The cricketing year produced its usual share of successes and disappointments, retirements and blossoming new talent. Australia won the World Cup but lost the Ashes. India and Sri Lanka lost momentum, New Zealand won a lot of new friends and respect, while Pakistan and England experienced maddening inconsistency. Bangladesh finally showed they are more than Shakib plus fillers, but the West Indies have many mountains to climb if they are to be once again competitive in the Test arena. Gayle, Pollard, Bravo and Russell may be amongst the principal T20 globetrotters but sadly their success seems to be diminishing their prospects at proper cricket.
So who have been the stars of 2015? Steve Smith, Martin Guptill and Chris Gayle were the leading scorers in each of the three international formats. Ravi Ashwin and Mitchell Starc topped the wickets tables in Tess and ODIs. AB De Villiers proved yet again how important he is to South Africa in all types of the sport, and now on top of all his batting and captaincy responsibilities he has taken the gloves in the Test series against England. No wonder he is looking for some time off in 2016. Yet, as his appearances were relatively few, he doesn’t even make my team of the year as it is intended to reflect performances across all forms, domestic and international.
For example, Steven Smith may be righty feted for his form in Tests, but his Aussie team-mate Adam Voges comfortably outscored him (and everybody else) when it came to all first-class cricket. He aggregated 2,547 in the twelve months, but yet even HE doesn’t make my team, as he wasn’t very active in limited overs cricket.
With the ball, Stuart Broad produced one incredible session for England, backed by other useful contributions alongside Jimmy Anderson. Jeetan Patel, Abdur Razzak and Nathan Lyon all added plenty to their career wicket tallies, but time out taken to remodel illegal actions has diminished the effectiveness of traditional spin stars such as Narine and Saeed Ajmal. Instead, there seems to have been a renaissance in left-arm seam and swing bowling.
So to my Eleven of 2015: Chris Gayle may be a T20 specialist (apart from a few World Cup 50-over outings) but his dominance can’t be ignored. His opening partner is Michael Klinger. Arriving at Gloucestershire from a successful domestic season Down Under, the Aussie clumped three T20 centuries in quick succession, before helping them to an unexpected 50-over cup triumph against Surrey. He also amassed 1,666 first-class runs in only 17 matches, making an all-format aggregate of 3,383!
Kumar Sangakkara bowed out of international cricket in 2015 but his form and class were maintained to the end, not only for Sri Lanka but Surrey, too. His overall run total was also comfortably above 3,000 and his glovework did enough to make him my wicketkeeper, too. A modern legend.
Steve Smith’s rise and rise from so-so leg-spinner to Aussie captaincy and leading Test scorer in 2015 is remarkable. His consistency eased the transition from the Michael Clarke era, although it was painful to watch ‘Pup’ struggle for runs in England, which eventually led him to call time on a wonderful career. Yet perhaps the most enjoyable growth in talent belonged to New Zealand’s Kane Williamson. Brendon McCullum’s aggressive yet sporting approach reaped benefits in all forms, but Williamson’s runs were just as important. It is to his great credit that I can find no room for the admirable Joe Root.
My number six is perhaps a little surprising. With a full season with Glamorgan as well as in South Africa, Colin Ingram was free to amass runs in all form of cricket. He could play carefully in the County Championship, yet explode into strokeplay in List A and T20. His strike rate in the latter was 146, right up there with Pollard and Pietersen. I appreciated his willingness to sign autographs for children at the Swalec Stadium boundary, too.
Genuine all-rounders seem to be in short supply at the moment. Dwayne Bravo came into my reckoning but as a T20 one-trick pony, I’ve passed him over in favour of Aussie James Faulkner. Still only 25, his left-arm seam bowling may be his greatest asset, yet in his batting career he averages more than 30 in first-class and List A cricket, and he boasts impressive strike rates. His 2015 performances nudge him into my XI of the year.
Ravi Ashwin was head and shoulders above not only his fellow Indian slow bowlers in height but also every other bowler in Test cricket. He scooped 62 wickets at a mere 17.0 apiece. With 35 ODI victims, too, he’s the first bowler on my team sheet.
Another bowler who can add useful late-order runs is John Hastings. Like Faulkner, a current one-Test wonder, yet a vital cog in the wheels of Durham and Victoria. He took 115 wickets across the year, but even that was eclipsed by the statistics of another Aussie quick. Mitchell Johnson may be the most recognisable of the Mitches, but Starc was the outstanding bowler of 2015. 63 first-class victims at 21, a world-leading 67 List A at a mere 14 apiece, and 21 T20 wickets at an admirable sub-7 economy rate speak for themselves. 100 mph deliveries, too! I just hope he can stay fit for 2016.
