Friday, June 5, 2009

The Dutch Have the World Jittering!

I wasn't the only one who had talked about the minnows' ability to spring surprises at the ICC World Twenty20.

But I don't think anyone thought that it would happen as soon as the opening match of the world cup!

Besides AP Webster, who warned everyone about the Dutch before the opening game.

This victory by Netherlands may just be the start.

Ireland, Scotland, and Bangladesh are still to come.

Reekers, De Grooth, Zuiderent, Borren, Schiferli, Borren, Seelaar are not household names by any standards, but after today, the English will remember them forever.

England now face the prospect of getting dumped from a home world cup within the first 3 days of the competition.

But they are not the only ones who will be having a couple of sleepless nights.

Their next opponents, Pakistan, will be sh*tting bricks!

England will no doubt come hard on Pakistan, and if they manage to topple them, then the Pakistanis face the prospect of catching an early flight home.

In the case that England beat Pakistan, then not only do Pakistan have to beat the Dutch, but will have to keep an eye on the net run rate as well.

Boy is this some start to the 20-20 world cup!

Only a day into the tournament and the Dutch have given the cricketing world jittery legs.

Krishna mentioned that the minnows should look to target the weaker teams in their groups to go ahead; the Dutch have done just that.

What a start!

Make your pitch on this post...



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26 Pitched:

  1. SledgeHammer said...
     

    Incredible start! What a cracker of a game. I even shamelessly put the video stream on here at work during the last over.

    On the flip side, not good for Pakistan. But hey, they're all big boys now. Step up to the plate. No whining like after WC 2007. If you can't win, you need to go home.

    Cricket won today. Amazing scenes. And no farce - the game went on.

    Incredible stuff.

  2. LiB said...
     

    ill think about the Pakistani factor tomorrow morning for now let me wear my orange hat.. ;)

  3. Rayden said...
     

    WHAT A MATCH !!!!!! That last over was so cool with singles being scored of every ball.

    Two questions:

    1) What the hell was England doing in the last few overs while they were batting?

    2) Has England completely forgotten how to field? They had atleast 20 run out chances throught the Dutch innings.

  4. Tifosi Guy said...
     

    Q

    Rest easy - after this SHOCK - England will be easy meat for Pak on Sunday. Trust me. They can only talk of pride - but come to show it on the field, and they are the biggest wimps !

    Plus, get eliminated and it does a lot for them :

    1) They can concentrate on the ASHES !! while the Aus are still busy in the T20 - trying to win the one trophy not back in CA HQ's in Melbourne !

    2) They can whinge and whine about how T20 is not real cricket ( inspite of them having ' invented' it - albeit in all fairness T20 is Martin Crowes brain child - remember Supermax cricket?)

    3) Blame the IPL - since because of it they lost Flintoff and now conveniently they would lay Pietersen's injury as having been made worse there :)

    Ah fun times ahead to hear the Brits whinge and whine !

  5. Q said...
     

    Sledge: It sure was incredible. I could sense it when the Dutch were 57-2 in 6 overs.. The last over was nervous.. my heart was thumping, can just imagine what the players on the field were going through.

    Some start to the cup man.

  6. Q said...
     

    LIB: If anything, this should wake Pakistan up!

    I also want my Orange cap. Matty Hayden stole it.

  7. Q said...
     

    Rayden: that last over was quite something wasn't it? Broad had a chance to get a wicket of every single ball - 4 missed run outs and a dropped catch!

    England lost there way after the 15th.. and during their innings it looked to me like the boundaries were so big... Wright was trying so hard but couldnt hit even 1 six.. but the Dutch cleared them easily!

    Quite a game.

  8. Q said...
     

    TG: I hope they r easy meat for Pakistan, but after the Brit media lashing over the next day, who knows what they will dish out at us.

    I hope the English are thinking abt those same reasons that uve given.. imagine the home team out of the world cup within 3 days of the competition - damn!

    I can see the IPL bashing coming up.. Nasser Hussain or one of the commentators mentioned that it was not good management allowing Freddy and KP to play the IPL with injuries.. they press is going to be full of it soon.

  9. Tifosi Guy said...
     

    Q

    Rest easy mate. All it needs is for Pak to have the same kind of start they had against India while batting and I tell you right here, right now - that England would give up the ghost there and then.

    They simply don't have the stomach for a fight. Plus as seen in various sports, English teams can't play under pressure.

    As you said, the press would rip them to shreds tomorrow. and they play the next day - no hope in hell for them.

    Who knows maybe the game is even rained off - which would ( I guess) pretty much eliminate them.

    Plus - now that Holland beat England, they wouldn't strive that hard against Pak. Qualified to Super 8 and it's not like finishing top would mean they avoid the group of death in Super 8's.

  10. Unknown said...
     

    England vs Holland was always going to be a classic. If we were playing football.

    Heartiest of congratulations to the Dutch. They bowled well, fielded well and ultimately batted well. I think that is what is called total cricket.

    http://tinyurl.com/np8ozq

  11. Q said...
     

    TG: U make sense and for Pakistan's sake, I hope its right.

