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23 hours ago, Thagard said:

I guess no big surprises, except for England having a terrible tournament.

And of course West Indies not participating.

Plus Afghanistan's strong performance.

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The moment Mark Selby achieved his maximum. The score 9-8 to Luca Brecel after the first two sessions in the best of 35 frame final.

 

 

Edited April 30, 2023 by Nickyc707

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16 hours ago, Monzanator said:

Mark Selby beat John Higgins 13-7 but the real drama just finished with Si Jiahui beating Anthony McGill 13-12 in high-tension decider. McGill tried to pot a tricky but close to pocket ball left-handed and misjudged the path as he clipped another ball on the way and Si Jiahui - who had a small lead anyway - took over to build a winning margin. Quite a shock result given nobody gave Si much of a chance to make it into QF and he's into SF.

 

So the SF line-up is:

 

Luca Brecel vs Si Jiahui

Mark Selby vs Mark Allen

Either Mark Selby wins his 5th world title in ten years or we have a new world champion.

 

Allen has appeared in one previous semi-final in 2009. For Brecel  and Ji it's a first appearance. 

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4 hours ago, De_Gambassi said:

What kind of strawman argument is that. Handball has nothing to do with the discussion. It's an universal sport, heavely dominated by European countries, but played pretty much everywhere by locals. 

 

Cricket is not. Outside of T1 nations, the game is almost non existent or limited to expats from cricket nations. The Netherlands are often cited in these kind of discussions as some kind of proof of some depth behind T1 nations. Yet, with the country only having around 5,000 players it is demonstrating quite the opposite.

 

For me, that's a sport that should not be Olympic. 

 

In that regard, rugby is doing much better (Spain with 40k players as an exemple of a non-commonwealth, non-T1 nation), which was my initial point. Baseball also. 

 

Ps: I'm quoting numbers from european countries as they are the ones the most easely 

It was an argument made in response to your strawman argument that only Commonwealth countries would win Olympic medals in the next 100 years, and ignoring the possibility of further expansion, beyond the 30 or so NOCs where cricket is a significant sport, as a result of becoming an Olympic sport.

 

I referred to handball because it bears similarities in being a very Eurocentric sport which did not have the benefit of universality when it came into the Olympics and only significantly spread beyond Europe after becoming an Olympic sport. Even now it remains weak in most other parts of the world and apart from South Korea, China with a bronze is the only non-European country to win an Olympic medal in 86 years of trying.

 

Incidentally you've referred to rugby as being a Commonwealth sport which is not true in the sense you mean it. It has historically had strongholds in places way beyond the Commonwealth such as France, Italy, Romania, Argentina and Japan.

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3 hours ago, phelps said:

tbh, the Olympics in the last 20 years have been hyper Far East centric.

 

most medal events added in that stint have gone to CHN, JPN and to a lesser extent KOR.

 

and in any case, the "newest" sports have a lot of interest in those Nations (which isn't surprising, as China rules the world and JPN and KOR have the main sponsors feeding the IOC, except for the US TV stations, namely NBC).

Yep, but the overall programme remains heavily biased towards Europe and North America. Even if you add the big three from the Far East it leaves vast swathes of the planet under represented.

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34 minutes ago, Fly_like_a_don said:

And  if it's a 10 team tournament. If it's a Olympic sport the govt would invest so much that it can make it in top10.

Good point.  (always wanted to use this one 😊) would likely do the same as cricket continues to spread from the subcontinent.  too.

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1 hour ago, De_Gambassi said:

Rugby (seven, fifteen) is a lot less commonwealth focused and more universal than Cricket. We already had 2 non-commonwealth countries medalists at the last olympics when you would have only commonwealth countries winning medals for the next 100 years if cricket was an olympic sport.

In the 86 years since handball was first introduced to the Olympics only two countries from outside Europe have ever won a medal. Do you think that sport should be excluded? Afterall Europe consists of fewer countries and far fewer people than the Commonwealth.

 

The introduction of cricket would mean that a lot of countries and parts of the world that never have the opportunity to compete in team sports at the Olympics would have a chance to do so. I'm thinking in particular of South Asia, Southern Africa and the Caribbean. The Olympics needs to stop being so Eurocentric.

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1 hour ago, Dragon said:

In my opinion Cricket is only an Olympic sport if the Games are held in India or Australia.

And nowhere else.

So by extension handball is only an Olympic sport when it's held in Europe, presumably.

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And  manage to completely blow a winning position against . India needed 13 runs off the last 3 balls which while not impossible is incredibly tough. Pakistan then bowl a waist high no ball which Kohli hits for six to concede 7 runs and from there India scrape home off the last ball of the game. Epic match. Huge boost to India and massive downer for Pakistan.

 

Match highlights.

 

https://www.t20worldcup.com/video/2869705

Edited October 23, 2022 by Nickyc707

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In today's two games  have comfortably beaten . Meanwhile,  and  are facing each other in front of a raucous crowd of over 90,000 at the MCG.

 

https://www.t20worldcup.com/video

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5 minutes ago, Nickyc707 said:

Stunning catch by Phillips as  complete an 89 run drubbing of .  The Aussies NRR already a horrible looking -4.450.

 

 

And a better view here.

 

https://www.t20worldcup.com/video/2866725

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Stunning catch by Phillips as  complete an 89 run drubbing of .  The Aussies NRR already a horrible looking -4.450.

 

 

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49 minutes ago, Dragon said:

Australia batting badly and suffering some bad luck...

That was bad luck but these things can happen when you try a sweep or hoick against the bowler.

 

The truth is the Aussies have been comprehensively outplayed by NZ. Finn Allen gave the Kiwis an excellent start with 42 off 16 balls and they didn't look back. They've also had much greater variety in both their spin and pace attacks. Looking like real challengers, I think.

