World Cup delivers a Super climax for England

Over the years, exciting competitions haven’t always delivered a Final that the preceding weeks’ performances have deserved. The very first cricket World Cup holds a special place in my heart, a Lord’s spectacle featuring the best players on the planet producing thrills and spills from start to finish. But even the 1975 Aussie-Windies showdown couldn’t contrive a conclusion as astonishing as that of 2019 on the same ground.

Most people - me included – were anticipating a battle between Archer and Sharma, Rashid and Kohli, Bumrah and Bairstow,  Shami and Root. Not for the first time, New Zealand upset the applecart with their bowling-led brand of white-ball cricket, calmly marshalled by batsman-supreme Kane Williamson.

England have been smashing scores of 300+ at will but the Black Caps’ highest score at this tournament was a mere 291, sufficient to beat the West Indies by 5 runs at Old Trafford. However, Williamson’s side have shown a great ability to defend such targets thanks to the seam and swing of Trent Boult, Matt Henry, the pacy Lockie Ferguson and their supporting cast of Neesham, de Grandhomme and Santner. The semi-final was a case in point. If India couldn’t chase 240, perhaps England might struggle.

Nevertheless when Archer, Plunkett et al restricted them to an almost identical 241-8, I felt that lightning couldn’t possibly strike twice. It’s a well-worn cliché that matches can turn on an isolated moment. When Trent Boult failed to flick the ball back to his captain before stepping on the boundary rope, it seemed that NZ had blown it. And yet they were in the driving seat when Boult again prepared to bowl the fiftieth over.

An even more shattering blow came when Ben Stokes’ despairing dive for the crease inadvertently deflected the ball for four overthrows. Nine from three became three from two. It was a shattering blow. When the scores finished level and the commentators announced a Super Over I could barely believe what I was seeing. I’d been flicking back and forth with BBC1’s Wimbledon coverage all afternoon and the double-whammy of final set tie-break and Super Over was more than my frazzled nerves could take. I could only guess at the electricity crackling around the crowd at Lord’s.

I won’t repeat the words of a million match reports but needless to say the Super Over scores were also tied but both teams knew that England had the edge in terms of the decisive boundary count and the World Cup was finally won by the home team, ending those 44 years of hurt. And still there was controversy. Apparently, by the laws of the game, that second run prior to the four overthrows should not have been allowed. What? Would Stokes have completed two runs from the final delivery? Knowing two was not enough to win, would he instead have attempted to launch the leg-stump full-toss into the crowd? We’ll never know. They’re hardly going to replay the game now!

Like Djokovic and Federer, both teams had served up a fabulous finale. It wasn’t about slogging sixes all over St John’s Wood. Instead it was a good old-fashioned even contest between bat and ball which both nations deserved to win and neither should have lost. The Swiss tennis superstar was suitably stoic and generous in defeat, as was Kane Williamson, but losing in such a desperately tight finish must be tough to take.

Every one of England's players had contributed to the triumph, and this is still quite a young squad. What about The Legacy?  Let’s hope that England’s victory won’t be instantly forgotten and trampled over by the Ashes and next year’s IPL. Young boys and girls need to start playing the game, or stop dropping out in their teens. I only hope they will have sufficient areas of grass, enough equipment and the coaching required to develop talent beyond the posh private school fields and create the conditions required to build a CWC-winning team in 2031.

What have the ECB done for 2020? Completely abandon 50-over cricket at which England are now world-beaters and put all their efforts into a city franchise 100-ball thrash. Unbelievable. At least it will be shown on the Beeb thus guaranteeing much larger TV audiences than Sky Sports Ashes coverage but what will they be watching? It won’t be cricket as she is played anywhere else. Give me a game of 100 overs, not two lots of blink-and-miss it 100 balls.

For now, let’s enjoy England’s success, commiserate with New Zealand’s unlucky defeat and relive some glorious memories from the past six weeks. In the three games I attended in Cardiff there were memorable performances by Roy, Shakib, Henry, Ferguson, Imran Tahir, not to mention the joyous fans of Bangladesh and Afghanistan. On TV there was fabulous strokeplay from Rohit Sharma, David Warner, that six-hit mayhem instigated by Eoin Morgan and Malinga’s slingshots to push England close to an early exit. Mitchell Starc and Jesprit Bumrah proved again why they are the best bowlers in the world, and Jofra Archer demonstrated that he may overtake them in the next four years. A great tournament and a final which will never be forgotten.

