Mitchell Johnson’s match haul of 12 for 127 are the best by a fast bowler against South Africa since their readmission into Test cricket

S Rajesh15-Feb-2014 The margin of victory – 281 runs – is Australia’s second-best in terms of runs against South Africa. The best is 530 runs way back in 1911. The defeat is South Africa’s second in 19 Tests in Centurion, and their first in a proper, two-innings Test: their previous defeat had been against England in 2000, in a Test in which both teams had forfeited an innings each. Before this Test, South Africa had a 14-1 win-loss record at this venue. Not only was this their best venue, it was the most dominant that any team had been at any venue in Test history; the next best were Pakistan in Karachi, where they had won 21 Tests and lost twice. Before this Test, South Africa had averaged 43.15 with the bat and 24.19 with the ball at SuperSport Park; in this game, they averaged 20.30 with the bat, and 49.07 with the ball. South Africa’s batting average of 20.30 in this Test is easily their lowest in Centurion, and their sixth-lowest in a home Test since their readmission. In matches when they’ve won the toss during this period, this is their third-lowest. The lowest is 17.30, against India in the Boxing Day Test of 2010, when they were bowled out for 131 and 215. Australia’s emphatic victory was almost entirely due to Mitchell Johnson, whose match figures of 12 for 127 are his best, and the third time he has taken ten or more in a Test. His second-best match haul is also against South Africa – 11 for 159 in Perth – but Australia had lost that Test by six wickets. Since the beginning of the 2013-14 Ashes series, Johnson has taken 49 wickets in six Tests at an average of 13.14. The fewest wickets he has taken in a Test during this period is six. Johnson’s match haul of 12 for 127 is the best by a fast bowler against South Africa since their readmission into Test cricket. The previous best was Matthew Hoggard’s 12 for 205 in Johannesburg in 2005. Among all bowlers during this period, only Muttiah Muralitharan has better figures – 13 for 171 in Galle in 2000. Shane Warne took 12 for 128 in Sydney in 1994. Among Australian bowlers, only Clarrie Grimmett has taken more wickets in a Test against South Africa. He took more than 12 twice – 13 for 173 in Durban in 1936, and 14 for 199 in Adelaide in 1932. Johnson’s 12-wicket match haul is the first by a fast bowler in a Test in more than eight years: the last time it happened was in September 2005, when Irfan Pathan took 12 for 126 against Zimbabwe in Harare. The last Australian fast bowler to achieve this feat was Bruce Reid, who also took 12 for 126, against India in Melbourne in 1991. Against South Africa’s top six batsmen, Johnson took eight wickets conceding 101 runs, an average of 12.62 runs per wicket. The other Australian bowlers had figures of 4 for 176 against South Africa’s top six, an average of 44 runs per dismissal. In the second innings too, the one top-order batsman from South Africa who handled the Australian attack comfortably was AB de Villiers. Not only did he top-score with 48, he also had an in-control percentage of 97, the highest among all South African batsmen. Over the entire match, de Villiers had an in-control percentage of 95; for the other South African top six batsmen, the control percentage was 85%. Hashim Amla scored only 52 runs in the Test, but it was enough to make him the sixth South African batsman to go past 6000 Test runs. He achieved it in his 128th innings, thus equalling the South African record, which he now shares with Graeme Smith. Jacques Kallis achieved it in his 134th innings. (Click here for the full list of batsmen who’ve reached the landmark in the fewest innings.)

Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara go over their World T20 win, and feel grateful to have fans whose support remains unwavering in victory and defeat

Interview by Andrew Fidel Fernando21-Apr-2014After the 2012 World T20 final, you had had four finals losses in a row. Had the feelings surrounding those disappointments compounded?Mahela Jayawardene: Yes, they had. The toughest ones were the 2011 and 2012 finals, because we had executed a lot of game plans to get to that stage. In the other two the planning wasn’t there as much, in the sense that myself and Kumar were a little younger and we just went with the flow. We got to those finals and probably didn’t understand what it took to win. The 2012 final, after all those losses, and a home final in front of our own people – we were probably the favourites for that. It was very tough to digest that for a few days.Kumar Sangakkara: When we qualified for this final, you think, “Oh no, what if we lose this one? We would have lost five!” How do you deal with that? It’s not just about us, it’s about everyone watching as well. But at the same time you’ve got to resign yourself to the fact, win or lose. So you see-saw between the two extremes.Did winning the Asia Cup final help ease that tension around finals?MJ: The way we played that final showed that we had the confidence to control a game and finish it off, so that probably helped us with the T20 final as well.In this tournament it wasn’t one individual, not just one or two guys, it was the entire team who performed. Kusal Perera in the South Africa game, Rangana Herath or Angelo Mathews in the semi-finals – the way he batted. It was beautiful to see all that.You had an open-top bus parade on your return from the Asia Cup. Did that help spark something in the team?MJ: Honestly, we did not expect that kind of welcome, but we realised how much the fans here appreciate the team. Even when we came back from the 2007 final, when we lost in the Caribbean, we had an amazing parade. People lined up even though it was pouring down with rain. From that time onwards I knew the fans in Sri Lanka are amazing.Does that kind of response from fans add to the pressure on you for the next tournament, or is it a source of strength?KS: It is a source of strength. At the time we were thinking, “Imagine what would happen if we win a World Cup? How many more will be out there?”The first inkling we got about the support at home was after the semi-final. So many people were getting together in groups to watch games. They all wanted the feeling of being at a game with their friends, and to have that carnival atmosphere. With the numbers we were hearing were coming to watch, we thought, “It seems pretty serious back home, and they’re really expecting us to win this.” It’s not as if they were thinking, “Oh it’s another final, we’re probably going to lose again.” They were actually thinking, “It’s another final, and another great chance to win.” It really is inspiring to see that outpouring of support, just to catch a glimpse of kids running alongside the bus. It wasn’t for Maiya [Jayawardene] or me. It was for more important reasons to do with the fans and people of Sri Lanka.What makes the Sri Lanka fans different?MJ: It’s the way they embrace the team. What you have to realise is that the icon players come and go. And the fans realise that as well. Over the years we’ve had some greats, but the fans don’t go away with those players. They stick with the team.If you see how they cheer all the younger guys who did well, it was amazing. Just the crowds in Galle Face that night we came back was amazing – something I’ve never seen. I can imagine what the place was like after the final. I saw some of the pictures. It would have been amazing to actually stay here and go through that.

