Continuing our tournament reviews, here is an assessment of how South Africa did.
The cliché that South Africa always choke in World Cups was given new credence by their spectacular implosion against New Zealand. In topping their group ahead of India, South Africa showed they possessed a range of wicket-taking options they have not always possessed, with Imran Tahir exceptional. The batting, led by AB de Villiers, was also powerful. Yet they were ultimately exposed by a weak lower middle-order, with Johan Botha (ODI average of 19) never good enough to be a number seven.
Star man
It could have been de Villiers, Tahir or even Robin Petersen, but Dale Steyn showed his class again. His bowling against India, when he claimed five wickets, part of a total of 12, to trigger a collapse of 9/29, showed off the brilliance of his yorkers.
Disappointment
Outgoing captain Graeme Smith failed to score a half-century in the tournament, suggesting he may find it hard to continue to merit a place in the ODI side.
Prospects
They remain an excellent side in all three formats, but the c word will remain their biggest nemesis. Need some allrounders – Albie Morkel, perhaps? – to ensure they bat deeper. In search of a new coach too, Gary Kirsten would do very nicely.
Showing posts with label South Africa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label South Africa. Show all posts
Monday, 4 April 2011
Friday, 16 January 2009
South Africa's future is in safe hands
South Africa have enjoyed a stellar 12 months in the Test arena and there is every reason to think they can maintain their impressive development.
South Africa’s Test series win in Australia marked the end of an era. But did it also represent the beginning of a new era, one of South African dominance?
The simultaneous improvements made by India suggest not, especially as Australia will surely be a strong force sooner rather than later. The Proteas have a tough task to consistently hang onto their number one ranking, should they indeed take it from the Aussies in the coming months.
The current team is well-equipped to mount a challenge for Test dominance. They have a young but experienced captain who is at the peak of his powers in Graeme Smith, a youthful middle order of Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers and JP Duminy that is suddenly established as the most promising in the world and a pair of fresh tearaway quick bowlers in the form of Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel.
The retirement of Shaun Pollock and impending departures of Jacques Kallis, Herschelle Gibbs and Makhaya Ntini will not be as keenly felt as seemed likely when those pillars of the side were at their best, nor indeed as much as Australia felt the retirements of their own stalwarts of the last decade and a half.
Similarly, the long-term future of South African cricket is looking better than it has for some time. Their development program has been under close scrutiny since their readmission into international cricket and whilst valid concerns exist over the funding and recruiting of talent from black communities, the fact that Ali Bacher feels the racial quota policy has served its purpose is suggestive of adequate progress.
The South African U19 team was runner-up at the last youth World Cup in 2008 (to India; more evidence of who is likely to battle for seniority at full international level?) and is currently asserting their superiority of their English counterparts.
The senior One Day team therefore has some new talent waiting to be introduced as it continues its transition phase ahead of the 2011 World Cup. The Test team is harder to break into, as it should be having won in England for just the third time and more notably Australia for the first time.
The second decade of the 21st century might not see one team dominate as Australia did for the preceding 15 years, but it will see South Africa be consistently near the top of the tree.
Written by Philip Oliver, a sports writer who blogs about cricket betting.
South Africa’s Test series win in Australia marked the end of an era. But did it also represent the beginning of a new era, one of South African dominance?
The simultaneous improvements made by India suggest not, especially as Australia will surely be a strong force sooner rather than later. The Proteas have a tough task to consistently hang onto their number one ranking, should they indeed take it from the Aussies in the coming months.
The current team is well-equipped to mount a challenge for Test dominance. They have a young but experienced captain who is at the peak of his powers in Graeme Smith, a youthful middle order of Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers and JP Duminy that is suddenly established as the most promising in the world and a pair of fresh tearaway quick bowlers in the form of Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel.
The retirement of Shaun Pollock and impending departures of Jacques Kallis, Herschelle Gibbs and Makhaya Ntini will not be as keenly felt as seemed likely when those pillars of the side were at their best, nor indeed as much as Australia felt the retirements of their own stalwarts of the last decade and a half.
Similarly, the long-term future of South African cricket is looking better than it has for some time. Their development program has been under close scrutiny since their readmission into international cricket and whilst valid concerns exist over the funding and recruiting of talent from black communities, the fact that Ali Bacher feels the racial quota policy has served its purpose is suggestive of adequate progress.
The South African U19 team was runner-up at the last youth World Cup in 2008 (to India; more evidence of who is likely to battle for seniority at full international level?) and is currently asserting their superiority of their English counterparts.
The senior One Day team therefore has some new talent waiting to be introduced as it continues its transition phase ahead of the 2011 World Cup. The Test team is harder to break into, as it should be having won in England for just the third time and more notably Australia for the first time.
The second decade of the 21st century might not see one team dominate as Australia did for the preceding 15 years, but it will see South Africa be consistently near the top of the tree.
Written by Philip Oliver, a sports writer who blogs about cricket betting.
Sunday, 21 December 2008
The new Christmas number one
In future decades, cricket historians may view December 21 2008 as the day when the era of Australian dominance, which had begun almost fourteen years previously, ended. Losing (and convincingly) in India was one thing - but Australia had suffered defeat there even during their 2001 peak. But failing to defend 414 in a home Test - at Perth at that - feels like a seminal, epoch-ending moment. And it was some failure - Australia were completely thrashed, three-quarters of their bowling attack utterly impotent. Sports pundits are more prone than most to hyperbole, but on this occasion it really does seem justified.
Many have recently rushed to claim India as the world's best side, following winning three and losing none of their last six Tests against Australia, and then exhibiting the confidence and skill to chase down 387 against England with consummate ease. Yet the argument does not stand up to close scrutiny. Sandwiched between their two series with Australia was a scrapped 1-1 draw at home to South Africa and then a 2-1 defeat in Sri Lanka. It seems a little premature to label them number one yet, though the startling recent progress of Gambhir, Sharma and Mishra suggests that they soon could be the world's best side.
Yet just now it is South Africa who have the most right to claim themselves as the new number ones, having so spectacularly defeated Australia on their home patch. It feels like the ultimate knockout blow. And it has been a long time coming - South Africa have won eight of their last nine Test series, including victories in England and Pakistan. Even in the exception, the draw in India, they did themselves great credit, especially in the light of Australia's woes there.
Two of South Africa's recent wins must rank amongst their ten finest of all time. In the remarkable run-chases at Edgbaston and Perth, Graeme Smith led from the front, compiling two masterful fourth-innings hundreds. After his two double centuries against England in 2003 he went five years without reaching 70 against either England or Australia. But with these two centuries in 2008 Smith has proved he is much more than a flat-track bully. Both innings were characterised by a controlled aggression. Smith has mellowed since the humiliating discrepency between his words and deeds during the 2005/06 clashes with Australia. He is a towering presence in world cricket, an innate leader of men.
While there are slight doubts over Jacques Kallis's long-term form (partially allayed by a vital pair of 50s at Perth), there have been vast improvements throughout the side of late. Neil McKenzie is seldom aesthetically pleasing but invariably solid. Hashim Amla, who looked out of his depth during his entry to Test cricket, is now a superb, counter-attacking number three - and one of the game's true stylists to boot. And AB de Villiers, the boy wonder who could have represented his country in any number of sports but wasted many a promising start through recklnessness, is gaining maturity fast. His unbeaten, match-winning century suggests that, after four years in which a lack of patience prevented fulfillment of his promise, consistency may have arrived.
As apparent yet again, there is something fashionable about deriding orthodox left-arm spinners. But Paul Harris made an invaluable contribution to the victory in Perth, claiming five wickets and displaying nous, control, calm - and even the ability to turn the ball a touch. An average of 32 from 19 Tests is certainly nothing to be sniffed at, given the main attacking threat is always expected to come from the quicks. The pace trio have claimed 131 wickets between them this year. Dale Steyn's brand of devishly late reverse swing accounts for his phenomenal career strike-rate of 38; Morne Morkel is sometimes too wayward but clearly has all the attributes to be a superb Test bowler. Makhaya Ntini may not be improving at his rate, but he is playing an admirable role as the senior pace bowler, and has much nous to pass on.
South Africa, then, are clearly a formidable side. And their recent record is surely sufficient to label them the best side in the world. Officially, they will be so if they are to win this series 3-0. That is probably asking a little too much. But with such problems in their bowling attack, Australia must be tempted to try drastic selectorial action to cling on at the top.
In short, we have a new Christmas number one.
Many have recently rushed to claim India as the world's best side, following winning three and losing none of their last six Tests against Australia, and then exhibiting the confidence and skill to chase down 387 against England with consummate ease. Yet the argument does not stand up to close scrutiny. Sandwiched between their two series with Australia was a scrapped 1-1 draw at home to South Africa and then a 2-1 defeat in Sri Lanka. It seems a little premature to label them number one yet, though the startling recent progress of Gambhir, Sharma and Mishra suggests that they soon could be the world's best side.
Yet just now it is South Africa who have the most right to claim themselves as the new number ones, having so spectacularly defeated Australia on their home patch. It feels like the ultimate knockout blow. And it has been a long time coming - South Africa have won eight of their last nine Test series, including victories in England and Pakistan. Even in the exception, the draw in India, they did themselves great credit, especially in the light of Australia's woes there.
Two of South Africa's recent wins must rank amongst their ten finest of all time. In the remarkable run-chases at Edgbaston and Perth, Graeme Smith led from the front, compiling two masterful fourth-innings hundreds. After his two double centuries against England in 2003 he went five years without reaching 70 against either England or Australia. But with these two centuries in 2008 Smith has proved he is much more than a flat-track bully. Both innings were characterised by a controlled aggression. Smith has mellowed since the humiliating discrepency between his words and deeds during the 2005/06 clashes with Australia. He is a towering presence in world cricket, an innate leader of men.
While there are slight doubts over Jacques Kallis's long-term form (partially allayed by a vital pair of 50s at Perth), there have been vast improvements throughout the side of late. Neil McKenzie is seldom aesthetically pleasing but invariably solid. Hashim Amla, who looked out of his depth during his entry to Test cricket, is now a superb, counter-attacking number three - and one of the game's true stylists to boot. And AB de Villiers, the boy wonder who could have represented his country in any number of sports but wasted many a promising start through recklnessness, is gaining maturity fast. His unbeaten, match-winning century suggests that, after four years in which a lack of patience prevented fulfillment of his promise, consistency may have arrived.
As apparent yet again, there is something fashionable about deriding orthodox left-arm spinners. But Paul Harris made an invaluable contribution to the victory in Perth, claiming five wickets and displaying nous, control, calm - and even the ability to turn the ball a touch. An average of 32 from 19 Tests is certainly nothing to be sniffed at, given the main attacking threat is always expected to come from the quicks. The pace trio have claimed 131 wickets between them this year. Dale Steyn's brand of devishly late reverse swing accounts for his phenomenal career strike-rate of 38; Morne Morkel is sometimes too wayward but clearly has all the attributes to be a superb Test bowler. Makhaya Ntini may not be improving at his rate, but he is playing an admirable role as the senior pace bowler, and has much nous to pass on.
