Official ICC 2015 CWC thread

[AirWolf]

@Kilgore_Trout_Redux, I am not going to knock your theory. However, I am going to say this. Zimbabwe played extremely well yesterday and they deserve credit for their spirited performance. They never gave up and put up a valiant fight. No one gave they a half a chance, but they performed out of their socks to make a game of it.

The so-called top 3 did not fire yesterday, i.e. Amla, AB and Steyn did not feature with bat or ball respectively. AB was brilliant in the field. But it is with the bat they he is king. The top 4 in batting did not give them the start they usually get. They had to consolidate and build toward the formidable 339/4. I was quite proud of the team and how other players stepped up and made a difference.

Is this Proteas team mediocre? I sincerely doubt it. I'd rather wait and talk about their performance after the next game or two.

Well said.

We can't rely on a single player to win us the match every game - it's great that others are stepping up. In the batting, I believe that on any given day, any one of the top 6 can put us into a commanding position. The last game that Behardien put in a great performance with the bat, was in Australia, so hopefully he comes good when given the opportunity.

Fielding, we were very sharp last match, especially AB. Of the 3 disciplines, our bowling might actually be the weak link.

 

[Kilgore_Trout_Redux]

A contrasting view - we batted when the pitch was at it's worst and I thought it was a very mature performance by Duminy and Miller to get them to a competitive total. Mediocre teams don't respond to adversity like that.

This same SA team beat New Zealand 2-0 in a 3 match ODI series in New Zealand in October 2014.

I think the team is better than you imply by your post...you can only play what's in front of you. The WI team not playing well shouldn't lead anyone to think SA is a mediocre team...that's illogical.

I agree that Duminy and Miller were awesome. They were the only two who pitched up to that game.

On paper we are awesome but when we get to the middle we fizzle out. Our front line bowlers were all over the place. Our opening batsmen didn't look like they were paying attention in the face of absolutely average club level bowling.

If we are going to win this world cup we need to do it on more than two or three players firing per game.

Zimbabwe played outside themselves largely because we made them look good.

It is time for the Proteas to put in as much effort in the middle as they seem to in the barbers chair.

 

[stefan9]

I honestly think that the Proteas are in more trouble in the one day format than we think.

This Windies side is probably the worst that I have ever seen. When last did you see them pitch up to a game as you suggest?

The way we battled to put Zim away shows how mediocre this team actually is even though it looks good on paper.

Right because starting slowly at a tournament has hurt anyone before. Pakistan 1992 and Aus 1999 as examples.

We started slowly vs Zim, we can and will play much better then that.

 

[Stefanmuller]

One should give credit to Zim where it is due. They batted very well during the first 30 overs of their innings. We did not bowl as badly as you think, the batting was positive and very good.

It would always have been a hard target to get - it is one thing for Zim getting to 220 at a run a ball with 2 or 3 down, but one more wicket makes it very hard for them to pull through to 339 at 7+ per over. I also doubt Zim would have came out so positive in their chase had we not set a target of 339. They had no other choice. So saying had we only got to 270 odd we would have been in trouble, is not necessarily true.

Miller and JP did very well to get the score to 339. This is one big positive we can take from the game and that is two extra guys in the middle who stepped up and more importantly gained heaps of confidence. Hopefully Faf can follow.

 

[Rusty0]

One should give credit to Zim where it is due. They batted very well during the first 30 overs of their innings. We did not bowl as badly as you think, the batting was positive and very good.

It would always have been a hard target to get - it is one thing for Zim getting to 220 at a run a ball with 2 or 3 down, but one more wicket makes it very hard for them to pull through to 339 at 7+ per over. I also doubt Zim would have came out so positive in their chase had we not set a target of 339. They had no other choice. So saying had we only got to 270 odd we would have been in trouble, is not necessarily true.

Miller and JP did very well to get the score to 339. This is one big positive we can take from the game and that is two extra guys in the middle who stepped up and more importantly gained heaps of confidence. Hopefully Faf can follow.

Thats one way of looking at it.

I think we bowled very bad. But the pitch did also play a role. It did not help the bowlers one bit.

Yes Zim has upped their game, lucky we werent complacent about it and ended up losing.
If we beat India we in good shape for the second round.

 

[Kilgore_Trout_Redux]

Right because starting slowly at a tournament has hurt anyone before. Pakistan 1992 and Aus 1999 as examples.

We started slowly vs Zim, we can and will play much better then that.