“When we lose a game, it hurts a lot. Then you know how bad it is and you don’t want to have that feeling. Even when we play football to warm up, the losing team takes it really badly”Mahela Jayawardene

Before you left there was a lot of upheaval around board contracts. How do you stay impervious to all that?KS: Between the Asia Cup and the World T20 there was confusion and uncertainty. When we went to the T20 there were issues. But everyone thought, “We’ve got so much support from the people. We’re here trying to do something special, so why don’t we concentrate on the 15 of us?” We’ve done that in the past. It’s hard to explain how we do it, but it just happens. We are probably used to that system. It really motivates the players. The players are expected to prove themselves over and over again to an institution, where it should actually be the opposite – where the support and respect and love should be mutual.It’s a really strange position to be in, because I actually don’t know what would happen if everything is hunky dory and we have nothing to fight about or argue about! We tend to be able to shut all that out. I don’t know if it’s because we’ve had that kind of upheaval for so long in the country and as a society we’re used to getting on with life and getting the job done. We just have that knack.MJ: The younger guys needed to do the same. When we left Sri Lanka, we said, “Forget about everything, you can’t control it. The thing we can control is going out and playing our best cricket and enjoying that.”Sri Lanka have probably been the most consistent team in world tournaments over the last seven years. What’s behind that?
MJ: When we lose a game, it hurts a lot. Then you know how bad it is and you don’t want to have that feeling. Even when we play football to warm up, the losing team takes it really badly. I don’t know how that had developed over a period of time, but that’s a big factor.KS: We’re pushed from all sides to do better – fitness-wise, technically, performance, whatever. There’s a constant push that can wear you down, but for some reason we’re able to withstand that. We play a lot of cricket, domestically and internationally. We have no winter, we have no breaks, very little holidays. Our guys just seem to be able to soldier on. It would be interesting to find out why that is.We’ve gone into World Cups with not a great record leading in, but suddenly we turn everything around to get to that crucial stage. I was reading a funny quip where a son asks the father: “Dad, what’s a major ICC event?” And the father says, “It’s a tournament where all the other countries play for the right to meet Sri Lanka in the final.” Us doing well seems funny, but for being a small country with our resources – I’ve always wondered about it, why it’s happening. Is it the island mentality? Is it the lifestyle we lead? Is it what we’ve had in the past? Is it our personality as Sri Lankans?How did the feeling in the group evolve as the tournament went on?MJ: When it came to a crunch game against New Zealand, I think that’s when everything turned around. When we were pushed to the wall after our batting performance, we had to show some character. That’s where everything turned.KS: In the New Zealand game, we were probably 20 or 25 runs short. When Rangana came on, the openers were still batting and Martin Guptill got run out. The first three deliveries to Brendon [McCullum] were fantastic. Having the short leg, having him in two minds as to which way the ball was going. Two deliveries don’t turn and he’s worried about nicking behind too. He jumps out at the wrong delivery and tries to hit it the wrong way, and it turns and everything happens perfectly. Rod Tucker later said that Rangana bowled probably one of the most testing spells he’s ever seen, where every ball looked like it could take a wicket. With a low total to defend, that was probably the toughest situation we were in in that whole tournament. That gave us the impetus.Mahela Jayawardene: “I thought maybe winning the World Cup won’t be in my CV”•ICCWas there some extra trepidation because the final was against India, who have had the better of Sri Lanka in recent years?
KS: I think a lot of us expected South Africa to beat India, when we were speculating as to who we would meet in the final. And at the end of the day, I think everyone thought, “Who really cares?” We never expected to be here when we got out for 119 against New Zealand. But then we also knew India’s out of India, which is a big advantage. They are in a different country. We also knew how sweet it would be to beat them in a final.Sweeter than beating any other team?
KS: Probably, because we’ve been in a World Cup final against India and we’ve lost a few finals against India in the recent past. Being able to limit them to that total even though Virat Kohli batted brilliantly, and then to win that convincingly made it all the more sweet.Kumar, you’d had a mediocre tournament before the final. What helped you turn it around for the big match?
KS: It was a case of ensuring that rather than trying to repair an innings with a partnership when we were two wickets down, I should just go in and try to dominate like I’ve done in one-dayers and other T20s in the last year and a half. If you lose another wicket, that’s fine. My attitude in the previous games was just a bit cautious when I was thinking of not getting out and seeing the team through to a launching pad. That’s not the way you should approach a T20. It’s about batting freely.I spent the previous night thinking about Ravindra Jadeja bowling around the wicket to me, but he bowled to me over the wicket. That freed me up to take him on over short square leg. In the semi-final, he was bowling around the wicket to JP Duminy and JP was trying to sweep him and missed a couple. But when he had that short square leg and that big gap bowling over the wicket, I knew that if I get outside the line, there was no risk. The six and the four in that over just gave me the momentum to continue.There seemed to be a lot of emotion for both of you after the match. Had you thought about what it would be like to end your careers without tasting major tournament success?MJ: I thought maybe that is something that won’t be in my CV – winning a World Cup. We’ve said that out in the open as well. We don’t have many chances, but we would love to have a World Cup under our belt. After the game it didn’t really sink in. We were just celebrating. We didn’t know how to celebrate even – the guys were throwing Pepsi and water bottles at each other and, you know, having fun in the dressing room. The emotions came to us after we came to Colombo. In ten or 20 years I can sit back and say I got one gold medal after so many silvers.KS: (laughing) It had been playing on our mind. Not just about our own careers, but we’d thought, “Shit, four finals.” I asked Maiya, “What the hell are we going to do if we lose another one?” And he jokingly said, “Maybe find a branch and throw a rope over it.”Did you know what you were in for when you landed in Sri Lanka?KS: We didn’t expect it to be that big – to have an unbroken line of people from the airport to Galle Face. The crowd at Galle Face was far larger than anything I’d seen. It was children, and Sri Lankans of all ethnicities. It seems trivial sometimes, because it’s a game. Why would you love a game that much? But as Sri Lankans it’s important to us. We’re not fanatical about it. We love it as much as we sanely can. That really showed that day. It was raining, and no one cared. It was something I have never experienced and hopefully I might experience it once more in my life if things go to plan.

