Seven Up for Ackermann

Leicestershire aren’t exactly setting the world alight with their cricket but the county will have its name in the record books thanks to captain, Colin Ackermann. It’s usually his runs which come to the rescue but against the Birmingham Bears at Grace Road, it was his off-spin which reaped rewards. Pitching a bit short the opposition obliged by heaving him to waiting deep fielders, six times in the last two overs, and Ackermann replaces the equally unlikely Arul Suppiah as holder of the best ever T20 bowling haul. With 7-18 he became the first man to take seven wickets in the format.

Indeed it was a week for bowlers around the country, and both Rolof van der Merwe and Steve Finn captured five-fors. The Middlesex seamer took 5-16 against Surrey but in his other fixtures his seven overs went wicketless for a hefty ninety-two runs. Team-mate Nathan Sowter was more consistent, spreading his eight victims across the three games. However it was AB De Villiers who hogged the headlines for his two half-centuries, particularly a 35-ball unbeaten 88 against Somerset at Richmond.

After soaring for much of the Blast, the Kent Spitfires were shot down decisively by Gloucestershire at Bristol where seamers fired most of the bullets. This enabled Sussex to leapfrog their neighbours thanks to another trio of triumphs. Ollie Robinson boosted his T20 wicket tally by eight, ably supported by Rashid Khan, Mills, Briggs and Topley. Still six games remain, so they need a few more wins to ensure a place in the knockouts. Kent at Canterbury next Friday is the most mouth-watering meeting.

Somerset have clawed themselves into contention thanks to Babar Azam’s 102 not out against Hampshire, the only century of the past week. Credit, too, to Tom Abell, who passed 40 in each of his three games at very respectable strike rates.

In the North division, umbrellas were in great demand much of the time. Sadly, the Roses clash at Old Trafford was completely washed out but a three-run margin at Manchester was sufficient for Lancashire to end the week four points ahead of second-place Nottinghamshire. Yorkshire and the Bears produced the season’s third tie. Chasing 177-4, Tom Kohler-Cadmore’s unbeaten 76 was not quite enough to get over the line and the Vikings ended on an identical score.

Worcestershire sit in third but with a game in hand. Playing Northants, Derbyshire and Durham, they may well close the gap next week but the Lancashire Lightning face the lumbering Bears home and away.

Team of the Week: Babar Azam (Som), Short (Dur), De Villiers (Mid), Cockbain (Glo), Ackermann (Lei), Abell (Som), Hill (Lei +), Van der Merwe (Som), Robinson (Sus), Sowter (Mid), Sanderson (Nor)

B-Mac goes but AB and CA come good

So farewell Brendon McCullum, at least as far as Test cricket is concerned. He hasn’t necessarily been a red-all legend; most of his greatest achievements have come in limited-overs. And yet he retires from the five-day format as the man with New Zealand’s highest score (302), the most number of Test sixes of anyone in history (107) and, courtesy of his first innings onslaught at Christchurch, the fastest ever Test century, eclipsing Viv Richards’ 30-year milestone of 56 balls.

Sadly for his Black Caps side, there was to be no winning finale to his 101-cap career. Australia are on a ruthless unbeaten run at the moment, winning seven and drawing two of their last nine matches en route to the number one world ranking.

New Zealand’ s 2015 progress may have run into a green-yellow brick wall, but for the Aussies, this was another excellent couple of performances. McCullum apart, this short series was all about the Australian top order making hay with the bat. Warner flopped but Joe Burns, Usman Khawaja, Adam Voges and skipper Steve Smith each made hundreds.

At the age of 36, Voges can claim a career average of 95.5 from his 15 Tests. Since the start of December, he has racked up 684 runs in just five outings, including two double-centuries and dismissed only twice. Sir Don who?! But can he and his colleagues repeat this kind of form in Sri Lanka this summer? Probably. They then host South Africa and Pakistan which will probably cement their position at the top, especially given the way the Proteas played at home to England.

As for the English, they went from Test heroes to one-day zeroes in just a few weeks. Becoming only the second side ever to lose a five-match ODI rubber from a 2-0 lead wasn’t anything to shout about. De Kock struck two centuries but the familiar De Villiers/Amla axis polished off the decider.

And yet the ace batsman of the series was Alex Hales, the man who I always descrie as grossly over-rated! Well, I haven’t changed my mind with regard to Test cricket, but he passed 50 in each of the five innings in South Africa. Joe Root matched his two hundreds but his genuine world-class is well-known. Before his embarrassing fumblings a week or so later, Reece Topley emerged as the top bowler from either side, which is encouraging for England’s one-day summer.

The T20 contests were not really significant, regardless of the forthcoming World Cup, but SA will be delighted to come out on top. Eoin Morgan did nothing to enhance his shaky international reputation and none of his bowlers showed much consistency. But this Twenty20; one all-out attack from a De Villiers or Morris can transform an economy rate from 6 to 10 in a matter of minutes. This is not really a proper World Cup warm-up but it raises more questions than answers for England.

South Africa’s Consolation prize, but England’s Series

A fantastic series for England didn’t end in the way Trevor Baylis would have liked, in a 280-run defeat. One Cook cheerfully held aloft the Basil D’Oliviera Trophy while another marked his belated debut with a century. Nevertheless, it would have been a travesty had the tourists triumphed 3-0.

South Africa had been on a nine-match winless streak, including two draws in Bangladesh and that 3-0 hammering in India, so a first victory in over twelve months was especially welcome. Hashim Amla has rediscovered his mojo while, faced with an injury crisis, the selectors have polished some gems.

Thomas Bavuma played the whole series, notching his first Test century in the Cape Town runfest. Kagiso Rabada took more wickets than anybody, doubling his Test tally at Centurion alone. And Stephen Cook’s debut was rather more successful than his dad’s had been two decades ago. Somerset run machine Jimmy was out first ball when SA returned to the international fold, but his son clipped Anderson for a boundary en route for a well-deserved 115.

Yet we also learned that AB De Villiers is only human after all, collecting three consecutive ducks! Not an auspicious start to his Test captaincy, but it’s not deterring him from holding on to the role. It’s not like his opposite number has excelled; Alastair averaged a mediocre 23. Alex Hales was, as I suspected, a disaster as an opening partner, while I was disappointed at James Taylor’s failure to turn promising innings into hundreds.

Fortunately for England, runs flowed from the bats of Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes. I am not convinced by the Durham hothead’s incredible onslaught at Newlands as a precursor of a Bothamesque career. He has flopped too often in the past. However, the legendary Sir Ian was hardly a master of consistency himself. It was nice to see the Yorkshire ‘keeper transferring his batting form into the Test arena, although his glovework still needs a bit of work. Joe Root, is just Joe Root, a phenomenon who can find runs on pitches which seem to defeat anybody else.

Whilst Rabada came good in the finale, ably supported by Morkel and Abbott, South Africa desperately missed Steyn and Philander. Instead, Stuart Broad produced his usual supreme spell from the stars to seal the series at Jo’burg and leave the home side floundering at 83 all out. Steven Finn did OK when fit, but Anderson, Moeen Ali and Woakes struggled.

So what comes next? South Africa welcome Australia next month, which could be an interesting contest. England must be very confident ahead of the visits of Sri Lanka in May, and Pakistan in July. I reckon the bowlers will improve in home conditions and - who knows? – a return to the top of the rankings is not beyond them. Eventually!

