The most important event of 2015!!

[oldr_n_wsr]

How did Camaroon do? not that I care, I just like saying Camaroon

[wesw]

I prefer to say macaroon. isn t camaroon just a contraction of coconut macaroon?

and if I stick a cookie in my cap, can I call it macaroony ?

[Gob]

Well the Irish put up a valiant fight, but against players of the class of Hassim Amla they were always on a loser.

The Saffers clocked 411, a massive target which the Irish didn't really come close too.

South Africa condemned Ireland to their first defeat of the World Cup as they cruised to a 201-run win in Canberra.



Hashim Amla hit 159, Faf du Plessis 109 and Rilee Rossouw a rapid unbeaten 61 in South Africa's 411-4, the second time in two Pool B games they have passed 400.
Ireland collapsed to 48-5 as they were bowled out for 210 in 45 overs despite Andrew Balbirnie's 58.
Kyle Abbott claimed 4-21 and fellow pace bowler Morne Morkel 3-34.
South Africa need to win only one of their remaining two group games, against Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates, to reach the quarter-finals.

Never mind, it was an entertaining days cricket.

(Photos to follow.)

[MajGenl.Meade]

[Gob]

[Gob]

Some photos from the match SA vs Ire.









More here...

[Lord Jim]

Australia posted a World Cup record total of 417-6 as they beat Afghanistan by 275 runs - the biggest winning margin in the tournament's history.

I just have one question...

Why do Australians hate Muslims?

[MajGenl.Meade]

Because they took 6 wickets?

[Lord Jim]

Fortunately for true sports fans, another far more important sporting event will be unfolding over the next month...

I'm speaking of course of:

March Madness 2015: Projected NCAA Tournament Brackets

With the 2015 regular season is coming to a close and conference tournaments approaching next week, it’s finally time to starting looking at how the NCAA Tournament brackets project for later this month. Here is a look at ESPN’s, USA Today’s and CBS Sports’ projected brackets as of March 5th:

[oldr_n_wsr]

I am not a fan of March Madness, which seems to end later into April every year.

[Gob]

The West Indies should still qualify for the knockout stage of the World Cup, despite losing their third game, to India, by four wickets at the WACA Ground on Friday.

India remains unbeaten in Pool B after they chased down the West Indies' modest 182 with 10.5 overs to spare.

The West Indies bowlers made the job easier, conceding 26 extras, including 19 wides. When you consider that India fell to 5-107 and later 6-134, those extra runs proved costly.

Captain M.S. Dhoni guided his team to victory with a controlled innings. His 45 not out from 56 balls included only three boundaries and a six and was his highest ODI innings in Australia this summer. It was his highest since scoring an unbeaten 51 against the West Indies in Delhi in October.

He shared an unbeaten 51-run, seventh-wicket partnership with Ravichandran Ashwin (16) to see his side home.

There may be some slight concerns with India's top order, though.

Opener Shikhar Dhawan, who who made 210 runs in India's first two games, against Pakistan and South Africa, fell cheaply for the second consecutive innings at the WACA Ground. He followed his 14 against the UAE with just nine on Friday.

Rohit Sharma also went cheaply, falling for seven, his third score of 15 or less for the tournament.

But with games to go against Ireland and Zimbabwe, the pair have time to find form and the reigning World Cup champions should go into the next stage of the tournament without tasting defeat.

[Lord Jim]

The West Indies should still qualify for the knockout stage of the World Cup, despite losing their third game, to India, by four wickets at the WACA Ground on Friday.

[Gob]

Meade! MEAde!! MEADE!!!!!!

It would appear that SA are not the invincibles they were thought....

Pakistan’s World Cup revival continued with a 29-run Duckworth/Lewis win over South Africa in Auckland on Saturday, a third successive victory which boosts their chances of reaching the quarter-finals.