“The players are expected to prove themselves over and over again to an institution, where it should actually be the opposite – where the support and respect and love should be mutual”Kumar Sangakkara

What was the feeling like for the younger guys who may not have experienced that sort of support because they’ve only been around for a while?KS: It was uplifting for them as well, because we were all thinking, “So many people. Really?” It drives home to them as well that they’ve got to stay grounded, because that’s where their support is. You’re not above anyone. You’re with the people, because those are the same people that come and watch you playing cricket, whether you win or lose at Khettarama or somewhere else. It hopefully brings home to them that whatever happens, your final duty as a cricketer is to the fans. You have to earn and also reciprocate that love and respect by doing the best you can on the field. You could see on the guys’ faces how much they appreciated it.When you see the effect something like this has on the country, does it change the way you see yourself as sportsmen?KS: I think our job is pretty simple: Play as well as you can. Win as much as you can. But at the same time represent the people and the country with that passion and pride. If you do that, that support and love will always be there. I don’t think they see the distinction between players on the field and supporters off the field. They live every moment. They play every ball with you, bowl every ball with you. And they have that real connection with the players. I think our roles haven’t changed. The expectations people have of us haven’t changed. There are times where cricket is more than a sport and our role in it is more than cricketers. If we can give back on the field and off the field as well, that’s what we’ve got to do.MJ: Even before this, throughout my career, the way Sri Lankan fans have treated us and helped us in our careers – you have to be very humble and say thank you. Just think about the way they respect us when we go out for a meal or out for a walk on the streets, or go to our grocery stores. They don’t bother us, they let us live out normal lives. That’s the kind of respect we have for them as well. It’s something unique, and something we will always cherish.

A plethora of “experts” who have spent the last few weeks repeating the myth that Moeen is a “part-time” spin bowler may now afford him a little more respect

George Dobell at Headingley22-Jun-2014Two wickets to the good and with his confidence soaring, Moeen delivered the first “doosra” of his international career. Not just the first doosra of his career, but the first bowled by an England bowler in Tests. It was a significant moment in English cricket history.It was not hard to pick from the hand – it is slower and more floaty than his normal offbreak – but it drew a respectful “well bowled” from Mahela Jayawardene and it may well have given him the confidence to bowl it more often. Most of those who believe the delivery cannot be bowled without throwing did not even notice it happen.”I was feeling pretty confident so I thought ‘why not bowl one’?” Moeen said afterwards. “It’s the first one I’ve bowled. I just wanted to do a job for the team first. I’m not as confident to bowl it with the red ball as I am with the white ball. He played it quite well, but he did sort of say it was alright.”He is improving, too. He has a close relationship with Pakistan spinner Saeed Ajmal, who has returned to Worcestershire for a stint as an overseas player, and has spent many hours working with him in the nets. Ajmal has shared the secrets of his doosra with Moeen and, he says, nobody else. In recent weeks, Ajmal has watched Moeen bowl 30 or 40 doosras in succession in practice. While there is a long way to go before Moeen’s doosra is anything like Ajmal’s, it is worth remembering that Ajmal only learned the delivery in his mid-to-late 20s. Moeen, who celebrated his 27th birthday on Wednesday, has time on his side.The knives were out for Moeen Ali long before he bowled on Sunday afternoon. “He’s useless,” the pundit in the press box roared when Alastair Cook finally threw Moeen the ball. “He can’t bat and he certainly can’t bowl.”The pundit’s opinion is, up to a point, understandable. Having heard the England coach, Peter Moores, describe the spin position as “a weakness” after the Lord’s Test and having heard the captain, Cook, describe the spin position as “a cause for concern,” it would seem natural to conclude that neither of them had much faith in Moeen’s spin bowling.It was a view that could only have been reinforced when Cook, despite the dry pitch and an off-colour display from his seamers, seemed reluctant to trust his spinner until the 56th over. It was beginning to be hard to understand why they had selected him.And it was a view that could have only been reinforced by the plethora of “experts” who have spent the last few weeks repeating the myth that Moeen is a “part-time” spin bowler. Experts who have clearly not spent much time at New Road watching Moeen fulfil the main spinner’s role for Worcestershire for much of the last few years.Perhaps he will now be afforded a little more respect. While he is a long way from proving his long-term viability as a Test spinner, Moeen did at least show on the third day here that he is far from the bits and pieces player that he has been dismissed as by some.

Swann to coach England spinners

Graeme Swann, who retired from international cricket in December after claiming 255 wickets in 60 Tests, is to take on a part-time role working with England’s young spinners.
“Peter Such is the head of the spin department at the ECB,” Swann told the ECB. “He has asked me to talk to bowlers. So at Lord’s I’ll sit down with the spinners who might be asked along, like Simon Kerrigan, Adam Riley, Scotty Borthwick, just to try and impart some advice or knowledge about Test cricket, because it is different to county cricket. I was lucky to go on a couple of tours and not play so I learned a lot then.”
Swann also defended his decision to retire mid-way through the Ashes tour in the winter, insisting that his elbow injury had given him little option.
“If I could bowl at half of what I thought was acceptable in Test cricket I would have done,” Swann said. “You’re walking out on a million-pound-a-year job – nobody is going to do that on a whim. I don’t think people realise how bad my elbow is. I can’t rotate it so can’t get any spin on the ball. If I bowled now, I’d bowl garbage.”

His first wicket was that of Kumar Sangakkara. That is the Sangakkara who had just become one of only four men in history to score seven successive half-centuries in Test cricket and the Sangakkara with more than 11,000 Test runs to his name.But, having turned a couple sharply enough to demand the batsman’s respect, Moeen drifted one into the left-hander. This one did not turn, or turned very little, and though Sangakkara pushed forward, the dip and drift defeated him and he was struck on the pad and trapped lbw. It could have been Graeme Swann bowling. It was exactly the way Swann tortured so many left-handers.Moeen Ali claimed two important wickets•Getty ImagesBetter was to come. Two balls later, Lahiru Thirimanne pushed forward at another bowled from round the wicket and, having been drawn into playing the ball on middle and leg by the drift, was beaten past the outside edge by one that turned sharply and hit the top of off stump. It was, by any standards, a lovely piece of bowling. “It’s the best ball I’ve bowled on TV,” Moeen said.Moeen has now taken 93 first-class wickets since the start of 2012 at an average of 32.18. They are not extraordinary figures, certainly, but they compare well with most other spinners who have been utilised by England in Test cricket in recent years. James Tredwell, by contrast, has taken 49 (at an average of 45.12), Monty Panesar has claimed 153 (at 30.77 apiece), Gareth Batty has taken 74 (at 30.60), Scott Borthwick has taken 71 (at 36.11), Simon Kerrigan 140 (at 29.31) and Samit Patel has taken 63 at 47.09. Adil Rashid, who has not played Test cricket, has taken 60 (at 41.58). Whether Moeen is a Test class spinner remains to be seen, but on those figures, he has a good argument to be considered among the best available to England at present. Calling Moeen a part-timer spinner is simply factually inaccurate.If England are demanding instant success, he may not be the answer. If they are building for the future, he may well be worth some perseverance.Besides, England’s failings here have not been caused by the absence of a world-class spinner. Instead they have dropped catches – Chris Jordan was the latest to put down a straightforward chance, reprieving Dimuth Karunaratne in the slips on 12 – let a strong position slip when batting – they lost their last seven wickets for only 54 runs having surpassed the Sri Lankan total with eight wickets in hand – and then bowled with unusual lack of control or even sense. The manner that James Anderson and Stuart Broad – bowling far too short and often too wide as well – wasted the new ball at the start of the Sri Lankan second innings may yet cost England this match.Complacency surely cannot have been an issue. A team that has now won any of its last seven Tests and was defeated in the World T20 by Netherlands has no reason for anything of the sort.They should not be complacent about their over-rate, either. After being fined for a slow-rate in the Lord’s Test, England have again failed to bowl the minimum number of overs demanded in a day here.One day the ICC will look at the pitifully small crowds which have now become the norm in Test cricket and act to prevent such self-defeating practices. They will suspend a high-profile captain and focus the minds of the players on the demands of the spectators. But until they do, the punters will continue to be asked to pay ever more for less and continue to drift away from the game.

