That England clinched the Test series at Chester-le-Street was never in doubt. After the cringeworthy circus at Headingley, the neutral could at least revel in Sri Lanka’s ability to prolong the second match agony into a fourth day. However, it’s sad that the tourists are no longer able to provide a decent challenge to a buoyant England. Angelo Mathews is a magnificent cricketer, as his 2015 stats demonstrate. However, not even he can carry his nation’s batting, bowling, fielding and decision-making alone.
I was so disgusted with the First Test fiasco that I couldn’t even write a blog. However, a few more weeks has left me calmer, cooler and possessed of a broader view! Sri Lanka may no longer be a five-day force to be reckoned with but let’s recognise England’s resurgence. It’s not just about the young guns so beloved of the media.
Jimmy Anderson has surpassed himself, storming to the top of the ICC rankings at the age of 33 thanks to eighteen wickets in the brief series so far. He has also achieved the 450-wicket milestone, only the sixth man, and third seamer, to do so. Stuart Broad ceded the top spot to his team-mate while Chris Woakes did not disgrace himself on his return to the side in Ben Stokes’ place. Steve Finn’s attacking prowess is not what it was, but then right now it doesn’t need to be.
The jury’s still out on Nick Compton, who’s out of form this summer while others have filled their boots on bat-friendly pitches. Despite his first-innings 83, I remain unconvinced by Alex Hales, too, but can’t see an obvious candidate with the required composure and consistency. Joe Root is unmoveable and both James Vince and Jonny Bairstow are utterly worthy of a long run in the England whites.
I can’t help feeling Moeen Ali is utterly wasted at number eight. Advanced to seven ahead of Woakes, he proved my point this week by striking an excellent entertaining 155 not out. And yet the batting headlines were made by a man who scored 15 and 47 not out.
Skipper Alastair Cook can get weighed down by expectation or impending landmarks Therefore, it was a relief to all when, during the simple run chase, he clipped a boundary to leg for the runs he needed to become the first Englishman, and the youngest in world history, to break the 10,000 barrier. With so many matches scheduled for England, I can definitely see him proceeding to threaten Sachin Tendulkar’s awesome record in the next six years or so. It could be just injury or a massive sport upheaval that gets in his way.
A solid dependable opener off the impressive Essex production line, Cook earned respect from an early age, much as Joe Root has done. Yes, he has had his dodgy spells but has always managed to bounce back, even with the added yoke of captaincy. What has stood him out from the crowd of other greats like Gower, Gooch or, indeed, Bell, is his ability to make runs and win matches on foreign soil such as India or Australia. Very few top batsmen boast a better average away than at home but Cook’s figures are 49 and 43, respectively, bolstered by 55 on neutral territory. How many other non-Asian men have averaged more than 60 in India? Of those playing more than fifteen innings, the answer is a mere three: Clive Lloyd, Bert Sutcliffe and Hashim Amla.
So what next this summer? After recharging his batteries in the Spring, he delivered three centuries in four games to ignite his county’s promotion challenge and I’m sure he will score more against Pakistan if not before. England are buzzing right now. The Test series is boringly one-sided but at least it distracts from the Twenty20 nonsense and puts the focus back on players such as Anderson and Cook, two of England’s undisputed all-time greats.
Showing posts with label Angelo Mathews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Angelo Mathews. Show all posts
Tuesday, 31 May 2016
Saturday, 3 January 2015
2014 Overall Team of the Year
To complete my review of the year, I'll examine the performances across all three formats, and not restrict myself to international cricket.
have not been the most successful batsmen outside Twenty20 but David Warner has played himself into my good books. Having played for Australia in T20 before even playing a single first-class match, he has since become a vital cog in the Green Baggie wheel. With Chris Rogers playing the anchor role, Warner has been given free rein to play his strokes and in 2014 collated more than 2,000 runs, averaging over 63 in Tests and a T20 strike rate of 142. He has been paired with Hashim Amla of South Africa. He just oozes class and unflappability whatever the format, and made more than 2500 runs in total. He doesn't seem to have many weak points. Even in T20 his strike rate in 2014 was on a par with McCullum and Finch, superior even to that of Chris Gayle.
Kumar Sangakkara may now be 37 years old, but his batting just seems to improve with age. Top scorer in Tests and ODIs, who cares about T20? His Test average last year was 71, pushing his career figure to a mighty 58, ahead of Ponting, Lara and Tendulkar. A shoo-in at number three, and did I mention he keeps wicket better than Dhoni, too?
Virat Kohli is also starting to carry his 50-over talents across to proper cricket, even on the hard pitches of Australia. He was another of the 2,500-run select few, whose most noteworthy statistic was his ODI strike rate of 99.62! Somewhat less of a global phenomenon, Kane Williamson has shone in what was an excellent year for New Zealand. He averaged 62 in Tests and, with his county cricket exploits included, scored 1,558 first-class runs. Add his List A and T20 figures and the run tally extends towards 3,000. I really hope he shines at the World Cup.
Angelo Mathews also had a fantastic year, converting fifties into hundreds in Test matches, averaging 88 alongside 62 in ODIs. He has grown as a captain for Sri Lanka, too, a great example of a man who has not just fulfilled expectations but exceeded them. Steve Smith has perhaps enjoyed an even steeper rise to the top. With Michael Clarke sidelined by injury, Mike Hussey retired and the rest of the middle-order inconsistent, Smith has rescued Australia for much of the year. Five centuries and an average of 82 in Tests and a good record in ODIs, and by December he had also assumed the captaincy. A wonderful year for him!
While Warner, Williamson, Smith and Mathews have all bowled at international level, surely the best all-rounder in 2014 was Shakib-al-Hasan. Admittedly Bangladesh didn't always face the big boys but as a bowler who also averaged 47 with the bat in Tests he was again a class act. Narine (T20), Herath (Tests) and Mendis (ODIs) may have taken more wickets but in limited overs, few were consistently more economical than Shakib.
Mitch Johnson and Dale Steyn comprise my pace attack. The Aussie's main contribution was in Tests, the highlights coming in the 2013/14 Ashes series. He wasn't a prolific ODI wicket-taker but was surprisingly mean when it came to economy. Steyn is an amazingly consistent trouper over many years. 2014 may not have been his best year but his 39 Test scalps came at just 19.56 apiece and there were 22 ODI wickets at 26.54, too. A fearsome death bowler in T20, too, but not at the top of the tables. My last bowler is Jeetan Patel. The evergreen Kiwi has been a fantastic spinner for Warwickshire in recent years and his 2014 featured 133 wickets all told. His rare talent is to appear equally good in all three forms of cricket. Statistically maybe his best last year came in T20; in 28 games he took 35 wickets at a mere 15, and an economy rate of 5.86, better even than Saeed Ajmal and Malinga.
Just missing the cut were Joe Root, Brendon McCullum, Saeed Ajmal and AB de Villiers.
So my Eleven of 2014 stands as follows:-
Warner (Aust), Amla (SA), Sangakkara (SL, +), Kohli (Ind), Williamson (NZ), Smith (Aust), Mathews (SL *), Shakib al Hasan (Ban), Patel (War/NZ), Johnson (Aust), Steyn (SA).
