When a supposed strength is consistently under-performing, that part of the unit will inevitably come under severe scrutiny, and so is the case with England's top six. A general lack of cohesion as a unit and an inability to put telling first innings totals on the board is once again raising doubts concerning one or two positions in the line-up.
Four hundred runs is somewhat of a benchmark or nowadays considered a minimum first innings total, providing the wicket is of a reasonable nature. England have achieved this target a mere three times in their first innings since January 2007 or more appropriately - in the last 17 Test matches. A comparison to the best side in the world is at times considered unfair but it is an indication of what a side need to aspire towards, therefore in the same period Australia have passed the same target six times in only ten Tests, and ten times in the last 17 Tests.
Is the England top six that far behind Australia's ? In terms of consistently churning out the runs and batting as a unit, building the partnerships, yes they are some way behind. Aesthetically very few can compare to an in-form Michael Vaughan or an Ian Bell, but ultimately it's the results that count, not how they are got, although Australia do have such players that are equally adept in succeeding at both.
In Test cricket, only Kevin Pietersen and Michael Vaughan average in excess of 40 since the beginning of 2007, therefore a number of the top order have been under-achieving, or are there averages simply levelling out following very good starts to their careers ? We have seen flashes from all the current top six, Andrew Strauss's 177 in Napier when his position in Test cricket was under severe scrutiny, Alistair Cook kept Sri Lanka at bay in Galle for over six hours making 118 runs, and as we know, Michael Vaughan finds it very difficult not to look classy when accumulating his runs.
Kevin Pietersen may not appear as flamboyant and willing to take the odd risk in search of thrilling runs, but it is difficult to argue with his recent conversion rate. In the past 18 months, Pietersen has passed fifty on seven occasions and quite staggeringly has converted six of these into centuries.
Ian Bell and Paul Collingwood have endured a tougher time of late and it is felt their places are most under threat. Bell can at times match Vaughan's elegance, he is an exquisite touch player who times the ball excellently, but has struggled to really cash in when he appears set. This has been attributed to numerous things, mental frailty, the need - in his own mind - to increase his scoring rate and try to dominate, or simply lapses in concentration.
Collingwood currently looks a shadow of the man that went toe to toe with Australia in Adelaide. Like Bell, he just hasn't gone on to make a match defining innings of late despite passing the half-century mark three times in New Zealand. Although he has contributed in helping England out of numerous precarious situations in the past, he would do well to remember England’s decision in dropping Matthew Hoggard, who must have thought he too had enough credit in the bank.
Both Bell and Collingwood have already shown that the more relaxed nature of one-day cricket is perhaps the ideal environment to feel one or two in the middle of the bat, re-build lost confidence, get the feet moving again and give the image of players with real intent. The captaincy for Collingwood may be a welcome distraction, a chance to concentrate on other players games, not over analyse his own performances with the bat and give the ball a good old thump, which he is more than capable of.
Flashy, eye-pleasing fifties simply do not win Test matches and perhaps there is only Pietersen that has shelved his natural instincts, to a degree, in search of making the necessary totals England desire and will certainly need when the South Africans arrive on our shores in the not too distant future.
I sincerely hope that despite the recent shortcomings that the top six remain the same, injuries permitting, for the opening Test against South Africa. Presuming Andrew Flintoff has failed to convince selectors his level of fitness is of the appropriate standard (although him coming in at seven is a serious option). But if changes are to be made during the summer, where will England will be looking ?
Ravi Bopara will no doubt be able to showcase his talents once more in the one-day game for England, following his fantastic start to the season for Essex. Geoff Miller, England’s National Selector was present to see Bopara play an extraordinary innings against Leicestershire recently, where he made 201 not out in a 50 over contest, and may have nudged himself ahead of the unfortunate Owais Shah in the Test side reckoning.
Shah is as consistent a domestic performer as there is (barring Mark Ramprakash, who we will discuss later) and yet, so far, has only been granted two Test matches in which to impress, and one of those he did, in scoring 88 and helping England clinch a memorable series draw in India. Two failures against the West Indies and Shah was thrown back to County cricket to continue scoring masses of runs.
The outsider to regain his England place (he has not played for England since 2002) is of course Ramprakash. His utter dominance of county attacks is well documented, but this would be seen as a backward step and very much short-term option in recalling a 38 year old. Sure he doesn't look it and probably deserves another crack at the top level, but there does not appear any chance the selectors will looking up his phone number any time soon. Although Geoff Miller did contact him before the trip to New Zealand earlier this year to ask whether he would be a senior player on stand-by, a request Ramprakash struggled to get his head around.
Of course there are others to consider - Robert Key is highly thought of within the England set-up and may well be the alternative opener should Cook or Strauss be missing and Vaughan prefers his number three spot, Usman Afzaal has been given a new lease of life at Surrey, while Paul Horton has continued where he left off last season for Lancashire, although a longer spell in County cricket is the more likely route. Jon Trott of Warwickshire and David Sales of Northamptonshire have pushed their cases with steady starts, albeit in Division Two, and Ed Joyce is never too far away when replacements for England’s middle order are discussed.
It is not unfair for us now to expect this top six to really fire, build match defining partnerships, consistently breach the 400 mark and play with the kind of attacking intent that allows us enough time to bowl good sides out twice. Beware South Africa.
There will always be discussions and controversial decisions surrounding national team selection and virtually everybody has a different view of who should and should not be selected.
England showed a ruthless side to their selection policy with Hoggard and Steve Harmison being left out of the second Test in New Zealand, when there were calls for a change in the top six rather than the bowling attack.
If England continue to remain loyal to the top six, then with the experience and undoubted quality present, then I am sure we are in for a thoroughly exciting battle this summer when South Africa arrive with one of the finest pace attacks currently on the world circuit.
Recently Kevin Pietersen suggested the players in this current batting line-up is streets ahead of the leading run scorers in County cricket, if that is the case, then there is no need for change. Although Bopara, Shah and Ramprakash may strongly disagree.
Wednesday 18 June 2008
Tuesday 4 March 2008
The Kolpak Effect
Nobody could have imagined the impact made on cricket when Slovakian handball player Maros Kolpak won a decision in the European Courts of Justice back in May 2003. After being released from his German club, due to their quota on non-European Union players, Kolpak made a legal challenge to oppose the law and duly succeeded.
For those unaware of what effect this has on cricket, in England especially, it enables cricketers from countries that have an Association Agreement with the European Union (EU) to play domestic cricket in England without being classified as an overseas player. Therefore, players from South Africa, Zimbabwe and certain islands in the West Indies are free to travel to England to ply their trade, but are not eligible to represent England unless they wish to do so via the residential period route.
Each Kolpak case is dealt with individually by the England and Wales Cricket Board. Despite regulations stating that the player must not have played first class cricket or higher in the 12 months prior to the season and that he must give up playing as a domestic player in his home country, both of these can be overlooked. When Jacques Rudolph signed on for Yorkshire early in 2007 as a Kolpak, he had played for South Africa in August 2006, however, the ECB were powerless to enforce rules.
In every case, a player is asked to sign a Statutory Declaration, which details his commitment to playing only in the UK as a domestic cricketer. Players that return home to feature in their domestic season must then do so as overseas players.
They are the regulations, so what are the ramifications ? The major gripe against this relatively new legislation is that these Kolpak signings are stifling English talent. They are taking the places of the younger academy players when they could be being given the necessary first class exposure to enhance their game and gain vital experience at a higher level. The argument that negates that comment to a degree, is that many people believe that the cream generally rises to the top and if the youngster in question is good enough, he will make it with or without the presence of the Kolpak players.