Pakistan batted first at Eden Park and, after their innings was twice interrupted by rain, they lost their last five wickets for 25 runs to slump to 222 all out with a top score of 56 from Misbah-ul-Haq from their 46 overs. In reply, a score of 77 from 58 balls by AB de Villiers steadied the ship but South Africa failed to complete the job as they were bowled out for 202 after Mohammad Irfan, Rahat Ali and Wahab Riaz claimed three wickets apiece.

Pakistan’s openers Ahmed Shehzad and Sarfraz Ahmed had made a collective 30 when Shehzad was dismissed thanks to an exquisite catch from Dale Steyn off Kyle Abbott’s bowling in the ninth over. The fast bowler, fielding at mid-on, had to backpedal considerably but made up enough ground before diving and snaffling a catch inches from the ground.

The Eden Park crowd roared when Sarfraz clubbed JP Duminy for successive sixes early in 16th over before adding a third maximum with the final ball of the over. Pakistan had reached 90 for one at the start of the 17th over, but a moment of madness saw Sarfraz run out attempting a second run to depart one run short of his half-century.

South Africa’s captain De Villiers brought himself into the attack and was celebrating in his third over when Younus, having looked extremely comfortable, tamely chipped to cover to depart for 37 in the 27th over. Sohaib Maqsood (eight) lasted just 15 balls before he clipped Abbott to point as Pakistan’s innings stalled somewhat at 156 for four at the end of the 32nd over. Umar Akmal (13) was undone by the bounce of Morne Morkel, top-edging to mid-wicket, to restrict Pakistan for 175 for five before rain delayed play for half an hour or so.



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Misbah collected his 42nd ODI half-century when play resumed before the players were forced from the field once again as the showers returned. The second interruption did Pakistan no favours as they lost their last five wickets for just 25 runs, crumbling from 195 for five in the 41st over to 222 all out in their allotted 47 overs.

Shahid Afridi edged Dale Steyn to deep-backward square-leg to depart for 22 in the 42nd over and, three balls later, they were seven down when Riaz was pinned leg before by Imran Tahir. Steyn removed Misbah in the next over for a team-high 56 and Ali and Sohail Khan fell shortly after as Pakistan collapsed spectacularly.

South Afrcia’s innings was only two balls old when they lost Quinton de Kock, caught behind off Irfan, without scoring and they were two down in the 10th over when Ali tricked Faf du Plessis (27) into edging behind. Pakistan wicketkeeper Sarfraz picked up his and Pakistan’s third dismissal in the very next over when Riaz forced Hashim Amla into a leading edge to depart for 38 from 27 deliveries.

Riaz accounted for Rilee Rossouw (six) in the 13th over to leave South Africa four down with just 74 runs on the board and things went from bad to worse when they lost David Miller (nought) moments later. De Villiers and Duminy (12) guided South Africa past the hundred-mark in the 20th over but the latter carelessly gave his wicket away when he tried to hook Wahab but succeeded only in top-edging to fine leg. Steyn lost his wicket for 16 as he became Irfan’s third victim after scoring three fours from his 17 balls to leave his side needing 94 runs for victory.

De Villiers celebrated his half-century after claiming his third maximum from 45 balls which also included four boundaries as he continued battling on with some big hits before Kyle Abbott (12) was caught by Younus at second slip off Ali as South Africa continued to collapse.

Khan finally claimed the big wicket of De Villiers for 77 in the 33rd over after he was caught behind by Ahmed and Imran soon followed to leave his side with 202 and handing Pakistan a 29-run victory.

[MajGenl.Meade]

[Gob]

Glenn Maxwell hit the second-fastest century in World Cup history as Australia beat Sri Lanka by 64 runs to advance to the quarter-finals.


Maxwell's first one-day international ton, reached off 51 balls, inspired Australia's total of 376-9 in Sydney. Sri Lanka fell short in a spirited run chase despite a third consecutive World Cup century from Kumar Sangakkara and a quickfire 52 from Dinesh Chandimal. Australia are likely to meet either Ireland or Pakistan in the last eight. Michael Clarke's side, who face Scotland in their final Pool A match in Hobart on 14 March, should finish second behind New Zealand in their group, and would therefore meet the team that finishes third in Pool B.

