ICC World Twenty20: Cricket rants
I’ve watched almost every game that has been played in the ICC World Twenty20 and have noticed a few things.
Don’t break the flow of the game
The IPL can learn from this competition, the introduction of the ‘strategic break’ in IPL 2 was absolutely ridiculous. The break did exactly that “break” the flow of the game; the commentators started talking about the effects of the eleventh over in the IPL.
In this ICC World Twenty20 there have been no breaks, the game has flowed and the scores have been much higher, which the cricket fans love.
There is still place for an elegant cover drive in Twenty20 cricket
My second observation that I’d like to discuss is that batsmen can still play a cover drive in Twenty20 cricket. Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis in particular have played good cricket strokes in this ICC World Twenty20, and it’s worked. Jacques is currently the leading run scorer in the competition with 147 runs in four innings with a strike rate of 129.85.
It hasn’t been often that you’ve seen Jacques play a shot in anger over the past few weeks. And when he has played the big shot it’s been with control. The same can be said about AB de Villiers, this man is pure class and he’s managed to bring that class and batting elegance from test cricket into the Twenty20.
The players who have struggled have been the guys trying to smash the ball out the park from ball one, Albie Morkel, Herschelle Gibbs and Mark Boucher.
Taking the pace off the ball
Having the ability to take the pace off the ball without being hit out the park, is possibly the greatest asset any team can have. Seven of the ten most economical bowlers in the competition are spin bowlers.
If you have a decent pace attack that can be backed up by your spinners then you’re going to do very well in Twenty20 cricket. Look at the South African team, we have great opening bowlers in Dale Steyn and Wayne Parnell, as soon as they come off we have Johan Botha and Roelof van der Merwe to build the pressure on the batsmen which then allows for the part timers to take wicket as the batsmen now need to up the run rate.
My last observation: if you have Wayne Parnell in your team, you are going to win the ICC World Twenty20
Statistic were taken from CricInfo, as of Monday June 15 @ 15H50
ODI Cricket: From destructive bowling to explosive batting
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In the previous MTN ODI at SuperSport Park the bowling from Dale Steyn and Wayne Parnell lead to the demise of the Australians. At Sahara Park Newlands in Cape Town it was the batting of Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers that put the game beyond the reach of Ricky Ponting’s men.
After finally winning a toss in the home series, Graeme Smith elected to bat first, knowing well that chasing a total at Newlands is an almost impossible task. The opening pair of Smith and Gibbs was ineffective; they gave way for Kaills and de Villiers to take control. |
It must be said that the bowling from Mitchell Johnson built the pressure on the openers, Johnson finished with figures of 10 overs, 2 maidens, 32 runs taking 4 of the 6 wickets that fell in the Proteas innings.
Kaills and de Villiers both went to half centuries as they built their partnership, taking South Africa from 50/2 to 164/3. This partnership was the foundation that allowed the rest of the batsmen room to play shots. Duminy, Morkel and Boucher all scored at more than a run a ball. In the final over of the innings Roelof van der Merwe came to the wicket, with four balls remaining everyone was suggesting he take a single and let Boucher do the rest, but Roelof had other plans. He flashed at the first one, swung wildly at the second, and then knocked a massive six to square leg. This man has passion; he wears his inexperience on his sleeve. I can’t wait to see this young player mature into a regular in the Proteas side. South Africa posted 289/6 after their 50 overs.
With the knowledge that the highest successful run chase at Newlands was 229, the South Africans were confident. The spectacular bowling carried over from the previous game, with Dale Steyn and Wayne Parnell restricting the run rate. On the back of the good work the pace bowlers had done, the new spin bowling partnership of Botha and van der Merwe came into play. Roelof van der Merwe, taking 3 wickets for just 37 runs from his 10 overs, was the pick of the bowling attack.
Australia batted well in the end to score 264/7, something the Proteas should keep an eye on. Looking forward to the fourth MTN ODI in Port Elizabeth on Monday the Proteas will be confident, both their bowling attack and middle order batting attack have performed well. It’s time for our openers to perform, leading 2-1; I’ll back them to win the series.
ODI Cricket: Confusion in the covers
Well Ricky Pointing said it, I didn’t agree but after watching those last few over in the field on Friday night, I have to agree now, the South African team have a very different dynamic under the leadership of Graeme Smith. The different dynamic is confusion. Smith had the field placements changing every ball towards the end of the innings, at one point he swapped the entire off side and onside fieldsmen around.
