Tag: World Cup

Match #12: Bangladesh v England Prediction.

How This Works!

This post is set to go before each match. I briefly breakdown the batting and bowling attack of each squad and how they relate to each other before selecting who I think is going to win. Because cricket can be won by a number of wickets (if you’re chasing) or runs (if you’re defending), I’m simply going to select who I think is going to win outright, not in the manner, or by how many runs, they’re going to win by. Makes sense? (Quickly moves on before acknowledging any questions) Great! Let’s get started!

Bowling:

Bangladesh Bowlers/All Rounders: Mashrafe Mortaza, Mohammad Saifuddin, Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Abu Jayed, Soumya Sarkar, Mahmudullah, Shakib al Hasan, Mehidy Hasan

England Bowlers/All Rounders: Tom Curran, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Jofra Archer, Moeen Ali, Ben Stokes, Liam Dawson

ICC Ranking Average: (Measured by taking the top 5 bowlers in ICC’s player ratings. Those 5 rankings are then averaged out. The lower the number, the better. If a player is marked out, Dale Steyn in this case, they are not included in the ranking, as they are not effecting the match.)

Bangladesh

  • Mustafizur Rahman: 11th
  • Shakib al Hasan: 19th
  • Mehidy Hasan: 23rd
  • Mashrafe Mortaza: 24th
  • Rubel Hossain: 63rd
  • Avg: 28th

England

  • Chris Woakes: 9th
  • Adil Rashid: 15th
  • Mark Wood: 31st
  • Liam Plunkett: 33rd
  • Moen Ali: 41st
  • Avg: 25th

Breakdown: Closer rankings than I expected! Bangladesh’s bowling attack has more than held their own in their opening two tournament matches. Nearly bowling out New Zealand after being greatly let down by their batters. England’s bowling attack is playing about as expected. They let up big scores against Pakistan in every practice match leading up to the tournament, so their previous match numbers shouldn’t surprise anyone.

Advantage: England. Look at these numbers! Here’s how many runs England and Bangladesh allowed after their first two matches:

England: 555 (207 v SA & 348 v Pak) Bangladesh: 557 (309 v SA & 248 v NZ).

Get this! Both teams played South Africa at Kennington Oval, so the ground was the same. The pitch condition may have been a bit different, but it wasn’t drastic. I think part of the South African low score against England has to do with it being the opening match of the tournament. That being said, thanks for briefly nerding out with me!

Batters:

Bangladesh Batters/All Rounders:

England Batters/All Rounders:

ICC Ranking Average: (See rules for bowlers above and replace that with batters. You got it!)

Bangladesh

  • Mushfiqur Rahim: 20th
  • Tamim Iqbal: 23rd
  • Soumya Sarkar: 32nd
  • Shakid al Hasan: 34th
  • Mahmudullah: 49th
  • Avg: 31st

England

  • Joe Root: 7th
  • Jos Buttler: 16th
  • Eoin Morgan: 17th
  • Jason Roy: 18th
  • Jonny Bairstow: 19
  • Avg: 15th

Breakdown: England has the advantage. It’s simple. They probably have the best batting attack in the tournament.

Advantage: England

A final bold and likely dumb take: England wins by more than 50 runs.

Final Prediction: England. It’s a blowout.

Match #11: Pakistan v Sri Lanka Prediction.

How This Works!

This post is set to go before each match. I briefly breakdown the batting and bowling attack of each squad and how they relate to each other before selecting who I think is going to win. Because cricket can be won by a number of wickets (if you’re chasing) or runs (if you’re defending), I’m simply going to select who I think is going to win outright, not in the manner, or by how many runs, they’re going to win by. Makes sense? (Quickly moves on before acknowledging any questions) Great! Let’s get started!

Bowling:

Pakistan Bowlers/All Rounders: Hasan Ali, Mohammad Hasnain, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Wahab Riaz, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Hafeez, Shadab Khan

Sri Lanka Bowlers/All Rounders: Jeffrey Vandersay, Lasith Malinga, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Angelo Matthews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Thisara Perara, Isuru Udana, Jeevan Mendis, Milinda Siriwardana

ICC Ranking Average: (Measured by taking the top 5 bowlers in ICC’s player ratings. Those 5 rankings are then averaged out. The lower the number, the better. If a player is marked out, Dale Steyn in this case, they are not included in the ranking, as they are not effecting the match.)

