All posts by h716a5.icu

A few key numbers involving Chennai Super Kings, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Johannesburg, the venue for the second semi-final of the IPL

S Rajesh23-May-2009Matthew Hayden has relished the Bangalore attack, scoring 125 runs in two innings at a run rate of more than ten per over•Associated Press6 – Number of times Chennai have won in the nine games when they have batted first.8.48 – Chennai’s run-rate in the first six overs, which is second only to Deccan’s. Chennai’s average of 41.37 runs per wicket during this period is the best. Bangalore average 21.68 runs per wicket at a run rate of 6.45 in the first six overs.414 – Runs scored by Chennai’s opening pair, at an average of 31.85 per stand and 9.07 per over. Bangalore average 14.50 per partnership, and 5.77 per over – both are the worst by any team in this IPL.10 – Number of times, in 14 games, that Bangalore’s opening partnership hasn’t gone past 10.8.75 – Muttiah Muralitharan’s bowling average against Bangalore. In eight overs against them, he has only gone for 35 runs and taken four wickets.4.75 – Anil Kumble’s economy rate against Chennai. In eight overs he has figures of 2 for 38.125 – Number of runs Matthew Hayden has scored in two innings against Bangalore, for an average of 62.50 at a strike rate of 10.27 runs per over.24 – Number of runs scored by Jacques Kallis, Bangalore’s leading run-getter, against Chennai.10 – Number of 50-plus scores for Chennai, with Hayden contributing half of them. Bangalore have eight, with Kallis getting three.146 – The average score for the team batting first in night games in Johannesburg.80% – The success rate for the team chasing in night games in Johannesburg – the team batting first has lost four out of five. The only side to buck the trend was Chennai, when they beat Delhi by 18 runs.100% – The win percentage for Chennai and Bangalore at this venue in IPL 2009. Bangalore beat Mumbai and Delhi here, while Chennai beat Delhi.24 – Wickets taken by spinners at the Wanderers in this tournament, at an average of 22.95 and an economy rate of 6.40. Fast bowlers have taken 36 wickets at 30.58 and an economy rate of 7.73.

Plays of the Day from the tri-series match between Sri Lanka and India in Dambulla

Siddarth Ravindran in Dambulla22-Aug-2010Raina’s reprieve
The Sri Lankan seamers were all over India during the Powerplays, and the visitors were struggling at 59 for 3 by the 17th over. Angelo Mathews then thought he had Suresh Raina caught behind, pumping his fists and setting off in celebration before asking the umpire’s view. Mathews was behind the slip cordon by the end of Sri Lanka’s extended appeal but Asad Rauf was unmoved, though Snicko suggested an edge. The Sri Lankans weren’t disappointed for too long. Raina was given out caught-behind four deliveries later by Kumar Dharmasena, with nothing registering on Snicko.Dhoni on the edge
MS Dhoni was one of the many Indian batsmen seeing it like a table-tennis ball on Sunday. Eight of his 10 runs came off boundaries in the 20th over, both edged to third man. The lone slip was initially wide, and looked on as the first four went between him and the wicketkeeper. Kumar Sangakkara moved the fielder to orthodox first slip, and four deliveries later when the edge came, the slip fielder could only watch the ball fly towards where he was at the start of the over.A bit of Sehwag magic
When the almighty Indian collapse was still some way away, Virender Sehwag showed a touch of wizardry that makes his batting a treat to watch. Knowing how strong he is square on the off side, Sri Lanka packed the region with a deep gully, short point and backward point. In the fifth over of the day, from Lasith Malinga, Sehwag still managed to place it between the miniscule gap between Tillakaratne Dilshan at backward point and Chamara Kapugedera at short point for four.Silencing the crowd
A sizeable crowd had turned up for Sunday’s match and was delighted to see their team steamroller the opposition. Among the few times the partying fans were kept quiet was after Thisara Perera’s hat-trick ball. Ashish Nehra faced it, after receiving plenty of advice from non-striker Yuvraj Singh. The crowd’s roars reverberated around the ground as Perera charged in, but the volume was turned down after Nehra dead-batted to deny him.Jayawardene 1 Praveen 0
By the time the dinner interval came round, there was no doubt about the result of the match. Still, Praveen Kumar was charged up when play resumed. The first two deliveries were dispatched for boundaries by Mahela Jayawardene. On the third, Jayawardene played it back to the bowler, who pretended to throw down the stumps and glared at the batsman, much to the crowd’s delight. Jayawardene was unfazed, though, and when Praveen followed up with a short ball, the batsman swung it down to fine leg for four more.

