England go into the one day series with a serious test of there one day credentials and after a good showing in the Champions Trophy where they knocked out South Africa who will want to put right in front of there own fans. South Africa will want to prove to themselves that they are a serious team to be considered in the one day arena then the Champions Trophy showed them to be a one track team with no plan B. With England having knocked them out of the competition the crowd will be more hostile and the South African players will not require any more motivation to beat England who posses 3 South African players of there own.
The first part of the tour kicks off with two Twenty20 matches where England had a poor showing in there own country where South Africa choked in the semi finals once again so both teams will have points to prove with the next Twenty20 World Cup in June 2010.
The twenty20 matches will be a nice warm up for one day series which will be intriguing between two left handed captains who have contrasting styles in captaincy with Smith a successful captain and his opposite number new to the job but full of confidence being an Ashes winning captain. Both batsmen will want to do there talking with the bat and lead from the front as Strauss did during the Ashes and Smith did leading South Africa to a famous series win over Australia in Australia. Both teams are structured in the mannerism of the captains with South Africa being a in your face team but for England it is play hard and fair to win.
Both teams will want to use this series as the platform for the 2011 World Cup with England wanting to kick on from there good showing in the Champions Trophy and there defeat in the semi final should provide the perfect learning curve in what is required to win those type of matches. What England did well was the they played to there own style with setting up the innings at the top of the order then allowing Morgan to let loose and the bowling worked well as a unit. This was without Kevin Pietersen who missed the tournament who will only add more experience and cutting edge to the batting line up.
The one day warm up match v Warriors showed an all around team performance then in the batting by Strauss century who was helped by Denly with his 82 in a partnership of 175. In that game Cook came in at number 3 but once Pietersen returns you expect him to replace Cook and the rest of the team staying the same knowing one place will be kept for Flintoff when he returns so no one can feel comfortable with there place. As the twenty20 match showed the batting has a chance of capitulating at any time and the same applies for the bowling with all the bowlers quite similar and dropping Steve Harmison who provides the pace and the bounce would have a valuable assets but then recalling Sajid Mahmood in the bowler to provide take that role up after a two year break from the international arena.
South Africa have had the perfect warm up against Zimbabwe but they will face a different test against England who know they will have to be at the top of there game. The biggest question of South Africa is the ability to perform on the biggest stage under pressure but also many questioned there ability to be flexible as a team. There are questions about the South African team and selection with firstly Gibbs being dropped who the selectors have lost patience with and it seems Kallis will form an opening partnership with Smith which should be fruitful. The likes of DeVillers, Duminy and Boucher in the batting are destructive as are Steyn, Parnell and Botha in the bowling where they are looking for couple more players to take the all around roles and provide that flexibility.
It will be hard to see England over come South Africa who looks immense as a team but England know they have a chance to beat South Africa who has a mental block in the big matches.
I will be going for South Africa to win 4-1.
Wednesday, 11 November 2009
Tuesday, 10 November 2009
Should Ireland Be Given Test Status
I understand that Cricket Ireland have officially applied to the ICC for full Test status. Most commentators have regarded this as a bit of a joke but I'm sure many of those involved in Irish cricket disagree. Nobody expects Ireland to be playing five-match series against Australia, India or England within the next few years, not even the next ten years, but I guess everyone has to start somewhere.
Way back when, New Zealand and the West Indies took a long time to be taken seriously as a Test-playing nation and it was only really when the latter came to England with the 3 'Ws' and the likes of Ramadhin and Valentine in 1950 that the MCC was forced to sit up and take notice.
Look at Sri Lanka. They played their first Test against England who tagged the game onto the end of its winter tour of India in February 1982. They only played a handful of games each year over the next decade, partly hindered by political problems but also by the attitudes of established Test cricketing nations. I remember seeing England play Sri Lanka in a one-off Test at Lord's in 1991, and the visitors were still regarded as a bit of a novelty, capable of winning few games, especially overseas. However, within five years they were one-day world champions with a side featuring Ranatunga, Aravinda de Silva and future greats such as Jayasuriya, Vaas and Muralitharan. Now in 2009 they are close to becoming the official number one country in Test cricket.
So it takes time. OK, so Bangladesh are still strugglng, nine years after their first Test in 2000 (against India in Dhaka). They still play only a few matches a year, have won only three Tests (against Zimbabwe and what was essentially the West Indies 2nd XI) and lost more than half by an innings. Bangladesh, of course, was once part of Pakistan, and so there is the South Asian cricketing heritage to draw upon, as well as a sizeable urban population. They have a very yong squad and boast some fine players, including captain Mashrafe Mortaza and Mohammed Ashraful, but they have yet to set the world alight, either in IPL or ODIs. It is true that the Tigers have claimed a few big scalps in World Cups (sorry, Pakistan!) but have yet to kick on to the next level.
