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Saturday, 28 February 2015

CWC 2015 - NZ Win But Australia Take Bow - What A Fightback

#NZ v #Aus
#LIVE #Cricket #Score
28th Feb 2015

#EdenPark, #Auckland

You DO NOT take Australia lightly. You cannot nail them all the way in both innings of a one day match. They will not lose their belief. They will fight hard until the last ball.

Well, New Zealand just found that out today in the biggest Pool A match here at Eden Park, Auckland. 

Earlier in the day, the Kiwis had steamrolled the Aussies in an amazing burst of speed and spin bowling by #TrentBoult and #DanielVettori. Australia bundled out for 151. From 80 for 1, they slipped to 106 for 9 before #BradHaddin and #PatCummins hung around to take the score to something they could bowl at.

Boy, did they bowl well? and how well did #MitchellStarc bowl? 
NZ kickstarted their batting with #MartinGuptill smashing 11 runs of the first legitimate ball of their run chase. A boundary off the hip off a no-ball. The proceeding #Freehit was dispateched over long on fence for a towering six. #MitchellJohnson, the hapless bowler. 

#BrendonMcCullum continued in the same vein of form he has brought into this #CWC15 with a blistering 50 off 24 balls. His fall led to a mini collapse for the Kiwis triggered by #MitchellStarc.

Suddenly from 78 for 1, they were 79 for 4. Taylor and Elliot out off consecutive Starc deliveries.
#CoreyAnderson survived the hattrick ball but Australia sensed they could push through this Kiwi middle and lower order.

Anderson and #KaneWilliamson ensured there was no further damage and carried the score past 130 without too many hiccups. NZ victory in sight. 22 runs to win. 

Just as everyone looked relaxed and yet another big-team game going down a one-sided path, drama began to unfold. This is where the Aussies are so proficient and their tenacity and ability to bounce back from hopeless situations comes to the fore. 

A bowling change accounted for Corey. #GlennMaxwell got his man with his dibbly spinners.
131 for 5. Easy victory still in sight with Williamson settling down at the other end.

But, Starc had different ideas.

To begin with, he induced an edge from #LukeRochi
139 for 6

#PatCummins chipped in with the wicket of #Vettori shortly,
145 for 7

Things beginning to get uncomfortable for the Kiwis given their tail didnt have to bat much in this World Cup so far. In walked #AdamMilne to a crowded Australian field. They hustled up to the NZ batsmen knowing pressure was on.

Starc cashed in on that big time uprooting Milne's stumps for a blob.
146 for 8

The very next ball, #TimSouthee got a taste of his own medicine when his wickets were broken by a scorching Starc delivery for nought.
146 for 9

Dear o dear ....

Can New Zealand lose this one now?
Had Australia completed their Houdini escape?

Kane Williamson stranded at the other end watching  #TrentBoult walking in with the weight of the world on his shoulders (he had bowled beautifully for his 5-For to set up this easy run chase and now here he was needing to score 5 runs or atleast block a couple of deliveries from the rampaging Starc)  

Starc steamed in for a second time in the game on a #hattrick, but Boult survived pretty comfortably. Huge roar from the crowd. Another ball to survive though. 

#MichaelClarke made field changes for the last ball of Starc's over to avoid a boundary. Plan was set to trap Boult through a full ball but he sprayed the ball wide, a wasted delivery and chance to seal a famous win for Aus.

Over changed and so did NZ fortunes.
For starters, the well set Williamson was on strike but 5 runs was still an ask. He needed to farm the strike well. Pat Cummins the bowler. Field set inside out to avoid boundaries and doubles. Kane had a plan and Pat's inexperience at the death showed as he bowled a full length delivery. Williamson freed himself of the wickets, created room and smashed the bowl over the bowler's head straight down the ground for a SIX!

The Eden Park erupted, NZ batsmen ecstatic while Aussies disappointed. Amazing scenes.
NZ won by 1 wicket in hand and 161 balls to spare (just goes to show if Australia had scored another 15-20 runs more, the story could have been different)

Good game ... made extraordinary by Australia and their never-say-die spirit.
Take a bow! This is how you defend low scores. This is how you fight when the chips are down.
You may lose but you walk off head held high. This is the ultimate sports team!