My final bowling position is a tough one. Tharindu Kaushal has made little impact on the international scene. However, the 22 year-old off-spinner from Galle amassed a remarkable 111 first-class wickets last year, primarily for the Nondescripts club. Trent Boult has blossomed for New Zealand, yet can I afford to include another left-arm seamer? Perhaps Broad’s right-arm status makes him a contender after all.
Anyway, it’s been an interesting year for cricket in lots of ways. For the record, here is my 2015 Team of the Year:-
Gayle (WI), Klinger (Aus), Sangakkara (SL +), Williamson (NZ), Smith (Aus *), Ingram (SA), Faulkner (Aus), Ashwin (Ind), Hastings (Aus), Starc (Aus), Kaushal (SL). My ‘squad’ also contains Alastair Cook (opener), Root (batsman), Broad and Boult.
Showing posts with label James Faulkner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label James Faulkner. Show all posts
Friday, 1 January 2016
Sunday, 30 August 2015
T20: It’s been a Blast for Lancashire!
Congratulations to Lancashire for finally getting their collective hands on the domestic Twenty20 trophy! The decision to abandon the ‘block’ of group stage matches in favour of a more prolonged schedule focussing on Fridays and weekends has proved to be a good one. Apparently the attendance figures are up despite it not being a sizzling summer.
Admittedly it wasn’t a vintage Finals Day, but that won’t bother Ashley Giles and his charges, who overcame Hampshire and Northamptonshire at Edgbaston to claim their first one-day silverware since 1999. Lancashire weren’t exactly nailed-on favourites. They progressed to the knockout stage only on net run-rate when rain washed out the games involving them and closest rivals Notts. Then in the quarters, they tied with Kent and qualified for Finals Day on fewer wickets lost. Nevertheless they were the side with the nous and flexibility required to succeed on a low-scoring wicket on a cool August evening.
Batsmen usually grab the headlines in one-dayers but Lancashire’s campaign was built on the bowling of Kyle Jarvis (pre-injury), Arron Lilley and the tournament’s leading wicket-takers James Faulkner and Steven Parry, with 25 apiece. The last three also enjoyed economy rates under seven an over, which is quite an achievement. Their winning team featured several players in their early twenties, including Lilley, T20 specialist Liam Livingstone, debutant Gavin Griffiths and the Final’s Man of the Match, Alex Davies, who is 21 but looks about 16. I don’t know if South African veterans Prince and Petersen will still be around next season to consolidate Lancashire’s Championship Division One status, but much will be thrust upon the shoulders of the locally-produced youngsters.
Some credit must go to captain Steven Croft, whose hundredth consecutive appearance coincided with Finals Day. Born in Blackpool, he has been a reliable all-rounder in all formats for Lancashire for a decade, and deserves a few headlines of his own.
Northants have won the tournament before but will badly miss the explosive batting and fast bowling of David Willey, who scored almost 300 runs and took 15 wickets throughout the summer. They need a thriving T20 Blast merely to survive as a business, as do several other non-Test-playing counties like Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Gloucestershire.
Did the tournament benefit from the contributions of global stars like Jayawardene, McCullum, Maxwell, Tait and Shahid Afridi? Not hugely, I think. Big Brendon struck the highest individual score of the 2015 Blast (158 not out in 64 balls for the Bears), Tait nabbed a creditable 23 wickets and Afridi provided some delightful cameos in the Finals. However, the overseas stars tended to make only fleeting appearances, taking the money and running.
It seems like ages since Chris Gayle swept into Somerset in May, seemingly contracted to play six Blast games. He made an instant impact, smashing sixes galore, 328 runs and peppering the River Tone. However, his early departure after only three matches did leave a sour taste in the mouths of Somerset fans like me. I doubt we would have qualified even had he stayed for another week but a lot of tickets – home and away – were sold on the basis of his appearances, and his absences felt like betrayal.
The top run scorers were predominantly home-grown. In an otherwise mediocre season, James Vince excelled in the Blast, Sam Northeast struck some big scores at hefty rates for Kent, and the ever-reliable Luke Wright topped 500 runs at a remarkable 172 per 100 balls, beaten only by Gayle. However, a special mention must go to Michael Klinger. The Aussie opener missed the start of the season but delivered an incredible three centuries and four fifties in twelve innings!
While the big old names from Sri Lanka, South Africa and Pakistan deservedly carry much weight to go with their pay packets, I think the (mainly young) T20 audiences would prefer to see the England internationals like Bell, Buttler, Broad and Root representing their counties. They are the ones who will ultimately encourage children to take up cricket and their absence from most of the matches is regrettable if inevitable.
