World Cup Day 38 Australia v South Africa @ Old Trafford.

[Westend]

I suspect England will touch us up and that will probably be where we deserve to finish in all honesty, we've played above ourselves all tournament imo.

Nah england will be worried...especially if they have to bat 2nd chasing...the poms have proven this WC that they choke chasing

 

[Phone]

Part of the problem has been still pissing about with our XI, going into the finals we still don't know what our best one is.

No I think they had an idea of what their best XI was, it's the one they started with and went back to a few games into the tournament

it's just that they were wrong and now don't know what to do.

 

[boondy]

Doesnt matter who England play first . Hipefully a NZ England Final .

 

[smasha]

On current form Maxwell needs to move down the order and bat around the 40 over mark,Carey has to be moved up,put Smith at first drop then Carey.

 

[Slow Love]

The toss is more often than not deciding the game given the pace of the pitches

For all the criticism of our team, Australia have actually played really well, even if we've relied heavily on 4-5 players (many teams do). Even in our 2 losses we have scored 300 (edit: chasing) both times.

Batting first has been super important this Cup, leaving aside mismatches against lower-rung teams.

Early on quite a few teams (with the exception of India) effectively threw themselves under the bus electing to bat second but now all the captains are aware and won't make the same mistake. I really believe that had we won the toss against South Africa last night, we would all be celebrating a solid win right now.

Better win the toss against England and bat.

 

[Slow Love]

Has such a player that's been given so many chances for such a crap record had so many loyal fanboys in the history of the game as Wade?

Wondered the same thing. Other players have come back from initial struggles I guess (Langer, Hayden, S. Waugh, even Clarke) but I feel each of those had more peaks than Wade before they got binned. There have always been batsmen who feast at the lower tier that don't have what it takes at this level and I suspect this might be true for Wade.

On the other hand the urge to replace guys like Khawaja and Maxwell really surprises me because while they may have troughs, it is obvious to me that they have proven they belong at this level (I get it with Stoinis to a degree).

Imagine if we'd come into this World Cup without Finch after his lengthy slump.

 

[Kram]

Gotta love how Cricinfo trolls you, wake up to see a big picture of Warner celebrating a 3rd ton so you think Australia won until you lower the eyes a read otherwise.

 

[Slow Love]

I suspect England will touch us up and that will probably be where we deserve to finish in all honesty, we've played above ourselves all tournament imo.

It's quite possibly what will happen but if Finch can finally get a bit of luck tossing the coin, we're right in this. Both the other contenders have better batting lineups but Starc, Behrendorff and Cummings can defend a moderate total with a little help from Lyon and Maxwell.

 

[TubbsFarquhar]

I suspect England will touch us up and that will probably be where we deserve to finish in all honesty, we've played above ourselves all tournament imo.

A lot will depend on the coin toss, both teams have failed in run chases this WC. If Finch wins it, we're right in with a chance.

 

[carnthemlions]

I hate to break it to all the speculators in here but it's highly unlikely they're going to just parachute someone from outside the squad into the XI before a semi final.

 

[Cleavy]

I hate to break it to all the speculators in here but it's highly unlikely they're going to just parachute someone from outside the squad into the XI before a semi final.

what if Stoinis is injured again?

 

[eddiesmith]

The problem with bringing in Wade is he has made his runs opening, there is no opening spot. Smith was playing well at 3, has dropped off at 4 so they’ll probably want him back at 3 with no Khawaja to change things for. So the best option at no4 is Handscomb. It’s not like he wasn’t making runs in the A series, I don’t think he was dismissed for less than 50? But he provides a no4 who can score at a run a ball from ball 1, something Australia seriously lacks.

 

[Plugger35]

Australia dodging a bullet not meeting the Black Caps in a semi.

 

[Phone]

I hate to break it to all the speculators in here but it's highly unlikely they're going to just parachute someone from outside the squad into the XI before a semi final.

