We now know that England play India on Thursday, whilst S Africa play the second placed team in that group (and it could be Aus, Afg or Ban!) on Wednesday.
Barring a big win by Bangladesh I’m faced with four of my least favorite teams being in the semis.
The irony of that rapid evolution from “We’ll lose to SCO so ENG don’t progress” to AUS fate being outside their control has a nice bittersweet bitchy pique to it.
Serve the mug lairs right.
Of course, being T20 it’s a crapshoot as to who can win the whole thing from here.
They could go out on a rainout!
AFG defend 115 and les egos rampant are on the plane home.
Oh dear, how sad, never mind.
SA need 27 from 28, Klaasen and Miller scoring rapidly, Bumrah on again (too late?) to break the partnership.
My Pakistani friends’ WhatsApp groups are bouncing!
But it’s Pandya that gets the wicket. Klaasen out, Jansen in but he’s the last batter.
I bet! But this is very “it only takes 4 balls” territory.
Currently much whining about the Pant “fake injury” to break up the rhythm and then the partnership.
Bumrah, you beauty!
Always good to have something to blame
Tough for SA, they had it in their sights, but Bumrah just didn’t let them hit the home straight running.
India’s superstars delivered on the big occasion.
Kohli 76 off 59
Bumrah 4-0-18-2
I was at an Indian wedding, and they were able to broadcast the last 12 or so overs on the big screen during lunch. You could imagine the change of emotions during the lunch with a room of 300 people, about 90% of Indian descent.
So, the actual cricket of the first test at Lords yesterday was overshadowed by the retirement of James Anderson, finally accepting the shove out of the side some 21 years after he first played.
You can make a very good team out of the team mates he’s had whose entire career fell between his start and end dates - Strauss and Cook for a start, Strauss especially retired in 2012 after playing over 100 tests, despite starting after Anderson.
700 wickets don’t lie, a true legend of the game.
Gus Atkinson did alright on debut.
WI weren’t very good
I suppose this is the famed English understatement?
Over the last five years Broad and Anderson comprehensively ended any debate over who what the greatest fast bowling pairing of all time.
I have the dubious honor of rubbishing both of them when they first started.
Gus Atkinsons best test match figures are actually better than Anderson’s 11 for 71.
Just a bit outside the notion of international cricket, but my cricket club are currently have a small squad on tour in Sri Lanka.
Yesterday had the privilege of playing amid the tea plantations on the Nuwara Eliya (Radella) ground against the Dimbula Athletic & Cricket Club (est 1856) which is 5,000’ or 1,524m above sea level.
It’s day 4 of the 2nd test at Trent Bridge, and the WI were 60/0 chasing an unlikely but gettable 385 to win, but after a short break they’re at 91/6 after a horrible collapse.
Nice hundreds from Brook and Root earlier in the day, not much from any other English batsmen further down the order.