Roll on 2015..!
have not been the most successful batsmen outside Twenty20 but David Warner has played himself into my good books. Having played for Australia in T20 before even playing a single first-class match, he has since become a vital cog in the Green Baggie wheel. With Chris Rogers playing the anchor role, Warner has been given free rein to play his strokes and in 2014 collated more than 2,000 runs, averaging over 63 in Tests and a T20 strike rate of 142. He has been paired with Hashim Amla of South Africa. He just oozes class and unflappability whatever the format, and made more than 2500 runs in total. He doesn't seem to have many weak points. Even in T20 his strike rate in 2014 was on a par with McCullum and Finch, superior even to that of Chris Gayle.
Kumar Sangakkara may now be 37 years old, but his batting just seems to improve with age. Top scorer in Tests and ODIs, who cares about T20? His Test average last year was 71, pushing his career figure to a mighty 58, ahead of Ponting, Lara and Tendulkar. A shoo-in at number three, and did I mention he keeps wicket better than Dhoni, too?
Virat Kohli is also starting to carry his 50-over talents across to proper cricket, even on the hard pitches of Australia. He was another of the 2,500-run select few, whose most noteworthy statistic was his ODI strike rate of 99.62! Somewhat less of a global phenomenon, Kane Williamson has shone in what was an excellent year for New Zealand. He averaged 62 in Tests and, with his county cricket exploits included, scored 1,558 first-class runs. Add his List A and T20 figures and the run tally extends towards 3,000. I really hope he shines at the World Cup.
Angelo Mathews also had a fantastic year, converting fifties into hundreds in Test matches, averaging 88 alongside 62 in ODIs. He has grown as a captain for Sri Lanka, too, a great example of a man who has not just fulfilled expectations but exceeded them. Steve Smith has perhaps enjoyed an even steeper rise to the top. With Michael Clarke sidelined by injury, Mike Hussey retired and the rest of the middle-order inconsistent, Smith has rescued Australia for much of the year. Five centuries and an average of 82 in Tests and a good record in ODIs, and by December he had also assumed the captaincy. A wonderful year for him!
While Warner, Williamson, Smith and Mathews have all bowled at international level, surely the best all-rounder in 2014 was Shakib-al-Hasan. Admittedly Bangladesh didn't always face the big boys but as a bowler who also averaged 47 with the bat in Tests he was again a class act. Narine (T20), Herath (Tests) and Mendis (ODIs) may have taken more wickets but in limited overs, few were consistently more economical than Shakib.
Mitch Johnson and Dale Steyn comprise my pace attack. The Aussie's main contribution was in Tests, the highlights coming in the 2013/14 Ashes series. He wasn't a prolific ODI wicket-taker but was surprisingly mean when it came to economy. Steyn is an amazingly consistent trouper over many years. 2014 may not have been his best year but his 39 Test scalps came at just 19.56 apiece and there were 22 ODI wickets at 26.54, too. A fearsome death bowler in T20, too, but not at the top of the tables. My last bowler is Jeetan Patel. The evergreen Kiwi has been a fantastic spinner for Warwickshire in recent years and his 2014 featured 133 wickets all told. His rare talent is to appear equally good in all three forms of cricket. Statistically maybe his best last year came in T20; in 28 games he took 35 wickets at a mere 15, and an economy rate of 5.86, better even than Saeed Ajmal and Malinga.
Just missing the cut were Joe Root, Brendon McCullum, Saeed Ajmal and AB de Villiers.
So my Eleven of 2014 stands as follows:-
Warner (Aust), Amla (SA), Sangakkara (SL, +), Kohli (Ind), Williamson (NZ), Smith (Aust), Mathews (SL *), Shakib al Hasan (Ban), Patel (War/NZ), Johnson (Aust), Steyn (SA).
Roll on 2015..!
Thursday, 1 January 2015
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).
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).
Wednesday, 31 December 2014
2014 Cricket Review: Tests
In 2014, Test cricket has been a roller coaster ride. England went from Ashes meltdown to redemption of sorts at home to India, the only top Test nation not to win a single series all year. Australia also defeated India and South Africa but, even without Smith and Kallis, the latter remained number one in the ICC rankings. New Zealand have won a record five Tests but now need to prove their new-found winning formula against the top three. All credit, though to the Aussies for coming through the grieving period after Phil Hughes' tragic death.
So who were the individual stars of 2014? In all first-class cricket, Chris Rogers was the only batsman to aggregate more than 2,000 runs and the world's top wicket-takers were Bangladeshi spinner Taijul Islam (89) and ever-reliable Michael Hogan (88). However, at the highest level, my pick of the openers were David Warner and young West Indian Kraigg Brathwaite. The abrasive Aussie smashed six centuries and 1,136 runs while Brathwaite's average in five matches is an excellent 77.88.
The middle-order is typically competitive. Brendon McCullum, Steve Smith and Kane Williamson enjoyed great years but for consistency, my next batsmen are Kumar Sangakkara and Younus Khan. The Sri Lankan out scored all other Test players with 1,493 runs at more than 71. The Pakistan veteran finished with a similar average and produced a purple patch this autumn, grabbing more than 700 runs in four matches against Australia and New Zealand in the UAE.
Next up are Joe Root and Angelo Mathews. In a topsy-turvy year for England, the Yorkshireman demonstrated his value many times and the batting line-up will surely be built around him for many years to come. His average for 2014 was a stupendous 97. With the Sri Lanka big three looking shaky, Mathews has stepped up to the mark, not only as captain but also as someone who can deliver big scores, not just useful 50 not outs. Only team-mate Sanga scored more Test runs and Angelo's average of 87.80 is mighty impressive. He also gets the captaincy.
MS Dhoni retires from Tests with loads of plaudits but Pakistan's Sarfraz Ahmed edges him and Brad Haddin to the wicketkeeper berth. A better batsman than Akmal, he is also improving his glovework.
My team boasts four specialist bowlers alongside part-timers Mathews and Root. Rangana Herath's tally of 60 wickets was easily the most in 2014, claiming no fewer than six five-fors. Apart from his problems with the arm inspectors, Saeed Ajmal took only 17 at 44 apiece, so three pacemen complete my XI. Dale Steyn continued to take wickets (39) and with a sub-20 average. James Anderson boasted one more scalp, averaging an impressive 22 but star 'quick' has to be Mitch Johnson. His year ended in a bout of daft 'verbals' with Kohli but it began with such pace, bounce and venom that England didn't just suffer an Ashes whitewash but also lost two of their three finest players of recent times, Swann, Pietersen and Trott.
So, to sum up, here is my Test Eleven for 2014:-
Warner (Aust), Brathwaite (WI), Younis Khan (Pak), Sangakkara (SL), Root (Eng), Mathews (SL, *), Sarfraz Ahmed (Pak,+), Johnson (Aust), Steyn (SA), Anderson (Eng), Herath (SL).
ODIS and T20s to follow....