Finally, here is my T20 Blast team of 2015.
Vince (Ham), Klinger (Glo), Wright (Sus), Willey (Nor), Northeast (Ken), Bopara (Ess), Faulkner (Lan), Wheater (Ham +), Parry (Lan), Lilley (Lan), Tom Smith (Glo).
Individual of 2015: Chris Gayle (Som).
Admittedly it wasn’t a vintage Finals Day, but that won’t bother Ashley Giles and his charges, who overcame Hampshire and Northamptonshire at Edgbaston to claim their first one-day silverware since 1999. Lancashire weren’t exactly nailed-on favourites. They progressed to the knockout stage only on net run-rate when rain washed out the games involving them and closest rivals Notts. Then in the quarters, they tied with Kent and qualified for Finals Day on fewer wickets lost. Nevertheless they were the side with the nous and flexibility required to succeed on a low-scoring wicket on a cool August evening.
Batsmen usually grab the headlines in one-dayers but Lancashire’s campaign was built on the bowling of Kyle Jarvis (pre-injury), Arron Lilley and the tournament’s leading wicket-takers James Faulkner and Steven Parry, with 25 apiece. The last three also enjoyed economy rates under seven an over, which is quite an achievement. Their winning team featured several players in their early twenties, including Lilley, T20 specialist Liam Livingstone, debutant Gavin Griffiths and the Final’s Man of the Match, Alex Davies, who is 21 but looks about 16. I don’t know if South African veterans Prince and Petersen will still be around next season to consolidate Lancashire’s Championship Division One status, but much will be thrust upon the shoulders of the locally-produced youngsters.
Some credit must go to captain Steven Croft, whose hundredth consecutive appearance coincided with Finals Day. Born in Blackpool, he has been a reliable all-rounder in all formats for Lancashire for a decade, and deserves a few headlines of his own.
Northants have won the tournament before but will badly miss the explosive batting and fast bowling of David Willey, who scored almost 300 runs and took 15 wickets throughout the summer. They need a thriving T20 Blast merely to survive as a business, as do several other non-Test-playing counties like Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Gloucestershire.
Did the tournament benefit from the contributions of global stars like Jayawardene, McCullum, Maxwell, Tait and Shahid Afridi? Not hugely, I think. Big Brendon struck the highest individual score of the 2015 Blast (158 not out in 64 balls for the Bears), Tait nabbed a creditable 23 wickets and Afridi provided some delightful cameos in the Finals. However, the overseas stars tended to make only fleeting appearances, taking the money and running.
It seems like ages since Chris Gayle swept into Somerset in May, seemingly contracted to play six Blast games. He made an instant impact, smashing sixes galore, 328 runs and peppering the River Tone. However, his early departure after only three matches did leave a sour taste in the mouths of Somerset fans like me. I doubt we would have qualified even had he stayed for another week but a lot of tickets – home and away – were sold on the basis of his appearances, and his absences felt like betrayal.
The top run scorers were predominantly home-grown. In an otherwise mediocre season, James Vince excelled in the Blast, Sam Northeast struck some big scores at hefty rates for Kent, and the ever-reliable Luke Wright topped 500 runs at a remarkable 172 per 100 balls, beaten only by Gayle. However, a special mention must go to Michael Klinger. The Aussie opener missed the start of the season but delivered an incredible three centuries and four fifties in twelve innings!
While the big old names from Sri Lanka, South Africa and Pakistan deservedly carry much weight to go with their pay packets, I think the (mainly young) T20 audiences would prefer to see the England internationals like Bell, Buttler, Broad and Root representing their counties. They are the ones who will ultimately encourage children to take up cricket and their absence from most of the matches is regrettable if inevitable.
Finally, here is my T20 Blast team of 2015.
Vince (Ham), Klinger (Glo), Wright (Sus), Willey (Nor), Northeast (Ken), Bopara (Ess), Faulkner (Lan), Wheater (Ham +), Parry (Lan), Lilley (Lan), Tom Smith (Glo).
Individual of 2015: Chris Gayle (Som).
Sunday, 26 January 2014
It's Australia's day on Australia Day
With only a few end-of-term slog-and-hopes to come, England's proper tour of Australia has finally concluded with yet another defeat. At least the ODIs have seen some closer contests than the Tests, and Alastair Cook can also cling to the Perth victory for some comfort. That, and the bowling performance which almost clinched another consolation triumph today in Adelaide.