Problems with the bat could prompt Pakistan to retain Kamran Akmal despite his wicketkeeping woes

Osman Samiuddin in Pallekele10-Mar-2011Like a particularly spicy , heavy defeats often have a wonderful way of unclogging the head. The fog lifts, everything becomes clearer, easier to comprehend and suddenly there is a flow, a way forward. Pakistan’s loss to New Zealand revealed the folly three wins had clouded, one a long-running personnel issue, the other a question of strategy.But in the here and now, for Pakistan, the result has only muddled matters further, because both flaws are linked, one stemming from the other. The more Pakistan persist with Kamran Akmal the more matches he will cost them, that is a simple truth and cannot be argued. But he is in the squad now and is the only – as much as this is an inaccurate statement – specialist wicketkeeper. They have to suffer him.The reason they must do so, it is becoming clear, is because they have even less faith in their batting than most people do in Kamran’s wicketkeeping. Until the last two games, the batting had actually performed with some solidity over the last few months. The resulting logic from 184 all out against Canada and 120 for seven against New Zealand is not that the top order should simply begin scoring, or that if the top six or seven fail, No.8 will rarely salvage matters. It is that more batsmen are needed.There is no ostensible panic yet, but there is confusion and uncertainty, apparent at a dinner with Shahid Afridi on Wednesday evening. The captain had hinted immediately after the New Zealand game that Umar Akmal would be considered an option as a wicketkeeper. On Wednesday, Afridi appeared truly in a bind: he doesn’t want to risk Kamran again but neither does he want to risk another batting flop, even if Kamran’s batting contributions are not as substantial anymore as they are remembered.He was supportive, as captains must be. “Kamran’s performance is in front of everyone, he is putting in the hard work in the training sessions and he has done a lot of work for this World Cup, but he has not lived up to that level,” he said. “We suffered a lot after he could not perform.”Then there was the glossing over, the retreat into lazy myths. “But I must say he has won lots of matches for Pakistan in the past, he is a very talented cricketer. We are at a stage where we should not panic, there are other players who are not performing it’s not only Kami and we need to back them.”The conclusion? We don’t know. “We will see if he plays the next game or not that we will see later on, but from my side I think we should give Kamran confidence because he is a good player, a good cricketer and there are lots of expectations that he will do good.”The failures of Mohammad Hafeez and Ahmed Shehzad twist the problem further. There is casual talk of dropping Shehzad, for example, and pushing Kamran to open. They could retain the openers and drop Kamran, using Umar behind the stumps. In both cases a spot opens up: bowler or batsman?That another bowler is unlikely still is the only thing there appears to be some firmness on, despite them so missing one against New Zealand. “I don’t think we are playing with a bowler short,” Afridi said, before, like the rest of the team management, simply pretending Abdul Razzaq’s bowling is not a problem. “We mostly struggle in batting and when we play less then people say we are playing with a batsman short, I think the combination with which we are playing is the balanced one. If you see bowlers Razzaq and Shoaib Akhtar are bowling well with the new ball, then we have Umar Gul, we have every type of variety.”For what it’s worth, the younger Akmal, Umar, practiced with the gloves on Thursday in Kandy but so did Kamran. “We might change or even carry on with the same openers,” Afridi said and he was even asked whether he could open himself. “If we make too many changes and start panicking it will be problem for us. Hafeez and Shehzad are not clicking, they need some runs. We are here with perfect openers and I don’t think we can take that chance [of his opening]. Shehzad and Hafeez are there but we might open with Kamran Akmal too.”Nothing is clear, everything is on the table. They may do nothing at all ahead of the Zimbabwe game on Monday and there is a general mood of support within the team for Kamran. With just one loss, who’s to say, in the light of day, they would be wrong in doing so? And who’s still to write off their chances?Afridi, who better captures the ways of Pakistan cricket and cricketers than many others, knows it. “If you look at Pakistan cricket over the last 50-60 years this is quite a normal performance of our team. But this is now done, it’s enough and we have no chance to repeat such performances.Against good teams and in pressure matches my boys play very well, like the game against Sri Lanka. I’m still looking at my team in the semi-final.”

Ricky Ponting’s reigning world champions began with a comfortable victory, but the way they struggled against spin suggested problems ahead

