# 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup. Australia/New Zealand **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [February 8, 2015, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-icc-cricket-world-cup-australia-new-zealand/712105 "2015-02-08T08:20:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 21
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-icc-cricket-world-cup-australia-new-zealand/712105/402 "2015-03-20T10:05:08Z")
Smith gone- probably unfortunately. I was hoping if he stayed to 150 Australia would probably win. I think he went at 148 so am still awaiting a good innings from maybe Maxwell? ---
**Author:** ![truthSeeker2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7cd45c/32.png) [@truthSeeker2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/truthSeeker2)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-icc-cricket-world-cup-australia-new-zealand/712105/403 "2015-03-20T10:34:01Z")
rest of the bowlers look trundlers compared to wahab but they are not exactly trundlers looking at the speed gun. thats how good wahab has been. 2 catches dropped ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-icc-cricket-world-cup-australia-new-zealand/712105/404 "2015-03-20T10:49:37Z")
Fielding let Pakistan down, but so did batting. The win was certainly not as easy as the records will indicate. Assuming NZ beat the Windies tomorrow, it will be Australia versus India in the semis and NZ versus SA. All should be intriguing. ---
**Author:** ![Cumbrian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce7236/32.png) [@Cumbrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cumbrian)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-icc-cricket-world-cup-australia-new-zealand/712105/405 "2015-03-20T11:31:22Z")
Disappointing. Come on NZ. Definitely the team I am rooting for of those remaining. ---
**Author:** ![truthSeeker2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7cd45c/32.png) [@truthSeeker2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/truthSeeker2)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-icc-cricket-world-cup-australia-new-zealand/712105/406 "2015-03-20T16:14:26Z")
[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CAigTtTU0AAoS4-.jpg) ](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CAigTtTU0AAoS4-.jpg) Wahab and misbah:(( ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-icc-cricket-world-cup-australia-new-zealand/712105/407 "2015-03-20T21:58:20Z")
> [@lisiate](#): > > Pakistan get their first wicket early, and Australia have burned their review in vain. Game on. When a review shows that the original LBW decision was incontrovertible, that the delivery was cannoning into middle stump about halfway up, that it would have been a reprehensible howler if he hadn’t been given out, I reckon the umpires should be entitled to confirm the “out” decision with their middle finger, not the index. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2015, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-icc-cricket-world-cup-australia-new-zealand/712105/408 "2015-03-21T01:24:59Z")
That’s why you want to be an opening batsman- get to use the review before anyone else can. Finch has a worrying lack of form- as does Johnson. ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2015, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-icc-cricket-world-cup-australia-new-zealand/712105/409 "2015-03-21T05:04:32Z")
Guptill gets 237 as New Zealand posts a mammoth score. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2015, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-icc-cricket-world-cup-australia-new-zealand/712105/410 "2015-03-21T05:18:11Z")
> [@penultima\_thule](#): > > When a review shows that the original LBW decision was incontrovertible, that the delivery was cannoning into middle stump about halfway up, that it would have been a reprehensible howler if he hadn’t been given out, I reckon the umpires should be entitled to confirm the “out” decision with their middle finger, not the index. :eek: Sounds reasonable to me. When I was umpiring a few times I laughed at appeals by the fielding side. I wasn’t trying to be a dick I was just surprised by a clearly ridiculous appeal - an LBW shout bowling right arm round the wicket pitching way outside leg or a catch where the ball has clearly bounced while being juggled. Mostly rather than getting shitty with me the fielding team would be apologetic. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2015, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-icc-cricket-world-cup-australia-new-zealand/712105/411 "2015-03-21T05:43:00Z")
> [@lisiate](#): > > Guptill gets 237 as New Zealand posts a mammoth score. That was an amazing display; second greatest ODI score ever. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2015, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-icc-cricket-world-cup-australia-new-zealand/712105/412 "2015-03-21T06:17:18Z")
Five years ago we would have been happy if the whole side made that score. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2015, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-icc-cricket-world-cup-australia-new-zealand/712105/413 "2015-03-21T07:09:44Z")