The Kolpaks are invariably a cheaper option and are seen as a short term fix when the money could be better used improving the development of the younger players with the long term view in mind, rather than the immediate season. Counties understandably want to remain, or become, competitive and they see the best and cheapest way of doing this is by bringing in Kolpak players with a fair amount of first class, maybe international experience for a reasonable sum of money, rather than relying on youth and funding their development.
It is too much of a generalisation to say none of the Kolpaks signed since 2004 (the first season where the ruling was in place) have improved the quality on the first-class circuit. For example, there must be young batsmen at Sussex queuing up to hear any snippets of advice from a talent such as Murray Goodwin. Not only listening to him but watching how he goes about his cricket will surely aid young Englishmen no end, similarly at Yorkshire with Jacques Rudolph. Charl Willoughby has shown that bowlers can succeed on the batters paradise at Taunton, and if anyone there wants to learn the art of swing, he will be amongst the first they call on.
Has the Kolpak ruling strengthened English county cricket ? Of the 24 Kolpaks that have arrived and played first class cricket since 2004, around 50% have proved over their careers that they will benefit most leagues they join. I make this observation based on their overall first class records. Statistics can admittedly be misleading, however, only four of the 24 players average in excess of 40 with the bat, while seven have a bowling average under 30, with South African Lance Klusener fitting into both categories (for players that have played over 15 first-class games).
The stats suggest that the competition is not particularly stronger as a result of Kolpak signings, sure players like Goodwin, Rudolph, Klusener, van Jaarsveld etc, help raise the standard, but for every one of those there is a player that would probably struggle to make his own provincial side back home.
Naturally, the ECB cannot regulate the quality of player to come in, we can only rely on counties to do their utmost in signing players to strengthen English cricket as a whole, without flooding the market. One thing that is in their powers is to penalise each county to the sum of ?1,100 each time they field a Kolpak in the Championship, this fee comes out of their annual central handout.
With the ECB providing the major source of income for counties, they have an obligation to respect the amount of non-qualified English players within the make up of their squads. Of course those that are largely made up of English qualified players receive more income from the ECB.
Needless to say that there are more Kolpaks to come. In 2008 counties are restricted to only one official overseas player per side and may look to some big name Kolpaks to help improve gate receipts. Big hitter Justin Kemp is on his way to Kent having shelved his international ambitions for now, while Northants have opted to sign four South Africans with international experience in Nicky Boje, Lance Klusener, Johan van der Wath and Andrew Hall (with no official overseas player). Very few West Indians have come over on the ruling, but in 2008, Wavell Hinds and Pedro Collins will be bucking that particular trend.
So surely the change to only one overseas player is a little counter productive when counties then go out and bring in a number of Kolpaks (or entice players to obtain an EU passport) who are ineligible anyway for England selection. The quality of the official overseas player has been of the highest standard for a number of years, consequently the English players are much more likely to have their development enhanced by a world star, as averse to a South African struggling to get a break in his home country.
The newly formed Indian Premier League (IPL) may prevent numerous world class players from appearing in England in the opening months of the season with them signing up to play in the Twenty20 competition for obscene amounts of money. Will the enthusiasm to then travel to England for more cricket diminish after having earned a fortune for around six weeks work ? One would hope this is not the case.
Of course South Africa are also affected by the Kolpak ruling, with older players relinquishing their international prospects before their time to build a domestic career in England. Younger cricketers are also looking to gain England selection through the four-year residential period after their initial Kolpak contract. So the problem does not affect only England.
It is a situation that needs to be constantly assessed. The important thing for English cricket is that the academy players are given as much assistance to aid their development, whether that is through opportunities in the first team, a secure structure in place, or with coaching and facilities. The vision needs to be long term to enable English cricket to reap the rewards further down the line.
It was Leicestershire who made the first Kolpak signing when they added Claude Henderson to their squad. Their chief executive that oversaw the deal at the time was England's new selector James Whittaker. How ironic ? Let us hope, from an English cricket perspective, that that particular decision to start the Kolpak ball rolling will not reduce the field he has to pick from too dramatically.
What is important, is that English cricket monitors the quantity and quality of the overseas Kolpak player. This can only be done through the integrity of the county officials.
(Cricket Web, 26/02/2008)
http://www.cricketweb.net/blog/features/10.php
For those unaware of what effect this has on cricket, in England especially, it enables cricketers from countries that have an Association Agreement with the European Union (EU) to play domestic cricket in England without being classified as an overseas player. Therefore, players from South Africa, Zimbabwe and certain islands in the West Indies are free to travel to England to ply their trade, but are not eligible to represent England unless they wish to do so via the residential period route.
Each Kolpak case is dealt with individually by the England and Wales Cricket Board. Despite regulations stating that the player must not have played first class cricket or higher in the 12 months prior to the season and that he must give up playing as a domestic player in his home country, both of these can be overlooked. When Jacques Rudolph signed on for Yorkshire early in 2007 as a Kolpak, he had played for South Africa in August 2006, however, the ECB were powerless to enforce rules.
In every case, a player is asked to sign a Statutory Declaration, which details his commitment to playing only in the UK as a domestic cricketer. Players that return home to feature in their domestic season must then do so as overseas players.
They are the regulations, so what are the ramifications ? The major gripe against this relatively new legislation is that these Kolpak signings are stifling English talent. They are taking the places of the younger academy players when they could be being given the necessary first class exposure to enhance their game and gain vital experience at a higher level. The argument that negates that comment to a degree, is that many people believe that the cream generally rises to the top and if the youngster in question is good enough, he will make it with or without the presence of the Kolpak players.
The Kolpaks are invariably a cheaper option and are seen as a short term fix when the money could be better used improving the development of the younger players with the long term view in mind, rather than the immediate season. Counties understandably want to remain, or become, competitive and they see the best and cheapest way of doing this is by bringing in Kolpak players with a fair amount of first class, maybe international experience for a reasonable sum of money, rather than relying on youth and funding their development.
It is too much of a generalisation to say none of the Kolpaks signed since 2004 (the first season where the ruling was in place) have improved the quality on the first-class circuit. For example, there must be young batsmen at Sussex queuing up to hear any snippets of advice from a talent such as Murray Goodwin. Not only listening to him but watching how he goes about his cricket will surely aid young Englishmen no end, similarly at Yorkshire with Jacques Rudolph. Charl Willoughby has shown that bowlers can succeed on the batters paradise at Taunton, and if anyone there wants to learn the art of swing, he will be amongst the first they call on.
Has the Kolpak ruling strengthened English county cricket ? Of the 24 Kolpaks that have arrived and played first class cricket since 2004, around 50% have proved over their careers that they will benefit most leagues they join. I make this observation based on their overall first class records. Statistics can admittedly be misleading, however, only four of the 24 players average in excess of 40 with the bat, while seven have a bowling average under 30, with South African Lance Klusener fitting into both categories (for players that have played over 15 first-class games).
The stats suggest that the competition is not particularly stronger as a result of Kolpak signings, sure players like Goodwin, Rudolph, Klusener, van Jaarsveld etc, help raise the standard, but for every one of those there is a player that would probably struggle to make his own provincial side back home.
Naturally, the ECB cannot regulate the quality of player to come in, we can only rely on counties to do their utmost in signing players to strengthen English cricket as a whole, without flooding the market. One thing that is in their powers is to penalise each county to the sum of ?1,100 each time they field a Kolpak in the Championship, this fee comes out of their annual central handout.
With the ECB providing the major source of income for counties, they have an obligation to respect the amount of non-qualified English players within the make up of their squads. Of course those that are largely made up of English qualified players receive more income from the ECB.
