Today was a day where England could have won a test match. In an incredibly strong position overnight at 170 odd ahead with only two wickets down, England could have hit out in the morning and given themselves 70 overs to bowl Sri Lanka out. Instead, they nurdled it around in the morning, had an unneccesarily long hit in the afternoon before packing up an hour early because they were bored.
The Andocracy have long spoken of their desire to be world number one, and to create a team that dominates world cricket. Today was not the performance of a team who can dominate anybody. The gameplan was wrong from start to finish, and it appears patently obvious that Strauss much preferred to 'not lose' rather than rolling the dice and actually going for the win. Had you offered Strauss the draw at eleven this morning, he would have taken it. And that's the crux of the matter - would the West Indian team of the 80s have 'settled' for the draw? Or the Aussie team of the 00s?
The batting this morning. Yes, Alastair Cook has been in great form of late, and everybody wants to make a ton at Lord's, but at that pace? In the morning session Cook only added 21 runs to his overnight score, which understandably selfish as it was, shouldn't have been tolerated. Making a hundred at HQ is always going to be a big thing for a player, but as vice-captain and part of the senior management team, Cook should have recognised that nurdling his way to the ton wasn't going to help the ultimate cause of winning the test match for England. While Pietersen was a touch more attacking, it appeared clear that he too was after personal runs rather than a selfless acceleration for the team, which is why England stagnated big time after drinks. Herath turned the screw, and Cook and KP were happy to block it out and slowly push their way towards three figures. This meant that England weren't as far ahead as they should have been at lunch, and were unable to declare at the interval (which may have been in the original plan).
After lunch Bell, Morgan and Prior all swung the blade, but the longer they stayed out there, the less time England had to skittle Sri Lanka. Strauss should have known that a Dilshan-less Sri Lanka would have had no interest in chasing anything, and should have declared the moment Cook brought up his ton. As it was, he stayed on, paralysed by the fear that Sri Lanka would chase down runs at 8 an over and he'd look a fool. If anything, the lack of bravery was far more foolish than a bold declaration at 2 o'clock. And so we watched as time ebbed on, as Cook, Morgan, Prior and even Broad came and went, for not much gain.
The bowlers, I thought, were OK, but Sri Lanka were in full defensive bunker mode. Sri Lanka's full strength plan of playing P Jayawardene at 6 with Maharoof at 7 has left a very long tail, and is very collapsable. With Dilshan unable to bat unless in the direst of emergencies, Sri Lanka were there for the taking. Even though taking seven wickets in 15 overs is unlikely, the decision to shake hands seemed odd when England were only one wicket away from Maharoof, and two away from the bowlers. And if England had learnt anything from Cardiff, it's that the pressure of batting to save the game can do funny things to batsmen. As it was they'd had enough, with Strauss shaking hands and leaving the fans a touch bemused.
I went to Lord's today hoping to see a really attacking display of top test cricket from England as they pushed for a win. Instead, I saw a meek display of going through the motions from a team happy they didn't lose. If England are to be the world's best, they have to grow a pair and have a real go at days like this. We've seen in the past that Strauss can be a very defensive captain who likes to be 100% he can't lose before going for the win. If he really is to lead England to the number one spot, he's going to have to roll the dice every once in a while, in order to win the biggest prize of all.
Showing posts with label Tillekeratne Dilshan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tillekeratne Dilshan. Show all posts
Tuesday, 7 June 2011
Day Five at Lord's
Before play started...: England two down and a few ahead - could declare to set up an interesting finish.
Where did it all go wrong for Sri Lanka?: Not really anywhere. They were happy to play for the draw, and they got it.
Where did it all go right for Sri Lanka?: Restricted the big runs in the morning meaning they had a shorter time to survive, which they did very comfortably.
Where did it all go wrong for England?: Played incredibly negatively - delayed the declaration for far too long and shook hands when they were only one wicket away from the tail and a potential collapse. Poor.
Where did it all go right for England?: Another hundred for Cook, runs for KP, and some nice hits by Bell. Plus Trott proved he's a useful enough bowler to turn to as and when required.
Who won each session?: Morning - Just about England (but scored too slowly). Afternoon - Probably even. Evening - Nobody cared.
