Charismatic

Sri Lanka never really looked bothered when chasing.

England knew they where in real trouble going in but opted not to make changes, the failings of this approach was highlighted by the Australia and New Zealand matches. They've still not made any changes and lost again today. Pietersen went so they could back Cook, Cook went so they could back Morgan but I can't believe the ECB will tolerate this circus much longer.

Bangladesh will have watched that and will now be thinking they can probably have England in current form if they play well.

LauraNotts

Bring back Ali Cook and KP! Poor old England - mind you Sri Lanka have had a good few months practice in NZ conditions against and NZ team playing better and giving stiffer challenges than England currently are.

chocolate cake

Pathetic again, a reasonable effort with the bat (but why no changes? Balance failed again) but hopeless with the ball and in the field. SL showed how it should be done, a heavy thrashing.

So that 3 matches against the full members Aus, NZ and SL all lost heavily, and now needing to beat Bangladesh & Afghanistan to through. I doubt Bangladesh are shaking in their boots. If rain interferes with either, a win in the other might not be enough to go through.

SL may have a few moths practice in NZ, I'd say that was good planning, but England have supposedly been concentrating on ODIs since September having not played the usual winter away test series. Some heads have to roll.

LauraNotts

I have to say I don't think heads rolling is going to work, it's been tried with Pietersen AND Cook not to mention a couple of coaches. There is something going on beyond personnel that they need to fix and whilst the desire to slash and burn might give England supporters some relief in the face of a pretty average campaign I don't think it'd help the team long term.

chocolate cake

Changes were inevitable after the Ashes disaster, though whether Pietersen should have been the main fall guy is debatable. He certainly wasn't the worst player by far in the Ashes embarrassment, though his form since hasn't exactly been great. Cook should have gone in the ODIs somewhile ago, rather than last minute.

Checking the fixtures, I think it's possible England could win their last two games (Bangladesh/Afghanistan) and still lose out if Bangladesh beat Scotland and have their game with NZ rained off (possible in Hamilton) they'd have the same no. of points.

LauraNotts

I think looking at it England's only chance is to beat Afghanistan and Bangladesh and to do so comprehensively, otherwise NRR will bite them in the bum.

Charismatic

2019. Although 4 years is going to be a squeeze to sort this out given the results of the last year of world cup preparation.

ETA: England look scared to select and play at the moment.

Tom H

Once again, another lazy Sunday afternoon ruined by some unbelievably awful bowling.

Any balls pitched up are going to be smacked and time, n time again... they continued with this approach. We are playing one day matches, not test matches! I would have thought the 6 months preparation in Australia would have given them an idea! Did they not remember seeing Warner and co smash any short pitched delivery?

Why on earth we continue with Ballance simply mystifies me. Alex Hales is one of our best ODI batsman yet we continue with a test batsman. He can't score, he's a test cricketer. He doesn't go for the shots, so play someone that does! Plus that pitch had nothing for medium paced bowlers so why did we not pursue with Treadwell? He's done well in the warm ups and yet to feature in this tournament??

Lastly we need a leader out there. We don't have an Andrew Strauss, a Michael Vaughan or a Ray Illingworth out there. Eoin Morgan is clueless as a captain. Someone needed to have words with our bowlers yesterday, to tell them to change their methods. Anderson in particular needed someone to say, go back to what you do best. No one did

We are a laughing stock at the moment. A complete laughing stock. I just hope that we find a way to beat Bangladesh because Afghanistan bowled better to the Sri Lankans than the English. Thank goodness Scotland can't bat otherwise we'd be sitting on 0 0 4.

They need to go and see Mitchell Starc! That is how you bowl on a one day game. Line, length, good to full with pace and swing. He continues to show why he's by far the best bowler in the game at the moment (apologies to Dale Steyn and Mitchell Johnson).

msi geek

Maybe they are saving their best for the knockout phase or they simply enjoy living on the edge, otherwise playing against the minnows without any challenge is no fun.

Adelaide next, later Sydney, and then Melbourne for the QF.

bearskin

Going to the game at Eden Park on Saturday. Will be sitting down in one corner, so hoping for the sweep-slog to long leg from one end, or the epic smash over deep extra cover from the other. Directly to me in my nice orange t-shirt to be plucked like a ripe plum.

msi geek

Who will you support - Paki or Saffa?

Blade Down Under

Careful!!!!!

You may get a do gooder calling you racist with those remarks

bearskin

I think I'll be going for SarfAfrika, can't really identify myself with Pakistan. I'm supporting NZ in the tournament, with a hope that England don't embarrass themselves too much further..

TommyLuck

You make a very good point, as bowling like that with such a small total to defend was simply brilliant.

However, Trent Boult did bowl a spell of 5-3-3-5 when he came on for his second spell, which is also brilliant.

That said Boult was ultimately on the winning team and given the nature of the competition it was a huge win and what it means for the rest of the tournament gives him the edge for me.

Had the game been part of a ODI series between Aus and NZ than I'd dare day Starc may have got the nod.



The was lots of high fiving going about for sure!

Not sure about Karma. He was copping heaps of crap from the eastern terrace (including myself ), I don't blame him for giving some back!

Also to give him his due Williamsons winning six had barely sailed over the boundary before Maxwell turned around to face and applaud the crowd.

Charismatic

Well looks like it's on. Bangladesh had a good run chase today, England will need to perform with bat and ball.