South Africa, then, are clearly a formidable side. And their recent record is surely sufficient to label them the best side in the world. Officially, they will be so if they are to win this series 3-0. That is probably asking a little too much. But with such problems in their bowling attack, Australia must be tempted to try drastic selectorial action to cling on at the top.
In short, we have a new Christmas number one.
Monday, 8 December 2008
Aussies on the decline, or is it just another tour of India?
Much has been made of Australia's series loss to India, their first in a very long time, and the immediate speculation is of course whether Australia has lost it. No more McGrath, Warne, Langer, Martyn or Gilchrist, no more Australia? It's the question that's been asked more often than any other in cricket, but one that is perhaps a little hesitant.
The first thing to consider is that when any team loses five of its best players (although Martyn was hardly a star at the end), it's going to take some time to adjust. A half-team turnaround is difficult to manage, no matter how good the youngsters are.
Secondly, let's remember the fact that in Australia's period of dominance, they only won a series in India once. Even at home, they have traditionally struggled against the Indians, always finding it difficult to cope with their spin. Of course now, India have found themselves a pretty decent pace attack, with Ishant Sharma one of the most promising young fast bowlers in the world. All in all, it seems that Australia failing its mission impossible for so many years is not something to read too much into. The tour of India has always been Superman's kryptonite after all!
As Australia get ready to host South Africa, once again brimming with confidence at the prospect of knocking off the Australians, we stand to get our best indication of where the other challengers of the crown are at, and where the former invincibles are too. How the Aussies cope with Dale Steyn will be an interesting battle, Steyn the hottest fast bowler in test cricket at the moment, and Australia seemingly vulnerable to the swinging ball, it stands to be a contest to savour.
History has shown, however, that South African confidence can often be misplaced, for many a time have the Proteas travelled down under on a high, in form and ready to pounce, only to be sent packing home by an Aussie side too strong. Graeme Smith has made it a habit of making bold pre-series predictions, perhaps desiring to live up to his former opponents' (McGrath, Warne) arrogant reputations. Smith will be the key to his nation's success, as a captain he will need to stand up and continue his great form, and as an opener he will need to get a solid start to their innings.
With Ricky Ponting under a wrist injury cloud, only time will tell whether he has indeed lost it, and his ability to cope with Steyn will prove telling. His vulnerability against spin was always obvious in India. After all, how many great spin bowlers are there outside the subcontinent these days with Shane Warne gone? Daniel Vettori certainly comes to mind, so the Australians' victory over New Zealand (weak though they may be) will be a relief for many.
It's showtime though, as two of test cricket's best clash down under. Are Australia on the decline, or is it just another case of India-itis? Once again, only time will tell, but if South Africa can shake a monkey off their back and record a series victory down under, it may be more serious than we though.
The first thing to consider is that when any team loses five of its best players (although Martyn was hardly a star at the end), it's going to take some time to adjust. A half-team turnaround is difficult to manage, no matter how good the youngsters are.
Secondly, let's remember the fact that in Australia's period of dominance, they only won a series in India once. Even at home, they have traditionally struggled against the Indians, always finding it difficult to cope with their spin. Of course now, India have found themselves a pretty decent pace attack, with Ishant Sharma one of the most promising young fast bowlers in the world. All in all, it seems that Australia failing its mission impossible for so many years is not something to read too much into. The tour of India has always been Superman's kryptonite after all!
As Australia get ready to host South Africa, once again brimming with confidence at the prospect of knocking off the Australians, we stand to get our best indication of where the other challengers of the crown are at, and where the former invincibles are too. How the Aussies cope with Dale Steyn will be an interesting battle, Steyn the hottest fast bowler in test cricket at the moment, and Australia seemingly vulnerable to the swinging ball, it stands to be a contest to savour.
History has shown, however, that South African confidence can often be misplaced, for many a time have the Proteas travelled down under on a high, in form and ready to pounce, only to be sent packing home by an Aussie side too strong. Graeme Smith has made it a habit of making bold pre-series predictions, perhaps desiring to live up to his former opponents' (McGrath, Warne) arrogant reputations. Smith will be the key to his nation's success, as a captain he will need to stand up and continue his great form, and as an opener he will need to get a solid start to their innings.
With Ricky Ponting under a wrist injury cloud, only time will tell whether he has indeed lost it, and his ability to cope with Steyn will prove telling. His vulnerability against spin was always obvious in India. After all, how many great spin bowlers are there outside the subcontinent these days with Shane Warne gone? Daniel Vettori certainly comes to mind, so the Australians' victory over New Zealand (weak though they may be) will be a relief for many.
It's showtime though, as two of test cricket's best clash down under. Are Australia on the decline, or is it just another case of India-itis? Once again, only time will tell, but if South Africa can shake a monkey off their back and record a series victory down under, it may be more serious than we though.
Friday, 7 November 2008
Is this the end for Herschelle Gibbs?
The clock is ticking on the career of one of modern cricket's most exciting and controversial players.
Herschelle Gibbs’ axing for South Africa’s One Day series with Bangladesh might spell the end of one of cricket’s most colourful careers. Controversy has followed the explosive Cape Towner around and it would be sadly apt if an off-field indiscretion is to be Gibbs’ final contribution to South African cricket.
Gibbs will be 35 in February and cannot be seen as a long-term part of the Proteas’ plans. Dropped from the Test team in January, his hopes of continued selection for limited overs cricket hung in the balance even before his latest error of judgment, with the selectors keen to rebuild after the One Day team’s heavy defeat in England.
If this is to be the end for Gibbs, he should be remembered for his stunning strokeplay, not the ill-discipline that dogged his career, although this is not an attempt to gloss over his failure to live up to the role model status he was afforded as a representation of South Africa’s united sporting future.
It is easy to dwell on his role in the Cronje match-fixing scandal, his unseemly altercation with Pakistani fans that brought a two Test ban and his drink-related bans, but my principal memory of Gibbs will be his flawless 183 at the Oval in September 2003.
That innings was a microcosm of Gibbs’ career. He exhibited his full range of strokes, striking 36 boundaries and totally mastering the home bowling attack, but his dismissal shortly before the close, slogging wildly at Ashley Giles, precipitated a collapse that culminated in unexpected defeat.
Gibbs’ hand-eye coordination and attacking instinct made him one of the most fluent batsmen of modern times, capable of destruction that puts him in the same bracket as fellow modern-day dashers Adam Gilchrist and Sanath Jayasuriya.
However, Gibbs never utilised his massive natural talent in quite the same way as those left-handed stroke makers, hinting at the petulant and undisciplined streak that got him in hot water with the authorities.
Even his status as one of the game’s greatest ever fielders is tarnished by his dropping of Steve Waugh during the 1999 World Cup, with the Aussie’s riposte to the fielder’s haste to celebrate now in cricketing folklore.
Gibbs fans will choose another encounter with South Africa’s fiercest rivals as Gibbs’ career-defining moment.
No other player could have played the innings Gibbs did in taking the Proteas to their target of 435 in the famous One Day match at the Wanderers in March 2006. 175 from 111 balls, with 21 fours and seven sixes, was the ultimate showcase of Gibbs’ talent. A unique match and a unique player.
Written by Philip Oliver, a sports writer who blogs about cricket betting.
Herschelle Gibbs’ axing for South Africa’s One Day series with Bangladesh might spell the end of one of cricket’s most colourful careers. Controversy has followed the explosive Cape Towner around and it would be sadly apt if an off-field indiscretion is to be Gibbs’ final contribution to South African cricket.
Gibbs will be 35 in February and cannot be seen as a long-term part of the Proteas’ plans. Dropped from the Test team in January, his hopes of continued selection for limited overs cricket hung in the balance even before his latest error of judgment, with the selectors keen to rebuild after the One Day team’s heavy defeat in England.
If this is to be the end for Gibbs, he should be remembered for his stunning strokeplay, not the ill-discipline that dogged his career, although this is not an attempt to gloss over his failure to live up to the role model status he was afforded as a representation of South Africa’s united sporting future.
It is easy to dwell on his role in the Cronje match-fixing scandal, his unseemly altercation with Pakistani fans that brought a two Test ban and his drink-related bans, but my principal memory of Gibbs will be his flawless 183 at the Oval in September 2003.
That innings was a microcosm of Gibbs’ career. He exhibited his full range of strokes, striking 36 boundaries and totally mastering the home bowling attack, but his dismissal shortly before the close, slogging wildly at Ashley Giles, precipitated a collapse that culminated in unexpected defeat.
Gibbs’ hand-eye coordination and attacking instinct made him one of the most fluent batsmen of modern times, capable of destruction that puts him in the same bracket as fellow modern-day dashers Adam Gilchrist and Sanath Jayasuriya.
However, Gibbs never utilised his massive natural talent in quite the same way as those left-handed stroke makers, hinting at the petulant and undisciplined streak that got him in hot water with the authorities.
Even his status as one of the game’s greatest ever fielders is tarnished by his dropping of Steve Waugh during the 1999 World Cup, with the Aussie’s riposte to the fielder’s haste to celebrate now in cricketing folklore.
Gibbs fans will choose another encounter with South Africa’s fiercest rivals as Gibbs’ career-defining moment.
No other player could have played the innings Gibbs did in taking the Proteas to their target of 435 in the famous One Day match at the Wanderers in March 2006. 175 from 111 balls, with 21 fours and seven sixes, was the ultimate showcase of Gibbs’ talent. A unique match and a unique player.
Written by Philip Oliver, a sports writer who blogs about cricket betting.
Monday, 21 July 2008
Conditions remain dominant
Results so far in the England vs South Africa Test series have largely been decided by conditions. With two slow pitches, where only early moisture and cloud cover have given bowlers hope, the timing of each teams' innings have proved crucial.
In the first Test Graeme Smith won the toss, but was fooled by the wet weather leading up to the match into putting England into bat. He suffered the indignity of watching England exploit a flat batting track to score 593 at a decent lick (3.79 runs per over). To add to South Africa's woes the clouds rolled over Lord's giving England's bowlers a chance to enjoy by far the best bowling conditions of the match. The pitch also offered some turn and was at its fastest, allowing Panesar to show his quality. South Africa were bundled out for just 247.
However, those who expected England to stroll to victory should have remembered the previous 5 Tests at Lord's, all of which ended in draws. As in those matches the pitch flattened out and offered nothing to the bowlers for the last two days. South Africa needed no second bidding to bat, bat and bat. Pretty it wasn't, but highly effective, leaving England's bowlers sore and resulting in the deadest of draws.
