How other sides are shaping up before the World Cup Qualifiers 2018

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Black Mamba
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Re: How other sides are shaping up before the World Cup Qualifiers 2018

Post by Black Mamba »

Ireland winning journey continues

Scotland 219 all out ( Overs 49.2)

Michael Jones 87

Craig Wallace 34

Calum MacLeod 33

Boyd Rankin 3/49

Barry McCarthy 2/42

Ireland 223/4 ( Overs 34.5 )

Andy Balbirnie 67

Niall O Brien 55

Paul Stirling 38

Tom Sole 2/44

Safyaan Sharif 2/44


Ireland won by 6 wkts

TapsC
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Re: How other sides are shaping up before the World Cup Qualifiers 2018

Post by TapsC »

I personally think we are a better team than the Irish and on the same level with Afghanistan. It will be an interesting tournament for sure.

sloandog
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Re: How other sides are shaping up before the World Cup Qualifiers 2018

Post by sloandog »

TapsC wrote:
Tue Jan 16, 2018 3:23 pm
I personally think we are a better team than the Irish and on the same level with Afghanistan. It will be an interesting tournament for sure.
I don't

Kriterion_BD
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Re: How other sides are shaping up before the World Cup Qualifiers 2018

Post by Kriterion_BD »

TapsC wrote:
Tue Jan 16, 2018 3:23 pm
I personally think we are a better team than the Irish and on the same level with Afghanistan. It will be an interesting tournament for sure.
The Irish were shit up until a couple months ago but have turned it on. Presumably for the WCQ. The last few series, the games they have won, they’ve been on a hot streak.

The tournament will be interesting and imo the only team with any margin for error is the West Indies. They are built for LOI cricket and have the firepower to blast a few 400 plus totals and make net run rate a non issue. I fully expect them to lose at least 1 game. Ireland, Afghanistan, and Zimbabwe will all face a bit of a challenge from the Scots and Dutch, but the latter two are just making u numbers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjtuZBykSzM (Noreaga - Blood Money Part 3)

TapsC
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Re: How other sides are shaping up before the World Cup Qualifiers 2018

Post by TapsC »

I guess the way I look at it is that we are always playing teams better than us such that it makes us look like we are really terrible. Last year if you add the games against Namibia and Scotland and the Netherlands and Afghanistan to our overall list we suddenly have a decent win ratio. It's not like the Irish would have lasted much longer in Port Elizabeth for example.

Also seeing the way BT and Jarvis have performed since coming back and even ED Byrom who struggled a bit after that 1 big performance it has made me realize that just because somebody plays county cricket it doesn't mean they are much better that everybody else simply because county cricket has too many teams. I know a lot of the Irish guys play county cricket and that's why people respect them a lot.

I guess as a real Zim fan a bit of a rivalry has been created between the 2 nations after the last world cup game. Afghanistan in my eyes have earned my respect as they have shown that they are a very strong unit against some good teams. Even their u19 team is showing real dominance. Ireland for me is more talk and one off victories than action. Losing to them in Zimbabwe would be the end of Heath Streak for me

Googly
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Re: How other sides are shaping up before the World Cup Qualifiers 2018

Post by Googly »

I don’t agree what you say about County cricket. It’s different and a tough school. Sure there are lots of teams, but there’s Div 1 and Div 2 and there are a helluva lot of good players, the pool is massive. The conditions are very different and it necessitates a different type of play. I think what those three have struggled with is adapting to our local conditions. I know that sounds dumb since they hail from here, but they’ve been gone a while. In my opinion the only other guy from our set up who would do well in English conditions is Hammy. Cricket is a funny game because Wadlan did well here, but with respect to the guy, he’s a minor counties player, maybe he just didn’t get his break, I don’t know. Good bloke, we need more overseas guys like him.

Kriterion_BD
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Re: How other sides are shaping up before the World Cup Qualifiers 2018

Post by Kriterion_BD »

TapsC wrote:
Tue Jan 16, 2018 5:53 pm
I guess the way I look at it is that we are always playing teams better than us such that it makes us look like we are really terrible.
That could actually serve as the indictment. I don't think anyone remembers what happened at Port Elizabeth except for ZIM fans (to agree with BRMT for once). Heck it wasn't even a real Test match, IMO at least.