Mike’s Team of the Tournament:  Roy (Eng), Warner (Aus), Shakib al-Hasan (Ban), Rohit Sharma (Ind), Williamson (NZ), Stokes (Eng), Carey (Aus +), Starc (Aus), Archer (Eng), Bumrah (Ind), Ferguson (NZ).

(Honourable mentions to Imran Tahir, Babar Azam, Joe Root, Mohammed Amir and Jimmy Neesham).

New Zealand hang on for memorable series win

After the embarrassment of Auckland, England bounced back impressively in the Second Test. However it wasn’t quite enough to level the series. The grassy slopes of Christchurch always look so beautiful and bucolic, even - dare I say it – English. It was a great place for the Barmy Army to witness a winning finale to a five-month tour Down Under, and for four days everyone seemed to be following the script. The Black Caps had narrowly missed out last time and a repeat performance looked likely when Joe Root declared with almost four sessions remaining. 

The first skirmishes were fairly even-stevens. Trent Boult and Tim Southee continued where they left off, grabbing all ten first innings wickets. However, Jonny Bairstow’s 101 and Mark Wood’s unexpectedly classy 52 kept the home side at bay for an extra hour or so. I’d doubted the wisdom of replacing Craig Overton with Wood as much for the former’s useful late-order batting as the latter’s faster bowling. Shows how little I know!

NZ made a terrible start to their response. For Boult and Southee, read Anderson and Broad. The England new-ball veterans ripped out the top five for just 36 runs and a massacre looked a distinct possibility. Enter BJ Watling and Colin de Grandhomme, who rescued matters with a 142-run stand. Southee then emulated Wood with a run-a-ball fifty to reduce the deficit to just 29.

Alastair Cook’s terrible run continued, edging Boult to the ‘keeper for 14, but this time the next four batsmen each notched half-centuries, even if Joe Root was perhaps disappointed that, yet again, he failed to convert a promising half-century into three figures. Stoneman, Vince and Malan desperately needed good scores to prolong their Test careers into the English summer. This they achieved, but it remains to be seen who is in form after the first five County Championship fixtures. Root indicated that Cook will be opening regardless, which could be a tad premature, although back at Chelmsford, the former skipper is normally prolific.

As for England’s failure to bowl out the home team, that was largely down to, not Williamson or Taylor, but a gritty 83 from opener Tom Latham and a dogged 56 from Ish Sodhi. He defied short stuff from Wood and claustrophobic field settings for spinners Leach and Root for more than three hours. Just as valuable were the seven runs amassed by Neil Wagner. He defended and defied for 103 balls, knowing that the last man, Southee, was unwell and available only in an emergency. In the event he wasn’t needed and somehow the rearguard action was successful. New Zealand had occupied the crease for 124 overs losing only eight wickets. They had drawn the match but achieved their first series victory over England since 1999 and the first at home since the days of Hadlee and Crowe in 1983-4. 

It’s a shame that New Zealand don’t get more opportunities in Test matches. Like England, they are a match for anybody on home soil even though, again like England, they struggle overseas. In Williamson, Boult and Southee, they have three world-class operators who deserve more exposure to Test cricket.

As for England, they still need to find a way of winning Tests abroad. They edged the limited overs contests but seemed to lack the nous to score enough runs or take twenty wickets when it matters. Anderson and Broad are currently irreplaceable and any injuries to either could be disastrous to the country’s chances later this year. Root apart, the middle-order remains patchy, as is the bowling support. Much as it pains me as a Somerset supporter to lose our best bowler in the Championship, I predict Jack Leach keeping his place as specialist spinner It’s up to Moeen Ali to rediscover his mojo, not only in Tests but also in ODIs and T20s. Malan will stay, if only because he plays for Middlesex, and Stoneman’s Surrey connection may yet save him, too. I look forward to the return of county cricket to see who shines brightest.

England’s NZ nightmare buried by the Aussie cheating scandal

I normally relish cricket grabbing the global sporting headlines. It makes a welcome change from Andy Murray’s injured back, Russian athletes’ drug test failures or another £100million+ football transfer. However, the admission by Aussie captain Steve Smith that he and his ‘leadership team’ sanctioned the policy of ball tampering during the Third Test in South Africa is a headline cricket could do without. It was uncomfortable watching Smith and his gopher Cameron Bancoft squirm in front of the cameras. There didn’t seem to be much contrition on display; Smith just looked miserable at being caught out by the TV cameras.