An irreverent look in and around World T20 in Bangladesh. If you are looking for news, you have got lost in the right place.

Vithushan Ehantharajah16-Mar-2014The beginning of the beginningThere is a lot of dispute about when this, the fifth World T20, actually begins. Maybe it started today when Bangladesh hosted potential Test-status challengers Afghanistan at the Shere Bangla National Stadium. Or perhaps it is next Friday, when India play Pakistan at the same stadium, in what will be the 13th match of the competition but the first without the “qualifying” tag?In fact, the 2014 World T20 was actually opened on Thursday by the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina with the help of Akon, AR Rahman and 18,000 Bangladeshis at the BCB’s Celebration Concert at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka.Bangladesh opted for a concert instead of a traditional opening ceremony and anybody who has seen English cricket’s two attempts at the latter – let’s just say the Queen and James Bond did not dive out of an aeroplane in cricket’s version – could hardly suggest this was unwise.There was genius and tedium on show, and nearly all of the 18,000 paid through the nose but were compensated with vigorous pat downs from over-enthusiastic security guards. No doubt Akon soothed them. He has had quite a controversial life, involving periods on prison and allegations of simulated sex with minors in his state show. He was also refused a visa by Sri Lanka in 2010 because his music video for included statues of the Buddha in the background.Old habits die hardTalking of Sri Lanka, the last World T20 took place there to widespread excitement. But move the tournament to Bangladesh and some of the Sri Lankan media has found refuge instead in traditional cricketing pursuits.
In the in Colombo, consideration of Sri Lanka’s chances had to give way to a 1,000-word report on the final day of the Battle of the Blues – the 135th contest between the rival colleges Royal and St Thomas’ – the second oldest cricket contest in the world.Freakishly, there was a rare chance of a positive result at the start of the final day only for Royal to block the game out with expected fervour. “Stonewall batting helps Royal to force a draw,” blazed the headline approvingly. As the Old Boys paraded around the boundary edge and old school tie allegiances were again on show, it was a world away from the comical slogging of Afghanistan’s top order.Misbah has murdered Wasim bhai’s sleep, no moreRumours have it that Misbah-bashing has reached such critical levels that a group of effigies have got together and are releasing an adaptation of an Oasis classic, entitled “Don’t Ul-Haq In Anger”.Seen as the destroyer of hopes, conceder of match-winning opportunities and the pocket gremlin that ties your headphones in knots, Misbah’s heinous crimes of picking up other people’s slack has gone too far after he savagely butchered the slumber of one of his country’s most celebrated.”I couldn’t sleep for two days,” complained a baggy-eyed Wasim Akram, at a loss to explain what he perceived were defensive tactics from Pakistan’s ODI captain in their defeat to Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup final.Luckily for Akram, Misbah is no longer a part of Pakistan’s Twenty20 plans and it will be down to Mohammed Hafeez to send Wasim to sleep with the lullabies of a thousand gullies.Fruit for thoughtEmbarking on their first major international tournament, Hong Kong have decided to take a strength and
conditioning coach on tour for the very first time.That man is Tom Summers, who spent six years at Headingley telling Andrew Gale to get deeper in his squats and opening Ajmal Shahzad’s eyes to a world beyond chest-presses.But despite the stint in the north of England, his most stubborn resistance may come from the heavily Indo-Pakistani origin squad as he looks to wean them off gluten rich breakfasts such as parathas, naans and rotis – instead encouraging them to eat more fruit.”I don’t want to come in and start putting rules and ordering people around on what they should eat,” says Summers. “That won’t work”. Too right.As sports writer Alvin Sallay put it – trying to take the paratha away from the Pakistani is like trying to ask Israel to give up the Golan Heights.Master of Ceremony ActuallyTo most of you, the name FS Nayeem is probably unfamiliar. By the end of this competition you will simply know him as “Oh, that guy”.FS Nayeem is a rom-com actor forging his career in the world of Bangladeshi cinema – Dhallywood? – who will be leading proceedings for the opening of the Nepal-Hong Kong match at Chittagong. He is relishing the chance to connect with his audience and has a new film due out this Eid. You can’t find the trailer online but he also has it on his phone and will happily show you if you ask (and probably if you do not).He has already notched his maiden WT20 hissy fit after taking great offence to a card that had his role down as “MC”, striking it through and writing “Master of Ceremonies” instead. Of all the celebrity pet peeves, abbreviations might be up there as one of the strangest. FWIW, we at ESPNcricinfo hope he deals with his issues ASAP.