So, what about Ireland? They, too, have some good players, although a few of their best current crop (Eoin Morgan and Ed Joyce) have qualified to play for England in order to earn a better living, and who can blame them? The team have also acquitted themselves well at recent World Cups and have an established club structure, but this doesn't mean that they are ready for full Test-playing status. After all, I believe they don't yet even have full first-class status at domestic level. It has been suggested that they reintroduce interprovincial competition (similar to rugby union where Ireland are one of the world's strongest nations) and they have a few grounds capable of seating 5,000 or more, with ambitions to build more. The occasional game against Australia and England raise awareness and enthusiasm, too.
It helps to be ambitious. You can't promise future generations of Irish cricketers that they will be able to represent their home country against the world's top sides in five-day matches without taking the first step in applying to the ICC. Otherwise you can never be taken seriously. People have suggested that the ICC introduce a two-tier Test league, with relegation and promotion. I quite like this idea but with all the money going into T20, IPL and such like, where will the money come from to develop this concept? What if the West Indies or someone else have a bad run which sees them replaced by Ireland, Kenya or Holland?
It is good that Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have broken the old cartel of Test-playing nations but I think it will be the current Irish players' sons who have the best chance of competing in five-day series against England, Australia et al. Every journey starts with a single step, as someone famous probably said, so good luck to Ireland, even if it could be a very long trip!
Way back when, New Zealand and the West Indies took a long time to be taken seriously as a Test-playing nation and it was only really when the latter came to England with the 3 'Ws' and the likes of Ramadhin and Valentine in 1950 that the MCC was forced to sit up and take notice.
Look at Sri Lanka. They played their first Test against England who tagged the game onto the end of its winter tour of India in February 1982. They only played a handful of games each year over the next decade, partly hindered by political problems but also by the attitudes of established Test cricketing nations. I remember seeing England play Sri Lanka in a one-off Test at Lord's in 1991, and the visitors were still regarded as a bit of a novelty, capable of winning few games, especially overseas. However, within five years they were one-day world champions with a side featuring Ranatunga, Aravinda de Silva and future greats such as Jayasuriya, Vaas and Muralitharan. Now in 2009 they are close to becoming the official number one country in Test cricket.
So it takes time. OK, so Bangladesh are still strugglng, nine years after their first Test in 2000 (against India in Dhaka). They still play only a few matches a year, have won only three Tests (against Zimbabwe and what was essentially the West Indies 2nd XI) and lost more than half by an innings. Bangladesh, of course, was once part of Pakistan, and so there is the South Asian cricketing heritage to draw upon, as well as a sizeable urban population. They have a very yong squad and boast some fine players, including captain Mashrafe Mortaza and Mohammed Ashraful, but they have yet to set the world alight, either in IPL or ODIs. It is true that the Tigers have claimed a few big scalps in World Cups (sorry, Pakistan!) but have yet to kick on to the next level.
So, what about Ireland? They, too, have some good players, although a few of their best current crop (Eoin Morgan and Ed Joyce) have qualified to play for England in order to earn a better living, and who can blame them? The team have also acquitted themselves well at recent World Cups and have an established club structure, but this doesn't mean that they are ready for full Test-playing status. After all, I believe they don't yet even have full first-class status at domestic level. It has been suggested that they reintroduce interprovincial competition (similar to rugby union where Ireland are one of the world's strongest nations) and they have a few grounds capable of seating 5,000 or more, with ambitions to build more. The occasional game against Australia and England raise awareness and enthusiasm, too.
It helps to be ambitious. You can't promise future generations of Irish cricketers that they will be able to represent their home country against the world's top sides in five-day matches without taking the first step in applying to the ICC. Otherwise you can never be taken seriously. People have suggested that the ICC introduce a two-tier Test league, with relegation and promotion. I quite like this idea but with all the money going into T20, IPL and such like, where will the money come from to develop this concept? What if the West Indies or someone else have a bad run which sees them replaced by Ireland, Kenya or Holland?
It is good that Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have broken the old cartel of Test-playing nations but I think it will be the current Irish players' sons who have the best chance of competing in five-day series against England, Australia et al. Every journey starts with a single step, as someone famous probably said, so good luck to Ireland, even if it could be a very long trip!
Monday, 9 November 2009
Pakistan v New Zealand One Day Series 2009 - Kiwis Win Series Despite Aamer Innings
Today in the third match of the series we saw a typical Pakistan performance which provided typical twist and turns and New Zealand scrap there way to victory.
Brendon McCullum held the New Zealand batting together with a vitally crucial 76 which came of 109 balls and his partnership Redmond and Taylor set the innings up but good captaincy by Younis Khan and bowling from the spinners squeezed the Kiwis. The cheap wicket of McCullum who provided a c&b for Shoaib Malik provided the perfect opportunity for Pakistan to hold the advantage over them.
