Woooo Hooooooo ......

Lets do it guys !!!!!!!!!

 Go! USA and win today and better the run rate in the final game ti fancy a chance for top two.

 Ady, I hope you recover soon.

hkgrohan:

journalist:

 Durale Forrest is making his debut today for USA, coming in for Howard Johnson.

USA XI: Massiah (c), Kadu (wk), Baker, Nadkarni, Cush, Wright, Marshall, Forrest, Khan, Shuja, Darlington.

There's a sick irony in Howard Johnson being 'dropped' after actually taking 2 wickets in the game yesterday. If he was in the team on merit, then he had to play again today. If not, then he shouldn't have played yesterday. Doing this just confirms what a lot of people suspected.

I dont think it neccesarily does that. It is just as possible that the team-management looked at players in the nets the last week or two, and thought that Howard Johnson (asst coach though he may be) was bowling far better than Durale Forrest. So, in the big game yesterday, they went ahead and picked him, to give themselves their best chance to win in helpful pace-bowling conditions. Team-management (and team-members) usually want to win, above everything else. Of course, they made only 44 batting first and got slaughtered so little else mattered (not even Johnson bowlnig well and taking 2 wickets in his first 2 overs)...

 They probably got *huge* pressure from back home overnight, about how bad it "looks" politically to have an old assistant coach play ahead of a younger squad member.. and were probably pressured into making the change today. Hopefully Durale Forrest will perform very well and make them regret their decision for picking Johnson ahead of him yesterday in the first place (though, going for 14 runs in the 2nd over of the game is, it must be said, not a great start to it...)

 Good ole Usman is doing his best to prove his wicket-taking ability currently though.. 68/6, Go USA!

 

 

 

Great Going Guys Lets finish Oman under 100 AR

 This is an absolutely stunning turnaround from USA. They looked hopeless in the first 6 overs and then continued to drop chance after chance. Now they can do no wrong. Shuja bowled a good length ball that took the shoulder of the bat of Ilyas and lobbed up to point for Marshall and now Baker has pinned Awal Khan LBW for 1. Khan was one of the heroes from yesterday who scored 80 against Italy. Lots of noise in the field now. USA 72 for 6 in 17.

Great going boys...!!! Peter make sure they know about the PNG vs. Denmark score...!!!

FOD - you're likely spot on about what happened. My contention is that the team management should, if that's the case, have had the guts to back themselves and their judgement. At least then they'd have made a statement that they are making what they believe to be the right decision (whether or not we agree from here). Didn't help Forrest to take him off after his first over, though I have no argument with it under the circumstances. All said and done, his first two balls got hit for six and four by the hitter. Could have happened to anyone, and isn't certain to be a reflection on his bowling on a small ground. You can bowl your heart out over there, and end up with pretty darn good figures, and still have a few quite random boundaries scored off you -- I've been there and done that more than once :) Anyway, the key for USA is the Oman vs Denmark game tomorrow. Hard to see Denmark winning that, so USA need two big wins to make it through. My opinions on whether it's good for US cricket to make it through of course are another matter :) [posted my thoughts in the comments on Peter's review of the PNG game).

 If I let them know about the Denmark score, it'll just make them bang their heads against the wall even more for losing to Denmark. Denmark was awful. That loss was 10 times worse than the one to PNG.

lol... you're right...!!!

arjunan:

lol... you're right...!!!

we'll just send positive vibes...!!!

 The partnership has been ended between Kumar and Ahmed. Durale Forrest has his first wicket for USA. It was a gift, bowled full and the left hander drove to Khan at mid off, catching practice. It was basically an identical shot and dismissal to how Massiah got out yesterday. Forrest then nearly bowled Ali first ball after he shouldered arms to a ball that came perilously close to the top of off. USA getting energy again in the field. Shuja has bowled wonderfully today. Oman has fighters down the order, Ali is the man who won the match for them yesterday with a half century at number nine. No time to ease up for USA in the field. Oman is 98 for 7 in 26.

Congratulations to Durale Forest on his first wicket at this level. Time to get Asif on, to partner Usman, and wrap up the tail. Need to be chasing under 125 here guys!

Good to see a little bounce back from yesterday.

Keep at 'em guys!

USA!  USA!

Usman Shuja is a national treasure. What a consistent performer he has been over the years, in bowling and fielding. A fighting cricketer and a gem of a person too.

 Well it's not every day you see a dismissal in a one day game at silly point. Ali had just hammer swept Khan for four, on the next ball, Khan bowled it a fraction wider, Ali lunged at it, spooned an edge to Nadkarni under the helmet who dove to his left and took the catch. Three balls later, USA thought they had the new man Al Said, a left hander, caught at short leg. It went off the pad to Nadkarni who took another catch, but the umpire turned down the appeal. Massiah belted out a shrieking second and third appeal after the umpire had said not out and both umpires took out their notepads afterward. He may get a reprimand after the match for that. I only heard pad, but everyone close in was extremely confident and Khan ran away celebrating without even turning around to see if the umpire had raised his finger. Could be a big moment. For now, it's 111 for 8 in 30.