Even Darren Lehmann voiced the opinion that it looked a 240-250 run pitch, crediting both sides' bowlers for making it such a hard-fought encounter of a 220 target. Broad, Jordan and Stokes put the brakes on the home team, forcing several batsmen to throw away their wickets in an attempt to escalate the scoring rate. George Bailey was the only man to pass 50 although some late blows from Faulkner gave him and his fellow seamers something to aim at.
Following Shane Watson, Ben Stokes became the second number three to fall for a duck. Bell made little impression, Cook scraped 39 but the dependable Eoin Morgan and Joe Root shared a valuable fourth wicket stand of 64 to keep hopes strong. Both departed in quick succession but when Buttler and Bresnan failed to stick around it was left to Ravi Bopara to steer England to the 24 runs needed at only a run a ball. That he was eventually declared to have been stumped by a Matthew Wade fumble may add to the conspiracy theories but it may not have cost England the game. Even in ultra-slow motion, the comparative positions of Bopara's toe and the temporarily-dislodged bail are so difficult to assess. Almost certainly the verdict would have gone the batsman's way in England but he was unlucky not to get the benefit of the doubt in Adelaide. Unfortunate but not 'robbed'!
So it's a 4-1 result, but had Ravi or any of the tail-enders struck a couple of boundaries today and James Faulkner found a fielder in the deep during his Brisbane blitz, England could well have been celebrating a series win, deflecting a lot of the criticism of Cook's captaincy and of the overall administration. As it happened, neither came to pass. On such ifs and buts can whole series depend, and that's what makes 50-over matches so entertaining. India and Australia may lead the ODI rankings but neither will have an easy ride in next year's World Cup. Remember, too, that Australia could afford to rotate their squad; only Finch, Bailey, Faulkner and Coulter-Nile played in all five.
So what have England learned about their players? Eoin Morgan and Stuart Broad may have emerged with reputations enhanced while Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler did enough to keep their places. Root, Bell and captain Cook were so-so and can probably just look forward to a rest without the axe hovering. As for Tim Bresnan, Ravi Bopara, Boyd Rankin and Chris Jordan, they need to produce some consistent performances if they are to be World Cup squad members. Jordan has some fans in the media but I'm yet to be convinced. The aforementioned quartet are in the T20 squad but a few good T20 sessions in the next week won't be enough for me, I'm afraid.
Australia have named a few unknown (to me) faces in their T20 XIV. It'll be interesting to see whether the names of Ben Cutting, Chris Lynn and James Muirhead can appear in bright lights alongside those of Faulkner, Clarke, Johnson, Haddin, Harris and Finch from the previous two months.
Even Darren Lehmann voiced the opinion that it looked a 240-250 run pitch, crediting both sides' bowlers for making it such a hard-fought encounter of a 220 target. Broad, Jordan and Stokes put the brakes on the home team, forcing several batsmen to throw away their wickets in an attempt to escalate the scoring rate. George Bailey was the only man to pass 50 although some late blows from Faulkner gave him and his fellow seamers something to aim at.
Following Shane Watson, Ben Stokes became the second number three to fall for a duck. Bell made little impression, Cook scraped 39 but the dependable Eoin Morgan and Joe Root shared a valuable fourth wicket stand of 64 to keep hopes strong. Both departed in quick succession but when Buttler and Bresnan failed to stick around it was left to Ravi Bopara to steer England to the 24 runs needed at only a run a ball. That he was eventually declared to have been stumped by a Matthew Wade fumble may add to the conspiracy theories but it may not have cost England the game. Even in ultra-slow motion, the comparative positions of Bopara's toe and the temporarily-dislodged bail are so difficult to assess. Almost certainly the verdict would have gone the batsman's way in England but he was unlucky not to get the benefit of the doubt in Adelaide. Unfortunate but not 'robbed'!
So it's a 4-1 result, but had Ravi or any of the tail-enders struck a couple of boundaries today and James Faulkner found a fielder in the deep during his Brisbane blitz, England could well have been celebrating a series win, deflecting a lot of the criticism of Cook's captaincy and of the overall administration. As it happened, neither came to pass. On such ifs and buts can whole series depend, and that's what makes 50-over matches so entertaining. India and Australia may lead the ODI rankings but neither will have an easy ride in next year's World Cup. Remember, too, that Australia could afford to rotate their squad; only Finch, Bailey, Faulkner and Coulter-Nile played in all five.
So what have England learned about their players? Eoin Morgan and Stuart Broad may have emerged with reputations enhanced while Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler did enough to keep their places. Root, Bell and captain Cook were so-so and can probably just look forward to a rest without the axe hovering. As for Tim Bresnan, Ravi Bopara, Boyd Rankin and Chris Jordan, they need to produce some consistent performances if they are to be World Cup squad members. Jordan has some fans in the media but I'm yet to be convinced. The aforementioned quartet are in the T20 squad but a few good T20 sessions in the next week won't be enough for me, I'm afraid.
