ICC Cricket World Cup

[Swooperman]

I think Franklin gets the edge on being left armed & can hold a bat...as he proved.....but if Bond fails then their seam hopes look threadbare. He made you decent profit though mate, fair play
Easy in the end, & NZ looked flattered with a bit of tail end wagging.

Are SL the real deal though ?? Well, we said all along the batting was the problem but the 2 players giving most concern were Tharanga & Jayawardene & now both have runs in the last couple of matches. Fernando went a bit haywire though & Maharoof could well return.

Definetly no Ntini for SA The one thing at the back of my mind is that Australia just cant keep playing like gods & Mickey Arthur was talking a lot about 'inner calm' for SA, & I'd love to see them win this. SA will have the same old one paced problems but still bat a long way down...it should be a good watch.
Both camps are playing with the groundsman it seems. Punter said this morning it would have been a 'bowl first' due to moisture but hes been 'assured' the covers will be off at 5am tomorrow, whereas Arthur said the shaving of the pitch was 'regrettable'

So far, I like Hall 35+ & Bracken 40+, both 5/6

[Beanie]

I'll stay well away from any cricketing ability based debate as I know feck all about that, but psychologically tomorrow's game looks ok from an SA perspective - they've got the bottlers tag but 2moro is perhaps a bit different up against an all conquering side thats already beaten them - pressure off(as much as it can be in a world cup semi)? There's nothing like being an underdog to galvanise what is undoubtedly a talented bunch of cricketers(oops), particularly if they have something to prove.

[Pie-chucker]

Fair play to Lankans; better in every department.

Franklin made me money but with the recent 60pts on NZ to win WC came out of game with - 35pt. However buying tournie NZ/oppo @ 210 at 0.50 worked out, despite two heavy defeats at the end. M/U at 305. So overall last few days can add 12.50 to kitty. Hard work for f all .

Aus/SA. Multi-sixes made up at 66 in St Kitts and today's quote of 24 looks do-able.

BUY Ponting 50ups @ 14 at 2pts
BUY de Villiers perf @ 40 at 1pt
BUY multi-sixes @ 24 at 2pts

.... and hope for a run-fest.

[Pie-chucker]

So much for the run-fest! Shocking match for me, dropping 91 pts. Bit of a silver lining as the tornie sell on SA/oppo produced profit, so only - 55 on the update.

Bring on the final. At least it's between the two best teams by some distance.

[Hippy Dave]

I don't know who to bloody support in the final. I still think SL would be one of the poorest XIs ever (yes they've got some good players, but not the whole team) to win the WC, but I can't cheer for Oz can I?

[FC Basher]

Thanks to Swoops I have a ticket with Sri Lanka on it

[Swooperman]

Thanks to Swoops I have several tickets with SL on them, & several more with 'lay Australia' on them as well

[Pie-chucker]

PS... I saw somewhere (can't remember) that Aus to win with Ponting highest Aus scorer was 16-1. A way of getting a bit of cover on bloody Aus lifting trophy?[/quote]

Deep in the mists of time (page 4) I thought this might be a cover bet on everything. Talk about after-eventing :wasntme

a) not on it. b) didn't recommend it. c) didn't track down bookie/bet.
d) probably won't work out.

But it has been fabulous guys. I've made dialling codes (not telephone numbers, Swoops) out of this.

tom watson in the lankan camp may have an ace or two to play. Thinking about this.











1

[GaNgStA kEeKs]

Sorry waaaaaaay too many pages to go through but whats everyones current bets for the final?

Swoops your on the outright aint you? What price?

Remember some member in saying "SRI LANKA HAVE NO CHANCE"

Good luick with your bets folks - thread views show you guys have been doing a great job

[Hippy Dave]

If someone can find it I stand corrected, but I believe all that I've said is that SL are overrated, not that they have no chance.

Aus and SL have pretty much got to the final by default, as it's been a very, very, very weak WC - India and Pakistan out early, England and West Indies not up to scratch, and SA and NZ peaking before the WC.

Whichever one of these teams wins is not as good as the winning teams of the last three WCs IMO (SL and Aus x 2), and certainly have had it easier to reach this stage.

[Pie-chucker]

Had 3 pts on a Lanka v Windies final. Half right, but totally wrong.

[GaNgStA kEeKs]

Originally Posted by Hippy Dave

If someone can find it I stand corrected, but I believe all that I've said is that SL are overrated, not that they have no chance.

Aus and SL have pretty much got to the final by default, as it's been a very, very, very weak WC - India and Pakistan out early, England and West Indies not up to scratch, and SA and NZ peaking before the WC.

Whichever one of these teams wins is not as good as the winning teams of the last three WCs IMO (SL and Aus x 2), and certainly have had it easier to reach this stage.

It wasnt you that was aimed at with my comment Dave.

It was someone who signed up and was having a go at Swoops and then saying SL had no chance in hell.

Just wondering where he has got to now? :wasntme

[Swooperman]

That was Jake, Kiko, & he might be proved correct yet...although I think SL getting to the final is closer than he'd like it to be

Australia have been awesome apart from a 25 over spell vs England & roughly the same vs SA the first time they havent looked troubled one iota. I thought McGrath would underperform & hes leading wicket-taker.....Tait not far behind although I still think he could cost them...& Watson ?? Hes still shit

I'm sitting on what Ive got tbh. As Pie says its been a gas & I've enjoyed it immensley but my head says Australia tomorrow. I'm not laying off @ 2/5 so I'm sitting tight, as SL...on their best day....can do it. I rate their bowling higher than the Aussies still, but theyve no 'go-to' players @ 6 & 7 like Australia have.....that I feel is where the difference is & it just depends whether the bowling can negate that

C'mon SL

[kiwimike]

Thanks to the awesome advice and reading on this thread i have traded my way on betfair to be all green on the final match ( have been trading throughout the WC on the WC winner market)...its taken some funny turns along the way i must say, but now i'm sitting on + points should either team win. I have agreed with just about all that has gone on in here bar Swoops lay Aussie call (no offence big guy as i have huge respect for your picks as i hope you know). The only reason being that i am a kiwi and i have seen time and time again the Aussie's come out and dominate with a vengeance no matter how they look in pre-cup games across many sports. This comes from watching them waste New Zealand at multiple sports just when we think we have them (now theres a Rugby WC pick for ya!) . So i actually backed them way back in the piece, which thankfully has paid off. Good luck to all on the betting for the final, i will just watch though and wait for the winner, but just for the record i'm picking Aussie, alot of it is about a winning mindset and the Aussie's are pro's at doing this, they just simply believe they will win and 9/10 they do!...much as that annoy's the crap out of us Kiwi's!

[Pie-chucker]

Agree with Swoops and Kiko. Just can't go past the Aussie steamroller.

If Lankans bat first, if they get 285, if they can grab 2 wickets in the first 8 overs... it's all bloody iffy. Tom Moody might have 'a plan', Malinga (getting noticeably better in every game) might be the key. It's all mighty iffy.

I can see bloody Punter right now doing his acceptance speech. "Look, we targeted the Champions Trophy, The Ashes, the World Cup over the last 6 months and thanks to the guys we got there. But there are always things we have to look at."

Grit your teeth boys. Get out your wallets...

Ponting MoM @ 7-1 at 20 pts (centrebet)