So who were the individual stars of 2014? In all first-class cricket, Chris Rogers was the only batsman to aggregate more than 2,000 runs and the world's top wicket-takers were Bangladeshi spinner Taijul Islam (89) and ever-reliable Michael Hogan (88). However, at the highest level, my pick of the openers were David Warner and young West Indian Kraigg Brathwaite. The abrasive Aussie smashed six centuries and 1,136 runs while Brathwaite's average in five matches is an excellent 77.88.
The middle-order is typically competitive. Brendon McCullum, Steve Smith and Kane Williamson enjoyed great years but for consistency, my next batsmen are Kumar Sangakkara and Younus Khan. The Sri Lankan out scored all other Test players with 1,493 runs at more than 71. The Pakistan veteran finished with a similar average and produced a purple patch this autumn, grabbing more than 700 runs in four matches against Australia and New Zealand in the UAE.
Next up are Joe Root and Angelo Mathews. In a topsy-turvy year for England, the Yorkshireman demonstrated his value many times and the batting line-up will surely be built around him for many years to come. His average for 2014 was a stupendous 97. With the Sri Lanka big three looking shaky, Mathews has stepped up to the mark, not only as captain but also as someone who can deliver big scores, not just useful 50 not outs. Only team-mate Sanga scored more Test runs and Angelo's average of 87.80 is mighty impressive. He also gets the captaincy.
MS Dhoni retires from Tests with loads of plaudits but Pakistan's Sarfraz Ahmed edges him and Brad Haddin to the wicketkeeper berth. A better batsman than Akmal, he is also improving his glovework.
My team boasts four specialist bowlers alongside part-timers Mathews and Root. Rangana Herath's tally of 60 wickets was easily the most in 2014, claiming no fewer than six five-fors. Apart from his problems with the arm inspectors, Saeed Ajmal took only 17 at 44 apiece, so three pacemen complete my XI. Dale Steyn continued to take wickets (39) and with a sub-20 average. James Anderson boasted one more scalp, averaging an impressive 22 but star 'quick' has to be Mitch Johnson. His year ended in a bout of daft 'verbals' with Kohli but it began with such pace, bounce and venom that England didn't just suffer an Ashes whitewash but also lost two of their three finest players of recent times, Swann, Pietersen and Trott.
So, to sum up, here is my Test Eleven for 2014:-
Warner (Aust), Brathwaite (WI), Younis Khan (Pak), Sangakkara (SL), Root (Eng), Mathews (SL, *), Sarfraz Ahmed (Pak,+), Johnson (Aust), Steyn (SA), Anderson (Eng), Herath (SL).
ODIS and T20s to follow....
Monday, 24 November 2014
England Lost in Transition?
Everyone seems to have been putting the boot into England in recent months, be they ex-players or representatives of other nations. Clearly they have ulterior motives, such as selling books, settling old scores and unsettling their World Cup rivals. Nevertheless, the ECB and the coaching chiefs must have realised that tactics and strategies can never remain static. You do need to look at the influence of Twenty20 on scoring rates, the use of spinners and ploys concerning Powerplays, etc.
Australia and South Africa have just indulged in a right ding-dong series which left the former fractionally ahead of India at the top of the ICC rankings. England should leapfrog Sri Lanka into fourth place with a series win in the coming weeks and we should remember that SL come into these matches on the back of a 5-0 drubbing by Kohli and co in a hastily-arranged competition. True, not all their superstars played, but England do have some world-class performers of their own. All England have to worry about is where they sit in the batting order, which of the lesser mortals join them, and how to pace an innings. Not much to ask, is it?!
Since the start of 2013, England have played 39 ODIs, losing 21 of them. They won only three out of nine home fixtures during the summer, half to their opponents this week. It's not all about bad starts. Watching their painful mid-innings agonies against India at Cardiff in August, the so-called future of England's batting looked anything but. Alex Hales, Jos Buttler and Eoin Morgan struggled to score boundaries as much as Cook, Bell and Root, while the only sixes came from Woakes and Tredwell when the game was already lost.
Cook is clearly hanging on for the World Cup and it is not beyond the bounds of credibility that he can score some runs in Sri Lanka and indeed Down Under next year. Moeen Ali's elevation to his opening partner is, to me, a no-brainer. His blistering 50 in the warm-up proved he can be effective not only as a useful spinner but also an exciting strokeplayer.
Ian Bell will come in at number three but what is the preferred middle-order? Presumably Joe Root will start the first game, as will Eoin Morgan, probably my least favourite England batsman now KP has departed. Ravi Bopara has his critics but he is a decent all-rounder capable of rattling the advertising boards and frustrating batsmen with his nagging medium-pacers. Jos Buttler may have jumped ship from Somerset to join a relegated Lancashire (ha-ha!) but he is the undisputed 'keeper-batsman for his country and is capable of ferocious hitting towards the end of an innings and taking the attack to bowlers slow and quick.
I wouldn't play Chris Jordan or Harry Gurney, and James Tredwell deserves a place only where the wicket looks conducive to slow off-breaks. James Anderson is a shoo-in, and I reckon it's worth giving Steven Finn another opportunity to bowl to his potential. He has been going backwards since his initial breakthrough, and he needs a decent series to book his seat for the flight to Australia where the pitches will probably suit him better. The fact also remains that his is number eight in the world rankings, ahead of all Sri Lankans. I'd prefer Chris Woakes to Ben Stokes because of the latter's expensive bowling. The Warwickshire man is no mug with the bat in any form of cricket, either, despite the more aggressive demeanour of the Durham star.
Finally, I must mention James Taylor. Previously best known as a fine County Championship batsman for Leicesteshire then Nottinghamshire, he hugely enhanced his reputation in the one-day game in 2014 and I'd love to seem him get some ODIs uner his belt. England are right not to fill their batting berths with T20 specialists like Roy, Hales and Wright. Players like Taylor and Vince must get their chance soon, capable of keeping the score ticking over while the more explosive hitters like Hales and Buttler do their stuff.
Ideally I'd have Hales opening but with Cook esconced, this would be my favoured Eleven: Cook (*), Ali, Bell, Taylor, Root, Bopara, Buttler (+), Woakes, Tredwell (or Stokes, in which case he'd advance to eight), Anderson, Finn. Sri Lanka must start favourites although theirs is a worryingly ageing squad. At least Angelo Mathews is 'on fire' right now and, as ever, the veterans like Sangakkara, Jayawardene and Herath will shoulder most of the responsibility. Let the contest begin!
Australia and South Africa have just indulged in a right ding-dong series which left the former fractionally ahead of India at the top of the ICC rankings. England should leapfrog Sri Lanka into fourth place with a series win in the coming weeks and we should remember that SL come into these matches on the back of a 5-0 drubbing by Kohli and co in a hastily-arranged competition. True, not all their superstars played, but England do have some world-class performers of their own. All England have to worry about is where they sit in the batting order, which of the lesser mortals join them, and how to pace an innings. Not much to ask, is it?!
