There has been much talk of Twenty20 cricket replacing 50 over cricket as the premier one day format. At Chelmsford last night I saw for myself why this is.
The main advantage Twenty20 cricket has over the traditional one day format is its ability to excite. It is not the big hitting, sociable start time, music and other gimmickry, but purely the prospect of a close finish.
This is all I ask from a Twenty20 match. 50 over matches are criticised for producing a winner early, reducing the crowd’s interest in the remainder of the match. As nice as it was watching England hammer New Zealand at Chester-le-Street in the first ODI, the match ceased to be a contest as soon as Brendon McCullum was dismissed. Not a great competitive spectacle.
A poor start to the innings can be turned around in Twenty20, and so it was at Chelmsford last night. Essex started off slowly, losing two wickets for nine runs in the first three overs. Such a poor start would necessitate a rebuilding job in 50 over cricket, but the Eagles continued to play aggressively and set a competitive target of 148.
By racing to 50 for one inside seven overs, reigning champions Kent seemed to be cruising to victory, especially as they are so adept at judging run chases. However, Danish Kaneria dismissed Martin van Jaarsveld with his first ball and the momentum changed.
In essence, the match was enthralling for its entirety and went down to the wire. Few one day games ebb and flow in such a fashion, keeping interest alive throughout. Indeed, close finishes are becoming more common in the Twenty20 cup.
37 matches have been completed this season, with 22 teams winning batting second, 14 by defending a target with one tie. 13 of those successful run chases have climaxed in the final over. Of the 14 final ball finishes in Twenty cup history (excluding ties), four have occurred this season.
This not only proves how likely a tight finish is, but also suggests that teams are improving in the format. Essex’s one run win last night (albeit being with eight needed off the last ball) was the first time a defending team has won by a margin of less than 10 runs this year. If chasing teams get close, they generally reach their target.
All this reflects well on Twenty20 cricket, and as news filtered through of the farcical wet finish between England and New Zealand at Edgbaston, it was hard not to think that the one day future of the game lies in Twenty20.
Showing posts with label Chester-le-Street. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chester-le-Street. Show all posts
Thursday, 19 June 2008
Wednesday, 21 May 2008
England's favourite homes
Old Trafford, the venue for this week's 2nd Test against New Zealand, has been one of England's favourite grounds in recent years. With this in mind I thought it would be interesting to see which home venues England have enjoyed most Test Match success at in recent years.
The period I have chosen is the 2000s, during which England have played extremely well at home. However, some places have proved happier hunting grounds than others. England's overall record in the 2000s is an impressive 31 wins out of 57 Tests, with only 12 losses and 14 draws.
They have won all 3 matches played at Chester-le-Street, though the opposition have been the weakest in the recent Test arena - Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and West Indies. More impressive are England's performances on their quickest and bounciest pitches at The Oval and Old Trafford, where they have played 8 and 7 Tests, respectively. They have won 4 and lost just 1 match at each ground.
Lord's reputation for lifting England's opponents and not being a favourite ground for the home team is a false one. In 17 Tests since 2000 England have won 8 and only lost 3, drawing the other 6. It is Trent Bridge which is actually England's worse venue in recent years, having yielded just 3 wins out of 8 matches, with 3 losses and 2 draws.
Headingly, long thought of as having the most typically English pitch, justifies its reputation, giving England 5 victories to just 2 losses in 7 matches. It also lives up to its billing as a result pitch, with no draws so far in the 2000s. Edgbaston rounds off the home grounds, producing 4 wins for England out of 7 Tests, with only 2 losses.
On this basis England can look forward to this week's Test Match, but should beware the Third Test against the Kiwis. They should also feel confident about the forthcoming series against South Africa, with matches at Lord's, Headingly, Edgbaston and The Oval.
Of course, Test cricket is never as simple as that, but England's overall record at home in recent years is an excellent one and proof that home advantage is perhaps more prevalent in cricket than any other sport.
The period I have chosen is the 2000s, during which England have played extremely well at home. However, some places have proved happier hunting grounds than others. England's overall record in the 2000s is an impressive 31 wins out of 57 Tests, with only 12 losses and 14 draws.
They have won all 3 matches played at Chester-le-Street, though the opposition have been the weakest in the recent Test arena - Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and West Indies. More impressive are England's performances on their quickest and bounciest pitches at The Oval and Old Trafford, where they have played 8 and 7 Tests, respectively. They have won 4 and lost just 1 match at each ground.
Lord's reputation for lifting England's opponents and not being a favourite ground for the home team is a false one. In 17 Tests since 2000 England have won 8 and only lost 3, drawing the other 6. It is Trent Bridge which is actually England's worse venue in recent years, having yielded just 3 wins out of 8 matches, with 3 losses and 2 draws.
Headingly, long thought of as having the most typically English pitch, justifies its reputation, giving England 5 victories to just 2 losses in 7 matches. It also lives up to its billing as a result pitch, with no draws so far in the 2000s. Edgbaston rounds off the home grounds, producing 4 wins for England out of 7 Tests, with only 2 losses.
On this basis England can look forward to this week's Test Match, but should beware the Third Test against the Kiwis. They should also feel confident about the forthcoming series against South Africa, with matches at Lord's, Headingly, Edgbaston and The Oval.
Of course, Test cricket is never as simple as that, but England's overall record at home in recent years is an excellent one and proof that home advantage is perhaps more prevalent in cricket than any other sport.
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