Younis knew he had the bowling attack to suffocate the Kiwis and he allowed his 3 spinners to bowl 27 overs and 25 of them between the 18th and the 45th overs. The bowling was very smart where Ajmal bowled his doosras, Malik his off breaks and Afridi his googlies and sliders. The Kiwis did not have many answers to the spinners who ended up taking 6 wickets for 98 runs in 27 overs which dismissed them for 211 and an excellent chance to win the series.
Pakistan knew they did not have to do anything spectacular to score 212 and they started of slowly and looked comfortable till Vettori came on to bowl in the 8th over where he removed Latif with the arm ball. Captain Younis Khan came in who is under severe pressure to keep his place in the one day team down to his form he ended up running out Butt and then Bond removed him the very next ball. The Pakistani wheels had fallen off as all the Kiwi bowlers saw an opportunity to take there chance to grab some easy wickets. It was a typical Pakistani performance under pressure as they were not able to deal with the pressure and the situation and bat accordingly.
Pakistan had collapsed to lost 9 wickets for 54 runs, from 47/0 to 101/9 and it was going to look embarrassing for Pakistan but thanks to Mohammad Aamer who ended up playing the best innings from any number 10 in ODI’s. When he started his innings he looked like a typical number 10 and then he started to play some shots and he hit 3 sixes of Vettori and the last wicket will come soon. He continued to play his shots and he scored 46 of his 73 runs in boundaries and the pressure was getting to New Zealand as the chase got much closer then they would have thought having Pakistan 9 down for 101.
Aamer came into bat with requiring 126 from 26.5 overs which was achievable but not with one wicket left and to have come 7 runs to a remarkable win would have been a typical win for Pakistan and loss for New Zealand. But it did not plan out in that way as it was the Kiwis who held there nerve as Oram who got the final wicket with the help of Mills taking the final catch.
It has been a good one day series between both teams and shows one day cricket is still alive but still requiring some tweaks to maintain its hold in the international calendar. With only 15 months to the World Cup both teams have got a lot of work to do if they have any desire to win it.
Brendon McCullum held the New Zealand batting together with a vitally crucial 76 which came of 109 balls and his partnership Redmond and Taylor set the innings up but good captaincy by Younis Khan and bowling from the spinners squeezed the Kiwis. The cheap wicket of McCullum who provided a c&b for Shoaib Malik provided the perfect opportunity for Pakistan to hold the advantage over them.
Younis knew he had the bowling attack to suffocate the Kiwis and he allowed his 3 spinners to bowl 27 overs and 25 of them between the 18th and the 45th overs. The bowling was very smart where Ajmal bowled his doosras, Malik his off breaks and Afridi his googlies and sliders. The Kiwis did not have many answers to the spinners who ended up taking 6 wickets for 98 runs in 27 overs which dismissed them for 211 and an excellent chance to win the series.
Pakistan knew they did not have to do anything spectacular to score 212 and they started of slowly and looked comfortable till Vettori came on to bowl in the 8th over where he removed Latif with the arm ball. Captain Younis Khan came in who is under severe pressure to keep his place in the one day team down to his form he ended up running out Butt and then Bond removed him the very next ball. The Pakistani wheels had fallen off as all the Kiwi bowlers saw an opportunity to take there chance to grab some easy wickets. It was a typical Pakistani performance under pressure as they were not able to deal with the pressure and the situation and bat accordingly.
Pakistan had collapsed to lost 9 wickets for 54 runs, from 47/0 to 101/9 and it was going to look embarrassing for Pakistan but thanks to Mohammad Aamer who ended up playing the best innings from any number 10 in ODI’s. When he started his innings he looked like a typical number 10 and then he started to play some shots and he hit 3 sixes of Vettori and the last wicket will come soon. He continued to play his shots and he scored 46 of his 73 runs in boundaries and the pressure was getting to New Zealand as the chase got much closer then they would have thought having Pakistan 9 down for 101.
Aamer came into bat with requiring 126 from 26.5 overs which was achievable but not with one wicket left and to have come 7 runs to a remarkable win would have been a typical win for Pakistan and loss for New Zealand. But it did not plan out in that way as it was the Kiwis who held there nerve as Oram who got the final wicket with the help of Mills taking the final catch.
It has been a good one day series between both teams and shows one day cricket is still alive but still requiring some tweaks to maintain its hold in the international calendar. With only 15 months to the World Cup both teams have got a lot of work to do if they have any desire to win it.