Since the start of 2013, England have played 39 ODIs, losing 21 of them. They won only three out of nine home fixtures during the summer, half to their opponents this week. It's not all about bad starts. Watching their painful mid-innings agonies against India at Cardiff in August, the so-called future of England's batting looked anything but. Alex Hales, Jos Buttler and Eoin Morgan struggled to score boundaries as much as Cook, Bell and Root, while the only sixes came from Woakes and Tredwell when the game was already lost.
Cook is clearly hanging on for the World Cup and it is not beyond the bounds of credibility that he can score some runs in Sri Lanka and indeed Down Under next year. Moeen Ali's elevation to his opening partner is, to me, a no-brainer. His blistering 50 in the warm-up proved he can be effective not only as a useful spinner but also an exciting strokeplayer.
Ian Bell will come in at number three but what is the preferred middle-order? Presumably Joe Root will start the first game, as will Eoin Morgan, probably my least favourite England batsman now KP has departed. Ravi Bopara has his critics but he is a decent all-rounder capable of rattling the advertising boards and frustrating batsmen with his nagging medium-pacers. Jos Buttler may have jumped ship from Somerset to join a relegated Lancashire (ha-ha!) but he is the undisputed 'keeper-batsman for his country and is capable of ferocious hitting towards the end of an innings and taking the attack to bowlers slow and quick.
I wouldn't play Chris Jordan or Harry Gurney, and James Tredwell deserves a place only where the wicket looks conducive to slow off-breaks. James Anderson is a shoo-in, and I reckon it's worth giving Steven Finn another opportunity to bowl to his potential. He has been going backwards since his initial breakthrough, and he needs a decent series to book his seat for the flight to Australia where the pitches will probably suit him better. The fact also remains that his is number eight in the world rankings, ahead of all Sri Lankans. I'd prefer Chris Woakes to Ben Stokes because of the latter's expensive bowling. The Warwickshire man is no mug with the bat in any form of cricket, either, despite the more aggressive demeanour of the Durham star.
Finally, I must mention James Taylor. Previously best known as a fine County Championship batsman for Leicesteshire then Nottinghamshire, he hugely enhanced his reputation in the one-day game in 2014 and I'd love to seem him get some ODIs uner his belt. England are right not to fill their batting berths with T20 specialists like Roy, Hales and Wright. Players like Taylor and Vince must get their chance soon, capable of keeping the score ticking over while the more explosive hitters like Hales and Buttler do their stuff.
Ideally I'd have Hales opening but with Cook esconced, this would be my favoured Eleven: Cook (*), Ali, Bell, Taylor, Root, Bopara, Buttler (+), Woakes, Tredwell (or Stokes, in which case he'd advance to eight), Anderson, Finn. Sri Lanka must start favourites although theirs is a worryingly ageing squad. At least Angelo Mathews is 'on fire' right now and, as ever, the veterans like Sangakkara, Jayawardene and Herath will shoulder most of the responsibility. Let the contest begin!
Saturday, 30 August 2014
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)
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)
Thursday, 26 June 2014
Yorks and Notts Advance, Prince is king.
While international cricket and the Premier League have seen frequent changes in the hierarchy in the past year or so, the County Championship seems to be following suit. This week, Nottinghamshire inflicted a first defeat upon previous leaders Somerset while Yorkshire thumped Warwickshire inside three days to join them at the top with 142 points, both claiming a maximum 24 points. With 16 for a win, at this rate anybody except Northants could win the pennant come September.
All the Notts bowlers played a part as Somerset batsmen, Trescothick apart, were despatched for 168 on the first day, then Mullaney and Jacques overtook that total on their own. The in-form Samit Patel and Riki Wessels took the home side lead to approaching 300. Chris Jones, Peter Trego (107 not out) and a 71-run tenth wicket stand between Dockrell and Jamie Overton took the match to the fourth day but, despite Craig Overton's double-strike in the opening over, Chris Read's side wrapped up a seven-wicket victory.
Not for the first time in recent seasons, Warwickshire's batsmen let down their bowlers, to the benefit of Yorkshire. Even without Root and Ballance, the Tykes were simply too strong. They could even blood an 18 year-old slow left-arm spinner in Karl Carver and come out smelling of (White) Roses. Aaron Finch top-scored with 110. At the Riverside, Durham simply overpowered Sussex. Mark Stoneman and Keaton Jennings contributed centuries while Ben Stokes starred with the ball. His ten wickets mean he will be hammering on the England selectors' door once more. Not too vigorously, of course; he should learn a lesson from the locker incident!
Lancashire were the latest county to hammer Northamptonshire at Old Trafford. The visitors could take some comfort from leaving Lancs at 33-3, but Ashwell Prince (257 not out) and Steven Croft (156) shared a triple-century partnership. Jos Buttler and Tom Smith advanced the total to a formidable 650-6 declared, and Smith (again), Chapple, Kerrigan et al bowled the bottom side out twice by early on the last morning. Middlesex must be licking their lips for the visit of Peters et al next weekend. Don't buy tickets for Day Four!
In Division Two, neither of the runaway leaders were in action but Surrey's resurgence continued, taking them to the giddy heights of third place. Skipper Gary Wilson (160 not out) and Chris Tremlett (90) each made career-best scores in the first innings total of 522-9 declared. Angus Robson responded well with two half-centuries and number eleven Charlie Shreck struck a maiden 50 but Leicestershire were unable to prevent a ten-wicket defeat.
Young opener Daniel Bell-Drummond's 101 helped Kent to 333. Not a massive total but it was almost sufficient to beat Derbyshire by an innings. Darren Stevens and Alex Riley shared sixteen wickets, the former's 6-64 in the second innings being the most striking set of figures. Kent's win couldn't lift them above Glamorgan despite the latter failing to clinch victory over Gloucestershire at Bristol despite topping 600. The home team ground out a draw by scoring at under two an over on the last day. Earlier, Jacques Rudolph and Ben Wright produced centuries and four others passed 50 for the Welsh but their bowlers were too slow to pierce the defences of Ian Cockbain, Will Gidman and Will Tavare. The latter's uncle Chris would have been proud of his defiance and slow-scoring!
Glamorgan next travel to Worcester, Gloucestershire to Essex but the tastiest tie looks to be Hampshire's visit to The Oval where Surrey could now be strong opposition, especially if it's a spinner's wicket.
I'm on holiday at the weekend so I offer my Team of the Week a bit earlier and briefer than normal:-
Robson (Eng), Rudolph (Gla), Sangakkara (SL), Prince (Lan), Root (Eng), Mathews (SL *), Wilson (Sur +), Stokes (Dur), Stevens (Ken), Tremlett (Sur), Prasad (SL)
All the Notts bowlers played a part as Somerset batsmen, Trescothick apart, were despatched for 168 on the first day, then Mullaney and Jacques overtook that total on their own. The in-form Samit Patel and Riki Wessels took the home side lead to approaching 300. Chris Jones, Peter Trego (107 not out) and a 71-run tenth wicket stand between Dockrell and Jamie Overton took the match to the fourth day but, despite Craig Overton's double-strike in the opening over, Chris Read's side wrapped up a seven-wicket victory.
