Not as easy as I'd have wanted, but a win's a win.

Inserted for the second match in a row, Parris was run out early for 5, but Simmons and Darren B established a steady, if not explosive, partnership. In the end, it was worth 93 runs, and took the majority of our innings to compile. On Darren's dismissal (47 from 42), stand-in captain Simmons attacked more, and ended with 76 from 49. Burton (19 from 11) and Paul (12* from 9) played cameos at the death to raise us above 160 on a tough pitch.
When they took 49 from the first 4 overs of their innings, we knew we were in a game. Sammy and Pollard calmed the scoring, but it was the spinners who, in retrospect, did the damage. Bishoo went for 7.5 an over and picked up a wicket, and Narine was sensational, taking 6 for 23, including 4 in an over which also included a play and miss and an edged single. Pollard and Sammy returned at the death, and the lower order couldn't score quickly enough.
Series State - We qualify with India for the Super 8.
Batting Award - Lendl Simmons - 76 from 49, our best batting performance of the tournie so far.
Bowling Award - Sunil Narine - 6/23? I can't not give him this.
Key Opposition Player Watch - Keegan Meth - 4 overs, 1/32, 16 runs from 19 not out. May have lost his side the match at the death there. Ha. Ha. Ha. Serves him bloody right for not turning up on the south coast of England, doesn't it?
Right, now, the summary of the other groups and my predictions so far.
Group A
Australia beat Pakistan by 43 runs
Australia beat the Netherlands by 8 wickets (Siddle 4/17, Hussey 52*)
Netherlands beat Pakistan by 8 wickets (Bukhari 4/28, ten Doeschate 79*)
In the upset of the tournament so far, Holland beat Pakistan rather easily to advance, leaving my prediction rate down already!
Group B
England beat Sri Lanka by 8 wickets (Cook 60*)
England beat Kenya by 9 wickets (Broad 4/9)
Sri Lanka beat Kenya by 5 wickets
Kenya put up a better fight second time round, making 137/8 from their 20, but it wasn't enough as the Lankans march on.
Group C
Bangladesh beat New Zealand by 3 runs (Hom 75*, Shakib 53, Williamson 79*)
New Zealand beat South Africa by 2 wickets (Rudolph 54, Oram 4/19, Boam 4/10)
South Africa beat Bangladesh by 8 wickets (de Villiers 67*, Duminy 62*)
South Africa beat Bangladesh by that large margin expected, and so progress to the Super 8.
Group D
India beat Zimbabwe by 10 wickets (Pandey 56*, Singh 62*)
West Indies beat India by 25 runs (Sammy 4/26)
West Indies beat Zimbabwe by 7 runs (Simmons 76, Sibanda 56, Narine 6/23)
In the end, simple for us as we advance. Now, in order to prevent/create confusion, I will label the Super 8 groups as they are in real life - Group E and Group F. In Group E, South Africa, Australia, India and Sri Lanka face off, whereas in the notably easier Group F, we face England, New Zealand and the Dutch, in that order. That's what we get for beating India in our first match. It's likely that second match against the Zealanders will be the pivotal one.
Team News - We make the maximum of 4 possible changes, with Gayle, Shiv, Holder and Hinds replacing Parris, Paul, Russell and Bishoo. The first two might be expected, the second two change the balance of the team in a way that I prefer. Squad game, squad game. England is that match.

Inserted for the second match in a row, Parris was run out early for 5, but Simmons and Darren B established a steady, if not explosive, partnership. In the end, it was worth 93 runs, and took the majority of our innings to compile. On Darren's dismissal (47 from 42), stand-in captain Simmons attacked more, and ended with 76 from 49. Burton (19 from 11) and Paul (12* from 9) played cameos at the death to raise us above 160 on a tough pitch.
When they took 49 from the first 4 overs of their innings, we knew we were in a game. Sammy and Pollard calmed the scoring, but it was the spinners who, in retrospect, did the damage. Bishoo went for 7.5 an over and picked up a wicket, and Narine was sensational, taking 6 for 23, including 4 in an over which also included a play and miss and an edged single. Pollard and Sammy returned at the death, and the lower order couldn't score quickly enough.
Series State - We qualify with India for the Super 8.
Batting Award - Lendl Simmons - 76 from 49, our best batting performance of the tournie so far.
Bowling Award - Sunil Narine - 6/23? I can't not give him this.
Key Opposition Player Watch - Keegan Meth - 4 overs, 1/32, 16 runs from 19 not out. May have lost his side the match at the death there. Ha. Ha. Ha. Serves him bloody right for not turning up on the south coast of England, doesn't it?
Right, now, the summary of the other groups and my predictions so far.
Group A
Australia beat Pakistan by 43 runs
Australia beat the Netherlands by 8 wickets (Siddle 4/17, Hussey 52*)
Netherlands beat Pakistan by 8 wickets (Bukhari 4/28, ten Doeschate 79*)
In the upset of the tournament so far, Holland beat Pakistan rather easily to advance, leaving my prediction rate down already!
Group B
England beat Sri Lanka by 8 wickets (Cook 60*)
England beat Kenya by 9 wickets (Broad 4/9)
Sri Lanka beat Kenya by 5 wickets
Kenya put up a better fight second time round, making 137/8 from their 20, but it wasn't enough as the Lankans march on.
Group C
Bangladesh beat New Zealand by 3 runs (Hom 75*, Shakib 53, Williamson 79*)
New Zealand beat South Africa by 2 wickets (Rudolph 54, Oram 4/19, Boam 4/10)
South Africa beat Bangladesh by 8 wickets (de Villiers 67*, Duminy 62*)
South Africa beat Bangladesh by that large margin expected, and so progress to the Super 8.
Group D
India beat Zimbabwe by 10 wickets (Pandey 56*, Singh 62*)
West Indies beat India by 25 runs (Sammy 4/26)
West Indies beat Zimbabwe by 7 runs (Simmons 76, Sibanda 56, Narine 6/23)
In the end, simple for us as we advance. Now, in order to prevent/create confusion, I will label the Super 8 groups as they are in real life - Group E and Group F. In Group E, South Africa, Australia, India and Sri Lanka face off, whereas in the notably easier Group F, we face England, New Zealand and the Dutch, in that order. That's what we get for beating India in our first match. It's likely that second match against the Zealanders will be the pivotal one.
Team News - We make the maximum of 4 possible changes, with Gayle, Shiv, Holder and Hinds replacing Parris, Paul, Russell and Bishoo. The first two might be expected, the second two change the balance of the team in a way that I prefer. Squad game, squad game. England is that match.
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