Of course, the Match could have been different, as Tests always contain pivotal moments. England were on 117 for 3 when Pietersen and Bell came together at the crease. Just one more wicket might have seen a far lower score for the home team. Likewise, Panesar was cruelly denied the wicket of McKenzie relatively early on in South Africa's second innings by a mistake from Harper. How crucial would such a blow have been, breaking what proved to be a huge opening stand? In the end England, under Vaughan's leadership, threw everything at South Africa, but could not get the required breakthroughs. In the end a draw was agreed with South Africa on 393 for 3.
And so the series moved onto Headingly and heavy cloud cover on the first day. Again Smith won a crucial toss and again he put England in. This time ideal bowling conditions prevailed all day and the South African bowlers fully utilised them. England were loose in some of their shots, but the ball swung all day and the home team crumbled to 203 all out. Certainly this was below par, regardless of the conditions, but it was never easy to bat and England could be forgiven a poor score under the circumstances.
Hope remained for England as the cloud cover stayed until the close of play. In that time England managed to claim three wickets. They should have had four, but Amla was the beneficiary of more poor umpiring. Having walked after being caught by Vaughan he was three-quarters of the way to the boundary when his coach and captain sent him back, believing that Vaughan may not have taken the catch cleanly. Despite the referral system not having been adopted so far the umpires referred the decision the third umpire, who could not be certain. Amla was reprieved and England failed to take any more wickets that evening.
The next day started sunny and stayed sunny and runs were there for the taking. Prince and de Villiers duly obliged, racking up big hundreds and putting South Africa into a great position. By the time they were all out South Africa had amassed a huge 522, a lead of 319.
England wobbled in the tricky evening session, losing Strauss and Vaughan, but fought hard the next day, as the sun continued to shine. Despite expectations they acored 327 and made South Africa bat again, albeit only needing 9 to win.
Again the match was not decided just by overhead and pitch conditions - no Test ever is - but conditions were the major factor in determining the result. South Africa used the cloud cover brilliantly when they bowled and fully exploited the flat pitch when they batted. They were the better team over the four days, but England were the better team at Lord's and only got a draw. Such is Test cricket. Yet, those who think that there is a gulf between the two teams should consider how much conditions and key moments played in the two results so far. They should also have a close look at the averages for each team, which reveal a batsman dominated series, with only Morkel and Sidebottom having bowling averages below 35.00.
But for one crucial innings the pace battery of South Africa has been blunted and England have only managed one coherent team bowling effort, though they have plugged away gamely, giving few runs away. It is, perhaps, this excellent economy rate, which England should gain some hope from. So far South Africa have intelligently applied themselves on wickets offering little to bowlers - scoring slowly, but heavily. Such old school Test batting is fine when there is no threat of wickets. However, such tactics cannot be applied when the ball dominates the bat, as a team will die in the hole.
England must hope, therefore, for pitches at Edgbaston and the Oval which offer a bit more assistance to bowlers. They should also hope that Vaughan wins the toss and is able to exploit any favourable conditions. With just a modicum of luck it could be England holding a 1-0 advantage or, at worst, the series could be tied 1-1.
If England go on to lose this series, perhaps they will reflect on how ill-served they have been by some of the pitches. It would be wise to learn these lessons quickly before the Australians come onto the horizon.
In the first Test Graeme Smith won the toss, but was fooled by the wet weather leading up to the match into putting England into bat. He suffered the indignity of watching England exploit a flat batting track to score 593 at a decent lick (3.79 runs per over). To add to South Africa's woes the clouds rolled over Lord's giving England's bowlers a chance to enjoy by far the best bowling conditions of the match. The pitch also offered some turn and was at its fastest, allowing Panesar to show his quality. South Africa were bundled out for just 247.
However, those who expected England to stroll to victory should have remembered the previous 5 Tests at Lord's, all of which ended in draws. As in those matches the pitch flattened out and offered nothing to the bowlers for the last two days. South Africa needed no second bidding to bat, bat and bat. Pretty it wasn't, but highly effective, leaving England's bowlers sore and resulting in the deadest of draws.
Of course, the Match could have been different, as Tests always contain pivotal moments. England were on 117 for 3 when Pietersen and Bell came together at the crease. Just one more wicket might have seen a far lower score for the home team. Likewise, Panesar was cruelly denied the wicket of McKenzie relatively early on in South Africa's second innings by a mistake from Harper. How crucial would such a blow have been, breaking what proved to be a huge opening stand? In the end England, under Vaughan's leadership, threw everything at South Africa, but could not get the required breakthroughs. In the end a draw was agreed with South Africa on 393 for 3.
And so the series moved onto Headingly and heavy cloud cover on the first day. Again Smith won a crucial toss and again he put England in. This time ideal bowling conditions prevailed all day and the South African bowlers fully utilised them. England were loose in some of their shots, but the ball swung all day and the home team crumbled to 203 all out. Certainly this was below par, regardless of the conditions, but it was never easy to bat and England could be forgiven a poor score under the circumstances.
Hope remained for England as the cloud cover stayed until the close of play. In that time England managed to claim three wickets. They should have had four, but Amla was the beneficiary of more poor umpiring. Having walked after being caught by Vaughan he was three-quarters of the way to the boundary when his coach and captain sent him back, believing that Vaughan may not have taken the catch cleanly. Despite the referral system not having been adopted so far the umpires referred the decision the third umpire, who could not be certain. Amla was reprieved and England failed to take any more wickets that evening.
The next day started sunny and stayed sunny and runs were there for the taking. Prince and de Villiers duly obliged, racking up big hundreds and putting South Africa into a great position. By the time they were all out South Africa had amassed a huge 522, a lead of 319.
England wobbled in the tricky evening session, losing Strauss and Vaughan, but fought hard the next day, as the sun continued to shine. Despite expectations they acored 327 and made South Africa bat again, albeit only needing 9 to win.
Again the match was not decided just by overhead and pitch conditions - no Test ever is - but conditions were the major factor in determining the result. South Africa used the cloud cover brilliantly when they bowled and fully exploited the flat pitch when they batted. They were the better team over the four days, but England were the better team at Lord's and only got a draw. Such is Test cricket. Yet, those who think that there is a gulf between the two teams should consider how much conditions and key moments played in the two results so far. They should also have a close look at the averages for each team, which reveal a batsman dominated series, with only Morkel and Sidebottom having bowling averages below 35.00.
But for one crucial innings the pace battery of South Africa has been blunted and England have only managed one coherent team bowling effort, though they have plugged away gamely, giving few runs away. It is, perhaps, this excellent economy rate, which England should gain some hope from. So far South Africa have intelligently applied themselves on wickets offering little to bowlers - scoring slowly, but heavily. Such old school Test batting is fine when there is no threat of wickets. However, such tactics cannot be applied when the ball dominates the bat, as a team will die in the hole.
England must hope, therefore, for pitches at Edgbaston and the Oval which offer a bit more assistance to bowlers. They should also hope that Vaughan wins the toss and is able to exploit any favourable conditions. With just a modicum of luck it could be England holding a 1-0 advantage or, at worst, the series could be tied 1-1.
If England go on to lose this series, perhaps they will reflect on how ill-served they have been by some of the pitches. It would be wise to learn these lessons quickly before the Australians come onto the horizon.
Friday, 4 July 2008
England vs South Africa: The form guide
After the seemingly endless round of Test matches between England and New Zealand, the England team finally faces some very different opponents. The South Africans have been on a tear in the last 18 months or so, beating nearly everyone they've come up against. Only the Indians, on their home turf, managed to hold them to a draw.
Since the start of 2007 South Africa have played 16 Tests, winning 11, drawing 2 and losing just 3. England, meanwhile, have been unpredictable in the same period, though they've only lost 4 of the 17 they've played, they have drawn 6, winning only 7.
Both sides have shown great faith in their players since 2007, consistently selecting very similar line-ups. For South Africa the retirement of Pollock and the dramatic loss of form of Gibbs have been the only ripples to disturb selection. England, on the other hand, ruthlessly ditched Hoggard and Harmison and have had the usual issues with their wicketkeeper, moving from Jones to Prior to Ambrose to no real effect.
Seven South Africans have played all 16 matches since the start of 2007, with Steyn and Harris only missing out on 2 and 3 matches, respectively. Five England players have played all 17 Tests, with Vaughan and Sidebottom only missing 2 and Strauss missing 3.
With such loyalty you would be forgiven for thinking that both sides were performing well and the selectors had great reason to pursue the policy of continuity. Whilst this is certainly true of the South Africans, England's selectors should have real concerns over the inconsistent form of some key players.
The individual records of each team since 2007 would make South Africa clear favourites. Their batsmen have a far superior record to England's and in Steyn they have the best fast bowler in the world. However, England have room for optimism. They have home advantage and a very good home record in the last few years. Three of the South African batsmen, Amla, Prince and de Villiers, have not played in England before and McKenzie fared poorly last time he toured. Also only Ntini, of the four first choice bowlers, has played in England and his record is not very good.
Of course, first time tourists of England often fare well, especially bowlers, but the alien Test conditions should not be underestimated. England also have trump cards in Pietersen, Sidebottom and Panesar, all of whom are near the top of their game and have produced match-winning performances in recent series.
Hard to believe though it may be England also have a better tail than South Africa. Morkel (2007 to present average: 10.80), Harris (7.25), Steyn (10.83) and Ntini (5.16) have been relatively easy prey in recent series. Whilst England's tail of Broad (30.14), Sidebottom (16.92), Anderson (12.85) and Panesar (3.77) have shown great fight. Of course, much of this has been down the the failures of the England top order and the need for 8 to 11 to resist, but it is still an important factor when assessing the form of the two sides.
Weighing up all the stats and recent matches each team has played I suggest that the series will be a close one, as is usually the case when these two teams meet. England will need to utilise their home advantage and out of form players, such as Cook, Collingwood, Bell and Ambrose will have to up their game. South Africa will have to adapt quickly to English conditions and will need their experienced players, Smith, Kallis, Boucher and Ntini to make sure the team maintains its fine current run.
Since the start of 2007 South Africa have played 16 Tests, winning 11, drawing 2 and losing just 3. England, meanwhile, have been unpredictable in the same period, though they've only lost 4 of the 17 they've played, they have drawn 6, winning only 7.
Both sides have shown great faith in their players since 2007, consistently selecting very similar line-ups. For South Africa the retirement of Pollock and the dramatic loss of form of Gibbs have been the only ripples to disturb selection. England, on the other hand, ruthlessly ditched Hoggard and Harmison and have had the usual issues with their wicketkeeper, moving from Jones to Prior to Ambrose to no real effect.
