'One of a kind you were, Deano'

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Cricket fraternity pays tribute to pioneering ODI batsman and popular commentator

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Sep-2020

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Loved playing alongside Deano -his enthusiasm and energy was infectious while his confidence and body language always lifted his team mates. He was a pioneer and innovator in many aspects ,his intimidating running between the wickets,his cavalier stroke play,being the first to wear sunglasses on the field while he also paved the way for players to be compensated well for their bat contracts. He owned the one day game and his mere presence was worth an extra man at the MCG. I was privileged to room with him in Madras where he made his iconic double century in the tied test and we shared the field at Eden gardens the following year when we won the World Cup as the underdogs. So many great memories, all of which bring a smile to my face. The ‘Legend’ will live on long after we are all gone.

A post shared by Steve Waugh (@stevewaugh) on Sep 24, 2020 at 1:57pm PDT

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I cannot believe that this incredible man is not with us anymore. Such a kind and generous soul who inspired millions of people all around the world. Rest In Peace Deano.

A post shared by Shane Watson (@srwatson33) on Sep 24, 2020 at 5:10am PDT

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He loved our game. He was one HELLUVA player. He was an innovator. He led the art of white ball batting. He loved golf. He made me smile. He wasn’t afraid to have a laugh at himself on set with us. He was always thinking of ways to improve it cricket. He was so welcoming to me when I started my broadcasting journey in Aus & India. He will be missed, BIG STYLE! #RIPDeano

A post shared by Kevin Pietersen (@kp24) on Sep 24, 2020 at 4:50am PDT

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Awful to hear the news of Dean Jones passing away in Mumbai. He was a wonderful player for Australia and he will be missed. My thoughts are with his family. RIP Deano

A post shared by Steve Smith (@steve_smith49) on Sep 24, 2020 at 4:07am PDT

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Such sad news about the passing of Dean Jones. A mate, a team mate & fellow commentator. His passion, love & energy for cricket was obvious. The man & the impact he had on our great game will always be remembered. You will be missed. RIP Deano

A post shared by Glenn McGrath (@glennmcgrath11) on Sep 24, 2020 at 3:38pm PDT

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I love you too Dean Jones!! You have been a joy and absolute pleasure to work with @starsportsindia The few matches we played against each other it was always great to witness your fighting spirit in the field. The world has has lost a real legend and lover of our great game, Cricket. You will be dearly missed by many. RIP my brother. My sincere condolences to the Jones family.

A post shared by Brian Lara (@brianlaraofficial) on Sep 24, 2020 at 5:38am PDT

Kieron Pollard and Washington Sundar share Smart Stats honours

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Player of the Match AB de Villiers, meanwhile, comes in fourth behind Ishan Kishan

ESPNcricinfo stats team28-Sep-2020In a match in which each team scored 201 runs in 20 overs, the two players with the top impact numbers, according to ESPNcricinfo’s Smart Stats, were the stars at either end of the run-chase: Washington Sundar went at three an over when the other bowlers in the match conceded nearly 11, while Kieron Pollard smashed 50 off his last 15 balls as the Mumbai Indians scored a scarcely believable 89 off the last five.ESPNcricinfo LtdThese impact numbers only include the 20-over innings of both teams, so the Super Overs don’t come into play in the calculations. Both Pollard and Sundar had impact numbers of over 120, with barely half a point separating them. AB de Villiers, who was declared Player of the Match, only came in fourth in terms of impact score, behind Ishan Kishan, who kept Mumbai Indians’ run-chase going when all seemed lost.Pollard’s impact numbers don’t need much explanation, given the extreme pressure he was under when he came in to bat. Even by his standards, this was an astounding performance: there have only been five instances of a batsman scoring more than 50 runs in the last five overs of a run-chase in IPL history. When taking into account the pressure under which he scored the runs, his 60 was actually worth 78 Smart Runs.ESPNcricinfo LtdIn such a high-scoring game, Sundar’s bowling performance was exceptional. No other bowler in the game went at under 7.5 per over, while the rest of the RCB attack all conceded more than 10 an over. In the Powerplay, against batsmen of the quality of Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock, Sundar conceded seven runs in three overs, while the bowlers at the other end leaked 28 in three. As if that wasn’t enough, Sundar also took the key wicket of Sharma early in his innings, thus preventing him from playing the sort of destructive innings he often does. According to Smart Stats, that scalp was worth 1.47 Smart Wickets. Sundar didn’t go for a single boundary in his four-over spell, which was remarkable in the context of the entire match.De Villiers played a superb hand too in RCB’s innings, and also played a key role in the Super Over, which Smart Stats doesn’t take into account. Trent Boult rounds off the top five: his economy rate of 8.5 was well below the match rate, while he also got two key wickets of the RCB openers.ESPNcricinfo LtdIn the end, RCB squeaked through in the Super Over, but they could have won this a lot easier if Pawan Negi had latched on to the chance that Pollard offered in the 17th over. Negi had pouched three catches earlier in this innings, but this miss almost cost them the match, as Pollard – who was on 15 off 11 at that stage – scored 45 off 13 balls after that chance (including the ball off which he was dropped, which went for a six). According to ESPNcricinfo’s Luck Index that chance cost RCB 22 runs, as it estimates that the batsmen to follow would have only scored 23 off those 13 balls.Eventually RCB got the two points from this game, but that chance and the runs it cost them might still prove costly if net run rate comes into play later in the tournament.ALSO SEE: Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bangalore live score, September 28 2020

BBL all-time XI: who makes it?

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

As the tournament enters its tenth season, we’ve taken a stab at picking the standout team

Andrew McGlashan07-Dec-2020

Aaron Finch (Renegades)

Australia’s limited-overs captain is currently the second-highest run-scorer in BBL history. In five of the nine seasons, he has averaged over 40, in two of them over 50, and only twice has his strike rate dipped below 125 in a campaign – one of those was in the Renegades’ title triumph of 2018-19. His two centuries have come seven seasons apart: the first was 111 off 65 balls against the Stars in 2012-13 and then last season he hammered 109 off 68 deliveries against the Sixers.

D’Arcy Short (Hurricanes)

A shorter career span than many in this list, Short only began in the 2016-17 season but has been prolific for the Hurricanes and is hard to ignore. He holds the highest batting average in the tournament’s history. Although his strike rate dropped a little last season, it remains imposing, and using the same cut-off as for this XI of 30 matches, it is the eighth-highest in the competition. In 2017-18, he flayed 122 off 69 balls against the Heat where the next-highest score in the innings was 19. He is a more-than-useful left-arm wristspinner as well.