Not for the first time in recent seasons, Warwickshire's batsmen let down their bowlers, to the benefit of Yorkshire. Even without Root and Ballance, the Tykes were simply too strong. They could even blood an 18 year-old slow left-arm spinner in Karl Carver and come out smelling of (White) Roses. Aaron Finch top-scored with 110. At the Riverside, Durham simply overpowered Sussex. Mark Stoneman and Keaton Jennings contributed centuries while Ben Stokes starred with the ball. His ten wickets mean he will be hammering on the England selectors' door once more. Not too vigorously, of course; he should learn a lesson from the locker incident!
Lancashire were the latest county to hammer Northamptonshire at Old Trafford. The visitors could take some comfort from leaving Lancs at 33-3, but Ashwell Prince (257 not out) and Steven Croft (156) shared a triple-century partnership. Jos Buttler and Tom Smith advanced the total to a formidable 650-6 declared, and Smith (again), Chapple, Kerrigan et al bowled the bottom side out twice by early on the last morning. Middlesex must be licking their lips for the visit of Peters et al next weekend. Don't buy tickets for Day Four!
In Division Two, neither of the runaway leaders were in action but Surrey's resurgence continued, taking them to the giddy heights of third place. Skipper Gary Wilson (160 not out) and Chris Tremlett (90) each made career-best scores in the first innings total of 522-9 declared. Angus Robson responded well with two half-centuries and number eleven Charlie Shreck struck a maiden 50 but Leicestershire were unable to prevent a ten-wicket defeat.
Young opener Daniel Bell-Drummond's 101 helped Kent to 333. Not a massive total but it was almost sufficient to beat Derbyshire by an innings. Darren Stevens and Alex Riley shared sixteen wickets, the former's 6-64 in the second innings being the most striking set of figures. Kent's win couldn't lift them above Glamorgan despite the latter failing to clinch victory over Gloucestershire at Bristol despite topping 600. The home team ground out a draw by scoring at under two an over on the last day. Earlier, Jacques Rudolph and Ben Wright produced centuries and four others passed 50 for the Welsh but their bowlers were too slow to pierce the defences of Ian Cockbain, Will Gidman and Will Tavare. The latter's uncle Chris would have been proud of his defiance and slow-scoring!
Glamorgan next travel to Worcester, Gloucestershire to Essex but the tastiest tie looks to be Hampshire's visit to The Oval where Surrey could now be strong opposition, especially if it's a spinner's wicket.
I'm on holiday at the weekend so I offer my Team of the Week a bit earlier and briefer than normal:-
Robson (Eng), Rudolph (Gla), Sangakkara (SL), Prince (Lan), Root (Eng), Mathews (SL *), Wilson (Sur +), Stokes (Dur), Stevens (Ken), Tremlett (Sur), Prasad (SL)
Wednesday, 25 June 2014
Angelo Flies High
What was supposed to be a gentle hors d'oeuvre to the India main course has blossomed into a fascinating brace of games which both went right down to the wire. Ten days of fluctuating fortunes but while Pradeep managed to keep Broad out for five spine-tingling deliveries at Lord's, monumental defensive efforts from Moeen Ali and tailenders Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson at Headingley were ultimately in vain.
T20 fans will no doubt scoff at the disgraceful lack of 'maximums', dancing girls and taped trumpet trills. However, despite only 37 runs coming from the last 28 overs it seems crazy to say it but this was cricket at its most exciting. A shame I was at work or on the train home and missed yet another thrilling climax. Beats a penalty shootout any day!
The series was definitely a triumph for Sri Lankan skipper Angelo Mathews. Not just because his side upset the odds by winning a multi-match series in England for the first time but also on a personal level. His Lord's century was in some way outshone by Sangakkara's knock but last weekend's Test-best 160 and 149-run partnership with Rangana Herath did much to decide the series. His 4-44 in England's first innings was also by far his finest bowling figures in a five-day game and included the wickets of Ballance and Root.
It had all been going so well for England. Stuart Broad's second Test hat-trick, Liam Plunkett's five-for and Sam Robson's first Test century combined to give the home side a 108-run lead at the halfway stage. However, with Kumar Sangakkara's world record-equalling sixth successive half-century and Mahela Jayawardene's 79 steadying the ship, followed by Mathews' brilliant innings, things were swinging back SL's way. Nevertheless, a target of 350 in more than a day on a flat pitch was not impossible. Enter Dhammika Prasad.
The recalled 31 year-old seamer ripped out the top four, including Alastair Cook for the second time in the match, and England were reeling at 57-5 at stumps. That they took the contest to the very last over was in itself a heroic backs-to-the-wall performance more akin to the football team in tournaments gone by. It was also testament to Moeen Ali's batting skills. Better known as a silky strokemaker, the number six kept the scoreboard ticking over while marshalling the tail. Broad is no mug with the bat but dug in admirably for 24 balls before falling plumb LBW to Herath. Anderson did even better, defending for 81 minutes without scoring until Eranga forced him to fend a lifter to backward square. Shades of the Ashes 2005 but this time England just couldn't hold on long enough.
I certainly didn't predict a Sri Lanka series success and it wasn't entirely down to Sangakkara and Jayawardene. Mathews was great and for once his bowlers didn't disgrace themselves, emerging from the shadow of Murali. In all honesty, it wasn't a disaster for England, either. All the new boys, Moeen Ali, Sam Robson and Chris Jordan had their moments, while Joe Root and Gary Ballance each produced valuable hundreds. Ian Bell managed a first innings 64 to mark his hundredth cap so the only man to emerge with egg on his face was Cook.
His 78 runs in total must leave him disappointed but there's not yet a reason for vilifying him and either dropping him and/or removing he honour of captain status. Let's see what happens against India. Will he get the chance to get more batting practice for Essex? Might be an idea. However, I think this England line-up deserve another opportunity in a few weeks' time.
T20 fans will no doubt scoff at the disgraceful lack of 'maximums', dancing girls and taped trumpet trills. However, despite only 37 runs coming from the last 28 overs it seems crazy to say it but this was cricket at its most exciting. A shame I was at work or on the train home and missed yet another thrilling climax. Beats a penalty shootout any day!
The series was definitely a triumph for Sri Lankan skipper Angelo Mathews. Not just because his side upset the odds by winning a multi-match series in England for the first time but also on a personal level. His Lord's century was in some way outshone by Sangakkara's knock but last weekend's Test-best 160 and 149-run partnership with Rangana Herath did much to decide the series. His 4-44 in England's first innings was also by far his finest bowling figures in a five-day game and included the wickets of Ballance and Root.
It had all been going so well for England. Stuart Broad's second Test hat-trick, Liam Plunkett's five-for and Sam Robson's first Test century combined to give the home side a 108-run lead at the halfway stage. However, with Kumar Sangakkara's world record-equalling sixth successive half-century and Mahela Jayawardene's 79 steadying the ship, followed by Mathews' brilliant innings, things were swinging back SL's way. Nevertheless, a target of 350 in more than a day on a flat pitch was not impossible. Enter Dhammika Prasad.