If Stoinis is ruled out, MMarsh will probably do just that, and Handscomb is basically gonna do that too.

so it's more that it's highly unlikely they're gonna change the structure of the team on the eve of the finals. they're probably not going to parachute in different types of players for the injured ones. but one could argue that if Stoinis is out, forget about picking MMarsh, even though he should have been in the team in the first place, pick Hazlewood, bring Wade in for Usman and just go specialist heavy and risk the tail starting at 7

 

[Hamingja]

The problem with bringing in Wade is he has made his runs opening, there is no opening spot. Smith was playing well at 3, has dropped off at 4 so they’ll probably want him back at 3 with no Khawaja to change things for. So the best option at no4 is Handscomb. It’s not like he wasn’t making runs in the A series, I don’t think he was dismissed for less than 50? But he provides a no4 who can score at a run a ball from ball 1, something Australia seriously lacks.

Smith at 3 left the lower middle order a mess with Ussie and/or Marsh coming in too late in the innings and not able to at least pick the gaps and rotate the strike to the hitter. With Handscomb in that fixes that.

Wade should have started the summer in the test side but I don't know where the sudden love for him in the one day side has come from.

 

[eddiesmith]

Smith at 3 left the lower middle order a mess with Ussie and/or Marsh coming in too late in the innings and not able to at least pick the gaps and rotate the strike to the hitter. With Handscomb in that fixes that.

Wade should have started the summer in the test side but I don't know where the sudden love for him in the one day side has come from.

It’s because he made runs in the Big Bash!!! Even the internationals who performed in the Big Bash have been pantsed in this tournament, surely that should be enough for people to realise its a s**t comp?

 

[to1994]

Honestly, we're only a chance because none of the other teams are a finished product either. Stoinis is woeful and at this point Maxwell just isn't much better at International level. Smith showing the side effects of what happens when your Cricket Board decides to throw you out like an old pair of shoes in order to save face and we can pretty much just count ourselves lucky that Carey has put it together at the perfect time.

Our game against England will depend on the wicket. Another road and we can forget it but if it's a tricky wicket like a few have been in the tournament and it's probably 50/50.

 

[Gough]

Do you guys want a semi final thread now or leave it for a couple of days and let this one run?

 

[The King!]

dead rubber no big deal

two wins to glory

 

[k31th]

Do you guys want a semi final thread now or leave it for a couple of days and let this one run?

make the new thread... doubt there'll be much more discussion about this specific game.

 

[k31th]

It’s because he made runs in the Big Bash!!! Even the internationals who performed in the Big Bash have been pantsed in this tournament, surely that should be enough for people to realise its a s**t comp?

He was making runs for 1yr+ in Shield+ODD+BBL and then now in the AusA matches which are ODD equivalent. If he's in such red-hot form he should have the confidence and ability to push such ability to the next level at ODI. He might even become a big game player because he doesn't really think anything through, just plays on instinct (by the look of him haha)

 

[LukeParkerno1]

If anything Khawaja getting injured is a blessing as Smith goes to 3- where he should have been the entire WC

 

[Moonwatcher]

I pencilled in this match as a loss when it was scheduled, still almost pulled it off despite losing the toss and having 5 batsmen and our best bowlers fail.

 

[Cleavy]

feels like the match was lost in the first 10 overs of each innings.

 

[carnthemlions]

If Stoinis is ruled out, MMarsh will probably do just that, and Handscomb is basically gonna do that too.

so it's more that it's highly unlikely they're gonna change the structure of the team on the eve of the finals. they're probably not going to parachute in different types of players for the injured ones. but one could argue that if Stoinis is out, forget about picking MMarsh, even though he should have been in the team in the first place, pick Hazlewood, bring Wade in for Usman and just go specialist heavy and risk the tail starting at 7

Never mind I hadn't seen the injury news when I posted that. I just assumed it was the same stuff we've seen all tournament (bring Wade in for whoever because ?).

I'd risk NCN/Hazlewood/Zampa in for Stoinis if it wasn't for Maxwell's inability to build any sort of innings.

The problem with bringing in Wade is he has made his runs opening, there is no opening spot. Smith was playing well at 3, has dropped off at 4 so they’ll probably want him back at 3 with no Khawaja to change things for. So the best option at no4 is Handscomb. It’s not like he wasn’t making runs in the A series, I don’t think he was dismissed for less than 50? But he provides a no4 who can score at a run a ball from ball 1, something Australia seriously lacks.

I have to wonder whether people keep forgetting he's played 94 ODIs and had a fair stint opening the batting already.