From B-Mac to K-Will, New Zealand's newest superstar

Despite being only sixth in the Test rankings, fourth in ODIs and eighth in T20s, New Zealand seem to be the most interesting nation in cricket right now. We all know about Australia, India and South Africa but 2015 has seen the Black Caps became everybody’s second-favourite team. Yet it’s not out of love of the underdog; they’re actually entertaining to watch. Much of that is down to Brendon McCullum.

The NZ skipper, record six-hitter and one-time wicketkeeper has instilled his side with some genuine confidence and self-belief in all forms of cricket. Last summer, the English season was supposed to be all about the Ashes. Yet in my opinion, the hors d’oeuvres served up by the England-NZ series was much more entertaining.

During the whole year, McCullum’s Test side have beaten Sri Lanka three times, England once and given the Aussies some healthy competition without actually beating them. In ODIs they have won 19 out of 29, including a ten-match run of unbroken success en route to the World Cup Final.

It therefore seems a shame to hear Brendon’s announcement of his imminent retirement from all international cricket. So he didn’t enjoy a great year in Tests, and his only T20i innings was a 15-ball 35. However, an ODI strike rate of 148 across 22 games is pretty impressive. At 34, and with his hundredth Test scheduled for this winter series against the Aussies, I can understand why he might call it a day at this stage.

Another reason, of course, is the arrival as a genuine world-class batsman of Kane Williamson. The 25 year-old has already skippered New Zealand in limited-overs matches, while making eye-catching innings with remarkable consistency just about everywhere. Like AB De Villiers, he seems to score runs in any situation, including times when all about him are struggling.

I recall seeing a young Williamson doing his bit for the Bristol community on regional TV while learning his trade at Gloucestershire, but there was no obvious sign that he would become the world number one in Tests and three in ODIs within three or four seasons. Like England’s Joe Root and Aussie Steve Smith, he seems a likeable bloke. Not an extravagant celebrity, but someone who does his job extremely well while entertaining cricket fans around the globe.

In the last five Tests, he has racked up almost 700 runs. In the eight played in the calendar year, Kane has aggregated 1,172 with an impressive average of 90. The tally includes a career-best 242 not out against Sri Lanka. Like Smith, he seems good at converting fifties to centuries. Nobody has scored more ODI runs than he has, either. With the T20 World Cup approaching, it would be appropriate if he could lift a global trophy to top the lot, but that competition is a complete lottery. Even the West Indies could win it!

When McCullum and Martin Crowe talk of Williamson being not only the finest batsmen in New Zealand history but an all-time world great, you have to listen. Of course, every player has his good years and bad years. Even Tendulkar, Cook and Kallis. Yet let’s just enjoy watching a young batsman at the top of his game. Farewell Sangakkara, McCullum et al; welcome Smith, Root and Williamson. The baton of greatness has been passed.

India Ravi-ge South Africa

Before the start of the Freedom Trophy series, you could be forgiven for predicting a reasonably close encounter. South Africa were the number one Test nation but India’s home advantage would inevitably result in spinners’ wickets. In the end, reputation counted for nothing and the Indian slow bowlers enjoyed extraordinary success.

I can’t recall a series of any length when two bowlers each took more than 20 wickets at under 12 apiece. Ravi Ashwin wasn’t even content with 31 scalps at 11.12; he even weighed in with 56 runs first innings runs at Delhi – more than the South African top seven (AB excepted) combined! Ravi Jadeja was also brilliant, and the visiting batsmen (AB excepted) were totally outplayed throughout.

Only seven days’ play was possible from the first three Tests, four lost because of rain, four lost because the Saffers’ batting (AB excepted) was so frail. Then at Delhi, Indian fans were treated not only to five days’ cricket but also their side’s record margin of victory in runs terms in history!

I had become concerned at the future of Test cricket with so many abbreviated games. Batsmen thrashing the ball in T20 mode, giving away their wickets, does not make for interesting Test matches. A bit of short-term entertainment perhaps but leaves you wanting more. That’s what made the Delhi climax so unusual.

When perusing the scorecard I thought I must have accidentally come across stats from the 1920s not 2015. 143 in 143.1 overs?! The top two spinners bowling 95 overs for 87 runs??!! AB De Villiers, of course, top-scored in both South Africa’s innings and in that epic defensive effort broke the record of the most balls faced in a sub-50 Test innings. For a player so brilliant in limited overs cricket – he scored those three hundreds in the ODI series, remember – this was an amazing statistic. And they so nearly survived the marathon spin attack.

Yet amidst the carnage when SA batted, Ajinkya Rahane conjured up an unbeaten century to set up the declaration. That was only the second three-figure score of the whole series, and Rahane had also scored the first. Credit to Kyle Abbott, too, claiming a rare five-wicket haul for the pace brigade. Dale Steyn may have been largely missing from action but he wouldn’t have made the slightest difference to the overall result.

A great series for India, an even better one for slow bowling but a major headache for South Africa who must now dust themselves down and recover some poise before meeting England. I wouldn’t rule out a few surprises but I’d lay odds that it won’t be Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid deciding the result!

AB vs JB: who is the greatest of them all?

Putting aside today’s rare blemish at the hands of Indian spinners, AB De Villiers seems unable to do little wrong these days. 100 Tests, nearly 8,000 runs and an average of 52 tells a formidable story. Yet much of his reputation rests on his even more amazing one-day record.

Again, the stats tell much of the story: 195 ODIs, 8,403 runs, an average of 54 and, even better, a strike rate of more than a run a ball. Extraordinary! And he seems to improve with age. The loss of Kallis and Smith has left the South African batting weaker but now everything seems to be relying on AB and his partner in class, Hashim Amla. In the current series with India, it’s AB whose wicket is the one they want. Following three successive one-day centuries, he battled to a couple of ‘halfs’ in the opening Tests while all around him collapsed to Ashwin, Jadeja et al so that reputation is well deserved.

Meanwhile, Jos Buttler’s woes were conveniently forgotten after his latest 50-over blast against Pakistan, the third time he has broken England’s fastest hundred record in recent years. Poor Jason Roy. Strikes a maiden international century and few seem to be interested! As a wicketkeeper, comparisons with De Villiers are inevitable, but utterly ridiculous. Unless you consider the Twenty20 format….

AB’s T20 international career is his Achilles heel but when you include all the IPL and other biff-bash stuff, his century count and strike rate look world class. But so do those of Buttler. A top score of 72 not out is hardly earth-shattering, but an SR of 144 is one of the best in cricket. As a finisher down the order, few are superior to Jos. I remember seeing him a few times at Taunton as a teenager or 20 year-old. While Kieswetter and Trescothick peppered the legside boundary up the order, young Jos could improvise with innovative shots like the ‘inside out’ over extra cover for a rapid 30 or 40 not out.

Trouble is, Buttler has yet to learn the ropes in first-class cricket. That’s why Kieswetter was preferred to him as Somerset’s regular ‘keeper and why Buttler consequently jumped ship to Lancashire, a so-called ‘bigger’ county. An average in the longer form of 34 is satisfactory but way short of AB’s. Yet AB doesn’t thrash the ball around in Test matches. He says he learned how not to get out several years ago, not taking unnecessary risks.