Seven South Africans have played all 16 matches since the start of 2007, with Steyn and Harris only missing out on 2 and 3 matches, respectively. Five England players have played all 17 Tests, with Vaughan and Sidebottom only missing 2 and Strauss missing 3.
With such loyalty you would be forgiven for thinking that both sides were performing well and the selectors had great reason to pursue the policy of continuity. Whilst this is certainly true of the South Africans, England's selectors should have real concerns over the inconsistent form of some key players.
The individual records of each team since 2007 would make South Africa clear favourites. Their batsmen have a far superior record to England's and in Steyn they have the best fast bowler in the world. However, England have room for optimism. They have home advantage and a very good home record in the last few years. Three of the South African batsmen, Amla, Prince and de Villiers, have not played in England before and McKenzie fared poorly last time he toured. Also only Ntini, of the four first choice bowlers, has played in England and his record is not very good.
Of course, first time tourists of England often fare well, especially bowlers, but the alien Test conditions should not be underestimated. England also have trump cards in Pietersen, Sidebottom and Panesar, all of whom are near the top of their game and have produced match-winning performances in recent series.
Hard to believe though it may be England also have a better tail than South Africa. Morkel (2007 to present average: 10.80), Harris (7.25), Steyn (10.83) and Ntini (5.16) have been relatively easy prey in recent series. Whilst England's tail of Broad (30.14), Sidebottom (16.92), Anderson (12.85) and Panesar (3.77) have shown great fight. Of course, much of this has been down the the failures of the England top order and the need for 8 to 11 to resist, but it is still an important factor when assessing the form of the two sides.
Weighing up all the stats and recent matches each team has played I suggest that the series will be a close one, as is usually the case when these two teams meet. England will need to utilise their home advantage and out of form players, such as Cook, Collingwood, Bell and Ambrose will have to up their game. South Africa will have to adapt quickly to English conditions and will need their experienced players, Smith, Kallis, Boucher and Ntini to make sure the team maintains its fine current run.
Tuesday, 8 April 2008
Soaring Saffers
South Africa were this week confirmed as the number one ODI side in the world. This came during the same week in which they beat India away by an innings and ninety runs, in the process losing only seven wickets themselves. Whilst Australia and India have been drawing the media’s gaze over the past year or so, Graeme Smith’s side has been going quietly about winning series after series in all formats of the game.
Since 2006 they have beaten India (Home (and lead 3 match series 1-0 Away), Pakistan (Home and Away), New Zealand (Home), the West Indies (Home) and Bangladesh (Away) in Test Match series. Meanwhile they have triumphed over India (Home), Pakistan (Home and Away), New Zealand (Home), West Indies (Home), Bangladesh (Away), Zimbabwe (Home and Away) and Ireland (Away) in ODI series.
South African Results: 2006-2008
2006 Zimbabwe (Home) ODI: 3-0.
2006/2007 India (Home) Test: 2-1; ODI: 4-0; Twenty20: 0-1.
2007 Pakistan (Home) Test: 2-1; ODI 3-1; Twenty20 1-0.
2007 Ireland (Away) ODI: 1-0.
2007 Zimbabwe (Away) ODI: 3-0.
2007 Pakistan (Away) Test: 1-0; ODI: 3-2.
2007 New Zealand (Home) Test: 2-0; ODI 2-1; Twenty20: 1-0.
2007/2008 West Indies (Home) Test: 2-1; ODI: 5-0; Twenty20: 1-1.
2008 Bangladesh (Away) Test: 2-0; ODI: 3-0.
2008 India (Away) Test: Lead 3 match series 1-0.
The cumulative records are as follows:
Test Matches: 12-3.
ODI’s: 27-4.
Twenty20: 3-2.
That is a fairly convincing record, even when the lesser opposition is removed. The victories on the subcontinent, in both India and Pakistan, are particularly impressive and indicative of a side very much on the up. Indeed, being able to win in both India and Pakistan is one of the toughest tasks in international cricket and a necessary precursor to world dominance.
Batting Prowess
The South African batting line-up finally seems to be coming together as a strong unit. Graeme Smith and the recently recalled Neil McKenzie form an excellent opening partnership, whilst the solidity provided by Hashim Amla and Jaques Kallis provides a fantastic balance to the side. Amla has really developed over the last year, translating his awesome domestic form into the international arena. Ashwell Prince (41.00) faces increasing pressure from the impressive Jean-Paul Duminy for his place in the side and Duminy could well prove to be the final piece of the jigsaw in the batting line-up, with AB de Villiers and Mark Boucher secure in their respective positions. Both are of course fantastic wicket keepers, so South Africa are well covered in that department, with Boucher holding the world record for most dismissals.
Penetrative Bowling
The bowling line-up has experienced much change over the last year, with Shaun Pollock’s recent retirement and the emergence of Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel as top quality bowlers. Both bowl at in excess of 90 m.p.h. and Steyn is currently the joint top Test Match bowler in the ICC rankings, along with Muttiah Muralitheran. Makaya Ntini has long been recognised as a leading bowler in world cricket and he also bowls upwards of 90 m.p.h. Backed up by Jaques Kallis and looked on at by Andre Nel, the pace bowling department is top notch and possibly the best world cricket has to offer. The enduring weakness of South African cricket over the past decade has though been the absence of a spinner of real quality. Claude Henderson has possibly been the most talented South African spinner of recent times, but he of course plays as a kolpak for Leicestershire. Paul Harris and Johan Botha seem to be the two spinners of choice at the moment in Test Match cricket and ODI’s respectively. They are hardly world class performers, but Harris especially has shown an ability to take top opposition wickets at a low cost and economy. Harris is an exception to the South African rule of playing a spinner who can bat and appears to be growing into his role within the Test side. His inclusion is a signal of aggressive intent from the South Africans and if fortune favours the bold, he may prove to be the missing link whom the Springboks have long been searching for. Botha is more in the Nicky Boje vein of being able to bat, bowl and field well, hence him being preferred for limited overs matches.
A Test Match side of;
Smith (c) (48.51 / HS 277)
McKenzie (Since Jan 2008: 95.17 / HS 226)
Amla (Since April 2006: 42.37 / HS 176*)
Kallis (57.73 / HS 189* - 31.20 / 66.70)
Duminy (First Class: 52.25 / HS 169)
De Villiers (40.30 / HS 217*)
Boucher (wk) (30.21 / HS 125 - 411 ct / 19 st)
M. Morkel (23.75 - 36.84 / 56.60)
Harris (30.35 / 71.40)
Steyn (21.41 / 35.60)
Ntini (27.78 / 51.60);
will worry the fiercest of opposition and could yet challenge the possibly weakening Australian stranglehold over Test Match cricket.
Meanwhile, an ODI line-up of;
Smith (c) (41.11)
Gibbs (36.53)
Kallis (45.21 - 31.53 / 39.20)
De Villiers (37.66)
Duminy (36.35)
Boucher (wk) (28.98 - 368 ct / 18 st)
A. Morkel (18.15 - 29.03 / 33.90)
Botha (18.00 - 52.84 / 67.20)
M. Morkel (26.00 - 22.95 / 28.60)
Steyn (35.33 / 38.40)
Ntini (24.12 / 32.30);
is already officially the best on offer.
The Coach
Coach Mickey Arthur has recovered from a tough start (three series defeats out of four to Australia) to transform South Africa into a side which is once again feared, not just at home, but also away. There have been blips along the way (most notably away to Sri Lanka), but there can be no denying that Arthur has impressed with his recent record, especially on the subcontinent. Differences with the board over South African selection policy lurk in the background though, but as long as Arthur continues the impressive resurgence of South African fortunes on the international stage, he will hold a certain degree of power in any future disputes. For the good of South African cricket, Arthur needs to be left to run the team in the way which he sees fit, because, although young (39), he has the potential to lift South Africa to a new level and place this South African side atop the world tree.
The Best is Yet to Come?
South Africa have had plenty of false dawns recently and have found it hard to shake the tag of being chokers on the big occasions. The results of both the final match in India and the upcoming tour of England will show just how far they have come in the last two years and more importantly, how much further they can go yet, with a visit to Australia at the year's end. Cricketing neutrals will hope that this enigmatic beast can emerge as a serious threat to Australia in Test matches as well as ODI’s. That task is not an easy one, but for the moment South Africa rightly hold the position of second in the ICC Test Match rankings and number one in the ODI rankings. A fantastic summer lies ahead, but not necessarily for England.
Since 2006 they have beaten India (Home (and lead 3 match series 1-0 Away), Pakistan (Home and Away), New Zealand (Home), the West Indies (Home) and Bangladesh (Away) in Test Match series. Meanwhile they have triumphed over India (Home), Pakistan (Home and Away), New Zealand (Home), West Indies (Home), Bangladesh (Away), Zimbabwe (Home and Away) and Ireland (Away) in ODI series.
South African Results: 2006-2008
2006 Zimbabwe (Home) ODI: 3-0.
2006/2007 India (Home) Test: 2-1; ODI: 4-0; Twenty20: 0-1.
2007 Pakistan (Home) Test: 2-1; ODI 3-1; Twenty20 1-0.
2007 Ireland (Away) ODI: 1-0.
2007 Zimbabwe (Away) ODI: 3-0.
2007 Pakistan (Away) Test: 1-0; ODI: 3-2.
2007 New Zealand (Home) Test: 2-0; ODI 2-1; Twenty20: 1-0.
2007/2008 West Indies (Home) Test: 2-1; ODI: 5-0; Twenty20: 1-1.
2008 Bangladesh (Away) Test: 2-0; ODI: 3-0.
2008 India (Away) Test: Lead 3 match series 1-0.
The cumulative records are as follows:
Test Matches: 12-3.
ODI’s: 27-4.
Twenty20: 3-2.
That is a fairly convincing record, even when the lesser opposition is removed. The victories on the subcontinent, in both India and Pakistan, are particularly impressive and indicative of a side very much on the up. Indeed, being able to win in both India and Pakistan is one of the toughest tasks in international cricket and a necessary precursor to world dominance.
Batting Prowess
The South African batting line-up finally seems to be coming together as a strong unit. Graeme Smith and the recently recalled Neil McKenzie form an excellent opening partnership, whilst the solidity provided by Hashim Amla and Jaques Kallis provides a fantastic balance to the side. Amla has really developed over the last year, translating his awesome domestic form into the international arena. Ashwell Prince (41.00) faces increasing pressure from the impressive Jean-Paul Duminy for his place in the side and Duminy could well prove to be the final piece of the jigsaw in the batting line-up, with AB de Villiers and Mark Boucher secure in their respective positions. Both are of course fantastic wicket keepers, so South Africa are well covered in that department, with Boucher holding the world record for most dismissals.