Needless to say that there are more Kolpaks to come. In 2008 counties are restricted to only one official overseas player per side and may look to some big name Kolpaks to help improve gate receipts. Big hitter Justin Kemp is on his way to Kent having shelved his international ambitions for now, while Northants have opted to sign four South Africans with international experience in Nicky Boje, Lance Klusener, Johan van der Wath and Andrew Hall (with no official overseas player). Very few West Indians have come over on the ruling, but in 2008, Wavell Hinds and Pedro Collins will be bucking that particular trend.
So surely the change to only one overseas player is a little counter productive when counties then go out and bring in a number of Kolpaks (or entice players to obtain an EU passport) who are ineligible anyway for England selection. The quality of the official overseas player has been of the highest standard for a number of years, consequently the English players are much more likely to have their development enhanced by a world star, as averse to a South African struggling to get a break in his home country.
The newly formed Indian Premier League (IPL) may prevent numerous world class players from appearing in England in the opening months of the season with them signing up to play in the Twenty20 competition for obscene amounts of money. Will the enthusiasm to then travel to England for more cricket diminish after having earned a fortune for around six weeks work ? One would hope this is not the case.
Of course South Africa are also affected by the Kolpak ruling, with older players relinquishing their international prospects before their time to build a domestic career in England. Younger cricketers are also looking to gain England selection through the four-year residential period after their initial Kolpak contract. So the problem does not affect only England.
It is a situation that needs to be constantly assessed. The important thing for English cricket is that the academy players are given as much assistance to aid their development, whether that is through opportunities in the first team, a secure structure in place, or with coaching and facilities. The vision needs to be long term to enable English cricket to reap the rewards further down the line.
It was Leicestershire who made the first Kolpak signing when they added Claude Henderson to their squad. Their chief executive that oversaw the deal at the time was England's new selector James Whittaker. How ironic ? Let us hope, from an English cricket perspective, that that particular decision to start the Kolpak ball rolling will not reduce the field he has to pick from too dramatically.
What is important, is that English cricket monitors the quantity and quality of the overseas Kolpak player. This can only be done through the integrity of the county officials.
(Cricket Web, 26/02/2008)
http://www.cricketweb.net/blog/features/10.php
KP to return to dominance in NZ
"My view is that once he goes through his failure period then this will be the making of KP", so wrote Shane Warne in the foreword of Kevin Pietersen's autobiography, Crossing the Boundary.
There will inevitably come a time when Pietersen finds it difficult to replicate his outstanding Test career form to date. His eccentric strokeplay, which involves reverse sweeping for six, arrogantly manipulating the ball from six inches or more outside his off stump through straight mid-wicket and his general contempt for the bowler, will all come under severe scrutiny. In some parts these will be seen as the reasons for a slump, with people quickly forgetting how they cheered such strokes when they were perfectly executed. Only journalists and spectators can have it both ways.
As Warne suggests and history demands, the runs will dry up for a time at some stage. Following his disappointing tour of Sri Lanka, Pietersen will be determined that that time is not now.
He has struggled to recapture his fluency on the low, slow wickets of the sub-continent. It was the first time he went through a Test series without registering a half century and an average of only 25.20 was all he had to show for his efforts.
It is easily forgotten the success that KP enjoyed through 2007, even allowing for his rather fruitless tour of Sri Lanka. He was one of only three Test batsmen to pass 1,000 runs for the year - Jacques Kallis 1,210 runs and Sourav Ganguly 1,106 led the way - at an average of over 50.
Of course his runs will not always be scored in the scintillating fashion that he is so associated with and it may be the times when he has to dig in with conditions favouring the bowler that will continue to take his game to another level. We saw it in the recent Australia versus India series when Australia skipper Ricky Ponting was made to work very hard for his runs in Adelaide following a disappointing start to the series by his standards. He adapted to the situation and the needs of his side and stuck in to make 140 dogged runs, without his usual flow of pulls, drives and cuts.
We know Pietersen is also capable of such feats, he described his century against India at Lords last year as "right out of the top drawer", he even went as far as to say "I'd probably rate that as No. 1 to be totally honest". This was in testing conditions, the ball was moving around and India, led by the impressive duo of RP Singh and Zaheer Khan, bowled superbly. Everybody knows what KP is capable of when he is on top of the attack with the ball coming nicely onto the bat, and in New Zealand he will find conditions much more in keeping with his style than in the sub-continent. Brought up on the pacy, bouncy tracks of South Africa and having honed his technique on tracks that offer bowlers ample assistance in England, the New Zealand pitches are unlikely to deter his dominance.
I feel the cricketing public in general are the ones that are punished from Shane Bond's absence, his duel against Kevin Pietersen would have been an absorbing one. If Pietersen was to succeed, there will have been times where he would have to give ground to the bowler, recognise and accept when Bond is in the middle of a good spell and simply bide his time and keep his wicket intact, although it may not be common practice for Pietersen to do so. Bond will undoubtedly be missed, and while it will be a mistake to underestimate the Kiwi attack, it does happen to be one of the weakest on the international circuit.
Pietersen though, appears to be firmly focused on the job in hand. When recently quizzed about the Ashes in 2009, he rightly stated there are five big series before then, and five series that demand full concentration if England are to build any momentum heading into 2009.
While there is expected to be enough movement in the tracks to encourage the quicker bowlers, batsman will reap the rewards once they get set. It is widely acknowledged that Pietersen is at his best when he takes his time and builds his innings without risking too many expansive strokes too early.
He will have a score to settle in relation to one-day cricket. During the last tour to Sri Lanka, his average dropped below 50 for the first time in his career. He had mixed success in 2007 in the 50-over game, his quality was there for all to see in the World Cup, but since the prestigious tournament he has struggled to take control of matches like he did so frequently earlier in his career, despite playing a decisive innings in the final ODI against India last year.
He entered the World Cup with a strike rate just under 95 and even after his successful tournament, it has dropped to 88.29 runs per 100 balls, which is admittedly no disgrace, but perhaps an indication that he has struggled to dominate attacks recently or has he undergone a change in mindset, only too aware of how important his wicket is to the side. Either way, his average of 30.25 since the World Cup indicates he is lacking form in the one-day arena.
Kevin Pietersen will be keen to address his recent disappointments. Great players use their resources and hit back strongly. In New Zealand, Pietersen will face an attack not at its strongest and he will prey on any hesitancy, his positive style ensuring the pressure is forced onto the bowler and they cannot afford to be anything other than at their best if they want to trouble KP. The battle with Vettori promises to be the most intriguing viewing.
With everything taken into consideration, the failure period that Shane Warne talked about may be on hold for the time being at least.
(Cricket Web, 06/02/2008)
http://www.cricketweb.net/blog/features/5.php
There will inevitably come a time when Pietersen finds it difficult to replicate his outstanding Test career form to date. His eccentric strokeplay, which involves reverse sweeping for six, arrogantly manipulating the ball from six inches or more outside his off stump through straight mid-wicket and his general contempt for the bowler, will all come under severe scrutiny. In some parts these will be seen as the reasons for a slump, with people quickly forgetting how they cheered such strokes when they were perfectly executed. Only journalists and spectators can have it both ways.
As Warne suggests and history demands, the runs will dry up for a time at some stage. Following his disappointing tour of Sri Lanka, Pietersen will be determined that that time is not now.
He has struggled to recapture his fluency on the low, slow wickets of the sub-continent. It was the first time he went through a Test series without registering a half century and an average of only 25.20 was all he had to show for his efforts.
It is easily forgotten the success that KP enjoyed through 2007, even allowing for his rather fruitless tour of Sri Lanka. He was one of only three Test batsmen to pass 1,000 runs for the year - Jacques Kallis 1,210 runs and Sourav Ganguly 1,106 led the way - at an average of over 50.