Renowned strokemakers like Sehwag and Gilchrist retired with Test match strike rates in the 80s, yet AB’s is a relatively sedate 55. Buttler is a creation of the modern era; a brilliant batsman capable of thinking on his feet and with supreme timing able to find the boundary almost at will. AB is, too, but has the added advantage of knowing not only his considerable strengths but also the requirements of the different formats, especially the number one: five-day cricket.

Jos Buttler is just 25, six years younger than the South African maestro, and there is still time to learn.his first-class trade in county cricket to become a Test superstar. The thing is: does she want to or need to, given that the rewards of the sport lie mainly in limited overs, where his talents are most obvious? Meanwhile, let’s relish the all-round brilliance of AB De Villiers while we can. One he learns how to negate spin on a turning wicket, no bowler will ever have a chance against him.

World Cup 2015: Australia make it five!

A shame that the final proved so one-sided because until today the tournament looked as open as any World Cup I can remember. Whether it was home advantage, extra tactical nous or luck, Australia made their experience tell when it mattered, ending New Zealand's magnificent march to Melbourne.

Maybe, too, the script was pre-typed for Michael Clarke to dedicate victory to the late Phil Hughes and announce his retirement from ODIs. Steve Smith has stepped into the breach superbly, with Shane Watson recovering some form at last. More remarkable was the work done by the physios to ensure the Aussie pacemen stayed fit throughout, and each of them played a part in the nation's success.

I felt that if the Aussies were going to win the final they had to dismiss both Black Cap openers cheaply. In the event, four players were out for ducks but none more significant than Brendon McCullum. He was brilliantly bowled by a 93mph inswinging Starc yorker, but not sure if anyone could have dug that one out. Guptill and Williamson fell before the scoreboard read 40 and, while Grant Elliott stuck around for another 80+ score, the quicks did their job and bowled out the opposition with ten overs to spare.

Southee, Boult and Vettori have bowled NZ into the final but, apart from Finch's caught-and-bowled for zero, there was to be no repeat of the group stage heroics. Michael Clarke can retire with head, as well as World Cup, held high, scoring 74 from 72 balls, although James Faulkner's 3-36 earned the Player of the Match award.

As for the World Cup itself, I reckon it was another wonderful advert for the 50-over format. The huge tally of sixes will please the T20 fanatics but there was plenty to enjoy amongst the bowling fraternity and also those of us wanting to see the nations like Ireland and Afghanistan mixing it with the big boys - and England - in 2019.

So who comprises my team of the tournament?

My openers are Martin Guptill and Shikhar Dhawan. The New Zealander's 237 not out against the West Indies was just the icing on the cake and his captain McCullum's four rapid half-centuries came close to edging out the Indian, whose 137 against South Africa showed that ODI batting is not all about slogging the ball over cow corner. Chris Gayle thumped more sixes than anyone but apart from that 215 he was largely quiet.

Kumar Sangakkara is an obvious choice at number three thanks to his four consecutive centuries, also taking the gloves, and AB De Villiers again demonstrated why he is one of the greatest batmen of his generation. However my number four doesn't represent one of the top nations and didn't even reach the quarter-finals. Brendan Taylor of Zimbabwe accumulated 433 runs from his six matches, including successive hundreds against Ireland and India. His scoring rate of 107 was up there with the best, too. He may have occupied the fourth position but I think Mahmudullah's first two ODI centuries of his career were too important for him to be left out of the team.

It wasn't really a vintage World Cup for established all-rounders but I'll make an exception for Corey Anderson. His wickets tended to be expensive but his 231 runs at more than a run a ball provide ample compensation, and gave New Zealand great impetus in the latter stages of a few innings.

Daniel Vettori hasn't played a lot of cricket in recent years but at 36 and recovered from injuries a-plenty, the former NZ captain was the top spinner of the World Cup. He played in all nine games, took 15 wickets at 20 apiece, conceding barely four runs an over. Despite the talents of Mitchell Johnson and Wahab Riaz, two other left-arm quicks led the wicket-taking league. Trent Boult's seam and swing were critical in the Black Caps' success, but Mitchell Starc's extra pace and place on the winner's podium won him the Player of the Tournament award despite both claiming 22 scalps.

Umesh Yadav enjoyed a productive set of games in the latter stages, pipping team-mate Mohammed Shami to the Eleven thanks to his marginally superior wicket tally. Both proved many people, myself included, wrong about the quality of Indian seamers, but it wasn't enough to beat the eventual champions in the semi-final.

In summary, hats off to Guptill (NZ), Dhawan (Ind), Sangakkara (SL, +), Taylor (Zim), De Villiers (SA *), Mahmudullah (Ban), Anderson (NZ), Vettori (NZ), Starc (Aus), Boult (NZ), Yadav (Ind).

Above all, hats off to Australia and New Zealand for co-hosting a successful tournament as well as providing the two best teams. ICC, take note: don't ruin a winning format!

Dramatic Semis, now it's the Aussies' Cup to lose

Well, the second semi-final couldn't possibly match the thrilling drama of the first, but the joyous Indian crowds at the SCG must have left even battle-hardened wearers of the Green Baggie with a smidgeon of respect. Steve Smith's century, and a late onslaught from Johnson and Faulkner, left India with a huge mountain to climb.

MS Dhoni reckoned that 328 was a par score but few sides have ever chased down such a target at Sydney, let alone India, whose record in Australia is famously poor. However, this is the World Cup, India the reigning champions and they were unbeaten throughout the competition. With their supporters thronging the ground, could Australia's home advantage be nullified?

Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan gave India a solid start but the latter's rash drive to the hands of Maxwell signalled the beginning of the end. The Aussie pacemen brilliantly strangled Virat Kohli, who could manage only a single in eleven balls, Suresh Raina and Sharma, and the required rate rapidly reached double figures. Enter MS Dhoni. The fans believed, maybe even the captain himself believed. However, even MSD is mortal and by the time he was run out in the 45th over, India needed a miracle. Instead they got the return of Mitchell Starc and James Faulkner who brushed aside the Indian tail and booked a place at the MCG at the weekend.

It was hardly a close encounter, unlike the fabulous game between New Zealand and South Africa. With neither side having made even a World Cup final before, it was hard to pick a winner in advance. SA boasted some global megastars, NZ a few match-winners and some great competitors. Much like many previous Black Cap teams from the days of Crowe, Hadlee, Fleming, Cairns and Greatbatch!

However, despite predictable contributions from AB De Villiers, David Miller and Morne Morkel, it was an opening salvo from Brendon McCullum off Dale Steyn, slogs from Corey Anderson and a wonderful innings of apparently calm, calculated aggression (is that possible?) by new recruit Grant Elliott to deliver victory off the penultimate ball in front of a frenzied Auckland crowd.

Having followed the climax online via CricInfo I was desperate to see highlights on Tuesday evening. However, watching such a contest reduced to a tedious succession of fours, sixes, missed catches and wickets did the sport and broadcasters a disservice. Surely it would have been the dot balls, the stretching muscles of a weary Steyn, and the shots of nail-chewing Kiwis which would have made for a more enjoyable TV experience.

Obviously I feel for the desperately sad South African losers who most certainly did NOT choke. They were beaten by an excellent team and it' a team I'd love to see repeat their last wicket heroics in the group stage against Australia in the final. That's what my heart says, but my head goes with the flow and sees Michael Clarke lifting the trophy on home territory in a few days' time.