Pakistan

  • Mohammad Amir: 27th
  • Hasan Ali: 28th
  • Shadab Khan: 29th
  • Imad Wasim: 30th
  • Shaheen Afridi: 55th
  • Avg: 33rd

Sri Lanka

  • Suranga Lakmal: 42nd
  • Lasith Malinga: 47th
  • Nuwan Pradeep: 61st
  • Angelo Matthews: 77th
  • Thisara Perara: 79th
  • Avg: 61st

Breakdown: Which Pakistan team is going to show up? The one that made the West Indies look like the greatest cricket team of all time, or the squad that upset England? The silver lining for Sri Lanka, is that it was their bowling attack that led them to victory over Afghanistan. Gosh that was an ugly match 🤢

Advantage: Pakistan. As much winning momentum Sri Lanka’s bowling attack has, Pakistan has that x100. They’re also more talented, which is important.

Batters:

Pakistan Batters/All Rounders: Sarfaraz Ahmed © (WK), Asif Ali, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail, Imam ul Haq, Shoaib Malik, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Hafeez, Shadab Khan

Sri Lanka Batters/All Rounders: Dimuth Karunaratne, Avishka Fernando, Lahiru Thirimanne, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Matthews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Thisara Perara, Isuru Udana, Jeevan Mendis, Milinda Siriwardana

ICC Ranking Average: (See rules for bowlers above and replace that with batters. You got it!)

Pakistan

  • Babar Azam: 8th
  • Fakhar Zaman: 10th
  • Imam-ul-Haq: 15th
  • Mohammad Hafeez: 44th
  • Sarfaraz Ahmed: 51st
  • Avg: 25th

Sri Lanka

  • Angelo Matthews: 40
  • Kusal Mendis: 57
  • Kusal Perera: 72
  • Thisara Perera: 74
  • Lahiru Thirimanne: 84
  • Avg: 65th

Breakdown: I mean, it can’t really go worse for Sri Lanka, can it? Folks, I have some potentially bad news.

Advantage: Pakistan. Here are Sri Lanka’s batting performances from the first and second match. That’s a lot of single digit efforts.

A final bold and likely dumb take:

No Sri Lankan player will go for 0 runs. Hey, that’s saying a lot so far this tournament!!

Final Prediction: Pakistan in an uneventful and fairly easy match.

South Africa Breakdown

It’s World Cup glory or heartbreak every tournament for the Proteas. Is this the roster that can break the curse?

Batters/Fielders: Faf Du Plessis ©, Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock (WK), Aiden Markram, David Miller, Rassie van der Dussen

Bowlers: Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Andile Phelukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Dale Steyn, Imran Tahir

All Rounders: JP Duminy

Don’t Sleep On

– David Miller: He’s known for big run breakouts and may just be called upon to have an explosive innings to steal a match.

–Lungi Ngidi: Steyn and Rabada is the likely partnership to open up innings, with Ngidi, South Africa brings a third powerful pacer to the table. Not many other nations can say that. Ngidi catching fire and racking up wickets would only mean success for the Proteas.

–Rassie van der Dussen: His full name is Hendrick Erasmus van der Dussen. He’s in this spot on name alone! As far as actual cricket goes, van der Dussen is expected to be a reliable option behind Amla, de Kock and du Plessis. An average of 88.25, in a rather small sample size of 9 matches, shows what van der Dussen is capable of!

Needed to Make a Run

-Imran Tahir: The swan song for one of the most exciting bowlers in recent cricket history. Be on the lookout for the classic Tahir sprint, we’ll likely know how South Africa is performing based on how Tahir’s celebrations go. They need him to rack up the wickets this tournament.

-Faf du Plessis: His leadership is vital. He’s spoken in recent interviews about the pressure on this South African team to do what all others before them couldn’t and reach a World Cup final. Can he keep cool under pressure? A  semi-final/final trip may hang in the balance.

Key to the Cup

–Kagiso Rabada: He’s one of the best bowlers in the world, so there’s not much introduction needed here. In order for South Africa to make a run, Rabada needs to have a tournament similar to Trent Boult’s 2015 World Cup. My bet is Rabada leads the tournament in wickets after the group stage matches are settled.  