Brydon Coverdale at Motera21-Feb-2011It was no great surprise that the speed of Shaun Tait, Mitchell Johnson and Brett Lee was too much for Zimbabwe to handle. If only, the Australians must be thinking, we could face the same sort of pace ourselves. A 91-run win was a fine result for Ricky Ponting’s men, a solid way to start their campaign for a fourth consecutive World Cup title, but deep down they know they should have made more runs.Their problem, as it was in the warm-up matches, was that they struggled to get used to the conditions and score freely against spin. It’s an issue they need to address, because much stronger opponents than Zimbabwe await them over the next few weeks, and not every team will quiver at the sight of the fast men as Zimbabwe’s top order did when they fell to 44 for 4.Ray Price, Prosper Utseya, Graeme Cremer, Brendan Taylor and Sean Williams sent down 39 overs for Zimbabwe, and by the end the captain Elton Chigumbura was probably wishing slow men had bowled all 50. The pace bowlers, Chris Mpofu and Chigumbura himself, combined for 11overs that cost 76 runs.It’s a lesson that would have been taken in by Australia’s upcoming opponents. Ponting spoke before the match of how it is difficult for batsmen to get settled on the slower pitches on the subcontinent, and so it proved once again. Michael Clarke was the only one of the top five who scored at better than a run a ball, pacing his innings well as he has in his past few games.”We need to play better, there’s no doubt about that,” Ponting said after the win. “We need to have our own games and our own game-plans sorted out for the better spinning attacks. As the tournament goes on, we’re going to need to be on top of our games and we’re probably not quite there just yet, but the more we play and the more we become accustomed to these conditions, the better we’ll get.”Of course, not every team will use five slow bowlers, as Zimbabwe did. But then, many pitches will provide the spinners with more assistance – Price and company didn’t extract big turn, but rather tied the Australians down with skiddy straighter balls and changes in length. Australia’s next opponents are New Zealand, who have Daniel Vettori and they might follow Zimbabwe’s lead and open with a spinner, as Nathan McCullum did against Kenya.If that happens, it’s all the more important that Brad Haddin and Shane Watson go after the seamers with the new ball, which they didn’t do against Zimbabwe. There was one big over, when Haddin showed how he likes the ball coming on to the bat, driving Mpofu over wide mid-off while Watson pulled viciously, but after 13 overs, Australia were 32 for 0. Again, Haddin got a start and failed to go on with it, a trend that Ponting wants him to turn around. It won’t be easy if spinners keep bowling up front.”That’s something that me and Brad are going to have to continue to get our heads around but also, when a spinner comes on, knowing that we don’t have to take a lot of risks,” said Watson, who was the Man of the Match for his 79. “With there only being two guys out on the boundary, just playing good shots [is enough] and hopefully we can get off to a much better start next time and take a bit of pressure off the middle order.”Within that middle order Cameron White’s scratchiness is becoming a bit of a concern. At No. 5, he is supposed to be the man who lifts the tempo after a platform has been set, but he needed a lesson from Ahmedabad’s rickshaw drivers on how to pierce a gap. Not since Australia’s tour of India back in October has White constructed a really strong one-day innings, and although Ponting has given him some advice, he does not believe White’s form is an issue.”I had a good chat to Cam yesterday at training, about his batting and about what I feel he needs to do and what he needs to work on over here,” Ponting said. “The position that he’s batting in the order in these conditions is vastly different than what it is in Australia. When you go in in Australia on the good, hard, bouncy wickets it’s a bit easier to get off strike and rotate strike. It’s a lot harder to do it here when there’s good quality spinners bowling and the field generally comes in when you have the loss of a couple of quick wickets. I’m not worried about him at all.”As White and Clarke chipped the ball around, and the innings ticked past the 40th over, acceleration didn’t become any easier. There were a couple of big hits from David Hussey and Steven Smith in the final couple of overs, but 262 was not quite what Australia had in mind when they chose to bat.In the end, it mattered little, as Johnson, Lee and Tait passed their first test of the tournament, their wicket tally more prominent than their runs conceded. But the challenges, for both batsmen and bowlers, will only become greater as this World Cup wears on.

India have never won a Test in Barbados, but will start confidently knowing that West Indian supremacy at the venue is a thing of the past

Madhusudhan Ramakrishnan27-Jun-2011A proud record tarnished
Going by West Indies’ abysmal Test record in recent years, the fact that the Kensington Oval in Barbados was once an impregnable fortress for the home side would come as a shock to many. After a four-wicket loss in the second match at the venue in 1935, West Indies did not lose a single Test in Barbados for the next 59 years till the 208-run defeat against England in 1994. Between 1978 and 1993, in a period of extraordinary dominance, West Indies won 12 consecutive Tests at the venue. Following the defeat against England in 1994, West Indies lost the first Test of the series against Australia in 1995. This defeat was a precursor to their first home-series defeat in 22 years. Although they were no longer a force in Barbados, West Indies managed to squeeze out close wins against India and Australia in 1997 and 1999. While India, who were chasing only 120 in the third Test of the 1996-97 series, collapsed to be bowled out for 81, it was Brian Lara’s unbeaten 153 that helped West Indies achieve a one-wicket win against Australia in 1999.However, since the start of the 2000s, the record at the venue has been far from encouraging. West Indies have won only two Tests and lost six since 2000. While Australia, England and South Africa have asserted their superiority over West Indies in Barbados in recent times, India are yet to win a Test at the venue. In 2002, India went 1-0 up in the series after the win in Trinidad, only to lose the series 2-1 after defeats in Barbados and Jamaica. After a comfortable win in the first Test, a buoyant India will look at this as a perfect opportunity to erase a dismal record at a venue where they have lost seven out of eight Tests. West Indies, on the other hand, will look to draw inspiration from their record at the venue in the 1980s and 1990s, when they went on to win 14 out of 17 Tests.

West Indies’s record in Barbados over the years

PeriodMatchesWonLostDrawW/L ratio1930-1969113173.001970s7205-1980s7700-1990s107213.502000-2011112630.33All-round decline for West Indies
West Indies dominated visiting teams in Barbados Tests in both the batting and bowling departments for much of the 1970s and 1980s. While their batting average was very good in the 1970s, the bowling performance was still not very impessive. However, in the 1980s, the difference between the batting and bowling averages was nearly 18. In the same period, the figure was -26 for Australia and -21 for England. Only Pakistan, who had an excellent fast-bowling attack, came close to matching the performance of West Indies in the 1980s. In the next decade, the difference between West Indies and other teams was much more narrow. England and Australia, who won a Test each in Barbados during the 1990s, did much better than in previous years. India bowled superbly in their only game in 1997, but struggled with the bat against a quality West Indian attack. In Tests since 2000, Australia and England have been the outstanding batting sides among visiting teams while South Africa, who have a bowling average of just over 23, have been the best bowling side by far. The average difference of -7.88 for the West Indies is their lowest since the start of 1970.