Who should have won the game?: England. Didn't play well enough today, and let the win slip away. But it would have been interesting had Dilshan and Jayawardene been able to stay on in the evening session on Day 3, as with tired ineffective bowlers, England could have conceded a fairly sizable first innings lead and it could have been a different story...
Shot of the day: Bell's guide down to third man. He was in awesome form. He even prompted me to declare him my favourite ever player (I later downgraded this to my favourite batsman to watch in the current England team. I was caught up in the emotion of the situation).
Ball of the day: "Rangana Herath's Ball of The Century" to KP. Probably the best ball he'll ever bowl - pitching well outside leg, and turning to hit the top of off-stump. Whatever's said about KP's troubles with SLA, I defy anyone to play that ball.
Man of the day: I don't know. Bell? The only England batsman to really understand the situation and bat accordingly.
Mug(s) of the day: Strauss's poor captaincy (I'll discuss that in a blog later) is saved by Matt Prior breaking a window. As such, the mug of the day is whoever put out the press releases; the first claiming that a glove bounced off a kit bag and onto a row of bats which smashed the window, and the second was that he tried to balance a bat on the windowsill, but he misbalanced it and shattered the window. Most likely, he just put his fist through it. Pretty much sums up England's day.
Where did it all go wrong for Sri Lanka?: Not really anywhere. They were happy to play for the draw, and they got it.
Where did it all go right for Sri Lanka?: Restricted the big runs in the morning meaning they had a shorter time to survive, which they did very comfortably.
Where did it all go wrong for England?: Played incredibly negatively - delayed the declaration for far too long and shook hands when they were only one wicket away from the tail and a potential collapse. Poor.
Where did it all go right for England?: Another hundred for Cook, runs for KP, and some nice hits by Bell. Plus Trott proved he's a useful enough bowler to turn to as and when required.
Who won each session?: Morning - Just about England (but scored too slowly). Afternoon - Probably even. Evening - Nobody cared.
Who should have won the game?: England. Didn't play well enough today, and let the win slip away. But it would have been interesting had Dilshan and Jayawardene been able to stay on in the evening session on Day 3, as with tired ineffective bowlers, England could have conceded a fairly sizable first innings lead and it could have been a different story...
Shot of the day: Bell's guide down to third man. He was in awesome form. He even prompted me to declare him my favourite ever player (I later downgraded this to my favourite batsman to watch in the current England team. I was caught up in the emotion of the situation).
Ball of the day: "Rangana Herath's Ball of The Century" to KP. Probably the best ball he'll ever bowl - pitching well outside leg, and turning to hit the top of off-stump. Whatever's said about KP's troubles with SLA, I defy anyone to play that ball.
Man of the day: I don't know. Bell? The only England batsman to really understand the situation and bat accordingly.
Mug(s) of the day: Strauss's poor captaincy (I'll discuss that in a blog later) is saved by Matt Prior breaking a window. As such, the mug of the day is whoever put out the press releases; the first claiming that a glove bounced off a kit bag and onto a row of bats which smashed the window, and the second was that he tried to balance a bat on the windowsill, but he misbalanced it and shattered the window. Most likely, he just put his fist through it. Pretty much sums up England's day.
Monday, 6 June 2011
Day Three at Lord's
Before play started...: A lot of runs and not a great deal of wickets over the first two days
Where did it all go wrong for Sri Lanka?: Rain in the evening stopped them reaching England's score which could have made this game very interesting with two days left
Where did it all go right for Sri Lanka?: Plenty more runs before the rain
Where did it all go wrong for England?: Bowled better than Day 2, but still not to the required level.
Where did it all go right for England?: The bowling did improve (Finn especially) which is a slight bonus. The rain means that Sri Lanka are probably going to be unable to force a result.
Who won each session?: Morning and Afternoon - Sri Lanka. Evening - Rain.
Who's winning the game?: Sri Lanka are able to get a handy lead and despite the rain, we all know from last week what scoreboard pressure can do. England should bat through, but Sri Lanka are probably favourites at this stage.
Shot of the day: Jayawardene driving for four. Exquisite.