Of course his runs will not always be scored in the scintillating fashion that he is so associated with and it may be the times when he has to dig in with conditions favouring the bowler that will continue to take his game to another level. We saw it in the recent Australia versus India series when Australia skipper Ricky Ponting was made to work very hard for his runs in Adelaide following a disappointing start to the series by his standards. He adapted to the situation and the needs of his side and stuck in to make 140 dogged runs, without his usual flow of pulls, drives and cuts.
We know Pietersen is also capable of such feats, he described his century against India at Lords last year as "right out of the top drawer", he even went as far as to say "I'd probably rate that as No. 1 to be totally honest". This was in testing conditions, the ball was moving around and India, led by the impressive duo of RP Singh and Zaheer Khan, bowled superbly. Everybody knows what KP is capable of when he is on top of the attack with the ball coming nicely onto the bat, and in New Zealand he will find conditions much more in keeping with his style than in the sub-continent. Brought up on the pacy, bouncy tracks of South Africa and having honed his technique on tracks that offer bowlers ample assistance in England, the New Zealand pitches are unlikely to deter his dominance.
I feel the cricketing public in general are the ones that are punished from Shane Bond's absence, his duel against Kevin Pietersen would have been an absorbing one. If Pietersen was to succeed, there will have been times where he would have to give ground to the bowler, recognise and accept when Bond is in the middle of a good spell and simply bide his time and keep his wicket intact, although it may not be common practice for Pietersen to do so. Bond will undoubtedly be missed, and while it will be a mistake to underestimate the Kiwi attack, it does happen to be one of the weakest on the international circuit.
Pietersen though, appears to be firmly focused on the job in hand. When recently quizzed about the Ashes in 2009, he rightly stated there are five big series before then, and five series that demand full concentration if England are to build any momentum heading into 2009.
While there is expected to be enough movement in the tracks to encourage the quicker bowlers, batsman will reap the rewards once they get set. It is widely acknowledged that Pietersen is at his best when he takes his time and builds his innings without risking too many expansive strokes too early.
He will have a score to settle in relation to one-day cricket. During the last tour to Sri Lanka, his average dropped below 50 for the first time in his career. He had mixed success in 2007 in the 50-over game, his quality was there for all to see in the World Cup, but since the prestigious tournament he has struggled to take control of matches like he did so frequently earlier in his career, despite playing a decisive innings in the final ODI against India last year.
He entered the World Cup with a strike rate just under 95 and even after his successful tournament, it has dropped to 88.29 runs per 100 balls, which is admittedly no disgrace, but perhaps an indication that he has struggled to dominate attacks recently or has he undergone a change in mindset, only too aware of how important his wicket is to the side. Either way, his average of 30.25 since the World Cup indicates he is lacking form in the one-day arena.
Kevin Pietersen will be keen to address his recent disappointments. Great players use their resources and hit back strongly. In New Zealand, Pietersen will face an attack not at its strongest and he will prey on any hesitancy, his positive style ensuring the pressure is forced onto the bowler and they cannot afford to be anything other than at their best if they want to trouble KP. The battle with Vettori promises to be the most intriguing viewing.
With everything taken into consideration, the failure period that Shane Warne talked about may be on hold for the time being at least.
(Cricket Web, 06/02/2008)
http://www.cricketweb.net/blog/features/5.php
Careers over for Sri Lankan duo
Whilst the Sri Lankan population celebrate the record feat achieved by Muttiah Muralitharan for becoming the record Test wicket taker in the history of the game, Sanath Jayasuriya announced his retirement meaning Sri Lanka will now have to cope without both batsman that featured in their most influential opening partnership in their history, at least in the Test arena.
Jayasuriya and Marvan Atapattu combined at the top of the Sri Lanka's batting order in Test cricket since August 1997 and did so on 118 occasions in total, scoring 4,469 runs in partnership, at an average of 40.26. The amount of runs that they accumulated makes them the third most successful partnership in Test cricket, surpassed only by Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes (6,482 runs), and Matthew Hayden's combination with Justin Langer (5,655), foundations of which were fundamental to their sides unprecedented success.
They were an accomplished double act in the one-dayers also, managing a higher average than in Test cricket, (43.36) which made the decision to take Atapattu to the World Cup earlier this year and not play him even more puzzling. His relationship with the management was far from ideal and his on-running public disagreements (ultimately referring to them as 'a set of muppets headed by a joker') may have hastened his decision, after he had proved he was still capable of competing against the best, in Australia.
Jayasuriya has of course retired before, in 2006, yet he reversed his decision and returned to the Test fold but has since failed to recapture the form of his glory days, although that did not show with his flashing blade in full effect in his final innings in Kandy.
To forge a successful opening partnership it is imperative that there is an understanding, and despite the huge contrast in their styles, Atapattu and Jayasuriya complimented each other perfectly. One patient, one swashbuckling, one right-hander, one left-hander, one orthodox, one unorthodox. A good line and length to one was being pulverised at the opposite end by the other.
Atapattu was a nervous starter but once he was in and settled there was no way through his tight defence, he possess amazing powers of concentration and a textbook technique with a cover drive that would challenge Michael Vaughan and Michael Hussey as the most pleasing on the eye. He was not deterred by the lack of scoring options, willing instead to grit his teeth, keep his wicket intact and await his opportunity to score. His orthodoxy epitomised the traditional style of an opening batsman.
Testament to his concentration, is the fact that there is only Donald Bradman, Brian Lara and Wally Hammond that have managed more double centuries than Atapattu (6).
Despite being relatively consistent in getting their side off to a solid start, they had to wait until the 43rd attempt before they surpassed the landmark of a century opening stand, and when it arrived, boy did they cash in, against the pace attack of Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis. It was the third Test and Sri Lanka had already lost the series, but Jayasuriya and Atapattu combined for an opening stand of 335, Atapattu finished on 207 not out while Jayasuriya made 188, the game was ultimately abandoned to to inclement weather.
As is so often the way, you wait so long to reach a landmark that the next one arrives in the very next game, the first Test against South Africa saw them put on a further 193 for the first wicket, and Atapattu and Jayasuriya were becoming one of the finest combinations on the circuit.
If they had endured a start to their partnership that would undoubtedly improve, then the only conceivable way for Atapattu was up, following his turbulent introduction to Test cricket. In his first six innings he only registered a single run, yet his fortunes were turned round when he was asked to open the innings. In their first trip to the wicket together they made 39, with Jayasuriya dominating the headlines for the following days with a fantastic innings of 340 against the unfortunate Indians.
If Atapattu saw the challenge of facing the new ball as a tactical game of patience and severe test of technique, then Jayasuriya saw it as an opportunity to cash in while the ball was hard, enabling him to hit it harder and further than with the softer version, and chance his arm by going over the top due to the attacking fields set by the opposition.
Jayasuriya was certainly the entertainer, he enjoyed nothing more than bludgeoning a delivery that offered width through the point region, unafraid to hit over the infield and indeed over the crowd. To date Jayasuriya has struck over 300 international sixes (there may be more to come as his retirement does not extend to ODI's), while Atapattu on the other hand managed a total of just 19 (four in Test matches and 15 in ODI's).
Atapattu signed off in November with a technically proficient display scoring 80 in the face of some aggressive fast bowling by Brett Lee and co. Despite being in the international wilderness for nearly two years (due to injuries and selection politics) he was still at home at this level and that is the way he wished to be remembered. His career average (39.02) perhaps does not offer a true representation of the talent he possessed, although his average increased to 43.23 as a specialist opener.
Jayasuriya's last innings demonstrated his brand of cricket that had become synonymous with his name, just ask Jimmy Anderson who was savaged for six fours in a single over. He fell 22 runs short of a goodbye century.
