Most of Division One’s nine counties have been in the frame for the Championship pennant this summer, and now it’s Durham’s turn to post a genuine challenge. They enjoyed a brief burst of hot sunshine by sneaking a two-wicket win over former leaders Lancashire at Southport. Adam Hickey and Chris Rushworth saw them to the finish line despite a five-wicket haul from Tom Smith. Ben Stokes and Jimmy Anderson each bowled tidily in opposition to each other, although the latter was excused duties on the last two days.
Lancashire now sit in fourth, only a few points ahead of Somerset who enjoyed a ten-wicket trouncing of Nottinghamshire, many people’s tip for the title. The Cidermen’s tail is longer than a gibbon’s these days but it didn’t matter when Marcus Trescothick is in this form. Now 40 and sporting spectacles, the opener struck a splendid 218 in the first innings and helped Johann Myburgh knock off the hundred-odd runs on the final afternoon when the weather was on the verge of breaking.
Accompanying that Somerset performance, Surrey dumped Notts into the bottom two and made Hampshire’s task of avoiding the drop even tougher, beating the latter by an innings. No fewer than three men made three figures, including skipper Gareth Batty, whose maiden hundred formed half of a record-breaking double-century eighth wicket stand with Ben Foakes. Batty then took 6-51 to round things off nicely.
It’s getting even closer in Division Two. Leicestershire prevented Gloucestershire going top by winning at Cheltenham and did their promotion chances no end of good, too. Just eleven points separate the top four. Ben Raine enjoyed a good all-round game although Paul Horton’s final day 73 proved to be the highest individual score.
At the other end of the table, Glamorgan finally secured a victory in an exciting encounter at Colwyn Bay. Teenager Aneurin Donald not only achieved his maiden hundred but also converted it into the joint fastest ‘double’ in first-class cricket history! No matter that he went for a duck second time around. His 234 included fifteen sixes! 341 adrift, Derbyshire did make a game of it in the second innings, as Chesney Hughes and Billy Godleman also made tons, but Rudolph and Meschede steadied a rocky ship to claim a four-wicket victory.
In the Tunbridge Wells derby, Kent’s Sam Northeast’s 190 bested Ross Taylor’s 142 not out in a drawn encounter. Sussex were made to follow on but they comfortably avoided defeat on the final day.
After the week’s Twenty20 fixtures, Nottinghamshire and Gloucestershire sit atop their respective leagues, while Glamorgan’s easy win over struggling Somerset ensured a quarter-final place. Middlesex won London bragging rights after edging Surrey in front of a record English county T20 attendance at Lord’s. Elsewhere, Ian Bell biffed fifties in each of Warwickshire’s three matches, although they won only two of them.
The knockout qualifiers will be decided next Friday evening while the Championship takes a fortnight’s break.
Team of the Week: Trescothick (Som), Bell (War), Hughes (Der), Northeast (Ken), Taylor (Sus), Donald (Gla), Foakes (Sur +), Raine (Lei), Batty (Sur), Higgins (Mid), Payne (Glo)
Showing posts with label Ross Taylor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ross Taylor. Show all posts
Saturday, 23 July 2016
Wednesday, 18 November 2015
Farewell to Mitch, a great bowler amongst run machines
In the two Tests so far, on the pitch it’s been all about the batsmen. Therefore it takes a special bowler to seize the headlines – step forward, Mitchell Johnson! It’s a shame, however, that it was to announce his immediate retirement from international cricket.
I hadn’t realised he was already 34, maybe because of his stop-start career and continuing success in the Baggy Green. 73 Tests aren’t many these days, yet he still managed to capture 313 wickets at 28.4 apiece. His strike rate of only 51 is even more world-class but what Johnson brought to the game was not a welter of impressive stats but charisma.