Penetrative Bowling
The bowling line-up has experienced much change over the last year, with Shaun Pollock’s recent retirement and the emergence of Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel as top quality bowlers. Both bowl at in excess of 90 m.p.h. and Steyn is currently the joint top Test Match bowler in the ICC rankings, along with Muttiah Muralitheran. Makaya Ntini has long been recognised as a leading bowler in world cricket and he also bowls upwards of 90 m.p.h. Backed up by Jaques Kallis and looked on at by Andre Nel, the pace bowling department is top notch and possibly the best world cricket has to offer. The enduring weakness of South African cricket over the past decade has though been the absence of a spinner of real quality. Claude Henderson has possibly been the most talented South African spinner of recent times, but he of course plays as a kolpak for Leicestershire. Paul Harris and Johan Botha seem to be the two spinners of choice at the moment in Test Match cricket and ODI’s respectively. They are hardly world class performers, but Harris especially has shown an ability to take top opposition wickets at a low cost and economy. Harris is an exception to the South African rule of playing a spinner who can bat and appears to be growing into his role within the Test side. His inclusion is a signal of aggressive intent from the South Africans and if fortune favours the bold, he may prove to be the missing link whom the Springboks have long been searching for. Botha is more in the Nicky Boje vein of being able to bat, bowl and field well, hence him being preferred for limited overs matches.
A Test Match side of;
Smith (c) (48.51 / HS 277)
McKenzie (Since Jan 2008: 95.17 / HS 226)
Amla (Since April 2006: 42.37 / HS 176*)
Kallis (57.73 / HS 189* - 31.20 / 66.70)
Duminy (First Class: 52.25 / HS 169)
De Villiers (40.30 / HS 217*)
Boucher (wk) (30.21 / HS 125 - 411 ct / 19 st)
M. Morkel (23.75 - 36.84 / 56.60)
Harris (30.35 / 71.40)
Steyn (21.41 / 35.60)
Ntini (27.78 / 51.60);
will worry the fiercest of opposition and could yet challenge the possibly weakening Australian stranglehold over Test Match cricket.
Meanwhile, an ODI line-up of;
Smith (c) (41.11)
Gibbs (36.53)
Kallis (45.21 - 31.53 / 39.20)
De Villiers (37.66)
Duminy (36.35)
Boucher (wk) (28.98 - 368 ct / 18 st)
A. Morkel (18.15 - 29.03 / 33.90)
Botha (18.00 - 52.84 / 67.20)
M. Morkel (26.00 - 22.95 / 28.60)
Steyn (35.33 / 38.40)
Ntini (24.12 / 32.30);
is already officially the best on offer.
The Coach
Coach Mickey Arthur has recovered from a tough start (three series defeats out of four to Australia) to transform South Africa into a side which is once again feared, not just at home, but also away. There have been blips along the way (most notably away to Sri Lanka), but there can be no denying that Arthur has impressed with his recent record, especially on the subcontinent. Differences with the board over South African selection policy lurk in the background though, but as long as Arthur continues the impressive resurgence of South African fortunes on the international stage, he will hold a certain degree of power in any future disputes. For the good of South African cricket, Arthur needs to be left to run the team in the way which he sees fit, because, although young (39), he has the potential to lift South Africa to a new level and place this South African side atop the world tree.
The Best is Yet to Come?
South Africa have had plenty of false dawns recently and have found it hard to shake the tag of being chokers on the big occasions. The results of both the final match in India and the upcoming tour of England will show just how far they have come in the last two years and more importantly, how much further they can go yet, with a visit to Australia at the year's end. Cricketing neutrals will hope that this enigmatic beast can emerge as a serious threat to Australia in Test matches as well as ODI’s. That task is not an easy one, but for the moment South Africa rightly hold the position of second in the ICC Test Match rankings and number one in the ODI rankings. A fantastic summer lies ahead, but not necessarily for England.
Tuesday, 1 January 2008
Stamp racism out, but at what cost?
Racism is one of the ugliest faces of human nature. Incredibly, it is also one of the most common. Across the world, it has manifested itself as one of, if not the, worst human rights crisis that any of us have ever seen. From the Apartheid regime in South Africa to the holocaust in World War II, people have, for as far back as we can remember, discriminated against others on the basis of skin colour, religion and race.
Cursed, it seems, are minorities. Far from basic human rights, they have always been picked on. Some people have genuine hate for those who are different. Others see them as easy targets. And some enjoy going with the crowd. It is the latter, I suspect, that is the most common. Many people appreciate the difference in cultures, races and religions, and do not care to put others down on the basis of any of those factors, whilst others decide that some of them are not worth respecting or protecting.
Whilst the days where one could be racist without any political, social or legal ramifications are gone, the problem still remains. In particular, sport has always struggled with it. The image of Nicky Winmar responding to some insensitive fans by holding his guernsey up and pointing to his skin is etched into the memories of so many, and Kevin Pietersen’s relocation to England because their racial quota system (which to ensure black cricketers weren’t discriminated against, instead discriminated against white cricketers) kept him out of their system. But the greatest struggle that sport, and indeed cricket specifically – with players of different races touring many countries on a regular basis – has had, is fans.
Two years ago, Australia’s problem was exposed when the South African cricket team complained about Australian spectators racially abusing their players. The issue had existed in Australian crowds for longer than that of course, as this writer knows from personal experience having sat near such fans on several occasions, but the pressure was suddenly on Cricket Australia to crack down on such behaviour.
CA responded, announcing a large campaign to improve behaviour at the cricket, with former fast bowler and cricketing character Mervyn Hughes giving fans ‘A serve from Merv,’ as part of an ad campaign. Action was being taken it seemed, and fans were on their best behaviour according to most reports.
Boxing Day is always a major issue for authorities at the cricket, but despite two pitch invaders and a century of ejections, cricket fans were generally praised for being well behaved. Most of all, it seemed that despite tension between Indian and Australian fans, there had been no racial discrimination going on. After the second day, authorities were still fairly pleased. On this particular day, however, as so often seems to occur, a story was found: Amongst all the ‘you are a wanker’ chants aimed at those - no matter how young - that don’t have the guts - or stupidity - to throw a beach ball after being warned against it by policemen, not to mention the ‘let’s go f’ing mental’ chorus after every wicket, and of course the customary ignorance regarding sexual orientation and opposing batsmen, the Herald Sun picked out a small chant, which had been accompanied by a lot of tension between Australian and Indian fans, and labelled it racist.
The chant in question was, ‘Show us your visas,’ and it was started by a fan who, amongst all the fun going on with fans of both sides throwing whatever they could at each other, decided to say something that was as silly as it was harmless. The Indians did not show offence. They did not report it to the authorities. The policemen, of whom there were plenty in Bay 13, did not bat an eyelid. The Indian fans returned fire with an insult aimed at Australian heritage and culture; ‘Show us your handcuffs,’ and was accompanied by a few single finger gestures. In fact, there were plenty of those coming from that bay.
So what has occurred here? According to the paper, it was racism. Never mind the fact that no one seemed to care too much. Never mind the fact that show us your handcuffs is equally as insulting, and never mind the fact that drunk men at the cricket are not generally supposed to be taken seriously, which most intelligent Indian fans seemed to get. It was a small few who thought they’d complain to get everyone in trouble.
Was this racist? Personally, I doubt it. All day there were rude chants, throughout the game supporters of either nation were more than happy to throw whatever they could come up with at each other. This particular one was selected as racism.
As I said in the beginning, racism is a terrible thing, and must not be allowed to manifest itself as it once did so casually. But do we really need to play such fun police at sporting events? A few years ago, fans would specifically refer to cricketers of a different skin colour with derogatory, downright racist terms. Today, they are being persecuted for making jokes about immigration. Unlike Dean Jones, who called South African Muslim Hashim Amla a terrorist because of his beard, or the Zimbabwean cricket board that often refuses to select white cricketers because of their skin colour, this fan simply made an ignorant, but pretty much harmless, comment to further stir up the fans.
Can’t we just go to the cricket and have fun without being pulled up for racism at every corner? You can’t skull a beer, you can’t play with beach balls, and you can’t wave your arms in the air, so surely we can at least enjoy ourselves by playing around with the opposition?
My advice to journalists and authorities alike is, focus on the ones actually without visas.
Friday, 22 June 2007
Glamorgan: Cardiff Ground Development (3)
Glamorgan's investment in their Sophia Gardens ground development is starting to bear fruit, as those who waited patiently in the Cardiff rain on the evening of the opening Twenty 20 game found out.
The progress since I last posted on this in March is significant, and there is a real feeling of a Test ground taking shape, despite the 3rd Ashes Test of 2009 being just over 2 years away. There is more to be done, but the development is on course for its planned completion date of Spring 2008, well ahead of September 3rd, the date of the England v South Africa ODI.
Glamorgan Chairman Paul Russell has spoken confidently this week of bidding for Twenty 20 Finals Day in 2010 and an England Test versus India in 2011.
The progress since I last posted on this in March is significant, and there is a real feeling of a Test ground taking shape, despite the 3rd Ashes Test of 2009 being just over 2 years away. There is more to be done, but the development is on course for its planned completion date of Spring 2008, well ahead of September 3rd, the date of the England v South Africa ODI.
Glamorgan Chairman Paul Russell has spoken confidently this week of bidding for Twenty 20 Finals Day in 2010 and an England Test versus India in 2011.
#1 The site of the new pavilion and members' area (with cushioned seats). This is on the car park /open side of the 'old' ground.
#2 The new grandstand is in 'frame and foundation form' only. It will hold 6,000 fans. It is situated on the site of the 'old' pavilion.
#3 On the left, the Castle Stand provides seating between the new Grandstand and the old 'River Taff End' stand (which is thankfully still there!).These pics were taken on the evening of Glamorgan's 1st Twenty 20 match of the summer, Friday 22nd June 2007. Persistent rain eventually forced the game versus Gloucesteshire to be abandoned without a ball bowled, despite a sell out crowd of 4,000 (limited capacity).
Wednesday, 25 April 2007
Semi-Final Preview: Australia vs South Africa
After yesterday's somewhat surprisingly one sided affair fans the world over will be hoping for a closer contest this afternoon. The history between Australia and South Africa is plentiful, the desire to win on both sides strong. Having famously "choked" in 2003 and 1999, against Australia, South Africa will be desperate to win today and put to bed the lingering doubts over their ability to play the big games. Cricket is as much a mental game as it is a technical one, just ask Duncan Fletcher and the mental strength of the Australians is what separates them from the chasing pack. South Africa's batting line-up is almost as talented and long and has the ability to take the game to Australia.
Batting well provides South Africa's best chance of victory here. The Australian attack is not the strongest it has ever been, though it is undeniably mighty. If South Africa bat first and really get stuck in, they can reap the rewards derived from placing Australia under pressure. There are cracks within the Australian team, but you have to be on top of your game and extremely ruthless in order to exploit them. If you don't, then simply put, Australia will nail you! England showed that Australia are not infaliable, but also that if you give them a sniff they will go in for the kill.