The last few overs of the Australian innings lost the game for South Africa, the additional 40 or so runs that were conceded put massive pressure on the South African batsmen, which they couldn’t handle. Australian’s total of 287 was the second highest total posted at Sahara Stadium Kingsmead in Durban, which puts our bowling and fielding effort into perspective.
In the process of losing the first MTN ODI on Friday evening, South Africa also gave up the number 1 spot in limited overs cricket to Australia. Which is a particularly painful experience.
Graeme Smith will have to show some composure, the senior members of the team also need to stand up and be counted. I haven’t heard what the team will be for the second ODI, I’m sure Jacques Kallis will return if he’s fit.
The South African public have supported the Protea’s team with pride over the last four months of cricket against the Australians, it’s time for the Protea’s to give back, give us an ODI series victory boys, you can do it.
Castle Test Cricket: Brutal batting
The South African batsmen have shown what they can do when they decide to come out and play cricket. In the South African innings of 651 there were three centurions in one innings, Ashwell Prince 150, Jacques Kallis 102 and AB de Villiers 163.
Ashwell Prince was promoted to opening batsman; He came out to bat in the last hour of the first day and played like a man on a serious mission scoring 37 runs from 36 balls in the last hour of playon day one. Returning to the crease on day two Prince scored his 11th test century from 152 balls. Ashwell Prince was eventually out having scored 150 off 249 balls with 19 fours and two sixes.
Stand-in captain Jacques Kallis scored his 31st test century, Kallis had to put up with some fearsome bowling from the Australian pace attack at the start of his innings.
AB de Villiers, having scored a century in the first Castel Test Match repeated his heroics in Cape Town top scoring in the South African innings with an impressive 163. De Villiers, began day three on 39, he got stuck into the Australian bowling attack as he earned his ninth test century, and his third against Australia, off 149 balls with ten fours and one six.
De Villiers then needed just 32 balls as he raced to 150 off 181 balls with 11 fours and seven sixes before he was eventually caught by Andrew McDonald off the bowling of Katich.
Not to be forgotten was the half century scored by Albie Morkel on debut from 59 balls, shared a fantastic seventh-wicket partnership of 124 off 120 balls with De Villiers before Morkel got out.
This brutal batting attack left one seriously wounded Australian bowler Bryce McGain. McGain is a leg spinner who made his debut in this Castle test match. McGain got hammered by all the South African batsmen ending his first bowling effort in test cricket with the following bowling figures:
18 overs, 149 runs, 0 wickets at an average of 8.27 per over
Castle Test Cricket: South Africa Dominant
| South Africa is in a dominant position at the close of play on the first day of the third and final Castle Test match at Sahara Park Newlands, Cape Town.
Ricky Ponting won toss and elected to bat first, perhaps not the best decision. A poor start in the field saw South Africa drop two catches, while the Australians moved on to 58/0. Imraan Kahn dropped a sitter and JP Duminy dropped Hughes off Paul Harris. Harris stepped up and took the wicket of Hughes two balls later to open the wicket taking. |
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One run later and Ricky Ponting was walking back to the Pavilion with a duck next to his name. The highest scorer for Australia was Katich who was out for 55 off 160 balls.
Jacques Kallis captained the team well and had the Australians all out for 209, an hour before the end of the day. Enter Imraan Kahn and Ashwell Prince, the expectation to score was high after scoring a big century and a double century respectively. Prince led the partnership scoring freely to take play to a close with South Africa on 57/0. Prince had scored 37 runs from 36 balls in a powerful batting display.
South Africa are 157 runs behind, if Prince picks up where he left off the Australians are going to be in trouble by lunch on day two.
All the rumors of unhappiness in the team have been put to rest by an inspiring batting performance, now we need to keep or heads and add 300 runs on day two to setup a powerful first innings lead.
Bowling performances from South Africa:
Steyn: 16 overs, 56 runs, 4 wickets
Ntini: 17 overs, 38 runs, 2 wickets
Kallis: 10 overs, 31 runs, 0 wickets
A Morkel: 12 overs, 44 runs, 1 wicket
Harris: 17 overs, 34 runs, 3 wickets
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