Jonny Bairstow's latest epic proves there is beauty in England's imperfections

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

This may have been the innings to win over the remaining doubters

Vithushan Ehantharajah24-Jun-20225:32

#PoliteEnquiries: Have England finally solved Bairstow?

A well-known quirk of the press conference is that when the England men’s Test side has a bad day, a coach is sent out to take the heat. And for all the eye-rolls at the sheer number of support staff employed by the ECB, well before the red- and white-ball schedules clashed, almost all of them have had screen-time over the last couple of years.Which coach is the easy bit. For example, a tough day in the field means the bowling coach steps up, hence why Jon Lewis was brought out more times in Australia than sun-cream. Thus at 3:02pm on Friday, as England found themselves 55 for six at the end of the 12th over, with New Zealand’s first-innings 329 looking twice as much, thoughts turned to who might be stepping into the “what went wrong today?” chair, given that Marcus Trescothick, the batting coach, is at home in Somerset dealing with Covid-19.By stumps, with England 264 for six, just 65 behind but visibly under New Zealand’s skin as Jonny Bairstow and Jamie Overton wrestled the initiative back in a quite spectacular 37.1-over partnership, perhaps Marilyn Monroe could have subbed in for Tres. Because the sentiment from the home dressing room was clear: if you can’t handle this England team at 55 for six, then you sure as hell don’t deserve them at 264 for six.Related

  • Jonny Bairstow and the art of zen batting

  • Jonny Bairstow, Jamie Overton bend reality after Trent Boult's thrilling onslaught

  • Jack Leach grateful for change of luck on day of hard toil

  • Zak Crawley saw the signs, but Trent Boult opened up his eyes

  • Stats – Daryl Mitchell's successive hundreds, and a record pairing with Tom Blundell

To be honest, who among us could handle the manner in which they lost those first six wickets? The first three, while understandable given the excellence of Trent Boult, reopened old wounds of top-order pain in the face of high-quality bowling. Joe Root’s nibbly edge through to Tom Blundell off Tim Southee for just five was a reminder that even the most reliable can let you down. Ben Stokes’ charge-and-plink off Neil Wagner’s second ball, into the hands of Kane Williamson at a withdrawn mid-off was confirmation that every chaotic fling ends in pain, no matter if it lasts a week or just 13 balls.When Ben Foakes’ head fell to the off side to allow Wagner to ping him on the pads, it was only natural to doubt. Even after the previous two Tests, and especially after the last one in Nottingham, doubt is your insurance: as much for your front, to be able to say you knew it might have been a false dawn, as for your sanity. Because, really, how much tradition, conditioned behaviour and professional fear can be contorted in that time? Rome wasn’t built in a day, but it certainly wasn’t finished after three weeks. Then again, Bairstow wasn’t around 2,700 years ago.Jonny Bairstow walks off to applause on 130 not out•AFP/Getty ImagesThe most important aspect of what Brendon McCullum and Stokes are doing with this Test side is that it doesn’t matter if we, the viewer, believe. It’s a bit like WWE wrestling in that way: whether you think it’s real or fake, those out in the middle have to buy into it completely. With back-to-back bombastic centuries, Bairstow has surged into the ring as England’s biggest believer. This one, No.10 of his career, might even be better than the 136 that won the second Test.”Fancy doing another Trent Bridge?” Bairstow joked with Stokes when they arrived together at 21 for four. He kept up his side of the deal, reaching that century in just 95 deliveries with clean strikes that, come to think of it, could not have been more different to what he unfurled in that final session in Nottingham. There were no sixes (yet anyway), yet most of his 21 fours still elicited the same hooting and hollering.The real malice came after he had passed fifty for the 32nd time. Wagner opted to switch from the full length he started with for the bumper routine he has toured the world over. With men out on the leg side, Bairstow bunted the “change-up” fuller delivery back over the left-armer’s head for four to move to 77.By then Overton had grown into the sidekick role that Stokes had played at Trent Bridge, cracking a pull shot off a Wagner bumper in front of square for four to move him to a maiden half-century. Then came a six into the Western Terrace, followed by a drive down the ground, then a slap through cover: 14 runs taken off Wagner’s ninth over, and off he sidled with much to rue. Wagner should have pushed for a review for an early leg-before shout against Overton that would have reduced England to 63 for seven. He also missed a tricky caught-and-bowled that would have sent Bairstow packing on 27. And compounding it all was the fact his famed short-ball trick was not only failing, but being used against him.Jamie Overton is congratulated by Jonny Bairstow after reaching fifty in his debut Test•AFP via Getty ImagesWho knows how this period might have gone if Wagner, now aged 36, had not come into this Test cold? Either way, he found himself in the eye of an 11-over storm, beginning after a maiden in the 26th over, in which 89 runs were scored. The riot continued on, and reached fever pitch when a crisp on-drive took Bairstow to three figures.Of his four hundreds in 2022, this had the best celebration yet. Not one of “told you so”, or adrenalin-junkie rage, but serene satisfaction. An innings of such personality is nothing new, as shown by the fact his name features in England’s record sixth- and seventh-wicket partnerships: the latter from Friday in Leeds, the former way back in 2016 when he and Stokes went wild in Cape Town. There is still a deficit of 65 to be worked at, and three more days for plenty of twists and turns ahead of the conclusion of this series. But day two of this final showdown felt like a first step towards getting the people on-side. Bairstow alluded to as much in his press conference “Our job is to inspire the next generation, our job is to make people want to watch cricket, our job is to put bums on seats here and I think people might have wanted to watch the brand of cricket we are playing.”Monroe, this time, was kept back. But her words in a previous life come to mind: imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring. It feels particularly relevant to the Test side. At a different time, it might have been relevant to Bairstow.But having spent so long trying to fit into this format by curbing enthusiasm, readjusting footwork and attuning his hands, all while losing his individuality, he’s never been more himself. And in an imperfect team striving to not be boring, he is at his most exciting while being its perfect fit.