Performance of teams in Barbados since 1970 (batting avg/bowling avg)

PeriodWest IndiesAustraliaEnglandIndiaPakistanSouth Africa1970s46.94/33.9032.87/40.7639.52/74.5028.20/58.4536.30/37.33-1980s41.05/23.2426.30/53.0018.35/39.3326.45/48.1830.05/31.88-1990s31.57/28.7327.26/29.4638.68/32.5620.00/21.9024.15/48.4024.65/27.252000-201129.64/37.4852.12/30.3759.90/36.7919.90/39.9028.51/36.6438.87/23.31Visiting teams dominate pace-bowling stats
Over the years, Barbados has proved to be a pace-friendly wicket. In Tests since 1970, fast bowlers have picked up 863 wickets at an average of 29.38 and strike rate of 57.9. Spinners have struggled to make inroads though; they average 43.16 at a strike rate of 94.1 in the same period. West Indian pace bowlers were at their dominant best in the 1980s contributing to 131 dismissals in seven Tests (average of 19 per match). Their bowling average (21.03) and strike rate (42.7) are well above those of the visiting teams in that decade. Although their performance fell away in the 1990s, only Australia had better numbers (min two matches played in Barbados in the decade). The stats since 2000 provide the perfect illustration of how poor West Indian pace attacks have become in recent years. Their average (35.55) and strike rate (68.2) are extremely poor, and have been surpassed by South Africa, Pakistan and England. A major deterrent to their success in the period has been the fact that the home fast bowlers have only managed to pick up under 11 wickets per game (119 in 11 Tests).

Pace bowlers in Barbados Tests since 1970 (Average, Strike rate) – min 100 overs bowled

PeriodWest IndiesAustraliaEnglandIndiaPakistanNew ZealandSouth Africa1970s27.71, 60.135.31, 74.4–30.58, 58.528.66, 59.4-1980s21.03, 42.744.44, 74.830.04, 52.545.33, 79.429.76, 51.2–1990s27.76, 58.325.78, 53.831.31, 55.221.33, 42.548.66, 68.849.30, 101.126.84, 48.32000-201135.55, 68.231.30, 68.433.86, 63.048.16, 100.034.88, 63.021.23, 43.321.30, 45.5Consistency issues for top-order batsmen
While the lack of bowling quality has been the biggest reason for West Indies’ struggles, inconsistent batting performances have also contributed significantly to their woes. For nearly 15 years from 1975-76, the prolific top-order of Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes and Viv Richards was responsible for setting up highly competitive scores which more often than not proved unassailable for most teams given the strength of the West Indian bowling. However, since their retirements in the early 1990s, the top-order performances have drastically declined. The contrast is most evident in the stats for the second wicket in Barbados Tests; in the 1980s, there were five century stands for the second wicket at an average over 90. In the 1990s, however, the second-wicket partnership averaged just 28 without a single century stand. In matches since 2000, the middle order (wickets 4-6) has done much better than the top order (wickets 1-3). While the top-order has featured in four century partnerships and nine half-century partnerships at an average of 29.28, the middle order averages 47.37 with nine century stands and nine half-century stands.

Partnership stats for West Indies in Barbados Tests since 1970 (Avg, 100/50)

Period1st wicket2nd wicket3rd wicket4th wicket5th wicket6th wicket1970s48.36, 2/279.70, 3/244.30, 1/143.80, 1/230.90, 0/184.77, 4/01980s46.90, 1/290.30, 5/332.11, 0/335.77, 0/353.88, 2/151.22, 2/21990s48.00, 2/528.00, 0/539.82, 2/154.35, 4/429.47, 1/134.00, 2/22000-201130.10, 1/327.15, 2/230.60, 1/456.95, 4/445.84, 3/338.84, 2/2

The warm and engaging life story of a man who accomplished the rare feat of playing cricket and football for England

Martin Williamson21-Aug-2011Arthur Milton occupies a place in sporting history that will never be usurped: he was the last of the 12 men who played cricket and football for England.Milton’s sporting career, which started in 1948 and lasted through to his retirement from Gloucestershire in 1974, began in an era when there was still a distinct divide between the summer and winter sporting seasons, and ended when playing both sports professionally was a dying concept. It was an indication of the importance of cricket in post-war England that Arsenal, one of the leading sides, happily allowed him to play for his county when the seasons did overlap.Milton’s one England football international came in 1951, after he had made only 12 league appearances for Arsenal (a largely forgettable draw at home to Austria), but he was good enough to win a championship medal in 1952-53.His record for England at cricket was slightly better; he scored a hundred in his first Test innings, against New Zealand in 1958, and in so doing became the first player to be on the field for every ball of a Test, and toured Australia that winter. But he failed to pass 50 in his remaining five matches, and by 1959 he had been dropped.Thereafter, he continued to ply his trade for his beloved Gloucestershire with great success. Although he officially retired in 1970, he kept being recalled until he quietly called time. He was an excellent close catcher – he equalled the world record for catches in one game – and an undemonstrative but very effective batsman. In retirement he coached for a time – but as he admitted, he did not believe in coaching.He was just short of being top-class in both his sports, and there is a sense that he was the kind of sportsman who was more comfortable in the familiar surroundings of his club or county rather than in the glare of the bigger stage.Oddly, he appears to have been at his happiest when he became a postman, serving the public and getting out and about in his beloved countryside. He also saw more of his family. Having missed seeing his boys grow up because of the relentless grind of the county circuit produced some rare bitterness.There is also an underlying sense that Milton, for all his sporting success, might have been happier in the world of academia. Clearly an intelligent man, he eschewed university for sport, and that seems to have been a matter of regret as he got older – not that such a delightful man would have ever let such a thing turn him resentful. He gained some solace when he was awarded an honorary degree by Bristol University late in his life.Mike Vockins has succeeded in getting a real flavour of Milton across in his book, even if he was hampered by the unfortunate death of his subject during the writing of it, and clearly he bonded with a genuinely decent man. Anyone expecting a warts-and-all book – not that they should, given the subject matter – will be disappointed, but Milton was not that kind of man.This is a warm and engaging look back on the life of the kind of sportsman who no longer exists, and in doing provides insights into a long-forgotten world.Arthur Milton: Last of the Double Internationals
Mike Vockins
Sportsbooks; £18.99