Sunday, 8 November 2009
India V Australia One Day Series 2009 - India Capitulate As Australia Win Series
It was the most professional and complete performance by Australia to win the series with one match left. It was a fair to ask about India’s mental strength in the last match losing by 3 runs but the way the capitulated in, the sixth match is a worrying trend for Dhoni and Kirsten.
With Australia losing players like a shack of sheep’s they had become a stronger unit and even more determined to win the series in India. With Australia bowling first they knew this was there best chance to win the series with conditions suiting swing and what occurred in the first 42 balls of the innings was a shock to everyone. Mitchell Johnson and Doug Bollinger were quite exceptional who removed India’s top 5 wickets leaving them reeling ad 27/5 and the prospect of losing the second consecutive series to Australia at home.
The conditions in Guwahati are not what you get in England or South Africa but what Johnson, Bollinger and Watson did was they made most of the movement on and off the pitch which troubled the Indian batsmen against there weakness. The bowling of Doug Bollinger was nothing special but he bowled a line and length with changing the pace but where Mitchell Johnson bowling was special. He was able to create more pace, extra bounce and a line and length, the way he bowled and removed the left handers, Gambhir, Yuvraj and Raina was a great viewing troubling them with putting doubt in there mind which ultimately got the wickets.
India did show some resistance firstly with captain Dhoni but he fell in the 30th over leaving India on 75/6 and two balls later Harbhajan was bowled and India were looking at a horror show being 75/7. They can be grateful to Jedeja and Kumar who had a partnership of 74 and probably the best innings they have played in there career so far. It was Doug Bollinger who removed Jadeja to collect his fifth wicket of the innings and it was a great performance by both individuals. India were saved form a total embarrassment but they knew to score only 170 was well below p0061r to trouble Australia.
Australia knew if they batted sensibly they would be able to chase down 170 with relative ease but Munaf Patel removed Shaun Marsh early and some hope to India. Shane Watson continued where he left off in the last match where he was positive and score run a ball 49 scoring 10 boundaries. Harbhajan removed Watson and Ponting in the same over but the damage was all done. White and Hussey made sure there was no collapse as they batted slowly to compile the runs with history in sight for the Australian team. The winnings runs were hit of Tendulkar’s bowling who would have been hurt by this performance as he came so close to taking India to victory in the last match and it may have been a very different story.
Against all the odds Australia has won the series 4-2 with one match left and it is a great credit to Ponting and his team how they have battled in this series with all the injuries. For Dhoni and India it was a severely bad performance which questions there ability when the going gets tough and there mental strength. It will be easy for them to collapse in the final match but for them and the fans they need to put a good showing and lose the series 4-3 then 5-2.
With Australia losing players like a shack of sheep’s they had become a stronger unit and even more determined to win the series in India. With Australia bowling first they knew this was there best chance to win the series with conditions suiting swing and what occurred in the first 42 balls of the innings was a shock to everyone. Mitchell Johnson and Doug Bollinger were quite exceptional who removed India’s top 5 wickets leaving them reeling ad 27/5 and the prospect of losing the second consecutive series to Australia at home.
The conditions in Guwahati are not what you get in England or South Africa but what Johnson, Bollinger and Watson did was they made most of the movement on and off the pitch which troubled the Indian batsmen against there weakness. The bowling of Doug Bollinger was nothing special but he bowled a line and length with changing the pace but where Mitchell Johnson bowling was special. He was able to create more pace, extra bounce and a line and length, the way he bowled and removed the left handers, Gambhir, Yuvraj and Raina was a great viewing troubling them with putting doubt in there mind which ultimately got the wickets.
India did show some resistance firstly with captain Dhoni but he fell in the 30th over leaving India on 75/6 and two balls later Harbhajan was bowled and India were looking at a horror show being 75/7. They can be grateful to Jedeja and Kumar who had a partnership of 74 and probably the best innings they have played in there career so far. It was Doug Bollinger who removed Jadeja to collect his fifth wicket of the innings and it was a great performance by both individuals. India were saved form a total embarrassment but they knew to score only 170 was well below p0061r to trouble Australia.
Australia knew if they batted sensibly they would be able to chase down 170 with relative ease but Munaf Patel removed Shaun Marsh early and some hope to India. Shane Watson continued where he left off in the last match where he was positive and score run a ball 49 scoring 10 boundaries. Harbhajan removed Watson and Ponting in the same over but the damage was all done. White and Hussey made sure there was no collapse as they batted slowly to compile the runs with history in sight for the Australian team. The winnings runs were hit of Tendulkar’s bowling who would have been hurt by this performance as he came so close to taking India to victory in the last match and it may have been a very different story.
Against all the odds Australia has won the series 4-2 with one match left and it is a great credit to Ponting and his team how they have battled in this series with all the injuries. For Dhoni and India it was a severely bad performance which questions there ability when the going gets tough and there mental strength. It will be easy for them to collapse in the final match but for them and the fans they need to put a good showing and lose the series 4-3 then 5-2.