Kieron Pollard brings the magic of 600 to the Hundred

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

T20 record-breaker shows enduring class during big win for London Spirit

Matt Roller08-Aug-2022There’s one ball left in London Spirit’s innings and Kieron Pollard is on strike. It’s his 600th T20 game (like it or not, the Hundred counts) and there is an expectant buzz around Lord’s as Jos Buttler sets the field, while Fred Klaassen takes a deep breath at the top of his mark.Pollard turned 35 in May, shortly after his international retirement, and has been struggling for fitness and form. Since the start of the year, he’s averaging 25.92 and striking at 123.05 in T20 cricket, pedestrian numbers by his lofty standards. He was due to play the Blast for Surrey but managed only six games before he was ruled out through injury, and needed surgery on his knee to recover in time for the Hundred.There is a sense that Pollard’s star is waning, and he is no longer the gun fielder who used to prowl at long-on for Mumbai Indians in the IPL. During the finale of London Spirit’s opening game against Oval Invincibles, Danny Briggs chipped one over him at mid-off which he would have leapt over his head and plucked out of thin air in his heyday; earlier, he had shelled a relatively straightforward chance at point.Related

  • Ian Bishop: Pollard has to reinvent his game

  • Knee surgery rules Pollard out of rest of Surrey Blast campaign

  • Kieron Pollard blows, Jordan Thompson four-for see London Spirit to second win

But reputations are hard earned, and Pollard retains the ability to put fear in bowlers and captains like few other batters. On Monday night, Buttler spends most of Pollard’s innings stood at straight mid-on, with a long-on and a long-off behind him in order to negate his ability to hit down the ground; instead, Pollard brings out the long handle and swings hard, racing to 28 off 10 balls as he muscles the ball into the leg side.The field that Buttler sets for the final ball is extraordinary, a modified version of one that MS Dhoni has often used against him in the IPL. Fields in the death overs of white-ball games almost always follow a pattern, with occasional changes depending on whether a batter scoops or hits down the ground, but Pollard’s aura, developed over the course of a 16-year short-form career, throws everything off.All five of Manchester Originals’ boundary-riders are stationed between square-ish midwicket and straight long-off, with nobody defending the short off-side boundary towards the Grandstand. Klaassen is going to bowl a yorker at the pads, and Pollard knows it. Klaassen knows that Pollard knows it, and Pollard knows that Klaassen knows. But only one of them has been here hundreds of times before.What follows is pure theatre. Pollard takes guard a foot outside leg stump, then jumps across to cover his off stump as Klaassen is running in. Just before he releases, he adjusts again, shifting into a power-hitting stance: his back foot is right in front of the stumps, deep in the crease, and his left foot is a foot outside his leg stump once again.Klaassen’s yorker is pretty much inch-perfect, sliding in towards leg stump from over the wicket, but Pollard has won the battle of wits. He swings cleanly with a straight bat, his back foot giving way towards the leg side like a ballroom dancer’s. Andre Russell thinks momentarily that he might be in the game at long-off, then watches the ball skew away into the small gap between the Pavilion and the Warner Stand as the crowd cheer.

“I never set out to play [600] games or to play this format for this period of time, but it’s something that came along and I’ve enjoyed it so far”

“Before that, he was bowling length deliveries,” Pollard explained two hours later, speaking to ESPNcricinfo. “When I hit him for six, next ball he went full and hit my pad. Knowing that [the leg side] was the big side, I just thought that was what they were going to do. They had the guys straight so I knew he was going to come into my pads: you want to put guys where you think the ball is going to go.”Sometimes you just work out what’s going to happen,” he said, with the knowing smile of the format’s most experienced player. “He was looking to go into my pads. He missed the yorker by just a little bit and for us at the back end, we just want the bowler to miss by that little bit and be in that good position to get a maximum.”Klaasen’s reaction told the story, hiding a muffled smile. If he missed his yorker at all, it was by a matter of centimetres. “If you don’t get your length quite right, he’ll hit you for six,” Phil Salt, Originals’ wicketkeeper, said. “It’s all well and good us having the plans there, but you need to execute.”All told, Spirit made 55 runs off 30 balls with Pollard at the crease; his own contribution was 34 not out off 11. In the chase, Originals knew they were up against it on a two-paced pitch and never got close: this was not just an exhibition of power-hitting at the death, it was a match-winning innings too.This was only the fourth innings Pollard has played at Lord’s in his career, but there was something similar in the first when he hit seven fours and seven sixes in 89 not out off 45 balls for Somerset a dozen years ago, landing one straight six onto the Pavilion roof. He has always been an incredible athlete but as his body slows down – “age is not good for us,” he said with a grin – he is embracing his status as an entertainer.”It’s an achievement in itself, 600 games in any format,” he said. “I’ve never set out to play this many games or to play this format for this period of time, but it’s something that came along and I’ve enjoyed it so far. Let’s see what happens as I go forward. I’ll continue to try and work hard and enjoy playing cricket with a smile on my face. As long as the body holds up, I’m going to see how long I can go.”The Hundred has rolled out the gimmicks this year in the form of virtual-reality avatars, Minions in the stands and, on Monday night, Harry Kane in the commentary box in London Spirit kit after flipping the coin at the toss. Pollard’s innings was a reminder to the ECB of a simple truth that should underpin their competition: artificial entertainment will never compete with the thrill of live sport.

Has it become easier to chase down stiff targets in Test cricket?

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

There have already been four successful chases of 200-plus targets in 2022. Is this a golden age for fourth-innings pursuits?

S Rajesh20-Jun-2022Twice in two Tests in the current series against New Zealand, England were set challenging fourth-innings targets to chase down: 277 at Lord’s, and 299 at Trent Bridge. On each occasion they had a centurion – a serene Joe Root at Lord’s and scintillating Jonny Bairstow at Trent Bridge – as they romped home with plenty (five wickets) to spare.Add South Africa’s feats against India earlier this year, when they chased down 240 in Johannesburg and 212 in Cape Town, and there have been four significant fourth-innings batting performances in less than six months in 2022. And we haven’t even mentioned Pakistan’s epic-fourth innings response to a target of 506 in Karachi three months ago, when they gave Australia an almighty scare before finally settling for a draw with a score of 443 for 7.Four successful run-chases in a relatively short timespan give rise to a few questions: are these targets being hunted down more often now than in the past? Has fourth-innings batting generally become easier over the last few years? Let the numbers tell the story.ESPNcricinfo LtdTo start with, there have only been four other years when 200-plus targets have been chased down more often: five times in 2006, six times each in 1998 and 2003, and seven times in 2008. With half a year to go, 2022 has a decent chance of challenging that all-time record. Since the start of 2019, there have been 12 successful 200-plus chases; in the six-year period from 2013 to 2018, it had only happened seven times.However, these fourth-innings wins only highlight the success stories, without looking at the number of opportunities teams have had to chase such targets. To know the success rate in these situations, you’d also have to know the number of times teams have been set such targets, in the last few years and earlier.In 2022, there have been 14 instances when teams have been asked to chase 200 or more; the targets have ranged from 212, for South Africa against India in Cape Town, to 506 for Pakistan against Australia. As mentioned earlier, four of those chases have been successful, six have ended in defeats, and the remaining four have been draws. Four out of 14 gives a success percentage of 28.6. That is a huge improvement from 2021 (three out of 24) and from 2018 (zero out of 29).

