistan have wickets in hand, they need to start launching this innings.

Aussies going to have to earn their win. Quite a big total.

and a chaotic first over won't have settled any Aussie nerves

Pakistan have done the ultimate cardinal sin of T20 cricket though..... they left wickets on the board with not enough runs to call the game dead.

They ended well, but for too long drifted.

Australia showing so far that total might be 20 short.