Home Blog Page 489

Review of first week of WBBL

Charbel Coorey
-
0

The first week of the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) has showcased how far women’s sport has come, and where it is heading.

A few years ago, if you scored at 5-6 per over, you did well. Now, the women are posting the highest ever Big Bash scores, combining both the men’s and women’s competition. To paint a picture, in WBBL edition 1, two years go, the highest score posted was 190/7 by Brisbane Heat in the eighth game. No side bettered this score in the remaining 50+ matches.
In this edition, here are some of the scores we’ve witnessed in the first week:
  • 200/6 – Sydney Thunder v Melbourne Renegades
  • 189/6 – Melbourne Renegades v Sydney Thunder
  • 183/3 – Adelaide Strikers v Hobart Hurricanes
  • 242/4 – Sydney Sixers v Melbourne Stars
  • 188/6 – Perth Scorchers v Brisbane Heat
In just 10 games, there have five scores over 180, including two 200+ scores. 
What about the individual performances? Jess Cameron’s magnificent 81 off 47 balls in the first game nearly enabled Melbourne Renegades to chase down 200 set by the Thunder. Ellyse Perry scored 91* off 49 in the third match for the Sydney Sixers. If Perry achieved this a year or two ago, it would easily be the highest score in the innings, and would no doubt have given her the player of the match award. Amazingly, it wasn’t even the best performance – Perry was surpassed by Ashleigh Gardner’s 114 in 52 balls. A game later, Natalie Sciver hit 84 off just 46 balls for Perth, followed by Delissa Kimmince who hit 87* of 54 balls, nearly seeing Brisbane Heat home in a chase of 189. Think that would be it? Think again! In the next game, New Zealand legend Suzie Bates scored 102* off 65 balls for Adelaide v Hobart. The next best score in that game was 43. 
Record performances have also been matched by record crowd and television figures. Nearly 9,000 fans flocked the gates at North Sydney Oval to watch the four games there, and television audiences last week were 59% higher than this time last season. At the peak, an audience of 629,000 tuned in to the action.
The best part? There is still plenty of action to come, and if the first week is evidence of what is to come, we are in for an awesome ride. WBBL edition three promises to be amazing, with no limit to what these stars can achieve. 
Here’s to women’s sport.
—– 
Thank you for reading this piece! Follow CricBlog on Twitter and Instagram.

7 Facts from Rohit Sharma’s amazing 208

Charbel Coorey
-
0

India bounced back emphatically after their poor performance in the 1st ODI, thumping Sri Lanka by 141 runs in the 2nd ODI in Mohali.

They were led by Rohit Sharma’s incredible double century, in just his second match as captain. Rohit Sharma wanted to make amends for India’s terrible batting performance in the Dharmasala, and Sri Lanka simply had no answers.

Here are seven facts from Rohit Sharma’s incredible innings:

Second ever double century by an ODI captain

After receiving criticism after the 1st ODI, Rohit Sharma had to respond in India’s must-win match. He responded incredibly, scoring the second ever double century in ODIs by a captain, after Virender Sehwag.
What was impressive is that he took the game by the scruff of the neck – by replacing Virat Kohli as India captain for this series, Rohit not only needed to display the necessary man management skills, but also the batting firepower that India will miss with Kohli rested. He delivered, and propelled India a near impossible total for Sri Lanka to chase.

Third double century in ODIs

Rohit Sharma reached his third double century in ODIs. 
No other player in history has more than one! Out of seven double centuries in ODI cricket, Rohit has three of them.
Out of seven double centuries in ODIs, Rohit has three.

Outright fourth on list of Indian ODI centurions

Rohit Sharma’s special 208 was his 16th ODI century, going past the very special Virender Sehwag in the process. Next in his sights is Sourav Ganguly, who scored 22 ODI hundreds.
Most ODI hundreds for India:
Sachin Tendulkar (49)
Virat Kohli (32)
Sourav Ganguly (22)
Rohit Sharma (16)

First hundred: 115 balls. Second hundred: 36 balls

Rohit Sharma’s first hundred was somewhat steady, reaching the mark in 115 balls. After that, he went crazy, hitting 11 sixes and 3 fours, and treated Sri Lanka as if it was a training session.