There was also Mitch’s old left-arm slinger action to set him apart. To dismiss the old tag of wayward paceman, he remodelled it to something more conventional and, complete with Lillee-esque moustache, proceeded to destroy opposition batsmen with undimmed enthusiasm. His demolition of England a few winters ago was absolutely electric. However, it’s interesting to read on ESPN Cricinfo readers’ examples of his greatest hits. It wasn’t just about Brisbane and Adelaide in 2013; there were bursts at Centurion, in India; everywhere, really.
He even signed off with a creditable 2-20 in the final innings, ripping out the New Zealand openers. The pace may have been down a touch on his regular 90+mph boomers of a few seasons ago but, with fellow Mitchell, Starc, breaking the official world record delivery speed, Australia should continue to boast a formidable fast bowling attack at Adelaide and beyond.
In England, Johnson was always a figure of fun, a target for the Barmy Army. That was partly because he would rise to the bait very quickly. On the other hand, he could play along with humour, especially when returning to the boundary having taken a wicket or two! He was also generous to thirsty cricket fans in the stands on a sweltering day, chucking them his supply of cold drinks! We’ll all miss him.
As for the ongoing series, the run rate in both matches played to date have been amongst the top ten in Test history, boundaries flowing faster than the Foster’s. David Warner’s three consecutive centuries, including that 253 at the WACA, were incredible, taking his average above 51. Not bad for a former T20 specialist! And yet Ross Taylor went and trumped him with 290, which I think is the highest Test score ever made by an overseas player in Australia. With the ever-impressive Kane Williamson at the other end, it was also vital to maintain the Black Caps’ interest in the series after their capitulation at Fortress Gabba.
As for the finale, will Trent Boult and Tim Southee finally strike lucky? Boult, in particular, has suffered, with figures of 6-388, and he’s better than that. However, all the Aussie batsmen have looked strong, from Burns and Warner to Smith, Khawaja and Voges. While it’s great for audiences used to Big Bashes to wallow in a Test full of fours, I hope it’s more of an even contest between bat and ball at Adelaide. It’s just sad that it will no longer be Mitchell Johnson with the ball.
I hadn’t realised he was already 34, maybe because of his stop-start career and continuing success in the Baggy Green. 73 Tests aren’t many these days, yet he still managed to capture 313 wickets at 28.4 apiece. His strike rate of only 51 is even more world-class but what Johnson brought to the game was not a welter of impressive stats but charisma.
There was also Mitch’s old left-arm slinger action to set him apart. To dismiss the old tag of wayward paceman, he remodelled it to something more conventional and, complete with Lillee-esque moustache, proceeded to destroy opposition batsmen with undimmed enthusiasm. His demolition of England a few winters ago was absolutely electric. However, it’s interesting to read on ESPN Cricinfo readers’ examples of his greatest hits. It wasn’t just about Brisbane and Adelaide in 2013; there were bursts at Centurion, in India; everywhere, really.
He even signed off with a creditable 2-20 in the final innings, ripping out the New Zealand openers. The pace may have been down a touch on his regular 90+mph boomers of a few seasons ago but, with fellow Mitchell, Starc, breaking the official world record delivery speed, Australia should continue to boast a formidable fast bowling attack at Adelaide and beyond.
In England, Johnson was always a figure of fun, a target for the Barmy Army. That was partly because he would rise to the bait very quickly. On the other hand, he could play along with humour, especially when returning to the boundary having taken a wicket or two! He was also generous to thirsty cricket fans in the stands on a sweltering day, chucking them his supply of cold drinks! We’ll all miss him.
As for the ongoing series, the run rate in both matches played to date have been amongst the top ten in Test history, boundaries flowing faster than the Foster’s. David Warner’s three consecutive centuries, including that 253 at the WACA, were incredible, taking his average above 51. Not bad for a former T20 specialist! And yet Ross Taylor went and trumped him with 290, which I think is the highest Test score ever made by an overseas player in Australia. With the ever-impressive Kane Williamson at the other end, it was also vital to maintain the Black Caps’ interest in the series after their capitulation at Fortress Gabba.