Melbourne belongs to India

When I sat amongst 10,000+ India fans at Sophia Gardens for the 2013 Champions Trophy opener against South Africa, I realised what a joyous occasion an international cricket match can be. Watching highlights of the World Cup encounter between the same nations at the MCG I can barely imagine what it must have felt like amongst an exuberant and victorious crowd of 84,000.

As in that game in Cardiff, India batted first, Shikhar Dhawan struck a wonderful hundred and SA's run chase fell short. However, this time, the result was rarely in doubt. While Sharma fell early, the Delhi left-hander contributed two century partnerships, with Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane, with Wayne Parnell suffering a real pounding. Even Dale Steyn could only scratch his head and offer a rueful smile as his best efforts were met by some outrageous shot-making all around the wicket.

A target of 300 is invariably too much for any side batting second at the MCG but with the likes of AB De Villiers, Hashim Amla, David Miller and Faf Du Plessis anything is possible, especially against an Indian attack associated with ordinariness. Nevertheless MS Dhoni and his masters have forged a new-found togetherness and for once the bowlers delivered. Shami and Mohit Sharma never let the frontline batsmen get going, then the spinners ensured that there was to be no mid-innings acceleration.

The bowlers were supported by some magnificent fielding, with De Villiers and Miller beaten to the crease by two superb throws. The long tail failed to wag and India wrapped things up almost ten overs early. Now not only India but the rest of the cricket world can begin to believe that Dhoni's men can defend their crown.

Meanwhile, England gained their first win of the campaign but an easy victory over the might of Scotland merely papers over the cracks. Moeen Ali's 128 showed what the Worcestershire star can do but Ian Bell's fifty was too slow against such an attack. Much as I have been an admirer of Bell for the decade, he needs to up the strike rate when England meet the big boys. Still, at least he did score more than Root, Balance, Buttler and Taylor put together. Morgan produced six much-needed boundaries but the big winners were England's seamers. Finn's economy rate was under 3, a vast improvement on the 24.5 in the NZ humiliation.

So while England and India now look set to reach the knockout stage, what will this defeat do for South Africa. It doesn't mean they can't chase a good total, but it will give Pakistan, the West Indies and even Ireland extra hope, particularly if they win the toss.

2014 Cricket Review: ODIs

As in the Tests, Australia were in the ascendancy when it comes to the 50-over format and their home series victory over South Africa meant they stay on top of the ODI rankings as 2014 faded into history. England were beaten both by Sri Lanka and India while the former notched up far more games than anyone else, helped by a last-minute substitution for the West Indies this autumn. Poor Pakistan did their World Cup preparations no good by losing all three series during the past twelve months but don't write them off just yet!

As for my team of the year, I'll start by mentioning Rohit Sharma. He shattered the ODI record by slamming 264 in 173 balls at Kolkata but the rest of his year was mediocre. Then there was Phil Hughes' unbeaten 202. Not in a full international but for Australia A against SL A in July. One of many great innings in a career tragically cut short by that freak injury.

Dilshan and Dhawan were again fairly prolific in ODIs in 2014. The Sri Lankan's contribution with the ball makes him an easy pick for my XI while the Indian scored 815 runs in 18 matches at nearly 48.

It takes some good performers to knock Hashim Amla out of my line-up but it happened this year. Kumar Sangakkara topped the run table in ODIs as well as Tests, compiling 1,256 including four centuries. With 39 dismissals behind the stumps he was also the leading wicketkeeper. Virat Kohli's rise to the top of the tree is now complete. His strokeplay and captaincy have kept India fiercely competitive all year.

Kane Williamson, Aaron Finch, Joe Root and Steve Smith all had claims, too, but my next batsmen are South Africans. AB de Villiers is a phenomenon and averaged more than 70, helped by some handy not-outs. De Kock's promotion to number one Saffer 'keeper will have relieved the pressure on the man who is probably the finest all-round batsman in the world. His team-mate Faf du Plessis has finally fulfilled that promise as a consistent big-hitter, thumping 790 rubs in 15 internationals.

Angelo Mathews was another Sri Lankan who seemed invincible in 2014, second to Sangakkara in terms of runs in birth Tests and ODIs. His medium-pacers were less expensive than they used to be, too. Number seven is a bit low in the order but a useful man to come in during a crisis.

I was surprised to see that Chris Jordan was equal third in the list of leading wicket-takers but recalling that no-ball-athon in Cardiff, I cannot consider him for my team of the year! Instead my pace attack is led by Mohammed Shami and Lasith Malinga. The Indian seamer isn't cheap but his strike rate is up there with the best of them. Malinga is best known as a T20 finisher but the year was one of his best in ODIs thanks to 29 wickets at 26 apiece.

Two more Sri Lankans complete my list. While Shakib's average and economy rate were superior, his opposition was probably weaker to those of Sachithra Senanayake and Ajantha Mendis. The former has had his problems with the old bowling arm angle but he was brilliant in the first half of the year. Fellow spinner Mendis took more List A wickets than anyone else (47) and was joint leader in ODIs with 38.

To sum up, here's the electric Eleven. Not sure why Sri Lanka didn't do better, really!

Dilshan (SL), Dhawan (Ind), Sangakkara (SL, +), Kohli (Ind), De Villiers (SA), du Plessis (SA), Mathews (SA), Shami (Ind), Malinga (SL), Mendis (SL), Senenayake (SL).

Smith and Steyn Supreme

Two Contrasting Test matches ended in victories for the current big two, Australia and South Africa, but the stars were a veteran fast bowler and a debut captain.

At Centurion, the West Indies were thoroughly outplayed in all departments. Their only success was winning the toss, but that merely formed the prelude to a big innings for the home side. Ramdin's men enjoyed some moments when three successive wicket-maidens must have lifted their spirits. Enter AB de Villiers, he and the magnificent Hasham Amla produced a triple-century partnership and that was that.

When AB fell for 152, debutant Stiaan van Zyl came to the crease and contributed a brisk unbeaten hundred of his own. Brathwaite and Smith made a solid start but then the wickets began to tumble at regular intervals. Vernon Philander pitched in with four wickets and no batsman reached 40 as the visitors were bowled out for 201.

Following on, West Indies fared little better and once Leon Johnson was caught behind, that great warrior Dale Steyn produced one of those spells which few can cope with. He claimed 6-34 and the Proteas cruised to an innings victory.

Meanwhile there was another successful debutant at Brisbane. India looked good value, with Murali Vijay (144) and Ajinkya Rahane (81) building a promising score. However, 23 year-old Josh Hazelwood took five wickets to keep the Aussies in the mix. With Clarke injured again, in-form Steve Smith was given the captaincy but the pressure didn't show. He stroked his sixth Test century then the tail wagged vigorously. Mitch Johnson and Mitch Starc scored half-centuries to enjoy a 97-run lead.

Johnson proceeded to rip out the Indian middle-order and only Shikhtar Dhawan - in two instalments either side of an injury break - showed any resilience. Needing only 128 to win in four sessions, Ishant Sharma silenced the Gabba crowd early on but Chris Rogers crunched ten boundaries for his second 55 of the match. There were a few more flutters but an extra cover drive from Mitch Marsh ended proceedings to win by four wickets.

The cracked pitch probably contributed to a preponderance of catches. All of India's first innings victims were caught, six by wicketkeeper Brad Haddin. He added three more in the second keeping to the pacemen.