A fine collection of charming bulletins from around the globe shows just how far an insular game has spread

Les Smith22-Mar-2014On Niue Island “the fielder, high in a coconut tree, throws the ball to one of his 39 team-mates, at ground level, desperate to prevent his opponent completing the maximum sixth run”. The annual Casey Day fixture between Australian scientists and others takes place 2580km from the South Pole on February 12. In Almaty, Kazakhstan, they play on a school playground, and the batsman accrues two runs by hitting the ball into the bushes inside the boundary, and lbw is so disputatious that the mode of dismissal has been banned. In 1961 the South Atlantic island Tristan Da Cunha had to be evacuated because of a volcanic eruption, bringing to a temporary end a long cricketing tradition that was happily revived in 1995, using a rounders ball on a concrete pitch.These esoteric gems are snatched almost at random from . In 1993, under the stewardship of Matthew Engel, introduced its “Cricket Round the World” section. Reports of cricket in far-flung corners of the globe had featured previously, but Engel’s decision ensured that for the last 30 years readers have been able to enjoy reports of cricket in manifold contexts and locations. A friend told me recently that when he gets his annual , he goes first to the obituaries, and then to “Cricket Round the World”. This marvellous book demonstrates why that’s a shrewd move. is edited by Charlie Connelly, an automatic selection given that he is a cricket nut by proclivity and a travel writer by trade. As he records in his introduction, a family holiday to Holland when he was a boy deprived him of his opportunity to watch his idol Lance Cairns on TV (Charlie, Lance Cairns?) but provided an epiphany as he glimpsed a cricket match through trees from the back seat of the car. They play cricket here? is the product of his subsequent fascination with cricket around the world.Connelly has surveyed ‘s bulletins from around the globe and, with a writer’s eye, put together an anthology that is engaging and entertaining throughout. His introduction provides ten pages of personal cricketing reflection that justify the book by itself. He selects extracts from and knits them together with narrative and reflection that place the selections in geographical, cultural and sporting context.A recurring theme, in the background of this book, is the influence of migration. The British took cricket around the world as they colonised it, and have continued to spread the word. A remarkable figure in is Leona Ford, who, having retired from teaching English at university, revived cricket in Cuba. Australians and Kiwis also insist on exhibiting their expertise as they circumnavigate. More recently, Asian people have taken their compulsive love of the game wherever they go.Unlike its big daddy, invites reading from cover to cover, but it also rewards the dipper in and out in search of a diverting tale from abroad for a few minutes.Taken in isolation, these bulletins from elsewhere are in turn charmingly exotic, funny and banal. Taken as a whole, however, they are testament to the extraordinary global reach of cricket. As Michael Palin, no mean traveller himself, notes at the end of his foreword, “there is barely a corner of God’s earth where you can walk without at least some chance of being hit by a cricket ball”.Elk Stopped Play and other tales from cricket around the world
Edited by Charlie Connelly
Bloomsbury/Wisden
140 pages, £8.99

Plays of the day from the second ODI between Sri Lanka and Pakistan, in Hambantota

Siddarth Ravindran26-Aug-2014Referral of the day
Tillakaratne Dilshan was left puzzled when he was given out by the third umpire•AFPTillakaratne Dilshan had begun the innings in typically flamboyant fashion, hitting three early boundaries before there was a caught-behind appeal off Junaid Khan in the second over. The umpire turned it down, but the wicketkeeper Umar Akmal was absolutely certain, signalling for the referral at least a dozen times as he walked up to discuss with his team-mates. His confidence convinced Misbah-ul-Haq to go for the appeal though neither Snicko nor Hot Spot is available this series. There was a sound as the ball passed the bat, but hardly anything that could be deemed conclusive evidence. The third umpire S Ravi thought otherwise, and sent Dilshan on his way.Double-reprieve of the day
Upul Tharanga was beginning to open up after some moments of discomfort early on. He looked to push down the ground when a thick edge sent the ball towards the boot before lobbing back towards the bowler. Junaid coolly snagged a one-handed catch and appealed. On first look, the ball seemed to have bounced off the boot, but when the third umpire was called in, the replays showed it landed just next to his shoe. The next ball he was given out caught-behind, but with the sketchy DRS not offering much for the third umpire, the decision was overturned and Tharanga survived again. Only for four more overs though.Misleading start of the day
When Ahmed Shehzad was called on to bowl his part-time legspin, he began with a ripping delivery that turned past Angelo Mathews’ bat and nearly got him stumped. If Misbah-ul-Haq expected more of that to control the raging run-rate, he was disappointed. Shehzad showed the trouble with part-time legspinners, and even some full-time legspinners, as he struggled to land the ball for the rest of his spell, and the experiment with his bowling ended after figures of 2-0-15-0.Anticipation of the day
In the first ODI, wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara had seen Misbah shaping for a lap sweep, and immediately shuffled to the leg side to pull off a stunning catch. He was at it again today: this time his victim was a well-set Shehzad, who popped a catch down the leg side to an agile Sangakkara. He tried to do it several other times in the game as well, but there was no more success. He was once struck on the helmet off a Misbah reverse-sweep, and later nearly pulled off a direct-hit run-out that after Fawad Alam stepped out of the crease after making a hash of a slog-sweep.

He was an artiste who crafted the most technically demanding shots to perfection but lived for the pure adrenaline of battle