As for the finale, will Trent Boult and Tim Southee finally strike lucky? Boult, in particular, has suffered, with figures of 6-388, and he’s better than that. However, all the Aussie batsmen have looked strong, from Burns and Warner to Smith, Khawaja and Voges. While it’s great for audiences used to Big Bashes to wallow in a Test full of fours, I hope it’s more of an even contest between bat and ball at Adelaide. It’s just sad that it will no longer be Mitchell Johnson with the ball.
Sunday, 21 June 2015
England v New Zealand – Memorable but for the wrong reasons?
Now that we’ve all caught our breath, it’s time to reflect on the truly memorable ODI series between England and New Zealand. I always felt it would be a competitive contest between a side in captain Brendon McCullum’s mould and one desperately seeking to copy it after that dismal World Cup just a few months earlier. And so it proved.
However, the astonishing turnaround in England’s fortunes must have surprised most onlookers. Of course, the pitches, boundary distances, bat technology and fielding restrictions have all been created to boost run rates and the six count. All that was needed for England to capitalise was introduce the ethos of ‘take a gamble; there’s somebody else padded up should you get out’. The bold policy of picking a bunch of T20 specialists signalled the new regime’s intention and all the players had to do is carry it out to the letter.
Easier said than done, of course, and the Black Caps, as England found out to their cost in the World Cup, are amongst the best in the business when it comes to the fifty-over format. Nevertheless, it has been an exhilarating series for the batsmen and spectators who drool over a succession of heaves over square leg, ragged top-edges over third man and flicks into the crowd just 50 metres from the crease. The records racked up rapidly;
- The most runs in a series of five or fewer matches (3,151);
- The highest ever run rate a five-match rubber (7.15 an over)
- England’s first ever score of 400 (408-9 at Edgbaston)
- England’s biggest winning margin (210 runs, in the same game)
- The fastest ever England century (by Jos Buttler – again!)
And yet New Zealand would have triumphed had Jonny Bairstow not stepped up to the plate in the rain-hit decider at Chester-le-Street! When Joe Root and Buttler smashed centuries in the first game, we knew something special was on the cards. 27 sixes featured in the second at The Oval, where England narrowly failed thanks to the Duckworth/Lewis intervention. At the Rose Bowl, it was the turn of Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor to plunder hundreds in a well-measured run chase, before the feat was repeated by Root and Eoin Morgan at Trent Bridge. Here, England made a target of 350 look ridiculously easy. The clincher in the North East included fewer runs and ‘only’ seven sixes but far more drama.
The statistics show that Williamson, Taylor, Morgan and Root each aggregated more than 250 runs, the former finishing on an amazing 396. Of the fifteen players who faced at least 50 balls, only three had strike rates of under 100 per 100 balls. Curiously these were Taylor, Martin Guptill and England’s supposedly big-hitting opener Jason Roy. Morgan’s six tally of 16 easily outnumbered anybody else’s but I have more respect for Willamson’s ability to find the gaps, collecting a mightily impressive 49 fours throughout the series.
So it was all brilliant, wasn’t it? Not if you’re a bowler, it wasn’t! Nobody took even ten wickets. Ben Stokes, Steve Finn and Adil Rashid led the way and, while Mark Wood claimed only two at 78.5 apiece, his economy rate was a very commendable 5.23. Chris Jordan and Neil McCullum went for at least nine an over. The balance between bat and ball has become hideously distorted, but one good thing has been the standard of fielding. Catches will always be dropped occasionally but the athleticism in the deep is better than it has ever been. Just think about the Southee-Boult boundary ‘relay catch’ in the second ODI. And in recent years, Southee seems to make this look routine.
I don’t know whether such a runfest is good for cricket but it will add to the already massive Ashes mania, and boost Sky TV ratings. Bums on seats are already assured, even at Cardiff, although sadly mine won’t be amongst them. Too expensive and not enough remaining holiday entitlement! In my view, from an England perspective, Hales, Roy and Billings have not justified their own hype. However, the series has demonstrated once again that, for all the country’s previously poor recent ODI performances, especially at home, Joe Root and Jos Buttler are world-class.