The immediate effect of their retirements is that they will have to play the remaining two Test matches against England with a partnership that has relatively little experience of Test cricket. Sri Lanka have not only lost two consistent performers but also two former captains that have attained so much knowledge of the game that consequently they become very difficult to replace.
It is expected that Upul Tharanga will come in to partner Michael Vandort for the remaining two Tests. The pair do have experience of facing the new ball together against England previously, but not particularly fond memories, in four attempts their highest partnership was six.
Marvan Atapattu and Sanath Jayasuriya were two batsmen of obvious dissimilarity, yet as a partnership their compatibility was clear for all to see, and there is no question that it may take Sri Lankan cricket some time to find their perfect alternatives.
(Cricket Web, 05/12/2007)
http://www.cricketweb.net/article.php?CategoryIDAuto=%203&NewsIDAuto=4811
Jayasuriya and Marvan Atapattu combined at the top of the Sri Lanka's batting order in Test cricket since August 1997 and did so on 118 occasions in total, scoring 4,469 runs in partnership, at an average of 40.26. The amount of runs that they accumulated makes them the third most successful partnership in Test cricket, surpassed only by Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes (6,482 runs), and Matthew Hayden's combination with Justin Langer (5,655), foundations of which were fundamental to their sides unprecedented success.
They were an accomplished double act in the one-dayers also, managing a higher average than in Test cricket, (43.36) which made the decision to take Atapattu to the World Cup earlier this year and not play him even more puzzling. His relationship with the management was far from ideal and his on-running public disagreements (ultimately referring to them as 'a set of muppets headed by a joker') may have hastened his decision, after he had proved he was still capable of competing against the best, in Australia.
Jayasuriya has of course retired before, in 2006, yet he reversed his decision and returned to the Test fold but has since failed to recapture the form of his glory days, although that did not show with his flashing blade in full effect in his final innings in Kandy.
To forge a successful opening partnership it is imperative that there is an understanding, and despite the huge contrast in their styles, Atapattu and Jayasuriya complimented each other perfectly. One patient, one swashbuckling, one right-hander, one left-hander, one orthodox, one unorthodox. A good line and length to one was being pulverised at the opposite end by the other.
Atapattu was a nervous starter but once he was in and settled there was no way through his tight defence, he possess amazing powers of concentration and a textbook technique with a cover drive that would challenge Michael Vaughan and Michael Hussey as the most pleasing on the eye. He was not deterred by the lack of scoring options, willing instead to grit his teeth, keep his wicket intact and await his opportunity to score. His orthodoxy epitomised the traditional style of an opening batsman.
Testament to his concentration, is the fact that there is only Donald Bradman, Brian Lara and Wally Hammond that have managed more double centuries than Atapattu (6).
Despite being relatively consistent in getting their side off to a solid start, they had to wait until the 43rd attempt before they surpassed the landmark of a century opening stand, and when it arrived, boy did they cash in, against the pace attack of Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis. It was the third Test and Sri Lanka had already lost the series, but Jayasuriya and Atapattu combined for an opening stand of 335, Atapattu finished on 207 not out while Jayasuriya made 188, the game was ultimately abandoned to to inclement weather.
As is so often the way, you wait so long to reach a landmark that the next one arrives in the very next game, the first Test against South Africa saw them put on a further 193 for the first wicket, and Atapattu and Jayasuriya were becoming one of the finest combinations on the circuit.
If they had endured a start to their partnership that would undoubtedly improve, then the only conceivable way for Atapattu was up, following his turbulent introduction to Test cricket. In his first six innings he only registered a single run, yet his fortunes were turned round when he was asked to open the innings. In their first trip to the wicket together they made 39, with Jayasuriya dominating the headlines for the following days with a fantastic innings of 340 against the unfortunate Indians.
If Atapattu saw the challenge of facing the new ball as a tactical game of patience and severe test of technique, then Jayasuriya saw it as an opportunity to cash in while the ball was hard, enabling him to hit it harder and further than with the softer version, and chance his arm by going over the top due to the attacking fields set by the opposition.
Jayasuriya was certainly the entertainer, he enjoyed nothing more than bludgeoning a delivery that offered width through the point region, unafraid to hit over the infield and indeed over the crowd. To date Jayasuriya has struck over 300 international sixes (there may be more to come as his retirement does not extend to ODI's), while Atapattu on the other hand managed a total of just 19 (four in Test matches and 15 in ODI's).
Atapattu signed off in November with a technically proficient display scoring 80 in the face of some aggressive fast bowling by Brett Lee and co. Despite being in the international wilderness for nearly two years (due to injuries and selection politics) he was still at home at this level and that is the way he wished to be remembered. His career average (39.02) perhaps does not offer a true representation of the talent he possessed, although his average increased to 43.23 as a specialist opener.
Jayasuriya's last innings demonstrated his brand of cricket that had become synonymous with his name, just ask Jimmy Anderson who was savaged for six fours in a single over. He fell 22 runs short of a goodbye century.
The immediate effect of their retirements is that they will have to play the remaining two Test matches against England with a partnership that has relatively little experience of Test cricket. Sri Lanka have not only lost two consistent performers but also two former captains that have attained so much knowledge of the game that consequently they become very difficult to replace.
It is expected that Upul Tharanga will come in to partner Michael Vandort for the remaining two Tests. The pair do have experience of facing the new ball together against England previously, but not particularly fond memories, in four attempts their highest partnership was six.
Marvan Atapattu and Sanath Jayasuriya were two batsmen of obvious dissimilarity, yet as a partnership their compatibility was clear for all to see, and there is no question that it may take Sri Lankan cricket some time to find their perfect alternatives.
(Cricket Web, 05/12/2007)
http://www.cricketweb.net/article.php?CategoryIDAuto=%203&NewsIDAuto=4811
Sunday 2 December 2007
England dominate first day
England comfortably took the opening day honours in the first Test against Sri Lanka at Kandy. Electing to bat first Sri Lanka crumbled to 188 all out, which could have been much worse if it was not for the brilliance of Kumar Sangakkara. Matthew Hoggard was the chief inflictor of damage, removing four of Sri Lanka's top order batsmen in his opening ten over burst.
England's reply began by continuing the recent flurry of wickets when Chaminda Vaas removed opener Alistair Cook with the third ball of the innings. Captain Michael Vaughan (13*) and Ian Bell (36*) saw their side through to the close, ending on 49-1.
It was a predictably sweltering day for the first day of the series with the track looking in excellent condition to have a bat. It was dry with a few minor cracks that are expected to open up and crumble as the game goes on, making it increasingly difficult to bat on.
Steve Harmison did not make England's starting eleven, so James Anderson was given his chance to impress, while Sri Lanka called in Jehan Mubarak following Marvan Atapattu's recent retirement. Chaminda Vaas was recalled after Farveez Maharoof injured his ankle, and the experienced bowler gratefully received his 100th cap.
So it was with glee that Mahela Jayawardene called correctly, with England captain Vaughan admitting that he would have loved the chance to bat first.
What transpired could not have been any further from Jayawardene's hopes, as Ryan Sidebottom struck first blood, encouraging Sanath Jayasuriya to drive, and Kevin Pietersen took a fine catch diving to his right. His catch was to be eclipsed as finest of the day later on by none other than Paul Collingwood.
Meanwhile Hoggard was settling in nicely on his return to the England side with the kind of swing bowling and accuracy that has troubled many a batsman. It proved too much for Michael Vandort who rather tamely offered a chance to Vaughan at mid on, attempting to work it through the leg side. The skipper held the catch and Sri Lanka were 29-2.
It was an almighty effort for Hoggard to bowl a straight ten overs in this draining heat, but a further three wickets in this spell, all in fairly identical fashion, must have kept energy levels high.