The suggestion that Australia may have used similar unlawful tactics in the Ashes series is hardly unexpected. The corollary is clearly that England may not have been humiliated Down Under had Smith and his men not have used yellow tape, sugar granules or whatever. I doubt it would have made a difference. Furthermore, England can’t necessarily claim the moral high ground given Mike Atherton’s ‘soil in pocket’ history and – Michael Vaughan, take note - Marcus Trescothick’s admitted use of Murraymints to enhance shine back in 2005. Nonetheless this latest allusion serves to deflect attention away from yet another overseas drubbing, this time at the hands of New Zealand.

Trevor Bayliss may look unabashed at his team’s innings defeat in Auckland but he can surely not be embarrassed by England’s dismal dismissal for only 58 in the first session of the Test, their fifth lowest ever and easily the worst against this opposition. The twin spearhead of Trent Boult and Tim Southee were hardly unknown quantities, and yet the batting line-up crumbled one by one to an excellent display of seam and swing. And no indication of illegal activities; just bowlers’ skill and airy-fairy drives.

Heaven knows what depths could have been plumbed had our number nine, Craig Overton not clumped an unbeaten 33, well over half the total. A score of under 30 was a distinct possibility and the Test may not have extended into a second day, let alone a fifth. Of course, two days of rain allowed England to either re-group or dwell on their disastrous start to a new series. New Zealand rubbed the tourists’ noses into the soil by racking up 427 -8, helped by a record eighteenth century by Kane Williamson (can he really still be only 27?) and an unbeaten, spanning four days, by Henry Nicholls.

At least Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad could hold their heads up high, and their batting colleagues showed some fight in the second innings. Stoneman, Root, Stokes and Woakes each passed fifty but it was all too little, too late. Boult took his match figures to 9-99, late bloomer Todd Astle polished off the tail with three wickets and the game was over. There was to be no last day heroics, unlike five years ago on the same ground, when Prior and Panesar thwarted the Black Caps and drew the series.

Sadly all the one-dayers have restricted the 2018 Test competition to a mere two matches. Consequently, England cannot win the series but must surely seek to avoid a sixth Test defeat on this lengthy winter tour. Handing Jack Leach his cap in place of a miserably misfiring Moeen Ali is a no-brainer while replacing Overton with the greater pace of Matt Wood is another possibility. However, with the Somerset seamer frequently outscoring his more illustrious colleagues with the bat, can the selectors afford to drop him at Christchurch?! Whatever the eleven which takes the field, they had better leave the sweets, sugar packets, etc back in the dressing room. Those pesky camera lenses get everywhere. 

2015 Cricket Team of the Year

The cricketing year produced its usual share of successes and disappointments, retirements and blossoming new talent. Australia won the World Cup but lost the Ashes. India and Sri Lanka lost momentum, New Zealand won a lot of new friends and respect, while Pakistan and England experienced maddening inconsistency. Bangladesh finally showed they are more than Shakib plus fillers, but the West Indies have many mountains to climb if they are to be once again competitive in the Test arena. Gayle, Pollard, Bravo and Russell may be amongst the principal T20 globetrotters but sadly their success seems to be diminishing their prospects at proper cricket.

So who have been the stars of 2015? Steve Smith, Martin Guptill and Chris Gayle were the leading scorers in each of the three international formats. Ravi Ashwin and Mitchell Starc topped the wickets tables in Tess and ODIs. AB De Villiers proved yet again how important he is to South Africa in all types of the sport, and now on top of all his batting and captaincy responsibilities he has taken the gloves in the Test series against England. No wonder he is looking for some time off in 2016. Yet, as his appearances were relatively few, he doesn’t even make my team of the year as it is intended to reflect performances across all forms, domestic and international.

For example, Steven Smith may be righty feted for his form in Tests, but his Aussie team-mate Adam Voges comfortably outscored him (and everybody else) when it came to all first-class cricket. He aggregated 2,547 in the twelve months, but yet even HE doesn’t make my team, as he wasn’t very active in limited overs cricket.

With the ball, Stuart Broad produced one incredible session for England, backed by other useful contributions alongside Jimmy Anderson. Jeetan Patel, Abdur Razzak and Nathan Lyon all added plenty to their career wicket tallies, but time out taken to remodel illegal actions has diminished the effectiveness of traditional spin stars such as Narine and Saeed Ajmal. Instead, there seems to have been a renaissance in left-arm seam and swing bowling.

