World Cup Memory Lane

Domestic competition and bilateral series are all very well, but everyone loves a World Cup, don’t they? In the past six years I’ve become rather attached to the alternative Champions Trophy, if only because the use of Cardiff as a venue has enabled me to tag along several times in person. However, with only the top eight  ranked nations eligible to participate,  it lacks the cache of a genuine World Cup. 

The growth of Twenty 20 has inevitably led to the format’s own global tournament every two years. However, for me, the only cricket World Cup that matters is the one based on official one-day international rules. That now involves fifty overs a side but when the Prudential Cup launched in 1975 the poor things had to play sixty. Too long for twenty-first century viewers but great value for teenage fans like me.

The ODI as a concept was very much in its infancy; prior to this tournament the total number contested by the six Test-playing nations was fewer than twenty. With a straightforward format comprising two groups of four, semis and final, the World Cup was easily condensed into a fortnight in June. All the more reason to relish all fifteen matches. Given that all twelve group fixtures took place on just three days, the simultaneous scheduling and only two available BBC TV channels meant that few were televised live.

To be honest I have no recollection of watching England sail through Group A against India, East Africa and New Zealand. The other quartet was far more interesting and it was Pakistan who fell victim to the Group of Death, their fate determined by a thrilling finish at Edgbaston. Despite the efforts of Majid Khan, Sarfraz Nawaz et al, the West Indies scraped home by one wicket with just two balls to spare.

Infuriatingly, both semis were contested midweek, so pesky school commitments precluded a full day’s feast of TV cricket. I expected to get home to watch the England-Australia finale so was staggered to find it had already been wrapped up. Instead of Lillee and Thomson, it was the little-known left-arm swing bowler Gary Gilmour who dominated, taking a stunning 6-14.

And so it came to pass that the inaugural final involved the Aussies and Windies who were becoming bitter rivals. It turned out to be one of the most memorable matches I’ve ever watched. Annoyingly, we missed the middle section – including Clive Lloyd’s magnificent century – because Dad’s school fete took priority. However, from Roy Fredericks treading on his stumps in executing a hooked six of LIllee to some fabulous run-outs by Viv Richards and premature pitch invasions near the end, all the game lacked was a nail-biting last-ball climax. Just writing this 44 years later sets my skin all a-tingle.

The next two World Cups were also hosted by England who still couldn’t quite make home advantage count. In 1979, I glowed with pride and wonder as my idol Viv Richards flayed England’s finest to all corners of Lord’s. That audacious match-winning flicked six off Mike Hendrick will never leave me an image of an alien beamed down from a planet where cricket was played on an altogether higher plane.

Four years on and Viv was at it again, part of a Windies side that was if anything even firmer favourites. They cruised to the final where the fantasy fast bowling quartet of Roberts, Marshall, Garner and Holding dismissed India for under 200. And yet this time the script was ripped up. Once Kapil Dev had pulled off a terrific backpedalling over-the-shoulder catch to end Richards’ menacing innings, Amarnath and Madan Lal completed the job and we had new world champions.

England’s monopoly on hosting duty was over, and the Asian subcontinent assumed the role in the autumn of ’87 followed by Australia/New Zealand in ’92. The time difference and for us, out-of-season scheduling, meant I didn’t watch much of either tournament. The sport was becoming more open, with the Aussies and Pakistan respectively, holding the cup aloft. Imran Khan’s moment appeared destined, achieved at the age of 39 in his very last ODI. The crumbling of cricket’s barriers was further illustrated in 1996 when little Sri Lanka shocked the world by beating Australia with an innovative brand of limited-overs strategy, and the skill of Aravinda da Silva.

In the summer of ’99, cricket ‘came home’, sort of. In fact, England shared fixtures with Scotland, Wales and the Netherlands but at least the premier tournament was held in our summer and our time zone. That said, I don’t recall watching much of it on the box. One exception was the India v Sri Lanka group stage game at Taunton. I was working in London at the time but our office featured a little TV set high on the wall. Someone – not me - had the foresight to switch it on just as Sourav Ganguly and, more surprisingly, Rahul Dravid, piled on a terrific triple-century partnership. I doubt much work was done that afternoon. South Africa were looking likely winners only to lose their heads in a climactic semi-final scramble against eventual champs Australia. Thus the competition introduced not only the Super Six and the white ‘Duke’ ball but also the unwanted ‘chokers’ label around the Proteas’ necks. Twenty years later, rightly or wrongly, it’s still there.

Things took a political turn in 2003 and the combination of eye-catching results (e.g against Sri Lanka) and fortuitous boycotts in Africa propelled lowly Kenya and Bangladesh into the semi-final stratosphere. For all the giant-killings, Australia were unbeatable and duly thumped India in the final by 125 runs. I caught a few late-evening highlights on BBC2 of the 2007 event, which featured an early exit for India (which prompted a change of format to prevent any repeat of such a financially damaging scandal), Ireland’s defeat of Pakistan, the latter’s coach Bob Woolmer suffering a fatal heart attack and a farcical final completed in near-darkness.