Whats hurt ZIM's perception is the inability to beat Afghanistan and the lack of domination of the Scottish/Dutch type sides.

I guess as a real Zim fan a bit of a rivalry has been created between the 2 nations after the last world cup game. Afghanistan in my eyes have earned my respect as they have shown that they are a very strong unit against some good teams. Even their u19 team is showing real dominance. Ireland for me is more talk and one off victories than action. Losing to them in Zimbabwe would be the end of Heath Streak for me
If I had to rank them on current form, I would rank the sides as follows: Afghanistan > Zimbabwe ~ Ireland.

Afghanistan are clearly the best of the 3 sides, across formats. If the Afghans can sort their batting woes out, they will be in an entirely different class from the other two.

The debate comes between Zimbabwe and Ireland. I am putting ZIM a hair ahead because they beat SL in SL which cannot be discounted as of yet. Now if this current SL side continue to be as shitty as they have been for the past 12 months, that changes. But as of now, SL are still a decent team. The only reason Ireland has closed the gap is their recent form and their history of showing up in ICC tournaments. Like the Afghans, the Irish are team that has learned to play with arrogance and its helped both sides as world cricket's underdogs. They will both be under pressure, but also seem to relish thriving in those conditions.

Overall, I think the West Indies have 1 qualifying spot fairly locked, barring some catastrophic fuck up. That leaves 3 teams fighting for the last spot, and actually now I'm thinking the Dutch may be a geniune contender for the following reasons:

1) They shocked the Irish in 2014 WT20 before beating England in the main round, so they can beat the Irish again
2) RTD is back
3) The Afghans will lose at least one game due to their shitty batting
4) The Dutch have nothing to lose (already gained ODI status and a place in the ODI league) and will play without any fear whatsoever

I think this will be a very exciting tournament and as a long-time fan of Associate cricket, I can't wait for this tournament to start.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjtuZBykSzM (Noreaga - Blood Money Part 3)

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Black Mamba
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Re: How other sides are shaping up before the World Cup Qualifiers 2018

Post by Black Mamba »

Tri Nation Series 2018

Fourth Odi

Ireland 331/6 (50 Ovs)

Batting

Stirling 74(88)
Niall O Brien(wk) 51(47)

Bowling

Stu Whittingham 3/58
Scott Cameron 2/64

Scotland 307/9 (50 Ovs)

Batting

Michael Jones 74(94)
Leask 59(35)

Bowling

Dockrell 2/43
Barry McCarthy 2/67


Ireland won by 24 runs

firebreaker
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Re: How other sides are shaping up before the World Cup Qualifiers 2018

Post by firebreaker »

PNG is so pathtic at U19 level but somehow they have managed to well at Associate level (gaining ODI status)

Bertus de Jong
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Re: How other sides are shaping up before the World Cup Qualifiers 2018

Post by Bertus de Jong »

Hi all, bit of weird misinformation floating about in this thread tbh. So in no particular order, some clarification;

-Despite the new regs Kervezee' still not eligible for NL from what I can tell. He'd need an "exceptional circumstances" dispensation to play.
-Mommsen's not back from semi-retirement, he just occasionally plays home games for Scotland. He's still got a full-time job and it would be big news if he were to be available for the WCQs.
-Likewise RtD was back for NL in the last two WCLC matches, but no guarantee he'll play the Qualifiers. Mood in NL is hopeful but not optimistic, likewise not certain that Cooper T will play, nor even Rippon or van Beek.
-Davey and Evans don't have Kolpak deals and never have. They're Scottish. Kolpak only applies to players from Cotonou countries. That's the whole point of them.
-And finally, to you chaps slagging off RvdM as a "Prick" who should "just admit he got a decent package from Somerset", I'd like to politely point out that he moved to the Netherlands before he actually got his county deal. In fact he played a full season in the Dutch Topklasse for ACC, and turned out for the Dutch, before signing with Somerset.

In other news, this tournament's gonna be great and I reckon y'all are way too down on ZIM's chances.

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