Chris Lynn (Heat)

The leading run-scorer in BBL, Lynn has had a number of moments that remain YouTube highlights even though the Heat have flattered to deceive. There are six million views on one clip of him launching Shaun Tait out of the Gabba for one of the biggest sixes in BBL history, and then there was the time when he took Ben Hilfenhaus for five consecutive sixes. In that 2016-17 campaign, his strike rate was 177.58. Last summer, he was on track to score the fastest BBL century when he fell for 94 off 35 balls against the Sixers.Matthew Wade lifts one over the leg side•Getty Images

Matthew Wade (Hurricanes, Renegades, Stars)

Though he gave it up last season, Wade has kept wicket for the majority if his BBL career and gets that role in this team. Batting at No. 4 is a little out of position as his most prolific returns have come when opening, especially alongside Short for the Hurricanes, but as someone who has batted from one to six in his career, we are confident he can adapt. Alex Carey came close to taking this spot, while the other wicketkeeper with over 1000 runs in the BBL is Tim Paine.

Glenn Maxwell (Renegades, Stars)

A player capable of some extraordinary things, especially with the bat and in the field, Maxwell’s strike rate for a season has not dipped below 142 since BBL01 when he played for the Renegades. In the last five seasons, he has averaged between 33 and 39. Some of his standouts include 82 off 49 balls against the Stars in the 2012-2013 season, 82 off 43 against the Sixers in 2018-19, and two innings last season – 83 off 39 against the Heat and an unbeaten 83 off 45 against the Renegades. Also a valuable option with the ball.

Ben Cutting (Heat)

Innings: 68, Runs: 1199, Average: 21.80, S/R: 145.50, Fifties: 2 | Wickets: 63, Average: 30.17, Econ: 8.82The No. 6 spot in this team was the trickiest to fill. A few specialist batsmen were in the mix – notably Jono Wells and George Bailey, who have been excellent finishers – but in the end it went to one of only two players (the second one is next) to have completed the double of 1000 runs and 50 wickets in the tournament. Batting in this position is more about impact than longevity, and Cutting’s strike rate of 167.18 batting at No. 6 in the BBL stands him in good stead. However, it is worth adding that his most spectacular display came when opening against the Stars in early 2019 when he struck 80 off 30 balls as he and Max Bryant hammered an astonishing opening stand of 158 in ten overs. He has now moved to the Thunder.Dan Christian in his follow-through•Getty Images

Daniel Christian (Stars, Hurricanes, Renegades)

Christian is the other player to complete the 1000/50 double. Having collected T20 titles around the world, he was part of the Renegades’ come-from-behind title triumph in 2018-19. He is a cool, calm finisher with the bat and can take on a variety of roles with the ball. His best figures of a long and winding T20 career came in the BBL when he claimed 5 for 14 playing for the Hurricanes against the Strikers in 2016-17.

Rashid Khan (Strikers)

The only overseas player in this XI (perhaps highlighting one of the leagues’ challenges), Khan is among the tournament’s leading lights and most recognisable figures despite having just three seasons under his belt. He has the best economy rate for anyone to have played more than 20 matches and his strike rate of 16.6 is best among spinners to have bowled a minimum of 250 deliveries. His average and economy have risen each campaign as batsmen get more used to him, but his best BBL figures of 4 for 22 came last season. Cameron Boyce, Adam Zampa and Fawad Ahmed are other legspinners with excellent BBL records.

Peter Siddle (Renegades, Strikers)

This one might raise a few eyebrows, and it does come from a smaller sample size of data that most of the other names, but Siddle’s BBL career is a story of reinvention as he turned himself into a go-to T20 bowler when he joined the Strikers after not playing a single game during the 2016-17 season because of a back injury. He is the second-most economical quick to have bowled more than 100 overs in the tournament (behind the man at No. 11 in this side) and his form was enough to earn, albeit briefly, a return to Australia’s limited-overs side in early 2019.When fit, Jason Behrendorff has provided a cutting edge for the Scorchers•Getty Images

Ben Laughlin (Hurricanes, Strikers, Heat)

The leading wicket-taker in BBL history, Laughlin has bowled a lot of tough overs. He is a specialist at the death, having sent down comfortably the most deliveries in the 17-20 over period – 664 with the next most being Kane Richardson’s 452 . He took 16 wickets in the Strikers’ victorious 2017-18 campaign and was also a key part of their consecutive semi-final runs in 2014-15 and 2015-16.

Jason Behrendorff (Scorchers)

Having a left-arm quick is almost a prerequisite for T20 cricket. A few come into contention for this team, but Behrendorff gets the nod. He is a fearsome white-ball bowler when fit and on song (he missed all of last summer), generating pace and swing. His economy rate of under seven stands out and puts him in the top ten of those to have bowled a minimum of 250 deliveries, and he is third among the quicks in a list dominated by spinners.

12th man: Cameron Boyce (Strikers, Hurricanes, Renegades)

Depending on conditions there might be need for an extra frontline spinner, so we have included a 12th man. It goes to the legspinner who has had a fascinating and productive career but does not hold a state contract. In five of his eight BBL seasons, Boyce has taken at least ten wickets and he played a starring role in the Renegades’ 2018-19 success. His international career is stalled on seven T20Is – the last back in 2016 – but he did get included in a Cricket Australia XI last season.

How the Mumbai Indians built their IPL empire

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

They have grown more formidable by the season, and this year they were well-nigh unstoppable. How did they get so far ahead of the pack?

Nagraj Gollapudi17-Nov-20203:38

What makes Mumbai the franchise so special?

