Roar Guru
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The R.Premadasa International Stadium is a graveyard for bowlers. In 1997-98, Sri Lanka racked up the world’s highest Test total, scoring 952 for 6…
Nagpur, in the exact geographical centre of India, is a long way from Christchurch and the respective teams stood in a moment’s silence reflecting…
Life and death take precedence over everything. Even sport. The heavens opened and the floods around the country showed how fleeting our life can…
[caption id="attachment_40321" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Zimbabwe's Ray Price, in red, has a verbal exchange with Australia's Shaun Tait, center, after the dismissal of Zimbabwe's Graeme…
[caption id="attachment_14501" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="South African batsman HM Amla makes runs as Australian bowler James Hopes follows his misfielded ball during the 4th One…
[caption id="attachment_39400" caption="Australia\'s Michael Clarke plays a shot during the 5th One Day International cricket match between Australia and England in Brisbane, Australia, Sunday,…
Ricky Ponting will lead Australia in its quest of a fourth successive World Cup and, according to Greg Chappell, “Australia will need contributions from…
Murali is set to renew his love hate relationship with Australian cricket. Shunned by many and called for throwing, he remains an enigmatic figure…
[caption id="attachment_27831" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Indigenous All Stars player Wendell Sailor breaks throiugh during the Indigenous All Stars v NRL All Stars match at Skilled…
Fast bowlers face extinction in the face of cricket’s Global Physical Crisis (GPC). Bowling at speeds in excess of 145kph is not for the…
Captaincy of the Australian cricket team is bestowed. It is not something that you audition for. I find it disrespectful that journalists put leading…
The one day cricket match last night between England and Australia was, in my opinion, a sham. At times, like when Strauss and Trott…
The World Cup is not the place to “blood” players especially as the blood from this Australian summer is still warm. Adding tattoos are…
If sport is a business then cricket in Australia is a failed business. It is a failed business because of incompetent leadership. A board…
[caption id="attachment_11417" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Adam Gilchrist in rain AP Photo/Aman Sharma"][/caption] The IPL is a world away from the iron fences at Roseville Park…
[caption id="attachment_38705" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="The Australian men's hockey team group into a huddle before taking a penalty corner against England. AAP Image/Paul Miller"][/caption] Titian,…
For six weeks the two debutants, Usman Khawaja and Michael Beer, have been all dressed up with nowhere to go. First Khawaja was added…
Every morning for the last three days I passed two statues and did not give them even a cursory glance. This morning I was…
For the third day running the MCG faithful came to the arena. Successive crowds of 85,000, 67,000 and 68,000 showed that Victorians love their…
[caption id="attachment_38489" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Australian keeper Brad Haddin walks back to the dressing rooms after getting out against England on day one of the…
jamesb and lopati. It was just starting to get interesting and maybe Australia did dodge a bullet. I think SL will feel the same way because in clarke and Ponting Aust. have two good players of spin. In fact the best players of spin apart from P and C are Tendulkar,Gambhir,A B De Villiers and Bell. SL could be playing some of these in a quarter or semi.
Krezja had a ready made pitch yesterday and apart from one over he struggled. He turns the ball but his line is wrong. He needs to study the lines Murali and harbhajan bowl. shouldn’t be that hard to get the line right. Are our spinners just a little bit slow between the ears?
Live Cricket Blog: Gunfight at The Premadasa Corral
sean,I was looking forward to australia chasing around 250. would have been interesting to see how they handled a three pronged spin attack. i think too much is being made of their form against Zimbabwe. it was the first match nd Price bowled well. As it was they won comfortably and then destroyed NZ.
I don’t think they will play as the rain is still coming down and the ground cannot recover in time.
Live Cricket Blog: Gunfight at The Premadasa Corral
11.40PM Light rain is still falling and if it stops in the next half hour it could take another hour or two to start. To have a result there must be a minimum of 20 overs and the cutoff time for that is 2.30AM AEST. If that happens australia will have to score 154 in 20 overs to win. Looks more likely they will split the points .
Live Cricket Blog: Gunfight at The Premadasa Corral
It does look heavy and it is till raining. if it is a draw and they split points then Australia will want to beat pakistan to finish top of the group. Unless Pakistan lose to NZ. It is pobable.
Live Cricket Blog: Gunfight at The Premadasa Corral
Well guys, I am going to take a break and have a bite and hope to come back when play resumes. the match is evenly poised and the ball is due to be changed in 2 overs. new ball game coming up.
Live Cricket Blog: Gunfight at The Premadasa Corral
lopati,The accountancy firm of Duckworth and Lewis will audit and adjudicate time lost to rain.
Live Cricket Blog: Gunfight at The Premadasa Corral
fivehole,good for your company.Catch you some other time. Good comments from you.
Live Cricket Blog: Gunfight at The Premadasa Corral
Tristan,this kid is special. I first saw him before he had played for australia and he has a lot of improvement in him. He will be around for a long time.
Live Cricket Blog: Gunfight at The Premadasa Corral
lopati Colombo will get a shower but it may be passing. I believe it is Duckworth Lewis.Will check it thru the evening. SL is starting to get on top of Krezja here and this partnership is threatening. SL 3 for 146 in the 33rd and RR is 4.45. I think Ponting will be turning to Johnson or Tait as soon as the 34th over is done. the harder ball will help. As we speak the rain comes down
Live Cricket Blog: Gunfight at The Premadasa Corral
Krezja into the attack and he gets one to rip from outside the off stump. SL have to cobble 220 here to give their bowlers a chance. ponting is attacking the new bat Thilan with a slip and legslip. this is probablhy the right time to have smith bowl from the other end and clarke should get a go too. Watson is not the answer.
