In the US they have March Madness. The 64 team knockout contest in men's basketball where fans fill out their bracket and attempt to pick, before the tournament commences, all 63 winners right down to the Championship game. In that futile tradition I give you my February Foolishness, as I attempt to pick the winners of the 2015 Cricket World Cup.
As the tournament progresses I will update this page with the outcome of each selection:
Feb 14: New Zealand to beat Sri Lanka.
Feb 14: Australia to beat England.
Feb 15: South Africa to beat Zimbabwe.
Feb 15: Pakistan to beat India.
Feb 16: Ireland to beat the West Indies.
Feb 17: New Zealand to beat Scotland.
Feb 18: Bangladesh to beat Afghanistan.
Feb 19: Zimbabwe to beat the United Arab Emirates.
Feb 20: New Zealand to beat England.
Feb 21: Pakistan to beat the West Indies.
Feb 21: Australia to beat Bangladesh.
Feb 22: Sri Lanka to beat Afghanistan.
Feb 22: South Africa to beat India.
Feb 23: England to beat Scotland.
Feb 24: Zimbabwe to beat the West Indies.
Feb 25: Ireland to beat the United Arab Emirates.
Feb 26: Scotland to beat Afghanistan.
Feb 26: Sri Lanka to beat Bangladesh.
Feb 27: South Africa to beat the West Indies.
Feb 28: New Zealand to beat Australia.
Feb 28: India to beat the United Arab Emirates.
Mar 1: England to beat Sri Lanka.
Mar 1: Pakistan to beat Zimbabwe.
Mar 3: South Africa to beat Ireland.
Mar 4: Pakistan to beat the United Arab Emirates.
Mar 4: Bangladesh to beat Scotland.
Mar 6: India to beat the West Indies.
Mar 7: South Africa to beat Pakistan.
Mar 7: Ireland to beat Zimbabwe.
Mar 8: New Zealand to beat Afghanistan.
Mar 8: Australia to beat Sri Lanka.
Mar 9: Bangladesh to beat England.
Mar 10: India to beat Ireland.
Mar 11: Sri Lanka to beat Scotland.
Mar 12: South Africa to beat the United Arab Emirates.
Mar 13: New Zealand to beat Bangladesh.
Mar 13: England to beat Afghanistan.
Mar 14: India to beat Zimbabwe.
Mar 14: Australia to beat Scotland.
Mar 15: West Indies to beat the United Arab Emirates.
Mar 15: Pakistan to beat Ireland.
This makes the quarter-finalists from Group A: New Zealand (6 wins), Australia (5), and two of Bangladesh, England and Sri Lanka (3 each). I have deemed England the team most likely to mess up the net run rate and have eliminated them (Sri Lanka to take 3rd place, Bangladesh 4th). Also eliminated: Scotland (1 win), Afghanistan (0).
From Group B: Advancing - South Africa (6), Pakistan (5), India (4), Ireland (3). Eliminated - Zimbabwe (2), West Indies (1), UAE (0).
The ensuing quarter-final predictions:
QF3 Mar 18 (Sydney) A3 v B2: Sri Lanka to beat Pakistan
QF4 Mar 19 (Melbourne) A4 v B1: South Africa to beat Bangladesh
QF2 Mar 20 (Adelaide) A2 v B3: Australia to beat India
QF1 Mar 21 (Wellington) A1 v B4: New Zealand to beat Ireland
Semi 1 Mar 24 (Auckland) QF1 v QF3: New Zealand to beat Sri Lanka.
Semi 2 Mar 26 (Sydney) QF2 v QF4: Australia to beat South Africa.
The final, Mar 29 (Melbourne), Australia versus New Zealand. The winner? You'll just have to wait for the Super Over...