On May 13, 2019, the day after the Mumbai Indians’ stirring last-ball win against the Chennai Super Kings for their fourth IPL title, Pravin Amre received a feeler from the Mumbai Indians team management about taking on a role with them.Amre, the Delhi Capitals’ head of talent and their assistant coach, was recovering from his team’s exit from the tournament after their defeat to the Super Kings in the second qualifer. Since 2015, when Mumbai formally set up a talent-scouting wing under former New Zealand captain John Wright, they had wanted Amre back, and they duly got him, in November 2019, after he amicably parted ways with the Capitals.Amre had had success as a domestic coach with the Mumbai Ranji team between 2006 and 2013 (three title wins) and as a personal coach to several India internationals (Robin Uthappa, Dinesh Karthik, Suresh Raina and Shreyas Iyer among them). He joined the Capitals as a scout in 2013 and was instrumental in the acquisition of the uncapped Iyer, who he then recommended for the captaincy a few years later. As assistant coach in the 2018 and 2019 seasons, he played a hand in the success of the team’s Indian batting core – Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Iyer and Rishabh Pant – who were largely responsible for the franchise making the playoffs in the last IPL for the first time in seven years.ALSO READ: Mumbai Indians the best T20 franchise in the world? Kieron Pollard thinks soBack in the Mumbai fold, Amre was set a clear target: he was to help Ishan Kishan, Saurabh Tiwary, Suryakumar Yadav and Krunal Pandya become more consistent and impactful as batsmen. “Though they had won the championship, they realised that their middle order was not performing 100%,” Amre says. “That was the homework they did immediately. Any other franchise, if they win the IPL, they will be in a different zone. But Mumbai think differently – they are two steps ahead in terms of their thinking and ticking each box.”Pravin Amre (second from left) was part of the Delhi Capitals’ brains trust with Ricky Ponting and was pivotal in strengthening the franchise’s batting core, before moving to the Mumbai Indians•BCCIKishan was bought by the franchise for Rs 6.40cr (approximately US$1m) in the 2018 IPL auction. In that year’s tournament, as Mumbai’s keeper-batsman he scored 275 runs from 12 innings at a strike rate of 149. A year later, with the arrival of Quinton de Kock, Kishan played seven matches purely as a batsman, and in six innings he managed only 101 runs with four sixes.Amre focused on working on Kishan’s power-hitting and helping him play with a straighter bat. He had extensive one-on-one sessions with Kishan (and also Tiwary and Krunal Pandya) in training camps in a bubble at the private ground at Reliance Corporate Park in the Mumbai suburb of Ghansoli before the squad flew to the UAE for the IPL. Players and coaches swear by the state-of-the-art complex, where the facilities and equipment are supposedly better than those at the BCCI’s National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru.Kishan finished this IPL as Mumbai’s leading run-maker and their highest-averaging batsman, and fifth-highest run getter among all teams: in 13 innings he compiled 516 runs at a strike rate of 145. The most notable transformation was in his big hitting – he produced 30 sixes, the most by any batsman this IPL. “Six-hitting ability is critical in this format,” Amre says. “Mumbai Indians’ batsmen hit the maximum sixes. Yes, we talk about [Kieron] Pollard, we talk about the Pandya brothers, but we should also not forget Ishan Kishan’s role this year.”ALSO READ: The fitting end that Mumbai Indians’ brilliance deservedKishan provided robustness in the middle overs while also occasionally playing the role of finisher. With de Kock and Yadav, he is now part of the Mumbai core and a vital element of their batting backbone. As Shiva Jayaraman points out , Kishan and Yadav’s combined success – 996 runs – provided stability, limiting the number of changes Mumbai needed to make to their line-up through the season.Ishan Kishan topped the Mumbai Indians’ run charts this IPL with 516 runs and 30 sixes•BCCIThe eyes that find gems

Every IPL franchise now boasts of at least one scout who helps the team identify talent. Mumbai have been pioneers in scouting and remain untouched for the vast number of headhunters on their roster. Besides Amre and the general manager Rahul Sanghvi, whose roles also involve scouting, they have Wright; the former India and Tamil Nadu fast bowler and national selector TA Sekar; former India wicketkeeper and chairman of selectors Kiran More; former India allrounder Robin Singh (who also has been on the team’s coaching bench for 11 years now); former Mumbai and India fast bowler Abey Kuruvilla; and Adhishwar Sekar, strategy consultant at the Barbados Tridents, whose brief is to look primarily for uncapped overseas talent.Wright said in 2016 that as a scout his job is to report to the franchise “what the scorecard won’t show”. The tale of how he spotted the then uncapped and inexperienced Jasprit Bumrah, literally days before the 2013 IPL, during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and was captivated by the fast bowler’s unique and unorthodox bowling action is now famous. So is the story of how ahead of the 2014 auction he earmarked the Pandya brothers in Baroda.Wright says scouts are the “second eye” to ensure Mumbai don’t miss out on promising players at auction. In 2018, Rahul Chahar, a young, uncapped legspinner from Rajasthan, was bought by Mumbai after the scouting team gave him the thumbs-up.When the franchise heads into an auction, the scouts have review meetings between them about players Mumbai could potentially target. These meetings are chaired by Akash Ambani, 29, the son of Mukesh Ambani, the richest man in India and head of Reliance India Limited, which owns the Mumbai franchise. Ambani Jr has been a fixture at the auctions for several years now along with his mother, Nita. For the last two big auctions, in 2016 and 2018, Ambani directed strategy in coordination with the Mumbai coaching and scouting staff. He is also present at the pre-auction trials that are carried out over a few days, for which about 120 players from across India are flown in every year.Akash Ambani has a key role in player selection for the Mumbai Indians ahead of IPL auctions and also directs auction strategy•BCCIMore than one source in the franchise has acknowledged that Ambani is sharp and proactive, with a keen brain. Those who interact with him say he keeps abreast of all the major T20 leagues worldwide through the year, and is always looking to get the best players possible, keeping abreast of their performances, even procuring videos of uncapped players from around the world to see that Mumbai don’t miss an opportunity.On the eve of this IPL, when their most experienced fast bowler, Lasith Malinga, opted out of the tournament to attend to his ill father, Ambani was hands-on in working out who would fit in best as a replacement, actively consulting the team management and Wright’s staff. Eventually he was presented with the options of Australia fast bowler James Pattinson and England fast man Mark Wood. Collectively it was decided Pattinson could come in handy given the nature of the pitches in the UAE, and the decision worked well, at least in the first half of the league phase, on fresh pitches.ALSO READ: Mumbai Indians’ dominance explained in numbersWinning the trading game

In November 2019, New Zealand fast bowler Trent Boult was bought by Mumbai from the Capitals in an all-cash deal. Boult had been the Capitals’ best bowler, with 18 wickets at an economy of under 9 in 2018, the year they bought him for Rs 2.2cr ($345,000), but the next year he played just five matches, taking five wickets. The Capitals had worked out that Boult could not be an impact bowler at the death, and the pitch at their home ground, the Feroz Shah Kotla, was not generous to his style of bowling in 2019.In contrast, so keen were Mumbai on Boult, they were happy to pay Rs 1cr in addition to his 2018 auction fee to secure his services. “With the Wankhede Stadium pitch having a tendency to assist seam bowlers in the evening matches, the seamers are expected to add to the home advantage,” the franchise said in a media release at the time.ESPNcricinfo LtdAfter the 2019 season, Mumbai felt they lacked a good powerplay bowler other than Bumrah, who was being spread thin because he was forced to bowl two overs in the first six to get breakthroughs. Ideally Mumbai wanted Bumrah to bowl just one over in the powerplay, one in the middle overs and two at the death, where he is lethal. This year Mumbai deployed Boult upfront to play to his skills, having him bowl three overs of the first six. It paid off handsomely: Boult finished with the joint most wickets, 16, in the powerplay this season.Another key performer for Mumbai this IPL has been de Kock, among the best batsmen in the powerplay. Late in 2018, he was released by the Royal Challengers Bangalore, who had bought him in the 2018 auction for Rs 2.8cr ($440,000) and for whom he played just eight matches, scoring 201 runs at a strike rate of 124.07. Mumbai were keen to get a top-order batsman to replace Evin Lewis, who had struggled towards the end of the 2018 season. To offset the price paid for de Kock, Mumbai released Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman and Sri Lankan offspinner Akila Dananjaya. Since he moved to Mumbai, de Kock has been one of the best openers in the tournament, with two consecutive 500-plus-run seasons – 529 runs in 2019 and 503 in 2020.Mumbai have also had the knack of unlocking the potential of players who other franchises have not had spectacular results with. Take the example of Yadav. Having had a season with Mumbai in 2011, he was bought by the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2014 and spent four years there, mainly batting in the lower order. Gautam Gambhir, to whom Yadav served as vice-captain at KKR, said earlier this week that failing to retain Yadav was probably the Knight Riders’ biggest loss in 13 years, because Yadav could easily have transitioned into a future leader.In 2018, Yadav was the only Mumbai batsman to breach the 500 mark with 512 runs at a strike rate of 133. The following year he was second, behind de Kock, with 424 runs at strike rate of nearly 131. This year, Yadav was the best batsman for Mumbai, according to his captain Rohit Sharma, making 480 runs at 145 and finishing as the seventh-highest scorer in the tournament. Sitting above him were de Kock at six and Kishan at five.Hang on to your main men