100 in the last 10 overs

Rohit Sharma is the second player in ODI history to have hit at least 100 on their own in the last 10 overs of an ODI innings on two occasions. AB De Villiers is the other player.
Sri Lanka has been the unfortunate opposition both times.

Most sixes in a calendar year for India

During his 208, Rohit Sharma went past Sachin Tendulkar in terms of the most sixes hit by an Indian batsman in a calendar year.
Rohit Sharma has now hit 45 sixes – 5 more than Sachin Tendulkar’s previous record of 40 in 1998.

17 years 

The last time an Indian opener scored at least six ODI centuries in a calendar year was Sourav Ganguly back in 2000. 
—-
A truly magnificent day for Rohit Sharma and India.
Can Sri Lanka somehow fight back in the deciding 3rd ODI? Will be hard to see considering Rohit pummeled Sri Lanka all over the park, which has surely impacted Sri Lanka psychologically as well.
Thank you for reading this piece! Follow CricBlog on Twitter and Instagram.

3rd Ashes Test Preview: Australia v England

Charbel Coorey
-
0

The 3rd Test of this series will be the last ever Test at the WACA in Perth, and last chance for England to keep their Ashes hopes alive.

England have embarrassed themselves off the field in recent times, with more high school like behaviour from their players. Joe Root, instead of being a cricket captain, must be thinking he is the principal of a school gone wild, with students distracted from the task at hand. Cutting a frustrated figure, Joe Root has reminded his team that they need to produce “the game of their lives”.

Their on-field performances in the Ashes aren’t much of an improvement on their off-field struggles. To be fair, the Australian side they are playing is far from invincible. This Australian side has plenty of flaws that England just haven’t been good enough to exploit.

Joe Root’s decision to bowl first in Adelaide immediately cried out “we’re taking the safe option”. I say this with confidence looking at England’s length in the first innings – they were way too short and it was terrible to see. They got it right in the second innings, but the game was as good as gone by then.

England resorted to plenty of chat in the 2nd Test, but didn’t work.

Perth represents their last chance to keep their Ashes hopes alive. In this Test, every decision and move England make simply has to be right. The fade outs we’ve seen in Brisbane and Adelaide can’t be repeated. Jonny Bairstow has successfully been head-butted moved up the order. The seamers need to pitch the ball up straight away, and England’s top order needs to really go big. To keep the Ashes alive, England only need to break a run of seven straight Test losses in Australia and a winless run in Perth stretching back to 1986. No pressure….

What about Australia? Does Mitchell Marsh have something on Darren Lehmann that can’t out to the public? An interesting selection to say the least, and despite a good run of form in Shield cricket, England certainly won’t mind seeing Marsh in the line up at 5 or 6. If Australia are 3 down for not many, will they be confident in Marsh’s ability to dig them out of a hole? Batting is the main reason he has been selected  – Australia’s bowlers have showed no signs that they are struggling with four bowlers and the weather in Perth isn’t expected to be too hot over the five days.

Can Mitchell Marsh transfer his Shield form to the Test arena?

Australia’s batting will be under the spotlight again after a second innings capitulation that gave England hope of a stunning comeback win. With a return to the red ball, and Perth’s Test tracks in recent years being quite flat, I expect Australia’s batsmen to get back into form pretty quickly. Also, in Perth, Australia’s pace advantage over England’s bowlers will count for plenty.

Key to an Australia win

Get ahead on days one and two.
Put simply – England’s best chance of victory is if they play from in front. Australia would love nothing more than to put England on the back foot straight away in a do-or-die game for the Poms.
Bat first? Big first innings runs on offer against an attack that thrives on slower, seaming conditions.
Bowl first? Target England with pace and bounce…

Key to an England win

There is more chance of snow falling in Perth than this happening, but you never know.
England’s key to victory is more from Alastair Cook and Joe Root. Cook will play his 150th Test, an amazing achievement and will be keen to keep a few unfair critics quiet, namely the man who will be in the commentary box, Kevin Pietersen. Joe Root needs a century – his conversion rate is the worst our of the “big four” and there is no better time than now to improve on it.