Ball of the day: Tremlett taking Sangakkara's wicket. Nice bit of bowling.
Man of the day: Tillakaratne Dilshan - kept going despite clearly being in immense physical pain to pull through for his team. Deserved the double hundred.
Mug(s) of the day: Weather. Rain isn't fun for anyone.
Where did it all go wrong for Sri Lanka?: Rain in the evening stopped them reaching England's score which could have made this game very interesting with two days left
Where did it all go right for Sri Lanka?: Plenty more runs before the rain
Where did it all go wrong for England?: Bowled better than Day 2, but still not to the required level.
Where did it all go right for England?: The bowling did improve (Finn especially) which is a slight bonus. The rain means that Sri Lanka are probably going to be unable to force a result.
Who won each session?: Morning and Afternoon - Sri Lanka. Evening - Rain.
Who's winning the game?: Sri Lanka are able to get a handy lead and despite the rain, we all know from last week what scoreboard pressure can do. England should bat through, but Sri Lanka are probably favourites at this stage.
Shot of the day: Jayawardene driving for four. Exquisite.
Ball of the day: Tremlett taking Sangakkara's wicket. Nice bit of bowling.
Man of the day: Tillakaratne Dilshan - kept going despite clearly being in immense physical pain to pull through for his team. Deserved the double hundred.
Mug(s) of the day: Weather. Rain isn't fun for anyone.
Saturday, 4 June 2011
Day Two at Lord's
Before play started...: Sri Lanka started well after winning the toss and sticking England in, but the hosts fought back as honours were even after Day 1
Where did it all go wrong for Sri Lanka?: Bowled (and fielded) very poorly as England raced along to lunch, probably adding 50-70 more runs then they should have been allowed to.
Where did it all go right for Sri Lanka?: The big partnership keeping them well in this match
Where did it all go wrong for England?: The bowling was erratic and not particularly threatening.
Where did it all go right for England?: The late order runs (at a great pace) in the morning meant realistically England shouldn't lose.
Who won each session?: Morning - England. Afternoon and Evening - Sri Lanka.
Who's winning the game?: Always favour runs on the board, but with Dilshan in and Sri Lanka only 200-odd behind, they could get a handy first innings lead.
Shot of the day: Paranavitana creaming Finn through the covers for an exquisite four. Punishing.
Ball of the day: One of the ones from Broad's first over, or Tremlett's to Dilshan which lifted sharply and hit the thumb. But not a great day for the bowlers otherwise...
Man of the day: Tillakaratne Dilshan - a glorious hundred which was just what his team needed after a collapse at Cardiff and conceding plenty in the first innings. (Props too to Matt Prior for completing the hundred)
Mug(s) of the day: The bowlers. It wasn't a great day to turn your arm over.
Short Midwicket Name Drops of the Day: Monty Panesar. Weirdly, not at the cricket, but outside Lush at Victoria Station. He looked surprised to be recognised on a day out in London with wifey.
Where did it all go wrong for Sri Lanka?: Bowled (and fielded) very poorly as England raced along to lunch, probably adding 50-70 more runs then they should have been allowed to.
Where did it all go right for Sri Lanka?: The big partnership keeping them well in this match
Where did it all go wrong for England?: The bowling was erratic and not particularly threatening.
Where did it all go right for England?: The late order runs (at a great pace) in the morning meant realistically England shouldn't lose.
Who won each session?: Morning - England. Afternoon and Evening - Sri Lanka.
Who's winning the game?: Always favour runs on the board, but with Dilshan in and Sri Lanka only 200-odd behind, they could get a handy first innings lead.
Shot of the day: Paranavitana creaming Finn through the covers for an exquisite four. Punishing.
Ball of the day: One of the ones from Broad's first over, or Tremlett's to Dilshan which lifted sharply and hit the thumb. But not a great day for the bowlers otherwise...
Man of the day: Tillakaratne Dilshan - a glorious hundred which was just what his team needed after a collapse at Cardiff and conceding plenty in the first innings. (Props too to Matt Prior for completing the hundred)
Mug(s) of the day: The bowlers. It wasn't a great day to turn your arm over.