“It is not rocket science,” Sharma said to the media on the eve of this IPL final. “We’ve worked really hard for this balance, these players. All these players were available to all the teams – right from Quinton de Kock to No. 11, Jasprit Bumrah. But we invested in them at the beginning, and we had faith in them.”Mumbai have excelled at retaining their best players. In 2011 they kept Sachin Tendulkar, Malinga, Pollard and Harbhajan Singh; in 2014, Sharma, Malinga, Pollard and Singh. In 2018, Sharma, Hardik Pandya and Bumrah were retained and right-to-match cards were used to buy back Krunal Pandya and Pollard. These players have all been key for Mumbai in the last decade.Shane Bond, as bowling coach, and Mahela Jayawardene as the head coach feed Rohit Sharma information and then leave the on-field decisions to him•BCCIMumbai have consistently looked to invest in players who will be long-term bets. Malinga and Pollard are veterans but remain match-winners and mentors. Sharma, who was bought in the 2011 auction for Rs 13cr ($2.8 million) and fast-tracked into the captaincy midway into the 2013 season after Ricky Ponting stepped down, has grown tactically while using his strengths of being easy-going, friendly and a good listener.Pollard announced himself with his heroics for Trinidad & Tobago in the 2009 Champions League T20, held in India. In the 2010 IPL auction, more than one franchise, including Mumbai, bid the maximum permissible amount of $750,000 to buy him. The IPL had devised a secret tiebreaker mechanism for this kind of eventuality, where a franchise could bid an additional amount in a sealed envelope for a player they were keen on. Pollard and Shane Bond were the first two players to be bought under the tiebreaker system, by Mumbai and KKR.It is understood that Mukesh Ambani, having listened to the team management’s projections of how important Pollard would be for Mumbai from a long-term perspective, provided an assurance that he would do what it took to get the player. Pollard has since completed 11 years with Mumbai, becoming the longest-serving overseas cricketer in the tournament. He has won five titles with them, including being the Man of the Final in 2013.In the 2018 and 2019 seasons, Pollard struggled for form. Eventually in the 2019 final he struck a 25-ball 41 to boost Mumbai to a modest target, which they defended on the last ball. This year Pollard had the highest strike rate in the tournament, scoring at 191.ESPNcricinfo LtdA decade after the franchise signed a big cheque to buy him, Pollard has continued to repay their faith – as player, occasional captain, and as a mentor to many young players, including Hardik Pandya.A proactive leadership group

Mumbai’s success hinges on the collective that is in charge of their backroom. This leadership group includes former India fast bowler Zaheer Khan, who was hired by the franchise ahead of the 2019 IPL auction as director of cricket operations, in charge of strategic planning.Former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene, known for his tactical nous, who joined Mumbai in 2017 as the head coach, works on day-to-day planning with Bond, the bowling coach. They feed information and insights to Sharma, who is independent to take his own decisions. Having been a successful T20 captain himself, Jayawardene brings to the role his good communication skills and his ability to relate to the pace and rhythm of the game and to help players sharpen their game intelligence.Akash Ambani tracks developments in the dressing room, but from a distance. According to a source privy to Mumbai’s inner workings, the franchise’s owners trust the management staff. “While they do get involved, they don’t mess around like so many franchises, where you end up getting CEOs trying to be coaches.”Clarity of mind
On the field many variables affect the result, but every so often it all boils down to crunch moments, when the fate of a match (or more) hangs on one ball, one shot. In these situations, Mumbai’s players usually somehow seem to find that clarity of mind and confidence to deliver.

Mitchell Johnson did it when he took two wickets in the final over in the 2017 final against Rising Pune Supergiant, defending ten runs.In the 2019 final, the Super Kings needed two runs off the final delivery for their fourth IPL title. Shardul Thakur needed to score one run to take the match into a Super Over. Malinga, needing a wicket or a dot ball, chose to attack, floating in a slower-ball yorker to defeat Thakur.This season, Mumbai were ruthless. They had the most wins in the league phase, were the first to enter the playoffs, and the first into the final. In the first qualifier they were put in to bat on a surface suited to chasing, and they blasted 200. In the final, Iyer elected to bat. The only other time Mumbai chased in the final, they lost, in 2010, but they put that ghost to rest this year, beating the Capitals for the fourth time this tournament for the title win.Like serial champions in any sport, Mumbai are the team every opponent wants to beat, but they keep pulling away and ahead every season. Before this year’s tournament they had set the bar high, but they raised it a whole lot with their dominance. “Winning back-to-back championships is never easy. How you can be better than last year – that is the challenge, right,” Amre says.How indeed. By paying attention to the little things, plugging the small holes, polishing the old and new. By being ruthless in the present and yet always keeping their eye on the next milestone, Mumbai have built a formidable legacy: an empire that looks set to only get stronger.

South Africa's return to winning ways – what went right and what still needs fixing?

