England are certainly contributing mightily to the enjoyability of the Cricket World Cup. Their first game, against the Netherlands, stayed interesting almost to the end, on account of the slogging inflicted on England by Ryan ten Doeschate. As a result of that, England had to make nearly three hundred. They did this, but had to bat very well. You kept thinking they might collapse and lose. That was the first really fun game of the tournament, all the previous games having been tediously one-sided demolitions of lesser teams by big teams.
Next up, England played India. India belted 338, and that looked beyond England, but at one stage England looked to be cruising it, until they lost two big wickets in two balls. Then they lost more wickets and looked well beaten. But then, the England tail wagged, and what do you suppose happened then? Only a tie!
And now, now, a true upset is in the offing, because Ireland, chasing England’s satisfactory but not stellar total of 327, and having at one stage been 111-5 (for Americans – that’s bad) are now, get this, 272-5 with all of nine overs left. For Americans – that’s good, really good. Ireland are now odds on to win this!
And the blogger’s curse strikes! Ireland have lost a wicket. A run out!
But this is not over yet, because the batsman who got out, Cusack, has most definitely been the junior partner in the huge stand of 162 that has just ended. At the other end, still batting, is a certain Kevin O’Brien and he is 101 not out, having smashed the record for the fastest (measured in deliveries faced) century in the history of the Cricket World Cup. O’Brien has hit six sixes, including the biggest one of the tournament so far.
WOW says my computer screen. Actually this was an advert for Weightwatchers, but for once an annoyingly interruptive advert hit the nail on the head.
The run rate has now fallen, and it is all getting even more tense. A few more big shots from O’Brien and Ireland will win this, but a close finish plays havoc with the mental equilibrium of even the best players. But, they’ve had a couple of streaky, snicky boundaries and need 34 from 29 balls, with four wickets left.
The funny thing is, even if England lose, they will probably make their way through to the quarter finals. Not a huge amount is at stake. But, if Ireland win, it will be, as they say, what the World Cup is all about!
32 from 26. Ireland now 300-6. Somebody called Mooney is now joining in, with a couple of great boundaries. 23 from 21. 20 from 18. 18 from 16. O’Brien is taking a breather, before what I am sure he hopes will be a triumphant assault, probably in the next over rather than the last one. Ireland won’t want to leave this to the very end. 16 from 13. Bosh! Mooney again! That really hurts England. 12 from 12, still with four wickets left. Even a hectic wicket strewn shambles by Ireland will still probably win this!
Now O’Brien is run out! He scored 113 from 63 deliveries. It’s anybody’s now. Now they’re showing the replay of the O’Brien run out. He had simply run out of puff, poor fellow. No wonder.
And somebody called Johnston hits his first ball, a full toss, to the boundary. Ireland need 7 from 10, and are right back to being hot favourites. 2 more to Johnston! 5 wanted from 8. Ireland 323-7. 4 from 7. One boundary does it. 3 to win from the last over. Mooney, 29 not out, on strike.
Ireland win. Biggest successful run chase at the World Cup, ever.
I was going to do serious things this afternoon. Oh well.
This is fascinating to read. I can feel the excitement but don’t understand any of the words, since it’s apparently in an English dialect I don’t speak. (Sort of like some of the more obscure Robert Burns poems.) Anyway, congratulations on the win or condolences on the loss (whichever is appropriate; I can’t tell).
OK, this is just getting downright silly. How can I be smited on a 3-sentence comment on a cricket post which contained no evil words? I know the smitebot is “a bot of very little brain” and just following its programming (so you say!), but I’m starting to think there’s something more to it.
In durance vile here must I wake and weep,
And all my frowsy couch in sorrow steep.
Laird: You were caught by the new “cynicism filter” that Perry and Dale have been working on. It’s not perfect yet, otherwise Dale’s last post would only be showing about a third as many comments.
Oh, dear. There goes about half of my posts (also, your workload is about to increase exponentially). Ambrose Bierce defined cynicism as “that blackguard defect of vision which compels us to see the world as it is, instead of as it should be.”
I can see that I’m going to have to seriously augment my collection of appropriate literary quotations.
The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it.
Yet again. This is going to get painful.
Thus repuls’d, our final hope
Is flat despair.
The bot’s just not that into you, Laird.
🙂
Hate to rub it in Laird, but I for one am enjoying the poetry:-)
OMG, I have just commented on a cricket post…
England have to play South Africa, Bangladesh, and the West Indies in their remaining games. Seven points will almost certainly be enough to make the quarter finals and five will almost certainly not be, so they need to win two of their remaining three games. If they lose to South Africa (which is likely, on current form), they then find themselves having to win two games that they would really expect to win in a row. One can think of scenarios in which both teams need to win that last game to make the quarter finals. Group Alooks as dull as dishwater with Australia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and New Zealand all set to go through. Group B is suddenly intriguing, though, with India and South Africa looking okay, but England, the West Indies, Ireland and Bangladesh now fighting it out for those last two places.
Bookmakers still rank England likely to qualify – that point against India is very valuable – but the West Indies’ odds have lengthened today. England ending up with seven points and taking third place in the group, and then two or more teams together on six points for the fourth place looks quite conceivable.
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahah
hahahahaha
ahhhhh!!
I’ll get my coat
When’s the England-France Test?
Might be able to hold them to a draw.
The England france test was last Saturday at Twickenham. And we stuffed ’em.
“I was going to do serious things this afternoon. Oh well.”
But, you did!
Cricket? Exoskeletal wee beasties that keep the night from going silent?
I learned about cricket while spending a couple of years working in Kuwait thanks to Star Sports, iirc. I can purchase a cricket ‘package’ here for an exorbitant amount to see a handful of matches. I guess this market is just going to be left begging.