The All New World Cup 2023 Thread.

[sussexpob]

South Africa peaking too early?

[GarlicJam]

do they have the bottom once it comes down to sudden death, though?

the way things are beginning to shape up, I could see a SA/Aus SF. That'd be quite tricky for SA.... lots of baggage would come with that fixture

I reckon it will take a lot of work from their media and the past players who do have scars from previous Aus encounters, to successfully plant the doubt and fear into this new crop of players.

It will be a failure for India and RSA for them to not make the final.


Of course, it is only going to take the one off day, and I hope the media in Sefferland are busy sewing the seeds of doubt...

[bigfluffylemon]

SA and India all but assured for the knockouts, but not technically through as five teams can theoretically finish on 12 - India, SA, NZ, Aus and Afghanistan. Would take a mighty odd combination of results though.

NZ seem to have a growing injury list and could be in a spot of bother, but their toughest matches are out of the way now. They should beat Sri Lanka, although Pakistan might give them grief. Still, 10 points should be enough for them to qualify unless Afghanistan somehow beat Australia.

[bigfluffylemon]

Somehow, England (and Sri Lanka and Netherlands) still have a theoretical path:

Netherlands beat Afghanistan
Pakistan beat New Zealand
England beat Australia
Afghanistan beat Australia
England beat Netherlands
Sri Lanka beat New Zealand
South Africa beat Afghanistan
Bangladesh beat Australia
England beat Pakistan
Sri Lanka lose to at least one of India or Bangladesh

That leaves England, Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand and Afghanistan on 8 points, and Sri Lanka too if they beat one of India or Bangladesh (and Netherlands also if they beat India...) with NRR the deciding factor.

Of course, those results are not going to happen (although if you look down them, none are individually out of the question. Afghanistan and Bangladesh beating Australia and Sri Lanka beating New Zealand seem least likely, along with England winning anything...), but even then, England need to be in the top 2 for NRR, so not only do they need to win all three games, they need to win them by huge margins and hope Sri Lanka thump New Zealand.

[Arthur Crabtree]

You'll get good odds on England qualifying.

[Arthur Crabtree]

India making SL suffer. Maybe the hosts are using up their best performances in the qualifiers?

[mikesiva]

Rohit out cheaply, but both Gill and Kohli get half centuries.

This partnership looks ominous.

[mikesiva]

India 357-8

Gill 92
Kohli 88
Shreyas 82

Madushanka 5-80

[sussexpob]

Not sure that six Iyer hit has landed yet...

[sussexpob]

Nissanka out first ball.... guess this is going to be another huge chase that is over after 15 overs

[sussexpob]

Both openers out for golden ducks.....

Wonder if that has ever happened before

[sussexpob]

Make that a third duck..... less than 2 overs in to the chase, and this is game over.... at this rate SL be lucky to make 3 figures.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Platinum duck, I think, for Nissanka.

[sussexpob]

3/4 now.... ouf....

Lowest ever score is 35..... 43 for a test nation (excluding Zimbabwe, who made lower when stripped of their status).

Another one falls in the next few overs, and India will fancy it

[sussexpob]

Platinum duck, I think, for Nissanka.

Indeed....