Cricket World Cup 2007 (11-29th April)

[puneets]

5 quick wickets by SL spinners and the match is now as good as won. NZ are struggling at 116/7 in 25 overs. Murali's World Cup tally is now 52 wickets (and counting). He's currently the leading wicket taker in WC 2007 (22 wkts...same as McGrath).
Styris' brilliant run in this world cup is over..he scored 499 runs in 9 inngs (with 3 not-outs)

[Sandeep]

What an innings from Mahela Jayawardene. But he should understand that not everytime he can get away with an innings like that. His first 10 runs have come at an excruciating pace. Sri Lanka would have been in doldrums had he lost his wicket then. Any good team wouldn't have let him score a century from that position. NZ was awful in the field yesterday and Bond was never as effective as he could be. He was always searching for the line. Newzealand required that one elusive "star performer" who can turn the things in crucial matches. They always lacked that one star, ala a Warne for AUS in 1996 and 1999, a ponting in 2003, a Wasim Akram for Pak in 1992, an Amarnath for India in 1983, A viv Richards for WI. Except for Amarnath all others are all time greats. This one Great batsman/bowler has always been missing in the Newzealand line up.

[kujo]

Wow!!  what a collapse!  South Africa are 35 for 5 in 11 overs.

-kujo

[Kumar]

Bold prediction!! SA scores 200+ runs and australia loses !! 

[Kumar]

Bold prediction!! SA scores 200+ runs and australia loses !! 

  Golf contest members are very familiar with my predicitions!!! Usually I turn my hope to predictions. 

[jai_in_canada]

Your predictions are great, like mine, because every time the exact opposite will happen! 

[PKBasu]

So it was virtually a no-contest, with SA losing it by the 10th over at 27/5. The late-order recovery helped prolong the contest, but the result was a foregone conclusion. Australia win by 7 wickets with 18 and a half overs to spare. As comprehensive as they come. Sri Lanka can be counted on not to roll over like this, but Jayasuriya will need to fire. 

[puneets]

It looks like the Australians are playing on a different level altogether. Just look at the margin of victory in every game:

v Scotland  won by 203 runs

v Netherlands won by 229 runs

v South Africa won by 83 runs

v West Indies won by 103 runs

v Bangladesh won by 10 wickets

v England won by 7 wickets

v Ireland won by 9 wickets

v Sri Lanka won by 7 wickets

v New Zealand won by 215 runs

v South Africa won by 7 wickets

[puneets]

Hayden has been a phenomenon in this World Cup. He has scored 621 runs in 9 innings. More importantly, 532 of these runs have been scored against test playing nations (@ 88.7 runs per match!). The remaining 89 runs were scored against the likes of Netherlands and Scotland.

I think that this is one of the most (maybe "the most") dominant performance by a batsman in last 5 World Cups. A couple of my friends argued that Sachin's 673 runs in WC 2003 was better. Here's a naive comparision.

2003 WC

Sachin vs. test playing nations:
36 - Aus
81- Zim
50 - Eng
98 - Pak
97 - SL
15- NZ
  4 - Aus
---------------
381 @ 54.4 runs per match


vs. non-test playing
52 - Netherland
152 - Namibia
5- Kenya
83 - Kenya
--------------------
292 @ 73 runs per match

Now Here's Hayden's stats:

Hayden in 2007 WC
vs. test playing
101 - SA
158 - WI
  41- Eng
  41- SL
103 - NZ
  41- SA
  47*- BD
-------------
  532 @ 88.7 runs per match

vs. non-test playing
60 - Scotland
29 - Netherland
DNB - Ireland
-------------
89 @ 44.5 runs per match.

I don't think there's anything more to add.

[srini]

For the next worldcup ICC might want to follow the format of chess which decides the challenger from a tournament and then there will be a match between the challenger and the champion. Aussies look out of world.Instead of doing any drug tests, some tests need to be conducted to determine if they are not aliens.

[Kumar]

what is common to last 4 WC finals.. Australia has played/playing all four WC finals

And subcontinent team has been the other participant!!! I hope that SL thrashes Aussies.. but it looks very doubtful 

[Atithee]

what is common to last 4 WC finals.. Australia has played/playing all four WC finals

And subcontinent team has been the other participant!!! I hope that SL thrashes Aussies.. but it looks very doubtful 

I can't recall when Australians were "thrashed" last.  Even in their defeats they have been fighters.  I am just hoping for a good contest and that the SL team will at least show up.  Most opposition starts with self-doubt against this Australian team now a days especially in the crunch matches and it doesn't get any bigger than the WC final.

[PKBasu]

I think the Sri Lankans will certainly not be lacking in self-belief. With Murali, Vaas, Malinga, Dilhara Fernando, Jayasuriya, Dilshan they have a pretty strong attack -- with the variety to trouble the Australians. Their three top bowlers didn't play the Super Eight match against Australia, so the latter will be even more wary (and ignorant) about them (especially Malinga). The only weakness in the attack is probably the rather inconsistent/erratic Fernando, but in Maharoof Sri Lanka have an excellent substitute.

If Sri Lanka bowl first, this could become a real contest.

[jaydeep]

As per report in newspaper, Sri Lanka is planned to play Maharoof instead of Fernando in the final for his better control over the ball ... But with Maharoof's inclusion their depth in batting is also going to increase ... Sri Lankan's variety bowling attack looking competent, their main worry will be batting ... Reason is their only top 3 batsmen r scoring runs regularly and middle order still needs to show their metal.

Jaydeep.

[Sandeep]

If Sri Lanka has to win they have to bat first to maximise Murali's spin and also minimize Australian's bowling strength. Australian bowlers are going to be devastating if they have a total to defend, which AUS is certain to put up if they bat first. Anything around 250 is going to be a winning score if SL bats first. AUS certainly is going to face huge problems facing Sri lankan spin attack. Go SL. Get the world cup