So another encouraging display by Australia, and young Steve Smith's conversion from dodgy all-rounder to world-class batsman looks complete. Let's also hope that Hazelwood is now free of the stress fracture hoodoo that has affected so many young Aussie fast bowlers in recent years.

Team of the Week: AB and Taylor Prosper

The week ending 29th August was one bereft of first-class cricket but there were important limted-overs matches played, from ODIs to the Royal London quarter-finals and the Nat West T20 Blast Finals Day at Edgbaston. Despite the lack of innings played, there were easily sufficient performances worthy of gracing any of my Teams of the Week.

I'll start with England's skipper. No, not that one; the ever-reliable Charlotte Edwards. Her 108 was her ninth ODI century and helped secure a win against India's Women. On the other side of the world, Aaron Finch produced his own hundred for Australia against South Africa in the Triangular tournament.

With England's middle-order stuggling against India at Cardiff, James Taylor's magnificent unbeaten 146 in 154 balls for Nottinghamshire was a timely advertisement for his growing reputation as a one-day batsman par excellence as well as a consistent run-maker in the four-day game. AB De Villiers has seen it and done it for SOuth Africa but this week he did it again. This time, Australia were on the end of a 111-ball 136 in a game where Faf DuPlessis also reached three figures.

There was an even bigger partnership in the West Indies' third ODI against Bangladesh. The outstanding contributor was wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin, plundering 169 from only 121 deliveries. And I can't ignore Suresh Raina's 100 in 75 balls here in Cardiff, where England were a distant second best. I also note that Glen Maxwell enjoyed an easy ride against Zimbabwe last week, too, whacking 93 in 46 balls, but it's not enough to make my team.

Sri Lanka and Pakistan were locking swords in an ODI series, and the former's captain Angelo Mathews continued his recent form. He served up scores of 89 and 93, allied to a few useful wickets. His seamer team-mate Thisara Perera is also becoming a star all-rounder. A 36-ball 65 and 3-19 were the highlights of his week.

My final three selections are all spinners. 'Ooh, Ravi Jadeja' was the frequent cry from the India fans at Sophia Gardens, whether he was taking wickets, fielding or facing his 'handbags' opponent Jimmy Anderson. 4-28 in an ODI victory does indeed merit a few 'oohs'. Warwickshire (aka Birmingham) may have won the T20 Blast but I rate Lancashire's Steven Croft as the player of the day. In the semi, he hit 22 in 12 balls and took 2-11 in three overs. His 1-17 in four was the most economical bowling statistic even if he ended up a runner-up. Then there's another loser in my XI. Zimbabwe may have been defeated by SA but the intriguingly monikered Prosper Utsaya lived up to his name by capturing five wickets.

A one-day-dominated week thus yields the following star Eleven: Edwards (Eng W, *), Finch (Aus), Taylor (Not), De Villiers (SA), Raina (Ind), Ramdin (WI, +), Mathews (SL), Croft (Lan), Jadeja (Ind), Perera (SL), Utseya (Zim)

Team of the Week 9th May: AB, PJ and DM get A*

A good spread of top performances this week, with wicketkeepers and slow bowlers to the fore. First name on my team sheet is Worcestershire captain and opener, Daryl Mitchell. This is his tenth summer with his home county, and it must be one of his best starts to a first-class season. I once saw him fall two runs short of a triple-century at Taunton but when set he is one of the best county openers around. Against Glamorgan, he was last man out for 109, then unbeaten on 151 in the second innings, taking his career average close to 40 and season average well into three figures. Durham's Mark Stoneman has been around almost as long, but with less success. However, his 131 did much to keep Durham in the match against Yorkshire and certainly eclipsed debutant Kumar Sangakkara, whose first outing for his new county lasted only two balls. Good practice for the Sri Lanka tour then!

Mike Yardy showed the way for Sussex with a first innings century against Lancashire but I've gone for Kent's Brendan Nash at number three. He shared a 197-run partnership with Rob Key, scoring the same number of runs (126) but at a much brisker rate. The Aussie-born West Indian international is proving to be one of Kent's best signings of recent years.

It doesn't matter where AB De Villiers plays; he'll produce the goods on any pitch, in any country, in any format. As the IPL shifted from the UAE back to India, the Bangalore number five took advantage and smashed an 89 and 53. He's still way behind the current leading scorer in he tournament, Glen Maxwell, though. Shane Watson has flattered to deceive in recent years but it was with his bowling that he made the headlines his week, including a hat-trick against Kolkata and taking another three wickets against the Sunrisers.

Back in Blighty, another Aussie, Phil Jaques, outscored his fellow Notts batsmen in the draw against Somerset. However, team-mate Samit Patel made 132 arguably when it mattered most, on the opening day. He took a couple of wickets, too. The same wicketkeepers always seem to appear in contention. Chris Read hammered 17 boundaries in 96, alongside the aforementioned Jaques and Patel, James Foster propped up the Essex batting, and Tim Ambrose delivered a fine 167 for Warwickshire. He pipped Ned Eckersley to a place in my team of the week; the Leicestershire batsman donned the gloves in O'Brien's absence and also struck 110 runs.

On the bowling front, spinners took the plaudits, and not only in the IPL where Pravin Tambe was once more Mr Economical for the Royals. He doesn't quite make it this week, displaced by a couple of slowies in the Championship. Kent's young Alex Riley (4-77 and 5-78) and Glamorgan's nothing-like-as-young Dean Cosker (5-39 and 4-94) deserve the selections at a time of year when seamers usually hoover up the wickets. The final bowling spot goes to Bhuvneshwar Kumar of Sunrisers Hyderabad. His 4-14 against the Royals was his best in a T20 contest, and in the 2014 tournament so far has conceded fewer than 6 an over across eight games, and nobody has taken more wickets. Not bad for a fast-medium pacer!

To re-cap: Daryl Mitchell (Worcs), Mark Stoneman (Dur), Brendan Nash (Kent), Phil Jaques (Notts), AB De Villers (Banga), Samit Patel (Notts), Shane Watson (Rajas), Tim Ambrose (Warks, +), Adam Riley (Kent), Bhuvi Kumar (Hyder), Dean Cosker (Glam)

England and Netherlands go down fighting

After that epic onslaught against Ireland in the opening round, the Netherlands have experienced a rollercoaster ride in the World T20 Cup Super 10s. After the humilation of being bowled out for 39 by Sri Lanka, Peter Borren's side came agonisingly close to defeating South Africa and then pushed New Zealand all the way to the penultimate over before Anderson and Neesham saw the Black Caps home by six wickets.

It's been a mixed bag for England, too. Coming into the competition on a run of defeats, the recovering Stuart Broad's side were unfortunate to come off worst at the hands of a Chittagong thunderstorm. They looked like losing to Sri Lanka, too, until Alex Hales reminded us all what he is capable of, striking England's first ever T20 century in spectacular style. Today, England simply had to win to remain in the competition but the main difference between the two sides was the incomparable AB De Villiers. I'm no fan of Dale Steyn's stupid footballer haircut and for once he wasn't the star man in the Proteas' attack. Instead Wayne Parnell and Imran Tahir were the most successful bowlers but AB was everywhere. First he thumped 69 in 28 balls, then marshalled his field, dived to cut off boundaries and ultimately prevented England from reaching their target of 197.