In 2008, teams averaged 37.37 in the fourth innings compared to 33.64 in the other three. As mentioned earlier, that was also the year of a record seven instances of 200-plus targets being chased down. That includes South Africa’s 414 for 4 in Perth, and India’s 387 for 4 against England in Chennai. In fact, six of the seven chases that year were of 250-plus targets. Since 1960, there have only been 55 successful chases of 250-plus targets, of which almost 11% happened in one year. Given those stunning numbers, it’s hardly surprising that the overall fourth-innings average was so high that year.In fact, the six-year period between 2003 and 2008 was a particularly good one for fourth-innings batting: of the 24 successful chases of 200-plus targets in that period, 15 were in excess of 249. (That’s 27% of the total such chases since 1960.) In 2007, too, the fourth-innings average exceeded that of the first three innings, while the ratios were very close to 1 in 2003 and 2006. Overall, in those six years, the runs per wicket in the fourth innings was 32.97, and in the first three innings it was 35.14, a ratio of 0.94. The outlier in that period was 2005, when the ratio dropped to 0.78.The decade of the 2000s was generally an excellent one for batters – pitches were, relatively speaking, flat the world over; bowling attacks were thin; and that is also reflected in the fact that even stiff fourth-innings targets didn’t faze batting teams.!function(){“use strict”;window.addEventListener(“message”,(function(e){if(void 0!==e.data[“datawrapper-height”]){var t=document.querySelectorAll(“iframe”);for(var a in e.data[“datawrapper-height”])for(var r=0;r<t.length;r++){if(t[r].contentWindow===e.source)t[r].style.height=e.data["datawrapper-height"][a]+"px"}}}))}();

A decade-wise comparison of these ratios shows that since the 1960s, there have only been two decades before the current one when the ratio has exceeded 0.9: in the 1960s and the 2000s. The ratio in the current decade is 0.92, which at the moment is the highest since the 1960s. This is still a relatively early period in the current decade, but the start has been promising for fourth-innings batting.

India, Zimbabwe and the possibility of cricket's version of a solar eclipse

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

The two countries are on opposite ends of the game’s solar system, which is why a rare India tour is a big opportunity for Zimbabwe

Liam Brickhill17-Aug-2022There’s nothing like staring into a sky full of stars, and feeling as though you’re falling headfirst into the endless deep of the cosmos, to make you feel small and insignificant. India’s visits to Zimbabwe are, like a solar eclipse or the appearance of a comet, rare and spectacular occasions heralded on a similarly cosmic scale. That is, after all, the only scale that might accommodate both of these teams, who, while they may orbit within the same Full Member system, do so at opposite ends of the spectrum.India burn with the brilliance of a billion fans. Zimbabwe bounce from series to series with a gentle lunar lightness, sometimes waxing, sometimes waning. India has the IPL, with its piles of cash and galaxy of stars. Zimbabwe has the NPL, for which the prize money is USD 10,000. The Indian men’s team are, you might say, cricket’s 1%. Zimbabwe are firmly wedged in its working class.Indeed, cricket is an increasingly proletarian game in Zimbabwe, and while privilege will still get you somewhere, hard work and skill gets you further. Still, it’s been a long and often bumpy road for Zimbabwe’s cricketers. For many of them, that road started in dusty and dirt-poor places like Highfield, or Chitungwiza, far from Harare’s leafy green northern suburbs.Related