By Spring 2011, I was seeing Angie, who had Sky Sports at home, so in between her precious football, I sneaked a few glimpses of cricket at weekends. England’s embarrassment at the hands of the green-haired Irish was joyous to behold but it was also a pleasure to witness the concluding hour or so of the final in Mumbai. The decision to stage the World Cup across the entire Asian subcontinent, with Dhaka hosting the opener, proved a resounding success. For all the caring and sharing, it has to be said that from Sehwag’s brilliant 175 in Match 1 to MS Dhoni’s characteristically piece of perfect pacing six weeks later, the trophy had India’s name on it throughout.

The most recent edition saw another Aussie triumph although co-hosts New Zealand pushed them hard with their aggressive play. Ireland won more games than England, whose chances of progression were ended by Bangladesh, but I was disappointed that for 2019 the ICC decided to raise the drawbridge to stop the Associate nations getting ideas above their station. 

On the plus side, the tournament is returning to these shores. Consequently, subject to politics, personal health and that perennial enemy of cricket, inclement weather, the coming weeks will allow me to watch my first ever World Cup matches live in Cardiff. This time, top-ranked hosts England will start hot favourites but above all I look forward to enjoying the multinational atmosphere and exciting performances. It may not match up to the nostalgic aura of 1975 – Viv, Clive, Lillee and all that – but here’s hoping for a summer to remember.

Sri Lanka and England keep the Records Flowing

A few weeks ago I read with great interest Andy Zaltzman’s article for BBC Sport, analysing data proving that in Test cricket fast bowlers have been fighting back against the bat’s dominance. Innings of 500+ are becoming thankfully rarer and we’re seeing more sides bowled out. Kabiso Rabada has been a consistent performer in the past two years, averaging little more than 20, and Kemar Roach was irresistible against England.

Perhaps it is no coincidence that this comes alongside higher and higher ODI scores. When at Bridgetown yesterday the Windies fashioned an innings of 360-8, I bet nobody batted an eye nor wrote off England’s chances of hunting down such a huge target. After a lethargic start, Chris Gayle – now resembling more a genial Kingston tourist boat skipper than a sportsman - clubbed 12 sixes (out of a record 23 in the entire innings) in his 24^th ODI century, but Jason Roy and Joe Root each reached three figures in pulling, cutting, driving and slog-sweeping their way to victory with more than an over to spare.

There have been only two higher successful run chases in ODI history, both achieved by South Africa. In October 2016 at Durban, Australia won the toss and duly savaged the home attack. Dale Steyn’s ten overs went for a remarkable 96 runs as Warner and Smith made hay. However, David Miller’s unbeaten 118 ensured the 372 target was reached without too much hassle, albeit off a second-string bowling line-up. It’s now thirteen years since the grand-daddy of them all, when at Jo’burg, Herschelle Gibbs et al squeaked home with 438-9. It’s an extraordinary record but one which will surely be beaten in the next year or two. I wouldn’t bet against England doing it at the next World Cup.

However, the most intriguing record this month was Sri Lanka’s astonishing comeback, again at Durban but this time at the expense of their hosts. Bowlers had again been on top during the first three days and, when Steyn and friends had extended that dominance to have Sri Lanka on the ropes at 226-9, a South Africa victory looked assured. Kusal Perera, batting at number five, looked set to be stranded not far short of his hundred.

Most teams would probably have adopted T20 mode and gone for broke; if we’re gonna lose, might as well go out in a blaze of glory. Not Sri Lanka. New batsman Vishra Fernando played it sensibly while at the other end Perera marshalled the strike brilliantly. Not even a world-class seam attack could break the stand, and Perera steered his side to triumph by punishing the poor ball (five sixes) and keeping a calm head in a tenth-wicket partnership of 78. Such a stand was not only the highest ever in a successful chase in a Test, but in any first-class match. The previous best had come way back in 1936.

Perera’s innings of 153 not out must be one of the best performances of all time, especially in the context of current bowling pre-eminence. This is one record which could endure for many years to come.

England break their Sri Lankan hoodoo

Let’s be honest. If earlier this year Bayliss and co could have handpicked an overseas tour to end the long Test series draught, Sri Lanka would probably have been top of the list. For all the positive vibes around the one-day outfit, England have struggled in foreign climes, with no Test series successes for three years, six in Asia seventeen in Sri Lanka itself.

The opposition in 2001 featured a ‘who’s who?’ of island legends, from Aravinda de Silva, Jayasuriya and Muralitharan to Chaminda Vaas and the 23 year-old batsmen Jayawardene and Sangakkara. By 2012, only the latter pair remained, and it was captain Mahela’s first innings 180, supported by Rangana Herath’s twelve wickets which ensured the home team triumphed in fortress Galle and with it the two-match rubber. Fast forward another six and a half years and Sri Lanka have a rather threadbare look to the side. Angelo Mathews is always a good bet for a few steady half-centuries but even the veteran Herath decided to retire before the Kandy match leaving the attack shorn of stars.

Much has been said about Joe Root’s promise to bring pace and purpose to England’s Test cricket, an aggressive strategy .allied to the proven success in fifty-overs. I can see the point. We don’t know how to grind out a day and a half against spin so let’s just move our feet and whack a few boundaries, play to our strengths. At Galle that seemed to becoming unstuck from the start, and it was more traditional batting by debutant Ben Foakes and Sam Curran which rescued the first innings, and another centurion Keaton Jennings in the second.