The other element to celebrate is the spirit in which the series was conducted. McCullum and Morgan are fierce competitors but good friends, and it showed. In this respect, Broad and Anderson were not missed at all. England fans should doff a cap to New Zealand for showing their side how 50-over cricket can be played. Now we just need to allow spectators to admire the skills of Southee, Boult, Henry, Finn et al as bowlers rather than as six-fodder!
However, the astonishing turnaround in England’s fortunes must have surprised most onlookers. Of course, the pitches, boundary distances, bat technology and fielding restrictions have all been created to boost run rates and the six count. All that was needed for England to capitalise was introduce the ethos of ‘take a gamble; there’s somebody else padded up should you get out’. The bold policy of picking a bunch of T20 specialists signalled the new regime’s intention and all the players had to do is carry it out to the letter.
Easier said than done, of course, and the Black Caps, as England found out to their cost in the World Cup, are amongst the best in the business when it comes to the fifty-over format. Nevertheless, it has been an exhilarating series for the batsmen and spectators who drool over a succession of heaves over square leg, ragged top-edges over third man and flicks into the crowd just 50 metres from the crease. The records racked up rapidly;
- The most runs in a series of five or fewer matches (3,151);
- The highest ever run rate a five-match rubber (7.15 an over)
- England’s first ever score of 400 (408-9 at Edgbaston)
- England’s biggest winning margin (210 runs, in the same game)
- The fastest ever England century (by Jos Buttler – again!)
And yet New Zealand would have triumphed had Jonny Bairstow not stepped up to the plate in the rain-hit decider at Chester-le-Street! When Joe Root and Buttler smashed centuries in the first game, we knew something special was on the cards. 27 sixes featured in the second at The Oval, where England narrowly failed thanks to the Duckworth/Lewis intervention. At the Rose Bowl, it was the turn of Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor to plunder hundreds in a well-measured run chase, before the feat was repeated by Root and Eoin Morgan at Trent Bridge. Here, England made a target of 350 look ridiculously easy. The clincher in the North East included fewer runs and ‘only’ seven sixes but far more drama.
The statistics show that Williamson, Taylor, Morgan and Root each aggregated more than 250 runs, the former finishing on an amazing 396. Of the fifteen players who faced at least 50 balls, only three had strike rates of under 100 per 100 balls. Curiously these were Taylor, Martin Guptill and England’s supposedly big-hitting opener Jason Roy. Morgan’s six tally of 16 easily outnumbered anybody else’s but I have more respect for Willamson’s ability to find the gaps, collecting a mightily impressive 49 fours throughout the series.
So it was all brilliant, wasn’t it? Not if you’re a bowler, it wasn’t! Nobody took even ten wickets. Ben Stokes, Steve Finn and Adil Rashid led the way and, while Mark Wood claimed only two at 78.5 apiece, his economy rate was a very commendable 5.23. Chris Jordan and Neil McCullum went for at least nine an over. The balance between bat and ball has become hideously distorted, but one good thing has been the standard of fielding. Catches will always be dropped occasionally but the athleticism in the deep is better than it has ever been. Just think about the Southee-Boult boundary ‘relay catch’ in the second ODI. And in recent years, Southee seems to make this look routine.
I don’t know whether such a runfest is good for cricket but it will add to the already massive Ashes mania, and boost Sky TV ratings. Bums on seats are already assured, even at Cardiff, although sadly mine won’t be amongst them. Too expensive and not enough remaining holiday entitlement! In my view, from an England perspective, Hales, Roy and Billings have not justified their own hype. However, the series has demonstrated once again that, for all the country’s previously poor recent ODI performances, especially at home, Joe Root and Jos Buttler are world-class.
The other element to celebrate is the spirit in which the series was conducted. McCullum and Morgan are fierce competitors but good friends, and it showed. In this respect, Broad and Anderson were not missed at all. England fans should doff a cap to New Zealand for showing their side how 50-over cricket can be played. Now we just need to allow spectators to admire the skills of Southee, Boult, Henry, Finn et al as bowlers rather than as six-fodder!
