DoubleO7
5 Jun 2009, 14:23
http://i44.tinypic.com/333zqqq.jpg
GROUP D
Group D appears to look like one of the easier groups. South Africa shouldn't have any trouble disposing the likes of Scotland and New Zealand. Like South Africa, NZ shouldn't have much trouble defeating Scotland but this is T20's, anything is possible. Scotland is the unknown quantity in the group. How they will handle themselves, only time will tell.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_MPQU_lqeYOs/ShvANiIl4QI/AAAAAAAACIM/hXaiXf7uz3o/s400/New-Zealand_Cricket_Logo.jpg
New Zealand Seeding: 4
They were losing semi-finalists last year, pipping hosts South Africa to the last four on net run rate, though most people thought that South Africa were hard done by. However, it is what transpires on the field that counts, and New Zealand will aim to at least repeat last year's performance.
Squad
*Daniel Vettori
Ian Butler
James Franklin
+Brendon McCullum
Peter McGlashan
Iain O'Brien
Jesse Ryder
Ross Taylor
Neil Broom
Brendon Diamanti
Martin Guptill
Nathan McCullum
Kyle Mills
Jacob Oram
Scott Styris
Strengths:
Team: Their biggest strength remains their ability to fight as a unit, often punching above their weight. Looked at man-to-man and with statistics, they don't have any outstanding talent such as a Pietersen or a Ponting, but on the field, New Zealand, more than any other team symbolizes the meaning of 'playing as a team'.
http://www.topnews.in/sports/files/southafrica.jpg
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_MPQU_lqeYOs/ShvUIc839sI/AAAAAAAACI0/yThudmbsnzY/s1600/southafrica-cricket-logo.jpg
South Africa Seeding: 5
Many feel South Africa were robbed of a rightful semi-final berth in the inaugural edition. To recap, they played five matches and won four of them. Their only loss came against India, but it was enough to deprive them of a semi-final spot on net run-rate. Ironically, they ended the tournament with a better winning percentage than any other team, including India. With a history littered with so-near-yet-so-far stories, South Africa will be hoping that their recent resurgence continues into this World Cup too.
Squad
*Graeme Smith
Johan Botha
Yusuf Abdulla
+Mark Boucher
AB de Villiers
JP Duminy
Herschelle Gibbs
Jacques Kallis
Albie Morkel
Morne Morkel
Justin Ontong
Wayne Parnell
Robin Peterson
Dale Steyn
Roelof van der Merwe
Strengths:
Albie Morkel has not been in the best of form in the IPL, but right before that he tormented the Aussies with some game-changing innings. The thing with a player like him is, even when he's not quite middling the ball, he's capable of hitting a couple out of the park. In a format where one good over can often make the difference between victory and defeat, South Africa will feel they always have a chance as long as he's still there.
AB de Villiers is currently enjoying the sort of form that he would look back on in his old age with misty-eyed memories. He's been consistently delivering the goods for whichever team he's played for - and has some stunning numbers to his name this season. An average of 60.30 in Test matches, an average of 55.90 at a strike rate of 96.04 in ODI's, and an average of 51.67 at a strike rate of 131.00 in the just concluded IPL. When AB bats these days, it seems as if he's wielding a bat made exclusively of the middle, with no edges.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_MPQU_lqeYOs/ShacnkelddI/AAAAAAAACD0/MaM-zH0_6Cc/s400/cricket_scotland_logo.gif
Scotland Seeding: 12
The minnows will be looking to end the tournament with their heads held high, even if they lose all their matches. Anything more than that will be a bonus. They also round out a good tournament for the United Kingdom, being the third team to be part of the starting line-up along with England and Ireland.
Squad
*Gavin Hamilton
Richie Berrington
John Blain
Kyle Coetzer
Gordon Drummond
Majid Haq
Neil McCallum
Dewald Nel
Navdeep Poonia
Glenn Rogers
+Colin Smith
Jan Stander
Ryan Watson
Fraser Watts
Craig Wright
Strengths:
Their only real known face is captain Gavin Hamilton, and he is some way past his hey-days of the 1999 World Cup. As such, other teams will not have too much data to analyze on Scotland. Also, they come into every match without the pressure of any expectation, which could allow them to play more freely than their opponents.