The outcome in Group One is now that South Africa are through to the semis, and the England-Netherlands clash is a dead rubber. On a more positive note, the Sri Lanka-New Zealand contest becomes a knockout tie; the loser goes home. It's impossible to predict the result, of course. This is T20, after all. Nevertheless, I fancy Brendon McCullum's men to spring a surprise, unless Mahela Jayawardene pulls out one of those magical innings from his repertoire.

India are the only unbeaten side in the whole tournament so far. Mishra, Ashwin and Kohli have been wonderfully consistent and the team have yet to be tested to the full. That could prove their undoing in the knockout stages, but their spinners have mastered the conditions better than anyone. The West Indies, too, have two T20 specialist slowies in their ranks, Narine and Badree, while left-arm medium-pacer Krishmar Santokie, yet to play first-class cricket, has been a revelation. With the bat, Chris Gayle has been fairly subdued by his standards and it was his skipper Darren Sammy whose late-innings blitz saw the Windies home against Australia.

The highly-fancied Aussies' future in this year's Cup are hanging by a thread. They must beat India and Bangladesh, hope West Indies also slip up against Pakistan and then trust their run rate is superior to Pakistan's. That's a complex set of results which they will be fortunate to see transpire.

I must admit I thought the successes of England and the West Indies in the previous two tournaments came out of left field. Surely Sammy et al couldn't possibly be champions once more? However, with Gayle, Smith, Samuels, Bravo and those spinners, they can't be ruled out.

Aussies continue their hot streak

Michael Clarke must be wondering what all the fuss was about prior to November 2013. This Test cricket lark is actually a doddle! It doesn't matter who wins the toss; just rotate the centuries amongst the batsmen, tie the opposition down with Harris and Siddle, then let loose Mitch Johnson....

Against the undisputed number one side in Test cricket at fortress Centurion, the Aussies came, saw and conquered with surprising ease. A dispirited, tired, imploding England touring party is one thing but a full-strength (if Kallis-less) South Africa in their own backyard is surely another. Surely the world-class attack of Steyn, Morkel and Philander would prove too much for the recalled Shaun Marsh and debutant Alex Doolan? No chance.

Marsh's prevous six Test innings, at home against India, had yielded the magnificent total of seventeen runs. Last week, he made 148 and shared a 233-run stand with the increasingly impressive Steve Smith. OK, so the rest of the Aussie side failed miserably but, once Mitch Johnson, his Ashes moustache (almost) fully restored, tore into Smith, Petersen, Faf et al, the first innings of 397 looked more than adequate. Second time around, it was David Warner and new boy Doolan who produced a double-century partnership to set the home team a near-impossible target of 482.

Amla and AB De Villiers showed some resilience and strokeplay but it was another brilliant display of hostile fast bowling from Johnson who mixed the short stuff with some nagging off-stump deliveries and even a slightly slower ball which did for the dangerous AB. Harris and Siddle did the rest, accompanied by some fine catching, notably another brilliant reflex short-leg grab by Doolan off Duminy.

Suddenly the focus of the world's critics has shifted from Cook, Pietersen, Anderson and co to the previously solid Saffer squad. When Dale Steyn shuffled off after a tame edge to slip, his eyes suggested that, OK, while this game has gone, I'll be back to do a Mitch come next week, so watch out! If this series wasn't already a fascinating one, the manner of Australia's victory in the series opener has made it even more gripping than the winter Ashes contest. Australia have become genuine contenders for South Africa's mace but somehow I don't see Smith, Amla, AB and co folding like England did. I look forward to seeing what the home side are made of.....

2013 Cricketers of the Year

Following my selection of Test and ODI teams of the Year, it's now time to pick out the players who proved to be the best and most consistent performers across 2013 in all forms of cricket. It's not just about the internationals; there have been some notable achievements by those knocking on the door of national selectors as well as those for whom that door is probably closed for good.

That was the situation thought to be facing Chris Rogers at the start of the year. A one-Test wonder for Australia but a solid run-scorer in first-class cricket, he had been made Middlesex captain for the summer. However, David Warner's attitude and form, together with the sudden change of coach during the tour of England, led to his reinstatement as opener at the ripe old age of 36. While he didn't exactly set the world alight, he restored some reliability to the top order and rounded off the year perfectly with an Ashes century at the MCG. In all, he made more than 2,500 first-class runs during 2013, a marvellous achievement.

Kaushal Silva was elevated to Sri Lanka's team for the last Test match of 2013 and his domestic record explains why. IN only sixteen previous first-class matches, he scored 1,753 runs at an average of almost 80, and nobody claimed more than his nine centuries all year. He is a wicket-keeper, too, so has been sidelined by the combination of Sangakkara and Prasanna Jayawardene. Maybe not for too much longer.

IN addition to Rogers, two other 30-something Aussies batsmen made their presence felt in the county game this summer. Michael Klinger was the main bright spot for Gloucestershire and, taken together with his efforts for South Australia, he scored well over 1,000 runs in each of the first-class and List A formats. Michael Hogan also sprinkled some fairy dust onto Glamorgan wih his long-striding, high action seam bowling. This was followed by more success with Western Australia in the Shield, making him the only man to take more than 100 first-class wickets in 2013.

Graeme Onions once more out-bowled just about everyone else in county cricket yet was left out of the Ashes party presumably because he wasn't tall enough. Apparently, England like their drinks waiters to be at least six feet six, like Finn and Rankin, or ginger, like Bairstow, so the big Durham man was left to watch and laugh/cry as his elders and betters failed so miserably Down Under.

The West Indies are not best known for spinners, but while Sunil Narine continues to shine in T20, Shane Shillingford blitzed all and sundry for much of the year in first-class cricket. He claimed 88 wickets in all, at more than seven a match and an average of 16.37. That's phenomenal. Like most bowlers, he had to toil against India's talented array of batsmen and then in mid-December, not for the first time, his bowling action was adjudged to be illegal and requiring further remodelling. Time will tell whether he will be the same bowler again. Caribbean cricket can ill lose any reasonably talented cricketer these days.

Mohammad Hafeez is also past the age of 30 and has also had his critics. An opening batsman who can't score runs quickly enough and a spinner who can't take wickets. Yet somehow he was one of the most consistent all-rounders in limited-over cricket in 2013. IN 30 ODIs he accumulated 1,300 runs at a strike rate comparable with Amla and Dilshan and also contributed more than 600 T20 runs in all competitions. His spin option brought him 22 T20 wickets, too, at an excellent economy rate of 6.46 an over.

In addition to the players above, of course the top international stars of the year have already been mentioned in my previous blogs but they deserve a repeat mention in my review of the overall players of 2013. AB De Villiers is caurrently unrivalled as a batsman in all forms of cricket. Not only does he score shedloads of runs but he does so at a rate which puts most contemporaries to shame. His SR of 154 in all T20 games out-guns even Gayle, Pollard, Warner and Ten Doeschate. Add in his wicket-keeping and one-day captaincy duties and AB must be the outstanding all-round cricketer in the world game.

His South Africa team-mate, Dale Steyn, likewise must be the top bowler for his wickets, strike and economy rates spanning the formats in 2013. Final credits go to the 25 year-old Indian batting duo of Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara. The former has been one of the foremost one-day batsmen and fielders of recent years and, if his exploits in the recent first Test in South Africa are anything to go by, he seems to be adding patience and sensible decision-making to his repertoire. Pujara was the only man apart from Rogers to score more than 2000 first-class runs, and did so without county cricket. Unencumbered by T20 fripperies, his record since the start of October includes a triple, double and three other hundreds in only twelve innings. His FC average for the year is just shy of 100. I hope he goes on to consolidate his position as India's Test number three in 2014.