Returning KL Rahul hopes to build on fond Zimbabwe memories

Chakabva to lead Zimbabwe against India

Shahbaz Ahmed replaces injured Washington Sundar for Zimbabwe tour

High stakes for Rahul and Deepak Chahar

In just the last few years, Zimbabwe’s players have endured suspension, missed World Cups, Covid-19, a coup, cancelled tours and pay cuts. Thankfully, the days of perennial salary delays and money worries do appear to be gone under the current Zimbabwe Cricket administration, which has cleared the debts that nearly sunk the game in the country.But, like all other Zimbabweans, the cricketers still have to deal with queues for essentials, shortages, inflation and the country’s unhinged financial system – a system that is utterly indecipherable to outsiders and defies explanation. After a long day in the field, Zimbabwean cricketers still have to drive home on roads as puckered and potholed as Ryan Burl’s old shoes (before Puma slid into his DMs). And they won’t know whether the lights will be on at home when they get there. Harare residents regularly endure electricity blackouts which can last for days at a time.If you have running water in your home, chances are it comes from a borehole. Indeed, there are parts of the capital that have not had running municipal water this millennium. Working streetlights are exceedingly rare. That makes driving at night a white-knuckle affair, but on the flip side there’s very little light pollution and you can get lost in that sky full of stars, just by looking up, in the middle of a city of more than two million people. It is perhaps contradictory and counter-intuitive, but there’s a sort of ramshackle glory to this place. An undeniable beauty. And whatever you may have read about Zimbabwe, should you ever visit, it will not be what you expect.Zimbabwe’s cricketers have had to endure and overcome hardships that most of India’s players will never know•AFP/Getty ImagesZimbabwe is a country teeming with such contradictions. Here’s one more: in a Zimbabwean context, the senior men’s cricket team, however humble their beginnings, and whatever hurdles they may leap in their daily lives, are better off than the vast majority of Zimbabweans. Being a Full Member nation, they are better off than most Associate cricketers too. Nevertheless, they still inhabit a different cricketing universe to that of the vaunted Indians.Take, for instance, KL Rahul and Innocent Kaia. They’re both 30-year-old, top-order batters, with ODI averages in the 40s. When Kaia scored his maiden hundred against Bangladesh earlier this month, he mimicked Rahul’s shut-out-the-noise celebration. Their lives off the field, however, could scarcely be more different. Rahul, alone, has about as many followers on Instagram as there are people in Zimbabwe. Sikandar Raza is Zimbabwe’s most popular cricketer, on and off social media. His followers could just about fill the Narendra Modi Stadium. Kaia’s would not fill one stand.India’s cricketers count their pay checks in crores and millions; Zimbabweans in the thousands. In terms of match fees, India’s players would earn about 10 times more than the amount the Zimbabweans are paid to play. The life of an Indian cricket star, with its drip and shine and Lamborghinis and Balenciaga, appears to the average Zimbabwean cricketer as something so alien that he may as well be looking at someone from another planet.Still, it’s not about the money, is it? At least not yet. But if we’re talking dollars and cents, it’s worth mentioning that you can watch the NPL for free, as you can any domestic cricket in Zimbabwe. For internationals, your wallet would be USD 1 lighter upon entrance, with charges going up by a few bucks for access to the more exclusive areas within the ground, such as the Centurion Pub at Harare Sports Club, or the Grandstand at Queens.It doesn’t cost much to get your fill of cricket in Zimbabwe•AFP/Getty ImagesFans, meanwhile, shelled out anything from USD 140 to as much as USD 650 to watch India play West Indies in Florida earlier this month. That seems a bougie amount of money to pay for watching a game. It’s just one more sign of a widening inequality gap in international cricket – the game is becoming more, not less, stratified.There’s also a price to pay for all that opulence. Virat Kohli has spoken about the suffocating – and sometimes frightening – trappings of fame, and a Zimbabwean could never know the pressure that accompanies being at the head of a queue a billion people strong. And so it is that the Zimbabweans have something the Indians do not. They are somewhat well known in the urban areas, but Zimbabwean cricketers get to live very normal lives.On previous tours, visiting Indian journalists have been astonished by the access, the closeness, that Zimbabwe allows. Yes, you can stand a couple of metres away from the nets while the players are in there. Stick around after a net session or a game, and you’ll probably see a couple of the Zimbabweans ambling through the pub to play some pool or meet up with friends. Before the first ODI on India’s current trip, there were a couple of Zimbabwean fans (and journalists) sharing selfies snapped with India’s captain at Harare Sports Club. There were no baying crowds behind them. Just an empty field. It’s all very laid back.What is less likely to be laid back is the cricket. There is pride at stake, and that’s something you can’t put a price on. And what’s more, cricket is a great leveller – perhaps one of the greatest – and though the cricketing world revolves around an Indian team that burns with a solar brightness, if you’re in the right place at the right time, you’ll see the moon devour the sun. Zimbabwe will know that even the most celebrated, and richest, teams can be eclipsed.

