**2007 World Cup**

[Hit4Six]

So we'll ignore the rain ruined match then will we?

the gods protect aus

 

[Josh]

GO THE WINDIES!!

Don't write off USA either

 

[Zinzan]

I hope england can be competitive, that's all i ask for. I think with a lineup with pietersen, flintoff,strauss,bell, collingwood and tres is a great one. If the bowling keeps tight i see us having a great chance, way better than '03 anyway(which was non existent).

Can't see it. I've just never rated England at One day cricket. For some reason, despite all the onedayers at county level, England have always just looked slightly behind the times for me at ODI's.

Perhaps someone could suggest why they have always seemed to struggle in the shorter form of the game?

 

[BoyBrumby]

Can't see it. I've just never rated England at One day cricket. For some reason, despite all the onedayers at county level, England have always just looked slightly behind the times for me at ODI's.

Perhaps someone could suggest why they have always seemed to struggle in the shorter form of the game?

I'm showing my age here, but in the late 80s & early 90s we were arguably the best ODI side in the world; Allan Lamb in particular was a great OD bat.

We never quite pulled off the big one (Gatt's sweep in the 87 final still gives me nightmares), but we weren't ar$e like we've been for the past decade.

 

[twctopcat]

Can't see it. I've just never rated England at One day cricket. For some reason, despite all the onedayers at county level, England have always just looked slightly behind the times for me at ODI's.

Perhaps someone could suggest why they have always seemed to struggle in the shorter form of the game?

But this whole new breed of players seems different. I don't know if working with the likes of Marsh and Lillee has made us think a bit australian but whatever it is they seem a bit more ruthless. And they're all bloomin talented as well which helps.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Can't see it. I've just never rated England at One day cricket. For some reason, despite all the onedayers at county level, England have always just looked slightly behind the times for me at ODI's.

Perhaps someone could suggest why they have always seemed to struggle in the shorter form of the game?

Lacking innovation, really. County ODs were always 40/60/55 overs and the fielding restrictions never came in properly - come 1996, when Kalu and Sanath brought pinch-hitting to the world's attention (this is neither the time nor the place for an NZ 91 argument), off-spinners could quite happily bowl to a deep-set field reminiscent of a dying CC game.

It's changing now, Twenty20 is really lifting the intensity - hey, we live in hope.

 

[SJS]

Lacking innovation, really. County ODs were always 40/60/55 overs and the fielding restrictions never came in properly - come 1996, when Kalu and Sanath brought pinch-hitting to the world's attention (this is neither the time nor the place for an NZ 91 argument), off-spinners could quite happily bowl to a deep-set field reminiscent of a dying CC game.

It's changing now, Twenty20 is really lifting the intensity - hey, we live in hope.

Any innovation England tried appeared contrived and forced.

In the successful countries (in limited overs) the top batsmen innovated successfully. In England those who tried innovations as a part of their game were not the better batsman in England. The top batsman stuck to their apparently-over-coached approach to batting.

 

[Scaly piscine]

The thing with the England ODI team is that it's still evolving, from the CT team they've since added Pietersen, S Jones, Hoggard (possibly others). They could each improve the team significantly - Pietersen takes Solanki's place (after shuffling the batting order) that'd obviously be a big improvement. Then S Jones & Hoggard could potentially come in for Wharf and Gough (I personally reckon Gough will stay in the team partially because of Vaughan). England's bowling line-up would then be Harmison, Flintoff, Hoggard, S Jones and Giles - that looks pretty strong to me (Flintoff, Jones and Harmison would arguably get more out of WI pitches as well). Batting line-up of Trescothick, Vaughan, Strauss, Pietersen, Flintoff, Collingwood, G Jones, Giles, S Jones, Harmison, Hoggard also looks formidable.

 

[tooextracool]

personally this picking hoggard in ODIs is another one of those mistakes by the english selectors. as ive said about 1 million times, bowlers who pitch it up in the quest to swing the ball will always ultimately fail in ODIs, and hoggard's ODI career so far has been no different. of course he could have learnt to bowl the right length, but certainly in the test series so far, while he got wickets he was still nowhere near economical.

 

[Zinzan]

personally this picking hoggard in ODIs is another one of those mistakes by the english selectors. as ive said about 1 million times, bowlers who pitch it up in the quest to swing the ball will always ultimately fail in ODIs, and hoggard's ODI career so far has been no different. of course he could have learnt to bowl the right length, but certainly in the test series so far, while he got wickets he was still nowhere near economical.

My predictions for 2007.....

1) Aust - May or may not hav both Mcgrath + Warne, but would still be my favourites.

2) NZ - My pick to meet Aussie in the finals. No-one notable players to retire b4 then. Expected to be Cairns' swongsong

3) WI - Semi's. Playing at home, hopefully won't rely so much on Lara

4) Pak - Promising youngests on the up. Hopefully will have a decent captain.

5) India - Still likely to hav great batting lineup.

6) S.Africa - not much between S.A and England for 6th and 7th..

7) England

8) Sri-lanka - expecting S.lanka to struggle.

 

[Scaly piscine]

My predictions for 2007.....

1) Aust - May or may not hav both Mcgrath + Warne, but would still be my favourites.