Sri Lanka, who lie in third place in the group with six points from their five matches, also face Scotland in their final Pool A match in Hobart on 11 March.Maxwell hit 10 fours and four sixes in an innings of 102 that combined deft placement with power hitting, as the 26-year-old finally reached three figures in his 45th ODI.

He was denied a share of the fastest World Cup century arguably only by his own honesty, after he answered in the negative when asked by umpire Ian Gould whether he had got a touch on a legside glance off Lasith Malinga in the 45th over. Maxwell bought up his hundred in the next over, off 51 deliveries, one more than it took Ireland batsman Kevin O'Brien to decimate the England attack in Bangalore in 2011. However, it is the fastest ODI century by an Australian, beating James Faulkner's 57-ball century against India in 2013.

The Victorian received a bear-hug from batting partner Shane Watson, who hit 67 runs in 41 balls on his return to the side after being dropped for the previous match against Afghanistan. "I didn't know about the record World Cup century, but I knew about the Australian record because James Faulkner doesn't shut up about it!" Maxwell said.

England have high hopes

England will "shut up a few doubters" if they beat Bangladesh convincingly in their vital World Cup match, says former spinner Graeme Swann.

England, who have lost three of their four Pool A games, cannot reach the quarter-finals if they fail to win in Adelaide on Monday. "This is their chance to really put their foot on the opposition and stamp all over them," Swann told BBC Sport. "If you're an England fan, this is the biggest game of this World Cup."

He added: "This is their chance to say, 'We're in this, we're for real, we've got a chance of progressing through to the quarter-finals'." England have been beaten heavily by Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka, with their only victory of the tournament coming against minnows Scotland. Even if England win their final two games - they face Afghanistan in Sydney on Friday - they will go out if Bangladesh overcome Pool A winners New Zealand earlier that day.

Christ on a bike, being reduced to having to "thrash' Bangladesh to get a place....

[Lord Jim]

Christ on a bike, being reduced to having to "thrash' Bangladesh to get a place....

What do you expect when you get beaten by Sri Lanka?

[Gob]

Bloody good side Sri Lanka!!

The Sri Lankan team transformed themselves from the underdog status to a major cricketing nation during the 1990s. Sri Lanka have won the Cricket World Cup in 1996, the ICC Champions Trophy in 2002 (Co-champions with India), the ICC World Twenty20 in 2014, The Asia Cup In 1986,1997,2004,2008,2014 and have been runners up in the 2007 Cricket World Cup, 2011 Cricket World Cup, ICC World Twenty20 in 2009 and ICC World Twenty20 in 2012.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cricket_in_Sri_Lanka

[Gob]

Blimey!!!

England were knocked out of the World Cup in dismal fashion as Bangladesh claimed a stunning 15-run win.

Set 276 to win, England were bowled out for 260 despite Jos Buttler's 52-ball 65, while Rubel Hossain claimed 4-53. Bangladesh had earlier posted 275-7 in Adelaide thanks to 103 from Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim's 89.

England go out in the group stages for the third time in five World Cups, while Bangladesh advance past the first round for only the second occasion. "I'm gutted at the moment," said England skipper Eoin Morgan. "There'll be an inquest over the next few weeks as to what happened and what went wrong. Then we'll go from there." Coach Peter Moores said he felt "hollow inside" and "hugely disappointed" following England's demise.

Bangladesh's victory also secured Sri Lanka's place in the last eight, alongside Pool A winners New Zealand and Australia. England, meanwhile, face a dead rubber against Afghanistan in Sydney on Friday.
A fourth defeat in five games is the latest episode in 23 years of World Cup failure, since they reached the final in 1992. In losing to every Test-playing side in Pool A - their only win has come against Scotland - England have put in their worst showing since a first-round exit on home soil in 1999. Even then, they managed to beat defending champions Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka, along with Australia and New Zealand, are three sides to have dished out heavy defeats to England in this tournament, but all three are ahead of Morgan's team in the world rankings.