Short Midwicket Name Drops of the Day: Monty Panesar. Weirdly, not at the cricket, but outside Lush at Victoria Station. He looked surprised to be recognised on a day out in London with wifey.
Friday, 27 May 2011
Day Two at Cardiff
Before play started...: A lot of rain yesterday. Runs for Dilshan and Paranavitana, before a couple of English wickets to keep them interested at the end.
Where did it all go wrong for Sri Lanka?: Didn't look great with the ball at the end of the day.
Where did it all go right for Sri Lanka?: A lot of their guys made runs, and they made 400. Very good effort. And nipped Strauss out at the end.
Where did it all go wrong for England?: Anderson aside didn't look too threatening, and didn't apply enough pressure in the field thanks to some sloppy bowling. Broad especially.
Where did it all go right for England?: Got Sri Lanka out (eventually), and 400 on this pitch is no huge disaster, as proved by Strauss and Cook looking very assured at the end. Apart from, well, Strauss getting out with about a minute to go.
Who won each session?: Morning - Evens. Afternoon - Sri Lanka. Evening - Probably England.
Who's winning the game?: You can't argue with runs on the board, and Sri Lanka will be happy to have them. But with England still looking more than likely to knock them down, plus the overs lost to the rain, the draw is still favourite.
Shot of the day: Perera lofting Broad back over his head. Not bad for a test debutant. Honourable mention to Cook hoicking Lakmal for four with the now copyrighted "Alastair Cook Slog-Sweep".
Ball of the day: Anderson to Mahela - softened him up with 5 on-the-money away-swingers before an in-nipper that he couldn't help but edge.
Man of the day: For making a nicely paced hundred, Prassana Jayawardene. The only Sri Lankan of the 4 to pass 50 to go on and convert, which took the Sri Lankans to a very useful 400.
Mug of the day: Broad. A frustrating day where he couldn't hit his lengths and didn't look all too threatening. Looked very undercooked and hardly a day to remember.
Where did it all go wrong for Sri Lanka?: Didn't look great with the ball at the end of the day.
Where did it all go right for Sri Lanka?: A lot of their guys made runs, and they made 400. Very good effort. And nipped Strauss out at the end.
Where did it all go wrong for England?: Anderson aside didn't look too threatening, and didn't apply enough pressure in the field thanks to some sloppy bowling. Broad especially.
Where did it all go right for England?: Got Sri Lanka out (eventually), and 400 on this pitch is no huge disaster, as proved by Strauss and Cook looking very assured at the end. Apart from, well, Strauss getting out with about a minute to go.
Who won each session?: Morning - Evens. Afternoon - Sri Lanka. Evening - Probably England.
Who's winning the game?: You can't argue with runs on the board, and Sri Lanka will be happy to have them. But with England still looking more than likely to knock them down, plus the overs lost to the rain, the draw is still favourite.
Shot of the day: Perera lofting Broad back over his head. Not bad for a test debutant. Honourable mention to Cook hoicking Lakmal for four with the now copyrighted "Alastair Cook Slog-Sweep".
Ball of the day: Anderson to Mahela - softened him up with 5 on-the-money away-swingers before an in-nipper that he couldn't help but edge.
Man of the day: For making a nicely paced hundred, Prassana Jayawardene. The only Sri Lankan of the 4 to pass 50 to go on and convert, which took the Sri Lankans to a very useful 400.
Mug of the day: Broad. A frustrating day where he couldn't hit his lengths and didn't look all too threatening. Looked very undercooked and hardly a day to remember.
Thursday, 26 May 2011
Day One At Cardiff
Before play started...: England, on the back of winning the Ashes and generally being half decent at tests were favourites, but wary of a Sri Lankan side that are a lot better than some are making out...
Where did it all go wrong for Sri Lanka?: Probably before the game started, with Pradeep and Fernando being ruled out. Big losses to a fairly weak bowling attack.
Where did it all go right for Sri Lanka?: Paranavitana looking very assured in a very good opening partnership with Dilshan.
Where did it all go wrong for England?: The bowlers (Broad especially) failed to hit the right areas consistently and generally looked a tad undercooked.
Where did it all go right for England?: Getting two of the "big three" in Dilshan and Sangakkara out.