Andrew Fidel Fernando12-Aug-2014Every Mahela Jayawardene innings had its own persona. Every Jayawardene stroke was self-expression. This was true when he played a rasping square cut against the turn to fetch his first Test boundary in 1997. It was true when he hit a searing reverse-sweep off Saeed Ajmal at Galle, on Sunday.His batting has filled grounds since he was 15. He has won Tests off his own blade, and saved a few as well. He has taken more international catches than any other cricketer, many while captaining Sri Lanka with a creativity that has not been seen elsewhere in international cricket this century. From Nalanda College to Lord’s, from softball cricket on Colombo streets to the dustbowls that he alone could tame, he has never ceased to be himself. Across every format, in every capacity, Jayawardene has never ceased to be among cricket’s most elemental pleasures.Most will remember his artistry. Other batsmen are often products of hard work and clear thinking, of processes that have been hammered in, with shots that have been honed, along with the muscles that power them. Jayawardene does all the work, but at the crease he is a free spirit. That liquid cover drive that sent balls in almost any direction on the off side was more dependent on his mood than the physics of the delivery that came to him. The sweep that could go anywhere from deep midwicket to the finest fine leg, in any combination of power and elevation, was decided in an instant, on a whim.Among Sri Lankan batsmen, his technique has been uniquely resistant to change. The trigger movement is almost the same. The grip is a little lower since he started out, but the hands still feel for the ball when the feet are not quite there. That is not to say he has not innovated with the times. But although new strokes have been learnt in his later years, the essence of his cricket remains as lovingly refined as it has always been. Twenty-first century aggression filtered through age-old method, yielding savagery that seems fashioned from silk. The uppercut off Morne Morkel during his most recent Test hundred was played late, beneath the eyes, over the fielders for four.That Jayawardene was so often a victim of his own ambition only made his success sweeter. He would open the face of his bat to deflect the ball to third man on seaming decks. He played the hook and the pull when leg-side traps had been set. Bowlers always had a chance, so every late cut past a full cordon felt like an escape. Every trip down the pitch to loft spinners against the turn was a shot of adrenaline.Was there a more compelling force than him when in full flow? When he was at the crease, sometimes even dot balls were electric. Singles were scored off paddle sweeps dragged from way outside off. Twos were chipped just over the circle, inches from the fielder’s reach. A drive down the ground when the ball was pitched up, moving miles; a flick through midwicket when reverse swing was on offer. You wondered why he played this way – why someone so tactically astute would not recognise the benefits of staying safe. But Jayawardene lived on a precipice because he was at the cricket for the same reason as the spectator. Helplessly instinctive, craving attack, he went to the crease for the taste of the battle, for the smell of adventure.Among Sri Lankan batsmen, he has played the biggest share of great innings, giving each one a different texture and a different hue. The 374 was the monster that grew out of a counter-attack. The fourth-innings 123 at the P Sara Oval little more than a week later was a masterclass in control. The 105 against Australia, on a Galle surface that looked like a cluster bomb had attacked it, was pure survival. Even within the same innings, he would transition like an orchestra through a symphony. Staccato singles and twos gave way to long slow notes, then in a surge of inspiration, the exhilarating crescendo came. Bowlers rarely knew what was next. Fans had no idea. Jayawardene often didn’t either.He could never let a game drift in his first stint as captain. Almost every field gave the batsman a trap to think about. Often they would fall, hitting to somewhere else, but Jayawardene would celebrate like it had all been planned, racing to greet the bowler like they had just pulled off a prank together. Under his guidance, the men around the bat for Muttiah Muralitharan were not just vultures hovering above a prospective meal, they were co-instigators of the action; a living, breathing, sharpened phalanx, almost as central to Sri Lanka’s threat as the man whirring the ball in.Jayawardene averages 50.02 before his final Test. If he is dismissed twice, he needs 94 runs to keep that figure above 50. His less flattering returns outside Asia are known. That edginess against the seaming ball in the channel has been well laid out.But those who watched Jayawardene play will not forget how he made them feel – the way his innings grabbed you by the collar and took you on a ride. They will not forget the late cuts or the drives, the sinking despair or the dizzying elation. Or the way Jayawardene lived and died, on the edge, for the thrill.

For the first hour on day three, despite the heat and the largely unhelpful pitch, India’s fast bowlers showed a level of intensity and penetration rarely seen from them; in the second hour, things mostly reverted to type

Sidharth Monga at the Gabba19-Dec-20144:53

Agarkar: No point trying to blow tail-enders away these days

Sixty-three minutes of pressure. Not one boundary ball, not one loose ball, not one down leg, not one short and wide, not one half-volley. Good hustle with two bowlers bowling quicker than 140kmph, and one not much slower than 140. Three boundaries are hit in this period – an edge, a good shot and a bit of an improvisation. Two wickets fall. Only 39 runs are scored. There is discipline, intensity, perseverance, and aggression. It is hard to remember India quicks under MS Dhoni bowling better as a unit for an hour. Unfortunately, what followed over 57 minutes after that – 14 boundaries and 91 runs for no wicket – is easy to remember. You can take your pick of reference points for a mini session where India lose control of a match.The first 63 minutes, though, can bear retelling, if only because they are a massive improvement from Adelaide. India fast bowlers have taken more wickets in less time previously, but mostly through magic balls on pitches that are assisting them. On hot days, on good pitches with nice even bounce, when there isn’t much seam movement on offer, you usually have at least one bowler releasing the pressure. Not on this hot day. Not in the first 63 minutes at least.It is 32 degrees by the time India come out of their huddle at 10am. Add five degrees to that because of the cauldron of the Gabba and the humidity. India have made yet another change to their slip cordon. Virat Kohli has moved in, and M Vijay has gone to mid-off. Ishant Sharma and Varun Aaron begin. Both are outside off, neither is too full nor too short. Steven Smith scores four runs through good shots, but Aaron beats Mithcell Marsh with one that holds its line outside off.For the next three overs, pressure builds. Eleven runs have come off the first 4.5 overs. Slips are around, a gully is there. You can hear the Indian fielders on the stumps mic. They sense they are closing in. It’s important they don’t release the pressure. Ishant doesn’t. He pitches just short of a length, around a set of stumps outside off. Marsh leaves it alone on length. It doesn’t bounce as much as expected. The top of off is hit. You bowl this well, you push the batsman back, you give yourself the best chance to make use of misbehaviour in the surface.Brad Haddin – average under 11 since the last Ashes – is the new man in. India are at Australia again. Smith feels the pressure. He looks to drive off the back foot. The ball is not close to him. He gets an edge, which goes safely through gully for four. It is important to not lose the plot here. Dhoni takes the game a notch higher. Aaron goes round the wicket, gets a short leg in, and a short square leg right behind him. Aaron bowls two good short balls. One at the body, one just outside off.This is a crucial time. On the last trip to Australia, India had Australia down at 5 for 205 in Melbourne when Haddin walked out. He saw another wicket fall immediately. He began his innings with a long-on and deep midwicket in place. Dhoni seems to have learnt his lesson. He has looked a better, more proactive captain all match. Also Haddin is going through a lean phase. Most of all, though, his bowlers have been accurate. He continues attacking. Gets two short legs in. Ishant bowls full and nearly has Haddin lbw. Aaron goes round the wicket and aims for the ribs. Haddin gets one boundary through leg gully, but that gap is plugged.Ishant takes a breather after his first spell of 4-1-9-1, and Umesh begins with a maiden to Smith. When he bowls one short and wide, it is not put away. The batsmen just haven’t been in scoring mode. Dhoni has a chat with Aaron, who gets another over. He goes round the wicket with a short leg and a leg gully in place. This is short, this is quick, headed for the ribs from that angle. Haddin tries to get himself inside its line but the ball follows. He doesn’t fancy a hit in the ribs so he just raises his bat meekly. Short leg takes an easy catch. Mark Nicholas on air is reminded of Mitchell Johnson to Jonathan Trott last season.Johnson was Johnson because he had Ryan Harris building the pressure at the other end. India are looking dangerous with their pace because they haven’t bowled a loose ball all morning.Johnson hasn’t been Johnson this Test. He hasn’t taken a wicket. Rohit Sharma reminds him of that as he walks in to bat with Australia 161 behind. The Indian fielders, it seems, have been given free rein. They have been in the ear of the batsmen. Rohit has had a finger-pointing chat with umpire Ian Gould. India are looking to ape Australia in every way.Johnson gets a short leg and a leg gully first up. India are going to bounce him. They have let him know too. This is life in the fast lane. It can unravel fast. It didn’t at Lord’s. It worked at Lord’s. So India go to the bouncer after one double bluff – a full ball, which Johnson times through mid-on for three. Smith, meanwhile, has ramped a bouncer over slip.Ishant comes back to replace Aaron, who has gone off to get his left shoulder some attention. He has dived badly at the end of his spell of 5-0-26-1. He has bowled better than the figures suggest. Ishant comes back, and wants to continue what Aaron has been doing. What he himself did at Lord’s. Bowl bouncers. He bowls one at 133kmph, it is about chest high, and Johnson scorches it along the ground through square leg for four. This is not just four runs. This should be a message. Johnson can pull. He is going to pull. Use it sparingly. Ishant bowls another. No sting in that bouncer again. Four through midwicket. All of a sudden the partnership is reading 24 off 14.The next bouncer from Ishant is higher than the shoulder, but Johnson manages to keep it down. In the next over Umesh tries to bounce him. The ball is pulled down into the ground again. In the next over Ishant looks to bounce him, and is ramped over slips. In the next, when Umesh pitches it up, Johnson is beaten. Surely there is a message in there?Ian Healy on commentary says Johnson has a tendency of missing full and straight balls. India are not bowling that. They are going at his throat, and going for runs. Johnson is 26 off 20, and has played only three scoring shots in the off side. One of them a ramp to the bouncer. Seventeen of these 20 balls have been either short or short of a length. He’s loving it.Can’t be sure if it is ego or bad planning, but India keep persisting with the short ball. They have even started giving Smith the easy single. So now they have begun to try getting only one man out, and are going about it the wrong way. The rest of the unravelling is mere details, but the figures say it all: the last four added 258 in just 48.3 overs, the top six got 247 in 61.1 overs.It should have been 210 for the last four wickets, but Dhoni doesn’t go for a catch an arm’s length to his left. The ball dies in front of first slip, and Josh Hazlewood adds 32 unbeaten runs to his nought at the time. That’s the finishing touch every self-respecting Indian unravelling in the field yearns for.