South Africa are still bouyed by their victory just over a year ago, when they chased down over 400 to beat the Aussies. It is time though to forget that game, it is in the past, it was a different Aussie bowling attack and it was a one off game. The South African failure in the group stages proved the faliability of opting to chase. If Australia are allowed to set the pace and get above 350, nine times out of ten you will be out of the game before you have started. South Africa must realise that their best chance is to bat and put the Australian batting line up under pressure, especially considering that their attack is so one dimensional when bowling first, on what should be a belter of a wicket. No help for the seamers in St Lucia I'm afraid and it's easier to play the so far mysterious Brad Hogg when setting, rather than under the pressure of chasing.
Australia meanwhile are dominant. Undefeated in 27 World Cup games, spanning 8 years, they look focused, determined and most importantly of all, confident. Over confident? Not a chance. Since the Ashes 2005, this Australian side have risen their game to a new level and after the CB Series surprise, they are all to aware of the dangers which over confidence can bring. They can be beaten, but they won't lose. That is what makes them the best side in the World. With Australia completely dominating this World Cup to date Gill Woolmer has asked South Africa to "do it for Bob", we ask them to do it for the good of cricket!
Prediction: If South Africa bat first they can win this, if not the Aussie dominance will continue. It will be close with recent encounters standing at 3-3.
Key Players: The performances of Graeme Smith, Jaques Kallis, Brad Hogg and Shaun Tait could decide this one. The Aussie batsman rarely fail, so it will have to be their bowlers who do and the South African batsman who make the most of it if there is to be an upset.
Batting well provides South Africa's best chance of victory here. The Australian attack is not the strongest it has ever been, though it is undeniably mighty. If South Africa bat first and really get stuck in, they can reap the rewards derived from placing Australia under pressure. There are cracks within the Australian team, but you have to be on top of your game and extremely ruthless in order to exploit them. If you don't, then simply put, Australia will nail you! England showed that Australia are not infaliable, but also that if you give them a sniff they will go in for the kill.
South Africa are still bouyed by their victory just over a year ago, when they chased down over 400 to beat the Aussies. It is time though to forget that game, it is in the past, it was a different Aussie bowling attack and it was a one off game. The South African failure in the group stages proved the faliability of opting to chase. If Australia are allowed to set the pace and get above 350, nine times out of ten you will be out of the game before you have started. South Africa must realise that their best chance is to bat and put the Australian batting line up under pressure, especially considering that their attack is so one dimensional when bowling first, on what should be a belter of a wicket. No help for the seamers in St Lucia I'm afraid and it's easier to play the so far mysterious Brad Hogg when setting, rather than under the pressure of chasing.
Australia meanwhile are dominant. Undefeated in 27 World Cup games, spanning 8 years, they look focused, determined and most importantly of all, confident. Over confident? Not a chance. Since the Ashes 2005, this Australian side have risen their game to a new level and after the CB Series surprise, they are all to aware of the dangers which over confidence can bring. They can be beaten, but they won't lose. That is what makes them the best side in the World. With Australia completely dominating this World Cup to date Gill Woolmer has asked South Africa to "do it for Bob", we ask them to do it for the good of cricket!
Prediction: If South Africa bat first they can win this, if not the Aussie dominance will continue. It will be close with recent encounters standing at 3-3.
Key Players: The performances of Graeme Smith, Jaques Kallis, Brad Hogg and Shaun Tait could decide this one. The Aussie batsman rarely fail, so it will have to be their bowlers who do and the South African batsman who make the most of it if there is to be an upset.
Friday, 20 April 2007
Some competition needed
After Australia's dissection of New Zealand today, the World Cup is desperately in need of some close and exciting semi-finals and a great final. The tournament has had some surprises and a couple of nail-biting finishes, but has generally been littered with one-sided matches that have been over long before they actually finished.
With Australia sweeping away all before them there is a danger that the World Champions will win their third title on the spin without even being seriously challenged. It is up to the South Africans to finally give them a game and should the Australians triumph then New Zealand or Sri Lanka must make the final a contest.
If not the 2007 World Cup will probably go down in history as the biggest anti-climax in ODI cricket. All the talk of it being the most open tournament in years is already looking foolish, with the gulf between the Australians and the rest widening into a gaping abyss. There is no doubt that the Australians have been by far the best and most consistent team in the competition, but I'm sure even they would prefer to be pushed a little more in pursuit of a third consecutive World Cup. Let us hope that they are and the last three matches provide some cricket to remember.
With Australia sweeping away all before them there is a danger that the World Champions will win their third title on the spin without even being seriously challenged. It is up to the South Africans to finally give them a game and should the Australians triumph then New Zealand or Sri Lanka must make the final a contest.
If not the 2007 World Cup will probably go down in history as the biggest anti-climax in ODI cricket. All the talk of it being the most open tournament in years is already looking foolish, with the gulf between the Australians and the rest widening into a gaping abyss. There is no doubt that the Australians have been by far the best and most consistent team in the competition, but I'm sure even they would prefer to be pushed a little more in pursuit of a third consecutive World Cup. Let us hope that they are and the last three matches provide some cricket to remember.
Tuesday, 17 April 2007
Preview: England vs South Africa
Big One. The time has come and only one side can progress. It is a contest between the number one ranked side in the world, when the World Cup began, South Africa, and Commonwealth Bank Series winners England. The side that wins the toss in Barbados will hope to bat and put a decent total on the board and then exploit the uncertainties in the pitch in the second half. If Michael Vaughan can remain a lucky tosser (some would say being selected is one such example!) then England really need to make the best of the track once they have seen off the new ball. They will then rely heavily on Kevin Pietersen, playing against his old country, to get stuck in and increase the tempo.
South Africa's bowling line-up has been the subject of much debate, made up exclusively of seamers. Barbados has proved to be a pitch which is slightly more favourable for the pace bowler than spinner though and so their all seam attack may be well suited to conditions. Andre Nel has regularly impressed against England although it is a surprise not to see Makaya Ntini in the side. Given England's struggles against spin and larger degree of familiarity with pace, the South African approach could also play into their hands, especially Andrew Strauss who likes playing them. If England win the toss and bat with composure they should win, with the larger variety they have within their bowling attack. However, if South Africa get off to a flyer, no total, whether setting or chasing, is ever quite big enough. Jaques Kallis has been out of sorts recently though so England have a chance. England tend to rise to the big occasion, are South Africa still chokers though?
Prediction: Dare I say England? I can only hope.
Players to watch: Andrew Strauss and Andre Nel.
South Africa's bowling line-up has been the subject of much debate, made up exclusively of seamers. Barbados has proved to be a pitch which is slightly more favourable for the pace bowler than spinner though and so their all seam attack may be well suited to conditions. Andre Nel has regularly impressed against England although it is a surprise not to see Makaya Ntini in the side. Given England's struggles against spin and larger degree of familiarity with pace, the South African approach could also play into their hands, especially Andrew Strauss who likes playing them. If England win the toss and bat with composure they should win, with the larger variety they have within their bowling attack. However, if South Africa get off to a flyer, no total, whether setting or chasing, is ever quite big enough. Jaques Kallis has been out of sorts recently though so England have a chance. England tend to rise to the big occasion, are South Africa still chokers though?
Prediction: Dare I say England? I can only hope.
Players to watch: Andrew Strauss and Andre Nel.
Saturday, 14 April 2007
Preview: New Zealand vs South Africa
Defeat to Sri Lanka on Thursday has left New Zealand in a potentially dangerous position. Should they lose to both South Africa and Australia then they could find themselves tied on points with both South Africa and England. Should that be the case, then net run rate would come into play and thanks to Stephen Fleming's tactical astuteness, the Kiwis are far better placed in that regard. By dragging out the defeat to Sri Lanka for 46 overs rather than going for a do or die approach, the damage to the net run rate was kept to a minimum. Whatever the result here they still have an excellent chance of progressing.
The same can not be said for the South Africans who desperately need victory. With the game against England a virtual quarter final, South Africa need to beat the Kiwis to ensure that they will still have a chance of progressing if they do lose to England on Tuesday. Again, net run rate would come into play, with England's currently superior. Graeme Smith is less concerned with run rate though and more with getting the two victories that will see both South Africa and New Zealand through.
With the pitch in Grenada looking slow, New Zealand will want to include offspinner Jeetan Patel, alongside Daniel Vettori, in order to give the South Africans another trial by spin. Whether Ryan Peterson plays is another matter altogether, with the South Africans favouring their all seam attack.
Prediction: Kiwis to do England a favour, spin and medium pace to be crucial once again.
Players to watch: Jeetan Patel and Jaques Kallis.
The same can not be said for the South Africans who desperately need victory. With the game against England a virtual quarter final, South Africa need to beat the Kiwis to ensure that they will still have a chance of progressing if they do lose to England on Tuesday. Again, net run rate would come into play, with England's currently superior. Graeme Smith is less concerned with run rate though and more with getting the two victories that will see both South Africa and New Zealand through.
With the pitch in Grenada looking slow, New Zealand will want to include offspinner Jeetan Patel, alongside Daniel Vettori, in order to give the South Africans another trial by spin. Whether Ryan Peterson plays is another matter altogether, with the South Africans favouring their all seam attack.
Prediction: Kiwis to do England a favour, spin and medium pace to be crucial once again.
Players to watch: Jeetan Patel and Jaques Kallis.
Monday, 9 April 2007
Preview: West Indies vs South Africa
With Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka fairly certain of qualification for the semi-finals, only one spot is left up for grabs. It will be a fight til the death between South Africa, England, the West Indies and even Bangladesh. The first crunch match sees the West Indies look to reinvigorate their campaign against a dumbfounded South African side who lost to Bangladesh last week. The West Indies have won both of their last two World Cup encounters with South Africa and also the last two games in the Champions Trophy.
West Indies will need stella perfromances from their best batsman, especially Chris Gayle, who has so far failed to get the Windies off to characteristicly fast starts. Daren Powell will meanwhile need support with the ball and South Africa will be hoping that the offspin of Gayle and Marlon Samuels and legspin of Ramnaresh Sarwan will not prove to be as perilous as that of Bangladesh's triumvate spin attack. With the pitch at Grenada likely to favour bowling first though, it could be a seamers game, which will suit both sides, South Africa more so.
Herschelle Gibbs will miss the game with the injury which restricted him to batting at seven in the previous match. Loots Bosman is likely to open with Graeme Smith, while AB de Villiers, so far unsuccessful, should drop into a more comfortable position in the middle order. Andre Nel should maintain his place, having been one of the few positives against Bangladesh, while Andrew Hall, mysteriously absent against Bangladesh, should also return at the expense of either the disappointing Justin Kemp or Charle Langevelt.
