No thread so far, so I thought I'd make one following England's bizarre defeat to West Indies.

Basically, England sets the highest total of the tournament (191-5) thanks to some class batting from Morgan and Wright. Rain starts to pour when West Indies are 30-0, who are then given a revised target of 60. This meant the only need 30 from 22 balls, which they got with one ball to spare and eight wickets in hand.

Pretty ridiculous really, given the big target we set. D/L method doesn't work for this form of the game - simply too short.

Then again, some might say this is karma for our ODI victory over the same team last year, after a D/L cock-up.

The Duckworth Lewis method is an excellent approach to predicting the outcome of reduced matches based on statistical modelling, however there is a huge flaw, it is built on 1 day cricket to predict the outcome of 50 over matches so it is totally unsuitable for 20/20 cricket. The reason for this is that it based on the "resources available" to a side at any given moment and what the likley outcome would be based on those available resources if the match wasn't curtailed; this assumes that the dynamics of the 50 and 20 over games are the same which they clearly are not. Until a "proper" 20/20 methodology is produced the games should just be called as a draw like 20 overs a side local league matches are around my neck of the woods.

it's unfair that they should be allowed 10 wickets in a reduced overs game, the whole point of twenty20 is that you try and play attacking cricket but keep enough wickets in hand to last the 20 overs, WI could afford to attack every shot because they didn't need to worry about wickets.

You're both right. I've no problem with the Duckworth-Lewis Method being used for 50 overs game - it's flawed I guess, but it's the best method. The 20 over format is just way too short - the reason batsmen are so much more aggressive is because there's a far smaller risk in losing a wicket, as there's far fewer balls to bowl a team out with. There was only going to be one winner when West Indies needed 30 to win off 22 balls with all 10 wickets remaining, though in truth they did make pretty heavy work of it.

Despite this bizarre defeat, Twenty20 is still a great form of cricket and it is not 'mindless slogging' as some people seem to think. It's no Test cricket, but still a fine form of cricket in its own right. Hopefully the rest of the tournament will be good entertainment.

I'm not T20's biggest fan I have to admit, but you are right as players and captains are becoming more tactically astute, for me yesterday was the first time England have really "got it" for me.

Raining in Guyana, how absurd if England were to go out as a result of this

It stopped, they got a few overs in, now it has started again. Reckon England will lose due to D-L again...

I should'nt think so

I have to agree though about yesterday, it was near farcical

england through somehow, though yet to complete a game...

Farce?

bowlers doing pretty well against pakistan, 120-7 with 2 overs left, I wish some international T20 was on terrestrial, I'd love to be watching this

great win, KP finally got going and pakistan are out

Class knock from KP. Just wish he could keep doing that.

the story of his life...

Dont we all, it was a great knock but overall it was our performance on the field that won us the match, some great bowling and stunning catches.

One that made me laugh was when one of the Pakistan fielders managed to catch the ball from a Lumb hit, then dropped it just as he was about to start his celebration

Pieterson on from again, after making 69 from 6 overs SA bowled better for the next four overs, but Pieterson has just come back and got his 50, now 98-1 with 10 left.

168-8 from 20, England looked on for a 180+ but SA came back with some good bowling, still a decent score though

Great from England so far, South Africa reduced to 44-3 in the 7th over

not only are they way of the pace in terms of run rate, we now have 5 wickets, surely this one is in the bag

53-5, Swann gets de Villiers

This is looking brilliant

Steyn gone, 125-8

This feels weird, we're actually giving a darn good team, a right thumping

Sidebottom, a quite brilliant caught & bowled, 126-9

what a catch!

It just seems to me that these things can happen in 20/20, because you have to push the run rate very fast you are on the edge of either losing wickets or getting a big score, thereby putting pressure on your opponents. I don't know how much you can deduce from one match, even though England have done pretty well in all their games so far.

been a brilliant all round performance, the fielding has been immense for once.

They were a bit rusty against Ireland, but apart from that, I cant fault them, the batting's looking great, it looks like we've finally got the fielding sorted and as a result, we're giving some excellent teams a real challenge and beating them...


...like now, Sidebottom clean bowled Morkel, 129 all out, we win by 39 runs, a very impressive thrashing

Don't think anyone would of predicted that, we've well and truly hammered SA, looking good all round

We now top our super 8's group, only a total capitulation against New Zealand will put us in danger of elimination

GROUP E (Played / NRR / Points)

1. England ........ 2 / +1.18 / 4pts
2. New Zealand ........ 2 / -0.30 / 2pts
------------------------------------------------
3. South Africa ........ 2 / -0.65 / 2pts
4. Pakistan ........ 2 / -0.22 / 0pts

Plus if we win the group, there's a chance of avoiding the dangerous looking Aussies

England now without Pietersen for the New Zealand game and possibly the rest of the tournament as he is flying home to be with his wife who's gone into labour

If the rest of the team play like that, we can do it without Pietersen. Great bowling and fielding. Superb stuff

She's not called Clegg then

Saffers need 17 off the last over to win. Their run-chase was pitiful, scoring in dribs and drabs, only de Villiers had any real impact. But they've still got a chance.

Thats them out, a win for us puts Pakistan through

england need 150 to win against NZ, not that is really matters

eoin morgan has had a great tournament, looks quality

well england are going to the final, they need 129 and are 47-0 after 6 overs, looking very good

easy all the way, bring on the aussies!

Great work from 'England' once more. Nice to see us do well in one-day cricket for a change!

Makes a pleasant change doesnt it

Again another fantastic all round performance

Pakistan appear to be walloping the Aussies.

Couple-a wickets just gone down like, that might slow them down. 95-2 after 11 or so overs.

Smearing 6es all over the please, blimey

144-3 from 16 and a bit overs.

May i just say that if this attitude persists we may well wipe the floor with the colonials

Which colonials? Pakistan?

Edit: 145-4 after 17. A slog in the final three overs will see them get to 170-odd, seems like a pretty high total to chase.

A 6 in the next ball, Akmal is 38 from 25 balls. The Aussies don't know what to do.

Next ball, Haddin completely missed the ball and they've got 4 byes

155-4, after 17.2 overs.

Wow, and a 6 from the next ball. I can hear all the students cheering in the bar downstairs.

Fuck me, 24 from the over, Umar Akmal gets a 50 and it's 169-4 with 2 overs left.

What's the betting there is rain and the Aussies go through with some pathetic Duckworth-Lewis total?

Razzaq with the eighth 6 of the innings, takes them to 177-4 with 9 balls left. This is incredible.

well it won't be the USA the rest are all fair game for me

I'd be a bit worried about playing Pakistan if they bat like this... mind you, it sounds like the Aussies have let themselves get rattled. They've used 7 bowlers, a sure sign that they were running out of ideas. 187-4 with three balls to go, can they get up to 200? No, a single run takes them to 188-4 with two balls to go.

Razzaq run out on a wide

I'd rather play the aussies to be fair, will need a lot of slow bouncers late in the innings to calm Pakistan down

Pakistan less consistent, I think if we play Pakistan and win then there will always be a suspicion that this result (if Pakistan win) was a bit of a fluke. I haven't seen Pakistan playing, not sure whether this was just Australia playing badly or if they really have the batting to hurt us.

All out 191-6.