Signatures, selfies, smiles… on a solo debut

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

A day out at the Hundred through the eyes of a 12-year-old fan

Abir Bordia24-Aug-2022I am quite young, and an avid cricket fan. I follow the sport religiously, read ESPNcricinfo top to bottom, and please don’t be surprised if I told you the travel itinerary that Sam Billings undertook from Australia to reach the West Indies this winter, or the names of the three Indian players who have been MVPs in the IPL since inception, or even the stats of every domestic league in the world.I have been going to live cricket games since I was two, but to be fair, it has always been my cricket-mad dad dragging me to the games in the hope of kindling a love for live sport! I’ll be honest, I thought watching cricket on TV is much better than watching live, anywhere in the world. All the technology and cameras make it much clearer to the audience, plus, I can carry on playing video games on my Nintendo Switch.And then I started watching the Hundred on TV last season – it seemed there were many kids on the ground, each game only lasted 2.5 hours and you could catch two games in a day. It all seemed like fun: being there doing that. I persuaded my dad to go to a Hundred game this season, but he did not get drawn into it. I then declared: I would go on my own!It was daunting, but I convinced them, and perhaps it was easier to do so as kids tickets are available only for £5! I have recently become a bit obsessed about collecting signatures and selfies – especially after getting some with Kevin Pietersen, Freddie Flintoff and the late Shane Warne last summer, from Johnny Bairstow on a flight to Bengaluru, and then in a chance encounter with Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine and Chris Jordan outside our local Nando’s. My dad told me that the Bedser Stand at The Oval is the best place to collect some more because it’s adjacent to the route the players take to the pavilion. You can even get some smiles!We live quite close to The Oval, and I have often heard some legendary Oval cricket stories, from my dad’s relentless fascination with Sunil Gavaskar’s 221 in a Test match before either of us were born, to Rahul Dravid’s heroics and Rishabh Pant’s century, all the way to Jasprit Bumrah’s magic in India’s Test win in 2021. All of this meant that The Oval is much more than a shape for our household!Dane van Niekerk was back for Oval Invincibles•ECB via Getty ImagesBirmingham Phoenix were going to play Invincibles at The Oval, and we found one ticket in the Bedser Stand! I was ready…and so was my backpack: with cold coffee in a thermos, some popcorn, chips, and some money for a hot pizza in the stands.I left my house mid-afternoon, slowly walking along a relatively empty main road, but not for long. Getting closer and closer to the stadium, more and more people, hundreds of them, were going to the ground, all of them anticipating a good day of cricket. It was a brilliant day, nice weather and most people were enjoying everything, and the crowd was a sea of green, with some orange in between.I was looking forward to watching what was sure to be an interesting game. Both of the teams were in the middle of the table, both looking for a qualifying place. All four teams, men and women on both sides, had some world-class players. In particular, I was looking forward to seeing Dane van Niekerk, Ellyse Perry, Shabnim Ismail, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, and Sam Curran. Personally, I would be supporting Oval Invincibles, but I was still a bit non-partisan. I was also looking to try on some of the activities on show around the stadium, including making a customised Hundred trading card, and doing the keeper challenge, in which your reactions are tested.The vibe seemed quite casual, and the format was more relaxed than a T20. At the start of each match, there were fireworks, which made the whole affair much more enjoyable.At the toss, the crowd cheered loudly when it was announced that last year’s women’s MVP and Oval Invincibles’ default captain van Niekerk was back in the starting XI, in place of her wife, Marizanne Kapp. Oval Invicibles had four world-class overseas players, so someone had to sit on the bench. At the start, the stadium was more than half-empty, and was quite subdued.Phoenix was batting first, and their whole innings was quite slow. As the wickets fell again and again, the crowd cheered and clapped for the home team. The vibe grew louder and more and more exciting as the evening progressed… I even made some new friends with others sitting next to me, or also looking for signatures.Oval Invincibles Women won with 13 balls remaining. The crowd exploded into cheers and applause for the team. I stayed back for a while after the match, looking for players to get more signatures, and they all obliged, all with a smile. Every player I approached, including Sophie Devine, Shabnim Ismail and Marizanne Kapp, kindly and tolerantly signed everything, and agreed to photos as well. Some even gave me a hug after a photo. The crowd roared with each boundary, the team DJ playing a new song every over, and chants and shouts continued from the more enthusiastic members of the crowd.Hey, look – it’s Jos Buttler!•Getty ImagesIt was interesting to hear many Bollywood songs being played, that too in the middle of London, with no Indians on either side.Then, just before the men’s match started, I wandered around the food stalls, browsing everything on offer for a vegetarian, and I ended up buying an ice cream and a sourdough pizza. I got back just in time to catch some practice drills, and most of the Invincibles team were playing football, and practising headers. Tom Moody, the Invincibles men’s coach, was giving some of the other players, including the Curran brothers, high catches, hitting the ball hard with a bat.Now I was ready for the showdown. I was curious how England team-mates like Jason Roy and Livingstone interact even though they were on opposite sides? How serious would the rivalry be? My question was answered, when, before the match, they were chatting to each other, exchanging thoughts on batting techniques, and wishing each other luck.I was sitting right behind what looked like an ice-cream van, pink in color, but it was on the ground. On closer inspection, it was the commentary booth! I then spotted Ravi Shastri, India’s former head coach and player. I even saw Jos Buttler, who I thought I wouldn’t get to see in this tournament because of his injury, but here he was in the commentary truck! And then there was Eoin Morgan! This was interesting, the best players in the tournament were also commentating alongside some legends, including Daren Sammy! It seemed there was plenty of food going in and out of the truck as well! I was tempted…It’s interesting how all the title sponsors for each team in the Hundred are snack companies. Perhaps they are targeting people like me.The men’s game went up and down, Invincibles restricted the batters in the powerplay, but Phoenix, especially Liam Livingstone and Moeen Ali scored many runs in the middle overs, and ended with 166 for 6. Invincibles also started timidly, but then both Currans started hitting hard. I was disappointed when Jason Roy got dismissed.Jason Roy’s struggles in the Hundred continued•Getty ImagesI would have liked Imran Tahir to get a wicket, as I was looking forward to his extravagant celebration. The crowd were nervous and excited at the same time. Tom Curran hit a six towards the end of the innings which gave some hope to the home crowd, and the stadium was deafening. All in all, however, Oval Invincibles ended up losing by ten runs.Before everyone was thrown out of the stadium, I got autographs of those I really wanted, including Liam Livingstone, Daniel Vettori and Moeen Ali. I followed a few people to the Birmingham Phoenix and Oval Invincibles coaches (the one to transport people), where Chris Benjamin and Benny Howell from Phoenix had come over to the crowd outside.Through the day, I had collected around 30 signatures – most of them on a hoodie that has become special – and around 20 photos. As I walked slowly back through the dark but crowded Vauxhall Street, I felt a sense of exhilaration and exhaustion. It had been such a great day of cricket.Marks out of 10
11. I absolutely loved it! I am getting ready to go to Lord’s for the London Spirit game all by myself! And I am now a bonafide live cricket fan (as long as my pizza is more expensive than my ticket)!Want to do a Fan Following report? Read our FAQs.

Mithali Raj: 'Happy women's cricket is now sustainable for young girls in India'

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

“The way my journey ran parallel to the growth of women’s cricket, to still be part of something so huge makes me very happy”

Vishal Dikshit14-Feb-2023How does it feel to finally be here and be a part of the first day of the WPL, so to say?
I would say it is quite an experience to be a part of the auction for the first time. I got to know a lot of things, how an auction happens. And yes, there had been a lot of talk in the last three-four years about a women’s league and finally it’s happening. The first stage, or the auctions, are done, and now the main tournament begins in a couple of weeks. I’m excited to still be part of something big in women’s cricket because the way my journey ran parallel to the growth of women’s cricket and saw so many changes in the way the sport evolved stage-wise, and to still be part of something so huge – maybe in a different capacity, not as a player – I’m very happy.What was it like when you got a call from Gujarat Giants to join their coaching staff? What does it mean to you to groom youngsters and be a part of the auction?
When you have a new franchise, you try and get in all your experience, your learnings, the info about all the players you’ve played with and watched because you want to give the best. And you have the opportunity to set up a good foundation and that is why I felt it was very important to be a part of the auction and try and come up with the best strategy, along with the experience I could garner along with Rach [Rachael Haynes, the head coach] and Nooshin [Al Khadeer, the bowling coach].Related

'I perform well when I enjoy myself' – Renuka sticks to her strengths to create a stir

Harmanpreet Kaur: 'WPL is a gamechanger for all of us'

Jindal: 'People spent on marquee players, didn't have money for others'

WPL auction: Fight for Mandhana, allrounders in demand

Was it emotional to walk in to the auction room with Haynes and see the grandness of the auction and the buzz around it?
When I came here, I was just soaking in the atmosphere of people coming in. I’ve not really seen how the auctions happen in the men’s IPL, but it was like preparing for your exams. You have a syllabus but sometimes it can go out of syllabus. I just wanted to be there and not get lost in the grandeur of this environment. I’m just happy that it has come to a point where women’s cricket now is a sustainable sport on its own for young girls in India. Not just in India, even club cricketers abroad in two-three years’ time, maybe even they would probably want to be a part of a set-up like this.How did you approach the auction? You have known Nooshin for a long time but how much time did you get to prepare with Haynes?
When we got her onboard, we started homework about putting things together. It’s been like a week-and-a-half to put things together, work on how we want the team to shape.There’s not much data about the younger or unknown domestic players. You and Nooshin, who has coached the Under-19 girls and domestic teams in India, must have come together to put your information to use?
That works well for us because I’ve played domestic whenever I’ve been in India, and she’s been part of the domestic set-up as a coach for quite some time. Not just the young players, there were many that we felt as and when we see them, we register in our mind that we have to give it a thought [to buy or not], and that helped us pick up uncapped players.7:15