Mahela Jayawardene, Chamara Silva, and Jehan Mubarak were all unable to negotiate the movement Hoggard was finding, and consequently nicked through to Matt Prior for three straight forward catches. The Yorkshire swinger was well rewarded for his metronomic accuracy and while he was not getting prodigious movement, the ball was swinging and seaming just enough to make the difference.
At 42-5 Sri Lanka were in dire straits, and the vital partnership of their best batsman Sangakkara and keeper Prasanna Jayawardene at least gave the hosts a smidgen of respectability.
Sangakkara continued his outstanding form from Australia, where in his only Test he made 57 and 192, and prior to that his last two Test innings were 222* and 200* against Bangladesh. He assessed the pitch and the individual threat each bowler was offering, and set out his game plan accordingly.
Such a joy to watch when in full flow, he punched the ball down the ground with consummate ease, and watchfully drove through the ball. The ball was not coming on to the bat particularly well, so at times he was forced to check his stroke, but his timing did not suffer as a result. If England did stray too straight, he would work the ball expertly off his legs into the vacant gaps on the leg side, it was becoming a true masterclass in how to bat in Sri Lankan conditions, and in Jayawardene he found a player able to stick with him.
The keeper has shown his strengths with the gloves and also offered promise with the bat, and today he played very well through the offside, not afraid to open the face of the bat to find the spaces.
Jayawardene only managed one more run form his next 18 deliveries, before he flicked one from Monty Panesar rather firmly into Cook's mid rift, who managed to cling on.
With wickets now falling regularly from the other end, Sangakkara was left with no option but to take the attack to England, and on 92 he sliced one within reach of Collingwood who plucked the ball one handed whilst diving to his left off the bowling of Anderson.
Panesar managed to get the odd one to really turn and bounce, which will not have disheartened Murali on the opening day. England's spinner accounted for Chaminda Vaas and Dilhara Fernando before Murali was run out in a mix up with Lasith Malinga. Panesar finished with 3-46, but Hoggard was the stand out bowler ending with 4-29.
Vaas immediately gave Sri Lanka the tonic they needed at the beginning of England's reply, luring Cook across his stumps before bowling one to go straight on that thudded into Cook's front pad for a regulation lbw decision.
Ian Bell looked in exquisite touch, a series of front and back foot boundaries when he only appeared to block the ball, took him to 36 not out and restore any confidence he may have lost on his trip here in the one-day series. Vaughan was dogged, not reaching the levels of fluency he had at the same venue back in 2003, but nevertheless reached the close of play unscathed.
A start England could only have dreamt of, but this Test is far from over.
England's reply began by continuing the recent flurry of wickets when Chaminda Vaas removed opener Alistair Cook with the third ball of the innings. Captain Michael Vaughan (13*) and Ian Bell (36*) saw their side through to the close, ending on 49-1.
It was a predictably sweltering day for the first day of the series with the track looking in excellent condition to have a bat. It was dry with a few minor cracks that are expected to open up and crumble as the game goes on, making it increasingly difficult to bat on.
Steve Harmison did not make England's starting eleven, so James Anderson was given his chance to impress, while Sri Lanka called in Jehan Mubarak following Marvan Atapattu's recent retirement. Chaminda Vaas was recalled after Farveez Maharoof injured his ankle, and the experienced bowler gratefully received his 100th cap.
So it was with glee that Mahela Jayawardene called correctly, with England captain Vaughan admitting that he would have loved the chance to bat first.
What transpired could not have been any further from Jayawardene's hopes, as Ryan Sidebottom struck first blood, encouraging Sanath Jayasuriya to drive, and Kevin Pietersen took a fine catch diving to his right. His catch was to be eclipsed as finest of the day later on by none other than Paul Collingwood.
Meanwhile Hoggard was settling in nicely on his return to the England side with the kind of swing bowling and accuracy that has troubled many a batsman. It proved too much for Michael Vandort who rather tamely offered a chance to Vaughan at mid on, attempting to work it through the leg side. The skipper held the catch and Sri Lanka were 29-2.
It was an almighty effort for Hoggard to bowl a straight ten overs in this draining heat, but a further three wickets in this spell, all in fairly identical fashion, must have kept energy levels high.
Mahela Jayawardene, Chamara Silva, and Jehan Mubarak were all unable to negotiate the movement Hoggard was finding, and consequently nicked through to Matt Prior for three straight forward catches. The Yorkshire swinger was well rewarded for his metronomic accuracy and while he was not getting prodigious movement, the ball was swinging and seaming just enough to make the difference.
At 42-5 Sri Lanka were in dire straits, and the vital partnership of their best batsman Sangakkara and keeper Prasanna Jayawardene at least gave the hosts a smidgen of respectability.
Sangakkara continued his outstanding form from Australia, where in his only Test he made 57 and 192, and prior to that his last two Test innings were 222* and 200* against Bangladesh. He assessed the pitch and the individual threat each bowler was offering, and set out his game plan accordingly.
Such a joy to watch when in full flow, he punched the ball down the ground with consummate ease, and watchfully drove through the ball. The ball was not coming on to the bat particularly well, so at times he was forced to check his stroke, but his timing did not suffer as a result. If England did stray too straight, he would work the ball expertly off his legs into the vacant gaps on the leg side, it was becoming a true masterclass in how to bat in Sri Lankan conditions, and in Jayawardene he found a player able to stick with him.
The keeper has shown his strengths with the gloves and also offered promise with the bat, and today he played very well through the offside, not afraid to open the face of the bat to find the spaces.
Jayawardene only managed one more run form his next 18 deliveries, before he flicked one from Monty Panesar rather firmly into Cook's mid rift, who managed to cling on.
With wickets now falling regularly from the other end, Sangakkara was left with no option but to take the attack to England, and on 92 he sliced one within reach of Collingwood who plucked the ball one handed whilst diving to his left off the bowling of Anderson.
Panesar managed to get the odd one to really turn and bounce, which will not have disheartened Murali on the opening day. England's spinner accounted for Chaminda Vaas and Dilhara Fernando before Murali was run out in a mix up with Lasith Malinga. Panesar finished with 3-46, but Hoggard was the stand out bowler ending with 4-29.
Vaas immediately gave Sri Lanka the tonic they needed at the beginning of England's reply, luring Cook across his stumps before bowling one to go straight on that thudded into Cook's front pad for a regulation lbw decision.
Ian Bell looked in exquisite touch, a series of front and back foot boundaries when he only appeared to block the ball, took him to 36 not out and restore any confidence he may have lost on his trip here in the one-day series. Vaughan was dogged, not reaching the levels of fluency he had at the same venue back in 2003, but nevertheless reached the close of play unscathed.
A start England could only have dreamt of, but this Test is far from over.
Pace pair serve up a treat
Following the retirements in the last decade of world class quick bowlers such as Curtley Ambrose, Courtney Walsh, Allan Donald, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, and Glenn McGrath, there has been a dearth of similar quality, a general lack of pacemen to strike fear into the heart of any batting line up.
So it was heartening for the cricket lovers that so enjoy the sight of genuine speedsters making batsmen work hard to survive, in every sense of the word, to see two men of that ilk recently named men of the series for the damage they inflicted on their respective opposition. The pair produced displays that will once again have opening batsmen sleeping just a little uneasily.
I am, of course, referring to Australia's Brett Lee and South African Dale Steyn.
When Glenn McGrath called a halt to his magnificent career at the same time Australia lost the wizardry of Shane Warne, Brett Lee became the leader of the Australian attack, and with that comes the added pressure to perform. If he did feel the pressure, it certainly did not show against a Sri Lanka side that never really got to grips with the pace, bounce and accuracy that Lee now has in his armoury.