Man-love was blooming at the Basin

Trish Plunket26-Feb-2012Choice of game
Much like the climbers of Everest, I went along because it was there. Although after New Zealand’s dismal effort in the last Twenty20, I was quite tempted to stay home. But my need to see live cricket won out and I headed along to the stadium. And hey, winter is coming.Team supported
The often awful, always inconsistent, occasionally amazing Black Caps.Key performer
AB de Villiers. He managed to do what all the New Zealand players had not, and carry on to make a big score. Although one of my companions thought he was boring and really needed to get out, he quietly made a run-a-ball century and took South Africa home. And there were a couple of lovely sixes in that.One thing I’d have changed
I would have kept Brendon McCullum in. He was going well, thanks to the review system, until his nine lives ran out. I would have loved to see him go on to make a big score, as he’s well overdue.Face-off I relished
Tim Southee versus the World. He’s been growling and snarling at the South Africans, and while it hasn’t really improved his bowling much – he was rather wayward again – it was fun to watch him get in the faces of everyone he bowled to, as well as occasionally glaring at the fans who constantly yelled for him to give them a wave. However, we may have found the reason for his aggression – hunger. When a fan tossed a doughnut to him at third man, he picked it up off the turf and took a bite. Clearly the Black Caps support staff need to be feeding him more regularly.Wow moment
Nathan McCullum’s lovely six just prior to getting out. While we all thought it went much further than it did, it was a bright shot in what had been a rather dull innings.Player watch
We had seats right next to the dug-outs, which meant we were able to observe the players closely – we spied Ross Taylor looking almost recovered, Andy McKay looking after the drinks with a towel round his neck, and Tom Latham, who looks as though he should be off lobbing a ring into a volcano.Shot of the day
Faf du Plessis strolled down the wicket to Doug Bracewell and slogged him over midwicket for six. It was a brutal shot and marked the South Africans finally putting NZ out of our misery.Man-love meter
I note that it is no longer just the preserve of batsmen to offer a little congrats on good play. The NZ fielders have this thing of slapping hands, bumping fists or patting backsides after particularly sharp fielding efforts. I approve, a little more love never goes amiss.Crowd meter
The crowd was small but boisterous, with several stag parties, a bunch of kids cricket teams, and the Beige Brigade.Entertainment
The DJ at the stadium deserves a high-five. Although his abilities in finding rain-related songs were not needed today, playing Creed’s “With arms wide open” to celebrate one of Morne Morkel’s wides was brilliant.Fancy-dress index
While most of the stag parties had an unfortunate groom in drag, one had him all kitted out as a large, er, phallus. I don’t want to know where they bought the costume from.Look India, how happy they all are•Getty ImagesLost in translation
Sitting just down from me was an American bloke, who was extremely loud and charmingly obnoxious. Discovering that Andy Ellis wore his “football number” he began to chivvy and encourage Ellis in a booming voice. “Dig it in, three-three, dig it in!” “Good play three-three, didn’t come off but you’ll get it next time!” “Don’t slack off the play, Ellis man, you’re important!”I’m pretty sure the only other person to have ever been that encouraging to Andy is his mother. When the American fan began a freestyle rap on Ellis’ choice of water over Gatorade, I laughed so hard I cried. It was beautiful.Overall
It wasn’t really much of a game. It progressed along to the Black Caps’ demise in a sedate fashion, which would have been terribly boring if they weren’t an entertaining lot in themselves, especially in the field. With the low total South Africa didn’t need to go after it hammer and tongs, so we were starved of action in the chase too.Marks out of 10
8. That two off was because we lost, and we played pretty ordinary cricket doing it. But that American chap absolutely made my day. If you’re reading this, four for you my friend. Four for you.