Sunday, 29 December 2013
2013 Test Cricket Players of the Year
For many, 2013 was about two all-time greats: Sachin Tendulkar and Jacques Kallis. Both took their bows from Test cricket, albeit in very different circumstances. The Little Master's departure was choreographed along the lines of a British royal wedding while, typically, the South African all-rounder signed off with much less fuss, a sedate century, his 200th catch and plaudits of cricket fans worldwide. But because neither really took the eye on the pitch, neither make my Test XI of the year. Indeed, it's not necessarily the best eleven players, either, and doesn't follow the ICC rankings. After all, Sri Lanka played virtually no Test matches at all. But for me the team are those who produced the most consistent run-scoring, wicket-taking, etc at the top level during 2013.
It wasn't a great year for openers. David Warner and Alastair Cook probably scored more runs than anybody else in this position but both had very mixed years. I have therefore plumped for two men currently in opposition and who played relatively few matches. Graeme Smith continues to be a successful skipper and run maker for the world's number one ranked team, South Africa, while Murali Vijay has made some decent scores against boh Australia and South Africa. He can also bowl a few overs to keep the attack leaders fresh.
Candidates for the middle-order are much thicker on the ground. Dhawan and Rutherford made sensational debuts last winter, Ian Bell had a superb home Ashes series, Virat Kohli finally demonstrated the maturity to excel at the most demanding form of cricket and Hashim Amla also averaged more than 50. However, none manage to squeeze into my team of the year. Instead, I have included India's number three, Cheteshwar Pujara. Besides amassing huge innings in domestic cricket, he contributed more than 800 runs and, at the time of writing, three hundreds for the national cause. First defeated, then victorious Ashes captain Michael Clarke was one of only two batsmen to compile more than 1000 Test runs in the calendar year (Bell being the other) whilst coping with the considerable mental pressures of leading his side in the most gruelling of series. New Zealand's Ross Taylor marked his return to the fold with centuries in three successive Tests against the West Indies. Then there's the incomparable AB De Villiers. Officially the best Test and ODI batsman in the world, AB has delivered almost a thousand runs at an average of 90+, whilst taking the gloves. He's hardly ever off the field of play!
Nevertheless, I want a specialist wicketkeeper in my team and Brad Haddin's combination of glovework and vital lower-order runs throughout the year, at the age of 36, fit the bill superbly.
The retirement of Kallis hits home the dearth of international all-rounders in the modern game. I can think of nobody in Tests capable of delivering match-winnng batting and bowling on any consistent scale. Vernon Philander may have the potential and Ravi Ashwin hit 124 against the Windies at Kolkata a few months ago. However, Ashwin earns his place for his spin demolition of Australia and the Windies. Will he be able to reproduce such form on away pitches, I wonder?
Watching him and his hapless team-mates struggling in Australia in the past few weeks, it is har to remember the impact Stuart Broad made earlier in 2013. He has by far the most Test wickets in the year (62), including five five-fors, and all atr an average of 25.80. When he's poor, he looks very average but when the modd and fancy takes him, he is almost unplayable. Even Jimmy Anderson was knocked from his pedestal as England's best bowler. The contrast with Mitchell Johnson is stark. His career having hit the doldrums after previous Ashes horrors, he stormed back with a vengeance to destroy English hopes and batting with a twirl of a new moustache and a renewed line in aggression. He claimed 34 wickets in only six Tests at under 18 apiece. His colleague Ryan Harris would have joined him but for a certain Mr Dale Steyn. He may have been displaced at the top of the ICC tree by Philander but he continued to exude skill and venom on the friendliest of batting pitches, amassing 48 wickets (with a day to go). Like Johnson, his average sits below 18 and his economy rate of 2.49 is one of the best around of the major wicket-takers.