Tucked away among the renowned Margaret River vineyards are some spectacular breweries – and plenty more

Lee McDonald16-Nov-2014In Australia, Margaret River is synonymous with wine. According to the Margaret River Wine Association, despite only producing around 3% of Australia’s wine grapes, Margaret River wine producers account for 20% of today’s premium wine market and are represented on 25% of all wine lists in Australian restaurants.With over 80 cellar doors, the region is a must-see for wine lovers visiting Western Australia. Personally, I don’t care much for wine, but I am a frequent visitor to the region. Why? It is because it is also about beer.About a three-hour drive south of Perth, the Margaret River region is a beautiful pocket of Australian countryside bordered to the north, south and west by breathtaking beaches. Whereas much of Western Australia is harsh and hot, the south-west has a mild Mediterranean climate. This helps flora and fauna flourish, and so the countryside is flush with rolling green farmlands and vineyards that are interspersed with stunning tall timber forest areas.I live in Perth and head down to the region around three times a year. The homegrown quality food and experiences, the proximity to the city, the green landscapes, the laidback and quietly proud locals, and of course the delicious beer, are what keep me coming back again and again.The Bootleg Brewery: serious about the beer and nothing else•Lee McDonaldThe focus on quality, and a quality experience, certainly extends to the brewers of the Margaret River region. The region’s craft breweries are scattered from Yallingup and Dunsborough in the north through to Cowaramup and Margaret River itself. Most have extensive and exquisite modern Australian pub-style food available for your consumption, most have playgrounds and grassed areas for the little ones to play to their heart’s content, and all have marvellous Australian craft beer.There are a little under a dozen breweries in the region. My personal favourites are the Cowaramup Brewing Company, the Bootleg Brewery and the Eagle Bay Brewing Company. All are set on farmland, but all have their own distinct qualities.The Cowaramup Brewing Company is where I head when I want somewhere quiet and serene. The veranda and beer garden look out over the small area of farmland surrounding the brewery, making for a quaint and family-friendly atmosphere.Smaller than many of the breweries in the region, Cowaramup focuses on doing the basics well, be it with the food (pizzas, burgers, fish and chips) or its beer. The pilsner is a nice and crisp lager and is my personal favourite brew there.Trip plannerAFP

How to get there: It is best to drive down. Head south down the Kwinana Freeway from Perth and just keep going. The trip is fairly well signposted. Once you hit Bunbury, the distance to most of the main towns of the Margaret River region (Busselton, Dunsborough. Margaret River, and Augusta) will appear on signs. My favourite stretch is between Bunbury and Busselton where the forest areas become more prevalent and the smell of the trees wafts through the car.
You will also need a car to get around once you are in the Margaret River region as it stretches approximately 90km as the crow flies from Busselton in the north to Augusta in the south.
Weather: Perth’s World Cup fixtures are in late February and early March. The weather in Margaret River is milder than Perth’s and most days at that time of year will be mainly sunny, with temperatures in the mid-20s Celsius.
Where to stay: As you would expect from any tourist destination the accommodation in the region comes in all shapes and sizes. There are resorts, hotels, motels, caravan parks, backpacker lodges, camping sites, and holiday houses available to rent.
Can’t do without some of the creature comforts of city life? Stay in Busselton. Looking for something that is quieter and family-friendly while still being close to the beach? Dunsborough or Yallingup will be more your cup of tea (or glass of beer). If you want more of a country-town feel where you can mingle with the locals, Margaret River town should be where you head. If your heart desires your own little piece of Australian serenity for a few days, then you should hunt down one of the several farm stays in the area. The Augusta Margaret River Tourism Association site is the best place to go for all options.

