Badger, spot on.
I am far less patriotic than when younger. I want to watch good sport, tight and fair competition and also a bit of joy. Sport is entertainment. Clap the winners off, and go again. The sourness (and cheating) in elite football is a massive turnoff.
Watching Wolvaart yesterday was pure pleasure. Classy, elegant, poweful and controlled. I didn’t care she was playing England.
If she can do that against Australia it might be a match to savour.
Bruce
Isn’t it just (IMHO) – and I know from some Aussie family & friends that while their kids play soccer, they won’t embrace the professional men’s game for this very reason. Cheating simply isn’t in their culture (note the public reaction when it has occurred in cricket).
I’ve just re-watched some of the India v England match, which England stole from India or, perhaps more accurately, India meekly conspired to lose in the closing overs. I think India have a team to beat the Aussies, but like England their batting relies on a couple of players.
Home tournament pressure might be an issue for India if it is tight. Looked like they handled it poorly v England.
Bruce
I watch English football but the acting is a joke. I thought they were meant to review games and yellow those found guilty of cheating.
Crumbs, the strip in the India/Aussie game looks like a clay/red soil pudding. I wonder if they considered speed-rollering it, as they do in the WI? Can’t beat a bit of shine 
I didn’t see that coming, Australia looked invincible, congratulations to India, a well managed chase. AUS will be ruing their extra count.
Plus one of the worst dropped catches you will ever see.
I didn’t catch any of todays play but just listened to the last few overs. Incredible chase.
I have seen the drop. Horrible. Looked like both called maybe, but that is allways the 'keepers.
Tasty final. A fair few runs hit by both I reckon.
Like others I really didn’t see that coming. I caught the last 10 overs or so and they were fantastic. And I’m a bit worried that Pete will think I jinxed it with my earlier comment and might not talk to me ever again 
No it’s just sport, did mention that it only takes a game and we’re gone.
Now bring on those Ashes.
NZ v Eng, men’s ODI – no spoilers, but an interesting ending in course.
@Collywobbles – England made it to 40 overs this time, that’s a ~14% improvement, albeit still ~25% under-performance 
Top three scored nothing of note again.
Overton must be in for his batting, something I never thought I’d say. 8/9/10/J got > 50% of the runs.
TBF I thought he bowled very respectably as well
I think he’s sealed a place as a batting all-rounder.
One in eight chance of losing the toss three times in a row. ( I think ). I think Buttler lost nine in a row at one point. 1 in over 500 chance. I’m not sure what defines a Captain as a useless tosser. 
WCWC - Final of India v SA, with the home side batting, post a rain delay. An interesting stat that of the 6 finals, 5 have been won by the side batting first.
SA presumably thinking about possible DL. Not going their way at the moment.
I’m wondering if India are happier playing on these red-soil tracks? In the last 2 games they’ve batted much more studiously, as things really should go when you have 50-overs to play with.
I think there was a carry-over day for the SFs, so I assume it’s the same with the final? No point in having a 50-over competition for it to be reduced to a 25-over apiece game in the final!!
