The Cricket World Cup.

[Paul]

13 hours ago, Chelsea14Ian said:

A great result for England, bit of a wobbly in the middle.Dont think `India did them selves any favours the end of the match.They seemed to give.Still its all to play for.

I'm not sure how much India actually wanted towin that match, MS Dhoni certainly seemed to have no interest in chasing the total at the end, when it was still very much "on". I wonder if the fact that beating England would have helped Pakistan qualify had anything to do with it. 

[OldBerkshireBoy]

Oh dear. 

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2019/07/18/cricket-is-not-sport-russia-says-a66468

[Chelsea14Ian]

They would say that.Never mind it is a sport and we are the world cup holders.Next up the Ashes.

[ChrisB]

Maybe they have not been able to develop a "dope" that improves Cricketers performance!

[Paul]

Sorry to revive an old thread, but as the mighty Bob was already mentioned here I though this would be a fitting place to mourn his passing. 

I was a big fan of his before that now legendary performance at Headingly in 1981. He was one of the superstars of the Sunday League which was avid viewing in our house. Sunday lunch at the dining table, wash up then on with the cricket. I was always excited if Warwickshire were to be shown as it meant another appearance on Willis, giant of a man running in from the boundary rope with that unique action trailing his bowling arm behind his backside. We all copied that as kids on the local park.

It was his inspiration that led me into fast bowling, though I cannot claim to have got anywhere near his achievements. A couple of appearances in the Minor Counties Championship before a back injury sustained playing Rugby ended my career, at least on a serious level. Bob himself was no stranger to injury especially with his knees, both of which required several surgeries which would have ended lesser men. His rehabilitation was close to impossible but he would not give up and returned to the highest level of the game against all odds. Thank heavens he did, as along with Ian Botham he gave the world what is, and will always remain the greatest test match ever at Leeds in '81.It was almost a public joke in the England team of the late seventies as to who would get the job of lifting Willis into the bath at the end of the days play, but he was back on the field the next morning, running in and bowling with genuine pace, something England has had little of in test cricket. 

With the advent of Sky Sports in the early 1990's Willis found a platform from which to vent his opinions, especially on England. For such a placid, equable character he had a razor sharp wit and was not afraid to demonstrate it. It was backed by a phenomenal knowledge of and insight into the game of cricket and he quickly found his niche in summarising rather than commentating and given some of England's more recent test performances his evening "verdict" program was often more interesting than the days play. I missed his input in this recent New Zealand series, and whilst aware that he was ill was totally shocked to hear that his illness had taken the ultimate toll. 

As both a player and commentator of the game of cricket, which I love so much he stood on the very top step. 

 

[VetChugger]

Well said Paul from yet another aspiring fast bowler who was maybe not quite as fast as he liked to think!

[Smoggy]

The only good thing about cricket was way back in time when the commentator announced " the bowler's holding, the batsman's willy", must be 70's at a guess.

Can't stay, I have paint to watch dry......