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Quicks impress and du Plessis serves reminder but middle-order batting still under scrutiny

Firdose Moonda05-Jan-2021The coin has flipped. South Africa have won their first Test series under Mark Boucher, their first in three against Sri Lanka and their first since January 2019.While there are caveats that come with this victory – most notably that Sri Lanka were denied seven first-choice players by injury across the two Tests, including several who played roles in their 2-0 win here two years ago – the confidence that South Africa gained from turning their fortunes around can’t be devalued. Winning, they say, is a habit and one South Africa had been out of for most of the last two years.It is still going to take a lot of work before South Africa can look at themselves as a complete package, and sterner challenges await in Pakistan and against Australia, but this series has laid the foundations for rebuilding.Here are the big positives for South Africa, and a couple of things for them to think about as they navigate five more Tests this summer.No KG, no problemWhat could have been South Africa’s biggest disadvantage turned into an opportunity, after Kagiso Rabada did not recover from a groin injury in time for the series. South Africa’s attack had just 12 Test caps between them going into the Boxing Day Test and, at first, their inexperience showed.They struggled to adjust their lines and lengths after it became apparent that they were over-relying on the short ball and Sri Lanka racked up their highest total in South Africa, by some distance. But the home attack recovered well. Wiaan Mulder, playing in his second Test, led the comeback through nothing more complicated than discipline and debutant Lutho Sipamla cleaned up the tail. The pair, both just 22, continued to impress as the series went on and point to a talent pool that is not as shallow as was feared.Related

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Moonda: SA's collapse exposes familiar faultlines

Elgar drinks in latest hundred as SA make light of batting wobble

In Mulder, South Africa have a genuine allrounder who understands his role as a holding bowler but has the skill of using subtle movement to take wickets. In Sipamla, they have a genuine strike bowler, who can find speeds close to 140kph, and is meticulously accurate.Sipamla, in particular, has made a case to challenge for the third frontline seamer spot. He had a tough start when he conceded 66 runs in his first 12 overs of Test cricket but returned to take 10 for 101 in his next 27.5 overs. He provided strong support for Anrich Nortje, South Africa’s fastest and fiercest bowler, and Lungi Ngidi, who has lost a yard of pace but gained in maturity. Ngidi’s variation through adjusting his seam position is an illustration of the work he has been doing with bowling coach Charl Langeveldt and adds a string to his bow.South Africa will still welcome Rabada back with open arms when he is match fit but this series showed they have options and are developing healthy competition for places.Faf’s far from finished The former captain is not about to become a former player anytime soon and world cricket can look forward to more free-flowing play from Faf du Plessis. Even though he didn’t rate his 199 at SuperSport Park among his best innings, he acknowledged that it made a statement about his intent to stick around.du Plessis is an important cog in the South Africa line-up and will act as the bridge between the previous generation and the future one. His experience means he can absorb pressure and assist the new captain along with shouldering the responsibility of run-scoring in a line-up that still needs to click.Rassie van der Dussen made another half-century but is still looking to cement his spot•AFP via Getty ImagesWhat to do about the middle-order? The reason the batting is still under construction is because the middle-order remains unsettled. Rassie van der Dussen starred in a match-winning partnership with Dean Elgar in Johannesburg but has gone 43 international innings without a hundred and would probably agree that his 67 at the Wanderers was not his most convincing. de Kock has been promoted to No.5, despite his excellent record at No.7, which leaves Temba Bavuma to bat with the lower order – arguably a waste of what he can offer.It is now five years to the day since Bavuma scored his only Test century and although he makes telling contributions, there is pressure on him to convert, not least because of the ways he was dismissed in this series. He walked in Centurion, to a ball he did not hit, and shouldered arms to an inducker at the Wanderers.South Africa have managed to lengthen their line-up by including an allrounder at No. 7 but need consistency out of Nos. 3, 5 and 6 to be able to show their full potential.Test captaincy candidates de Kock scored just 28 runs in this series and did a tidy job behind the stumps and though he has indicated he would continue in the role if asked, he does not appear to be a natural fit. On the field, a committee including du Plessis, van der Dussen, Elgar and Bavuma are involved in decision-making and South Africa may choose between the latter three when making a permanent appointment.Elgar’s form in this series, which he finished as the top run-scorer, has potentially put him at the front of the queue though the selectors are probably still wondering if Bavuma or Aiden Markram could be long-term options. Bavuma will need to solidify his spot before he can be seriously considered while if Markram has a decent summer, it may be difficult to look past him. For now, the search continues.

Top-order batter to 'something special' fast bowler – the Kyle Jamieson story

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Jamieson “a much better bowler” than Richard Hadlee was at the same age, says mentor Dayle Hadlee

Deivarayan Muthu01-Jun-20211:00

Kyle Jamieson: James Anderson’s ability to move the ball both ways is ‘special’

Thirty-six wickets in six Test matches at an average of 13.27. Kyle Jamieson was, arguably, the story of New Zealand’s last home season, taking wickets for fun, which culminated in a bumper IPL contract worth INR 15 crore (USD 2 million approx.).Fun fact: Jamieson was primarily a top-order batter through high school at Auckland Grammar, where Lockie Ferguson and Jimmy Neesham were his seniors. Until early 2013, he batted in the top three, someone who could roll his arm over too. But in the lead-up to the 2014 Under-19 World Cup, Dayle Hadlee, the former New Zealand bowling coach – and Richard’s elder brother – was so impressed with his towering frame (6’8”) that he transformed him into a genuine fast bowler.”It was a long time ago. I think it would’ve been at the New Zealand Under-19 national tournament where I think I saw Kyle first,” Dayle recounts, speaking to ESPNcricinfo. “It was prior to him being selected to go to the World Cup in 2014. I saw him playing there and I was impressed with him, especially the height side of things.Related