Who won each session?: Afternoon - Sri Lanka. Evening - honours even. (The morning session, of course, being won by rain).
Who's winning the game?: After so much rain, and with both sides fielding very strong batting line ups, the draw is certainly the favourite. Sri Lanka probably in the more comfortable positions of the teams.
Shot of the day: Dilshan smacking a wide one from Broad for four. Punished.
Ball of the day: The ball that Anderson got Sangakkara with. It may not have been a wicket, but it was a beauty.
Man of the day: The wonderfully named Tharanga Paranavitana, who looked very assured and controlled. Props too to Chris Tremlett, who was the proverbial pick of the bowlers.
Where did it all go wrong for Sri Lanka?: Probably before the game started, with Pradeep and Fernando being ruled out. Big losses to a fairly weak bowling attack.
Where did it all go right for Sri Lanka?: Paranavitana looking very assured in a very good opening partnership with Dilshan.
Where did it all go wrong for England?: The bowlers (Broad especially) failed to hit the right areas consistently and generally looked a tad undercooked.
Where did it all go right for England?: Getting two of the "big three" in Dilshan and Sangakkara out.
Who won each session?: Afternoon - Sri Lanka. Evening - honours even. (The morning session, of course, being won by rain).
Who's winning the game?: After so much rain, and with both sides fielding very strong batting line ups, the draw is certainly the favourite. Sri Lanka probably in the more comfortable positions of the teams.
Shot of the day: Dilshan smacking a wide one from Broad for four. Punished.
Ball of the day: The ball that Anderson got Sangakkara with. It may not have been a wicket, but it was a beauty.
Man of the day: The wonderfully named Tharanga Paranavitana, who looked very assured and controlled. Props too to Chris Tremlett, who was the proverbial pick of the bowlers.
England v Sri Lanka Series Preview
OK, I may have left the series preview a little late, as everything that could have been written about this series has already been said. However, it's not like me to miss out on anything England related, so I'm throwing my hat into the ring with this effort.
From what's been written already, a lot of people are assuming England just need to turn up and the series win will be sorted. A lot of people are seriously underestimating this Sri Lankan side. Yes, there may be no Murali or Malinga, but there is an awful lot of strength there. Dilshan, Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene would walk straight into most people's World XI, and are a rather frightening prospect for England at 2, 3 and 4. Opening the innings with Dilshan will be the superbly named Tharanga Paranavitana, who may have a modest test record but already boasts two hundreds in two games this tour. Thilan Samaraweera is oft forgotten, but he averages 54 in tests. And new boy Dinesh Chandimal is scarily talented and could really announce himself this series. If all goes as expected, there are a lot of runs in this Sri Lankan side.
The bowling, however, may be a different story. The loss of Muralitheran and Malinga is well documented, and with a very inexperienced bowling line up playing in very foreign English conditions, taking 20 wickets could be a rather large challenge.
There's been a lot of hyping about England this series, with much of it probably undeserved. Yes, England have performed well over the past two years, but that should be tempered by remembering that England were taking on sides who were certainly not at their peak. Much of the Ashes success was due to keeping the "big players" quiet with carefully thought out plans, but with so many "big players" in that Sri Lankan top order, it could be a tall order. While England's attack does look strong, on the roads that Cardiff and the Rose Bowl have likely prepared in order to maximise revenue, taking enough wickets could too be a struggle.
In his two warm-up games as captain, Tillakaratne Dilshan certainly proved to be a bold and adventerous captain, and by leading his team to a win after following on agains the Lions, appears to have fostered a never-say-die attitude. Objectively, Sri Lanka have the stronger batting, but England have a better all-round team. My only concern would be that neither side will have enough to fire the others out twice, which will probably lead to some very high scoring draws. I would guess that only if a couple of people had blinders with the ball we would see results, and as England have the better bowlers (and because I'm biased) if I had to stick my neck out I'd go for an England win. But, my overall series preview in a nutshell would be that it will be much closer than people are expecting...