‘Alyssa Healy an absolute steal at INR 70 lakh’

At the press conference you said you had learnt from the franchises that have been part of the IPL auctions in previous years. What did you learn?
Sometimes you get to see how a franchise was a little late in picking up their first player. By then there were some who had already picked four or five players. These are the things you try and understand, like which franchise is playing the waiting game, who is buying right from the word go, who is looking for what sort of squad composition in terms of domestic and overseas players. It’s a learning curve.Did anything about the auction surprise you? Like how many players went for over INR 3 crore [Smriti Mandhana], or how Harmanpreet Kaur and Alyssa Healy got relatively lower bids?
That’s part of the auction. Sometimes you expect certain players to go high and some to go low and vice-versa. But that’s what is fascinating about auctions and about the other franchises, how the players are rated in their scheme of things.What do you take from here now? It was a long day, you will have to start preparing soon.
Yes, the prep will start but first I’m heading to South Africa [to commentate on the Women’s T20 World Cup].

Stats: Shardul Thakur's dream day, Suyash Sharma's memorable debut, and more

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

From 89 for 5, Thakur and Rinku Singh added 103, the third-highest stand for sixth or lower wicket in IPL

Sampath Bandarupalli06-Apr-2023204 for 7 Kolkata Knight Riders’ total against Royal Challengers Bangalore, the highest IPL total for a team after they lost their first five wickets inside the score of 100. The previous highest was also by Knight Riders, who made 202 from 31 for 5 against Chennai Super Kings in 2021.ESPNcricinfo Ltd103 Partnership runs between Shardul Thakur and Rinku Singh, the third-highest stand for the sixth or a lower wicket in the IPL. Kieron Pollard and Ambati Rayudu had an unbeaten 122-run stand – also against Royal Challengers in 2012 – while David Hussey and Wriddhiman Saha added 104 against Kings XI Punjab in 2008.9 Wickets for Knight Riders’ spinners in the match. These are the most wickets for a team’s spinners in an IPL innings. The previous most was eight wickets by Super Kings’ spinners on three instances.68 Thakur’s score while coming to bat at five down. It is the joint second-highest individual score while batting at No. 7 or lower in the IPL. Andre Russell scored an unbeaten 88 against Super Kings batting at No. 7 in 2018, while Dwayne Bravo struck 68 at No. 8 against Mumbai Indians in the same season.13.53 Knight Riders’ run rate after losing their fifth wicket at the score of 89 as they added 115 runs from the last 8.3 overs. Only once a team scored at a higher run rate after losing their fifth wicket inside 100 runs on the board in the IPL (where they batted for at least five overs). Mumbai had a run rate of 13.83 after they lost their fifth wicket at 46 against the erstwhile Kings XI Punjab in 2015.3 for 30 Suyash Sharma’s bowling figures are the second best for a spinner on IPL debut, behind Mayank Markande’s 3 for 23 against Super Kings in 2018. Suyash’s 3 for 30 are also the sixth-best bowling figures for an Indian on IPL debut.

23 Instances of Royal Challengers conceding 200-plus totals in all T20s, the joint-most by any team alongside Somerset. Royal Challengers have conceded 200-plus on 21 occasions in the IPL, the second most after Punjab Kings (22).

Stats – Williamson at the top of the Test charts for New Zealand

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Williamson has gone past Ross Taylor to become the all-time highest run-getter for New Zealand in Test cricket

Sampath Bandarupalli27-Feb-20237787 – Runs scored by Kane Williamson in Test cricket. He is now the leading run-getter for New Zealand in Tests, surpassing Ross Taylor’s 7683. Williamson overhauled Taylor’s tally in 20 fewer matches and 35 fewer innings.53.33 – Williamson’s average in Test cricket is by far the highest for a New Zealand player (minimum 20 appearances). The next best is Martin Crowe at 45.36.ESPNcricinfo Ltd26 – Test centuries for Williamson, the only New Zealand batter with 20-plus centuries. The next best is Taylor with 19. Williamson has five double centuries to his name in Test cricket, the most by a New Zealander. His nine 150-plus scores and 59 fifty-plus scores in the format are also the highest for New Zealand.3930 – Test runs for Williamson at home – the most by a New Zealand player. He surpassed Taylor’s 3905 runs during his century against England in Wellington. Williamson has played 43 Tests in New Zealand, with 32 fifty-plus scores, including 14 centuries, both being the highest.63.38 – Williamson’s batting average in home Tests, the highest for any New Zealand batter with a minimum of 1000 runs. It is also the fifth-highest average for any player with a minimum of 3000 runs at home.16.06 – Percentage of New Zealand’s runs scored by Williamson in the 91 Tests he has played. This is the highest percentage of team runs for a New Zealand batter to have played 50-plus Tests.9 – Williamson has scored at least one century against all the nine Test teams he has played – Australia (2), Bangladesh (3), England (4), India (2), Pakistan (5), South Africa (3), Sri Lanka (3), West Indies (3) and Zimbabwe (1). He is the only New Zealand player to score hundreds against nine nations in Test cricket and one of the 13 players overall.2 – Number of players with at least 20 Test appearances for a country with the most runs, fifty-plus scores, centuries, double-centuries and the highest average for their country in Test cricket, including Williamson for New Zealand. Like Williamson, Kumar Sangakkara tops all those lists for Sri Lanka in Test cricket.

