Podbean wouldn't say the C Word either
The World Cup is starting, so amidst all of the fun and games, Will and his special guest are playing some fun and games. There's also a cursory look at the contendors as well as some warm-up chat. And some stuff about Bryan Adams.
To play The Cricinfo Fantasy Game, go to http://espncricinfo.fantasyleague.com and to enter theshortmidwicket.podbean.com Fantasy League, enter league pin 1992. For The Short Midwicket Fantasy League on sportguru.co.uk, the password is spedpert.
Showing posts with label Sport Guru. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sport Guru. Show all posts
Saturday, 19 February 2011
Thursday, 13 May 2010
Smug
As I have mentioned numerous times on the blog, I have tipped England to win the World T20 from long ago, way before the squads were even announced. And while there was some problem with my Sport Guru account meaning I couldn't officially predict the England win, I don't care. I don't care that I can no longer win the coveted Test Match Sofa pool, as my team have got into the World T20 final. By playing one of the best matches of limited over cricket possible. Without needing to single anyone out, the bowling, fielding and batting was excellent, and the first ball of the game aside, there was no way Sri Lanka were going to win the game.
Most pundits agree that England will face Australia on Sunday, but while I am not tipping Pakistan to upset the Aussies, I am warning people that Pakistan do have the capability to upset the apple cart. As this is Pakistan, absolutely anything could happen. (pause as I try to make a joke that isn't horribly inappropriate, but fail).
As a Sport Guru yellow cap winner, of the only people worldwide to back England to win it from day 1, and having picked 27 out of the 30 man England football World Cup squad, obviously my predictions are worth listening to. And that makes me feel rather smug.
Most pundits agree that England will face Australia on Sunday, but while I am not tipping Pakistan to upset the Aussies, I am warning people that Pakistan do have the capability to upset the apple cart. As this is Pakistan, absolutely anything could happen. (pause as I try to make a joke that isn't horribly inappropriate, but fail).
As a Sport Guru yellow cap winner, of the only people worldwide to back England to win it from day 1, and having picked 27 out of the 30 man England football World Cup squad, obviously my predictions are worth listening to. And that makes me feel rather smug.
Saturday, 8 May 2010
Team England Flying On
Way back during the long hard months of the IPL, I wrote a blog about how England were going to win the World T20. At the time, I had some stick, with naysayers supporting India, Australia, South Africa and even Sri Lanka well ahead of an England team who have never won an international tournament. Especially when you look at England's past T20 fortunes, which have been mixed (to be kind).
But I looked beyond hard stats and conventional opinion. I looked at Kevin Pietersen's brutal run-scoring. I looked at Eoin Morgan's inventive hitting. I looked at the spin of Swann and Yardy, and the handy all-rounders Collingwood, Bresnan and Wright. While I thought England would utilise Broad and Anderson, Sidebottom has performed well and offers a very tight option at the death. Kieswetter and Lumb were an unknown quantity at the top, but I tipped them to fire. I looked at the England team, and I saw a team that could win.
And if they continue as they have against Pakistan and South Africa, there's no reason why they can't.
The great thing about this England team is that they are one - a team. In the South Africa game, every single player (except Luke Wright... sorry Luke) contributed; either making good runs or taking wickets, and it was a fantastic team performance. In recent England one-day history, too much pressure would be put on a Pietersen or a Trescothick to perform, but now the pressure is spread amongst a team which bats 1-11. Collingwood was happy to continue playing attacking strokes, knowing there was Wright, Bresnan and Yardy to follow him, all of whom can hit quick runs. As a captain, Collingwood has so many options; as well as the five front-line bowlers, he also has Wright, Pietersen, Lumb and himself to be called on to have a twirl. And in the field, even Ryan Sidebottom (hardly the most mobile) made two world-class catches - even being likened to a ballerina for his diving effort to dismiss de Villiers.
James Anderson is one of the finest bowlers in the world - and he can't even get into this England team. In Twenty20, form and momentum is everything, and England have both. As the team fly to St Lucia (and I fly up the Sport Guru prediction table), there's no reason why they can't fly back home with the World T20 trophy safely in tow.
But I looked beyond hard stats and conventional opinion. I looked at Kevin Pietersen's brutal run-scoring. I looked at Eoin Morgan's inventive hitting. I looked at the spin of Swann and Yardy, and the handy all-rounders Collingwood, Bresnan and Wright. While I thought England would utilise Broad and Anderson, Sidebottom has performed well and offers a very tight option at the death. Kieswetter and Lumb were an unknown quantity at the top, but I tipped them to fire. I looked at the England team, and I saw a team that could win.
And if they continue as they have against Pakistan and South Africa, there's no reason why they can't.
The great thing about this England team is that they are one - a team. In the South Africa game, every single player (except Luke Wright... sorry Luke) contributed; either making good runs or taking wickets, and it was a fantastic team performance. In recent England one-day history, too much pressure would be put on a Pietersen or a Trescothick to perform, but now the pressure is spread amongst a team which bats 1-11. Collingwood was happy to continue playing attacking strokes, knowing there was Wright, Bresnan and Yardy to follow him, all of whom can hit quick runs. As a captain, Collingwood has so many options; as well as the five front-line bowlers, he also has Wright, Pietersen, Lumb and himself to be called on to have a twirl. And in the field, even Ryan Sidebottom (hardly the most mobile) made two world-class catches - even being likened to a ballerina for his diving effort to dismiss de Villiers.
James Anderson is one of the finest bowlers in the world - and he can't even get into this England team. In Twenty20, form and momentum is everything, and England have both. As the team fly to St Lucia (and I fly up the Sport Guru prediction table), there's no reason why they can't fly back home with the World T20 trophy safely in tow.
Friday, 7 May 2010
The Yellow Cap
The Tour de France has the Yellow Jersey. The IPL has the Orange Cap. And Sport Guru has the Yellow Cap. And I won the Yellow Cap for Round 3 of the Test Match Sofa World T20 prediction league.
Despite forgetting to make a pick for the England / Pakistan game, my excellent prediction skills gave me 3 out of 3 for the other games of the Super 8s so far (including getting the South Africa / New Zealand game on the nose with an SA win by 13 runs). My other predictions, of an unfancied Australian win and an unfavoured Sri Lanka win were also correct, giving me a 100% record for the round, and the best result out of all Test Match Sofa listeners.
I am currently in 8th position in the TMS prediction league, and while I would have originally taken a top-half finish, I'm now going for more. Lizzy - you're in my sights. I've got the momentum. I've got the predictions. Could I make a late surge up the table with the end of the tournament in sight?
Join the fun in the Test Match Sofa pool with the password wormchew
Despite forgetting to make a pick for the England / Pakistan game, my excellent prediction skills gave me 3 out of 3 for the other games of the Super 8s so far (including getting the South Africa / New Zealand game on the nose with an SA win by 13 runs). My other predictions, of an unfancied Australian win and an unfavoured Sri Lanka win were also correct, giving me a 100% record for the round, and the best result out of all Test Match Sofa listeners.
I am currently in 8th position in the TMS prediction league, and while I would have originally taken a top-half finish, I'm now going for more. Lizzy - you're in my sights. I've got the momentum. I've got the predictions. Could I make a late surge up the table with the end of the tournament in sight?
Join the fun in the Test Match Sofa pool with the password wormchew
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