This week, the scoring has been a touch quicker but the England stars have not been Ben Stokes or Jos Buttler, although the latter did contribute. Instead it has been Joe Root’s rapid 124, Rory Burns’ consistency at the top and Surrey colleague Foakes who did the damage in the middle.

But let’s face facts. The real England success story has been the spinners. So far, only four of eighty wickets have fallen to the seamers. At Kandy, it was entirely down to Moeen Ali, Jack Leach and Adil Rashid – with a little help from Root’s occasional twirlers and a run-out. Incredibly, this match was the first in Test history when 38 wickets were claimed by spinners.

I don’t suppose Colombo will witness anything different but at last England have the series in the bag, taking two consecutive victories abroad for the first time in yonks. Moeen has been poor with the bat.  It’s a shame if his bowling has affected his batting because this was once a thing of beauty, but for a once part-time slow bowler to become England’s third most successful off-break exponent of all time is no small achievement. 

For now let’s just savour England’s new-found fame as spin kings. Jimmy who?! Of course it’ll all change back in Blighty but at last the overseas hoodoo has been exorcised, Joe Root reached three figures and this tight touring unit looks quite formidable.

Smith, Shakib, Jadeja and Pujara at the top of their game

With apologies to South Africa, who took an unassailable series lead against New Zealand, this has been a week when cricket’s focus has been on events at Colombo and Ranchi.

First of all, congratulations to Bangladesh for recording only their fourth away Test victory in their 100th match. Beating Sri Lanka by four wickets was arguably their best performance on foreign soil, and coming fewer than 6 months after giving Alastair Cook’s England a momentous hiding. To some extent the result in Colombo this week is an indication of Sri Lanka’s regression as much as Bangladesh’s progression, but let’s not take anything away from Mushfiqur Rahim’s side.

Whilst not being one of the three centurions in the game, Tamim Iqbal was named Player of the Match. Whilst never really fulfilling his early potential on the global stage, Tamim remains an important part of the Bangladeshi line-up. And yet the world’s undisputed number one all-rounder Shakib al Hasan still had a major role to play in this latest triumph. He has participated in almost half of his nation’s Tests, accumulating almost 3,500 runs at over 40 and 176 wickets at barely 34 apiece. That’s pretty good going, especially as most of his performances have come in a losing cause.

India’s spin kings Ravi Jadeja and R Ashwin are hot on his heels, and both stand on top of the ICC bowling rankings. The former has emerged from the shadow of his team-mate over the winter, and added a further nine wickets and a rapid half-century in the latest contest with Australia. After the surprise thumping in the series opener, Kohli’s men seem to have regained the upper hand. It’s been an impressive period for Cheteshwar Pujara, too. Amidst all the headline-catching six-hitters and tight slowies, the 29 year-old right-hander has grown in my estimation. It’s brilliant to see a five-day specialist adding a third double-century to his tally, boosting his average to almost 52.

The opposition skipper Steve Smith may be heading for a series defeat but his personal stock as ace batsman continues to rise. His imperious first innings 178 not out did, in hindsight, probably saved his side in the 3rd Test although it was the resilience of Shaun Marsh and Handscomb which kept the Indian attack at bay on the final day.

In 98 Test innings, Smith has already amassed 19 hundreds and 20 fifties, boasting an incredible average of a shade below 61. His ICC ranking score of 941 is also up here with the best batsmen not only of his generation but any era. Not bad for a much maligned converted leg-spinner! Not bad, either, for someone burdened with captaincy of the green baggies, forever in the media spotlight. Few can outshine Virat Kohli but, at least in the five-day format, Smith is doing just that.

The Smith-Kohli battle in the remaining two fixtures will be almost as fascinating as that of the two teams, and I’d love the overall result to rest on the final match. Five-Test series outside the Ashes are rare but this one thoroughly deserves it.

Herath Hits the Heights!

That Sri Lanka beat Zimbabwe 2-0 in the latest Test series can be no surprise to anyone. Neither was the fact that their stand-in skipper Rangana Herath took plenty of wickets. However, after so many years in the shadow of Muttiah Muralitharan, his reaching 350 wickets with another ten-wicket haul has perhaps crept up on us with silent speed.

Only five men have than 350 Test wickets in fewer games, and only one spinner (Murali) has done so. Herath has become the first captain since Kapil Dev in 1985 to capture eight victims in an innings, and his 13-152 was the best ever bowling performance in Zimbabwe. Furthermore, no bowler still in the game has more five-fors (28) to his name. The impressive stats go on.

Perhaps the one which struck me most was that he became only the third man, after Dale Steyn and the inevitable Murali, to snaffle a five-wicket haul against all other Test playing countries. That’s quite a milestone in this day and age. And yet in my mind something prevents him from taking his place in the pantheon of all-time greats.

The thing is, for all his eye-catching exploits during 2016, including his leading role in that 3-0 demolition of Australia, he has done very little outside Sri Lanka. On home territory he has taken 231 wickets at 23 in 41 Tests, which is pretty darned good. But away, the record is a meagre 96 at 38 in 24. In the neutral UAE, it’s a similar story: 24 at 36 in six matches.

It’s not just a matter of Asia; good; rest of the world: bad. Not only in England and New Zealand, but also Bangladesh and India is Herath’s Test average worse than 45. At 38 years old, he may not have many opportunities to improve on these stats. Nevertheless, he seems to be in prime form right now and, particularly in Angelo Mathews’ enforced absence, is increasingly important to his country’s fortunes.