    Rian is forecast to play spoilsport for the next 10 days.. hope it stays away.

    As for group of death - Nannes would licking his lips at the prospect of playing Australia.

  12. Q said...
     

    Nick: Welcome to Well Pitched.

    The Dutch sure played well and pleasantly surprised quite a few. Rude shock for the English though.

    Checked out ur link.. great post by Harris.

  13. Wasim said...
     

    Damn! I missed the Dutch innings.

    I completely agree with Sledge now Pakistan will have to step up to the plate and their should be no whinning like after WC 2007.

    An early exit for Pakistan is quite possible.

    Younis Khan must be shitting in his pants.

    I love it. Pakistani team have gotten a wake up call they all know what will happen if they under perform or show non professional attitude. Heads will role and many players will see a pre mature end of their playing career.

    This is fantastic.

  14. raj said...
     

    Well, England play poor cricket and suddenly T20 has become this great game, never mind the short length for Cricinfo and English media outlets!
    Cue for the "great game" articles in English media - almost every one of which will begin "Unlike the gaudy and gimmicky IPL, the World T20 showed why the great game is all about great Cricket on the field rather than razzmattaz outside" as though the Dutch vs English was better cricket than the IPL!

  15. Stani Army said...
     

    Sad for the English but one of the best things that could have happened to this tournament.

    Even though some may have had enough of t20 after the IPL...this would have grabbed their attention.

    Sledge, Wasim; I think this could be a good thing for Pakistan. Now we can afford to lose a game and still go through on run rate.

  16. Q said...
     

    Wasim: fantastic indeed and a wake up call for sure.

    Not only for Pakistan but also the other minnows who would be feeling confident after this upset.

  17. Q said...
     

    Raj: those headlines have already started rolling out.. i guess they're quite predictable the English media..

    Good for cricket or not, what this does do is that it tells the ICC that the minnows stand a chance at T20 cricket and that its the T20 WC that they should be expanding with 14,16,18 teams over 50 days competing rather than the ODI one.

    Let the ODI one be competed between 8-10 teams at the most..

  18. Q said...
     

    Stani: how can we lose a game and still go through on NRR? I mean who do we lose to - Eng or the Dutch?

  19. khansahab said...
     

    BREAKING NEWS

    Jang has reported that Younis Khan might open in the next few matches so that Mohammad Aamer can be facilitated as a definite inclusion in the playing XI.

    They will do all sorts to facilitate other players, but they will also do anything to keep Fawad out.

  20. Q said...
     

    Khansahab: I don't get this.. I mean how will Younis Khan opening accomodate a bowler in the XI? Are they planning to being Aamer in place of a batsman?

    Doesn't make sense..

    So Pak is planning to go in with:

    Younis, Ahmed, Akmal, Malik, Misbah, Afridi, Arafat, Tanvir, Gul, Ajmal, Aamer

    Wat bad team balance and combination..

    Drop Arafat or Tanvir out of there and get Alam in for God's sake!

  21. khansahab said...
     

    Q

    Younis said before the tournament that Tanvir is a key player. So he is not dropping Tanvir.

    He will also not drop Gul. He has said he wants to play Aamer, so that leaves the question whether he will drop Arafat and/or Rao.

    Looking at Inti Alam's and Younis's attitude they will rather play either one of Arafat or Rao, rather than play Fawad. So my guess is if Younis opens Pakistan is going with 4 pacers.

  22. Q said...
     

    Khansahab, if Pakistan go in with 4 pacers and Ajmal then it will be a very bad team combination.

    No balance at all. And we know how Younis did with so many bowling options against India in the warm up - he will get confused..

    On the batting front it might not be that bad though if they have Arafat and Tanvir at 7 and 8.. but I would still rather have Fawad instead of one of them.

    Also, Younis opening? Why not Akmal? Real strange thinking.

    But having said that, I still think Pak will go in with regular openers - probably Butt and Ahmed.. and Aamer will play along with Tanvir and Gul.

  23. Wasim said...
     

    It doesn't matter if Younis Khan opens or not, Aamer if he plays will replace a bowler not a batsman.

    Fawad will play against England.

    Pakistan team should forget the warm up matches. The middle order should be strengthened so that the top four can play without any fear.

    Any bowler can concede around 10 runs an over in T20 we should drop a bowler who can't control his noballs and wides and bowls too many bad balls in an over.

    Both Tanvir and Gul give away too many extras and bowl several bad deliveries in their over.

    Pakistani bowlers will have to show more discipline on the field.

  24. Q said...
     

    Wasim,

    Are you sure Fawad Alam will play today? I hope he does but I doubt he will.. lets c..

    Paki bowlers have to show more discipline for sure but Younis will also have to used them better.

  25. khansahab said...
     

    Fawad is not playing.

  26. Q said...
     

    Damn them man. Atleast Aamer is in.

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