Predicted teams:

For Australia, expect to see Mitchell Marsh replace Peter Handscomb, who has predictably found England’s attack difficult with his technique. Should be no changes otherwise.
Australia XI: 1 Cameron Bancroft, 2 David Warner, 3 Usman Khawaja, 4 Steve Smith (c), 5 Shaun Marsh, 6 Mitchell Marsh, 7 Tim Paine (wk), 8 Patrick Cummins, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Nathan Lyon
For England, should Craig Overton play? Despite his decent effort in Adelaide, England need some pace in Perth, but it looks like he’ll be persisted with… and finally, Jonny Bairstow will make a move up the order.
England XI: 1 Alastair Cook, 2 Mark Stoneman, 3 James Vince, 4 Joe Root (c), 5 Dawid Malan, 6 Jonny Bairstow, 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Craig Overton, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 James Anderson

Stats & Facts:

  • England’s last Test win at the WACA came in 1978, and since 1986, they’ve lost every Test there.
  • Alastair Cook will become the first player from England, and eighth in Test history, to play 150 Tests. The criticism from Kevin Pietersen, calling Cook to retire, is unfair, disappointing and suggests some jealousy.
  • Only once has a team come from 2-0 down to win the Ashes – this was way back in 1936-37. Don Bradman scored 270, 212 and 169 in the remaining three Tests of that series.
  • Stuart Broad needs seven wickets to reach 400 Test wickets, and will be the second England player to the mark after James Anderson.
  • If England lose this Test, they will equal their worst ever losing run in Tests in Australia (8), set way back in 1920-21.
  • David Warner in Perth: 5 Matches, 803 runs, average 89.22.

Prediction:

It’s hard to see how England will trouble Australia. At the moment, England lack the firepower and pace with the ball, and the batting looks very thin.
Australia to reclaim the Ashes once again in Perth with a win.
Thank you for reading this piece! Follow CricBlog on Twitter and Instagram.

2nd ODI Preview: India v Sri Lanka – India will be shocked into action

Charbel Coorey
-
0

What on earth happened to India in the first game?

After losing the toss, but batting first as they wished, India capitulated to an unbelievable 29/7 against a team that had won 4 ODIs out of 26 in 2017, with three coming against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. What excuse could be made for such a dismal batting performance? Are India so incapable of playing the moving ball? Even though India’s Test team is vastly different to the ODI team, we can’t forget that in the first innings of the recent Kolkata Test, India were bundled out for 172 on a seaming pitch.

With the Mohali pitch also expected to seam around a little, India must get their batting right without Virat Kohli. The big shots may need to be eliminated early in the innings – this may be a game where singles and twos dominate, and rightly so.

Despite India’s terrible performance, nothing should be taken away from Sri Lanka. Like the first innings of the first Test, Suranga Lakmal was absolutely superb. One thing about Lakmal is that if he is presented with helpful conditions, he will take full advantage of it, displaying wonderful seam and swing to dismantle India’s line up.

Some say India v Sri Lanka contests are getting boring, but quite a bit of spice has been added to this series after a shock result in the 1st match. With not having won a single ODI series this year, including being whitewashed in five-game ODI series on three separate occasions, Sri Lanka have the opportunity to cause a massive series upset in Mohali.

Key to an India win

I don’t think of myself as a genius when I write this….. but India’s batting will be under the spotlight. It’s pretty obvious, and without Virat Kohli, they face a big challenge.

Put simply, being reduced to 29/7 at home against a team with one of the worst calendar year records in ODI history (which included 12 straight defeats and the worst bowling average in history) is an embarrassment. Rohit Sharma’s leadership skills will be put to the test – how does he get his team to bounce back after something like that?

It starts with mindset. India’s approach in the first ODI suggested they thought they were playing on a flat pitch. India has been flooded with high scoring ODIs over the past six years or so, but when the conditions are offering plenty for the bowlers, rotating the strike, rather than boundary hitting, is the name of the game. MS Dhoni was superb, but India will want to use him as a finisher, rather than trying to clean up a huge mess left by the top order.

India’s top five scored a combined 13 runs. Put simply, you’re not going to win any games with numbers like that. How will India approach the game? Will they be confident batting first? Will they resort to chasing? Whatever happens, India’s top order must improve on their first up effort.