The rustic Bootleg Brewery is one of the more established breweries in the region and has more of a party atmosphere than many of the other breweries. I like coming here on weekends or on public holidays because it is quite common for tour groups to stop at Bootleg, helping create a lively and buoyant mood.Classic beer garden benches line the lawn area and overlook the property’s lake. The idyllic setting, combined with the fun of games like giant Jenga, certainly contribute to Bootleg’s festive vibe.With a tagline of “An oasis of beer in a desert of wine”, it is quite apparent that the operators don’t take themselves too seriously. However, one thing Bootleg does take seriously is brewing their award-winning beers. They are not afraid to do something a little different, and it is common for them to have fruit-infused beers or variants like a Black IPA. On my last visit to Bootleg, I tried the “Speakeasy” IPA (Indian Pale Ale) and I’ll certainly be having it again the next time I greet the bartender there.The jewel in the crown of Margaret River Region breweries has to be Eagle Bay Brewing Company. In my humble opinion, the beer and food are simply the best of the breweries in the region. My personal favourite beers are the malty Vienna Lager and the just-hoppy-enough Pale Ale. Also, the wood-fired pizzas are great, with a focus on local ingredients, and the view is to die for.My favourite thing to do in the Margaret River region is to book a table on the veranda or grassed areas at Eagle Bay Brewing Company, order a Vienna Lager and get lost in the view that extends across acres of hilly farmland property all the way to the Indian Ocean in the distance. It is a beer lover’s happy place.Surfers at Cowaramup Bay•AFPOnce you’ve had your fill of quality craft beer and/or exquisite food from the breweries, and maybe had a sleep, there are also plenty of other things to do and see in the Margaret River Region.Most of the breweries and wineries are only open during the day and it is prudent to book a table in advance. Many of them get quite busy, especially around lunchtime on the weekends and holidays.Beaches
I like Meelup Beach for swimming. Located in between Dunsborough and Eagle Bay, it is a beach where trees and bush line the edge of the white sand, and it isn’t too far from the car to the water – which is crystal blue in summer. There are also good swimming beaches at Bunker Bay and Gnarabup.More bodacious beach-goers will know that Margaret River is also regarded as one of the best surfing regions in the state. Some of the best spots include Yallingup Beach, Surfer’s Point in Margaret River, and for those who are willing to go off the beaten track a bit and have a four-wheel-drive, there is Three Bears.Activities
Eco-tourism is an essential component of the Margaret River region’s identity. It is all part of the important environmental and sustainability focus that all locals to the region seem to have. Examples include the whale-watching and cave tour companies that operate out of Margaret River town. It is also worth a drive and/or walk through Boranup Karri Forest, which is part of Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park, and provides a unique experience, with giant trees being situated close to the coast.Kangaroos in a vineyard in the Leeuwin Estate•Getty ImagesWhen I’m in the region I’m always sure to take my more treat-focused friends to the factories of the Margaret River Chocolate Company as well as the nearby Margaret River Dairy Company. The free samples always delight my taste buds in such a way that I take home way more treats than I originally intend. There is also Simmo’s Ice Creamery in Dunsborough, which is always a hit, and not just with the kids.The people
For the most part, when you head to the Margaret River region and do the touristy things you will, surprisingly enough, come across other tourists. Many of those will be tourists from Perth down for the weekend (like me!). But overseas and interstate tourists are always welcomed with open arms by the locals.Some friends who live in the region once offered a few nights’ free accommodation at their house to a couple of German tourists they met when they found out the travellers were sleeping in an old car. Six months later, the tourists were still living there, and it wasn’t because the Germans were taking them for a ride. It was because these people wanted their visitors to stay and have a quality experience exploring all the region has to offer to their heart’s content. The locals love quality and they love Margaret River. They want you to love it too.

Australia have won each of their last five ODIs at the MCG, and have a 15-6 win-loss record here against England

Shiva Jayaraman13-Feb-20151:28

Team Profile: Australia

17-5 Australia’s win-loss record in ODIs since the beginning of 2014. Their win-loss ratio of 3.40 the best among all teams during this period. England have a 11-19 record during this period, a ratio of 0.58.4-2 Australia’s win-loss record against England in World Cup games. One of their wins came in the 1987 final in Kolkata. The only time they played a World Cup game in Australia, though, England won by eight wickets, in Sydney in 1992.8-2 Australia’s win-loss record in their last ten ODIs at the MCG. Both of their losses were against Sri Lanka. They have won their last five games at this venue.Australia have won 80% of their last 10 ODIs at the G•AFP15 Number of matches Australia have won against England in ODIs at the MCG – the second highest number of wins for Australia against any one team at a particular venue. Australia have beaten West Indies 17 times at the SCG. Excluding Pakistan against Sri Lanka and India in Sharjah, this is the most any team has beaten an opposition at any venue.1200 Runs by Eoin Morgan against Australia in ODIs – the second-highest any England batsman has hit against any team in ODIs. Graham Gooch’s 1395 runs – also against Australia – are the most by an England batsman against a team. Morgan averages 40.00 against Australia and has hit three hundreds and seven fifties in 35 innings. However, after the century at the SCG against the hosts in the recent tri-series, Morgan has got out without scoring in two consecutive matches against them.12.67 Steven Smith’s average against Stuart Broad in ODIs – he has been dismissed three times by Broad in 49 deliveries. Against James Anderson though, Smith has done well. He has hit 76 runs off 75 balls from Anderson and has been dismissed by the bowler only once.3.41 Anderson’s economy in the mandatory Powerplay – the second best among bowlers who have bowled at least 200 deliveries in the first-ten overs since 2014. Only Sri Lanka’s Suranga Lakmal is more economical than Anderson in the mandatory Powerplay, but Lakmal has taken only three wickets to Anderson’s 11 in these overs. Since 2014, only Lasith Malinga has taken more wickets in the first ten overs than Anderson. In the recent tri-series in Australia, while rest of the England bowlers had an economy of 5.86 and took one wicket in the mandatory Powerplays, Anderson bowled 20 overs and took three wickets at an economy of 2.60 runs per over.53.08 Australian bowlers’ strike rate in the mandatory Powerplay since 2014. Among the top ODI teams, only Pakistan have done worse. Australia have taken only 26 wickets in 23 innings in the first ten overs and have conceded 41.73 runs per wicket, which is also the worst after Pakistan. In these overs, England concede nearly ten runs lesser than Australia. England have taken 44 wickets in 30 innings at 31.86 runs per wicket in mandatory Powerplays since 2014.6.87 England’s scoring rate in the last-ten overs in ODIs since 2014 – the worst among the top ODI teams. England averages only 18.55 runs per wicket in these overs. In comparison, Australia scores at 7.88 runs an over and averages 24.32 runs a wicket.5.12 Australia’s scoring rate in the mandatory Powerplay since 2014 – the highest among teams in this World Cup. Australia have averaged 56.35 in these overs. England haven’t done badly themselves, scoring at 4.85 runs an over and averaging 34.69 per wicket.