Yet what impresses me most about his career facts and figures is not what he has done on the international stage. These days, top bowlers focus primarily on Tests, ODIs and so on. Therefore it is highly unusual for anyone to take 700 first-class wickets in the twenty-first century. Herath is just 20 short of 1,000. And that is with relatively few years in county cricket, where the likes of Murali, Walsh, Marshall, Kumble and Warne supplemented their Test hauls to top the thousand mark.

The Sri Lankan’s first-class record probably owes much to the paucity of his limited-overs appearances. As a superb left-armer, his T20 economy rate is barely six; world-class, you’d think. Maybe his fielding and batting have held him back from Sri Lanka’s ODI and T20 sides. However, in past years he has had the chance to extend his domestic first-class experience.

Whatever else Herath does for his country, I will certainly cheer his joining the 1000 club. That’s genuinely one for the modern record books.

Bairstow Keeps England on Top

The record books say England won 2-0. However, had the inclement London weather not intervened on the fifth day, it would very likely have finished 3-0, whatever Angelo Mathews may claim.

To their credit Sri Lanka did make a contest of the Lord’s Test. With England at 84-4 and 226-6, they had the upper hand, only for Jonny Bairstow to find solid company at the crease in Chris Woakes. Their stand of 144 restored England’s usual status as favourites.

It was reassuring to see the visitors’ openers finally compile a decent partnership, both Karanuratne and Silva making half-centuries. But then they all collapsed under the magic spell of England’s seamers, Woakes the best and fastest of them.

Alex Hales proceeded to 94 before again missing out on a maiden Test century, trapped lbw to Mathews’ medium pace, and England were able to declare safe in the knowledge that Sri Lanka would not achieve the 362-run target. The weather forecast backed them up and in the event the rain ruled out any chance of a positive result.

It wasn’t a great series for batsmen. Only four hundreds were scored, and Chandimal’s 126 at Chester-le-Street the sole ton for Sri Lanka. Half of those four came from the England wicketkeeper, who compensated for the occasional glaring lapse behind the stumps by dominating the series batting statistics. Only Alec Stewart has struck a higher score by an England ‘keeper, and it can only be a matter of time – perhaps a month or two – before the 25 year-old Yorkshireman breaks that particular record, too.

Neither Root, Compton nor Vince performed well at Lord’s and the latter two are vulnerable to replacement for the Pakistan series. It has to be said that while Sri Lanka inevitably miss the big three batting superstars, England are relying heavily on the experienced bowling pair Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad. Finn remains an enigma, but Chris Woakes enhanced his reputation as more than just a decent county all-rounder and thoughtful one-day death bowler. Herath apart, it wasn’t a month for spinners, but that could change in the limited-overs competitions.

Chris Jordan hasn’t convinced me but has enjoyed a reasonable start to the 2016 season. Tymal Mills’ conversion from rough, ready and expensive paceman to part-time T20 specialist is complete after his selection for the Twenty20 international. That match doesn’t mean anything other than his potential England debut. The 50-over stuff is more intriguing, and offers England another opportunity to show what their younger, more exciting players can do. Let’s see if they succeed.

Jimmy Anderson and Alastair Cook Make their Milestones

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.

Pakistan pack a Punch

Pakistan have not only enjoyed an exciting series win in Sri Lanka but, largely under the radar, attained the status of number three in the ICC Test rankings. Once the home nation levelled the series at Colombo, you would be forgiven for thinking that Pakistan would have folded in the Pallekele finale. Indeed, when Angelo Mathews stuck around to extend Sri Lanka’s lead to 376, the visitors were in unknown territory in relation to their target.

But Pakistan have Younis Khan. He and Azhar Ali have been in fantastic form in the past few years. Their avalanche of runs, with the added contribution of skipper Misbah-ul-Haq, simply swept the Aussies away in the UAE last year. They then drew 1-1 with New Zealand and the centuries continued to stack up in the series victory over Bangladesh. Azhar Ali and Mohammed Hafeez both passed 200 in an innings and the opposition bowlers must have grown tired of facing them.

Nevertheless, Pakistan were struggling at 13-2 before opener Shan Masood was joined by Younis. With almost two days remaining, they could easily have dug in to grind out the runs. They didn’t, and by stumps on the fourth day, they were 230-2, both batsmen having reached three figures. Surely they couldn’t pull off Pakistan’s highest ever run chase?

Shan was stumped off Kaushal on 125 but Misbah’s arrival made no difference to the momentum. Younis Khan moved serenely on to 171 and Misbah clinched the match and the series with a six. What a game, what a series and what a load of records were achieved on that final day!

It was Younis’ seventh hundred in the past year, and the highest fourth innings score by a Pakistani in their history. He is unusual in that when he hits 50, more often than not he proceeds all the way to 100. Furthermore, only once before have two Pakistan batsmen hit hundreds in a fourth innings of a Test

So far I’ve only mentioned the batsmen, yet it was a bowler who was named Player of the Series, and deservedly so. Junaid Khan and Wahab Riaz get most of the plaudits and Saeed Ajmal is twirling for Worcestershire instead of for Pakistan. So it may be a surprise that, in three matches, it was Yasir Shah who claimed an impressive 24 wickets. That included a 7-76, 6-96 and 5-78, and he not only took more wickets than anybody else, but had the lowest average and economy rate.