Random Match Predictions
1st Test: Cardiff - England by 73 runs (MOM Strauss)
2nd Test: Lord's - England by 3 wickets (MOM Bell)
3rd Test: Rose Bowl - Draw (MOM Sangakkara)
From what's been written already, a lot of people are assuming England just need to turn up and the series win will be sorted. A lot of people are seriously underestimating this Sri Lankan side. Yes, there may be no Murali or Malinga, but there is an awful lot of strength there. Dilshan, Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene would walk straight into most people's World XI, and are a rather frightening prospect for England at 2, 3 and 4. Opening the innings with Dilshan will be the superbly named Tharanga Paranavitana, who may have a modest test record but already boasts two hundreds in two games this tour. Thilan Samaraweera is oft forgotten, but he averages 54 in tests. And new boy Dinesh Chandimal is scarily talented and could really announce himself this series. If all goes as expected, there are a lot of runs in this Sri Lankan side.
The bowling, however, may be a different story. The loss of Muralitheran and Malinga is well documented, and with a very inexperienced bowling line up playing in very foreign English conditions, taking 20 wickets could be a rather large challenge.
There's been a lot of hyping about England this series, with much of it probably undeserved. Yes, England have performed well over the past two years, but that should be tempered by remembering that England were taking on sides who were certainly not at their peak. Much of the Ashes success was due to keeping the "big players" quiet with carefully thought out plans, but with so many "big players" in that Sri Lankan top order, it could be a tall order. While England's attack does look strong, on the roads that Cardiff and the Rose Bowl have likely prepared in order to maximise revenue, taking enough wickets could too be a struggle.
In his two warm-up games as captain, Tillakaratne Dilshan certainly proved to be a bold and adventerous captain, and by leading his team to a win after following on agains the Lions, appears to have fostered a never-say-die attitude. Objectively, Sri Lanka have the stronger batting, but England have a better all-round team. My only concern would be that neither side will have enough to fire the others out twice, which will probably lead to some very high scoring draws. I would guess that only if a couple of people had blinders with the ball we would see results, and as England have the better bowlers (and because I'm biased) if I had to stick my neck out I'd go for an England win. But, my overall series preview in a nutshell would be that it will be much closer than people are expecting...
Random Match Predictions
1st Test: Cardiff - England by 73 runs (MOM Strauss)
2nd Test: Lord's - England by 3 wickets (MOM Bell)
3rd Test: Rose Bowl - Draw (MOM Sangakkara)
Friday, 1 April 2011
My Team of the World Cup
So we're just about at the end of another World Cup. So as such, everyone's naming their representative teams of the World Cup. And seeing as I've got not much else better to do, I thought I'd have a go...
Openers
There have been some openers who have really set this World Cup alive. Sehwag and Tendulkar have really set the tone for India - Sehwag with a flurry of quick runs to take advantage of the powerplay early while Tendulkar hangs around to play the innings of substance. Sri Lanka have had Tharanga and Dilshan, who have now racked up two 200+ partnerships. Pakistan's Hafeez has batted well, and has the advantage of taking some handy wickets with much improved bowling. Martin Guptill's form with the bat for New Zealand's also been better than expected, and he could get into most World XI sides thanks to his fielding alone. And Ireland's Paul Stirling has shown maturity beyond his years with fine performances with bat and ball. All worth entrants, I'm sure, which has made the opening spots very hard to select. However, I've gone for Virender Sehwag, for his explosive play throughout the early powerplays, and because of his amazing 175 against Bangladesh, and for Tillekeratne Dilshan, for his couple of centuries, plus the fact that he offers a bit with the ball.
Middle-order
There are a couple of the middle-order who almost pick themselves. Yuvraj Singh has been India's finisher and has contributed immensely with the ball, so he's in. AB de Villiers hit two early hundreds, and looked South Africa's best bat, so in he comes. Ryan ten Doeschate, often a lone voice for Holland, also hit two centuries, and will provide ample support for the bowlers. So they're all in. And someone who I simply can't ignore is Sachin Tendulkar. While I didn't pick him in the position he's been playing this World Cup (opener), it would be unjust to not find space in this World Cup Team for him given the success he's had, so he will bat at three. So my middle order is Sachin Tendulkar, AB de Villiers, Yuvraj Singh and Ryan ten Doeschate.