Key to a Sri Lanka win

There have not been many Sri Lanka wins in ODIs in 2017, but preying on India’s vulnerabilities is key to helping them win in Mohali to wrap up the series.
If Sri Lanka can get an early wicket or two with the ball, it will put India right on the back foot straight away because of what happened a few days ago. Suranga Lakmal was superb, and will need to follow up his effort with another good performance. Also, all of Sri Lanka’s bowlers were impressive in demolishing India for 112.
If Sri Lanka concede a big total, I doubt that their batting is good enough to withstand the challenge of a big total. Their bowling is key.

Predicted teams

For India, I mentioned before the 1st ODI that Ajinkya Rahane should play. India should try fit him in somewhere but otherwise, India probably wouldn’t look to make too many changes.
India: 1 Rohit Sharma (c), 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Shreyas Iyer, 4 Dinesh Karthik/Ajinkya Rahane, 5 Manish Pandey, 6 MS Dhoni (wk), 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal
For Sri Lanka, continuity has not been their strong point in 2017. However, I think one change should be made – Lahiru Thirimanne out for either Kusal Perera or Dhananjaya de Silva, if fit.
Sri Lanka: 1 Upul Tharanga, 2 Dinushka Gunathilaka, 3 Kusal Perera/Dhananjaya de Silva, 4 Angelo Mathews, 5 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 6 Asela Gunaratne, 7 Thisara Perera (c), 8 Sachith Pathirana, 9 Suranga Lakmal, 10 Akila Dananjaya, 11 Nuwan Pradeep.

Stats and Facts

  • India’s 112 was their third lowest ever at home their margin of defeat (176 balls remaining) was their worst ever at ODIs at home.
  • A loss in Mohali would mean India’s seven ODI series winning streak will come to an end.
  • Sri Lanka’s win in the 1st ODI was their first win v India in India since 2009.
  • Sri Lanka haven’t beaten India in a bilateral ODI series since 1997.
  • MS Dhoni is 109 runs away from becoming the fourth fastest to 10,000 ODI runs.
  • Sri Lanka’s last bilateral ODI series win came all the way back in June 2016 against Ireland. Their last win against a Test playing nation (at the time) came over two years ago vs West Indies at home.
  • Angelo Mathews needs 63 runs to reach 5,000 ODI runs.

Prediction

India are under a bit of pressure to get things right after an awful performance in the 1st ODI.
Despite the result, they are still a better side than Sri Lanka in my opinion. India have a habit of fighting back when they must win and should do enough here to level the series 1-1. It promises to be an interesting contest.
Thank you for reading this piece! Follow CricBlog on Twitter and Instagram.

What did the world look like when West Indies last won a Test in New Zealand?

Charbel Coorey
-
0

The wait continues for disappointing West Indies.

They played promising cricket in England and Zimbabwe, and raised hopes of a revival. However, West Indies came to New Zealand without a Test win in the country since 1996 and it was fair to say that this series would give us an accurate representation of where the West Indies are at.

Can we say they have improved significantly? No.

They have no achieved the same series result (2-0 loss) in their last three tours to New Zealand, and have not even won a Test match there since 1996.

It’s been so long and the world has changed so much, so it is of interest to me to share how the world looked back then and how much its changed since.

The big events in 1996, the year West Indies last won a Test in New Zealand:

  • Spice Girls released their first single “Wannabe”, which was the number one song in 37 countries. To paint a picture of how long it’s been since the West Indies won a Test in NZ, the Spice Girls were done by 2000 and came back for stints in 2007-08 and 2012.
  • Seinfeld, Frasier and Friends were some of the top TV shows in the world. The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, starring Will Smith, aired its final show.
These guys were doing their thing when West Indies last won in NZ…
  • In 1996, there was said to be 257,601 websites, with about 36 million internet users across the globe. Since West Indies last won a Test in NZ, another 1.2 billion websites and 3.4 billion internet users have changed the world. Facebook itself has over 2 billion users.
  • The “Macarena” was the number one song in 1996!
  • Independence Day was the biggest film and Nintendo 64 was just released…
  • Bill Clinton was President of the United States of America.
  • The Nokia 8110 was the phone to have!
This phone was considered revolutionary the last time WI won a Test in NZ
The world has changed significantly since 1996, but unfortunately for West Indies, their poor record in New Zealand hasn’t. 
I shouldn’t take away from a good result for New Zealand. From this series, here are some of the key highlights that will make New Zealand fans smile:
  • Trent Boult became the second fastest New Zealander to 200 Test wickets, reaching the mark in his 52nd Test. Only Richard Hadlee is ahead, reaching the figure in 44 Tests.
  • Ross Taylor now has the equal most Test centuries by a New Zealand player (17). He has equalled Martin Crowe and Kane Williamson.
  • Since 2012, New Zealand have won 100% of their Test series against teams ranked fourth or lower (5/5).
  • Colin de Grandhomme scored the fastest maiden Test century in history. This was also the second-fastest by a New Zealander (fastest – 54 balls by Brendon McCullum).
  • Neil Wagner took 14 wickets in this series, which the fifth highest by a New Zealander in a two match series. Daniel Vettori tops this list (20 v Bangladesh in 2004/05), followed by Chris Martin (18) and Chris Cairns (17).
All in all, a series that was important for both teams ending with an easy New Zealand win. It is a shame for New Zealand that their next Test won’t be until March against England, as this win would have created some nice momentum. For West Indies, their wait for a Test win in New Zealand continues. Can they turn things around in the limited overs series?
Thank you for reading this piece! Follow CricBlog on Twitter and Instagram.

1st ODI: India v Sri Lanka – How will India go without Kohli?

Charbel Coorey
-
0

It’s something we are all not used to… Virat Kohli missing a match for India.

Since July 2016, India have played 43 international matches, and Kohli has played 42 of them, only missing a single Test against Australia earlier in 2017 due to a shoulder injury. The man is almost superhuman, maintaining unbelievable form over this period in all formats, becoming the only player in world cricket to average 50+ in all three formats in his career.

India will miss Kohli, but it’s the right time to have a rest considering the South Africa tour is fast approaching. For India to have a chance in that series, Kohli needs to be at his best. Also, a fantastic opportunity awaits for Rohit Sharma to show his leadership skills against a Sri Lanka side that has had an awful year in ODIs.

It will also be interesting to see what combination India go with in their batting order. Who will take up the number three position? Is Dinesh Karthik India’s solution to their no. 4 issue? Does Shreyas Iyer and Minesh Pandey get a game?

The big one for me – Ajinkya Rahane should play a number three to help him find some sort of form ahead of South Africa.

Without Kohli, Sri Lanka would have some hope of causing an upset. However, India still look a strong side in home conditions and Sri Lanka have had a year to forget in limited overs cricket. Incidentally, Sri Lanka are without a win in ODIs since chasing down 320+ against India in the Champions Trophy, and are now on a run of 12 ODI losses in a row.

Dhananjaya de Silva, the hero of Delhi – the highest scorer in a fourth innings in India as a visiting batsman, will miss the game, which is a huge blow for Sri Lanka. The return of Angelo Mathews to the ODI team will help, and he has hit some form in the Tests and can bowl a few overs. Much will also be asked of Upul Tharanga and Niroshan Dickwella.

Looking at recent form – India have
seven series wins in a row and Sri Lanka 12 ODI losses in a row – it all points to a one-sided series. Can Sri Lanka finally find a combination that works in ODI cricket?

Key to an India win

Despite missing Virat Kohli, India still possess a batting line up that most teams around the world would envy. Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and MS Dhoni are all proven ODI batsmen, and will likely cause Sri Lanka problems.
If India’s bowlers can put the squeeze on Sri Lanka’s batsmen, India will surely go on to win the game. India have the resources to do just that, with Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah two of the finest ODI bowlers going around.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah are two of the finest ODI bowlers.
One question India will have, though, is do they play Axar Patel or Kuldeep Yadav? For me, Yadav should get the nod as he is a more attacking option, and is more likely to pick up wickets in the important middle overs.

Key to a Sri Lanka win

Pray?
In all seriousness, Sri Lanka would be feeling good about not seeing Virat Kohli in the Indian line up. However, their batting and bowling has simply been shocking in recent times in ODI cricket, and has just not given their bowlers a chance.
Kusal Perera should play and be given the license to play with freedom. For Sri Lanka to stand a chance, they must play fearless cricket. This is why the likes of Upul Tharanga (who did well in the UAE), Niroshan Dickwella and Angelo Mathews are so important for Sri Lanka’s chances.

