T20 WC in India - anyone watching?
 

I'm not sure whether this is the right place to post this, but I'll make a start here anyway.

Is anyone else watching what has been a great start to the tournament?

India, the hosts, defeated by NZ who played a blinder, Australia also defeated by NZ but only by a few runs, England outbatted by WI with Gayle hitting 11 6s, and just now, SA defeated by England scoring 230 to post the highest ever total in a run chase in a T20 WC. [and the 2nd highest in an international T20]. They scored 44 in the first 2 overs, which is also a record.

And tomorrow India play Pakistan in a [for them] must win match.

Does cricket get any more frantic than this?

Do you like the format?

do you think [like my DH] that it's not "proper" cricket? [didn't stop him watching this afternoon!]

Well, that's a shame because the beginning of the tournament has been a corker.

One of the reasons I don't leave the UK during our summer is so I can watch as much 'proper' cricket as possible.

I've never seen the 'slog it' version, and don't intend to either.

I cringe when I see all the bad habits that 'slog it' has brought to our national summer sport.

oh that's a shame, LL. I love the traditional form of the game too, and I agree that the shorter forms of the game don't necessarily breed good habits in test players [I think that Geoffrey would agree with that too] but would Ben Stokes have made that fantastic innings of 258 against SA in the last test series if he'd not been brought up playing the 50 or 20 overs games? would Dilshan have invented the Scoop?

And BTW Joe Root is being touted as the best english player of the three forms of the game - and you don't get better batting technique than his.

The fact is that 20/20 is here to stay so we might as well sit back and enjoy it.

I think now that I have said to myself T20 is just another form of cricket I'm liking it better. I won't go anymore as I can't stand the music etc but don't mind watching it on tv.
Chris Gayle is persona non grata in Australia amongst many of us for sexist remarks to a female journalist whilst playing in the big bash - he just doesn't get that his behaviour is appalling - not the 1st time either.
Until Australia recognizes that T 20 is not a test and put in Finch instead of Agar and have my fav player Waston (that's a joke) as an opener we will not succeed at T20.
Some do say that it's because Finch is a Victorian - a running argument here about the nos of NSW in the Australian cricket team.
Great to see Afghanisran going along.

welcome northie. I thought that I was watching and listening all by myself! [apart from several billion Indians of course]

I was a bit dubious abut T20 at first, and of course the IPL is ridden with corruption, but it does attract people who might not otherwise be interested in cricket which must be a good thing.

As for the noise, we went to a match in Sri Lanka in the last 20/20 WC and the noise was incredible. They had 2 bands, a DJ and everyone in the crowd appeared to have some sort of whistle; fortunately England were playing WI in the second match so once SL had won their match [and Chris Gayle was out!] most locals went home and we could hear ourselves think.

I'm listening to SA v Afghanistan at the moment - I'm not that interested in the match so i don't want to watch it, but the commentary is terrific.

BTW, I'm sure that your lot will sort themselves out, sooner or later, probably when you play us!

commiserations on your men's team being eliminated, northie, but congrats to India [and England] on making the finals of both competitions.

England women play Aussie women on Wednesday in the first semi-final from Delhi - is that going to broadcast or publicised at all in OZ?

It's on Foxsports here (pay tv) which we'll watch at 8pm . Yes it is in the sporting news. Of course the biggest news is that the Matlidas (our soccer team) made the Olympics and is now 5th in FIFA ratings.
And my fav cricketer has retired - sarcasm ! Watson but he did ok in his last match .

congrats to the Matildas!

our women footballers aren't going because although they qualified through England's performance in the World Cup in Canada, the other home nations [or rather their male administrators] wouldn't agree to the GB team using England's qualification that way as it set a bad precedent.

so all of our girls have to stay at home, even though the team could have been selected from any of the 4 countries. No, i don't understand it either.

Getting back to the cricket I won't be watching either of England's matches tomorrow as I have to work so no spoilers please!

May the best teams win!

seems ridiculous that the English football team isn't going -I'm sure it is 4th in the FIFA ratings -ridiculous.

Have you caught up with the results yet? Exciting

It'll end up with so close and yet so far.

well I was quite lucky northie. I was able to listen to the beginning and end of the women's match, and ditto the men's, so i was in at the kill on both matches.

Congrats to your girls for making the final, and congrats to our lads for a great win over the kiwis - I can't help thinking that our chaps' having played on that wicket twice before and therefore knowing what their best team was in those conditions was a great help, not to mention knowing that they had scored 200+ v SA.

Shame that both our teams didn't make the final but I suppose we mustn't be greedy. [and as of now, only WI could do the double]

Do I sense a bit of a convert there, LL? you can't argue that it's exciting!

Wonderful match tonight between India and the WI - and something I'd never seen before with Lendl Simmons being "out" but then given "not out" no less than 3 times! [twice he was "caught" off a no ball and the third time as he was caught, the fielder's foot hit the boundary rope so not only was he not out, he was credited with a 6] And he only flew into India yesterday.

Quite amazing.

so now it's deja vu all over again with an England v WI final.

<<<Do I sense a bit of a convert there, LL? you can't argue that it's exciting!>>>

Nope. I scan the headlines on the BBC Sport website.

well, you have missed some great matches LL - India v WI yesterday and England v SA a week or so earlier were corkers.

I'm going to Nicaragua soon for a month. Apparently baseball is by far the most popular sport in the region.

Do you know if they play a shortened version like T20, to make it a bit more exciting to watch?

Do you know if they play a shortened version like T20, to make it a bit more exciting to watch?>>

no idea, LL. They would have to do something to make it interesting - the normal form bores me rigid. but you will have more to think about in Nicaragua, I hope.

well, the finals provided two great games, the men's final being one of the most nail-biting I can remember with the Windies needing to score 19 off the past over - Braithwaite proceeded to hit 4 sixes off poor Ben Stokes to win the match.

the West Indies won the women's match too - congrats to them for putting on a great show as well against Australia.

personally, though I love test cricket, i am sure that there is a place for 20/20, though I'm not sure my blood pressure can withstand too many finishes like that one.