So to my Eleven of 2015: Chris Gayle may be a T20 specialist (apart from a few World Cup 50-over outings) but his dominance can’t be ignored. His opening partner is Michael Klinger. Arriving at Gloucestershire from a successful domestic season Down Under, the Aussie clumped three T20 centuries in quick succession, before helping them to an unexpected 50-over cup triumph against Surrey. He also amassed 1,666 first-class runs in only 17 matches, making an all-format aggregate of 3,383!

Kumar Sangakkara bowed out of international cricket in 2015 but his form and class were maintained to the end, not only for Sri Lanka but Surrey, too. His overall run total was also comfortably above 3,000 and his glovework did enough to make him my wicketkeeper, too. A modern legend.

Steve Smith’s rise and rise from so-so leg-spinner to Aussie captaincy and leading Test scorer in 2015 is remarkable. His consistency eased the transition from the Michael Clarke era, although it was painful to watch ‘Pup’ struggle for runs in England, which eventually led him to call time on a wonderful career. Yet perhaps the most enjoyable growth in talent belonged to New Zealand’s Kane Williamson. Brendon McCullum’s aggressive yet sporting approach reaped benefits in all forms, but Williamson’s runs were just as important. It is to his great credit that I can find no room for the admirable Joe Root.

My number six is perhaps a little surprising. With a full season with Glamorgan as well as in South Africa, Colin Ingram was free to amass runs in all form of cricket. He could play carefully in the County Championship, yet explode into strokeplay in List A and T20. His strike rate in the latter was 146, right up there with Pollard and Pietersen. I appreciated his willingness to sign autographs for children at the Swalec Stadium boundary, too.

Genuine all-rounders seem to be in short supply at the moment. Dwayne Bravo came into my reckoning but as a T20 one-trick pony, I’ve passed him over in favour of Aussie James Faulkner. Still only 25, his left-arm seam bowling may be his greatest asset, yet in his batting career he averages more than 30 in first-class and List A cricket, and he boasts impressive strike rates. His 2015 performances nudge him into my XI of the year.

Ravi Ashwin was head and shoulders above not only his fellow Indian slow bowlers in height but also every other bowler in Test cricket. He scooped 62 wickets at a mere 17.0 apiece. With 35 ODI victims, too, he’s the first bowler on my team sheet.

Another bowler who can add useful late-order runs is John Hastings. Like Faulkner, a current one-Test wonder, yet a vital cog in the wheels of Durham and Victoria. He took 115 wickets across the year, but even that was eclipsed by the statistics of another Aussie quick. Mitchell Johnson may be the most recognisable of the Mitches, but Starc was the outstanding bowler of 2015. 63 first-class victims at 21, a world-leading 67 List A at a mere 14 apiece, and 21 T20 wickets at an admirable sub-7 economy rate speak for themselves. 100 mph deliveries, too! I just hope he can stay fit for 2016.

My final bowling position is a tough one. Tharindu Kaushal has made little impact on the international scene. However, the 22 year-old off-spinner from Galle amassed a remarkable 111 first-class wickets last year, primarily for the Nondescripts club. Trent Boult has blossomed for New Zealand, yet can I afford to include another left-arm seamer? Perhaps Broad’s right-arm status makes him a contender after all.

Anyway, it’s been an interesting year for cricket in lots of ways. For the record, here is my 2015 Team of the Year:-

Gayle (WI), Klinger (Aus), Sangakkara (SL +), Williamson (NZ), Smith (Aus *), Ingram (SA), Faulkner (Aus), Ashwin (Ind), Hastings (Aus), Starc (Aus), Kaushal (SL). My ‘squad’ also contains Alastair Cook (opener), Root (batsman), Broad and Boult.

One-one, but New Zealand deserve the plaudits

Another Test match, another intriguing contest! After capitulating on the final day at Lord’s, New Zealand must feel gloriously vindicated after turning the tables at Headingley, playing the sort of cricket which served England so well last week.

One of the many things I’ve taken from this short but very sweet series is that one-day batting has had a huge impact. Not so long ago, once the seventh wicket fell in an innings the tailenders would be thinking more about their run-up and new ball strategy than getting a few runs of their own. Now, everyone can be a hero with the willow!

Tino Best, Ashton Agar and even our very own Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson have written their names into record books in the past few years. In the past few days we’ve experienced still more fearless fireworks from numbers nine to eleven. Amongst the general glut of boundaries, the last two wickets in the four innings at Headingley have produced more than 300 runs. OK, I know that the second NZ innings was declared during the ninth wicket partnership but that’s still an impressive aggregate for a bunch of bowlers.

