England v Sri Lanka

[Brainy]

Can't say we deserved to lose

[Samu]

You really have to feel for Nixon and Bopara. From when Colly got out they had no right to do what they did but they were exceptional. Highlight of the World Cup for me was Nixon reverse sweeping Murali for 6. Poor Bopara though, he was sensational and didn't deserve to be on the losing team. I reckon that boy has just got himself a place in the team for a good few years to come.

So gutted, oh well we'll just have to beat the Aussies and South Africa now

[Flynny]

Bad luck to England. Considering Sri Lanka are a very good one-day side, to come 2 runs from beating them is a good effort in itself. Considering Bell and Vaughan's run out decisions were dodgy (Vaughan made no contact, and Jayasuriya did NOT touch that ball, regardless of whether Bell's bat was off the ground) we've done very well.

And what was with the feint with the final delivery? Ton of balls.

Brilliant to see Nixon and Bopara do well. Flintoff and Bopara need to swap places in the line-up. Less Joyce and more Strauss please, as well.

Bigger emotional roller-coaster than any Leicester game this season bar Fulham away.

[Fez of Mahrez]

Wow. I managed to go without knowing the score and watched the highlights. Fantastic finish. The adrenaline was really pumping when we started going after them towards the end. It took until Saj Mahmood took strike for the penultimate ball for me to know we were going to lose. An awesome effort and a vindication of Nixon's selection, even in defeat.

[Shum]

Good good effort but being honest from 100 odd for 2 we should have gone on to win. Must win game on Sunday now.

[Daggers]

Loved that finish - hated the initial performance. With a bit of demonstrable ability from certain openers we may have even won it ~ but England (& Wales) cricket continues to limp along. Shame, there's some glimpses of something good...the fielding was excellent for example, they fought for every ball.

On balance, I don't mind losing.

Oh, apart from the cheating. Pulling up as you are about to bowl the last ball? **** off. Lobbing the ball and calling it bowling? **** off.

[Brainy]

Oh, apart from the cheating. Pulling up as you are about to bowl the last ball? **** off.

Have to agree with that. I can't explain it very well but my first instinct was that he was trying to add to the pressure that Bopara was under already. Like I said I can't explain it very well but if I were in Bopara's position on the last ball, it would affect me.

[The People's Hero]

Have to agree with that. I can't explain it very well but my first instinct was that he was trying to add to the pressure that Bopara was under already. Like I said I can't explain it very well but if I were in Bopara's position on the last ball, it would affect me.

I agree.

It could have been the pressure though.

On more than one occasion I've played in games (captained in some cases) and had my charges unable to release the ball due to pressure.

I personally feel there was a bit of gamesmanship going on, but believe me, it does happen.

[Flynny]

If we lose to Australia but beat South Africa, the Windies and Bangladesh, are we still reliant on other results going our way to qualify?

[Brainy]

My mate told me last night that that defeat basically put us out.

But after a quick glance at the table, below us, the West Indies are on poor form and have played 1 more game than England. And I can't see Ireland or Bangledesh pushing up the table.

So all we need is a victory over one of the other teams, preferrably South Africa, and hope some other results go our way.

[The People's Hero]

This is the way to look at it.

1) South Africa, Australia and New Zealand are (as many predicted) coasting through to the semi's. They just have a bit extra. So assume 3 slots are taken and ONE remains.

2) England and Sri Lanka have been the in the next bracket really. We (I believe) are fighting for the last spot.

3) Sri Lanka at present have the upper hand. England need to win at LEAST 2 (which we should against WI and BA) and even then we are on dodgy ground, relying on SI to slip up a lot. I'd say we need to beat one of Aus/SA as well. And I can't see that. Our chance really was last night.

[Milky]

The turning point was that Flukey dismissal of bell. We were cruising at 100 for 2 at that stage.

oh, and in the 26th over we only received 5 balls!! that could have cost us.

[Simi]

I'm sure it's been mentioned in the topic before but how unlucky were we. The Umpire finishing the over after 5 balls. . I'm sure we could of maybe got 2 runs of that ball. Crucial.

[Brainy]

This is the way to look at it.

3) Sri Lanka at present have the upper hand. England need to win at LEAST 2 (which we should against WI and BA) and even then we are on dodgy ground, relying on SI to slip up a lot. I'd say we need to beat one of Aus/SA as well. And I can't see that. Our chance really was last night.

I've only seen two of their games and those games have gone down to the wire, against SA and ENG.

So what i'm trying to say they haven't coasted through anyone so far.. * But thinking about it, do they still have to play BA and IRE?

I think it's Sri Lanka's to lose now.

[The People's Hero]

I've only seen two of their games and those games have gone down to the wire, against SA and ENG.

I think it's Sri Lanka's to lose now.

Bingo.

We'll see though. Stranger things have happened.

A bit of fight from England at last.

Now let's get Straussy in.

[Samu]

I know you can say all these things like the 5 ball over which might have cost us but I reckon the end of the Sri Lanka innings cost us. In Mahmood's final over he bowled a nearly head high full toss which went for 1 run and a wide which they ran 2, altogether that final over cost us 5 free runs off 2 balls which had to be re-balled (if you see what I mean). I said at the time that these few runs might cost us but it is an indication of the lack of experience people like Mahmood have. If Fernando had bowled a no ball and a wide in the final over we would have won. In fact they gave away very few extras yesterday, I think the first one was for Malinga stepping over well into the innings. Oh well....

[C-man]

Oh, apart from the cheating. Pulling up as you are about to bowl the last ball? **** off. Lobbing the ball and calling it bowling? **** off.

I half expected him to under-arm roll the ball to Bopara.

He had no intention of ever bowling that ball, world class gamesmanship. Fair play there was nothing wrong with the actual ball.

[Flynny]

This is the way to look at it.

1) South Africa, Australia and New Zealand are (as many predicted) coasting through to the semi's. They just have a bit extra. So assume 3 slots are taken and ONE remains.

2) England and Sri Lanka have been the in the next bracket really. We (I believe) are fighting for the last spot.

3) Sri Lanka at present have the upper hand. England need to win at LEAST 2 (which we should against WI and BA) and even then we are on dodgy ground, relying on SI to slip up a lot. I'd say we need to beat one of Aus/SA as well. And I can't see that. Our chance really was last night.

Yup.

Never know, though. We look just a bit better every game. If we can just put it all together, we could sneak a lucky result against SA or Oz. Hopefully Bopara and Flintoff will swap places and Strauss will come in for Joyce. The bowling looks good now, as does the fielding. Just got to get the batting right.

[lcfc_jme]

Well I got that a bit wrong. . England were surprisingly decent-looking yesterday, and I was actually impressed for parts of the game. Perhaps we should have won though from the positions we found ourselves in. Impressed by Saj, Fred, KP, Nixon and Bopara. Not impressed by the umpires (5 balls in an over - wtf?!?), Malinga or that bloke (:laugh: forget his name) pulling up before bowling the "last" delivery of the innings.

[Brainy]

(5 balls in an over - wtf?!?)

?

[Geo V]

GUTTED.

Outstanding in the field, quality bowling and we looked up for it but we still lose. It all started with that unlucky Bell run out and then the pack of cards folded until Bopra and Nixon had a go. Gutted we went from needing 5 from 3 balls to nothing. Also, Bopara didnt seem to realise that 2 for the last ball was a draw which would have been great. Anyway, all we have to do to get our WC going is to beat the Aussies this weekend.