Live Cricket Blog: Gunfight at The Premadasa Corral
Another bit of Smith magic. Brilliant pick and throw skimming the bails and jaya is run out by a foot. that was electric. You could say Smith’s Crisps!
Live Cricket Blog: Gunfight at The Premadasa Corral
Sure SL is higher than England and pakistan. Murali is not the bowler he was five years ago. His wrist is not that strong anymore and he should not be a great threat. Economical but can be taken down.
Live Cricket Blog: Gunfight at The Premadasa Corral
Time to have a drink. 14 overs and 2 down for 70. Australia is fielding well. Sangakara and Jaya batting well. This is good 50 overs cricket and there is context and drama here. both looking to get the advantage. SL have their noses in front. Australia need to break these two.
Live Cricket Blog: Gunfight at The Premadasa Corral
Fivehole,I would have india as the favourites with australia and SAF on the second rung. I don’t think SL are much good on the Indian pitches. and they will have to play a semi there.
If australia win today I see a India Aust final in Mumbai.
Live Cricket Blog: Gunfight at The Premadasa Corral
12th over and ponting brings back Tait searching for a breakthrough. this is good captaincy. Jayawadene is exquiste with a controlled cover drive. Superb timing,minimalist art this. Next ball Tait squares jayawardene up and he had no clue. anything could happen here and i think Ponting will give him another over.Johnson is bowling a tight line and the batsmen are not taking any risks with him.
Live Cricket Blog: Gunfight at The Premadasa Corral
Jayawardene is untroubled by Watson. This is a dusty pitch,you can see the flurry of dust when the batsmen slide their bat in. Anything over 230 will take some getting. australia must try to take wickets. that is the only way to restrict SL.Johnson will be the key . he is hitting the bat on the splice and is bowling “heavy”
Live Cricket Blog: Gunfight at The Premadasa Corral
Fivehole,welcome,I was about to close shop. Sangakkara is looking good. But I think Ponting should be bowling Johnson. Another wicket here and australia will be in pole position
Live Cricket Blog: Gunfight at The Premadasa Corral
Brilliant catch by Smith at point Leaping Aussie Rules and Tharanga has gone to a short nothing ball from Lee. Smith shows his value. That was an exceptional catch and Australia’s fielding,including Ponting has been sharp. this is Australia’s edge. The catching and the fielding…SL 36 for 2 after 7. another wicket and SL will feel the pressure. Time to strike.
Live Cricket Blog: Gunfight at The Premadasa Corral
Good 3rd over from Lee,only i run a scampered single. Pressure has to be maintained by Watson,replacing Taitfor the 6th over. Sangakkara is looking to be positive. /this will be interesting. Can Watson do the job here and unleash a special?
Sangakkara lashes the third delivery for 4 past cover. Sangakkara can take the game away from australia here. Need some magic.SL 29 for 1 down after 6 overs. This is a slow pitch and a fast outfield. Australia are not going to blast the top batsmen out. Has to be a disciplined line and length. Johnson will be good with his cutters and slanters when he comes on.
Live Cricket Blog: Gunfight at The Premadasa Corral
I feel I am talking to myself and the blog works if we have some comments from /roarers. i am here to debate your best.
Live Cricket Blog: Gunfight at The Premadasa Corral
Lee’s second over sees Sangakkara straight driving for four and clipping off his legs for three. Lee is pitching it up and this is the right attack. it gives him every chance for a wicket.
Tait to Sangakkara and that is a wasted half tracker. He must pitch it up like he did to Dilshan.
Live Cricket Blog: Gunfight at The Premadasa Corral
8.07PM Tait wins this mini battle as Dilshan flashes and White takes it safely and with a sureness reminiscent of Mark Taylor. Good slipper white.SL 1 for 6 in the second over. Australia must press for early wickets because the ball will scuff in ten overs.Snagakkar relishes a fight and will not back down against Tait. The WC is alive and firing.
Live Cricket Blog: Gunfight at The Premadasa Corral
8PM All is ready as the openers walk out to a full house and the Trumpets and Drums are sounding but there is no Fernando. Lee will open the bowling for australia.
His second ball is 142 but it looks slow.SL are away with 2 runs and LEE at least is pitching the ball up. This is the key. Pace is ineffective if the ball is baged half way.Lee responds with a bouncer and Tharanga seems bemused.
Early days and this next over from Tait will be interewsting. The first ball is sliced past second sliop for four and Tait lets fly with a gobful at Dilshan.The Wild Thing could go off the rails here or he could let the ball do the talking.
Live Cricket Blog: Gunfight at The Premadasa Corral
7.55PM They are playing the national Anthems and SL is hopefully,a differnt place in this second decade of the 21st Century. They have had their share of natural and unnatural disasters.
Live Cricket Blog: Gunfight at The Premadasa Corral
Ian,you posed the question Can Bangladesh survive this group? The brutal answer is No! That would be a shame because a home quarterfunal was theirs for the taking. For me this throws up some interesting questions:
1. The have siddons as the national coach but do they have coaches at the U-16 level that can instill the right technique. The idea of sending a radar gun out to the boondocks smacks of a Twenty20 approach to fostering talent. I can’t blame this thinking because CA’s boffins seem to think this is the way for higher honours.
2. Do they have a domestic competition that plays long form? Even two day matches like they have in grade in australia. Even India has grade matches that play over two days. And what about a national 4 day competition?
3. the work ethic of the players? Its tough work being a quick bowler in the sub-continent and is this why many turn to spin?
In the end Bangladesh have passionate fans that desrve more from their team and the buck has to stop somewhere. Ashraful should be shown the door. He has been given more chances than Todd Carney. Time to go.
They will find it nigh on impossible to Beat SAF AND England. Which is a shame because they started so well against India.
Can Bangladesh survive the cut?