The risk-and-reward equation, and why it works for England's Bazball

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Despite a lower control percentage than their opponents in most Tests, England have still achieved a 13-4 win-loss record

S Rajesh03-Aug-2023When Zak Crawley reached his hundred during a stunning onslaught on Australia’s bowlers in the fourth Ashes Test at Old Trafford, this is how ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball commentators described the ball off which he reached the milestone:In the end, the Manchester weather denied them a real shot at the Ashes, but that innings from Crawley was the very epitome of everything that defines England’s approach under Bazball. And while 93 balls is an eye-popping number, the other stat in those couple of lines of commentary is just as revealing: when Crawley reached his century, he had a control percentage of 64. Let’s talk a little more about that number.For every ball that a batter faces, ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball scoring team records a binary control metric. This metric records how convincingly a batter played each delivery: all deliveries left alone (without resulting in a dismissal) or middled are marked ; and those where the batter was beaten, got an edge or mistimed a shot are marked . These can also be referred to as false shots played by the batter.A caveat before proceeding any further: all not-in-control deliveries do not have equal wicket-taking potential. A delivery that just misses the outside edge by a whisker is probably more threatening than a ball which induces a mistimed cover-drive, with the ball dribbling harmlessly to the leg side. However, for the purpose of this exercise, both are marked as not-in-control. Over a long innings or a set of innings, this metric gives a fair indication of how assured the batter was at the crease.Crawley’s 64% control at the time of reaching his hundred meant that he mistimed, edged or was beaten 34 times out of the 93 balls he had faced at that point. By the time his innings eventually ended on 189 off 182 balls, his control percentage had improved to 70.88, which means he played 53 false shots. Though the control percentage improved, it was still the sixth-lowest among all centuries since 2013. Given that, on average, a top-order batter plays around 11.1 false shots per dismissal in the last five years, it’s obvious that Crawley had the rub of the green going his way in that innings.However, it is expected that a batter will play more than 11 false shots in a long innings (over a 200-ball innings, even 90% control means 20 false shots). What’s even more interesting is the control numbers for England’s batting unit since they’ve adopted this new approach.Zak Crawley has followed the Bazball template to the T•Getty ImagesUsually, Tests are won by the team which exhibits more control with the bat. In other words, they are won by the bowling team which consistently asks more questions of the opposition batters. Of the 173 Tests which have produced decisive results in the last five years (since August 2018), 123 (71.1%) have gone in favour of the team whose batters had the higher control percentage in the match.That 50 Tests went the other way is illustrative of the quirky nature of the game – a batter could play flawlessly for his first 35 deliveries, but an error off his 36th could result in his dismissal, for a score of, say, 20, and a control percentage of 97.2. An opposition batter in the same game might achieve a control percentage of only 80, but could end up with a century. Extend the corresponding logic to most of the batters of each of those teams, and you could end up with the winning team scoring more runs but having a lower control percentage. Or a team could be going for quick runs aiming for a third-innings declaration, which could result in more false shots.Even with those possibilities, though, in more than 70% of the games which had a result, the team with the higher control ended up as the winner, which suggests a reasonably strong correlation between those two factors.That’s where England’s numbers since Bazball become interesting. They have achieved an enviable 13-4 win-loss record during this period (with one draw), but only in five of those 18 matches have they had a higher control percentage with the bat than their opponent. (A rider at this point, though: the sample sizes are still relatively small, as it’s only a little more than a year since Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes took charge as coach and captain respectively.)

That, in turn, means England, unlike other teams, have been winning a lot of Tests even when their batters have returned lower control percentages than their opponents. In 13 such Tests, they have won eight, lost four, and drawn one. Compare that with the results for all the other teams when they have returned lower control percentages: five wins, 28 defeats. England’s win-loss ratio in such matches: 2.00; the win-loss ratio for all other teams: 0.179. That’s a factor of 11.2. Perhaps no other metric illustrates more effectively just how different England’s approach to Test cricket has been when compared to other teams in the last 14 months.For comparison, in the period between January 2018 and May 2022, England had a 10-14 win-loss record in Tests when they had a lower control percentage than their opponents. That was still better than the overall 37-91 record for all teams in this period, but nowhere near the winning ratio they have racked up over the last year.

How is it that England have been winning despite lower control numbers?The key to answer that question is to not just look at the balls when their batters played false shots, but also at the outcomes when they were in control. England’s ultra-aggressive approach ensures that they try to maximise the runs they can score off deliveries that they are on top of: their strike rate off in-control deliveries is a whopping 84.16, compared to 54.71 by the opposition. (Their strike rates when playing false shots is also better than all other teams, but we’ll come to that a little later.) This huge difference in strike rates compensates for the slightly lower control percentage – 78.59 to 82.29 – in these 18 Tests. In other words, the runs they score when in charge makes up for the excess risk they seemingly take in playing that brand of cricket.That is best illustrated by looking at the total runs scored (off all deliveries faced, including the in-control balls) per false shot played. To calculate this, we divide the total bat runs scored by a team off all deliveries, by the total number of false shots (or not-in-control balls). So, if a team scores 300 bat runs in an innings and plays 100 false shots, their runs scored per false shot is three.In these 18 Tests, that figure for England is 3.56; for their opponents, it is 2.94. Given that the ultimate aim in all cricket matches – even Tests – is to score more runs than the opposition, this shows England are actually managing their risk better than the opposition by getting more value per false shot. Coincidentally, in Crawley’s 189, his runs per false shot was 3.57 (189 runs, 53 false shots), which almost exactly matches England’s number in their last 18 Tests. Talk about following the Bazball template to the T!

Because of this approach, even when their batters commit errors, they mostly do so when attempting to score runs. Only 25.4% of their total false shots have come when playing defensively; the rest have come about when trying to look for runs. That is a much lower percentage than for most other teams: Sri Lanka and New Zealand are within ten percentage points, but for most of the other top teams, this percentage is over 40, which indicates a larger chunk of errors happen when not looking for runs.

It is not surprising, therefore, that England’s batting strike rate of 46.79 for not-in-control deliveries since the beginning of June 2022 is the highest among all teams during this period. Australia are third at 39.64, about 15% lower than England, while India (36.52), Pakistan (35.72) and South Africa (35.49) are all in the mid-30s.The other aspect of attacking batting is the effect it has on the opposition think-tank and their strategies. Unless the opposition have plenty of runs to play with or the conditions are extremely bowler-friendly, a flurry of boundaries forces the field to spread out, leaving fewer fielders in catching positions to snaffle the genuine edges.The number of false shots played per dismissal is a fair indication of how many errors batters get away with, due to various reasons. In the period since June 2022, England have lost a wicket every 10.95 false shots, which is second only to New Zealand’s 11.21, and higher than the corresponding number for Australia (10.73), India (9.97), South Africa (9.23) and Pakistan (8.47). In Ashes 2023, England lost a wicket every 11.5 false shots and scored 3.1 runs per false shot, compared to 10.67 and 2.87 for Australia. The combination of a relatively high runs per false shot and false shots per dismissal means England score more runs per dismissal, which almost always is the formula to winning Test matches.