A happy New Year to them and all readers, too!

2013 Test Cricket Players of the Year

For many, 2013 was about two all-time greats: Sachin Tendulkar and Jacques Kallis. Both took their bows from Test cricket, albeit in very different circumstances. The Little Master's departure was choreographed along the lines of a British royal wedding while, typically, the South African all-rounder signed off with much less fuss, a sedate century, his 200th catch and plaudits of cricket fans worldwide. But because neither really took the eye on the pitch, neither make my Test XI of the year. Indeed, it's not necessarily the best eleven players, either, and doesn't follow the ICC rankings. After all, Sri Lanka played virtually no Test matches at all. But for me the team are those who produced the most consistent run-scoring, wicket-taking, etc at the top level during 2013.

It wasn't a great year for openers. David Warner and Alastair Cook probably scored more runs than anybody else in this position but both had very mixed years. I have therefore plumped for two men currently in opposition and who played relatively few matches. Graeme Smith continues to be a successful skipper and run maker for the world's number one ranked team, South Africa, while Murali Vijay has made some decent scores against boh Australia and South Africa. He can also bowl a few overs to keep the attack leaders fresh.

Candidates for the middle-order are much thicker on the ground. Dhawan and Rutherford made sensational debuts last winter, Ian Bell had a superb home Ashes series, Virat Kohli finally demonstrated the maturity to excel at the most demanding form of cricket and Hashim Amla also averaged more than 50. However, none manage to squeeze into my team of the year. Instead, I have included India's number three, Cheteshwar Pujara. Besides amassing huge innings in domestic cricket, he contributed more than 800 runs and, at the time of writing, three hundreds for the national cause. First defeated, then victorious Ashes captain Michael Clarke was one of only two batsmen to compile more than 1000 Test runs in the calendar year (Bell being the other) whilst coping with the considerable mental pressures of leading his side in the most gruelling of series. New Zealand's Ross Taylor marked his return to the fold with centuries in three successive Tests against the West Indies. Then there's the incomparable AB De Villiers. Officially the best Test and ODI batsman in the world, AB has delivered almost a thousand runs at an average of 90+, whilst taking the gloves. He's hardly ever off the field of play!

Nevertheless, I want a specialist wicketkeeper in my team and Brad Haddin's combination of glovework and vital lower-order runs throughout the year, at the age of 36, fit the bill superbly.

The retirement of Kallis hits home the dearth of international all-rounders in the modern game. I can think of nobody in Tests capable of delivering match-winnng batting and bowling on any consistent scale. Vernon Philander may have the potential and Ravi Ashwin hit 124 against the Windies at Kolkata a few months ago. However, Ashwin earns his place for his spin demolition of Australia and the Windies. Will he be able to reproduce such form on away pitches, I wonder?

Watching him and his hapless team-mates struggling in Australia in the past few weeks, it is har to remember the impact Stuart Broad made earlier in 2013. He has by far the most Test wickets in the year (62), including five five-fors, and all atr an average of 25.80. When he's poor, he looks very average but when the modd and fancy takes him, he is almost unplayable. Even Jimmy Anderson was knocked from his pedestal as England's best bowler. The contrast with Mitchell Johnson is stark. His career having hit the doldrums after previous Ashes horrors, he stormed back with a vengeance to destroy English hopes and batting with a twirl of a new moustache and a renewed line in aggression. He claimed 34 wickets in only six Tests at under 18 apiece. His colleague Ryan Harris would have joined him but for a certain Mr Dale Steyn. He may have been displaced at the top of the ICC tree by Philander but he continued to exude skill and venom on the friendliest of batting pitches, amassing 48 wickets (with a day to go). Like Johnson, his average sits below 18 and his economy rate of 2.49 is one of the best around of the major wicket-takers.

If my Team of the Year has to play on a pitch requiring five front-line bowlers, then I'd drop Haddin for New Zealand's left-arm seamer Trent Boult, who took 46 wickets at 25 against a range of opposition, home and away. No Pakistanis make the XI but I hope their dominance of my ODI side of the year is adequate compensation!

To summarise, here is the Test Team of 2013: Smith (SA), Vijay (Ind), Pujara (Ind), Clarke (* Aus), Taylor (NZ), De Villiers (SA), Haddin (+ Aus), Ashwin (Ind), Broad (Eng), Johnson (Aus), Steyn (SA).

My overall players of the year, taking in all senior cricket, will be revealed shortly....

2013 One-day Players of the Year

With just a few days to go in 2013, here's the first of my reviews of the past calendar year. South Africa are firmly esconced as the leading Test nation in the ICC rankings, while India's dominance in the Champions Trophy helped them to top spot in the ODI table, albeit closely followed by Australia, England and the Proteas. The West Indies have looked sadly meek and Sri Lanka have a tired reliance on Sangakkara, Dilshan and Jayawardene, even if it were Chandimal and Malinga who helped them to a consolation victory over Pakistan today. But who would make my ODI Team of 2013?

This was the year which brought two very different opening batsmen to global attention. Shikhar Dhawan announced himself on the Test scene with a blistering 187 on debut, very different from the two-ball duck he suffered on his first ODI appearance three years earlier. In 2013, he built on that record-breaking innnigs against the Aussies by outscoring every other batsman in the 50-over format and all bar four in ODIs, notching five centuries in the process. I watched his silky hundred in that Champions Trophy opener at Cardiff with particular pleasure. Accompanying him at the crease should be South Africa's new kid on the block, Quinton de Kock. As well as relieving AB of some of the 'keeping pressure, he has produced some superb innings, highlighted by three successive three-figure scores in the recent series against India. He keeps out Dhawan's usual partner Rohit Sharma from the team, but only just.

Virat Kohli and Misbah-ul-Haq each represented their contries 34 times during 2013. The Pakistani captain may be, at 39, nearing the end of his career but nobody in world cricket was more consistent at scoring valuable half-centuries. Incredibly, he has never reached three figures in ODIs but this year alone he reached 50 fifteen times! Not a big hitter he has carefully kept the scoreboard ticking over while others have gone for their strokes. At 1,373 runs, nobody scored more in ODIs. Not even Kohli who, aged 25, may not yet be in his prime, an ominous thought for opposing bowlers. Scoring at almost a run a ball, and also a brilliant fielder, Kohli is an obvious choice for my middle-order.

So is AB De Villiers, who edges out Sangakkara from my team this year. Topping both Test and ODI rankings, he is simply the best batsman in world cricket right now, despite his wicketkeeping duties in most games. Mohammad Hafeez's late burst of runs for Pakistan and Shahid Afridi's occasional all-round fireworks have pushed for selection but I've gone for Australia's promoted captain George Bailey as another specialist batsman. In 22 matches, he produced more than a thousand runs at exactly a run a ball, including some impressive scores in India a few months ago. Somehow I can't find room for MS Dhoni. Maybe next year....

Hafeez and Sharma offer the option of fill-in spin bowling but India's Ravindra Jadeja was the outstanding ODI all-rounder of 2013. 52 wickets at 25 and almost 500 runs at a respectable lick bring him in to my side as left-armer. Topping the ICC ODI rankings as well as the wicket table for 2013 is Saeed Ajmal, once again the most successful off-spinner in world cricket.