At Lord’s, it was mostly Ben Stokes but in Leeds, Luke Ronchi and Matt Henry (each twice), Stuart Broad, Tim Southee and Trent Boult had three-figure strike rates against their names. The Black Caps’ second outing, after another dodgy start, was played out in the image of their brilliant captain Brendon McCullum. Martin Guptill, Ross Taylor and BJ Watling may have ridden their luck on occasions but their aggressive approach pressurised fielders into dropping catches and bowlers like Broad resembling nervous teenagers serving up short-pitched tripe.

The Sunday spectators were presented with a feast of runs, then the NZ tail really rubbed it in on Monday morning, declaring on 454-8. Apart from Latham and Williamson, every player struck at least one six! Watling’s excellent century was the single most important contribution, earning him the Man of the Match award. However, Mark Craig’s 99 unbeaten runs and tight bowling earning five wickets should not be underestimated. Trent Boult and Tim Southee occasionally gave even Anderson a lesson in new ball swing bowling, and Luke Ronchi’s belated Test debut at the age of 34 resulted in 119 runs and some tidy displays behind the stumps. Even Williamson made up for his unusually poor display with the bat by clinching the game with 3-15, his vital victims being the dogged Cook, pegged Stokes and ragged Broad.

England weren’t completely outplayed. After all, it was a Test match in which Alastair Cook and Jimmy Anderson became the first Englishmen to pass 9,000 runs and 400 wickets, respectively. Adam Lyth achieved his debut century on his second appearance, Jos Buttler stuck around admirably for 73 on the final evening and Matt Wood did enough to keep his place for the Ashes.

More worrying must be the form of Ballance, Bell and Moeen Ali. Broad’s clueless bowling may have yielded seven wickets at Headingley but he went for six an over! Acceptable in an ODI but not a Test match. Joe Root fared even worse with the bat but even the finest batsmen have an off-day following his excellent display in the first fixture.

For now, let’s celebrate a wonderful brace of Test matches and in particular the attitude of McCullum and co in levelling the series in such style. The appalling negativity and time-wasting we saw from Cook’s men two years ago should be consigned to history. If the new brooms at England’s helm follow suit, the Aussies may yet face a real challenge later this summer.

Stokes Fires England to Victory

If the rest of England’s Test matches this summer are like the New Zealand opener, it won’t just be Alastair Cook and Andrew Strauss who will be in for a treat.

Fortunes swung like a hyperactive pendulum throughout the match, and that’s what exciting sport should be. When Southee, Boult and Henry had England struggling at 30-4 on the first morning, the Black Caps must have been scenting something special. Riding high at three in the ICC rankings, albeit just two points ahead of fifth-placed England, themselves in a bit of an identity crisis, could Brendon McCullum’s confident charges end the nine-game, 16-year wait for an away victory?

Excellent century stands between Joe Root and a forceful Ben Stokes, then Jos Buttler and Moeen Ali, turned the tables before Boult and Henry ended the innings as swiftly as they had started it. The visitors really turned the screw when Tom Latham and Martin Guptill produced a rare three-figure partnership, and the in-form Kane Williamson reached his fifth century in twelve months. It’s great to see the man from Tauranga progress from nervous youngster at Gloucestershire to accomplished Test batsman with an average of 47.

At the halfway stage, New Zealand seemed to be on top, taking their first innings past 500 and their lead to a handy 134 runs. Not just that, but debutant Adam Lyth, Gary Ballance and Ian Bell once more failed to make an impression at the second time of asking. Unlike Thursday, Alastair Cook stuck around and began the fightback with his likely successor Joe Root, whose stock has risen even further at Lord’s. The Yorkshireman fell on 84 but this just brought Stokes to the crease.

Having fumed at being bowled when shouldering arms two short of his ton in the first innings, the Durham all-rounder showed what may be the new attacking England ethos, cracking boundaries with joyous abandon. This time, he achieved his second Test century, the fastest ever at Lord’s, before edging an attempted slog sweep straight afterwards. It was now England’s turn to sniff not just a rescued draw but an unlikely victory. With Moeen Ali at eight, their batting looks stronger than ever, provided he and Stokes deliver the goods with the ball. Extending their score to 478 on the final morning, England had the upper hand.

Nevertheless, remembering their World Cup endeavours, New Zealand have hard-hitting players of the calibre of McCullum, Guptill, Taylor and Anderson and so any outcome was possible. However, they made a disastrous start, losing both openers without a run on the board inside seven balls. BJ Watling was promoted to five and he and Williamson steadied the ship for an hour or so. However, that man Stokes swung the game in England’s favour ripping out both Williamson and the skipper in consecutive deliveries. 61-5 and staring defeat in the face, Watling’s patience and Anderson’s aggression combined to recover NZ’s poise and salvage the match. Matt Wood’s extra pace and bounce did for Watling to end the partnership at 106, then Root trapped Anderson LBW three overs later. Southee, Henry and Boult made double figures but England polished things off in the final session. A great climax for the fifth day crowd, and a 1-0 lead for Cook et al.