Prediction: Whoever wins the toss and bowls should win. The tournament and of course England need the Windies to enact the Great Escape. Can South Africa react? Past history says no.
Players to watch: Brian Lara and Shaun Pollock.
West Indies will need stella perfromances from their best batsman, especially Chris Gayle, who has so far failed to get the Windies off to characteristicly fast starts. Daren Powell will meanwhile need support with the ball and South Africa will be hoping that the offspin of Gayle and Marlon Samuels and legspin of Ramnaresh Sarwan will not prove to be as perilous as that of Bangladesh's triumvate spin attack. With the pitch at Grenada likely to favour bowling first though, it could be a seamers game, which will suit both sides, South Africa more so.
Herschelle Gibbs will miss the game with the injury which restricted him to batting at seven in the previous match. Loots Bosman is likely to open with Graeme Smith, while AB de Villiers, so far unsuccessful, should drop into a more comfortable position in the middle order. Andre Nel should maintain his place, having been one of the few positives against Bangladesh, while Andrew Hall, mysteriously absent against Bangladesh, should also return at the expense of either the disappointing Justin Kemp or Charle Langevelt.
Prediction: Whoever wins the toss and bowls should win. The tournament and of course England need the Windies to enact the Great Escape. Can South Africa react? Past history says no.
Players to watch: Brian Lara and Shaun Pollock.
Saturday, 7 April 2007
Preview; South Africa vs Bangladesh
Graeme Smith is giving Bangladesh the respect they deserve going into this game and rightly so given Bangladesh are due another upset soon. However, it is unlikely to be today, despite coach Dav Whatmore's ambition to further impress the Indian board. Habibual Bashar knows that more runs are needed from his top five, including himself. Exciting young opener Shariar Nafees, who has been desperately disappointing to date, was dropped for the last game and will continue to rest today as Javed Omar maintains his opening role. Omar offers a more solid, if slow, option and will be looking to build a platform for the more explosive players within the Bangladeshi ranks. Defeat for South Africa here would open the door for England in the race for semi-final qualification and Smith, who has been in awesome form so far, will not be willing to let that happen.
Prediciton: South Africa, though it will not be all one way traffic.
Players to watch: Graeme Smith and Mashrafe Mortaza.
Prediciton: South Africa, though it will not be all one way traffic.
Players to watch: Graeme Smith and Mashrafe Mortaza.
Tuesday, 3 April 2007
Preview: South Africa vs Ireland
Although Ireland pushed South Africa close in the warm-up games, there is unlikely to be a repeat performance. Ireland tend to do better on the lower scoring wickets, especially when there is assistance for the bowlers. They do have some good players and many in the Irish team will be hoping for regular county action, but Eoin Morgan in particular has been disappointing so far. South Africa did well to beat Sri Lanka, though their last minute collapse indicates that they are still a side that can wilt somewhat under pressure. They will be looking to allay doubts with a handsome victory.
Prediction: South Africa to canter to victory.
Players to watch: Graeme Smith and Andre Botha.
Prediction: South Africa to canter to victory.
Players to watch: Graeme Smith and Andre Botha.
Friday, 30 March 2007
What have we learnt so far?!
We now review the sides who have made it through to the Super Eight stage of the World Cup and what we can learn from the performances so far.
Australia
Strengths:
Phenomenal batting line-up: Matthew Hayden has been reborn as a One Day International opener and along with the destructive Adam Gilchrist forms the most explosive opening partnership in world cricket. The best player in the world comes in next in the shape of Ricky Ponting, followed by an ever improving Michael Clarke at four. Andrew Symonds of course needs no introducing as one of the most dangerous hitters in the game. Then comes the dependable Michael Hussey, who will not remain runless for long and the powerful Shane Watson. This batting line up is the best in limited overs cricket and can win matches alone.
Awesome fielding: Symonds, Clarke, Ponting and Watson form the best inner ring in world cricket.
Weaknesses:
Bowling: Yes there is a visible weakness. Glenn McGrath can be taken apart by classy opposition and Shaun Tait and Watson can often prove expensive. Brad Hogg is an experienced campaigner, but he is not up there with the best spinners in world cricket. Currently, only Nathan Bracken is a reliable performer with the ball. They miss Brett Lee.
Star so far: Matthew Hayden.
Sri Lanka
Strengths:
One to four: In Upul Tharanga and Sanath Jayasuriya Sri Lanka have another of the world’s more explosive opening pairings and followed by Mahela Jayawardene at three and the world’s best wicket keeper batsman at four, Kumar Sangakkara, they offer a first rate top order.
Bowling variety: Chaminda Vaas is one of the best with a new white ball and everybody knows what the world’s best spinner can do. In Muttiah Muralitharan Sri Lanka have a bowler who can win matches single handedly. Lasith Malinga is brilliant at the death and possesses a deadly in-swinging yorker. Meanwhile, Sanath Jayasuriya’s slow left arm spin and Tillakaratne Dilshan’s offspin complete a well varied attack.
Fielding: Exceptional, likely the best going. Almost every player contributes in the field, even the 37 year old Jayasuriya!
Weaknesses:
Lower order batting power: For all the class of the top four, if you get them early, there is not much to come in terms of a blistering batsman down the order. Although Chamara Silva at five is capable of rapid scoring, as he proved recently against New Zealand, he, Dilshan and Russell Arnold can not be described as power players and they can struggle to take advantage of the last overs if one of the top four is not still around.
New ball partner and fifth bowler: For all of Vaas’ quality there is no obvious partner for him in the Sri Lankan side when he is bowling with the new ball. Furthermore, the fifth bowler can prove to be a problem for Sri Lanka with both Farveez Maharoof and Dilhara Fernando not quite up to standard. Prehaps Malinga Bandara’s leg spin could yet come in handy.
Star so far: Muttiah Muralitharan.
South Africa:
Strengths:
Batting depth: South Africa usually bat a long way down, with Shaun Pollock and Andrew Hall nestling at eight and nine respectively. Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers are deadly when they fire and with explosive players such as Herschelle Gibbs, Mark Boucher and Justin Kemp dotted between the rocks, Jaques Kallis and Ashwell Prince, they are capable of posting imposing totals.
Pace attack: Makaya Ntini, Pollock, Andrew Hall, Kallis and Charle Langevelt form a lethal pace attack for South Africa and that is without the aggressive Andre Nel. Given a helpful wicket, they will exploit it.
Weaknesses:
Opening combination: AB de Villiers has yet to really settle as an opener and this can lead to problems.
Missing Spinner: South Africa often go into games with no front line spinner, instead relying on Graeme Smith’s part time offies if they hit trouble. When they do play a spinner problems arise, firstly it weakens there batting line up as in the game against Sri Lanka and secondly the spinner in question, Robin Peterson, is not one of the game’s finest.
Star so far: Graeme Smith.
New Zealand
Strengths:
Batting depth: Another side that bats a long way down. With centuries to both of their names, Daniel Vettori and James Franklin can not be taken lightly and the sheer number of great allrounders in this Kiwi side allow them to bat to the bottom if they desire.
Bowling options: The pace of Shane Bond, the experience of Daniel Vettori, the left arm of James Franklin, the death ability of Mark Gillespie, the canniness of Jeetan Patel, the bounce of Jacob Oram and the accuracy of Scott Styris make this Kiwi side a very dangerous proposition when it comes to trying to score runs quickly against them.
Tactical nous: Stephen Fleming is the most intelligent captain in the world and his field placings demonstrate that.
Weaknesses:
Injuries: Having already lost Darryl Tuffey, Kyle Mills and Lou Vincent to injury, the Kiwis can not afford to suffer any more misfortune. There are though constant fitness worries over Oram and Bond and as the tournament progresses they may start to struggle.
An opening bowler and an opening batsman light perhaps: Running on from the injury problems, New Zealand do not seem to have a settled opening partnership with either bat or ball and if often shows.
Star so far: Scott Styris.
England
Strengths:
Middle order: With a line up from four to six of Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood and Andrew Flintoff, England have a middle order which most teams would die for. They need to come in with time to play with and runs on the board though.
Captaincy: A fit Michael Vaughan is second only to Fleming as a captain and he is as successful a captain as England have ever had in ODI’s.
Impetuous youth: England have a lot of young players and they are hungry for success, just listen to Ravi Bopara.
Weaknesses:
Top order batting: Much has been made of England’s woes at the top and rightfully so. Suffering from the reverse problem that Sri Lanka do, England have no power players up front. For all the skills that Michael Vaughan, Ed Joyce and Ian Bell have, exploiting the powerplays is not really one of them. Platform’s are good, but only if one of those top three players goes on until the end. They rarely do. It is crying out for Pietersen to move up to three.
Bowling depth: James Anderson, Monty Panesar and Andrew Flintoff are brilliant bowlers and wicket takers. Without back up though, opposition players can afford to see them off. England are undecided on who to bowl with them and both Liam Plunkett and Sajid Mahmood have been expensive, whilst Collingwood is not always suited to the conditions. Jamie Dalrymple was tried and failed abysmally, whilst Bopara is still very raw, though a talent. A settled bowling line up that can take wickets throughout the innings is a must and England must find it soon.
Star so far: James Anderson.
West Indies
Strengths:
Individual brilliance: In Brian Lara, Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Dwayne Bravo and Shivnarine Chanderpaul the Windies have the individual class to knock over the best of sides.
Home soil and support: Should the Windies get on a roll, the support will drop in behind them. They have to get rolling first though.
Weaknesses:
Too many weak links: For the all the individual brilliance, the West Indies are not a brilliant team. Marlon Samuels batting at four is an obvious sign of the deterioration in West Indian cricketing brilliance. Why Lara bats so low at five is a mystery, but it simply encourages collapses. Dwayne Smith appears to be a very limited batsman, despite his excellent fielding and doubts remain over the abilities of Dinesh Ramdin and Lendl Simmons. In the bowling department, a spinner is obviously lacking and the pace men are just too inconsistent and nothing like the stars of yesteryear.
Reliance on bits and pieces: The Windies rely on using the bowling of the likes of Gayle, Smith and Samuels to regularly get them through their fifty overs. There just simply is not enough of a threat there to disturb the best international opposition. They must play the promising Jerome Taylor, but do not ultimately have the pace attack to compensate for their lack of spin options, unlike South Africa.
Star so far: Brian Lara.
Bangladesh
Strengths:
Youthful exuberance and spin options.
Weaknesses:
Inexperience and over-zealousness with the bat.
Star so far: Mashrafe Mortaza.
Ireland
Strengths:
Passion and ability to exploit bowler’s wickets.
Weaknesses:
Lack of quality batting depth.
Star so far: Jeremy Bray.
