WC 20th Match: Australia v Sri Lanka - London 15/6/19 (Aust won by 87 runs)

[billygilmore]

Will be interesting to see if Lyon gets a game in this tournament. Seems like Finch, as a captain, is of the Ricky Ponting mold: a fast bowler's captain who doesn't hold spinners in high regard.

Can you imagine the shit Ponting heard coming out of Warney’s mouth all those years, I probably wouldn’t think much of spinners either

 

[Eelectrica]

Never doubted us for a second... um yeah.
Great game from Maxwell with bat and keeping it tight with the runs.
I'd be giving Lyon a game against Bangladesh, drop either Behrendorff or Richardson. Not sure who.
Richardson picked up wickets late after going for a few early in both games he played.

We're probably 2 wins or 1 win and a washout from cementing a spot in the finals, so that's something, and better than what we looked capable of doing at the start of this year, or any of the last 2 years for that matter.

 

[Mr Spock!]

That batting order is still pooh though.

What other team has blokes coming in in the 40+ overs to score 8 off 20 balls.

 

[Front-Rower]

That batting order is still pooh though.

What other team has blokes coming in in the 40+ overs to score 8 off 20 balls.

Agreed

We are also lucky we’ve had a soft run so far in terms of the draw.

 

[AlwaysGreen]

Top of the pops atm

 

[herbert henry1908]

Gotta sort out this batting order quick smart. Not easy given we have so many top order players.

For me it should be

Warner
Finch
S.Marsh
Smith
Maxwell
M.Marsh
Carey

Or

Khawaja
Finch
S.Marsh
Smith
Warner
Maxwell
Carey

Stoinis should obviously be replaced in the squad by Mitch Marsh

 

[herbert henry1908]

Top of the pops atm
View attachment 30610

Be very surprised if that top four changes. (Barring wash outs)

Just a matter of where they finish.

 

[blaza88z]

Dare I say we desperately need a big-hitting all rounder in our middle order, we are relying on Maxwell to come in for a bash and that's not a good thing

Our top order is firing, we just need some consistency in the middle order, I guess what i'm saying is that Mitch Marsh needs to get a run if Stoinis isn't fit

 

[TheFrog]

Agreed

We are also lucky we’ve had a soft run so far in terms of the draw.

Every team plays every other team once. It's not the NRL. There are no soft draws.

 

[Eelectrica]

Dare I say we desperately need a big-hitting all rounder in our middle order, we are relying on Maxwell to come in for a bash and that's not a good thing

Our top order is firing, we just need some consistency in the middle order, I guess what i'm saying is that Mitch Marsh needs to get a run if Stoinis isn't fit

Looking at the squad, we don't have a whole heap of options. Stoinis has been a complete failure so Mitch Marsh is probably the one to pick.
I'd love to have Chris Lynn or Ashton Turner coming in then though. A Chris Lynn special of 16 from 6 balls is better than a Shaun Marsh 3 from 10.

 

[Front-Rower]

Every team plays every other team once. It's not the NRL. There are no soft draws.

No you’re right, playing Afghanistan (qualifier), West Indies, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and India (who beat us) isn’t a soft run so far

 

[JJ]

No you’re right, playing Afghanistan (qualifier), West Indies, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and India (who beat us) isn’t a soft run so far

Top two teams at the moment have both had easy runs, NZ even easier - it will all come out in the wash...

Parra won well, and so did Straya - Parraboy had a great night!!

 

[Valheru]

No you’re right, playing Afghanistan (qualifier), West Indies, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and India (who beat us) isn’t a soft run so far

Who constitutes a tough run? We have 4 games to go against Bangladesh, England, NZ and South Africa. I feel sure the first and last don't fit the criteria of a tough draw so you are really referring to 3 teams?

 

[Front-Rower]

Who constitutes a tough run? We have 4 games to go against Bangladesh, England, NZ and South Africa. I feel sure the first and last don't fit the criteria of a tough draw so you are really referring to 3 teams?

The teams we have played so far, with the exception of India, are teams that we were expected to beat. So far in this tournament we have had a soft run.

 

[Front-Rower]

Top two teams at the moment have both had easy runs, NZ even easier - it will all come out in the wash...

For us, our games against you guys and England are our real acid test to see where we are at. We failed against India and I don’t hold much hope against England with our second and third change bowlers nor our brittle middle order.

 

[JJ]

The teams we have played so far, with the exception of India, are teams that we were expected to beat. So far in this tournament we have had a soft run.

who are the teams you're not expected to beat? Only India and England, at worst 50:50 with NZ...

 

[JJ]

For us, our games against you guys and England are our real acid test to see where we are at. We failed against India and I don’t hold much hope against England with our second and third change bowlers nor our brittle middle order.

questions over us too - India and England look a but ahead atm - easily the best all round teams - although the Poms have injury issues now

I think our side looks solid all round, but at the end of the day it's NZ cricket, so semi's tends to be where we stop

 

[TheParraboy]

Ive said this before, doesn’t really matter what you do in these preliminary games as long as you get to the top 4 and play your best there, also throw up a trick or two. Agree with Eelectrica, we do need another hitter in the middle order

Was it 1999 where we almost didn’t qualify for the super 6s? limping into that section, then bang , bang, bang we win the damm thing ( thanks to proteas chokes too)

Another example is a T20 WC,one where Clarke was captain and we easily beat all comers but to lose to the Poms in the final

I think all current top 4 sides can win it tbh..

 

[Front-Rower]

who are the teams you're not expected to beat? Only India and England, at worst 50:50 with NZ...

If the draw had worked out differently and we had played England, India, NZ and maybe SA we may have only been on 1 maybe 2 wins, it’s a different scenario going into the backend of the tournament. Instead we have played the 3 weakest teams and an unpredictable Pakistan.

 

[Mr Spock!]

Top two teams at the moment have both had easy runs, NZ even easier - it will all come out in the wash...

Parra won well, and so did Straya - Parraboy had a great night!!

Heard he scored with Jeff Stryker to complete the trifecta.