He’s not naming any names, but all will be revealed soon, says Morne Morkel

Interview by Sharda Ugra28-May-2012Which dressing room is cleaner – Delhi Daredevils or South Africa? What would you like to borrow from any of them?
Oh, most certainly the South African dressing room. It is one of our policies to keep everything clean and tidy. What happens off the field you take onto the field as well. But actually everything is quite similar. We’re winning far ahead with the Proteas too. In South Africa we share so much time together and here we come together for a few weeks. At the end of the day we’re all there to play cricket and to win.If I had to take something, maybe it would be the food. I really enjoy the food they dish up at the grounds here – on the odd day, to have a bread and a curry would be nice.What’s your shoe size?
I’m a UK 12.Everyone wants to know if you have rescued cats from trees, using your height.
I have rescued a bird that was stuck once, but not a cat, no. There was something wrapped around the bird’s leg, and there were no ladders or anything. I was close and I had this big clipper thing, so I could climb into the tree and rescue the bird, luckily.Do you ever get angry? And shout?
I do get angry but I try not to show it to my team-mates, because that negative sort of thing can affect your team-mates. I go by the thing in the South Africa dressing room. WIN – when you write it down, it’s What’s Important Now. For me, it’s important to focus on those things and important for my team-mates not to pick up negative vibes inside of me. Batsmen nowadays are so good at picking up the language of a bowler, and they start to think they are on top. So for me, I like to just keep it calm and relaxed.Can you sense it when a batsman is panicking?
Oh yes, it’s like an instinct you get. You can definitely pick up a batsman’s body language from their eyes and their feet when you are running in. You notice it immediately.You got Dale Steyn’s wicket at the IPL and were actually embarrassed. What was that all about?
It’s the first time I’ve played competitive cricket against Dale. We go back a long way, and we are good mates as well, on and off the field. It was not the best ball I had bowled, and I was just surprised he hit it straight to Viru. It was nice to play against Dale. He didn’t say anything to me – we are mates, so we keep it clean. Between the two of us he has the shorter temper. He’s an assassin – Dale’s a very angry man at times.So when you guys get to England in the summer are you going to be in their ear about how many South Africans they have playing for them?
I don’t think it’s necessary to tell them things that they know. For all cricketers it’s going to be a new series. The main thing is to focus on the task ahead. The last thing you want to do is to get caught up in things like that. Always there will be heated moments and the team that is going to handle those moments best and with the most maturity is going to come out on top. We focus on our processes and not on the result, so we don’t need distractions like that.

“I don’t mind TV ads – it’s obviously something different. We don’t understand the work behind the scenes – why do you need so many retakes; if you get one shot just be happy with that! But I don’t mind, it’s good for me, so I do it”

Which of the Aussies are you friendly with?
From the current team, I’m close friends with Shaun Tait. We played for the Rajasthan Royals together in the first year. I enjoy guys like Michael Clarke – he’s a great leader for them and a quality player.How’s AB de Villiers’ music career going?
Since he released his first CD, AB’s under a lot of pressure to perform and sing at venues. He’s also the guy who wrote the team song for the Proteas. We try to keep that discreet – but AB’s the man with the voice, and things are going well for him.Do you sing? What’s the best song in your repertoire?
I wouldn’t say I’m great, but I enjoy singing in a team environment. There’s not actually one song, there’s so many; can’t name any one…Who would you say is your first bunny in international cricket then?
I’m playing against him soon, so I can’t reveal his name. I don’t want to get it out, but hopefully it can be seen soon and the guys can pick it up and let me know.And your best sledge?
I don’t really sledge a lot, but Albie and I sledged quite a bit. I’m trying to think of a clean one. Normally when Albie and I sledge, we do it properly.How much weight can you bench-press?
As a fast bowler, I don’t try to bulk up, so I focus on different things. But I think I’d get about 80-90kgs.What are Sehwag’s captain’s speeches like with the Daredevils?
He’s a man of few words, but it’s good, though. What’s nice, I think, is that he is relaxed when he goes about things. He is an experienced player and all his team-mates have a great respect for Viru. There’s a calmness that he brings to the dressing room which is unbelievable.Do you like doing all the TV ads? What have you done so far?
I have done a couple in India, but I don’t know if they featured. There was one for a hair gel, and I’ve done a couple of ads for KFC back home. They are our main sponsors. We do get some KFC vouchers because of that, which is nice – there’s a KFC near our house. But with KFC you need to put in a few extra hard yards.I don’t mind TV ads – it’s obviously something different. We don’t understand the work behind the scenes – why do you need so many retakes; if you get one shot just be happy with that! But I don’t mind, it’s good for me, so I do it. Often with voiceovers or if I need to read stuff out on strips, I struggle a bit, but other than that, I’m good.

