It Was a Damp Squib!

It was a damp squib, wasn't it? Bangladesh gave in almost tamely. If they had put on 230-plus on the board, it would have been a real match. England had their hiccups but never appeared to be in danger of losing even from 110 for six. I don't given England any realistic chances of winning the two matches coming up on the 17th against South Africa and on the 21st against West Indies. South Africa will look to shut England out of the semi-finals and seal their own place, while West Indies will, almost, be playing for pride. One positive that England can take from this World Cup is they have found their next skipper: Kevin Pietersen. He has a mature head on his shoulders. I feel Flintoff, in the mould of Ian Botham, will be better off without the captaincy. A pure batter or a pure bowler is probably a better captain than all rounders. Garry Sobers was an exception but then he has been the most accomplished of all cricketers, leaving aside Don Bradman, who you can't compare with ordinary mortals!

As for today's match, New Zealand would want to carry on with their winning streak and stay at the top of the table but for Sri Lanka, it is opportunity to pump themselves up to seal their semi-final berth that will be theirs, with the match against Ireland coming up on the 18th, even if they lose to Australia on the 16th. Stakes are high for Sri Lanka and I expect Upul Tharanga and Chamara Silva to fire today. It is their turn today before Jayasuriya and Jayawardene pick up from where they left off, in the next match against Australia!