Edited October 22, 2022 by Nickyc707

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The second stage begins today with two matches in Group A.  play  in Perth later, while the first big clash of this WC is between  and  in front of a sell out crowd at the SCG. The Kiwis batted first and put up what looks like a decent score of 200/3 in what is one of the key matches in this group.

 

 

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13 minutes ago, Nickyc707 said:

British Virgin Islands I hope although it's difficult to see.

 

It contains the island's coat of arms, i.e. St Ursula holding a flaming gold oil lamp surrounded by a further eleven lamps representing her 11,000 virgin followers. Apparently this derives from Columbus's naming of the islands.

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_the_British_Virgin_Islands

 Mixed my flags up! It should be this one! Forgot the BVI have their own NOC.

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1 hour ago, Dragon said:

What's  ?

British Virgin Islands I hope although it's difficult to see.

 

It contains the island's coat of arms, i.e. St Ursula holding a flaming gold oil lamp surrounded by a further eleven lamps representing her 11,000 virgin followers. Apparently this derives from Columbus's naming of the islands.

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_the_British_Virgin_Islands

Edited October 21, 2022 by Nickyc707

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13 minutes ago, JoshMartini007 said:

One part of me feels that the West Indies team is coming to a close. Even if cricket never becomes an Olympic sport, I don't think many people feel nationalistic towards them, but they probably are towards their respective nation. There's enough talent on paper for to compete at the World Cup level. Even alone would probably be the favourites against Canada and the United States.

 

The downside of course is funding. Can these nations increase their funding 3-5 times to match the current spending of the West Indies?

Those four countries have always been the core of West Indies cricket certainly. Until the last thirty years or so all their international cricket was played in Bridgetown, Georgetown, Kingston and Port of Spain.

 

I'm not sure about the future of the WI but the allegiances that existed in the post-colonial world in the Caribbean do seem to have dissipated and perhaps what has been a unique sporting collaboration between nations is at risk unless the current pattern changes.

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With ten countries arcing around from Jamaica to Guyana in South America as well as five overseas territories of the UK, Netherlands and USA it isn't easy to organise, coordinate and bring a sense of purpose to West Indies cricket.

 

          plus

    

 

They have produced some of the greatest players to ever play the game. Barbados alone has probably produced more cricketing talent per square mile than any place on the planet. However, it isn't always easy to bring such a disparate group of players from so many different countries together towards a common goal.

 

West Indies have been at their best when they've had a strong captains, men like Sir Frank Worrell, Clive Lloyd and Sir Viv Richards, who have been able to create unity and provide a sense of purpose. That no longer seems to exist as players wander round the world making their earnings from the numerous T20 leagues now on offer. It is sometimes difficult to manage the players from one country as most teams have found at some stage or another, notably Pakistan, but it must be even more difficult in the unique sporting united nations that is the West Indies.

  

Edited October 21, 2022 by Nickyc707

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I don't know if anyone can remember a better start to a T20 WC than this. Lot's of close matches and both groups very tight with every team winning at least one match and none getting through unbeaten. Really looking forward to the next stage!

😎

[Nickyc707 310]

 beat  in another close match to top Group B and complete the lineup for the next round.

 

Group B

 

    4 pts    +0.200    Qualified

   4 pts    +0.105     Qualified

    2 pts    +0.304

    2 pts   -0.563

 

The final makeup of the groups for the next stage

 

Group 1

 

      

 

Group 2

 

     

[Nickyc707 310]

 thrash the  by 9 wickets to go through to the next stage. Having grown up watching the West Indies dominate world cricket for fifteen years its hard to watch them play so poorly. I met their great former batman and captain Clive Lloyd a couple of years ago and he would never have tolerated that standard of performance even from this group of players. 

 

If it was a sad day for the West Indies it was a great one for Ireland and well done to them, especially after being well beaten by . They were also in trouble against  before a terrific match winning 5th wicket partnership of 119* between Curtis Campher and George Dockrell. Definitely the turning point of their campaign. 

 

 

 

[Nickyc707 310]

UAE pull off a surprise in a great game with Namibia to send the Netherlands through to the next round

 

Group A

 

    4 pts    +0.667     Qualified

    4 pts    -0.162      Qualified

    2 pts    +0.730

    2 pts    -1.235

 

 

Amended groups for stage two.

 

Group 1

 

     plus the runner-up from Group B

 

Group 2

 

      plus the winner of Group B

 

 

 

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4 hours ago, Dolby said:

yes in that case, NRR would matter. 

If either game is rained off then Scotland and the West Indies are holding the aces.

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3 hours ago, Noorderling29 said:

I would be very surprised if NL were to beat SL, but stranger things have happened at sea 

 

Edited October 18, 2022 by Nickyc707

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3 hours ago, Nickyc707 said:

Two will qualify. If Namibia beat UAE as they should they are guaranteed a spot as they can't be overtaken by both the other two challengers. SL and the Netherlands will then be in a battle for the second spot. The Netherlands win and they're through. If not it comes down to run rate. We'll have a better idea of what the Netherlands needs to do after the SL v UAE game. If Netherlands maintains a run rate advantage after that then a narrowish defeat against SL might still be enough.

 

Mind you the Netherlands will also qualify if Namibia lose to UAE but they won't want to rely on that happening.

   4 pts     0.149 Run rate

   2 pts     1.277

   2 pts     0.600

   0 pts     -2.028

 

SL beat the UAE comfortably and now have a better run rate than the Netherlands so the Dutch will have to beat SL in their final round one match or hope that Namibia lose to the UAE.

 

If SL finish second I believe they'll be in the same group as   and  in the next round which will be fun.

 

 

Edited October 18, 2022 by Nickyc707