Speaker by Various Artists

Cheers guys, I have adopted Canada as my minow, and will loudly cheer them on against Kenya and England. Sure, they won't make the round of 8, but I would put money on them giving at least one of the baracudas in their pool a run for their money.

If batting first, it only take two batsmen (or perhaps one - Davison) to fire, and they can post a good total, and then the team batting second is under pressure. Cue a quick duck from Fleming, and the BCs reduced to 44/5, and it's the road to world cup glory for Canada. Or something like that.

BTW, you realize of course that the Smoke-free Environments Amendment Act 2003 would now prohibit the kind of addition to a school cricket pitch which contributed to your prodigous spin.

There could not, I am sure, be three people less qualified to comment on the cricket than these three fine gentlemen. As long as the making up extends to some fine Gilks cartoons of Fleming smashing a double century on the way to a NZ World Cup victory, we thoroughly look forward to it.

If it's just commentary on how losing to Bangladesh has been good for the team and builds them up well for the tournament... oh god, now I'm depressed again.

Did you catch the Macca's Meals blog/column linked to in that post?

http://blacksnacks.blogspot.com/

Very tasty.

who's cricket passion was shaped by long, lonely hours watching Otago Shell Trophy games through the 1980s

Oh whatever! I followed CD. And I'm a girl. Do you know how many times I had to put up with drunken morons asking me, "So which one have you got your eye on?".

trust me Sarah they were lonely hours. there was nothing like sitting in a howling southerly in the Rose Stand at Carisbrook, alternating between doing my science homework and watching Kevin Burns eek out a couple of singles an over. There were no drunken morons there- it was just me and the guy in an anorak with his transistor radio turned up loud.

And I'm a girl. Do you know how many times I had to put up with drunken morons asking me, "So which one have you got your eye on?".

This never happened to me. Though I was backing Canterbury in the nineties, so the question may have been moot. I still have a life-sized cardboard cut-out of Chris Cairns under my bed.

Great stuff; looking forward to it. I remember Bilcliff starting first class cricket aged 18 for Otago in the early 90s. Ken Rutherford, Otago captain at the time, said he was a test player of the future, which was the kiss of death. You’d think Ruds, of all people, should’ve known better.

For all other cricket tragics out there, at www.sportsfreak.co.nz there’s a series of articles at the moment previewing the tournament group by group, in a non-Cricinfo kind of way.

Perhaps after the "best party" thread we could have one about best obsessive-compulsive disorder?...perhaps putting this sort of stuff behind a paywall might avoid frightening newbies away ;o)

If anyone is keen There's a virtual world cup comp available here

the public league I've entered has a reference number 336630
so feel free to sign up for the PA cup with a prize of whatever the losers feel like giving the winner.

Well sure, cold wind, Carisbrook, not great. But I was in Palmerston North.

I do have to say though, if there is one thing solo cricket watching has going for it, it's that it's a brilliant way to meet old men.

CD, hmm close the other day, but our captain did a job in both innings, jones was very clinical

I still have a life-sized cardboard cut-out of Chris Cairns under my bed.

How does he smell?

I still have a life-sized cardboard cut-out of Chris Cairns under my bed.

How does he smell?

Dusty.

Dusty

Mmmmm, dusty...

Reece; I've joined you fantasy league as ... Leg Break.

Was very tempted to pick the roly-poly from Bermuda but just couldn't do it..

Now that would have been all class, cheers leggy now how about all you other armchair coaches?

Sweet 12 teams should be good, still room for more if anyone is keen. For those of us (myself included) that only have peasantvision (no sky) you can watch a free live webcast of every world cup game here or here enjoy.

This is probably the only journalistic endeavour that uses the vagaries of Kings No 2 to introduce a weighty sporting event like the world cup....but then again any small victory that a South Dunedin boy might win over someone like Bilcliff from Otago Boys High (on the hill) was always savoured with relish, with nearly as much relish as the pies that Gilks and Ropbertson were so fond of.....
Of course, pies also were essential in the long, lonely vigils at Carisbrook that Grant mentions. But Grant's memory is a little aksew. Kevin Burns, another great pie-lover, never ran singles - he would only hit the occasional boundary. In fact, the entire middle order of the Otago side in the 1980s were very sceptical of singles. Garth Dawson and Kenny Rutherford maybe ran the odd single, but the Blair brothers avoided them at all cost. But then again with Burns and the Blair boys you have the "guts" of the perfect NZ First Class Fat XI middle order.....

Can anyone tell me is Fran Tarkenton is playing in the world cup? I understand that he has a deadly flipper.....