The recalled 31 year-old seamer ripped out the top four, including Alastair Cook for the second time in the match, and England were reeling at 57-5 at stumps. That they took the contest to the very last over was in itself a heroic backs-to-the-wall performance more akin to the football team in tournaments gone by. It was also testament to Moeen Ali's batting skills. Better known as a silky strokemaker, the number six kept the scoreboard ticking over while marshalling the tail. Broad is no mug with the bat but dug in admirably for 24 balls before falling plumb LBW to Herath. Anderson did even better, defending for 81 minutes without scoring until Eranga forced him to fend a lifter to backward square. Shades of the Ashes 2005 but this time England just couldn't hold on long enough.
I certainly didn't predict a Sri Lanka series success and it wasn't entirely down to Sangakkara and Jayawardene. Mathews was great and for once his bowlers didn't disgrace themselves, emerging from the shadow of Murali. In all honesty, it wasn't a disaster for England, either. All the new boys, Moeen Ali, Sam Robson and Chris Jordan had their moments, while Joe Root and Gary Ballance each produced valuable hundreds. Ian Bell managed a first innings 64 to mark his hundredth cap so the only man to emerge with egg on his face was Cook.
His 78 runs in total must leave him disappointed but there's not yet a reason for vilifying him and either dropping him and/or removing he honour of captain status. Let's see what happens against India. Will he get the chance to get more batting practice for Essex? Might be an idea. However, I think this England line-up deserve another opportunity in a few weeks' time.
Tuesday, 17 June 2014
England and Sri Lanka serve up a Superb Climax at Lord's
This wasn't the first time a match between England and Sri Lanka, drifting towards a high-scoring draw, switched to a higher gear on the fifth day. However, there can't have been many Tests between any sides that have ended in such dramatic fashion. Having glanced at the scorecard on my office laptop at lunchtime I had no inkling of the drama that was to play out while I travelled home.
It has to be said that England bossed much of the game, apart from the first half-hour or so when Cook and debutant Sam Robson were returned to the pavilion by Pradeep and Kulasekera. Joe Root may be Yorkshire through and through but his affinity with the Lord's pitch was again much in evidence as he proceeded to his first double-century for England. Another new boy, Moeen Ali, should have marked the occasion with a 50 only to edge an ugly swipe at Herath to the 'keeper. Matt Prior's recall was arguably more controversial than the selection of three uncapped players. Just one - er- prior appearance behind the stumps for Sussex and few runs since April left him potentially unprepared for a big occasion like this. However, his 86 and contribution to the 171-run partnership with Root silenced the critics for a while.
The rcalled Liam Plunkett and Broad flung the bat at the one end while Root reached his 200 and Cook could declare on a mighty 575-9. Sri Lanka weren't overawed. With old mates Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara in tandem at 277-2, batting looked so easy and forging a result so difficult. The former went for 55 but Sanga made a beautiful 147 before becoming Ali's first Test victim. Skipper Angelo Mathews also reached three figures, playing excellently as the tail collapsed around him, reducng the deficit to 122.
On day 4, Eranga and Herath bowled as well better than they might have expected on such a flat wicket. Only Gary Ballance showed the determination to stick around for more than an hour or so. Then, with Shane Warne leading the chorus urging Cook to signal an acceleration and have a go at the SL openers before stumps, England finally upped their game. Ballance went for his strokes, Broad struck three boundaries and then the Yorkshire batsman had the hundred in his sights. Clearly that was more important than a pre-close declaration, and I'm sure Cook must have felt a day was plenty in which to bowl the opposition out.
Understandably Sri Lanka did not take on the challenge of the 390-run target, trying instead to accumulate without losing early wickets. Silva made his second 50 then Sangakkara dug his heels in. Nevertheless, 159-2 suddenly became 177-5 as Jimmy Anderson produced one of those devastating bursts. Mathews dropped anchor for more than two hours but his 18 looked set to be in vain.
And yet. Eranga and Herath were still there to face Broad for the final over of the match after 7 o'clock. This was to be one of the most exciting Test match finales for many a year. The first ball saw Herath glove the ball to Prior. He walked, only for TV pictures to show his hand had left the bat when the ball made contact and so it wasn't really out. Somehow I suspect the bowler wouldn't have done the same ha he been in Herath's shoes!
Pradeep desperately defended then the fifth ball rapped his pads in front if the stumps. Up went Paul Reiffel's finger, up went the England players in celebration, but up went the batsman's elbow indicating a review. And rightly so; there had been an inside edge so the decision was reversed. Broad got Pradeep to edge the last delivery but it bounced in front of second slip Jordan. It was all over and Sri Lanka had somehow survived.
It must have been hard for Cook to take; so near yet so far. Should he have been more adventurous and hard-nosed the night before, sacrificing Ballance's first century for the greater good of England? With hindsight, very possibly. However, credit to Sri Lanka. This time they held firm and, on what must surely be his final Lord's appearance in a Test, Sangakkara played two excellent innings for the first time at 'HQ'.
I still predict a 1-0 England series victory. Despite James Vince's wonderful innings for Hampshire, there is no point changing the XI for the Headingley decider. Root, Ballance, Bell and Prior saved Cook's and Robson's bacon this week but the Aussie-born Middlesex man needs more runs to justify the label of long-term partner to the captain. As for the opposition, a new 'keeper will be needed as wil a certain amout of luck if they are to avoid defeat. The ghost of Murali lurks overhead as his successors struggle to make a consistent impact on the home batsmen. They surely won't take twenty wickets and, even with Kumar at last finding form in England, that means they won't win, will they?!
It has to be said that England bossed much of the game, apart from the first half-hour or so when Cook and debutant Sam Robson were returned to the pavilion by Pradeep and Kulasekera. Joe Root may be Yorkshire through and through but his affinity with the Lord's pitch was again much in evidence as he proceeded to his first double-century for England. Another new boy, Moeen Ali, should have marked the occasion with a 50 only to edge an ugly swipe at Herath to the 'keeper. Matt Prior's recall was arguably more controversial than the selection of three uncapped players. Just one - er- prior appearance behind the stumps for Sussex and few runs since April left him potentially unprepared for a big occasion like this. However, his 86 and contribution to the 171-run partnership with Root silenced the critics for a while.
The rcalled Liam Plunkett and Broad flung the bat at the one end while Root reached his 200 and Cook could declare on a mighty 575-9. Sri Lanka weren't overawed. With old mates Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara in tandem at 277-2, batting looked so easy and forging a result so difficult. The former went for 55 but Sanga made a beautiful 147 before becoming Ali's first Test victim. Skipper Angelo Mathews also reached three figures, playing excellently as the tail collapsed around him, reducng the deficit to 122.
On day 4, Eranga and Herath bowled as well better than they might have expected on such a flat wicket. Only Gary Ballance showed the determination to stick around for more than an hour or so. Then, with Shane Warne leading the chorus urging Cook to signal an acceleration and have a go at the SL openers before stumps, England finally upped their game. Ballance went for his strokes, Broad struck three boundaries and then the Yorkshire batsman had the hundred in his sights. Clearly that was more important than a pre-close declaration, and I'm sure Cook must have felt a day was plenty in which to bowl the opposition out.