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“I didn’t focus too much on his batting. When I watch a game of cricket, I mainly focus on bowlers. He had quite a nice action, but there wasn’t a lot of energy in it. For an imposing physical bowler, I felt like he wasn’t getting enough from what he did at that time. We had a chat and eventually he was selected in the New Zealand Under-19 team to go to the World Cup and I was there with him at that tour. That’s when I really got excited about what his possibilities were.”In the Under-19 World Cup in the UAE, in his first major tournament as a bowler, Jamieson came away with seven wickets in four matches at an average of 23.85 and economy rate of 4.51. Those numbers aren’t quite flash and while Dayle remembers Jamieson often bowling too full in that tournament, he points out that Jamieson didn’t get carried away by his height.Jamieson understood fairly early in his bowling career that his natural length would be a heavy length for most batters, another thing that impressed Dayle. After that Under-19 World Cup, Jamieson won his first contract with Canterbury; Dayle was the bowling coach there at the time. Dayle approached Gary Stead, who was the head coach of Canterbury then, and said, “This boy has something really special, but he’s just not harnessing it yet.”Dayle took Jamieson under his wing and often spent time with him at the nets before he would join the rest of the bowling group at training. Dayle had noted that Jamieson’s run-up wasn’t stable and his action wasn’t strong enough. So, the pair focused on a number of tweaks to bring the best out of Jamieson.Dayle Hadlee (L) and Richard Hadlee during New Zealand’s 1973 tour of England•Hulton Archive/Getty Images”He had a nice action but there wasn’t much energy or strength in it,” Dayle says. “When he ran into bowl, I told him ‘you run as though you are treading treacle’. In other words, running in a gumboot and everything was so slow and ponderous. So, that was one of our first discussions and then when I got a chance to look at his technique in a lot more detail using cameras and those things, I noticed that in his running technique, the last few strides were getting out of alignment. His left foot was going to the right and so he was getting out of balance.”I also noticed that his front arm was going up and back, which means if it goes back it has to stop and if it stops, it has to start again. We spent one winter trying to get more energy into his front-foot landing. We did a drill going up and down the gym, slapping the front foot. In the end, he got a stress fracture and I remember saying to Kyle, ‘I’m really sorry Kyle, I might have contributed to that’. But, he didn’t think so, he was very kind and let me off the hook.”Jamieson also began working on his inswinger and the back-of-the-hand slower ball to add to his stock outswinger and standard offcutter. He often delighted in trying to outwit Dayle during the seam-release drills by mixing up his deliveries.However, as Jamieson climbed through the ranks and entered the New Zealand winter camps and trained along with the big boys, he initially doubted if he belonged to that level. Dayle, though, had no such doubts and believed that Jamieson was even better than Richard Hadlee was at a similar age.”I think everybody wonders where they are in relation to everybody else,” Dayle says. “He was no different and we tried to encourage him really. I meant it genuinely when I told him that he was a much better bowler than Richard was at the same age. Richard had major technical issues [in his early days] and was inconsistent. Kyle was much more consistent and had the extra bounce that Richard didn’t have. Richard had to bowl shorter to get that bounce. I patted Kyle on the back and said he was doing extremely well for his age and said it was onwards and upwards for him.”Last home summer, Jamieson showed everyone that he indeed belonged to the top level, helping New Zealand to No. 1 on the ICC Test rankings for the first time in their history. His ability to bounce out batters, like Neil Wagner often does, gives the attack another dimension, but like Trent Boult and Tim Southee, he can also pitch the ball up and set up batters in swinging conditions. Case in point: Mohammad Rizwan’s dismissal at Hagley Oval. Having spotted Rizwan attempting hard-handed jabs that occasionally forced his bat to travel too far in front of his body, Jamieson disguised his inswinger as a ball potentially up there for the drive, only once it pitched it turned into something entirely different, barging through the Pakistan batter’s defences.Jamieson’s first international tour, with the WTC final thrown in, could potentially be a career-defining one•Getty Images”It’s not often that you have two bowlers in Trent Boult and Tim Southee in the top ten in the same time in the same era,” Dayle says. “We’ve had some great bowlers over the past, but a lot of them have been surrounded by not-so-quite-good bowlers. Now, we’ve got two world-class bowlers and Neil Wagner has done remarkably well, but he does things absolutely differently. He can swing the ball, but when the ball is old and the pitch is flat, his modus operandi is to bowl short and bounce the batsman. Kyle being exposed to both those techniques will do him good because you just can’t pitch the ball up on a flat track. There will be times when he has to impose himself physically and do a bit of chin music around the batsmen.”Jamieson is now preparing to play his first overseas Test, at Lord’s, a venue where his mentor Dayle had made his Test debut back in 1969. In the possible absence of Boult, Jamieson could potentially take the new ball along with Southee, although Matt Henry is in the new-ball mix as well.”Every time I see Lord’s, it brings back memories,” Dayle says. “I’ll be delighted to sit and watch Kyle walking out on that ground because it’s the home of cricket and it has its own aura. You walk on to the field, you actually feel it. It’s about settling down and trying to cope with it – just another 22 yards or 20 metres and bring your focus in narrowly rather than getting overawed by the occasion.”As for Jamieson, he says, “It was a pretty cool experience to just soak in everything – the ground and the history that comes with it. Walking through the Long Room and going across to the nets and just standing out in the middle. Getting used to the slope and all that sort of stuff – so it was a pretty cool day to be part of. Just soak it all in – kind of be present in this moment and just enjoy it.”These are still early days for Jamieson, but for the batter-turned-bowler, his first international tour, with the World Test Championship up for grabs, could potentially be a career-defining one.

Babar quickest to 13 ODI tons, van der Dussen oldest South African to maiden ODI century

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

All the statistical highlights from Pakistan’s highest successful chase against hosts South Africa

Sampath Bandarupalli02-Apr-2021274 Target chased by Pakistan in the first ODI in Centurion, their highest successful chase against South Africa in South Africa in this format. Pakistan’s previous highest chase against the home team in South Africa was 267 in Port Elizabeth during their 2018-19 tour. The 274 chase is also Pakistan’s second-highest in the country and their third-biggest against the hosts.Related

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6 Instances of Pakistan winning an ODI on the last ball while chasing. Only South Africa – in seven instances overall – have won more ODI chases on the final ball than Pakistan. The latest win was the first of its kind for Pakistan since April 2005 in Ahmedabad, where they defeated India while chasing 316.The Centurion ODI was only the third instance of South Africa losing an ODI on the final ball. Their other such defeats came in 2000 and 2001 respectively, against Zimbabwe and West Indies.76 Innings required by Babar Azam to score his 13th century in ODIs, the fastest to this feat in men’s cricket. Australia women’s captain Meg Lanning, too, took 76 innings to reach her 13th ODI hundred. Hashim Amla was the previous quickest to 13 tons in men’s ODIs, needing 83 innings.ESPNcricinfo Ltd2 Centuries as captain in ODI cricket for Babar. The 26-year-old scored 125 against Zimbabwe in his previous innings, making him the first Pakistan captain with successive ODI tons. Babar’s 103 is also the highest individual score by a Pakistan captain in a successful ODI chase.177 Partnership runs for the second wicket between Imam-ul-Haq and Babar, the second-highest for Pakistan against South Africa in ODI cricket. The highest is 257 between Saleem Elahi and Abdul Razzaq in 2002, also for the second wicket.1 Player with more centuries while chasing in ODIs for Pakistan than Babar. The hundred against South Africa on Friday was his fourth across 40 ODI chases. Saeed Anwar leads the list with ten centuries from 105 chases in ODIs.0 Players older than Rassie van der Dussen (32 years and 54 days) at the time of their maiden ODI century for South Africa. Mike Rindel was the previous oldest player to a maiden ODI ton for South Africa as he was 31 years and 337 days old when he scored 106 in 1995, also against Pakistan. Former allrounder Shaun Pollock was 33 years and 325 days of age during his maiden ODI ton in 2007, but he was representing Africa XI in that game.