Chris Pallett
Australia
Strengths:
Phenomenal batting line-up: Matthew Hayden has been reborn as a One Day International opener and along with the destructive Adam Gilchrist forms the most explosive opening partnership in world cricket. The best player in the world comes in next in the shape of Ricky Ponting, followed by an ever improving Michael Clarke at four. Andrew Symonds of course needs no introducing as one of the most dangerous hitters in the game. Then comes the dependable Michael Hussey, who will not remain runless for long and the powerful Shane Watson. This batting line up is the best in limited overs cricket and can win matches alone.
Awesome fielding: Symonds, Clarke, Ponting and Watson form the best inner ring in world cricket.
Weaknesses:
Bowling: Yes there is a visible weakness. Glenn McGrath can be taken apart by classy opposition and Shaun Tait and Watson can often prove expensive. Brad Hogg is an experienced campaigner, but he is not up there with the best spinners in world cricket. Currently, only Nathan Bracken is a reliable performer with the ball. They miss Brett Lee.
Star so far: Matthew Hayden.
Sri Lanka
Strengths:
One to four: In Upul Tharanga and Sanath Jayasuriya Sri Lanka have another of the world’s more explosive opening pairings and followed by Mahela Jayawardene at three and the world’s best wicket keeper batsman at four, Kumar Sangakkara, they offer a first rate top order.
Bowling variety: Chaminda Vaas is one of the best with a new white ball and everybody knows what the world’s best spinner can do. In Muttiah Muralitharan Sri Lanka have a bowler who can win matches single handedly. Lasith Malinga is brilliant at the death and possesses a deadly in-swinging yorker. Meanwhile, Sanath Jayasuriya’s slow left arm spin and Tillakaratne Dilshan’s offspin complete a well varied attack.
Fielding: Exceptional, likely the best going. Almost every player contributes in the field, even the 37 year old Jayasuriya!
Weaknesses:
Lower order batting power: For all the class of the top four, if you get them early, there is not much to come in terms of a blistering batsman down the order. Although Chamara Silva at five is capable of rapid scoring, as he proved recently against New Zealand, he, Dilshan and Russell Arnold can not be described as power players and they can struggle to take advantage of the last overs if one of the top four is not still around.
New ball partner and fifth bowler: For all of Vaas’ quality there is no obvious partner for him in the Sri Lankan side when he is bowling with the new ball. Furthermore, the fifth bowler can prove to be a problem for Sri Lanka with both Farveez Maharoof and Dilhara Fernando not quite up to standard. Prehaps Malinga Bandara’s leg spin could yet come in handy.
Star so far: Muttiah Muralitharan.
South Africa:
Strengths:
Batting depth: South Africa usually bat a long way down, with Shaun Pollock and Andrew Hall nestling at eight and nine respectively. Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers are deadly when they fire and with explosive players such as Herschelle Gibbs, Mark Boucher and Justin Kemp dotted between the rocks, Jaques Kallis and Ashwell Prince, they are capable of posting imposing totals.
Pace attack: Makaya Ntini, Pollock, Andrew Hall, Kallis and Charle Langevelt form a lethal pace attack for South Africa and that is without the aggressive Andre Nel. Given a helpful wicket, they will exploit it.
Weaknesses:
Opening combination: AB de Villiers has yet to really settle as an opener and this can lead to problems.
Missing Spinner: South Africa often go into games with no front line spinner, instead relying on Graeme Smith’s part time offies if they hit trouble. When they do play a spinner problems arise, firstly it weakens there batting line up as in the game against Sri Lanka and secondly the spinner in question, Robin Peterson, is not one of the game’s finest.
Star so far: Graeme Smith.
New Zealand
Strengths:
Batting depth: Another side that bats a long way down. With centuries to both of their names, Daniel Vettori and James Franklin can not be taken lightly and the sheer number of great allrounders in this Kiwi side allow them to bat to the bottom if they desire.
Bowling options: The pace of Shane Bond, the experience of Daniel Vettori, the left arm of James Franklin, the death ability of Mark Gillespie, the canniness of Jeetan Patel, the bounce of Jacob Oram and the accuracy of Scott Styris make this Kiwi side a very dangerous proposition when it comes to trying to score runs quickly against them.
Tactical nous: Stephen Fleming is the most intelligent captain in the world and his field placings demonstrate that.
Weaknesses:
Injuries: Having already lost Darryl Tuffey, Kyle Mills and Lou Vincent to injury, the Kiwis can not afford to suffer any more misfortune. There are though constant fitness worries over Oram and Bond and as the tournament progresses they may start to struggle.
An opening bowler and an opening batsman light perhaps: Running on from the injury problems, New Zealand do not seem to have a settled opening partnership with either bat or ball and if often shows.
Star so far: Scott Styris.
England
Strengths:
Middle order: With a line up from four to six of Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood and Andrew Flintoff, England have a middle order which most teams would die for. They need to come in with time to play with and runs on the board though.
Captaincy: A fit Michael Vaughan is second only to Fleming as a captain and he is as successful a captain as England have ever had in ODI’s.
Impetuous youth: England have a lot of young players and they are hungry for success, just listen to Ravi Bopara.
Weaknesses:
Top order batting: Much has been made of England’s woes at the top and rightfully so. Suffering from the reverse problem that Sri Lanka do, England have no power players up front. For all the skills that Michael Vaughan, Ed Joyce and Ian Bell have, exploiting the powerplays is not really one of them. Platform’s are good, but only if one of those top three players goes on until the end. They rarely do. It is crying out for Pietersen to move up to three.
Bowling depth: James Anderson, Monty Panesar and Andrew Flintoff are brilliant bowlers and wicket takers. Without back up though, opposition players can afford to see them off. England are undecided on who to bowl with them and both Liam Plunkett and Sajid Mahmood have been expensive, whilst Collingwood is not always suited to the conditions. Jamie Dalrymple was tried and failed abysmally, whilst Bopara is still very raw, though a talent. A settled bowling line up that can take wickets throughout the innings is a must and England must find it soon.
Star so far: James Anderson.
West Indies
Strengths:
Individual brilliance: In Brian Lara, Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Dwayne Bravo and Shivnarine Chanderpaul the Windies have the individual class to knock over the best of sides.
Home soil and support: Should the Windies get on a roll, the support will drop in behind them. They have to get rolling first though.
Weaknesses:
Too many weak links: For the all the individual brilliance, the West Indies are not a brilliant team. Marlon Samuels batting at four is an obvious sign of the deterioration in West Indian cricketing brilliance. Why Lara bats so low at five is a mystery, but it simply encourages collapses. Dwayne Smith appears to be a very limited batsman, despite his excellent fielding and doubts remain over the abilities of Dinesh Ramdin and Lendl Simmons. In the bowling department, a spinner is obviously lacking and the pace men are just too inconsistent and nothing like the stars of yesteryear.
Reliance on bits and pieces: The Windies rely on using the bowling of the likes of Gayle, Smith and Samuels to regularly get them through their fifty overs. There just simply is not enough of a threat there to disturb the best international opposition. They must play the promising Jerome Taylor, but do not ultimately have the pace attack to compensate for their lack of spin options, unlike South Africa.
Star so far: Brian Lara.
Bangladesh
Strengths:
Youthful exuberance and spin options.
Weaknesses:
Inexperience and over-zealousness with the bat.
Star so far: Mashrafe Mortaza.
Ireland
Strengths:
Passion and ability to exploit bowler’s wickets.
Weaknesses:
Lack of quality batting depth.
Star so far: Jeremy Bray.
Chris Pallett
Wednesday, 28 March 2007
What a finish
The match between South Africa and Sri Lanka was meandering towards an easy win for the South Africans, after they had restricted Sri Lanka to a below par 209, when Lasith Malinga became the first bowler to take four wickets in four balls in a World Cup match. The South Africans needed just four runs to win when Malinga struck, with five wickets in hand.
His quatrick was quite extraordinary. First to go was Pollock - bowled by a clever slower ball. He was followed by Hall, who skied another excellent slower ball. After waiting for Vaas to complete his over Malinga then got the crucial scalp of Kallis, who was caught behind trying to win the match with one shot. Ntini, clean bowled by an inswinging yorker, completed the quartet.
What followed was an extremely nervous time for South Africa, with Vaas and Malinga threatening to snatch an unbelievable win. The ball flew past the outside edge and one Malinga delivery missed the off stump by a whisker. In the end Langeveldt and Peterson held firm, with the latter edging the winning runs.
It was an amazing end to a fascinating match and both sides can take plenty from it as they continue through the super eights. Let's just hope that there are many more matches like this to come over the next few weeks.
His quatrick was quite extraordinary. First to go was Pollock - bowled by a clever slower ball. He was followed by Hall, who skied another excellent slower ball. After waiting for Vaas to complete his over Malinga then got the crucial scalp of Kallis, who was caught behind trying to win the match with one shot. Ntini, clean bowled by an inswinging yorker, completed the quartet.
What followed was an extremely nervous time for South Africa, with Vaas and Malinga threatening to snatch an unbelievable win. The ball flew past the outside edge and one Malinga delivery missed the off stump by a whisker. In the end Langeveldt and Peterson held firm, with the latter edging the winning runs.
It was an amazing end to a fascinating match and both sides can take plenty from it as they continue through the super eights. Let's just hope that there are many more matches like this to come over the next few weeks.
Preview: South Africa vs Sri Lanka
Another must see game takes place today as two of the tournament's favourites come face to face in Guyana. This is likely to be a high scoring affair with so many exciting batsman on view. I am tipping Sri Lanka to go all the way this year and so far I have not been disappointed. Sri Lanka categorically swept aside all other opposition in what was a difficult group and they are a side in top form. They field superbly, bat with flair and have the most varied bowling attack in international cricket.
The South African's are a very aggressive side and this is personified in the way they bat and bowl. Herein lies the problem for South Africa. They have too many pace bowlers looking to get in the face of their opponents. The guile and majesty of a top spinner is an obvious miss in the South African team and it proved their undoing against Australia, when they were unable to stem the flow of runs. Sometimes they can be just two one dimensional. Until they find that top quality spinner it will always be hard to pick them as favourites. Make no mistake though, they have all of the other components and are a massive threat.
Prediction: Sri Lanka to march on.
Players to watch: Muttiah Muarlitharan and Mark Boucher.
The South African's are a very aggressive side and this is personified in the way they bat and bowl. Herein lies the problem for South Africa. They have too many pace bowlers looking to get in the face of their opponents. The guile and majesty of a top spinner is an obvious miss in the South African team and it proved their undoing against Australia, when they were unable to stem the flow of runs. Sometimes they can be just two one dimensional. Until they find that top quality spinner it will always be hard to pick them as favourites. Make no mistake though, they have all of the other components and are a massive threat.
Prediction: Sri Lanka to march on.
Players to watch: Muttiah Muarlitharan and Mark Boucher.
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