Saturday, 7 November 2009
What Price Player Loyalty?
It's a fact of life that sportsmen, no doubt pressured by their agents, focus more than ever before on their bank balances rather than their clubs.
Employment laws have given the 'employee' far more power, with contracts worth very little. As money has poured into English football, the notion of one-club players has pretty much passed into history. Will the same happen to cricket?
This summer saw the retirement at 40 of former England paceman, Andy Caddick. He first played first-class cricket for Somerset in 1991 and stayed loyal to the county for 19 years despite the notoriously batsman-friendly pitches at Taunton. Back trouble prevented him playing many games in 2009 but it was only two years ago that he was the country's leading wicket-taker, although his international days were clearly behind him. There aren't many current one-club players in their mid-late thirties in the county game: Glenn Chapple, Robert Croft, Vikram Solanki and Jonathan Lewis spring to mind.
In the past, the carrot of a lucrative testimonial season was often enough to retain the services of a popular and experienced player but in the future that may not be enough. We haven't yet reached the football-type situation of a huge divide between two divisions, whereby a relegated side loses all its best players. Look at the example of up-and-coming Steven Davies and - let's face it - the down-and-going Gareth Batty. With Worcestershire struggling in the Championship, they made no secret of their desire to leave, and both secured allegedly lucrative transfers to Surrey. Yes, that's the Surrey who won few games in any form of cricket and finished near the foot of the bottom division tables in both one-day and four-day formats!
Much as I would like English county cricket to be flourishing, if the game was awash with money, there would be nothing to stop the richest clubs buying up the best international players. Never mind the rules about overseas player quotas. That would be challenged in the courts and probably blown out of the water. I like the current situation whereby counties are encouraged to develop youth, with the option of hiring overseas stars (both official or Kolpak-ers) to bring quality and experience to the dressing room and the pitch.
However, I've written before about the irritating trend towards very short-term contracts given to international players. A few weeks for Twenty20 here, a month between Asian one-day competitions there; it's hard to follow the game these days! However, you can't blame the players for going where the money is. In days gone by, even the world's best players stayed with one county for many seasons. Just think of the years of service given by Courtney Walsh to Gloucestershire, Wasim Akram to Lancashire, and so on. These days, four seasons is seen as a long-term commitment (for example, Langer, Di Venuto, Danish Kaneria et al). Then, of course, there's the central contracts system whereby top English players are tied more to their country than county. Now, in the wake of the IPL we have the prospect of freelance players who will play only for the highest bidder. After all, you can't break a contract if you don't have one! It may boost bank balances for people like Kevin Pietersen in the short-term but I think they may find their profiles becoming lower because they are seen less and less. I sincerely hope that this notion of untied cricket superstars falls on its backside! However, I've been wrong before!
Back to the county stalwarts, you can't deny that the longer someone stays at a county, the greater the respect that he commands amongst true cricket fans. We'd rather throw coins in a bucket to raise testimonial funds for a Croft or Caddick than for a here-today-gone-tomorrow superstar, however good they may be. Let's celebrate them while we can because they are a dying breed!
Employment laws have given the 'employee' far more power, with contracts worth very little. As money has poured into English football, the notion of one-club players has pretty much passed into history. Will the same happen to cricket?
This summer saw the retirement at 40 of former England paceman, Andy Caddick. He first played first-class cricket for Somerset in 1991 and stayed loyal to the county for 19 years despite the notoriously batsman-friendly pitches at Taunton. Back trouble prevented him playing many games in 2009 but it was only two years ago that he was the country's leading wicket-taker, although his international days were clearly behind him. There aren't many current one-club players in their mid-late thirties in the county game: Glenn Chapple, Robert Croft, Vikram Solanki and Jonathan Lewis spring to mind.
In the past, the carrot of a lucrative testimonial season was often enough to retain the services of a popular and experienced player but in the future that may not be enough. We haven't yet reached the football-type situation of a huge divide between two divisions, whereby a relegated side loses all its best players. Look at the example of up-and-coming Steven Davies and - let's face it - the down-and-going Gareth Batty. With Worcestershire struggling in the Championship, they made no secret of their desire to leave, and both secured allegedly lucrative transfers to Surrey. Yes, that's the Surrey who won few games in any form of cricket and finished near the foot of the bottom division tables in both one-day and four-day formats!
Much as I would like English county cricket to be flourishing, if the game was awash with money, there would be nothing to stop the richest clubs buying up the best international players. Never mind the rules about overseas player quotas. That would be challenged in the courts and probably blown out of the water. I like the current situation whereby counties are encouraged to develop youth, with the option of hiring overseas stars (both official or Kolpak-ers) to bring quality and experience to the dressing room and the pitch.