#LordShardul changes the mood of the day

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Of all the people to score the fastest Test fifty ever recorded in England, it was a man with a first-class average of 16

Osman Samiuddin02-Sep-20212:01

Shardul Thakur – ‘It was time to deliver’

You can have those Rohit Sharma pushes past mid-off early on, two of them because why not be generous? As smooth warm butter being spread on bread; even if the pair of shots fetched four runs between them and not actually a single boundary, they’re to be measured in gold, not runs.Pick out any of the Virat Kohli boundaries and take those home with you. Maybe the first one off James Anderson, an on-caress, or even the second four overs later. But that was off Craig Overton and #OvertonKohli is not really the headline clash of this – or any – series.Cricket has evolved beyond recognition, it has grown around the globe (smirk) and been given different interpretations, it has spawned multiple formats, but from the day the game was born to now, it sighs and swoons loudest at the sight of a cover drive. It remains the game’s money shot. And when you have four from Kohli to choose from, the day has been a bounty. Two of those required Kohli to end up down on one knee, which is cricket’s purest shot in its most immaculate conception, as beautiful as a GIF, as an essay, as a meme, as a painting.Related

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There was but a tiny glimpse of Rishabh Pant, unleashing himself on a perfectly reasonable length ball from Overton in a very unreasonable manner and muscling it through extra cover. It was one shot but it’s becoming a battleground for those who think he is doing it all wrong and those who think he is taking batting into the light.Ignoring momentarily that India were bowled out for 190, all together these shots constituted the rich tradition of Indian batting. Classical and orthodox but lately audacious and innovative too. If this is beginning to feel suspiciously like it’s setting up for a gag to which the punchline is Shardul Thakur then yes, it is.Because where were you when Thakur whipped Chris Woakes – the best bowler on the day by some distance – not over midwicket as you might expect to such a ball but only slightly wide of long-on for a massive six? Or when he straight-batted Overton high and back over his head for the first six?Not your thing? Then surely the pulled six, flat and hard over midwicket which brought up his fifty and the celebration for which seemed, in some part, to double as a berating of his fellow, more established batters in the dressing room.Shardul Thakur is pumped after raising a 31-ball fifty•Getty ImagesIt’s ridiculous to think that he probably hit three better shots than the ones above. As ridiculous as Thakur, possessor of a first-class batting average of 16, now has the fastest recorded Test fifty (in terms of balls faced) in England – and his second in a four-Test career. Over a hundred years of the game in this country and at the end of it, Shardul Thakur has the fastest fifty.Think of all the specialist batters in this game and how much they pour into their dominant skill to become what they are. Joe Root’s the number one Test batter in the world. Kohli is among the greatest to have played the game. Hour after hour facing throwdowns. Making micro-adjustments to their feet. Tweaking stances and strengthening their base. Mental conditioning. Visualising.And here’s Thakur – again, first-class batting average of 16 – being asked at the end of the day, in seriousness, about the virtues of playing with a straight bat in England. And him answering, just as seriously: “In English conditions if you attempt to play with straight bat you get the chance to score more runs. It swings and seams a lot here, so for the batsman the best chance to score is to play with a straight bat.” Thakur, who goes by the social-media meme of #LordShardul, top-scoring and momentum shifting and keeping India alive in the series on a day when it looked like the whole thing was slipping away.There’s two semi-serious points to make about this. One is a timeless one about the inherent comedy lower-order batters spread around a game (and calling them the lower-order and teaching them to bat is actively designed to drain the game of that comedy). Thakur’s presence turned a slow, attritional sort of collapse into a slightly scrambled and frazzled heap, as if he was shaking hands with the day but was wearing that electric buzzer. Unexpectedly great shots, missed chances, near-run outs, actual run-outs, fielders and bowlers looking a bit Three Stooges, a captain waving his arms around when not on his hips in the teapot pose; there’s comedies on Netflix less entertaining than this kind of intervention.1:16

Laxman: Joe Root’s wicket puts day one in balance

They are also a strange way of reminding us of the fine margins on which this confounding game so often hinges. England’s bowling lost the plot against India’s tail at Lord’s and paid for it. They didn’t lose the plot here. To an admirable degree they kept their heads and, more or less, stuck to the plans that had dismissed far better batters. And they still paid for it.It also drives home the point that few professions in life are as cruel as batting. It is essentially a one-ball game, especially in England, where 900 balls faced can be rendered meaningless by the 901st.Kohli wasn’t flawless for the time he was out there. He should’ve been dismissed for 22 at which point all the attention would’ve again been on him and that line outside off that he can’t bring himself to leave. By the time he reached fifty, he was purring, having gotten through a few of the kinds of deliveries that, on other days in this series, have dismissed him. And then he was gone, perhaps too keen to push for a single on the legside, keen to keep the score moving, knowing it was important because he knew also that one ball, any ball, one mistake would be enough.It may well have remained the innings of the day had it not been for Thakur, who came out to bat against the same bowlers, in broadly the same circumstances of an innings in trouble, with far less ingrained skill and in the same knowledge that one ball might do it for him. It didn’t, at least not until he had perceptibly changed the mood of the day.

What the Ashes told us about Australia's Test team

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

They were rarely challenged by a woeful England side, but a number of new and younger players stood tall

Andrew McGlashan17-Jan-2022Warner’s opening partnerMarcus Harris was the player given the chance at the start of the series but he did not complete the five Tests, although that was as much to do with Usman Khawaja’s stunning return as his own failures. Harris did not grasp the opportunity with both hands, but his 76 in Melbourne was vital and in what was a tough series for openers – the lowest overall average for an Ashes in Australia since 1887-88 – he did not look out of place. Whether Khawaja, who had the misfortune of being asked to open in spicy Hobart conditions, will stay alongside David Warner remains to be seen. It might be the only spot available to him. Warner himself faded as the series went on, rounded off by his second pair in the Ashes in what may yet have been a final duel with Stuart Broad, but his two 90s in Brisbane and Adelaide, while owing something to luck, were agenda-setting. It’s largely up to him if he wants to make the 2023 Ashes.Related

