Australia have serious problems going into the World Cup and they are the favourites.Maybe it is a wide open tournament this time after all.

I think S.A will now hold the poisoned chalice of favoritism. And anyone with an understanding of the cut-throat nature of ODI's would have realised the WC was wide open anyway. Remember the WI's winning the ICCCT a couple of years ago for example.
Personally, i think a bolter such as India, Sri Lanka or West Indies will win this world cup. But then again, so might England, Pakistan, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia or Pakistan. Once the knock out rounds come along, obviously anything could happen.

__________________

sloppy journalism - they meant second best team i believe


yeah seamer the WC has been open for a while now - and i'm going to watch this one on telly rather than cricinfo - yay me!!

Not yet according to Ladbrokes (a major UK bookie). They have Australia at 2/1; South Africa at 4/1; other test nations barring Bangladesh (200/1) and Zimbabwe (250/1) at 8/1 or 9/1. Outside the test nations, the prices are into four figures, but I'd be surprised if there's anything staked.

__________________
Money won't buy you friends. But it gets you a better class of enemy.
Spike Milligan

A good total by Australia but a great reply from NZ - well done them.
Now I'm slightly worried about facing them in our group game!

Australia off the top spot too - when did that last happen?

__________________
Mae hen wlad fy nhadau yn annwyl i mi

You better be! If England lose to NZ in the opening game, they'll be under pressure against Kenya in the last game. The Africans may use a 'nothing to lose' approach against big teams and as you very well know, they have come up with the occasional upset.

What a stunning performance by the Kiwis! Without Oram, too....

The Aussie attack was just missing Brett Lee, really, because I'm not sure Tait would've made much of a difference.

If the Aussies can't defend 336, then it augurs well for the WC.

__________________
Nobody has a batting stance quite like the mighty Shivnarine....

Super win for NZ - what a chase! One thing that I've been wondering, how does an astute captain like Flemming bowl Bond for 9 overs and Tuffey for 10? Was there a problem with Bond?

I think still have a slight physocoligical advantage over the kiwis due to he fact they came from nowwhere to pip them at the post for the finals, but kenya have beaten brain laras west indian side so they could cause upsets, but really that could be said about any team in the compotion all it takes is a top side nation to have a shocker, though bangaladesh must be backing themselves too get too the super 8's remeber they too have beaten the aussies so this world cup could be one of the widest ones for a long time but i'm backing brain lara and the west indies too pick it up especially on home soil and it's laras last odi's

__________________
Finally England have risen from the ashes.

History and psychologicap pressure will be against them. No host team has ever won the Cricket World Cup, including Indians in India, Pakistanis in Pakistan or Australians in Oz.