2) NZ - My pick to meet Aussie in the finals. No-one notable players to retire b4 then. Expected to be Cairns' swongsong

3) WI - Semi's. Playing at home, hopefully won't rely so much on Lara

4) Pak - Promising youngests on the up. Hopefully will have a decent captain.

5) India - Still likely to hav great batting lineup.

6) S.Africa - not much between S.A and England for 6th and 7th..

7) England

8) Sri-lanka - expecting S.lanka to struggle.

Not much between SA and England eh? Given that SA's ODI side is a lot worse than their Test side and England beat their Test side IN SA...

England & WI are the main threats to Australia in WI conditions.

 

[twctopcat]

Thats a good point SP, if the pitches are like those that Harmy and co saw last year that who knows what might happen. The aussies don't like anything but flat tracks.

 

[Zinzan]

Not much between SA and England eh? Given that SA's ODI side is a lot worse than their Test side and England beat their Test side IN SA...

England & WI are the main threats to Australia in WI conditions.

I disagree entirely.....England aren't the only team that have played well in W.Indies conditions in the last few years.

Since when has Harmison been a "great " oneday bowler??

Since when have England been great at Oneday cricket??

I've already mentioned earlier that whilst I think England are the 2nd best test side in the world. Their oneday cricket is very Average.
They have always been average at one-day cricket. Can't see it being any different in 2007.

Remember it's just my opinion and view that England will not make the semi's. I Just don't think they will be good enough.

Flintoff is their only ODI player that could be considered for a "world" selection. And unlike a team like NZ who lack class players, but make up for it with brilliant synergy and amazing fielding and tactics, England have always seemed a tad behind the times in one day cricket.

Sorry English fans, although i did predict them ahead of Sri lanka.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Whoever makes the Semis could be any of the élite eight, depending on how the draw for the Quarter finals falls, and who has the best of things on the day. Any of the top eight are quite capable of beating each other, it will be who strings them together in two and a bit years' time.

 

[Zinzan]

Thats a good point SP, if the pitches are like those that Harmy and co saw last year that who knows what might happen. The aussies don't like anything but flat tracks.

I normally enjoy your Posts twctopcat. Don't know if your not feeling yourself today but...... The above comment is ludacrious.....
...The Aussie's are the best in the world in "ALL" conditions. Surely they have proved that now after winning in India (very foreign conditions for Aust). They can win on...greentracks, spinning tracks, bouncy pitches.etc etc . What more do they have to do to prove that ??

 

[Zinzan]

Whoever makes the Semis could be any of the élite eight, depending on how the draw for the Quarter finals falls, and who has the best of things on the day. Any of the top eight are quite capable of beating each other, it will be who strings them together in two and a bit years' time.

Fair enough. You think they have a chance. I don't.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Fair enough. You think they have a chance. I don't.

What, no chance of winning a one-off Quarter final?

 

[Scaly piscine]

I disagree entirely.....England aren't the only team that have played well in W.Indies conditions in the last few years.

Since when has Harmison been a "great " oneday bowler??

Since when have England been great at Oneday cricket??

I've already mentioned earlier that whilst I think England are the 2nd best test side in the world. Their oneday cricket is very Average.
They have always been average at one-day cricket. Can't see it being any different in 2007.

Remember it's just my opinion and view that England will not make the semi's. I Just don't think they will be good enough.

Flintoff is their only ODI player that could be considered for a "world" selection. And unlike a team like NZ who lack class players, but make up for it with brilliant synergy and amazing fielding and tactics, England have always seemed a tad behind the times in one day cricket.

Sorry English fans, although i did predict them ahead of Sri lanka.

Who mentioned anything about Harmison or England being "great"?

WI pitches will suit Flintoff and Harmison as much as any other bowler out there, you wouldn't expect much help for spin bowlers this again suits England. England are one of the few teams who've (comfortably) beaten an Australian side when it mattered in an ODI in the last year - WI is the only other side I can see doing likewise in WI. India's bowling is simply too weak, Pakistan fall apart spectacularly when it matters, SL just aren't suited to pitches in WI, NZ have had a golden spell but I can only see them getting worse and they only beat Aus because they played a weakened team, SA have too many poor players.

 

[Neil Pickup]

What, no chance of winning a one-off Quarter final?

Ignore that, there's not quarter finals. Still, when you look at the other teams competing for the three remaining semi final places (assuming Australia's a gimmie), you have NZ as "best of the rest", then England, South Africa (who are going one way at present), the West Indies (who are approximately level with England in ODIs) and the three subcontinental teams, who all travel about as well as Wendel from the Simpsons...

So I struggle to see how England has no chance of making the Semis, as for that to be the case, who else is nailed on?

 

[twctopcat]

I normally enjoy your Posts twctopcat. Don't know if your not feeling yourself today but...... The above comment is ludacrious.....
...The Aussie's are the best in the world in "ALL" conditions. Surely they have proved that now after winning in India (very foreign conditions for Aust). They can win on...greentracks, spinning tracks, bouncy pitches.etc etc . What more do they have to do to prove that ??

They are the best in the world of that there is no doubt. I'm merely pointing out that it would be good to see how they fare on bouncy tracks against a quality attack i.e Harmison, Flintoff etc, people who can extract bounce. I feel some may come unstuck.