So what have we learned? From England’s perspective, Joe Root is indispensible but that’s nothing new. Cook has rediscovered his mojo and Ben Stokes can deliver when allowed to let his attacking instincts have full rein. Moeen Ali is again showing he is a wicket-taking spinner who is a very capable run-scorer. Anderson and Broad looked poor in New Zealand’s first innings, but were pumped up on the final day. Of the two debutants, Matt Wood seemed to have the greater promise. He struggled a bit with the Lord’s slope yet unnerved some very good Test batsmen with his 90mph pace. He may never combine wicket taking and economy a la McGrath but a consistent fast bowler would do England’s attack a world of good. That’s the holy grail.

Adam Lyth deserves another chance before the Ashes squad is announced. I don’t see anyone else challenging him as Cook’s opening partner right now, so I hope England’s selectors stick to their guns. At least they go into the second Test with a 1-0 lead so, injuries apart, I’d expect an unchanged side at Headingley. Another game like this one and cricket will be the big winner.

World Cup 2015: Australia make it five!

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

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

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

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

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

So who comprises my team of the tournament?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Quarter-Finals go with form, but can both hosts reach the Final?

More World Cup matches, more records, but the organiser would be more relieved that the big four progressed to the semi-finals. It wasn't all about the batsmen either, as the bowlers were in the ascendancy at Sydney and Adelaide.

The Aussies gave short shrift to Pakistan. It was Josh Hazlewood's turn to take four wickets, before Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell and Shane Watson applied the coup de grace with the bat. The scoreboard doesn't show the nasty sledging aimed by the Aussie fielders at Wahab Riaz, nor the magnificent fast bouncers delivered by a fired-up Riaz in response to Watson. Both were fined but nevertheless it was Watson who had the last laugh, ending not out and remaining in the competition.

New Zealand continued their serene procession, thanks mainly to Martin Guptill's second-half blitz on the West Indian quicks. The opener shattered Chris Gayle's newly-notched World Cup record score on his way to 237, and poor Andre Russell very nearly went for a century of runs against his name. Gayle started as ferociously as the situation demanded, thumping eight sixes but once Milne bowled him, the game was effectively over. Trent Boult added four more wickets to his tally and Jason Holder's men were on their way home.

Earlier, there had been a rare day in the sun for South Africa's spinners, JP Duminy and Imran Tahir in the first quart-final. After Abbott and Steyn had removed both Sri Lankan openers cheaply, even Kumar Sangakkara could not muster a run every two balls and his side slumped to 133 all out. Not even the South Africans cold throw away such a commanding position but Quinton De Kock struck twelve boundaries to make sure.

In the other match, India maintained their unbeaten run and ended Bangladesh's extended World Cup adventure by 109 runs. Rohit Sharma's excellent 137 did the early damage before Yadav led the attack superbly. Ten more wickets, all bar one down to catches, and India are still looking a great all-round outfit rather than talented batsmen and fielders hoping to win by sheer volume of runs.

But now they face the host nation, and it'll be an interesting clash between the two sets of passionate fans, too, at the SCG on Thursday. Sydney may have witnessed a Sri Lankan meltdown this week but you can't forget the huge first innings totals racked up by the Proteas and Green Baggies against West Indies and Sri Lanka in the group stages. The toss will be a good one to win, although both teams are capable of pacing a run chase.

NZ v SA will be a fascinating encounter, too. I'd love to see McCullum's team reach their first ever World Cup Final but then, of course, neither of these two have yet won the trophy. Eden Park has witnessed two exciting contests, South Africa's narrow defeat by Pakistan and the Black Caps' single-wicket spine-tingler against the Aussies, so there may not be any batting records tumbling in this one. Both teams boast a first-class attack, while AB De Villiers and Brendon McCullum can tear bowlers apart in the right conditions.

I'd like to see India v New Zealand in the final but somehow I reckon Australia v South Africa is the more likely, with Watson or Warner coming to blows with Dale Steyn, both sides banned and the trophy presented to Ireland..... Maybe not, but I can see Michael Clarke as the man accepting the trophy and delivering the victor's speech.

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.