Still without a home series, it’s great to see Pakistan up there, with New Zealand threatening the big two, Australia and South Africa. Test cricket is not all about the Ashes and batting isn’t solely the reserve of Cook, Smith, Clarke and Root. Younis Khan deserves to be considered amongst the modern greats alongside Kallis, Ponting, Chanderpaul and Tendulkar, and Misbah as one of the leading captains.

Pakistan end Ireland's World Cup dream

It was all set up for a memorable St Patrick's Day celebration but it has all gone wrong. Wales ended Ireland's long unbeaten run at rugby in Cardiff whilst in Adelaide, the gallant cricket squad lost the winner-goes-through encounter with Pakistan. Nobody could offer any support for centurion Will Porterfield, leaving a fairly simple target of 238. Keeper Sarfraz Ahmed's maiden hundred ensured there would be no collapse and victory cam with almost for over to spare.

With the West Indies making light work of the United Arab Emirates, Ireland went out on net run rate despite beating the Windies earlier in the tournament. Despite outperforming Zimbabwe in the 2015 World Cup, presumably the ICC will prevent the Irish from building on their minor successes in global tournaments by persisting with the blinkered, brain-dead proposal of keeping the Associate nations out in 2018. Of course if the sport's rulers had gone for an eight team World Cup based on 2015 group positions, there would be no place for England! Then I suspect there would have been a definite re-think!

Nevertheless after 42 matches, we now enter the knockout phase where anything can happen. The first quarter-final on Wednesday is perhaps the hardest to call. South Africa, with AB De Villiers at his outrageous best, have been piling on huge totals despite losing early wickets but Sri Lanka can never be ruled out. However, surely not even Kumar Sangakkara can score hundreds in every match, and if Morne Morkel and Imran Tahir keep applying the screw and taking wickets, AB's men ought to win.

Bangladesh have so far done everything asked of them, with just one defeat (to Sri Lanka), the big scalp of England and an excellent fight against table-toppers New Zealand. Normally they are super-reliant on all-rounder Shakib-al Hasan but in the group stage they have owed a lot to Mahmudullah's two centuries and Mushfiqur Rahim's consistency. Nevertheless they now face a confident Indian side. Shikhar Dhawan is back in form, supported by Kohli and Raina but even more impressive has been the bowling unit. Mohammed Shami has 15 cheap wickets but Ashwin, Sharma and Yadav have all been in the mix, too. As a result they ought to make the semis at least.

Pakistan have qualified by the back door but Australia should underestimate them at their peril. Wahab Riaz has looked dangerous and Misbah-ul-Haq is always difficult to remove. The Aussies haven't dominated the run charts either, but one of their matches was rained off. Glenn Maxwell's strike rate of almost 200 is their most eye-catching statistic, and Mitchell Starc's 6-28 against New Zealand is the second-best bowling performance of the tournament to date. With Michael Clarke back in the saddle and such formidable batsmen as Finch and Warner, not to mention a partisan Adelaide crowd, Australia must be the hot favourites.

Most impressive team must be New Zealand. The co-hosts have exploited the swing-friendly conditions to perfection, and Trent Boult and Tim Southee were unplayable against England. Daniel Vettori has marked his return to the big time by taking more wickets than any other spinner with an economy rate second to none. Their opponents at Wellington, the West Indies will need to practise against swing this week if they are to stand a chance against the Black Caps. A runfest is unlikely and, assuming Chris Gayle isn't allowed to rack up the sixes, you'd fancy Brendon McCullum, Ross Taylor or Cory Anderson to achieve any target batting second.

The form book says a semi-final line-up of India, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa but don't rule out a Caribbean cracker!

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).

Cook had to go

I was about to call this blog 'Cook has to go' but then I read the Cricinfo headline which indicated the decision had already been made. A lotn of vitriol has been tossed in the England captain's direction but I don't blame him for standing his ground. A class act in Test cricket, he has recovered from a slump in form before and was confident that he could do so again in the 50-over stuff. Sadly that confidence hasn't translated into action.

The quotes and messages had become more open and vague in the past week, once England succumbed to Sri Lanka so meekly, but I kinda hoped Alastair would wake up, smell the coffee and stand down of his own volition. Maybe Paul Downton had dug himself too deep a hole but the anti-Cook bandwagon had proved unstoppable.

The Essex man must realise that his position as opener was untenable and therefore so was his retention of the captain's role. England need someone who can keep his head and hit Powerplay runs, often against spin which has often caused his undoing. Gary Ballance probably ought to come into the side, with Alex Hales tested as Moeen Ali's opening partner.

Joe Root and James Taylor should be guaranteed middle-order slots for the World Cup, no question. Where there is a problem is on who takes Cook's place as skipper? Unlike football, the captain has to do more than call heads or tails and shout a bit. However in this day and age he has to be worth his place as a cricketer, be it with bat, ball or both. Eoin Morgan's aggregate of 90 runs in the 7 ODIs this winter is atrocious. Without the 62 in match 4 in Colombo, he would be above Cook in line for the axe. Yet the calm Irishman seems to lead a charmed life.

