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Only a week to go now and we'll be into late nights and following the Aussies in the World Cup. 6 months ago most people gave Australia no hope in this tournament but the recent upswing in form and the returns of Smith and Warner have certainly seen an increase in confidence that we might be able to challenge for the trophy once more. The bookies certainly think so with some markets having us 3rd favourite behind England and India.

Team selection will be interesting and will probably depend on the nature of the pitches they play on. If it is a slow surface they may have the double spin attack and use Stoinis as a 3rd seamer. I thought the team for the first game against Afghanistan may look like this

Finch
Khawaja
Warner
Smith
Marsh
Maxwell
Carey
Cummins
Coulter-Nile
Starc
Zampa

So in this case Finch and Maxwell would share the 5th bowler role

Tough on Stoinis but I think he would feature in some of the games at the expense of Maxwell or Marsh. I think of the 15 man squad, only Kane Richardson may struggle to get a look in unless there is an injury.

It is imperative that we start the tournament with wins in our first two games ( against Afghanistan and the West Indies) before the first major test against India.
I think that the World Cup is there for England to win on their home soil and it will be shattering for them if they can't do it. Being favourites brings its own pressures though and we will see how they handle this

wasn't Warner's warm up game ICE cold?
Too many balls for too little runs

Leather Stops wrote: wasn't Warner's warm up game ICE cold?
Too many balls for too little runs

Interesting to see where Warner is in 6 months time..Was reading the other day the Big Bash broadcasters.7+Foxtel have done some research. And found that Warner is the most marketable Australian player to play the full BBL season.That means no more international playing.

Smith didnt take long to get into stride. 100 in a warm up game v England. I think its Khwaja vs Marsh for one batting spot, both made 30s today and got out to poor shots

Uzzie makes 89.....realistically everyone has made a score of 40plus in the top order,bar one player, so far in the UK lead up games....the skipper........can see the new ball opening up questions regarding Finch's technique TBH......as for the bowlers, I guess it will be Starc, Cummins and Couter-Nile initially.....tho surely Behrendorf in Eng conditions would be a better bet...Stoinis and Maxwell to share the 5th bowling duties and provide the middle order with that six hitting power.....Zampa will get first dibs over Lyon....

Warner Uzzie Finch Smith Maxwell Stoinis Carey Cummins Starc Zampa Behrendorf v Afghanistan perhaps

Nice problem to have. I think Marsh has dented his chances by chucking away his start and the only question with Ussie is whether he will open or bat 3. Finch really looks like a walking LBW and is probably the most vulnerable of the batsmen but they can't really drop the captain.

West Indies issued a warning to all opponents last night.Scoring 421 off 50 overs.NZ chase was good scoring 370 but still fifty runs short

Pretty sure the kiwis got done by 90 runs mate....no way on hell should that WI line up be scoring 400 plus runs....besides Boult, the NZ bowling attack is pretty ordinary.....to think the WI scored 400+ and Gayle was out before the 10th over with only 36 to his name..

Matt Henry from NZ brought up a century I see and from only 9 overs had Mick Lewis type bowling figures!!

How come they are playing more practice games than they do for an Ashes tour?