Analysis of individual batting and bowling performances so far in IPL 2012

Madhusudhan Ramakrishnan16-Apr-2012Ajinkya Rahane, the leading run-getter in IPL 2012, has taken both the first and third positions on the list of top IPL batting performances this season. Following an extension of the recent ESPNcricinfo analysis of IPL performances to include the matches played this season, Rahane’s 103 off 60 balls in Bangalore finished comfortably on top. Rahane’s teammate Owais Shah finished second for his 60 off 26 balls in the same game. A stand-out performance in the top ten is Rohit Sharma’s 73 against Deccan Chargers – a knock during which he hit a last-ball six to win the game for Mumbai Indians. It is one of only three innings in chases to figure in the list of top-ten batting performances.On the bowling front, spinners grabbed the first two spots. While Ravindra Jadeja came out on top for his 5 for 16 against Chargers, the talented Sunil Narine finished second for his spell of 5 for 19 against Kings XI Punjab. Two other notable bowling performances include Dale Steyn’s outstanding 3 for 12 against Mumbai Indians and Muttiah Muralitharan’s 3 for 21 in a high-scoring game in which Chennai Super Kings successfully chased down a huge target of 206.Top ten batting performances in IPL 20121.
Rahane had missed out on a century earlier in the tournament falling for 98 against Kings XI. But this time, on an excellent pitch, he scored his century off 58 balls. His strike rate of 171.66 was far superior to the combined strike rate of the other batsmen in the game (122.34).
2.
Shah came in at 62 for 1 and along with Rahane, added 121 runs for the second wicket in just 50 balls. Shah scored his 60 off 26 balls at a strike rate of 230.76. In comparison, the rest of the batsmen scored at a strike rate of only 124.44.
3.
Rahane, in his first game of IPL 2012, scored 98 off just 66 balls at a strike rate of 148.48. The knock enabled Royals to register a comfortable 31-run win. In contrast to Rahane, the other batsmen managed a combined strike rate of 131.03.
4.
Bravo came in at No.7 with the score at 120 in 14.5 overs. He scored 43 off just 18 balls with five sixes and helped Super Kings add 73 runs off the last 31 balls. His strike rate of 238.88 is nearly twice the strike rate of the rest of the batsmen in the game (123.90).
5.
In a fairly low-scoring game (run-rate of 7.20), Gambhir’s 64 off 39 balls (strike rate of 164.10) proved to be the difference and set up a 42-run win for Kolkata Knight Riders. In sharp contrast, the combined strike rate of the remaining batsmen in the game was just 103.48.
6.
Rohit’s superb knock of 73 off just 50 balls (strike rate 146.00) helped Mumbai Indians snatch a last-ball win against Chargers. The rest of the batsmen managed a combined strike rate of 104.21.
7.
Pollard, coming in at No.5, blasted 64 off 33 balls (strike rate 193.93) scoring 48 runs in boundaries and helped Mumbai Indians add 96 runs for the fourth wicket in just 52 balls. The other batsmen also did quite well in a high-scoring encounter (combined strike rate of 142.92) which Mumbai Indians won by 27 runs.
8.
Faced with a huge target of 198, Royals were struggling at 7 for 2 when Shah came in to bat. He scored 76 off just 42 balls with fifty runs in boundaries but his dismissal ended Royals’ chances. Although Shah had a high strike rate (180.95), the strike rate of the other batsmen in the game was quite high too (143.36).
9.
After dismissing Super Kings for 112, Mumbai Indians chased the target comfortably with the help of Levi’s half-century. Levi scored at a strike rate of 142.85 in a low-scoring game where the rest of the batsmen managed to score at a strike rate of just 85.94.
10.
De Villiers’ knock helped Royal Challengers recover from early setbacks and post a competitive total. His strike rate of 152.38 during his 42-ball innings was well above the corresponding figure for the rest of the batsmen (111.11).

Top ten innings in IPL 2012

BatsmanTeamOppositionRunsPointsAjinkya RahaneRajasthan RoyalsRoyal Challengers Bangalore10354.25Owais ShahRajasthan RoyalsRoyal Challengers Bangalore6049.83Ajinkya RahaneRajasthan RoyalsKings XI Punjab9847.72Dwayne BravoChennai Super KingsDeccan Chargers4345.35Gautam GambhirKolkata Knight RidersRoyal Challengers Bangalore6445.13Rohit SharmaMumbai IndiansDeccan Chargers7344.85Kieron PollardMumbai IndiansRajasthan Royals6442.65Owais ShahRajasthan RoyalsMumbai Indians7642.49Richard LeviMumbai IndiansChennai Super Kings5042.09AB de VilliersRoyal Challengers BangaloreDelhi Daredevils6440.70Top ten bowling performances in IPL 20121.
Jadeja’s performance helped Super Kings comfortably defend 193. His haul of five wickets included three batsmen in the top seven and his economy rate of 4.00 was also outstanding in a game where the overall run-rate was 8.39.
2.
Narine, playing in his first IPL, ended with superb figures of 5 for 19 off his four overs as Knight Riders managed to restrict Kings XI to 134. His economy rate of 4.75 was impressive although the match was a low-scoring one (run-rate 6.65). However, his effort went in vain as Kings XI won a close game by two runs.
3.
Steyn produced an excellent display of fast bowling dismissing the openers and returning later to remove Dinesh Karthik. However, Mumbai Indians, led by Rohit’s 73 won off the last ball. Steyn’s economy rate of 3.00 was exceptional in a game where the run-rate was 7.00.
4.
Mascarenhas’ spell of 5 for 25 helped Kings XI restrict Pune Warriors to just 115 and secure a seven-wicket win. Four of his five wickets were top-seven batsmen. His economy rate (6.25) was almost on par with the match run-rate of 6.30.
5.
L Balaji’s spell of 4 for 18 proved crucial for Knight Riders as they successfully defended a total of 165. Not only were all four of Balaji’s wickets those of top-seven batsmen, his economy rate of 4.50 was also excellent in the context of a game where the run-rate was 7.20.
6.
Munaf produced an excellent performance to restrict Chargers to just 138. All four of Munaf’s wickets were those of top-order (1-5) batsmen. His economy rate of 5.00 was also impressive in a game where the run-rate was 7.00.
7.
Malinga, the best bowler across the four seasons (2008-2011) according to ESPNcricinfo’s analysis of bowling performances, returned at a critical juncture and dismissed the top scorer Shah and Johan Botha to end Royals’ resistance. His economy rate of 3.25 stood out in a high-scoring game where the overall run-rate was 9.25.
8.
After Pankaj Singh dismissed the openers, Trivedi ran through the middle order picking up the next four wickets to fall. Although his economy rate was 6.25, it was still much better in the context of the game where the run-rate was 8.31.
9.
In a game where both teams posted 200-plus scores, Muralitharan’s economy rate of 5.25 was an excellent achievement. His performance also stood out because of the fact that he dismissed the top-three batsmen.
10.
Cooper’s four-wicket haul helped Royals successfully defend their total of 191. Three of Cooper’s wickets were among the top five batsmen. His economy rate of 6.50 was also an achievement in a game where the overall run-rate was 8.77.