Wicket-Keeper
This hasn't been a brilliant World Cup for the keepers. While Brendon McCullum and Brad Haddin had flashes of brilliance at the top of the order, they were few and far between. MS Dhoni hasn't contributed much to the Indian middle order. Morne van Wyk looked out of his depth in international cricket. Matt Prior looked even worse. Only one has stood out - and what a World Cup he's had. Step forward Kumar Sangakkara, who makes it into the team with a World Cup average of 104 (so far) with one ton and two fifties.
Bowlers
In the difficult sub continental conditions, we've seen some bowlers struggle. However, the truly good bowlers have found reward, and have had excellent World Cups. Umar Gul and Dale Steyn, the two best fast bowlers, have led their countries well. Zaheer Khan likewise. Before his injury, Stuart Broad was looking to be the star of an England bowling outfit that was seriously out of sorts, but sadly his injury cut short a World Cup where he could have made a real difference. Mitchell Johnson and Brett Lee both blew teams away in the groups as well. But the two pacers I've gone for are Dale Steyn, for his superb five-fer against India as well as general good performances in a format that some didn't rate him in, and Umar Gul, who was as excellent with the old ball as he was with the new throughout the tournament (except the semi-final). Spin wise, it's been a rich World Cup. Shahid Afridi has been the leading wicket taker, and has proved his obvious ability with the ball. Imran Tahir and Robin Peterson have both chipped in with plenty for South Africa as well. Graeme Swann, (the world's best spinner) toiled away for some reward for England, and George Dockrell belied his age to put in some very mature performances for Ireland. Not forgetting, of course, Muttiah Muralitheran in his final World Cup. However, the spinners I've gone for are Shahid Afridi, as he has been taking wickets by the bucket load, as well as offering some late order hitting (even though that wasn't seen too often this World Cup). And South Africa's Robin Peterson, who surprised many to be a real potent threat for the Proteas. Imran Tahir can feel very unlucky that he didn't make the selection, but an unfortunate hand injury ruled him out of a few games where Peterson made his mark.
Captain
Of the guys I've picked, Afridi and Sangakkara both skippered their sides during the World Cup, so it's between them. As much as I've enjoyed Afridi's excitable energy-filled captaincy, I fear that his enthusiasm may only work for a Pakistan side, so that immediately rules him out. And it helps that Sangakkara has had an excellent World Cup as captain, rotating his bowlers well and setting inventive fields. So Kumar Sangakkara it is to lead the team.
So that's the team I've gone for. There are a few shocks (an associate player, no English, Aussies, West Indians or New Zealanders) but I'm happy with that team. I reckon they'd give anyone a game - they bat deep (with some useful players up the order), as well as having four top out-and-out bowlers plus handy overs from ten Doeschate, Yuvraj and Dilshan. Agree? Disagree? Let me know, either by the comments section, on Twitter, or on my new sparkly Facebook page.
Sehwag
Tendulkar
Dilshan
Sangakkara (c / wk)
de Villiers
ten Doeschate
Yuvraj
Afridi
Peterson
Gul
Steyn
Openers
There have been some openers who have really set this World Cup alive. Sehwag and Tendulkar have really set the tone for India - Sehwag with a flurry of quick runs to take advantage of the powerplay early while Tendulkar hangs around to play the innings of substance. Sri Lanka have had Tharanga and Dilshan, who have now racked up two 200+ partnerships. Pakistan's Hafeez has batted well, and has the advantage of taking some handy wickets with much improved bowling. Martin Guptill's form with the bat for New Zealand's also been better than expected, and he could get into most World XI sides thanks to his fielding alone. And Ireland's Paul Stirling has shown maturity beyond his years with fine performances with bat and ball. All worth entrants, I'm sure, which has made the opening spots very hard to select. However, I've gone for Virender Sehwag, for his explosive play throughout the early powerplays, and because of his amazing 175 against Bangladesh, and for Tillekeratne Dilshan, for his couple of centuries, plus the fact that he offers a bit with the ball.