Fixtures
Saturday, 6th June, 2009
2nd Match: Group D
New Zealand vs Scotland
Kennington Oval, London
Timing: 10:00 local, 09:00 GMT, 19:00 EST
Sunday, 7th June, 2009
5th Match: Group D
Scotland vs South Africa
Kennington Oval, London
Timing: 13:30 local, 12:30 GMT, 22:00 EST
Tuesday, 9th June, 2009
10th Match: Group D
New Zealand vs South Africa
Lord's, London
Timing: 17:30 local, 16:30 GMT, 02:30 EST
GROUP D
Group D appears to look like one of the easier groups. South Africa shouldn't have any trouble disposing the likes of Scotland and New Zealand. Like South Africa, NZ shouldn't have much trouble defeating Scotland but this is T20's, anything is possible. Scotland is the unknown quantity in the group. How they will handle themselves, only time will tell.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_MPQU_lqeYOs/ShvANiIl4QI/AAAAAAAACIM/hXaiXf7uz3o/s400/New-Zealand_Cricket_Logo.jpg
New Zealand Seeding: 4
They were losing semi-finalists last year, pipping hosts South Africa to the last four on net run rate, though most people thought that South Africa were hard done by. However, it is what transpires on the field that counts, and New Zealand will aim to at least repeat last year's performance.
Squad
*Daniel Vettori
Ian Butler
James Franklin
+Brendon McCullum
Peter McGlashan
Iain O'Brien
Jesse Ryder
Ross Taylor
Neil Broom
Brendon Diamanti
Martin Guptill
Nathan McCullum
Kyle Mills
Jacob Oram
Scott Styris
Strengths:
Team: Their biggest strength remains their ability to fight as a unit, often punching above their weight. Looked at man-to-man and with statistics, they don't have any outstanding talent such as a Pietersen or a Ponting, but on the field, New Zealand, more than any other team symbolizes the meaning of 'playing as a team'.
http://www.topnews.in/sports/files/southafrica.jpg
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_MPQU_lqeYOs/ShvUIc839sI/AAAAAAAACI0/yThudmbsnzY/s1600/southafrica-cricket-logo.jpg
South Africa Seeding: 5
Many feel South Africa were robbed of a rightful semi-final berth in the inaugural edition. To recap, they played five matches and won four of them. Their only loss came against India, but it was enough to deprive them of a semi-final spot on net run-rate. Ironically, they ended the tournament with a better winning percentage than any other team, including India. With a history littered with so-near-yet-so-far stories, South Africa will be hoping that their recent resurgence continues into this World Cup too.
Squad
*Graeme Smith
Johan Botha
Yusuf Abdulla
+Mark Boucher
AB de Villiers
JP Duminy
Herschelle Gibbs
Jacques Kallis
Albie Morkel
Morne Morkel
Justin Ontong
Wayne Parnell
Robin Peterson
Dale Steyn
Roelof van der Merwe
Strengths:
Albie Morkel has not been in the best of form in the IPL, but right before that he tormented the Aussies with some game-changing innings. The thing with a player like him is, even when he's not quite middling the ball, he's capable of hitting a couple out of the park. In a format where one good over can often make the difference between victory and defeat, South Africa will feel they always have a chance as long as he's still there.
AB de Villiers is currently enjoying the sort of form that he would look back on in his old age with misty-eyed memories. He's been consistently delivering the goods for whichever team he's played for - and has some stunning numbers to his name this season. An average of 60.30 in Test matches, an average of 55.90 at a strike rate of 96.04 in ODI's, and an average of 51.67 at a strike rate of 131.00 in the just concluded IPL. When AB bats these days, it seems as if he's wielding a bat made exclusively of the middle, with no edges.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_MPQU_lqeYOs/ShacnkelddI/AAAAAAAACD0/MaM-zH0_6Cc/s400/cricket_scotland_logo.gif
Scotland Seeding: 12
The minnows will be looking to end the tournament with their heads held high, even if they lose all their matches. Anything more than that will be a bonus. They also round out a good tournament for the United Kingdom, being the third team to be part of the starting line-up along with England and Ireland.
Squad
*Gavin Hamilton
Richie Berrington
John Blain
Kyle Coetzer
Gordon Drummond
Majid Haq
Neil McCallum
Dewald Nel
Navdeep Poonia
Glenn Rogers
+Colin Smith
Jan Stander
Ryan Watson
Fraser Watts
Craig Wright
Strengths:
Their only real known face is captain Gavin Hamilton, and he is some way past his hey-days of the 1999 World Cup. As such, other teams will not have too much data to analyze on Scotland. Also, they come into every match without the pressure of any expectation, which could allow them to play more freely than their opponents.
Fixtures
Saturday, 6th June, 2009
2nd Match: Group D
New Zealand vs Scotland
Kennington Oval, London
Timing: 10:00 local, 09:00 GMT, 19:00 EST
Sunday, 7th June, 2009
5th Match: Group D
Scotland vs South Africa
Kennington Oval, London
Timing: 13:30 local, 12:30 GMT, 22:00 EST
Tuesday, 9th June, 2009
10th Match: Group D
New Zealand vs South Africa
Lord's, London
Timing: 17:30 local, 16:30 GMT, 02:30 EST