Top ten bowling performances in IPL 2012

BowlerTeamOppositionSpellPointsRavindra JadejaChennai Super KingsDeccan Chargers5/1659.08Sunil NarineKolkata Knight RidersKings XI Punjab5/1951.40Dale SteynDeccan ChargersMumbai Indians3/1249.66Dimitri MascarenhasKings XI PunjabPune Warriors5/2549.33L BalajiKolkata Knight RidersRoyal Challengers Bangalore4/1849.10Munaf PatelMumbai IndiansDeccan Chargers4/2048.40Lasith MalingaMumbai IndiansRajasthan Royals2/1347.06Siddharth TrivediRajasthan RoyalsRoyal Challengers Bangalore4/2546.87Muttiah MuralitharanRoyal Challengers BangaloreChennai Super Kings3/2146.38Kevon CooperRajasthan RoyalsKings XI Punjab4/2645.60

Tim Paine looked destined to be Australia’s future wicketkeeper, but now he is just grateful to be playing any cricket after a serious finger injury which put his career in doubt

Paul Edwards at Edgbaston17-Aug-2012
ScorecardTim Paine has gained confidence during the Australia A tour of England•Getty ImagesTim Paine’s finger is swollen, and studded with the marks of five operations. Maybe it always will be.Since Paine, the Tasmanian wicketkeeper-batsman, broke his right index finger in the Australian Cricketers’ Association “All-Stars” T20 game on November 21 2010, he has had a plate inserted, the finger break again and the plates come loose. There have been five operations, and for the last two of them bone was taken, first from Paine’s wrist, then from his hip, in order to help the finger knit together.”There’s a plate and eight pins in there holding my finger,” said Paine, who played four Tests for Australia in 2010. “I still get pain but it’s nothing like it used to be. It was always in the way. It hurt when I was putting on a jumper or when I was grabbing a toothbrush or a pen without thinking. I’ve had plenty of issues with the finger.”All of which leads one to think that the abandonment of the last day of Australia A’s unofficial Test against the England Lions at Edgbaston does not come as too much of a disappointment to Paine, especially coming at the end of a four-match tour in which he has, at last, proved his fitness in a raft of ways including a fluent 59 off 78 balls.For since Dirk Nannes broke Paine’s finger in what some might regard as a “Mickey Mouse” event, the 27-year-old has played just seven List A games, two T20s and half a dozen first-class matches, four of them on the trip which ended in Birmingham this week. He has, to all intents and purposes, missed two full seasons of domestic cricket in Australia. Now he reckons he is back.”For me the whole idea was to come over here and play,” said Paine. “I’ve had no pressure on me from selectors or coaches. It was just about getting back into playing competitive cricket. I’ve started my innings pretty well and the last innings here was a huge boost to the confidence.”I’ve also got my wicketkeeping back to where it was in a pretty quick period. I got what I wanted from the trip and I can go home with some confidence that I’m back to my best for the start of the Australian summer. I’ve gained a lot of confidence from the trip and I’m going back in a completely different headspace to the one I was in when I came over here. I had a few doubts because missing two years’ cricket is a lot of time.”If there was a moment in which Paine proved both his mental and physical fitness, it came barely half an hour into the first day of the Lions match at Old Trafford. Mitchell Johnson, bowling fast and aggressively, speared a delivery into Joe Root’s body which he could only glove down the leg side. Paine dived across and pouched the ball.”To be taking catches like that where I just see the ball and throw my hand at it is a sign that I’m over any sort of scarring.” said Paine. “Things are happening without my thinking about them. I’ve just spoken with the coaches and we feel that my keeping’s back to where it was before I had the injury.”All the same, Paine still needs a guard, which is taped below the second knuckle of the index finger, and his gloves are specially reinforced. This is necessary to protect the new bone and it will have to be in place for a year or so. Then he hopes to remove either the guard or the padding in the gauntlet. Whatever is required Paine has made major progress in dealing with the psychological impact of a major injury.”There was mental scarring before I came here or attended the Australian Centre of Excellence,” said Paine. “I had some bad memories of playing with it or wanting to catch a ball that was coming at 150kph and not being able to do it.”These last six or seven weeks have been really good in getting that out of my mind. My keeping’s gone well and batting-wise I’ve probably got to the stage when I was just playing cricket for the first time in a long time. Even when I get hit it now, it hurts for a couple of seconds whereas before it would hurt for five or six overs.”And yet the most impressive thing about Paine’s long journey back to sporting fitness is that he is now able to put the game of cricket in its proper perspective as merely a glorious expression of humanity’s competitive spirit.”In a good way cricket’s become less important to me,” said Paine. “I love playing and I would love to come back to England and win an Ashes Test, but if I don’t, I won’t be too fussed as long as I’ve given myself the best chance of doing so. I’ve learned to take cricket a little less seriously.”So it’s interesting when people say you must be really struggling because you’ve had two years’ out with injury. I had a broken finger and in the whole scheme of things it’s not that big a deal. I’ve a long time left in the game and everything else in my body makes me feel like I’m 21.”I can sit around and feel sorry for myself, but ultimately, I had a broken finger, not a broken back.”