I'd give the captaincy to Root and give Morgan the boot. If not Root, then be brave an pick Taylor, a successful leader of the Lions. I'd rather have Ian Bell in the side. At least he is a reliable run-maker, albeit in a more conventional mould. His ODI average us similar to Morgan's and strike rate not far short.

However skipping a generation is not in an England selector's DNA. Root could be a Steve Smith. Why not? Get in-form players, forge a united dressing room and be a force to be reckoned with in Australia. All we need now is some good bowlers......

Cook's ban a blessing in disguise?

When I read of Alastair Cook's one-match ban for orchestrating his side's slow over rate - again - I laughed. With seemingly every England fan begging him to stand down before the World Cup, he has been the archetypal immovable object insisting that his form will return. Soon. Honest!

The fact that England actually beat Sri Lanka seems to have been completely overlooked. Shouldn't we have congratulated him for leading the team to a well-earned victory? Was the slow over rate a brilliant ploy to frustrate Sanga, Mathews et al? And let's not forget his assured 42-ball innigs of 34 either. Or did the bowlers get together, tieing their bootlaces between each delivery in the sure knowledge that Cook's enforced lay-off would allow the selectors to test the post-Cook line-up earlier than expected?

Woakes and Finn bowled well, but it was Moeen Ali, Joe Root and Jos Buttler whose stroke-making intelligently reached the target eight balls early. With Alex Hales, in for Bell, contributing 27 and Bopara a single six, much of the new batting brigade looked in good nick.

On the down side, Ben Stokes' bowling was once more not up to the required standard, and Eoin Morgan's latest failure hardly makes him the ideal successor to Cook as ODI captain. I've always considered him over-rated. A Test average of 30 is mediocre and an ODI average of 37 is not exactly world-class, and remarkably similar to both Root's and Cook's, even if his strike rate is a very respectable 85 (to Cook's 77).

While Cook sits out his suspension, I'd hope the selectors bring in James Taylor, probably at three while Hales is promoted to form a potentially lively left-handed opening strike force. While I like Ian Bell, this must surely be the time to give Taylor a go. Winning this series is hardly a priority; developing a competitive World Cup outfit for 2015 and beyond most certainly is.

I still worry more about the bowling, which looks distinctly toothless without Anderson and Broad, and their physical condition makes them unlikely to be sustainable for long. Finn and Woakes have hardly been injury-free in recent years either, and in my view have lost a good three years' international experience. Nevertheless, get the batting right and, as India and Sri Lanka have shown before, success is always possible.

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!

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.

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?!

Time for Sri Lanka to make a Test impression in England

The recent ODI series has shown that England and Sri Lanka can engage in a really competitive series of cricket over here. It hasn't always been so in Tests. The first four encounters were all one-offs tagged on to the end of a more lucrative series, followed by a trio of triple-headers. In 13 games, Sri Lanka have won only twice, whilst losing six and drawing the remaining five. Things could have been a lot worse but for the incomparable Muttiah Muralitharan, who took more wickets (48) than just about anyone else put together in the six Tests in which he participated. It goes without saying that he played a huge role in his country's pair of triumphs. To succeed in 2014, new players will need to show the right stuff. Too often, the legendary batsmen Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara have disappointed on England tours so could they sign off with match-winning innings, or will it be left to younger men like Senanayake (if allowed to play!) or Angelo Mathews?

It all began on the August Bank Holiday weekend of 1984. England had been slaughtered by the West Indies so this would be the chance for David Gower's shellshocked side to regain confidence by thrashing the new kids on the block. However, it wasn't the easy ride everyone predicted. Gower won the toss and inserted the visitors, who proceeded to bat solidly and tediously for more than two days! Sidath Wettimuny persevered for almost eight hours for his 190, although skipper Duleep Mendis was much quicker to compile 111. Jon Agnew, Ian Botham and Paul Allott have become highly regarded cricket commentators in recent years but they were made to slog through nearly 100 overs of seam and swing before Mendis declared on 491-7. Despite a hundred from Allan Lamb, England were bowled out 120 short at the end of Day 4. WIth no chance of a result, Amal Silva and Mendis again made batting look easy on a benign closing day.

In 1988 and 1991, England enjoyed routine victories but there followed a seven-year hiatus before Sri Lanka returned for a Test match. By this time, they were no longer easily dismissed as cannon fodder; indeed, they were reigning one-day world champions. Arjana Ranatunga was by now the captain and a draw looked most likely as England scratched around for five sessions and 445 runs, most produced by Graeme Hick (107) and Jon Crawley (156 not out). In place of the snail Wettimuny, Sri Lanka boasted an opener in a very different form: Sanath Jayasuriya. His 213, along with Aravinda De Silva's 152 took the game away from Alec Stewart's hosts. Mr Muralitharan did the rest, finishing the game with 16 wickets for 220 runs from 113 overs! Sri Lanka had broken the duck.

By 2002, the Sri Lankans had finally been granted the respect of a three-match series. Despite the arrival of Mahela and Sanga, Jayasuriya's men were well beaten despite making England follow on in the Lord's opener. Four years forward, and England were in a topsy-turvy Ashes period. Trescothick and Pietersen held their nerve and their wickets while Murali wrought havoc at the other ends to take a 1-0 lead. However, at Trent Bridge, it was a low-scoring affair and came down to a tense fourth day climax. The scene was set for that man Murali yet again. The wily wizard claimed 8-70 and even Monty Panesar was the third top-scorer that afternoon with 26. He even struck the sole six of the innings, but all in vain. The series ended all-square.