England's miserable World Cup

Lost to Australia by 111 runs, Melbourne
Lost to New Zealand by eight wickets, Wellington
Beat Scotland by 119 runs, Christchurch
Lost to Sri Lanka by nine wickets, Wellington
Lost to Bangladesh by 15 runs, Adelaide
v Afghanistan, Sydney, 20 March

Bangladesh lie above only Zimbabwe, Ireland and Afghanistan, yet have now beaten England in three of their past four meetings. One of those was with home advantage in the last World Cup, but this time England wilted when chasing a manageable target on a blameless surface. They seemed in control when Ian Bell and the recalled Alex Hales were compiling a second-wicket stand of 54, only for the Bangladesh pacemen to return and drag England to a standstill. Hales flat-footedly wafted Mashrafe Mortaza behind and Bell, who had looked fluent, was stifled before edging a Hossain lifter on 63. In the same over, Morgan pulled to long leg for a fifth duck in 11 ODI innings and, when James Taylor flashed Taskin Ahmed to slip, England had lost three wickets for 11 runs.

England skipper Eoin Morgan. "There'll be an inquest over the next few weeks as to what happened and what went wrong. Then we'll go from there."

Maybe the skipper should lead from the front, and not get bowled out for 0 runs in every bloody match!?!?

[MajGenl.Meade]

[Gob]

The England cricket team took a mighty battering on the field as they crashed out of the World Cup overnight, but they faced perhaps an even fiercer lashing at the hands of the British press following their humiliating defeat to Bangladesh at the Adelaide Oval.

England's cricketers, who claimed the dismal honour of performing in the country's worst ever World Cup campaign, were described as the "laughing stock of world cricket", while the country's proud cricketing tradition had been "dragged into the sporting sewer".

The performance of English cricket's senior coaching staff also came under fire, with frustrated cricketing tragic Piers Morgan quipping that he wouldn't trust coach Peter Moores and managing director Paul Downton to "run a ****ing bath, let alone the England cricket team".

The public castigation came from former players, as well as frustrated fans lamenting the team's downfall on social media.

Geoffrey Boycott, the former England opener and now BBC commentator, described England's early exit from the World Cup as the "nightmare scenario" for a team that was "light years behind their competition"

"As for the players at this World Cup, they are not as good as some of them think they are. Most of them have been in denial, kidding themselves that they have been unlucky but it is impossible to be unlucky all the time," he wrote in The Telegraph in London.

"[Former England cricketer] Ian Botham said a week ago this is the worst England one-day side he had ever seen. After this latest flop perhaps he would like to rephrase that. This lot are worse than he thought.

"We are miles behind in one-day cricket and the management do not know what they are doing. We have to get our players to play without fear and with some flair otherwise this will happen all over again at the next World Cup."

Also writing in the Telegraph, Nick Hoult said England's dismal campaign "was caused by an inability to handle the pressure by a group of players gripped by fear".

"Stuart Broad told us before England left for Australia what it would take for them not to reach the knock-out stage in much plainer language we can all understand. 'An absolute stinker' was his verdict. He was not wrong," Hoult wrote.

"Defeats to New Zealand and Australia were not unexpected and the loss to a vastly experienced Sri Lanka side could be tolerated but being bowled out by Bangladeshi seamers, the exact kind of bowling they are supposed to be good at facing, on one of world cricket's best batting pitches is inexcusable for a country that shifted an Ashes series to be ready for this tournament."

Paul Newman, writing in the Daily Mail, lamented: "There have been all manner of World Cup shambles for England since they should have won the 1992 final here in Australia. But never one as bad as this.

"The 15-run defeat here by Bangladesh at the Adelaide Oval, which confirmed England's abject surrender, is nothing short of an utter humiliation, an embarrassment that, not for the first time in recent years, leaves them as the laughing stock of world cricket."