Australia have named a few unknown (to me) faces in their T20 XIV. It'll be interesting to see whether the names of Ben Cutting, Chris Lynn and James Muirhead can appear in bright lights alongside those of Faulkner, Clarke, Johnson, Haddin, Harris and Finch from the previous two months.
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.
Thursday, 23 May 2013
CSK lead the way
I know it's not my favourite competition - give me the County Championship any day, even with Somerset's dreadful run! - but the IPL is worth following just to see how the world's best cricketers fare against each other in the biff-bang game. Chris Gayle is the king of Twenty20 but even his sixes couldn't drag RCB into the top four. Not only that, but the Chennai Super Kings feature batsmen who have outperformed the West Indian opener.
Surely CSK should have the firepower in depth to win the final this weekend, whoever the opposition. Mike Hussey has played the same number of games as Gayle, yet has accumulated 24 more runs, featuring six half-centuries in the 16 innings. His 58-ball 86 not out against the Indians was superb and it took an even more ferocious performance by team-mate Suresh Raina to steal the headlines, though not the Man of the Match award.
Of the top players, Gayle doesn't even boast the best strike rate. That belongs to another CSK stalwart, their irrepressible skipper MS Dhoni. He may have endured considerable criticism since India slipped off their perch as number one Test nation but in the short formats, MS is as good as anyone. A strike rate of more than 167, with just the final to come, is phenomenal. Needless to say, he has also made more dismissals behind the stumps (15) than anyone else in this year's competition.
With the ball, CSK also field the highest wicket-taker, Darren Bravo. His 28 scalps often seem to come at the death, with a soaring economy rate to match, but his contribution to the Chennai cause cannot be overlooked. Lasith Malinga has been eclipsed at last! He wasn't even the best fast bowler in Mumbai's side; that is Mitch Johnson. Mean bowling is usually the preserve of the spinners such as Harbjajan Singh, Mishra and the excellent Sunil Narine, but Dale Steyn's 19 wickets at under a run a ball have taken the Sunrisers to touching distance of the final. James Faulkner has snared an impressive 27 IPL victims this year, making him the star of the Royals' march to the final eliminator. I hadn't realised what a fine all-round record he has in first-class cricket, too, so could a Test call-up be far away?
So will Chennai Super Kings claim their third title in four years? Even if they don't, their ace performers have lit up the tournament. Mike Hussey may have retired from Test cricket but his class in all cricket remains undimmed. The lights may have gone out on Tendulkar and Ponting this Spring but Mr Cricket, about to reach his 38th birthday, shines as brightly as ever.
Surely CSK should have the firepower in depth to win the final this weekend, whoever the opposition. Mike Hussey has played the same number of games as Gayle, yet has accumulated 24 more runs, featuring six half-centuries in the 16 innings. His 58-ball 86 not out against the Indians was superb and it took an even more ferocious performance by team-mate Suresh Raina to steal the headlines, though not the Man of the Match award.
Of the top players, Gayle doesn't even boast the best strike rate. That belongs to another CSK stalwart, their irrepressible skipper MS Dhoni. He may have endured considerable criticism since India slipped off their perch as number one Test nation but in the short formats, MS is as good as anyone. A strike rate of more than 167, with just the final to come, is phenomenal. Needless to say, he has also made more dismissals behind the stumps (15) than anyone else in this year's competition.
With the ball, CSK also field the highest wicket-taker, Darren Bravo. His 28 scalps often seem to come at the death, with a soaring economy rate to match, but his contribution to the Chennai cause cannot be overlooked. Lasith Malinga has been eclipsed at last! He wasn't even the best fast bowler in Mumbai's side; that is Mitch Johnson. Mean bowling is usually the preserve of the spinners such as Harbjajan Singh, Mishra and the excellent Sunil Narine, but Dale Steyn's 19 wickets at under a run a ball have taken the Sunrisers to touching distance of the final. James Faulkner has snared an impressive 27 IPL victims this year, making him the star of the Royals' march to the final eliminator. I hadn't realised what a fine all-round record he has in first-class cricket, too, so could a Test call-up be far away?
So will Chennai Super Kings claim their third title in four years? Even if they don't, their ace performers have lit up the tournament. Mike Hussey may have retired from Test cricket but his class in all cricket remains undimmed. The lights may have gone out on Tendulkar and Ponting this Spring but Mr Cricket, about to reach his 38th birthday, shines as brightly as ever.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)