If my Team of the Year has to play on a pitch requiring five front-line bowlers, then I'd drop Haddin for New Zealand's left-arm seamer Trent Boult, who took 46 wickets at 25 against a range of opposition, home and away. No Pakistanis make the XI but I hope their dominance of my ODI side of the year is adequate compensation!
To summarise, here is the Test Team of 2013: Smith (SA), Vijay (Ind), Pujara (Ind), Clarke (* Aus), Taylor (NZ), De Villiers (SA), Haddin (+ Aus), Ashwin (Ind), Broad (Eng), Johnson (Aus), Steyn (SA).
My overall players of the year, taking in all senior cricket, will be revealed shortly....
It wasn't a great year for openers. David Warner and Alastair Cook probably scored more runs than anybody else in this position but both had very mixed years. I have therefore plumped for two men currently in opposition and who played relatively few matches. Graeme Smith continues to be a successful skipper and run maker for the world's number one ranked team, South Africa, while Murali Vijay has made some decent scores against boh Australia and South Africa. He can also bowl a few overs to keep the attack leaders fresh.
Candidates for the middle-order are much thicker on the ground. Dhawan and Rutherford made sensational debuts last winter, Ian Bell had a superb home Ashes series, Virat Kohli finally demonstrated the maturity to excel at the most demanding form of cricket and Hashim Amla also averaged more than 50. However, none manage to squeeze into my team of the year. Instead, I have included India's number three, Cheteshwar Pujara. Besides amassing huge innings in domestic cricket, he contributed more than 800 runs and, at the time of writing, three hundreds for the national cause. First defeated, then victorious Ashes captain Michael Clarke was one of only two batsmen to compile more than 1000 Test runs in the calendar year (Bell being the other) whilst coping with the considerable mental pressures of leading his side in the most gruelling of series. New Zealand's Ross Taylor marked his return to the fold with centuries in three successive Tests against the West Indies. Then there's the incomparable AB De Villiers. Officially the best Test and ODI batsman in the world, AB has delivered almost a thousand runs at an average of 90+, whilst taking the gloves. He's hardly ever off the field of play!
Nevertheless, I want a specialist wicketkeeper in my team and Brad Haddin's combination of glovework and vital lower-order runs throughout the year, at the age of 36, fit the bill superbly.
The retirement of Kallis hits home the dearth of international all-rounders in the modern game. I can think of nobody in Tests capable of delivering match-winnng batting and bowling on any consistent scale. Vernon Philander may have the potential and Ravi Ashwin hit 124 against the Windies at Kolkata a few months ago. However, Ashwin earns his place for his spin demolition of Australia and the Windies. Will he be able to reproduce such form on away pitches, I wonder?
Watching him and his hapless team-mates struggling in Australia in the past few weeks, it is har to remember the impact Stuart Broad made earlier in 2013. He has by far the most Test wickets in the year (62), including five five-fors, and all atr an average of 25.80. When he's poor, he looks very average but when the modd and fancy takes him, he is almost unplayable. Even Jimmy Anderson was knocked from his pedestal as England's best bowler. The contrast with Mitchell Johnson is stark. His career having hit the doldrums after previous Ashes horrors, he stormed back with a vengeance to destroy English hopes and batting with a twirl of a new moustache and a renewed line in aggression. He claimed 34 wickets in only six Tests at under 18 apiece. His colleague Ryan Harris would have joined him but for a certain Mr Dale Steyn. He may have been displaced at the top of the ICC tree by Philander but he continued to exude skill and venom on the friendliest of batting pitches, amassing 48 wickets (with a day to go). Like Johnson, his average sits below 18 and his economy rate of 2.49 is one of the best around of the major wicket-takers.
If my Team of the Year has to play on a pitch requiring five front-line bowlers, then I'd drop Haddin for New Zealand's left-arm seamer Trent Boult, who took 46 wickets at 25 against a range of opposition, home and away. No Pakistanis make the XI but I hope their dominance of my ODI side of the year is adequate compensation!