Why Should I Watch?

South Africa is your best friend who, when you are all out, is one step away from closing with his/her prospective mate, only to have it slip away in the most heartbreaking way possible. You never want to give up on that friend, they’re your best friend, but you’re constantly afraid of watching them get their heart broken again. South Africa boasts an experienced batting and bowling side, one that is capable of beating any team on any given day. They are 100% good enough to win this tournament but don’t get too attached because it will likely end in heartbreak.

How Fun is This Team? (9/10)

Tahir and his celebrations alone are enough to get them a high score in this category. Rabada has some attitude to him when he gets going, which is great to watch. Steyn isn’t afraid to talk his shit. Really their bowling attack is feisty and not afraid of anything or anyone.

Best Case:

World Cup glory! This version of the Proteas does what no other team before them could do and win the World Cup. Amla and de Kock lead from the front and put up huge numbers match after match allowing for the bowlers’ plenty of leeway to do their thing. They beat New Zealand in a rematch of the 2015 semi-final and take down host nation England in the final.

Worst Case:

I think you know where I’m going here. Although I can’t foresee a match ending in a more heartbreaking fashion than 2015’s semi-final. Unfortunately, this is the worst case section, so let’s come up with one! I’d say losing that exact way again in the semi-finals would be the worst possible outcome, yea? Okay, that’s it, another World Cup without making it to the finals after being so close.

England Roster Breakdown

England

ICC ODI RANKING: 1st

Batters/Fielders: Eoin Morgan, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler (WK), Joe Denly, Joe Root, Jason Roy

Bowlers: Tom Curran, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid

All Rounders: Moeen Ali, Ben Stokes, David Willey

Don’t Sleep On:

–Tom Curran: Tom’s success has been getting overlooked recently by his younger brother’s breakout IPL season, but that doesn’t mean Tom is a slouch. His 18 wickets in 13 matches are nothing to scoff at, especially when you consider the competition was Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, and the West Indies.

– Chris Woakes: The leader of England’s pace attack, Woakes must lead from the front. By taking early wickets, Woakes can put England on a favorable path. He’ll also be the one expected to hold it down at the death.

– Joe Root: It’s hard to say not to sleep on a player of Root’s caliber, but go with me here. Root is unquestionably a top four test batsmen in the world. With the rest of the English lineup seemingly taking a more T20 style approach to their batting, it will be up to Root to steady the ship and play the long game.

Needed to Make a Run:

– Jonny Bairstow: Can he keep his hot streak from the IPL going into a different format on a bigger stage? If so, England is going to be an absolute FORCE while batting.

–Jos Buttler: While Buttler isn’t having the same results as his fellow wicketkeeper, his ability to drop a 50 or 100 on you is only matched by a few others in the world. I don’t think it matters who’s behind the wicket, as England would be wise to keep both of these players in the lineup.

Key to the Cup:

– Ben Stokes: The all-rounder has been up and down this IPL season and can’t seem to find his consistency. England wants to make a deep run this tournament, and Stokes can be that difference maker. England has elite talent on both the batting and bowling side, but Stokes’ potential to be elite at both makes him a potential tournament changer.   

Why Should I Watch?

The host nation has won the past two World Cups, can England keep the streak going? Watching them and how they handle that pressure is one of the major storylines of this tournament. Morgan and his boys are ranked #1 in the world rankings, so they’re entering the tournament as favorites.

How Fun is This Team? (10/10)

They swing for the fences when attacking, almost to a reckless degree. Their bowling attack is strong but not overpowering, so expect them to score a lot and hold on for dear life when defending a chase.

Best Case

The World Cup trophy comes home to England for the first time! This is the only result that will satisfy English fans. This team is peaking at the right time and it’s golden ODI generation and playing style makes this tournament all or nothing.  

Worst Case

World Cup 2015 ring a bell, anyone? While this team is much stronger than that one, a similar result isn’t out of the question. While I think this team has what it takes to make a deep run, the expectation of winning the cup on home soil is a lot to handle.

Final Prediction

I expect a deep run from this England team. The batting attack is strong when it’s clicking and playing on their home soil will give them a similar boost it gave New Zealand four years ago.