His run up and action were fluent, consequently he looked in excellent rhythm, swinging the ball, both conventionally and by means of reverse, at speeds of up to 155kmh (96.3 mph). He looked like a man that has gratefully accepted the baton of strike bowlership from McGrath, and this was exemplified by his 16 wickets in the two Test series.
Dale Steyn had the distinct advantage of firing his particular missiles at a New Zealand side that looked seriously unequipped to cope with such attacks, and as a result, inevitable devastation took place.
Steyn was perhaps rushed into Test cricket and had to learn his trade in the harshest and most unforgiving of environments which is Test cricket, yet the signs are that he has come through those early examinations and is now looking to flourish at the top level. There will be more severe questions asked in times ahead, yet if he maintains his brisk pace, away movement and accuracy he will trouble, with all due respect, more feared line-ups than that of New Zealand.
He hurried the Kiwi batsmen on more than one occasion, and the unfortunate Craig Cumming will testify to Steyn's speed, as he was unable to get out of the way of a particular nasty short ball that resulted in the opening batsman needing metal plates inserted into his cheekbone.
Steyn was exceptionally raw when he first came on the scene but he is continuing to grow into his role within the South African side, and in the two Tests against New Zealand, the fast bowler recorded the quite remarkable series figures of 56-10-184-20.
Both Lee and Steyn are wholehearted performers and will not flinch if they are required to charge in for large portions of the day, while they both operate at their peak in shorter hostile bursts, roughing the batsmen up and not without a series of menacing glares and even the odd word or two.
Steyn has now taken 71 wickets in his first 15 Test matches, costing 24.38 each, not totally dissimilar to Brett Lee's record after the same amount of games (Lee took 65 wickets at 23.43).
Both these quickies have forced their way into the ICC Test bowlers rankings top five following their recent feats. Steyn is sitting in third position with Lee two places behind him in fifth.
The fast bowling resources in international cricket is currently incomparable in both depth and quality to decades gone by, but these two are proof that the cupboard is not entirely bare. If you also throw Shane Bond (when fit), Shoaib Akhtar (when well behaved), Makhaya Ntini and the consistent Stuart Clark into the mix, it indicates there are a number of excellent seam and swing bowlers in the world to ensure batsmen do not have it entirely their own way. Whilst not forgetting the steady experienced campaigners in Shaun Pollock (although South Africa appear to have), Chaminda Vaas and Matthew Hoggard, who rely on numerous attributes, pace however, not being at the top of the list.
Another reason to be optimistic for the future of quick bowling is the potential shown by some of the younger bowlers, for example Mohammad Asif, Lasith Malinga, Sohail Tanvir, Stuart Broad, RP Singh, Mitchell Johnson and Jerome Taylor, all of whom have whetted our appetites for the future and are all (except Johnson) under the age of 25.
Many former Test players are of the opinion that batsmen these days have it much easier than it was in their day, who knows, maybe this next crop of quick bowlers will have Ambrose and co rubbing their hands with glee at the sight of the batsmen once again being made to look rather foolish.
(Cricket Web, 22/11/07)
http://www.cricketweb.net/article.php?CategoryIDAuto=3&NewsIDAuto=4755
So it was heartening for the cricket lovers that so enjoy the sight of genuine speedsters making batsmen work hard to survive, in every sense of the word, to see two men of that ilk recently named men of the series for the damage they inflicted on their respective opposition. The pair produced displays that will once again have opening batsmen sleeping just a little uneasily.
I am, of course, referring to Australia's Brett Lee and South African Dale Steyn.
When Glenn McGrath called a halt to his magnificent career at the same time Australia lost the wizardry of Shane Warne, Brett Lee became the leader of the Australian attack, and with that comes the added pressure to perform. If he did feel the pressure, it certainly did not show against a Sri Lanka side that never really got to grips with the pace, bounce and accuracy that Lee now has in his armoury.
His run up and action were fluent, consequently he looked in excellent rhythm, swinging the ball, both conventionally and by means of reverse, at speeds of up to 155kmh (96.3 mph). He looked like a man that has gratefully accepted the baton of strike bowlership from McGrath, and this was exemplified by his 16 wickets in the two Test series.
Dale Steyn had the distinct advantage of firing his particular missiles at a New Zealand side that looked seriously unequipped to cope with such attacks, and as a result, inevitable devastation took place.
Steyn was perhaps rushed into Test cricket and had to learn his trade in the harshest and most unforgiving of environments which is Test cricket, yet the signs are that he has come through those early examinations and is now looking to flourish at the top level. There will be more severe questions asked in times ahead, yet if he maintains his brisk pace, away movement and accuracy he will trouble, with all due respect, more feared line-ups than that of New Zealand.
He hurried the Kiwi batsmen on more than one occasion, and the unfortunate Craig Cumming will testify to Steyn's speed, as he was unable to get out of the way of a particular nasty short ball that resulted in the opening batsman needing metal plates inserted into his cheekbone.
Steyn was exceptionally raw when he first came on the scene but he is continuing to grow into his role within the South African side, and in the two Tests against New Zealand, the fast bowler recorded the quite remarkable series figures of 56-10-184-20.
Both Lee and Steyn are wholehearted performers and will not flinch if they are required to charge in for large portions of the day, while they both operate at their peak in shorter hostile bursts, roughing the batsmen up and not without a series of menacing glares and even the odd word or two.
Steyn has now taken 71 wickets in his first 15 Test matches, costing 24.38 each, not totally dissimilar to Brett Lee's record after the same amount of games (Lee took 65 wickets at 23.43).
Both these quickies have forced their way into the ICC Test bowlers rankings top five following their recent feats. Steyn is sitting in third position with Lee two places behind him in fifth.
The fast bowling resources in international cricket is currently incomparable in both depth and quality to decades gone by, but these two are proof that the cupboard is not entirely bare. If you also throw Shane Bond (when fit), Shoaib Akhtar (when well behaved), Makhaya Ntini and the consistent Stuart Clark into the mix, it indicates there are a number of excellent seam and swing bowlers in the world to ensure batsmen do not have it entirely their own way. Whilst not forgetting the steady experienced campaigners in Shaun Pollock (although South Africa appear to have), Chaminda Vaas and Matthew Hoggard, who rely on numerous attributes, pace however, not being at the top of the list.
Another reason to be optimistic for the future of quick bowling is the potential shown by some of the younger bowlers, for example Mohammad Asif, Lasith Malinga, Sohail Tanvir, Stuart Broad, RP Singh, Mitchell Johnson and Jerome Taylor, all of whom have whetted our appetites for the future and are all (except Johnson) under the age of 25.
Many former Test players are of the opinion that batsmen these days have it much easier than it was in their day, who knows, maybe this next crop of quick bowlers will have Ambrose and co rubbing their hands with glee at the sight of the batsmen once again being made to look rather foolish.
(Cricket Web, 22/11/07)
http://www.cricketweb.net/article.php?CategoryIDAuto=3&NewsIDAuto=4755
Wednesday 14 November 2007
The Importance of a Partnership
Two Test matches were won recently thanks in the main to two outstanding partnerships. In the South Africa against New Zealand fixture, in form Jacques Kallis combined with Hashim Amla to rescue their side from a potentially perilous position into a match winning one.
Over the other side of the world in Brisbane, Australia were taking on Sri Lanka and already sitting in a fairly comfortable position when Michael Clarke joined Mike Hussey at the crease, this combination ensured that Sri Lanka were to be under immense pressure to register some serious runs in their first innings, a feat that was beyond the sub-continental side.
Amla and Kallis does not sound like a partnership that will have droves of spectators flooding through the gates in anticipation of Twenty20 style entertainment, yet this duo stuck to the old fashioned virtues of building an innings based first and foremost on solid defence and patience.