To summarise, here is the Test Team of 2013: Smith (SA), Vijay (Ind), Pujara (Ind), Clarke (* Aus), Taylor (NZ), De Villiers (SA), Haddin (+ Aus), Ashwin (Ind), Broad (Eng), Johnson (Aus), Steyn (SA).
My overall players of the year, taking in all senior cricket, will be revealed shortly....
Friday, 13 December 2013
NZ Relief, Windies Grief
Phew! Brendan McCullum must have wondered where New Zealand's next Test victory was coming from. He needn't have worried. His side did everything but win the first game against the West Indies and they made no mistake at Wellington. They scored over 400 on what looked a difficult green wicket then the seamers ran through the Caribbean card twice in just over 100 overs.
Darren Sammy's men can boast all they like about winning the T20 World Cup but that means zilch in real cricket where batsmen must preserve their wicket and accumulate runs instead of looking for flashy boundaries every over. God knows what they'll do when Shivnarine Chandepaul calls it a day. At least Darren Bravo has reminded us this month what he can do but the future looks bleak if even the Black Caps can destroy them so comprehensively.
Credit where credit's due. Ross Taylor looks in great nick after his spell on the sidelines and Trent Boult led the attack with pace and skill. His ten-wicket haul is only the twentieth by a New Zealander in their Test history, the second by a left-arm seamer and their first at home since Chris Martin went one better in 2004 against South Africa. At only 24, he could have a great future, although that has been said of many a NZ quick, only for injury or a calamitous brush with a top-ranked batting line-up to force a reality check.
He made his debut two years ago in that famous agonising seven-run triumph in Hobart. That day, Australia collapsed from 159-2 to 233 all out, with David Warner carrying his bat while around him fell victim to Southee and Bracewell in particular. Until the past few weeks I wonder if Michael Clarke had really got over that stunning defeat to their supposedly weaker neighbours.
With a fairly youthful seam attack gaining experience and consistency and some solidity from Fulton, Rutherford, Williamson, Taylor and McCullum, perhaps New Zealand can work their way up their rankings, although their lean Test schedule probably mitigates against such progress. They didn't disgrace themselves in England earlier this year and they will always stand a chance under the long white cloud. It will make a pleasant change not to call them one-day cricket wonders, although the great days of the Crowe-Hadlee era may be too much to emulate. Whipping the Windies at Hamilton will certainly provide a promising platform for 2014.
Darren Sammy's men can boast all they like about winning the T20 World Cup but that means zilch in real cricket where batsmen must preserve their wicket and accumulate runs instead of looking for flashy boundaries every over. God knows what they'll do when Shivnarine Chandepaul calls it a day. At least Darren Bravo has reminded us this month what he can do but the future looks bleak if even the Black Caps can destroy them so comprehensively.
Credit where credit's due. Ross Taylor looks in great nick after his spell on the sidelines and Trent Boult led the attack with pace and skill. His ten-wicket haul is only the twentieth by a New Zealander in their Test history, the second by a left-arm seamer and their first at home since Chris Martin went one better in 2004 against South Africa. At only 24, he could have a great future, although that has been said of many a NZ quick, only for injury or a calamitous brush with a top-ranked batting line-up to force a reality check.
He made his debut two years ago in that famous agonising seven-run triumph in Hobart. That day, Australia collapsed from 159-2 to 233 all out, with David Warner carrying his bat while around him fell victim to Southee and Bracewell in particular. Until the past few weeks I wonder if Michael Clarke had really got over that stunning defeat to their supposedly weaker neighbours.
With a fairly youthful seam attack gaining experience and consistency and some solidity from Fulton, Rutherford, Williamson, Taylor and McCullum, perhaps New Zealand can work their way up their rankings, although their lean Test schedule probably mitigates against such progress. They didn't disgrace themselves in England earlier this year and they will always stand a chance under the long white cloud. It will make a pleasant change not to call them one-day cricket wonders, although the great days of the Crowe-Hadlee era may be too much to emulate. Whipping the Windies at Hamilton will certainly provide a promising platform for 2014.
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