Junaid Khan of Pakistan has developed in to a very useful one-day swing and seam merchant and his 52 victims and average of 21 propel him into my XI of the year, if not yet the ICC top ten. Aged 24, he has the young legs which Umar Gul no longer possesses, and hopefully he has a long future ahead of him. England's Finn and Anderson both sit in the official top ten but that relies on past glories. Two Mitchells, McClenaghan and Johnson each enjoyed great years but the sheer brilliance of Dale Steyn makes him a definite new-ball man. He played only 13 ODIs yet took 27 wickets at just 16 apiece, conceding fewer than four an over. End of argument. My final choice is another Pakistani late developer, Mohammad Irfan. Not just a giant fast bowler, he took cheap wickets all around the world throughout 2013.

Therefore, at risk of being a batsman short (make Rohit Sharma or Afridi the twelfth man), my ODI XI is as follows:-

Shikhar Dhawan (Ind), Quinton de Kock (SA), Virat Kohli (Ind), George Bailey (Aust), AB De Villiers (SA +), Misbah-ul-Haq (Pak*), Ravi Jadeja (Ind), Dale Steyn (SA), Saeed Ajmal, Junaid Khan, Mohammed Irfan (all Pak).

So what about Twenty20 in 2013? Best summarised thus: Brisbane Heat, Mumbai Indians, Northamptonshire and Chris Gayle. Special mentions to veterans Azhar Mahmood (top wicket-taker), Brad Hodge and Alfonso Thomas, Sunil Narine (whose 54 wickets came while conceding barely five an over) and Aaron Finch, who plundered that world record 156, including 14 sixes, for Australia against England last summer.

Was draw a win for Dhoni or Steyn?

After 4.99 days of blistering Test cricket, it's a shame that the Wanderers Test opener may be remembered by one of the most negative cricketing displays since Trevor Chappell's underarm daisy cutter thirty-odd years ago. Having switched on the TV after spotting the imminent world record online, I was bitterly disappointed to witness such a pathetic capitulation to 'safety-first'. From the expressions of the home fans in the stands, I was clearly not alone. With South Africa needing about a run a ball from three overs with three wickets remaining and a decent batsman in Vernon Philander still at the crease, history was theirs for the taking. Perhaps more important for the hard-nosed management, it was a victory that would have maintained SA's margin ahead of India in the ICC rankings. Yet it didn't happen.

So whose fault was it? I can't criticise MS Dhoni's tactics at all. Once Faf du Plessis had taken his side to the verge of the highest fourth innings winning total in Test cricket before being run out by a direct hit, it was reasonable to expect Dale Steyn to be less comfortable against Zaheer Khan and Shami than Vernon Philander. Therefore to keep him on strike and deliver some unplayable balls was a good move. What was astonishing was Steyn's refusal to contemplate any risk at all, and Philander's lack of adventure in either taking the offered singles or taking the attack to the bowlers.

I can understand the negativity from Alastair Cook and it was argued that fear of defeat outweighed the temptation of going for the win. But they were eight runs from a world record, for heaven's sake!! The last-ball six put the tin lid on it!! Calm down, Mike. Take a breather and reflect on the preceding 430-odd overs. It was a match which pitched the top two Test sides against one another, and it lived up to the billing. There were wickets for Philander and the returning Zaheer Khan, grown-up batting from Virat Kohli, a masterful century from Pujara and last-day heroics from AB de Villiers which so nearly turned the tide in the home side's favour. In response to my question in the title, I guess Dhoni can take the greater pleasure from the result as his side didn't really deserve to lose.

As for Dale Steyn, it wasn't his greatest hour with the ball, either. However, everything is relative. Having led the Test ICC rankings for more than four years he finally ceded the top spot to team-mate Philander. Don't forget the older man's versatility; he is also number two in the ODI rankings. Speaking of versatility, AB de Villiers tops the table for batting in both formats, just ahead of Amla and, in ODIs, Kohli. That just speaks volumes for SA's strength in depth. Maybe Jacques Kallis won't be so badly missed when he retires after all, and his first-ball LBW didn't help!

Now for the Durban re-match on Boxing Day. With interest in the MCG action diminished by England's early Ashes wipe-out, South Africa and India can be expected to serve up more exciting fare. After the incredibly tight opener, I'm sure Steyn will be keen to get at Dhawan, Vijay et al. With Morkel injured, more weight will fall on his shoulders (and those of Philander and Kallis) but it remains a mouth-watering contest. Such a shame there are so few fixtures in this series. How many times have we said that in the past few years. Cricket needs more showdowns between the top sides. It was great to see these two in the Champions Trophy in the summer and I, for one, would prefer to see SA v India with the trurkey leftovers than yet another over-hyped Ashes clash. Bring it on...

Six-Six, the Number of the (Run) Feast

Following his latest double century, I was going to sing the praises of South African opener Graeme Smith. However, after the blatant ball-tampering by Faf du Plessis in the thumping victory of Pakistan in Dubai, I find it hard to believe his skipper was ignorant of his team-mate's cheating. So instead I shall concentrate on the performances of AB De Villiers and Asad Shafiq.

AB's contribution to South Africa's rise to the top in Tests and many triumphs in limited-overs games is well known. Averaging 50-odd in both major formats is remarkable, and remember he is pretty much an all-rounder given his rejuvenated role as wicket-keeper. His immense strike rate in 50- and 20-over matches comes in contrast to a much steadier one in Tests. That's not a criticism; quite the opposite. These days, few batsmen have the ability and temperament to adapt so superbly to different formats and circumstances.

I must admit the rise of Asad Shafiq has taken me by surprise. Making four centuries at number six, the same as De Villiers, has been beaten by only eighteen others in Test history, and they have come in only 23 Tests. Three years ago, he made his Pakistan debut in the same part of the world against the same opposition, who again scored more than 500 featuring a big double-century. In 2009 it wasn't Smith, but good old AB, who crashed his still record 278 but Pakistan's batsmen didn't roll over to the spinners on that occasion and the game was drawn.

In the old days when I was growing up, the number six slot was usually reserved for all-rounders. Sir Garry Sobers has a collection of eight centuries in that position and is one of the all-time greats Despite for many years holding the world record for Test runs he often batted at only six when these days such a battig genius would probably bat a bit higher, bowler or not. Others near the top of the 'six' order of merit include other famous all-rounders Tony Greig (seven), Asif Iqbal and Steve Waugh (six apiece), Ian Botham and Ravi Shastri (five).

However there has been a recent move towards having specialist batsmen at six. Perhaps this is because bowlers have become better batsmen as a result of the T20 explosion, and countries have been able to field just four specialist bowlers augmented by occasional spin by players at the top. It happened with Clive Lloyd later in his career, Allan Border and, further back, another Aussie Doug Walters. This decade, the likes of Ian Bell, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Mike Hussey have done the job extremely effectively, marshalling the tail, stopping the rot or just building big partnerships to crush hopes of the opposition.

It will be interesting to see whether Asad Shafiq remains at number six, especially with Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan nearing the end of their careers. AB, meanwhile, could contribute runs absolutely anywhere. Indeed, he has batted everywhere from one to eight, but more often at six than any other place. His average is even better when the designated wicketkeeper than when playing only as batsman so maybe he is just as much an all-rounder as Sobers, Greig, Iqbal et al.