Good evening fellow travellers! The cricket has been coming thick and fast again with 3 games today so let’s get into the action!
The very early fixture at 12.30am was between Sri Lanka and Nepal, being hosted at America’s best established cricket stadium, The Broward County Stadium, Lauderhill Florida. This would have been a great game to watch I reckon, a full member nation taking on the pluckiest of plucky underdogs and Nepals fans seem to be the most fun in the world!
The problem was, it was raining and it didn’t stop raining. I didn’t even know it did rain in Florida, they don’t show you that on the Disneyland adverts! Without so much as the toss taking place the match was abandoned and both teams shared the points. There was a winner today though, South Africa. SA can’t now be knocked out off second place so by virtue of Florida rain, we have our first super 8 qualifiers! As for Sri Lanka and Nepal, the path to qualification, although not impossible for either side, looks as dim as the Lauderhill skies.
The second game this morning was between Australia and Namibia. As I so often say, in tournament cricket anything can happen! Namibia, with their mix of experience and attack, could beat Australia. Micheal van Lingen could have the innings of his career, smashing 127 runs off 43 balls, sending Australia’s pace bowlers all over the park. With help from his colleagues he could steer a Namibian record World Cup score of 218. David Wiese and Ruban Trumpleman could both pick up 5 fors and dismiss a rattled Australia for 100 runs with David Warner out for a golden duck, it could happen……..but it didn’t!
I’m afraid for Namibia this wasn’t a World Cup fairy tail, in fact for the Eagles it turned into a nightmare.
In the first game of the tournament to be played at Antigua’s Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium, Australia won the toss and put Namibia into bat. I reckon that’s what Namibia would have done anyway, what you don’t want as a smaller Nation is to be totally batted out of the game before you have a chance to swing the willow. Better to try and get some runs on the board to give your bowlers something to defend.
As was the case yesterday with Canada against Pakistan, Namibia’s batters just don’t play enough matches against seamers who can bowl 24 balls at 90 MPH or spinners who can make the ball turn around corners to be competitive without that once in a life time touch of magic. Australia’s attack blasted Namibia’s batters with world class bowling and had the Eagles all out for 72 runs, Gerhard Erasmus being the only NAM player to make a score with a hard fought 32.
Australia in response chased those runs at a blistering rate. The men from down under had the job done within the power play, the only fly in the Vegemite being David Warner’s wicket falling to former South African legend and Namibian pirate David Wiese.
Anything can happen in tournament cricket but this one went to script. With 2 more points secured Australia are the 2nd team to qualify for the super 8’s and though it pains me to say it, they’re looking fantastic, winning their first 3 games without really breaking sweat. Let’s just hope they’re peaking too soon!
The final game of the day was between the USA and India. Played once again at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York, a cricket ground built to house India during their time in the states. The really amazing thing about that is that it’s a temporary stadium, it’s all being disassembled tomorrow!
With the first qualification place in group A being decided by this fixture, both teams looked fired up during the anthems.
India won the toss and put USA into bat. As I said in regards to Namibia, that’s probably what the bald eagles would have done anyway. USA will have been hoping not to get blown away like Namibia did though. As has happened so many times in this World Cup USA’s opener Shayan Jahangir was dismissed for a diamond duck, trapped LBW by Arshdeep Singh from the first ball of the match. Could this be the second small nation drubbing of the day?
USA’s defence sured itself up a little after that less than glorious start and with small contributions from Taylor, Kumar and Anderson USA got to 110 from their 20 overs. On most pitches you wouldn’t say 110 wasn’t a particularly competitive score, this New York wicket however has been infamously slow, 110, low though it is gives USA something to bowl at.
All that said, this is India we’re taking about, they will come out and knock 110 off in short order surely?
Virat Kholi, first ball duck………you couldn’t write it! Rohit Sharma, caught out for 3 runs……..surely not! Rishabh Pant, bowled for 18……..it’s going to happen!
Well again, no! I was as excited as anyone for the USA to achieve a famous victory over the mighty India, in fact I said yesterday it might be on the cards (never take my better tips). India played clever cricket though, all they had to do is win to qualify so they slowed things down went about their business. Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube scored a run a ball 50 and 31 to get India over the line.
India join Australia and South Africa as the first 3 nations to make it through to the super 8’s. A quick word on America, they have looked brilliant. I hope the American public get behind game in the states, interest the game will bring money and money will bring growth. USA also have a real chance of claiming that second qualifying place. Diversity is king in this game and the more the better. Here’s to the bald eagles!
Two big games tomorrow, the night shift is West Indies Vs New Zealand. After NZ received a drubbing in the first game they need to get off the mark. If Windies win, they’re through to the super 8’s.
Match 2 at 8pm is England Vs Oman. Simply put, England need to win and win big or they’ve had it!
I’ll be back tomorrow.
All the best,
Nick
All The Cricket 
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