Man of the Match: Trent Boult for his 5-For. If he had scored those 5 runs, am sure he'd have ranked them above the five wickets he took :)

NZ - 4 wins from 4 games - 8 points
Aus - 1 win from 3 games - 3 points

Opens up Pool A beautifully now.
Things hotting up for the QF berths at the #CWC15.

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CWC 2015 LIVE - Mayhem - Kiwis Rip Through Australia

#Aus v #NZ, #Auckland
28th Feb 2015

#DanielVettori has brought the Kiwis back in the game brilliantly.
Brought in to bowl in the opening #Powerplay to curb the rampaging #Aussies, he has produced a dream spell of control, guile and produced the much needed breakthrough. He had #ShaneWatson caught in the deep by Tim Southee.

Immediately after that, Southee trapped the very dangerous #DavidWarner #legbefore.
Warner and Clarke reviewed it but #hawkeye went with the umpire and out was the decision.

#DanTheMan was it again when he had #StevenSmith caught behind and the Kiwis were pumped up.

McCullum then brought in #TrentBoult in place of Southee with immediate results. His pace troubled #GlennMaxwell and he #playedon on his stumps.  

2 balls later, #MitchelMarsh .. #playedon in the same way as Maxwell. NZ pumped up!! 

News just in ... #MichaelClarke has been claimed by Trent Boult caught at short cover.

Boy ... Australia in big trouble now.

Two new batsmen at the crease
#MitchellJohnson
#BradHaddin

#LIVE #Score - 104 for 7 from 21 overs.

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CWC 2015 LIVE - 2 Quick Wickets Pegs Australia Back v NZ

#Aus v #NZ, #Auckland
28th Feb 2015

#DanielVettori has brought the Kiwis back in the game brilliantly.
Brought in to bowl in the opening #Powerplay to curb the rampaging #Aussies, he has produced a dream spell of control, guile and produced the much needed breakthrough. He had #ShaneWatson caught in the deep by Tim Southee.

Immediately after that, Southee trapped the very dangerous #DavidWarner #legbefore.
Warner and Clarke reviewed it but #hawkeye went with the umpire and out was the decision.

Two new batsmen at the crease
#MichaelClarke playing an international after almost 3 months
#StevenSmith

#LIVE #Score - 94 for 3 from 16 overs.

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CWC 2015 LIVE - Feeling the Buzz Already - Aus v NZ

#Aus v #NZ , #EdenPark, #Auckland
28th Feb 2015

The Australia v NewZealand game looks to be living to its reputation.
The game has just started but you can feel the buzz ... an intensity at a different level.
Hope it remains that way and match lives up to its huge billing.

Australia have won the toss and elected to bat first.

After 11 overs, they are 70 for 1.
#DavidWarner and #ShaneWatson at the crease just getting their eyes in.

#AaronFinch bowled by #TimSouthee.

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Friday, 27 February 2015

CWC 2015 - Bowl Tracking Technology

#CWC15

Bowl Tracking Technology at this World Cup is yet another fascinating innovation.
Used to track how the ball leaves the bowler's hands, pitches and reaches the batsman to determine areas of strengths/weaknesses of batsmen, projected trajectory of deliveries and bounce variations, this technology is really wowing the fans and cricketers alike.

Teams are using it to study opposition batsmen (strong and weak areas, lengths to bowl on different pitches, etc) while batsmen are using them to plot their aggression/defence against fast, seam and spin bowlers.

This is one piece of technology that will stay for while in cricket for sure.

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CWC 2015 - NZ v Aus - Biggest Game In Pool A

#NewZealand v #Australia , #Auckland
28th Feb 2015

In whats the biggest game of the tournament probably, New Zealand take on Australia at Auckland in high voltage Pool A match. Australia were and are always firm favorites to win the cup based on their overall ability and form. The Black Caps probably have the best chance to win the trophy owing to home conditions and form of some of their key players. 

Its going to be a battle of nerves and the team that takes an initiative and innovates will come up trumps. So, whats is favor of each team then?