However, I've written before about the irritating trend towards very short-term contracts given to international players. A few weeks for Twenty20 here, a month between Asian one-day competitions there; it's hard to follow the game these days! However, you can't blame the players for going where the money is. In days gone by, even the world's best players stayed with one county for many seasons. Just think of the years of service given by Courtney Walsh to Gloucestershire, Wasim Akram to Lancashire, and so on. These days, four seasons is seen as a long-term commitment (for example, Langer, Di Venuto, Danish Kaneria et al). Then, of course, there's the central contracts system whereby top English players are tied more to their country than county. Now, in the wake of the IPL we have the prospect of freelance players who will play only for the highest bidder. After all, you can't break a contract if you don't have one! It may boost bank balances for people like Kevin Pietersen in the short-term but I think they may find their profiles becoming lower because they are seen less and less. I sincerely hope that this notion of untied cricket superstars falls on its backside! However, I've been wrong before!
Back to the county stalwarts, you can't deny that the longer someone stays at a county, the greater the respect that he commands amongst true cricket fans. We'd rather throw coins in a bucket to raise testimonial funds for a Croft or Caddick than for a here-today-gone-tomorrow superstar, however good they may be. Let's celebrate them while we can because they are a dying breed!
Friday, 6 November 2009
Pakistan v New Zealand One Day Series 2009 - McCullum Century Allows Kiwis To Level Series
It was the perfect response from New Zealand who recorded a convincing win thanks to Brendon McCullum scoring his second one day century and his first against a top international team. McCullum can be relived with his century as he has been in horrendous form in 2009 and his best innings since the opening match in the first season of the IPL.
The New Zealand innings was built around Brendon McCullum who ended up scoring 131 of 303 runs scored by New Zealand and he batted 47 overs. The innings that allowed the Kiwis to score 303 was the partnership between McCullum and Guptill of 126 with both batsmen enjoying batting together. Guptill played a smart innings where he kept on finding the singles which allowed McCullum to take advantage of the gaps in the field to score the boundaries. With McCullum attacking it did allow Guptill to score half his runs in boundaries and both batsmen scoring at a good rate, Younus Khan looked to stem the flow of runs so he had the spin duo of Afridi and Ajaml bowling but both batsmen attacked and hit sixes of both.
Guptill went for one too many big hits and he lost his wicket which bought a collapse with Ross Taylor falling two balls later and Styris 3 overs later. Being in control at 146/1 the Kiwis were 160/4 in a bit of bother but they had captain reliable in Vettori join McCullum who built a partnership of 54. McCullum had to change his game plan by looking for ones and twos as he knew they could not afford to lose any more wickets and his innings was vitally important but the innings played by Oram and Vettori allowed them to reach a score of 303.
Pakistan were going into the chase with there 18th combination at the top of the order since the 2007 World Cup which does not give huge confidence when chasing 304 to win the series. Against the odds the Pakistani openers started of well not scoring at a rate to take them ahead of the run rate but putting them in a position to challenge. Khalid Latif looked good after his decisive innings in the first match but it was Salman Butt who liked the player to play the innings required. The runs were not coming as easy and the pressure was applied back on to the batsmen which bought the fall of the first wicket with Latif falling lbw to Vettori.
Younus and Butt were not able to increase the run rate with the asking rate going to 7 an over; the Kiwis were applying the pressure on the Pakistani batsmen with tight bowling and excellent fielding. Bowling spells and catches win matches and the one handed catch by Ross Taylor to remove Younus Khan was sublime of the bowling of Scott Styris and the very next ball the same combination removed Afridi and the fans could sense victory was slipping away. Styris picked up his third wicket of the match in his next over and Butt was run out in the 30th over and Pakistan were reeling on 134/5 and it was tough task for the batsmen to reach 304. With the match virtually over Malik and Razzaq showed some resistance but it was not enough the discipline Kiwis showed it was too much for Pakistan as they ended up collapsing to 239 all out.
This was a role reversal to the first match where Pakistan dominated and won in convincing style and the Kiwis came back strongly and with one match left in the series it is anyone’s guess what to expect from these two teams. What ever the final result may be on Sunday both teams have areas to improve on for them to be consistent and a major threat at ICC events.
The New Zealand innings was built around Brendon McCullum who ended up scoring 131 of 303 runs scored by New Zealand and he batted 47 overs. The innings that allowed the Kiwis to score 303 was the partnership between McCullum and Guptill of 126 with both batsmen enjoying batting together. Guptill played a smart innings where he kept on finding the singles which allowed McCullum to take advantage of the gaps in the field to score the boundaries. With McCullum attacking it did allow Guptill to score half his runs in boundaries and both batsmen scoring at a good rate, Younus Khan looked to stem the flow of runs so he had the spin duo of Afridi and Ajaml bowling but both batsmen attacked and hit sixes of both.