I hope I am wrong but from what I have seen this Protea squad looks like another South African team which has arrived to a World Cup sans balls. I did not see much killer instinct on Saturday morning. Compare that performance to NZ, Aus or India dismantling real opposition.

 

[AirWolf]

I hope I am wrong but from what I have seen this Protea squad looks like another South African team which has arrived to a World Cup sans balls. I did not see much killer instinct on Saturday morning. Compare that performance to NZ, Aus or India dismantling real opposition.

Still early days. After about 3 games each, we should have a feel of who's who in the zoo.

 

[Kilgore_Trout_Redux]

Still early days. After about 3 games each, we should have a feel of who's who in the zoo.

Maybe. I think that killer instinct is either part of your team culture or it isn't. It is not something that develops throughout the course of a tournament.

 

[Electric]

I honestly think that the Proteas are in more trouble in the one day format than we think.

This Windies side is probably the worst that I have ever seen. When last did you see them pitch up to a game as you suggest?

The way we battled to put Zim away shows how mediocre this team actually is even though it looks good on paper.

I think you're not being fair on Zim here.
They played very well imo.

 

[Electric]

Personally, I'd rather our lower order fired now and our upper order fires later.
We need to be sure to not peak to early like in previous w/cups.

 

[OzzieCapie]

The so-called top 3 did not fire yesterday, i.e. Amla, AB and Steyn did not feature with bat or ball respectively. AB was brilliant in the field. But it is with the bat they he is king. The top 4 in batting did not give them the start they usually get. They had to consolidate and build toward the formidable 339/4. I was quite proud of the team and how other players stepped up and made a difference.

Is this Proteas team mediocre? I sincerely doubt it. I'd rather wait and talk about their performance after the next game or two.

The pitches in NZ have been very slow and favouring the slower bowling....making early batting hard and rendering the faster guys less effective...these played against teams like SA and WI

 

[stefan9]

I hope I am wrong but from what I have seen this Protea squad looks like another South African team which has arrived to a World Cup sans balls. I did not see much killer instinct on Saturday morning. Compare that performance to NZ, Aus or India dismantling real opposition.

NZ were helped by Sri lanka dropping a ton of catches, also same said NZ were losing to Zim in their warmup game before the rain saved them.

Same applies to Aus with england helping them with dreadfull fielding.

Fair play to India but pakistan is a dreadfull chasing side and has never beaten india in the wc.

Not saying we are perfect some key players still need to find form and we need to decide about nr7.

But I am happy with us so far.

 

[Neoprod]

NZ were helped by Sri lanka dropping a ton of catches, also same said NZ were losing to Zim in their warmup game before the rain saved them.

Same applies to Aus with england helping them with dreadfull fielding.

Fair play to India but pakistan is a dreadfull chasing side and has never beaten india in the wc.

Not saying we are perfect some key players still need to find form and we need to decide about nr7.

But I am happy with us so far.

Agree with this....in terms of performance on the day, Zim far out-performed England, Sri Lanka and Pakistan given their respective expectations going into the tournament.

Also needs reminding that of the 90-odd overs bowled on the day, SA faced the worst conditions for batting...the sticky wicket dried out after 15-20 overs and hitting through the line became much easier.

 

[Kilgore_Trout_Redux]

Anyone saying that we bowled well but Zim just batted really well...

We gave away 22 extras on a flat pitch. That is not an indication of a decent bowling performance.

 

[Neoprod]

Anyone saying that we bowled well but Zim just batted really well...

We gave away 22 extras on a flat pitch. That is not an indication of a decent bowling performance.

You seem determined to be negative so I'm going to leave you to it...last word, 13 of those extras were leg-byes. Cheers, hope your level of cheer improves.

 

[LwandileSanda]

2015 Cricket World Cup

I am from South Africa and I firmly believe that the current Proteas team can go all the way to the final and bring it home.This is the best combination of skill,experience,youth,and gamechangers who can win the game for you.

 

[Kilgore_Trout_Redux]

You seem determined to be negative so I'm going to leave you to it...last word, 13 of those extras were leg-byes. Cheers, hope your level of cheer improves.

You're probably right but damnit I've been hurt one too many times by the Proteas at World Cups.

I just want them to play to their potential for a change.

 

[SinghDude]

I like India.


All the losses down under before the world cup seems to have been a blessing in disguise.


I want a SA v India final.

 

[thestaggy]

I want a SA v India final.

Beating the Aussies in Oz would be fantastic as well. Amla and AB cleaving their bowling attack in twain in the process.

 

[SinghDude]

I hope the Aussies get their asses handed off in a plate in the quarters....