Cricket World Cup

[BWFC_Insane]

Not ideal, but if that was the rule we entered under, then the answer is "finish top of your group." I assume they read 'em.

Come on that’s an absolute nonsense of the tournament and someone would finish in that place and get into a semi final. And that reason might be because a game was called off due to the rain. So nonsense.

[Worthy4England]

Not ideal, but if that was the rule we entered under, then the answer is "finish top of your group." I assume they read 'em.

Come on that’s an absolute nonsense of the tournament and someone would finish in that place and get into a semi final. And that reason might be because a game was called off due to the rain. So nonsense.

It's certainly a poor thing to occur (if it does). My point is, the rules are usually published before the start of the tourney, so if you don't like 'em, that's really the time to object. Not the first time short form cricket has thrown up anomalies with odd rules, but I think once the tourney is in flight, then it's going be be pretty tough to change them. Fairly sure DL scoring caused problems previously...

[Worthy4England]

TBF. I'm not sure it could get much more farcical than the completed 20 over game in the other semi-final...

20 overs in total...

I've given a little thought to "no rest day," and suspect the decision was based on logistics. Semi 1 in T&T kicked off at 20:30 local on Weds, if they had to slip it a day, there's still Friday to do all the logistics of moving a squad and any of their fans to Bridgetown for a 10:30 AM kick off in the final.

Our semi is in Guyana and kicks off 10:30 Thursday. Lose a day and kick-off at 10:30 Friday and you're into 24 hours prior to the final. The match going full length, takes you to 13:30 - 14:00, after which you have to pack the squad up and leave the ground, get to the airport. Door to door maybe 6 hours at a decent trot, assuming you can grab a direct flight...if not, it's a lot longer...

The logistics start to look very risky just for the team, let alone any camp followers.

Would have seemed easier to give them both the same kick-off, but then there's milk the TV money problem...

[jimbo]

Milking the TV money is why we’re playing in Guyana at that time. The tournament schedule was fixed so that if India made the semi final they would be playing in the Guyana semi at that time as its prime time in India. Doesn’t matter what group they were in, or whether they were first or second. They were going to Guyana.

I get the ICC have a lot to try and balance when hosting a tournament, but it does feel like they frequently get things wrong. I don’t think anyone can convince me that it’s ok to have each semi final played under different rules. Imagine if one of the Euros semis was golden goal, while the other went straight to penalties?

[Worthy4England]

I have no doubt the scheduling has been driven by TV money among other things (current power base of BCCI etc.). It's the same time in Barbs, as Guyana, as Trinidad, so in that sense, it wouldn't have mattered where they played it - it'll still be India prime-time, so I think the time is important, less sure which island is? The main problem is that the weather has been different in Guyana. As to whether it will end up as a problem, we'll know in a few hours.

I'm struggling to get too excited about it, TBF. If both games complete, it's a non-issue (one already completed, with what looked to be more problems than the weather!) and both semis will have had the same rules applied - insofar as they needed applying.

If it washes out, they could've added a spare day - but given we're in the realms of hypothesis, that could've washed out too, in which case the same "rules" would've applied.

At this stage it's mountain v molehill.

[jimbo]

40% of the Guyanese population are of Indian origin, so I assume support there might be quite high.

[Worthy4England]

I think we're now constructing a different thing! Do I think BCCI is exerting lots of influence as the largest market. Yup. Like we did, back in the day.

Do I want to scream foul. Not at the moment.

[Worthy4England]

Reads like it's "interesting to bat on," but we seem to have done decent with the ball so far...

[Worthy4England]

They're talking about some of the scheduling and attendances in the rain break. Apparently you can't get a flight from Guyana to Bridgetown for love nor money. Their view was the logistics just wouldn't have been able to work had it gone into an extra day. They organisers are a bit stuffed on drawing out the length of the competition due to all the other cricket around the world, the poor bastards trying to follow their team live have pretty much been stuffed. There aren't many direct flights from Guyana to Bridgetown. Welcome to the saviour of cricket. In 2028 when it's in Aus and New Zealand, they're going to have to get up mighty early to watch their team for the Indian market times...

[Worthy4England]

Maybe a few more than we'd have wanted to chase - but not inconceivable...

[Worthy4England]

Well there go Jos and Jonny pretty cheaply (well in Jonny's case for nothing)...

[Worthy4England]

Jos innings looking more like a Captain's knock TBF at 5 down. It's looking rather bleak.

[BWFC_Insane]

About what I expected. That Indian bowling attack is brilliant in this format.

Look at the scores and of the batters only Buttler and Brook managed reasonable totals. Rest basically nothing and I think reflects we are certainly a few real class players short right now.

[Worthy4England]

It's a bit tallest dwarf. Jofra got 21! We needed someone (or two) to get 50ish. None of 'em good enough on that showing and through much of the tourney when coming up against pretty decent sides...

[BWFC_Insane]

It's a bit tallest dwarf. Jofra got 21! We needed someone (or two) to get 50ish. None of 'em good enough on that showing and through much of the tourney when coming up against pretty decent sides...

T20. We needed maybe someone to get 40 or 50 but a fair few others to get 20 plus.

[Worthy4England]

That too! I think the concensus on radio was overall our batting has been pretty weak.