Guptill went for one too many big hits and he lost his wicket which bought a collapse with Ross Taylor falling two balls later and Styris 3 overs later. Being in control at 146/1 the Kiwis were 160/4 in a bit of bother but they had captain reliable in Vettori join McCullum who built a partnership of 54. McCullum had to change his game plan by looking for ones and twos as he knew they could not afford to lose any more wickets and his innings was vitally important but the innings played by Oram and Vettori allowed them to reach a score of 303.
Pakistan were going into the chase with there 18th combination at the top of the order since the 2007 World Cup which does not give huge confidence when chasing 304 to win the series. Against the odds the Pakistani openers started of well not scoring at a rate to take them ahead of the run rate but putting them in a position to challenge. Khalid Latif looked good after his decisive innings in the first match but it was Salman Butt who liked the player to play the innings required. The runs were not coming as easy and the pressure was applied back on to the batsmen which bought the fall of the first wicket with Latif falling lbw to Vettori.
Younus and Butt were not able to increase the run rate with the asking rate going to 7 an over; the Kiwis were applying the pressure on the Pakistani batsmen with tight bowling and excellent fielding. Bowling spells and catches win matches and the one handed catch by Ross Taylor to remove Younus Khan was sublime of the bowling of Scott Styris and the very next ball the same combination removed Afridi and the fans could sense victory was slipping away. Styris picked up his third wicket of the match in his next over and Butt was run out in the 30th over and Pakistan were reeling on 134/5 and it was tough task for the batsmen to reach 304. With the match virtually over Malik and Razzaq showed some resistance but it was not enough the discipline Kiwis showed it was too much for Pakistan as they ended up collapsing to 239 all out.
This was a role reversal to the first match where Pakistan dominated and won in convincing style and the Kiwis came back strongly and with one match left in the series it is anyone’s guess what to expect from these two teams. What ever the final result may be on Sunday both teams have areas to improve on for them to be consistent and a major threat at ICC events.
Thursday, 5 November 2009
India V Australia One Day Series 2009 - Australia Clinch Win After Tendulkar's Masterclass
It was a match that will be remembered for Sachin Tendulkar scoring his 45th one day century which was just majestic and taking India so close to victory single handily as he has done so many times. But what can not be forgotten the innings Shaun Marsh and Shane Watson played for Australia for them to score 350 in a match between the top two teams in the world that the 50 over game has a place in the international calendar.
Australia won the toss and elected to bat and they would not have expected such a start from there openers where Shane Watson made the Indian bowlers suffer in any error in line of length. It can be looked at poor bowling by the Indians but it was smart batting by Watson who had created the length with his quick footwork and eye which had ultimately put the bowlers off. While Watson was punishing the bowlers his partner Shaun Marsh may not have been as destructive while he was at the crease but he played sensibly during his innings. Watson ended up falling 7 short of his century on 93 but he had left Australia in such a dominating position he could not be too disappointed. With his wicket falling the innings slowed down but Marsh made most his dropped catches by scoring his maiden one day century and he showed his array of shots during his innings.
What was remarkable about the Australian innings was that all 5 batsmen reached a strike rate of 100+ which had allowed them to reach such an imposing score. With Watson and Marsh setting up the innings they were helped by Pointing, White and Hussey who played magnificently. The Indians will be disappointed with letting Australia reach 350 but once again they failed in the field with dropped catches costing them and poor bowling by there fast bowlers with Harbhajan being the best bowler.
Chasing 351 would have seemed impossible but with the advent of Twenty20 and two of the best openers in world cricket anything was possible, Sehwag and Tendulkar gave the perfect start India required. Sehwag continued where he left off as he scored a quick fire 38 of 30 balls but once again failed to bat past the first powerplay but this match was going to be all about the little master Sachin Tendulkar.
Wickets kept on falling with Tendulkar losing Sehwag, Gamhir, Yuvraj and Dhoni and India were 162/4 and India required Raina and Tendulkar to build a partnership and they did as they put the pressure back on to Australia. Tendulkar had kept India in the game even with all the wickets falling but he had found Raina who had supported him in the best way possible by scoring the boundaries and singles when required. The run rate was always increasing but both Tendulkar and Raina had the ability to take the pressure off by playing a shot that would put the pressure back on to Australia as they started to fell the pressure with making fumbles and dropped catches.
