WORLD CUPDATE XIV: NAPOGEE

One of the main criticisms levelled at 50 over cricket is that the tedious go-around of meaningless matches swamps the impact of all but the very best games.

One of the main attractions of the World Cup is that, for once, here are those very best games.

"Can't wait for the World Cup to start," goes the typical refrain. "Then we'll see some proper action."

Until now.

In their zeal to cash in on limited over cricket's show-piece, the ICC have turned WC2007 into the very thing most people dislike about limited over cricket.

Any excitement that may have been generated by a World Cup of Phoodboll qualifier/knockout format has been ruthlessly suppressed by cricket's current qualifier/Super8 format.

Yes, the last three matches may well prove exciting, but it's taking an absolute age to get there. Even as late as this morning, four weeks into the tournament, the Shrees were content to put on a practice match.

What a fiasco.

Anyhoo, here's something you don't see every day, a reasonable, if willfully dramatic, article at CricInfo.

Sri Lanka's captain, Mahela Jayawardene, tried to deny that his key bowlers, Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas, (and the injured Lasith Malinga) had been rested for tactical reasons, but nobody truly believed his protestations. When you set a trap for a beast as big, powerful and terrifying as the Australians, timing is everything. To have sprung a major surprise in a game as meaningless as this encounter had become would have been a criminal waste of their energies.

It's like Telstra Dome management, who have stopped people leaving the ground to buy cheaper food from the local eateries. "We have stopped it for safety reasons." I'm sure someone, somewhere, eventually, will believe it.

Not that I take issue with the Shree tactic, just the idea they can fine tune when things should be getting hot. About now, every match should count.

For the record, I would still be staggered if Australia managed to win the World Cup. Purely on the law of averages, we've got to lose a big WC game sooner or later. Despite the Yarpies (or the Poms) lack of zest so far, a semi against either looms as a tough gig. While a final against UnZud or the Shrees is tailor made for Miller's ambush.

And who amongst us doesn't have a nagging suspicion that our semi or final will be decided by the toss. That despite the excellent track record (Boom! Tish!) so far, lurking just around the corner is the mother of all sticky, greentopped, up-and-down, minefields.

Comments

[nick]

1.

If South Africa go down against the Poms tonight, this will be the greatest World Cup since...2003, 1999, and 1992...

[Bruce]

2.

I was taken somewhat aback when I looked at the fixture and saw that this is Day 43 or something. At least 2 and maybe 3 of the last 5 super 8 games will be dead rubbers.

[Russ]

3.

Mathematically Bruce, we'll either have 4 more live rubbers or three. But the difference in net run-rates is big enough that, in reality, tonight's game is the only one that counts.

I've said this before, but a second round of group games would have made much more sense. The 12 games required would have been finished a fortnight ago, and been substantially more interesting. Based on results so far, the table would look like this:

wins draws/ties losses n r/r
A1 Australia 3 0 0 1.83
B1 Sri Lanka 1 0 1 -0.41
C2 England 1 0 2 0.22
C2 Ireland 0 0 2 -2.65

C1 New Zealand 3 0 0 1.1
B2 Bangladesh 1 0 1 -0.31
A2 South Africa 1 0 2 -0.08
D1 West Indies 0 0 2 -1.33

Two games left, everything still to play for. Maybe next time, World Cup format Mark VII might get it right. Wouldn't bet on it though.

[Francis Xavier Holden]

4.

Why pick on "over 50's" cricket?

I'm more concerned with under 30's everything

[Snr Nubi]

5.

Russ makes a good point. I've said for an age, that the money hungry ICC shoulda had a second round of matches, of the 8 remaining teams. Then had a best of 3 semi's & best of 3 final.

If they are all about seeing the best teams play, then this is the way forward. As negates 'the toss' and/or facing "james" Bond on a green top in a 1 off semi or Final.

That said, Malcolm Speed has form (professional numb-nut) & the ICC are a joke, like many sporting admin bodies (AFL). Too hungry to satisfy TV/sponsors & rake in $$$$. Which produces compromised competitions!!

[Carrot]

6.

I love the description of the Shrees plan or lack thereof as "you-beaut". Punter: professional Australian.

[Scott Wickstein]

7.

I'm not scared of playing the final on a greentop. I'm scared of playing it on a flat track and us batting first and scoring 340 odd and not defending it.

[Scott Wickstein]

8.

Or the semi-final come to that.

[Carrot]

9.

I'm with Tony on this one. I think we could very easily lose the semi-final against RSA. When you think how lucky we were against them in the group stages - freakish run-out and cramp at just the wrong time ended their hopes - combined with the fact that they are one of the few teams in the competition with bottle - we could very easily lose. That's not to say that I don't think they play unintelligent, one-dimensional cricket as per my remarks in an earlier post; it's just that if the game runs at their speed they can win a game against anyone. I reckon we've got the wood on the Shrees.

BTW the game last night was just DIRE. Just like Straya vs Shrees, a potential show-case for the tournament and world cricket alike, two nations hopes resting on the outcome etc etc and England don't even turn up. How completely un-interesting.

[FredFillis]

10.

"Thapar, a public relations consultant from London, said he had to share a double bed with a man he had never met."

And got his room paid for! Ah, gotta love those brits.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070418/ap_on_re_eu/flight_delay_1

[Tony T.]

11.

Do you think Thapar is talking about the WC2007 format? "There's a lot of anger and outrage here."

Reading about the way the Sorfs spanked the Poms only confirms my and Carrot's opinion those bastard Yorpies could be a handful in the semi. Fingers crossed.

[mark]

12.

Unless something totally unforseen happens, the only thing standing in the way of a third consecutive trophy for Australia (do you get to keep it?) is Murali.

[Tony.T]

13.

Hope not. Can't have the Shrees stealing another one.

You know, most people think I'm too one-sided for Straya. Nonsense, of course. I'd be perfectly big enough to accept another team winning the World Cup, as long as one of those teams wasn't New Zealand, Sri Lanka or South Africa.

Or England.

Or Pakistan.

Or India.

[Tony.T]

14.

Or the West Indies.

[FredFillis]

15.

Tone. Now I understand the after grog thing. You are surely as pissed as a newt!

WI V Bangla. WI are 2/26 in 14 overs. That's just fugly.

[Bruce]

16.

I was having a mild insomnia episode so I watch the first 21 overs last night and just managed to see the Windies limp to 3/54 on the back of some pretty handy seam bowling by the Banga's opening bowlers. Insomnia cured at that point.

[Professor Rosseforp]

17.

It's a bit rich of the Aussies to claim Sri Lanka didn't play their best spinner in one match -- the Aussies didn't even pick their best spinner in the Australian squad.