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Head start (and finish)If you had been asked to pick a Player of the Series before a ball was bowled, it’s fair to say Travis Head’s name would not have been high up the list. It was a close call whether he or Khawaja would take the No. 5 position. However, he produced what should be a breakout performance, a fulfillment of talent and stroke play that many have recognised before but have waited to come to fruition. A thrilling century-in-a-session at the Gabba ensured there was no way back for England and, having missed the SCG Test due to Covid, he outdid himself in Hobart having walked in at 12 for 3 with the ball moving everywhere. His batting will often be a high wire act, and a few questions remain against the short ball, but he can be a gamechanger.Cameron Green found his batting form late in the series•CA/Cricket Australia/Getty ImagesGreen giantThe allrounder position was never a question of personnel coming into the series, but it was always going to be fascinating to watch Cameron Green’s development. And what a statement he made. Firstly it was with the ball as he claimed key wickets – including Joe Root twice in the first two Tests – with his bowling returning to something close to what it was before his back injuries. Then confidence was restored with the bat through hard work in the nets after England’s quicks had challenged his off-stump defence. He broke free in the second innings in Sydney and then played his best Test innings to date to turn the opening day in Hobart around. He was the first Australian player to score more than 200 runs and take at least 10 wickets in a men’s Ashes since Shane Warne in 2005 and before that it was Steve Waugh in 1986. There will inevitably be bumps along the road but the cricketing world is at Green’s feet.Carey for keeps?Elevated into the side only a week before the series after Tim Paine’s resignation and decision to step away from the game, the final day in Hobart was a timely confidence boost for Alex Carey. He rode his luck to make useful runs then grabbed a couple of superb catches – the one off Chris Woakes was a blinder – diving to his right where he had missed a few in earlier matches. It was not a debut series that said, without doubt, that he is the long-term option but it would be a huge surprise if he did not keep his place for the Pakistan tour. Carey is also admired for the leadership qualities and calmness he brings to the side.Scott Boland: the story of the series•Getty ImagesBeyond the big threeA lot of the pre-series talk had been about how Australia would use their quick bowlers. Through injury and Covid they were forced to delve into their much-vaunted depth and it stood up spectacularly. The story of the series was the performance of Scott Boland who took himself from a fringe candidate to someone who is difficult to leave out. Josh Hazlewood’s absence after Brisbane with a side strain was barely noticed while Pat Cummins’ late withdrawal in Adelaide due to being a close contact was handled with ease. Jhye Richardson came in and took a five-wicket haul, then did not play again in the series as he picked up a niggle and Boland stormed into the side. Mitchell Starc was the only frontline quick on either side to play all five Tests and was outstanding in the first three matches. Meanwhile, Cummins finished as the top wicket-taker to lead from the front in every sense.Captain CumminsAnd on that final point, it is a credit to Cummins (although also a reflection on the feeble opposition provided by England) how seamless the transition to his leadership has been. The new structure with Steven Smith worked well and was immediately called into action in Adelaide. If Cummins did make any missteps they came in Sydney and were fairly minor in the grander scheme of things. The fact England were blown away for under 200 in six of their 10 innings (and under 150 three times) meant there weren’t many long days in the field and those will come at some point. However, with a five-strong attack at his disposal there will always be a fresh bowler to call on. As Australia finally return to Test cricket overseas after more than two years, how he and his team evolve will be worth watching.

Kane Williamson produces a masterclass but history repeats itself for New Zealand

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

The captain overcame a slow start to take down Mitchell Starc but the prize eluded him

Deivarayan Muthu14-Nov-20212:38

Vettori: Measured and intelligent innings from Williamson

Kane Williamson and Jimmy Neesham sat expressionless in the dugout when Daryl Mitchell struck the winning runs for New Zealand in the semi-final in Abu Dhabi. About 96 hours later, across the highway in Dubai, Williamson and the entire New Zealand side stood still, as Glenn Maxwell hit the winning runs for Australia in the final.New Zealand are used to being bullied by Australia in tournament knockouts. After all, the last time New Zealand beat Australia in a knockout was way back in 1981. On Sunday, Williamson threatened to flip the narrative with his masterclass, but Australia came out on top once again.Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins handcuffed Williamson with their heavy lengths and into-the-pitch cutters. Australia packed the off side with five fielders and with the ball also sticking in the pitch, Williamson struggled to force it away. He was on five off ten balls after the powerplay; New Zealand on 37 for 1 from seven overs. They went 32 balls without a boundary.Related

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Williamson was fighting tough conditions. He was fighting a tough attack. He was fighting his own niggly elbow – he has been feeling discomfort while gripping the bat and extending his elbow this tournament. He was fighting all the odds stacked against New Zealand. Yet, he found a way. Like he usually does.He forayed down the track and Brendon McCullumed Mitchell Marsh over extra-cover for four. Next ball, he muscled another four, to the midwicket boundary. Hazlewood, however, could have cut that short he had he not dropped him at fine leg and let the ball bobble over the rope for four.With that stroke of luck, Williamson was truly on to something and that was ruthlessly decimating Mitchell Starc.Kane Williamson uses his wrists to work the ball behind point•Getty ImagesWilliamson knew Starc’s plan was to bowl on-pace yorkers. He set himself deep in the crease and when Starc kept missing his lengths, Williamson made it count. When Starc flung down a 147kph beamer, Williamson defied his pesky elbow again and monstered it over midwicket, Kieron Pollard-style, for six. From being on seven off 13 balls, Williamson rattled off a 32-ball half-century.Starc vs Williamson: round two. Starc went full and wide from over the wicket, Williamson knew third man was up and unleashed a devil-may-care slash, sending an outside edge flying between the keeper and short third man. Fast, full and wide again, Williamson went for a roundhouse leg-side swipe as the ball plinked over short third man again for four.Williamson was rewarded for attacking intent and game-awareness, something that was missing from New Zealand in the early exchanges. They had let the first two overs of Maxwell drift by, taking only 14 runs off him.

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Match highlights of the Men’s T20 World Cup final is available in English, and in Hindi (USA only).

Starc then shifted his lines straighter and cut down his pace, but Williamson had anticipated it. He jumped across off and shovelled it over midwicket by manufacturing his own pace. Like Starc, Jasprit Bumrah often directs his full balls or yorkers at the stumps and pushes his slower balls wider of off. Williamson had trumped Bumrah in fairly similar fashion at Seddon Park in January 2020.All up, Williamson hit Starc for 39 off 12 balls and finished with 85 off 48 balls. According to ESPNcricinfo’s Smart Stats, which adds context to every performance, his contribution was actually worth 103 runs. Williamson gave New Zealand hope, only for it to be crushed by Marsh and David Warner.Kane Williamson and his team-mates troop off after losing the final•Getty ImagesThe pair maximised the powerplay and smashed 92 together off 59 balls for the second wicket in Australia’s pursuit of 173. Warner short-arm pulled Tim Southee for six. He straight-pulled Ish Sodhi for four. Marsh slammed Adam Milne 6, 4, 4 before he, too, laid into Sodhi. Australia finished it off with eight wickets and seven balls to spare.”Yeah, look, I thought the efforts that went in were outstanding,” Williamson said at the post-match press conference. “The guys worked hard to get to what we thought was a competitive total. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to create many opportunities and get those breakthroughs.”It was a little bit frustrating. We sort of thought on that surface that we had a few opportunities to do that and build some pressure. I think we’ve seen the conditions throughout be fairly consistent, and the ball did skid on a little bit. But the Aussies were outstanding in their chase and very, very clinical. They have had a fantastic campaign, and they are a brilliant side and they thoroughly deserved it.”The T20 World Cup – and the night – ended in Dubai with Australia celebrating wildly under firework-filled skies and Williamson quietly led New Zealand off the field, perhaps with a teasing thought, about what might have been.

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