West Indies have made 200. Only another 200 to go. With very few wickets. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2015, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-icc-cricket-world-cup-australia-new-zealand/712105/414 "2015-03-21T10:07:53Z")
Vettori can fucking levitate now. NZ by 143 runs, in a clinical dismantling. Dream semi-finals; it’s anybody’s to win now, with the four best teams left standing. ---
**Author:** ![merrick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/58956e/32.png) [@merrick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/merrick)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2015, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-icc-cricket-world-cup-australia-new-zealand/712105/415 "2015-03-21T12:01:05Z")
On form, the semi-finals could be spectacular - there’s some awesome batting talent in those four teams. Is it asking too much for one of them to be actually competitive? There were some great individual performances in the QFs (especially Guptill’s), but all four games were over as contests before the halfway point of the second innings. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2015, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-icc-cricket-world-cup-australia-new-zealand/712105/416 "2015-03-21T12:40:46Z")
> [@merrick](#): > > On form, the semi-finals could be spectacular - there’s some awesome batting talent in those four teams. > > Is it asking too much for one of them to be actually competitive? There were some great individual performances in the QFs (especially Guptill’s), but all four games were over as contests before the halfway point of the second innings. The bowling of Wahab last night was pretty spectacular- as good as anything I have seen in this series. In the end Australia won comfortably but he gave it a real edge. Now we are getting to the stage where balanced sides will be playing each other- that is, strong enough in both batting and bowling. What does sadden me is the pop gun attack of the Windies-after the magnificent array in the 80’s of Marshall, Ambrose, Holding, Walsh, Garner etc this mob is feeble. And in saying that I mean no disrespect to NZ. My prediction- Aust versus SA final. Which will probably mean it will be NZ versus India. ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2015, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-icc-cricket-world-cup-australia-new-zealand/712105/417 "2015-03-21T22:02:15Z")
I think we will be treated to two epic semi finals. Personally I think they’re both to close to call, but I hope New Zealand get through. They really are the best New Zealand side I’ve ever seen. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2015, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-icc-cricket-world-cup-australia-new-zealand/712105/418 "2015-03-21T22:27:59Z")
> [@lisiate](#): > > They really are the best New Zealand side I’ve ever seen. Although they have always played good 50 over cricket. They have been in as many CWC semi-finals as Australia - 7. More than any other country. Since 1996 both Australia and New Zealand have been in the semis 4 times. Meanwhile England and the West Indies have both been in the same number of times as Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2015, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-icc-cricket-world-cup-australia-new-zealand/712105/419 "2015-03-21T23:31:19Z")
> [@lisiate](#): > > I think we will be treated to two epic semi finals. Personally I think they’re both to close to call, but I hope New Zealand get through. They really are the best New Zealand side I’ve ever seen. They are certainly the most _consistently_ good side we’ve ever had: time was that once McCullum went cheaply, they would have folded like umbrellas. Now they have a Plan B, and players with the skill and fortitude to execute it: they are playing as a team who know they can win against anyone if they follow the game-plan, and England should be furiously taking notes. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2015, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-icc-cricket-world-cup-australia-new-zealand/712105/420 "2015-03-21T23:34:43Z")
And watching Vettori in his last real hit-out has been a surprise joy; you can tell he’s been waiting almost twenty years for this to happen. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2015, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-icc-cricket-world-cup-australia-new-zealand/712105/421 "2015-03-21T23:41:29Z")
[Meanwhile Jesse Ryder makes a drunken acceptance speech in front of his bathroom mirror before angrily smashing it with the bottle and then weeping.](http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11421233) Now there’s a player who threw away his talent. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-icc-cricket-world-cup-australia-new-zealand/712105.md?page=20) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2015-icc-cricket-world-cup-australia-new-zealand/712105.md?page=22)