New Zealand
 - Home ground in Auckland. Australia will travel to New Zealand after a long time and need to adapt quickly
 - Home crowd support and conditions to suit the Kiwis more
 - Big chance to set the record straight against their neighbors (Aus have always been the better team)
 - Bowling and Batting clicking at the same time. The only worry is some of their middle and lower order players havent got a decent hit in yet. Same with the Aussies who have played on the opening day of the tournament and nothing after that. Thats 14 days ago. That should make them a bit rusty?
 - The fielding is at par but Kiwis seem to just have an edge there

Australia
 - Home or away, the Aussies are massively adaptive and aggressive in all environments. This is the reason why they have been so dominant over the years.
 - Man to man - skill wise - they are the better team no doubt. Kiwis don't have the superstar batting or bowling prowess but they are performing brilliantly as a unit.
 - All round ability is better and even under pressure they can stand up tall unlike most other teams who generally crumble, NZ being one of them.

Our judgment says its Aus 60 - 40 NZ.
We may be wrong and if we are, this World Cup is alive and kicking. 
Imagine Australia stuck on 3 points after 3 games battling it out with other teams in the group to qualify for the quarter finals! That would dent their pride big time.   

Players to watch?

Aus - David Warner, Steven Smith, Michael Clarke (well finally he gets to play after a long injury layoff), Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Starc

NZ - Brendon McCullum, Kane Williamson, Corey Anderson, Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Daniel Vettori

May the better team win.
We just hope this is the first "heavyweights" game of this #CWC15 that goes down to the wire. Many of these games so far have been one-sided while the minnows have produced some cracking and thrilling results!  

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CWC 2015 LIVE - Windies Lose Steam Chasing Massive 408 v SA

#SA v #WI, #LIVE at the #SCG
27th Feb 2015

Stunned and Blown away by a batting masterclass from ABcD of cricket (#ABDevilliers), Windies have floundered miserably in their run chase of 408.

#KyleAbbott removed their biggest threat #ChrisGayle in his first over, crashing his middle stumps.
The celebrations by SA after that wicket just showed how much that meant to them.

He then induced #Marlon Samuels to hit one down DeKock's throat for nought.

#MorneMorkel had #JamesCarter caught by #ABD for 10 (can you keep AB out the game for long?)

#ImranTahir, then induced a double breakthrough, claiming #DwayneSmith for 31 and trapping #LendlSimmons for nought.

West Indies 63 for 5.
#DeneshRamdin and #DarrenSammy at the crease.
End doesn't seem far away.

Windies left to lick their wounds.  

As it stands (assuming a SA victory),
Pool B - 4 teams at 4 points each now. This is getting exciting. 

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CWC 2015 LIVE - AB Stuns Windies Again - Magical Innings

#SA v # WI, #LIVE, #SCG
27th Feb 2015

Wow ... Wow ... Wow is all you can say about the "Man" - #ABDevilliers.
Just don't know what he eats for breakfast when he goes out to bat against the West Indians? In a span of month or so, he has broken multiple one day records courtesy the men in red.

His outrageous batting explosion at the Sydney Cricket Ground in the late stages of the match had everyone spellbound and in awe. Take a bow AB, take a bow.

162 from 68 deliveries!!
Unreal or surreal stuff from the best cricket athlete in the world.

He was ably supported by Rilee Rossouw who smashed 62 in 36 deliveries to set the tempo in that innings after losing two quick wickets in the middle.

The West Indies bowlers' had nowhere to hide or were clueless, as AB tore them apart. The best example was the last over bowled by captain #JasonHolder. The over read
2-6-6-4-6-6 (30 runs).

80 runs were scored in the last 3.2 overs. 
Astonishing power hitting, ingenuine audacity and sublime batting skills by ABD. Hats off.

South Africa ended with 408 for 5 in 50 overs, highest score batting first in #Australia

West Indies have never chased 300 before. This is 400 ... Can Gayle storm it out once again. He has to match ABD otherwise it game-set-match SA already.

AB's records after this innings
 - fastest ODI 50 (Jo' burg)
 - fastest ODI 100 (Jo 'burg)
 - fastest ODI 150 (Sydney)
** all against West Indies

Whats next? fastest 200 maybe? or how about the first 300 in one dayers?
Teams yet to play against him are already shivering at those thoughts!!

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