Three years ago, Cardiff witnessed an amazing finale. Sri Lanka made a decent 400 but Jonathan Trott's double-century and three figures each for Cook and Bell left Sri Lanka with the fifth day in which to bat out for a draw. Instead, Broad, Tremlett and Swann required a mere 24.4 overs to dismiss Dilshan, Sanga and co for 82 and snatch a memorable innings success. Not even Murali would have been able to rescue that one. Batsmen were on top in the remaining matches and the series ended 1-0 to England.

So what about the best performers spanning the thirty years and thirteen Test matches? For England, it's a difficult task to narrow it down to eleven. For Sri Lanka, it's almost impossible to pick eleven worthy of a place in any fantasy team! Murali would have to bowl non-stop from one end and hope his team-mates didn't concede too many. A winning strategy on occasions but not in a 'Dream XI' like this! My all-time England v Sri Lanka competitors reads as follows:-

England: Alastair Cook (*), Marcus Trescothick, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Alec Stewart (+), Andrew Flintoff, Graeme Swann, Matthew Hoggard, Chris Tremlett, Monty Panesar.

Sri Lanka: Sidath Wettimuny, Sanath Jayasuriya, Marvan Atapattu, Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Aravinda de Silva (+), Duleep Mendis, Chaminda Vaas, Chanaga Welegedera, Muttiah Muralitharan, Rangana Herath

It wouldn't be tough for Kulasekera, Mendis or Senanayake to topple Vaas and Welegedera from that team, but England's class of 2014 may struggle to displace Swann and Hoggard. I still predict a 1-0 win for England.

England v Sri Lanka ODIs - too close to call?

With new management on both sides, and potentially extra edge provoked by Paul Farbrace's desertion from Colombo to Lord's, there is some welcome uncertainty about the result of the forthcoming ODI series between England and Sri Lanka. In 21 home matches across 21 years to date, history records a 11-10 lead for England, although most of their victories occurred when he opponents were a relatively inexperienced international cricketing nation.

They met twice in the 1983 World Cup when ODIs were 60 overs a side, and England won fairly easily. The first was clinched by a David Gower century and a Vic Marks 'five-for' while bowler Bob Willis was the Man of the Match in the next, although it was India who went onto win a memorable final against red-hot favourites West Indies.

Sri Lanka's first triumph on English soil came five years later. In the final of a triangular 50-over tournament at Lord's, a century opening partnership between Nick Knight and Michael Atherton was ultimately in vain as the new head coach Marvan Atapattu struck an uncharacteristically brisk 132 not out to ensure a five-wicket success. England again won 2-1 in 2002. The margins were relatively small but in retrospect, Andrew Flintoff's 28-ball half-century and 3-44 at Trent Bridge probably decided the series.

Four years later, Sri Lanka delivered a 5-0 drubbing. The most spectacular batting performance came in the final fixture at Headingley, by which time the series had long since been decided. Thanks to Marcus Trescothick's 121, England posted a decent total of 321-7. Enter Upal Tharanga and the wily Sanath Jayasuriya, just turned 37. The openers put on 286 for the first wicket, still the third highest ever seen in ODIs. Most of the runs flowed from the bat of the senior partner, as the man from Matara plundered 20 fours and four sixes in an innings of 152 in 99 balls. Jayardene and Sangakkara had the simple task of seeing SL to a series whitewash with more than twelve overs to spare!

In 2011, it was a much closer affair. Anderson and Swann got England off to a superb start at The Oval, but Mahela Jaywardene evened things up with his 144 in Leeds. Two days later at Lord's, Mahela scored another 75 runs but an unbeaten 105 by Dinesh Chandimal took his side to a 2-1 lead. England took the series to a decider after Cook and Kieswetter helped them to a ten-wicket slaughter. At Old Trafford, Cook opted to bat first. Jonathan Trott and Eoin Morgan scored half-centuries, then the SL openers were Bresnan-ed with the score on 12-2. Mahela didn't last long, but stands of 94 (Sangakkara and Chandimal) and 102 (Mathews and Jeevan Mendis) brought them back into the mix. However, with 37 needed in under four overs, Mathews was unable to marshal the tail, and England won the match by 16 runs and the series 3-2.

The most recent ODI encounter occurred last summer in the ICC Champions Trophy. A day-nighter at The Oval again saw England make a decent score thanks largely to Joe Root's 55-ball 68 and a late cameo from Ravi Bopara. However, this time, Sri Lanka made no mistrakes in their run chase. Sangakkara smacked an unbeaten 134 and Kulasekera discovered his inner Jayasuriya by clouting58 in 38 deliveries, and a seven-wicket victory was theirs. Both made the semis but neither won the competition.

Next up, I'll look back at the best players in the England-Sri Lanka ODI history. I promise the usual candidates and a few surprises!