The question was when would Tendulkar take the powerplay it was delayed as many thought it should have been taken earlier but even without the powerplay India required 52 of 48 with 6 wicket left and Tendulkar at the crease there was only going to be one winner. As the pressure was increasing on Australia they changed the momentum in the 43rd over as they removed Raina and Harhbajan in the same over and India were 300/6. With the mood Tendulkar was in he did not require anyone else but he had found some help from Jadeja who scored some valuable runs to take the pressure of Tendulkar and as victory was getting closer Tendulkar lost his wicket to Clint McKay bowling on his debut took a match changing wicket. The Australian were ecstatic as the Indian crowd were stunned but soon stood up to applaud such a fabulous innings from the Sachin Tendulkar. Jadeja was run out 3 balls later and it was game over virtually but Praveen Kumar showed his value with the bat as his a six but Nehra and Munaf can not hold a bat lost there wickets as India fell 3 runs short with 2 balls left.
We have probably witnessed one of the best one day matches ever played with Tendulkar playing one his best one day innings but unfortunately he had to end up on the losing end. The Australians must have thought what do they have to do to remove him but to win this match shows the guts, character and belief the Australians have to be leading this 7 match series 3-2 and to have 13 players fit talks highly of the Australian success. For Dhoni and India they have got a lot of thinking and rebuilding to do as they have lost two matches in this series by very small margins which firstly questions there mental strength. With India having the stronger team with all the Australian players dropping out and to be 3-2 down the pressure is on Dhoni’s men to win the next two matches and win the series as losing the series will be unthinkable.
Australia won the toss and elected to bat and they would not have expected such a start from there openers where Shane Watson made the Indian bowlers suffer in any error in line of length. It can be looked at poor bowling by the Indians but it was smart batting by Watson who had created the length with his quick footwork and eye which had ultimately put the bowlers off. While Watson was punishing the bowlers his partner Shaun Marsh may not have been as destructive while he was at the crease but he played sensibly during his innings. Watson ended up falling 7 short of his century on 93 but he had left Australia in such a dominating position he could not be too disappointed. With his wicket falling the innings slowed down but Marsh made most his dropped catches by scoring his maiden one day century and he showed his array of shots during his innings.
What was remarkable about the Australian innings was that all 5 batsmen reached a strike rate of 100+ which had allowed them to reach such an imposing score. With Watson and Marsh setting up the innings they were helped by Pointing, White and Hussey who played magnificently. The Indians will be disappointed with letting Australia reach 350 but once again they failed in the field with dropped catches costing them and poor bowling by there fast bowlers with Harbhajan being the best bowler.
Chasing 351 would have seemed impossible but with the advent of Twenty20 and two of the best openers in world cricket anything was possible, Sehwag and Tendulkar gave the perfect start India required. Sehwag continued where he left off as he scored a quick fire 38 of 30 balls but once again failed to bat past the first powerplay but this match was going to be all about the little master Sachin Tendulkar.
Wickets kept on falling with Tendulkar losing Sehwag, Gamhir, Yuvraj and Dhoni and India were 162/4 and India required Raina and Tendulkar to build a partnership and they did as they put the pressure back on to Australia. Tendulkar had kept India in the game even with all the wickets falling but he had found Raina who had supported him in the best way possible by scoring the boundaries and singles when required. The run rate was always increasing but both Tendulkar and Raina had the ability to take the pressure off by playing a shot that would put the pressure back on to Australia as they started to fell the pressure with making fumbles and dropped catches.
The question was when would Tendulkar take the powerplay it was delayed as many thought it should have been taken earlier but even without the powerplay India required 52 of 48 with 6 wicket left and Tendulkar at the crease there was only going to be one winner. As the pressure was increasing on Australia they changed the momentum in the 43rd over as they removed Raina and Harhbajan in the same over and India were 300/6. With the mood Tendulkar was in he did not require anyone else but he had found some help from Jadeja who scored some valuable runs to take the pressure of Tendulkar and as victory was getting closer Tendulkar lost his wicket to Clint McKay bowling on his debut took a match changing wicket. The Australian were ecstatic as the Indian crowd were stunned but soon stood up to applaud such a fabulous innings from the Sachin Tendulkar. Jadeja was run out 3 balls later and it was game over virtually but Praveen Kumar showed his value with the bat as his a six but Nehra and Munaf can not hold a bat lost there wickets as India fell 3 runs short with 2 balls left.
We have probably witnessed one of the best one day matches ever played with Tendulkar playing one his best one day innings but unfortunately he had to end up on the losing end. The Australians must have thought what do they have to do to remove him but to win this match shows the guts, character and belief the Australians have to be leading this 7 match series 3-2 and to have 13 players fit talks highly of the Australian success. For Dhoni and India they have got a lot of thinking and rebuilding to do as they have lost two matches in this series by very small margins which firstly questions there mental strength. With India having the stronger team with all the Australian players dropping out and to be 3-2 down the pressure is on Dhoni’s men to win the next two matches and win the series as losing the series will be unthinkable.
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