All of this suggests that while England’s approach looks risky with higher false-shots numbers – mostly attempting non-defensive shots – than you’d normally associate with a winning team, they make those risks work in their favour. For any other team, these control percentages would probably not lead to consistently winning matches, but it works for England, because of their drastically different approach to batting.It’s a fine balance, and one that requires a sensible approach to aggression, but so far England have managed to find that balance more often than not. The 13-4 win-loss is a strong testament to that.

World Cup FAQs – Who are the favourites? Which games should you call in sick for?

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Also, everything you needed to know about venues, reserve days, and… checks notes … boundary countbacks

Karthik Krishnaswamy29-Sep-2023A World Cup! That glorious celebration of a truly global sport, with 32 teams representing every region on the pla…

Er, no. Not that one. This is the men’s World Cup, featuring ten teams.Ah, right. That one. So ten teams, then? No room for the… what do you call them… Associates?

Well, no. Not entirely. There was, you see, a Qualifier, featuring a bunch of Associates plus the teams that finished outside the top eight of the World Cup Super League…The what?

It’s too complicated to explain here, but this should give you an idea. Anyway, it’s been scrapped now, or maybe not, but to get back to your previous question…Related

  • Will this be the last World Cup that is this big a deal?

  • How New Zealand all but took the 2019 World Cup title

  • From Andhra Pradesh to Auckland to Amsterdam – Teja Nidamanuru's journey to WC

  • Fans travelling for India-Pakistan game brace for logistical nightmare

  • Qualification pathway for 14-team 2027 ODI WC approved

Which was?
I’m not entirely sure, but I vaguely remember talking about the Qualifier? So it involved six Associate teams plus Sri Lanka, West Indies, Zimbabwe and Ireland. Ten teams in all, fighting for two World Cup spots.So who made it?

Sri Lanka and Netherlands.Netherlands?

Indeed. A weakened Netherlands team, that too, who did this to West Indies and this to Scotland in a gloriously improbable turn of events.And that means West Indies, two-time champions, are…

Yup, not at the World Cup for the first time ever.Brutal, eh? So where is this World Cup happening?

India. They have co-hosted it before, in 1987, 1996 and 2011. Now they are hosting the entire thing themselves.Netherlands grabbed a World Cup spot at the expense of two-time champions West Indies•ICC/Getty ImagesAll part of their grand plan to win it themselves, no doubt?

True, it has become a thing for host teams to win World Cups. India beat co-hosts Sri Lanka to win the 2011 final, then Australia beat co-hosts New Zealand in 2015, and four years later it was England’s turn to win by virtue of being hosts.Hey, that’s not fair. They also won by virtue of … *checks notes* … boundary count-back. Is that going to be a thing again?

Ah, no. Super Overs will decide tied games throughout the tournament, and if the Super Over is tied, they will just play another, and another, until they get an actual winner.Cue the final that never ends. Anyway, before we get that far, what’s the format of the tournament?

Just like 2019. Each of the ten teams plays every other team once in the league stage, and the top four go through to the semi-finals.Super Overs will decide tied games in the knockout stage, and if the Super Over is tied, they will just play another•Tom Jenkins/Getty ImagesWho are the favourites to get there?

India are hosts, and they are also the No. 1 ODI side in the ICC rankings. They have a team with almost every base covered, particularly in their home conditions. England may not have the same aura they went into the 2019 World Cup with, but they are defending champions, won a T20 World Cup last year, and remain the deepest and fastest-scoring batting line-up in ODIs. Then there is Pakistan, who held the No. 1 ranking until India took it from them – their top order and fast bowling are serious strengths, though they have weaknesses elsewhere.New Zealand were losing finalists at the last two ODI World Cups as well as the 2021 T20 World Cup. They have a core group of highly experienced, skilful players who will want to go one better this time. And you can expect Australia and South Africa, who recently tussled in an incredibly high-scoring five-match series, to be fiercely competitive at a world event.Won’t the conditions negate non-Asian teams’ strengths somewhat?

Possibly. Even though pitches at ICC white-ball events tend to be flat, spin could be hugely influential at least at some of the venues. Australia might find themselves seriously tested by Sri Lanka in Lucknow, for instance, and New Zealand by both Bangladesh and Afghanistan in Chennai. Afghanistan may also pose a big threat to Pakistan, who don’t really have a gun wicket-taking spinner, when they meet in Chennai.Where and when will the really high-profile contests take place?

Well, mostly in Ahmedabad. The biggest, highest-capacity, and most self-congratulatory venue in the world can’t stop hosting big games. The opening game on October 5, pitting 2019 finalists England and New Zealand, will be in Ahmedabad. So will Australia-England on November 4. And the final, of course, on November 19.Not to mention the small matter of India-Pakistan on October 14.Ahmedabad will host several big-ticket games, including the final on November 19•AFP/Getty ImagesIndia-Pakistan! I to be in Ahmedabad for it.

Lol.Okay, what other big games should I call in sick for?

India and Australia have played some cracking games in Chennai, including a thriller during the 1987 World Cup. They meet again in Chennai, on October 8, to open their respective campaigns. England and South Africa are among the most power-packed batting line-ups in the tournament, and their meeting at the Wankhede Stadium on October 21 should be full of runs. There could be a bit of help for fast bowlers in Dharamsala, where Australia meet New Zealand on October 28. The two best ODI teams of the last two World Cup cycles, India and England, face off in Lucknow on October 29, and then there is the rivalry to end all rivalries, the derby, on November 6 in Delhi.Right. So at what time do these matches begin?

There will be six day games, starting 10.30am IST (0500 GMT), but every other match will be day-night contests, starting at 2pm IST (0830 GMT).Are there reserve days in case of rain?

Yup, there will be reserve days for both semi-finals – which are scheduled to take place in Mumbai and Kolkata on November 15 and 16 – and the final.

Game
Register
Service
Bonus