Last week was a rarity in modern cricket; there were no Test matches and no ODIs. Not one! Plenty of under-19 action and domestic cricket around the world, and then there's the Nokia Champions League tournament in India, the adopted home of glossy, glamorous Twenty20.
While the IPL franchises must be favourites to win, packed to the gills with global superstars, don't write off the Warriors, NSW or even Somerset, although the latter must surely be wiped out after such a long competitive summer at home. Until Chris Gayle launched his six-athon for Royal Challengers Bangalore, big scores have so far been at a premium, and the bowlers have generally been in charge.
Dwayne Bravo, JP Duminy and Daniel Vettori had their all-rounder moments, the first two in the same match. Stuart Clark put Shaun Tait to shame by urging his 36 year-old body to take 4-15 against the Mumbai Indians. However, the most consistent displays of economic bowling have come from little-known spinners representing one of the competition's minnows, mostly in games they have lost.
When the Indians dismissed Trinidad & Tobago for just 98, they must have thought the win was in the bag. However, they limped to victory off the last ball with the last pair together. Two days later, the islanders forced NSW to a Super Over eliminator only to lose again. Fortunately, luck was on their side on Sunday when T&T defeated the might Chennai Super Kings by 12 runs. In each match, the best bowling figures were delivered by Sunil Narine and Samuel Badree.
In the three games played last week, between them they bowled 24 overs, conceding a paltry 98 runs, incredibly economical. Badree is the elder statesman but has played only 12 first-class games in a ten-year career. He made a name for himself in the Stanford Super Series three years ago but it is in 2011 that he has forged a career bowling efficient leg-breaks during the opening Powerplays in T20. In 30 games altogether he has taken 26 wickets with an economy rate of just 4.54.
His fellow Trinidadian Narine bowls right-arm offbreaks and has played top-class cricket for less than a year, with most of his career concertina-ed into the current Champions League. He has certainly done well for himself. His economy rate is almost as impressive as Badree's - 4.93 per over - but he has taken more wickets. Indeed, this week's haul in twelve overs has been 7-44! You can't claim he has been playing minor opposition either. His bamboozled victims have included Raina and Dhoni - both tricked into giving return catches - Kieron Pollard and Shane Watson.
I suspect the duo will not feature in the semi-finals but they have been outstanding performers in a format which has seen the emergence of many good slow bowlers. The big hitters and quicks tend to win the Man of the Match awards so Messrs Narine and Badree should should enjoy the accolade of my Players of the Week.