Sri Lanka Champions at last

Sri Lanka's recent record as one-day competition bridesmaids has finally been broken, but the T20 World Cup final was a low-scoring cagey affair. The India v Sri Lanka ODI history spans 35 years and 144 games, but this was only their sixth meeting in a 20-over thrash. Nevertheless, this was billed as a chance for revenge in the last 50-over world final and last summer's Champions Trophy semi. It was also the last opportunity to hold this trophy for all-time greats Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara.

Malinga won the toss and opted to field, and the decision looked correct as Rahane fell early, and both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were shackled during the opening overs. Nobody had scored more runs in this year's tournament than Kohli and he suddenly remembed how to launch an attack. Long on and extra cover were cleared brilliantly but when the strike switched to Yuvraj Singh, all momentum was lost. Malinga and Kulasekera delivered unplayable wide yorkers and when the ball came on straight, the former Indian master blaster could muster no more than the odd single worked to leg. Sad to watch, and MS Dhoni must have been relieved when Yuvi holed out for 11 in 21 balls. However, the Indian skipper also struggled and the 130 total looked flimsy. Kohli looked merely furious and frustrated!

Sri Lanka's response was measured. Why take risks when you need little more than a run a ball to win? India's four-man spin machine looked to have the upper hand until Sangakkara began to chance his arm. Boundaries started to flow, some superb, others streaky, but even the excellent Ashwin and Mishra were becoming rattled. Their variation produced some welcome dot balls but they had such a small score to defend that a few fours an over were too expensive. In the eighteenth over, two edged boundaries took the SL keeper past 50 for the 8th time in 56 T20Is, greeted by warm applause and a handshake from Kohli who by this time knew the game was over. A third big six from Perera merely confirmed it three balls later, and Sri Lanka had clinched their first global crown since the days of Aravinda De Silva, Muralitharan and Vaas.

T20 cricket is an unpredictable sport at any time, anywhere and between any teams. Much of the talk even in the semis was about India and the West Indies but in the end, superb 'death' bowling served up the foundation for a win for Sri Lanka. Poor Yuvraj Singh's desperate search for form when Kohli should have been pushing the total towards 150 may be blamed for India's defeat. However, Dhoni's similar travails in the final over proved that, for once, two seamers did the most to win the day. Sanga's 52 not out won him the Man of the Match award but the fact that none of the five SL bowlers each conceded more than 30 runs attested to the team effort.

Virat Kohli's 319 runs in six games made him the Player of the Tournament. His contribution to the competition in Bangladesh was immense but credit to the Sri Lankans for keeping things interesting. I look forward to seeing them in England this summer.

Spin Veterans win the day

Twenty20 cricket is supposed to be a game for young whippersnappers who can whack the ball, hare around the outfield and deliver toe-breaking yorkers. However, today it was the turn of thirtysomething slow bowlers, whose wily variations of pace and flight spun their respective nations into the World Cup semi-finals.

Top of the pile was Rangana Herath, whose 5-3 in 21 balls looks more like a typing error than genuine statistics in a format where conceding under 25 runs is considered a mark of distinction. And yet this was his first opportunity in the competition, granted only after three nightmares for Mendis. Today, having been bowled out by New Zealand for 119, Sri Lanka looked likely to struggle but, Kane Williamson apart, the Black Caps were bamboozled for 60 all out. Off-spinner Sahithra Senanayake's figures of 2-3 in three overs would be sensational in any other match, but his left-arm partner Herath, recently turned 36, was the star of the show.

Unusually for a slowie, too, none of his five victims fell to a catch in the deep. Instead, all wickets were either stumped, caught behind or at slip, LBW or bowled. That's testament to the man from Kurunegala's skill at luring batsmen to their fate or spotting their early movement and changing length, flight or line to thwart attacking intent. For someone of advanced years in sporting terms and a form of cricket where slow bowling has become essential, Herath has surprisingly played only 40 T20 matches, just seven for his country. Maybe he is seen as too orthodox for the biff-bang game, but today's result demonstrates that experience and a bowling-friendly pitch can combine to magnificent effect.

Herath has now more than 1000 wickets to his name, the bulk of them in first-class cricket. 217 Test victims at 30 apiece ain't bad either, but perhaps today's performance could extend his career in one-dayers as has happened with Saeed Ajmal. In the Group 2 decider against the West Indies, the Pakistani suffered a rare bashing, conceding 41 runs against Bravo and Sammy. However, when his side batted, the Trinidadian duo of Sunil Narine and Samuel Badree were dominant. Like Herath, Badree recently celebrated his birthday, his 33rd, but his late blossoming as a T20 bowler was once again evident. He has taken a wicket in each of his last ten T20 appearances, and today's 3-10 was up there with the 4-15 he produced against Bangladesh last week. In the second over, he induced a rash stroke by Kamran Akmal straight to extra cover, followed by the stumpings of Umar Akmal and Shoaib Malik. Santokie, Russell and Narine did the rest. Of course, as ever, a batsmen (Dwayne Bravo) was awarded the Man of the Match, and now the Windies must be considered short odds to retain the trophy.

Next up, Badree and Herath will be competing face to face. Perhaps it will be the turn of the veteran Sri Lanka batsmen to win the day, but I reckon the carefree Caribbeans are on a roll and will probably advance to face India in the final once more. Forget Kohli and Sharma against Gayle and Samuels; it's about time the media recognised the competition between spinners Ashwin and Mishra versus Badree and Narine.

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.