Middle-order
There are a couple of the middle-order who almost pick themselves. Yuvraj Singh has been India's finisher and has contributed immensely with the ball, so he's in. AB de Villiers hit two early hundreds, and looked South Africa's best bat, so in he comes. Ryan ten Doeschate, often a lone voice for Holland, also hit two centuries, and will provide ample support for the bowlers. So they're all in. And someone who I simply can't ignore is Sachin Tendulkar. While I didn't pick him in the position he's been playing this World Cup (opener), it would be unjust to not find space in this World Cup Team for him given the success he's had, so he will bat at three. So my middle order is Sachin Tendulkar, AB de Villiers, Yuvraj Singh and Ryan ten Doeschate.
Wicket-Keeper
This hasn't been a brilliant World Cup for the keepers. While Brendon McCullum and Brad Haddin had flashes of brilliance at the top of the order, they were few and far between. MS Dhoni hasn't contributed much to the Indian middle order. Morne van Wyk looked out of his depth in international cricket. Matt Prior looked even worse. Only one has stood out - and what a World Cup he's had. Step forward Kumar Sangakkara, who makes it into the team with a World Cup average of 104 (so far) with one ton and two fifties.
Bowlers
In the difficult sub continental conditions, we've seen some bowlers struggle. However, the truly good bowlers have found reward, and have had excellent World Cups. Umar Gul and Dale Steyn, the two best fast bowlers, have led their countries well. Zaheer Khan likewise. Before his injury, Stuart Broad was looking to be the star of an England bowling outfit that was seriously out of sorts, but sadly his injury cut short a World Cup where he could have made a real difference. Mitchell Johnson and Brett Lee both blew teams away in the groups as well. But the two pacers I've gone for are Dale Steyn, for his superb five-fer against India as well as general good performances in a format that some didn't rate him in, and Umar Gul, who was as excellent with the old ball as he was with the new throughout the tournament (except the semi-final). Spin wise, it's been a rich World Cup. Shahid Afridi has been the leading wicket taker, and has proved his obvious ability with the ball. Imran Tahir and Robin Peterson have both chipped in with plenty for South Africa as well. Graeme Swann, (the world's best spinner) toiled away for some reward for England, and George Dockrell belied his age to put in some very mature performances for Ireland. Not forgetting, of course, Muttiah Muralitheran in his final World Cup. However, the spinners I've gone for are Shahid Afridi, as he has been taking wickets by the bucket load, as well as offering some late order hitting (even though that wasn't seen too often this World Cup). And South Africa's Robin Peterson, who surprised many to be a real potent threat for the Proteas. Imran Tahir can feel very unlucky that he didn't make the selection, but an unfortunate hand injury ruled him out of a few games where Peterson made his mark.
Captain
Of the guys I've picked, Afridi and Sangakkara both skippered their sides during the World Cup, so it's between them. As much as I've enjoyed Afridi's excitable energy-filled captaincy, I fear that his enthusiasm may only work for a Pakistan side, so that immediately rules him out. And it helps that Sangakkara has had an excellent World Cup as captain, rotating his bowlers well and setting inventive fields. So Kumar Sangakkara it is to lead the team.
So that's the team I've gone for. There are a few shocks (an associate player, no English, Aussies, West Indians or New Zealanders) but I'm happy with that team. I reckon they'd give anyone a game - they bat deep (with some useful players up the order), as well as having four top out-and-out bowlers plus handy overs from ten Doeschate, Yuvraj and Dilshan. Agree? Disagree? Let me know, either by the comments section, on Twitter, or on my new sparkly Facebook page.
Sehwag
Tendulkar
Dilshan
Sangakkara (c / wk)
de Villiers
ten Doeschate
Yuvraj
Afridi
Peterson
Gul
Steyn
Saturday, 20 March 2010
The Delhi Daredevils newest fan
You have spoken. And with 40% of the votes, I am now a Delhi Daredevils supporter. The franchise boasting the talents of Sehwag, de Villiers, Dilshan, and Paul Collingwood. And the only IPL team with Dirk Nannes. Get in.
In honour of the Diggler, here is a post written by the excellent Jarrod Kimber of Cricket With Balls fame, separating Dirk fact from Diggler fiction.
Go Daredevils!
In honour of the Diggler, here is a post written by the excellent Jarrod Kimber of Cricket With Balls fame, separating Dirk fact from Diggler fiction.
Go Daredevils!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)