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"Cricket Thread"

A thread to discuss cricket incase anyone else is a fan like me.

The South Africans were trying to play too aggressive out of the gate and they have paid the price. It's not looking good for them.

SA 47-5 after 13 overs, think the Aussies are going through to the final!

After the start Sri Lanka got I thought NZ would go through easily but all credit to them getting 101 runs off the last 10 overs and a great bowling display to destroy the middle order.

I can't see SA beating Australia and assuming Australia get through and Sri Lanka play like they did in the semis we should be in for a cracking final.

Sri Lanka into the final then. New Zealand were quite poor in the field. Bond wasn't bowling well and although they picked up a few wickets, 2 shouldn't have been given. They still managed a decent 289.

The cloud cover made the ball swing for Malinga and Vaas, making it really difficult for New Zealand. They did manage to get up with the rate but the batting collapse finished them off. A late flourish only delayed the inevitable.

Australia V South Africa tomorrow.

Heh, what a crazy game that was! West Indies with a great stand at the start and that Collingwood catch was unbelievable. West Indies lose a bit of steam at the end but still make 300.

England were steady at the start, although they lost Strauss early. The running got a little silly and few run outs meant that England got into a bit of trouble. A decent 79 from Vaughan although it looked like he tweaked something.

Pietersen was fantastic again and the 6 to bring up his ton was huge. Nixon was brilliant and turned the game with a magnificent over. Broad did very well to hit the winning runs with 1 ball to spare and 1 wicket remaining.

Best game of the tournament and it was between 2 teams going home at the end of it. Disappointed for Lara, fantastic cricketer, run out and lost his final international game.

No Shane Bond and the Aussies were majestic as they made 348. The partnership between Ponting and Hayden was fantastic. Only really Gilchrist didn't do anything with bat.

New Zealand just kept losing wickets while opener Fulton stuck around. All out for 133 and that is apparently New Zealand's biggest ODI defeat.

Australia are so good.

Out of the 4 semi finalists it's hard to look past an Australian win again.

I think the only other team in with a chance is New Zealand and todays match is Australia vs NZ.

Even if NZ win it looks a certainty it'll be Austealia vs South Africa and Sri Lanka vs NZ unless NZ absolutely thrash Australia to turn around their run rate so I'm predicting an Australia vs NZ final with Australia winning the tournament.

West Indies gave Bangladesh are a bit of beating but it wasn't enough to hand Ireland 7th.

Australia against New Zealand tomorrow in which New Zealand will need to beat Australia very heavily to take top spot away.

England against West Indies will be for 5th place and a bit of extra cash.

The Ireland V Sri Lanka game was finished before lunch. Ireland started well enough and then collapsed. 3 wickets in an over, a bit of resistance and then all out for 77. 77 is the 6th lowest total in World Cup history. The lowest was Canada's 36 in 2002 I think.

Sri Lanka wobbled a bit, losing 2 wickets but they got the 78 required in 10 overs.

I've enjoyed Ireland's run in the World Cup. I hope they stick around the ODI scene and get better.

And that's the 4 teams in the semi finals set. Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and South Africa.

South Africa may have been playing inconsistently but this team is roughly the same team that had to beat Australia's World Record score (at the time) to win a one day match, which they did. It really was a great game.

I think the 4 teams that made it are the best 4 in the world and England have a lot of rethinking to do because they got utterly destroyed.