Understandably Sri Lanka did not take on the challenge of the 390-run target, trying instead to accumulate without losing early wickets. Silva made his second 50 then Sangakkara dug his heels in. Nevertheless, 159-2 suddenly became 177-5 as Jimmy Anderson produced one of those devastating bursts. Mathews dropped anchor for more than two hours but his 18 looked set to be in vain.
And yet. Eranga and Herath were still there to face Broad for the final over of the match after 7 o'clock. This was to be one of the most exciting Test match finales for many a year. The first ball saw Herath glove the ball to Prior. He walked, only for TV pictures to show his hand had left the bat when the ball made contact and so it wasn't really out. Somehow I suspect the bowler wouldn't have done the same ha he been in Herath's shoes!
Pradeep desperately defended then the fifth ball rapped his pads in front if the stumps. Up went Paul Reiffel's finger, up went the England players in celebration, but up went the batsman's elbow indicating a review. And rightly so; there had been an inside edge so the decision was reversed. Broad got Pradeep to edge the last delivery but it bounced in front of second slip Jordan. It was all over and Sri Lanka had somehow survived.
It must have been hard for Cook to take; so near yet so far. Should he have been more adventurous and hard-nosed the night before, sacrificing Ballance's first century for the greater good of England? With hindsight, very possibly. However, credit to Sri Lanka. This time they held firm and, on what must surely be his final Lord's appearance in a Test, Sangakkara played two excellent innings for the first time at 'HQ'.
I still predict a 1-0 England series victory. Despite James Vince's wonderful innings for Hampshire, there is no point changing the XI for the Headingley decider. Root, Ballance, Bell and Prior saved Cook's and Robson's bacon this week but the Aussie-born Middlesex man needs more runs to justify the label of long-term partner to the captain. As for the opposition, a new 'keeper will be needed as wil a certain amout of luck if they are to avoid defeat. The ghost of Murali lurks overhead as his successors struggle to make a consistent impact on the home batsmen. They surely won't take twenty wickets and, even with Kumar at last finding form in England, that means they won't win, will they?!
Monday, 20 January 2014
Magician Misbah pulls Victory out of the Hat!
Yesterday I wrote about two very different all-rounders, including the new super-patient Test batsman that is Sri Lankan captain Angelo Mathews. Today, that caution proved his side's downfall as yet again they chucked away a series they seemed sure to win following their emphatic nine-wicket win at Dubai International.
In Sharjah, Mathews won the toss and batted stolidly for almost two days for only 428-9 declared. It was like the 1970s all over again, with two Pakistan spinners twirling away for more than 50 overs apiece, each with an economy rate of barely two. Ahmed Shehzad's century helped his side post a competitive reply before Sri Lanka battened down the hatches again for an excruciating 101 overs. Declaring on the final afternoon, Angelo must have believed Pakistan wouldn't attempt what would have been for them a near-record fourth innings run chase of 302 in a maximum 59 overs. On a spinners' wicket, too. He was wrong...
The openers set off in ODI mode but at 48-2, there was still a lot to do. Azhar Ali compiled an excellent hundred, albeit containing only six boundaries. The strokes came instead from Sarfraz Ahmed and the redoubtable skipper Misbah-ul-Haq. Seamer Lakmal (Test average now over 53!) and spinner Herath came in for a pasting while Ali held firm at the other end. Sarfraz fell just short of 50 with a slightest of leg-side tickles to the 'keeper but his captain maintained the required strike rate to keep Pakistan on course. The number three was also caught behind going for a big hit just seven short of the target but Misbah proceeded to win the match and square the series with nine balls to spare.
Never before had they achieved a last-day victory with such a strike rate and only in the classic 1994 Karachi climax against Australia did they score more in the fourth innings to snatch glory from the jaws of defeat. Ali received the Man of the Match award but so much credit must go to his leader on the pitch. Misbah's second 60+ of the game broke Sri Lankan hearts and spirits, but despite his 135 and 97 in the previous fixtures, it was his opposite number who took the individual series award. Both held the shared trophy aloft afterwards.
So it was another Test series giving us an exciting finale but, let's face it, the first 4 1/2 days were poor entertainment unless you enjoy endless spin bowling and defensive batting. In the end, Pakistan's stroke players won the day, and Misbah, closing in on his 40th birthday, is playing better than ever. His belated Test career has yielded 30 half-centuries in only 80 innings. Mostly batting at six, he has fourteen not-outs to his name, boosting his average to 48.75. He has also proved an invaluable one-day batsman, despite never having reached three figures in 128 ODI innings. Alastair Cook may be jaded but the old man from Mianwali appears the picture of health and happiness.
In Sharjah, Mathews won the toss and batted stolidly for almost two days for only 428-9 declared. It was like the 1970s all over again, with two Pakistan spinners twirling away for more than 50 overs apiece, each with an economy rate of barely two. Ahmed Shehzad's century helped his side post a competitive reply before Sri Lanka battened down the hatches again for an excruciating 101 overs. Declaring on the final afternoon, Angelo must have believed Pakistan wouldn't attempt what would have been for them a near-record fourth innings run chase of 302 in a maximum 59 overs. On a spinners' wicket, too. He was wrong...
The openers set off in ODI mode but at 48-2, there was still a lot to do. Azhar Ali compiled an excellent hundred, albeit containing only six boundaries. The strokes came instead from Sarfraz Ahmed and the redoubtable skipper Misbah-ul-Haq. Seamer Lakmal (Test average now over 53!) and spinner Herath came in for a pasting while Ali held firm at the other end. Sarfraz fell just short of 50 with a slightest of leg-side tickles to the 'keeper but his captain maintained the required strike rate to keep Pakistan on course. The number three was also caught behind going for a big hit just seven short of the target but Misbah proceeded to win the match and square the series with nine balls to spare.
Never before had they achieved a last-day victory with such a strike rate and only in the classic 1994 Karachi climax against Australia did they score more in the fourth innings to snatch glory from the jaws of defeat. Ali received the Man of the Match award but so much credit must go to his leader on the pitch. Misbah's second 60+ of the game broke Sri Lankan hearts and spirits, but despite his 135 and 97 in the previous fixtures, it was his opposite number who took the individual series award. Both held the shared trophy aloft afterwards.
So it was another Test series giving us an exciting finale but, let's face it, the first 4 1/2 days were poor entertainment unless you enjoy endless spin bowling and defensive batting. In the end, Pakistan's stroke players won the day, and Misbah, closing in on his 40th birthday, is playing better than ever. His belated Test career has yielded 30 half-centuries in only 80 innings. Mostly batting at six, he has fourteen not-outs to his name, boosting his average to 48.75. He has also proved an invaluable one-day batsman, despite never having reached three figures in 128 ODI innings. Alastair Cook may be jaded but the old man from Mianwali appears the picture of health and happiness.
Sunday, 19 January 2014
Mathews and Faulkner - All-Rounders in the spotlight
While England's tour Down Under has turned into a cricketing nightmare for all concerned, the spotlight has been re-focussed onto some of Australia's fringe Test players and one-day specialists. As mentioned in previous blogs, I feel the 'all-rounder' label is thrown around far too liberally these days. However, in limited-over matches, it is far easier to shine with bat and ball; not necessarily in the same game but certainly in the same series.
