You mean "low down" - "slow down" - or better still a "huge let down".

And Nostromo I doubt in 2 or 3 hours time we will be kneeling at the alter of St Dunkan.

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Ern

Remember the 1983 WC final? India 183 all out and the then mighty West Indian team faced with chasing that measley total in 60 overs against some pretty ordinary bowlers apart from Kapil Dev. It all seemed ridiculously easy when Viv Richards was going on the rampage, and then.....it happened! By the time the Windies laboured to 140 all out, they seemed frightened of their own shadows. You can never tell in this game.

And how likely is that? Not very.

IF I'd won the toss. I'd've bowled. That's now immaterial. But perhaps you don't remember how Smith savaged an inexperienced Anderson throughout England's last home series v. South Africa.

If it wasn't going to happen bowling first (that's Anderson going berserk and taking seven for twenty-three) then it's not going to happen bowling second.

And as for it's "only a game." Yes it is. But even if we don't like it, we should be able to play it better than we do.

That was dismal. As was the Bangladesh game, the Australian game, the Irish game, the New Zealand game, the Canada game, the Kenya game and the only game I give us any credit for was the Sri Lanka game, and that was because Ravi Bopara played beautifully.

Perhaps we'd've won if he hadn't been asked to bat so low. See recent comments on Andrew Flintoff.

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Red-it, Red-it, Read it and wept

I think there is more chance of space monkeys flying out of my ****. Besides, wining will be pretty much the same as saying "look -we're in the semis -everything is fine in english cricket" which it isnt.

And no we wont win it. We might get an early wicket but that might be it.

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Nothing says "Obey Me" like a bloody head on a fence post!

Shows what I know about Andrew hall. Well bowled lad, showed 'em how its done. England were so bad they were almost good.


I fully expect the saffers to knock those runs off in 20 overs.

Things to do ...
1) sack fletcher, vaughan and flintoff and the chairman of selectors from the ODI side.
2) beg tom moody to do a job for us.
3) learn from this world cup.


Still, not bad to be three games from the final. And England could even bowl out the saffers. And monkeys might fly out of my backside too.

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I have a dream.... (Martin Luther King)

No way to we have the sort of bowling attack that could defend a 154-all out total. Not even Australia do. Ireland have managed to chase down 140 odd runs against pakistan. It is only a game, but it would need some amazing bowling and poor batting to win. I think we might get them under a bit of pressure early by getting Smith or De Villiers out, but no matter how many wickets tumbe, there will be that partnershipp which will guide them home. NZ chasing 210 had an early collapse, but they built together 2 little partnerships and took the game beyond England.

Being a fan not a little moaner, I want England to bowl them out, like I want West Ham to stay up, but i must be honest with myself to say, that is not going to happen. Hopefully, our team can redeem themselves by doing what Bangladesh did to us, bowl 7 of us out and avoid being the ones embarressed because face it, 144 is a bad score, if we had chased it losing 2 or 3 wickets, we wouldn't have embarressed ourselves. Today, I hope we can take 5 or 6 wickets just to go home with a little bit of respect for our bowlers.

Well we have to hold every catch, hit the stumps at every chance and get a few decisions in our favour. Pretty sad really but there it is. We know SA will go hard so it will be over fairly quickly either way. Frighteningly similar to our performance in the football world cup. Going out with an insipid whimper

It will be interesting to see what happens with the ODI set up now.

Maybe Nostro will turn into Nostro-damus and England will achieve a miraculous victory....but I doubt it.

I hope you are right and there is no repeat of 1983. England should of fielded when they won the toss but batting 2nd might also prove costly. What if Devillers and Smith got off to a flyer and England had to bat on a dead wicket. The fact is when Pietersen failed so did England.

You can back to my posts in 2005 saying what is Vaughan doing in the one day side.

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"Checkout the big brain on Brett" Pulp Fiction

I disagree, we need to keep flintoff, he is one of our better bowlers. Bat him either up the order or at No.8, at No.6 he is failing. We need to put Ravi and Nixon up the order.

I think Fletcher should stay for the test side, not sure if it is possible, but damn, we have nothing to give from our ODI side. Although the total humilation in the Ashes series, he has still got a good record. We were missing many crucial playes from our squad and we were against an Aussie side who were dam pi**ed off about losing the Ashes. If he loses the West Indies Series next month then be gone Fletcher.

Vaughan should retire from ODI's and carry on as England's test captain. Again, If he doesn't find his form or guide the team them bye bye Mr Vaughan.

Tom Moody wouldn't be the captain of the titanic. Maybe we should get some county coach like the guy who coaches Essex. Shame Bob Woolmer (RIP) passed on, he would have made an excellent coach. Providing all the match fixing scandals are a load of bull...

Graveney needs to get his head out of his a**e and do his job or otherwise pi** off to the country club and play some golf.

I think Mahmood's first over shows where this game is going. 17-0 SA...


Magic spell from Anderson...erm I don't see any pigs flying, but you never know with science these days.

Monty repeats the 4th ashes test display by Shane Warne? If we even get to monty...