It was a testing time for the pair when Herschelle Gibbs and Graeme Smith fell early, Shane Bond and Chris Martin were causing problems, and while South Africa at this point had an overall lead of 128, they were teetering on 20-2 with New Zealand tails up. This partnership still had to overcome the wily Daniel Vettori before any backslapping could take place.
It was to be a fascinating passage of play, in the traditional Test match sense.
Kallis's form of late has been of the highest standard, in Pakistan he made three centuries in four innings (he made 59 in his other innings). Amla is less certain of his place in the South African line up, and after failing in the first innings his heart must have skipped a beat when he edged Shane Bond to Brendon McCullum in the second innings when he was only on two. On such pieces of fortune cricketing careers are kickstarted, as Amla's appeared to be here, with a series of impressive punches down the ground, and his famed flicks through the legside that bore testament to his Asian roots.
Kallis remained unflustered, focused and determined to instigate a healthy lead for his side in his own style. His classical drives were evident as were his textbook pulls, but of course you cannot unload such orthodox devastation without the back up of a watertight defence.
A harsh evaluation, by many so called experts, of Kallis's batsmanship is his tendency to remain in first gear. Here he demonstrated his ability to pressurise the bowlers as he became the dominant batsman, exemplified by the 51 balls it took him to move from 100 to 150. He was prepared to take a risk in search of quick runs, and with the elusive double century in sight he sadly nicked one through to the keeper.
New Zealand were hindered by the injury to Bond, but do not let that detract from the match winning contributions of this South African pair. The partnership had taken their side to 350-3 (the next highest partnership in the entire game was 72), and consequently this Test was heading only one way.
Hussey and Clarke enjoyed a more relaxed type of atmosphere at the start of their vigil with the scoreboard showing 216-3, that was thanks to the foundations laid by Phil Jaques, Ricky Ponting and Matty Hayden. By the time Hussey was snaffled by the outspoken Marvan Atapattu, 245 more runs had been accumulated on an admittedly fantastic 'Gabba' track.
Of course even with an excellent batting track, things can never be taken for granted when the opposition possess a threat such as the mercurial Muttiah Muralitharan. Even without the eccentric Lasith Malinga, captain Mahela Jayawardene could boast an attack that would have many a nation exchanging envious glances.
The Sri Lankan attack worked exceptionally hard to make life difficult for the two Michael's, and there were lengthy periods of play where the Aussie duo had to rein in their attacking instincts and remain patient. One aspect of this partnership they did not neglect was the exemplary rotation of the strike, the judgement of singles to announce their aggressive intent even if the boundaries were not forthcoming.
Clarke was renowned as somewhat of a 'dasher', relinquishing his duty in the middle in search of a boundary to release the shackles. Yet here he was determined to await the right opportunity to pounce, he knew his time would come.
At the other end Hussey was as flexible to the situation as he is in any situation he finds himself in, knowing when to sit in and knowing when to squeeze the pressure on the fielding side, no wonder the Australian management were so keen for him to remain an integral part of the middle order rather than be shunted up to the opening spot. Although he would most probably have excelled there also.
Even the magician that is Murali had no answer to the these two. Their footwork to the spinner was decisive, whether that was in coming down the pitch, playing him on the front foot from the crease or using the whole depth of the crease to play him off the back foot. A real exhibition of how to play spin for youngsters throughout the world.
All four of the batsmen involved in the partnerships had to build their innings, were made to work hard for their runs from the start, and they all came through the tests and played a major part in helping their countries to start their series' with a crucial victory.
(Cricket Web, 13/11/2007)
http://www.cricketweb.net/article.php?CategoryIDAuto=3&NewsIDAuto=4726
Over the other side of the world in Brisbane, Australia were taking on Sri Lanka and already sitting in a fairly comfortable position when Michael Clarke joined Mike Hussey at the crease, this combination ensured that Sri Lanka were to be under immense pressure to register some serious runs in their first innings, a feat that was beyond the sub-continental side.
Amla and Kallis does not sound like a partnership that will have droves of spectators flooding through the gates in anticipation of Twenty20 style entertainment, yet this duo stuck to the old fashioned virtues of building an innings based first and foremost on solid defence and patience.
It was a testing time for the pair when Herschelle Gibbs and Graeme Smith fell early, Shane Bond and Chris Martin were causing problems, and while South Africa at this point had an overall lead of 128, they were teetering on 20-2 with New Zealand tails up. This partnership still had to overcome the wily Daniel Vettori before any backslapping could take place.
It was to be a fascinating passage of play, in the traditional Test match sense.
Kallis's form of late has been of the highest standard, in Pakistan he made three centuries in four innings (he made 59 in his other innings). Amla is less certain of his place in the South African line up, and after failing in the first innings his heart must have skipped a beat when he edged Shane Bond to Brendon McCullum in the second innings when he was only on two. On such pieces of fortune cricketing careers are kickstarted, as Amla's appeared to be here, with a series of impressive punches down the ground, and his famed flicks through the legside that bore testament to his Asian roots.
Kallis remained unflustered, focused and determined to instigate a healthy lead for his side in his own style. His classical drives were evident as were his textbook pulls, but of course you cannot unload such orthodox devastation without the back up of a watertight defence.
A harsh evaluation, by many so called experts, of Kallis's batsmanship is his tendency to remain in first gear. Here he demonstrated his ability to pressurise the bowlers as he became the dominant batsman, exemplified by the 51 balls it took him to move from 100 to 150. He was prepared to take a risk in search of quick runs, and with the elusive double century in sight he sadly nicked one through to the keeper.
New Zealand were hindered by the injury to Bond, but do not let that detract from the match winning contributions of this South African pair. The partnership had taken their side to 350-3 (the next highest partnership in the entire game was 72), and consequently this Test was heading only one way.
Hussey and Clarke enjoyed a more relaxed type of atmosphere at the start of their vigil with the scoreboard showing 216-3, that was thanks to the foundations laid by Phil Jaques, Ricky Ponting and Matty Hayden. By the time Hussey was snaffled by the outspoken Marvan Atapattu, 245 more runs had been accumulated on an admittedly fantastic 'Gabba' track.
Of course even with an excellent batting track, things can never be taken for granted when the opposition possess a threat such as the mercurial Muttiah Muralitharan. Even without the eccentric Lasith Malinga, captain Mahela Jayawardene could boast an attack that would have many a nation exchanging envious glances.
The Sri Lankan attack worked exceptionally hard to make life difficult for the two Michael's, and there were lengthy periods of play where the Aussie duo had to rein in their attacking instincts and remain patient. One aspect of this partnership they did not neglect was the exemplary rotation of the strike, the judgement of singles to announce their aggressive intent even if the boundaries were not forthcoming.
Clarke was renowned as somewhat of a 'dasher', relinquishing his duty in the middle in search of a boundary to release the shackles. Yet here he was determined to await the right opportunity to pounce, he knew his time would come.
At the other end Hussey was as flexible to the situation as he is in any situation he finds himself in, knowing when to sit in and knowing when to squeeze the pressure on the fielding side, no wonder the Australian management were so keen for him to remain an integral part of the middle order rather than be shunted up to the opening spot. Although he would most probably have excelled there also.
Even the magician that is Murali had no answer to the these two. Their footwork to the spinner was decisive, whether that was in coming down the pitch, playing him on the front foot from the crease or using the whole depth of the crease to play him off the back foot. A real exhibition of how to play spin for youngsters throughout the world.
All four of the batsmen involved in the partnerships had to build their innings, were made to work hard for their runs from the start, and they all came through the tests and played a major part in helping their countries to start their series' with a crucial victory.
(Cricket Web, 13/11/2007)
http://www.cricketweb.net/article.php?CategoryIDAuto=3&NewsIDAuto=4726
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