In yesterday's losing team at the SCG, all six of England's bowlers have a first-class century to their names, and Chris Jordan's top score is, at 92, not far short. For the victors, Maxwell and Christian have reached three figures, yet it is James Faulkner who has made the headlines in the past week. Towards the end of 2013, he thrashed 116 in an almost impossible run chase in Bangalore after Rohit Sharma had produced that blistering double-century. However, the innings which brought him to global attention came a few weeks earlier in Mohali. In reply to a brilliant Dhoni hundred, Faulkner struck 64 in a mere 29 balls, including 30 off one Ishant Sharma over, to conjure an incredible triumph.
Now in Brisbane, the Tasmanian proved that Mohali miracle was no one-off. Alastair Cook must have been rehearsing his winner's speech when McKay joined Faulkner for the last wicket still 56 wickets adrift. Stokes and Bresnan are no cannon fodder but the number nine batsmen made them look pretty ordinary with his ability to reach the boundary at will. It wasn't all cow corner slogs either, but English fielders had the appearance of disinterested cattle out to pasture as the ball was frequently propelled past or over them. Earlier, Faulkner had captured the vital wickets of centurion Eoin Morgan and Ravi Bopara but his 73 runs conceded meant this wasn't one of those genuine all-rounder performances. Nevertheless, this was a true match-winning innings for someone who may yet add to his single Test match at The Oval alongside an assured World Cup place.
Over in the Middle East, Sri Lanka have reminded us that, despite their inactivity last year, they remain a Test-playing nation, and a useful one at that. The captaincy baton has been passed frequently from one superstar to another before resting with the man with the greatest superstar potential, Angelo Mathews. For a man with a first-class batting average of 51 and a career-best 270 to his name, it seems odd that he has perhaps a reputation for being a one-day all-rounder rather than a Test batsman of genuine class. He is certainly no Test all-rounder. Sure, he bowls a few overs here and there, but in 35 matches 12 wickets at 70+ runs apiece makes him statistically worse than Joe Root in terms of that average.
In a five-year career at the top, he has rarely made big innings but when you have the likes of Sangakkara, Dilshan and Jayawardene batting ahead of you, that's not necessarily a problem. A brisk 40 or 50 can be just the ticket in certain circumstances. In this series against Pakistan, he has sometimes found himself in the unusual situation of coming in fourth wicket down with Sri Lanka struggling. In the First Test at Abu Dhabi, he relished the responsibility for rescuing his side from potential disaster by striking 91 against Junaid Khan and Saeed Ajmal. This was followed in the second innings by an impressive 157 not out, although in hindsight he maybe delayed his declaration for a shade too long.
At Dubai, he contributed a useful 42 en route to a Second Test win and in the current fixture, he again made 91. For someone with such a one-day reputation, Mathews has shown he can grind out an innings, too, demonstrated by his paltry six boundaries in 256 deliveries faced. Second time out, with victory looking unlikely, he again battened down the hatches, scraping a measly 14 runs in 99 balls. By this time tomorrow, we'll learn whether or not this patience was wise.
Either way, Angelo has proved his worth at Test level with the bat to go with his ODI and T20 all-round ability, which must be reassuring as Sanga and Mahela head towards the end of their glittering careers. James Faulkner is only 23 and, like most Aussies, has modest experience at first-class level. However, Australia must hope that he can develop into that rarity, a genuine all-rounder. For now, a decent fast-medium bowler who can swing the bat so powerfully and smoothly in ODIs will be more than enough for Aussie selectors and fans.
In yesterday's losing team at the SCG, all six of England's bowlers have a first-class century to their names, and Chris Jordan's top score is, at 92, not far short. For the victors, Maxwell and Christian have reached three figures, yet it is James Faulkner who has made the headlines in the past week. Towards the end of 2013, he thrashed 116 in an almost impossible run chase in Bangalore after Rohit Sharma had produced that blistering double-century. However, the innings which brought him to global attention came a few weeks earlier in Mohali. In reply to a brilliant Dhoni hundred, Faulkner struck 64 in a mere 29 balls, including 30 off one Ishant Sharma over, to conjure an incredible triumph.
Now in Brisbane, the Tasmanian proved that Mohali miracle was no one-off. Alastair Cook must have been rehearsing his winner's speech when McKay joined Faulkner for the last wicket still 56 wickets adrift. Stokes and Bresnan are no cannon fodder but the number nine batsmen made them look pretty ordinary with his ability to reach the boundary at will. It wasn't all cow corner slogs either, but English fielders had the appearance of disinterested cattle out to pasture as the ball was frequently propelled past or over them. Earlier, Faulkner had captured the vital wickets of centurion Eoin Morgan and Ravi Bopara but his 73 runs conceded meant this wasn't one of those genuine all-rounder performances. Nevertheless, this was a true match-winning innings for someone who may yet add to his single Test match at The Oval alongside an assured World Cup place.
Over in the Middle East, Sri Lanka have reminded us that, despite their inactivity last year, they remain a Test-playing nation, and a useful one at that. The captaincy baton has been passed frequently from one superstar to another before resting with the man with the greatest superstar potential, Angelo Mathews. For a man with a first-class batting average of 51 and a career-best 270 to his name, it seems odd that he has perhaps a reputation for being a one-day all-rounder rather than a Test batsman of genuine class. He is certainly no Test all-rounder. Sure, he bowls a few overs here and there, but in 35 matches 12 wickets at 70+ runs apiece makes him statistically worse than Joe Root in terms of that average.
In a five-year career at the top, he has rarely made big innings but when you have the likes of Sangakkara, Dilshan and Jayawardene batting ahead of you, that's not necessarily a problem. A brisk 40 or 50 can be just the ticket in certain circumstances. In this series against Pakistan, he has sometimes found himself in the unusual situation of coming in fourth wicket down with Sri Lanka struggling. In the First Test at Abu Dhabi, he relished the responsibility for rescuing his side from potential disaster by striking 91 against Junaid Khan and Saeed Ajmal. This was followed in the second innings by an impressive 157 not out, although in hindsight he maybe delayed his declaration for a shade too long.
At Dubai, he contributed a useful 42 en route to a Second Test win and in the current fixture, he again made 91. For someone with such a one-day reputation, Mathews has shown he can grind out an innings, too, demonstrated by his paltry six boundaries in 256 deliveries faced. Second time out, with victory looking unlikely, he again battened down the hatches, scraping a measly 14 runs in 99 balls. By this time tomorrow, we'll learn whether or not this patience was wise.
Either way, Angelo has proved his worth at Test level with the bat to go with his ODI and T20 all-round ability, which must be reassuring as Sanga and Mahela head towards the end of their glittering careers. James Faulkner is only 23 and, like most Aussies, has modest experience at first-class level. However, Australia must hope that he can develop into that rarity, a genuine all-rounder. For now, a decent fast-medium bowler who can swing the bat so powerfully and smoothly in ODIs will be more than enough for Aussie selectors and fans.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)