Predicted teams:

India: 1 Rohit Sharma (c), 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Ajinkya Rahane, 4 Dinesh Karthik, 5 Shreyas Iyer, 6 MS Dhoni (wk), 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal

Sri Lanka: 1 Upul Tharanga, 2 Danushka Galathilaka, 3 Kusal Perera, 4 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 5 Angelo Mathews, 6 Thisara Perera (c), 7 Asela Gunaratne, 8 Sachith Pathirana, 9 Suranga Lakmal, 10 Nuwan Pradeep, 11 Akila Dhananjaya

Stats & Facts:

  • India have won their last seven ODI series in a row, while Sri Lanka have lost their last 12 ODIs.
  • The last time Sri Lanka played an ODI in India, Rohit Sharma scored 264.
  • In 2017, Sri Lanka have played 26 ODIs. They have won just 4 and lost 21. Where teams have played a minimum of 20 ODIs in a year, Sri Lanka’s bowling average is the worst in history (46.96), going past Bangladesh’s 43.52 in 2003.
  • Recently, India thrashed Sri Lanka 5-0 on Sri Lankan soil.
  • Angelo Mathews needs 88 runs to reach 5,000 ODI runs. He will become the 10th Sri Lankan to reach the mark.
  • The last time Sri Lanka beat India in an ODI in India was in 2009. Since then, they have lost 8 out of 9 games v India in India.
  • MS Dhoni needs 174 runs to reach 10,000 ODI runs. He will become the 12th player in history to reach the mark.

Prediction:

Despite India missing Virat Kohli, anything other than an India win will be quite a surprise. 
Sri Lanka’s run in ODIs is awful, and they just have no continuity in their line up, most evident in the fact that they’ve had four captains in ODIs this year. It’s so bad that Dinesh Chandimal, arguably their best player in Tests recently, doesn’t even make the squad for this series.
What chance do Sri Lanka have? Not much at all. India to win well and Rohit Sharma to have an excellent series as captain – both with the bat and as a leader.

Thank you for reading this piece! Follow CricBlog on Twitter and Instagram.

BPL 2017 Finals are here! In-depth look at each team’s chances

Charbel Coorey
-
0

Exciting times in Bangladesh with the finals of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) finally here.

Four good teams make up the final four of the BPL. Comilla Victorians, Dhaka Dynamites, Khulna Titans and Rangpur Riders will all feel they have a shot at winning the tournament. After all, anything can happen in the T20 format, and it promises to be an exciting finals series with the first eliminator beginning on Friday.

Here is an in-depth look at how each team in the final four has a chance of winning the tournament.

Comilla Victorians

Top the table. Need we say more?
9 wins in 12 matches has put Comilla just one game away from the BPL Final. It’s been a team effort by Comilla in the tournament, with no players standing out in the batting and bowling rankings for the tournament. Their best ranked player is Mohammad Saifuddin, who has taken 15 wickets and sits third in the wicket taking list.
Marlon Samuels and Imrul Kayes have been in solid form for the Victorians, and how could you ignore international stars Tamim Iqbal, Jos Buttler, Shoaib Malik and Hasan Ali? What is scary for opposition teams is that Buttler and Ali have even more to offer – especially Buttler who has had a number of low scores in a row. He’s a quality player, and the big games could really bring the best out of him.
Comilla have a good balance in their team – batsmen who can score quickly, seamers who can restrict the runs and spinners who can take wickets – and can definitely go all the way in BPL 2017.
Marlon Samuels has a good track record in big T20 games.

Dhaka Dynamites

Ah… The team that has my favourite cricketer… Shakib Al Hasan. 
I’ll try not to be too biased here but there is lots to like about Dhaka, and a massive showdown against Comilla awaits.
Dhaka possess three of the top seven wicket takers in the tournament – Shakib (1st), Abu Hider (3rd), Shahid Afridi (7th) and the 2nd highest run scorer Evin Lewis (334 runs). Lewis has been a real fine pick up for Dhaka. His strike rate of 160.57 makes him a very dangerous player for the finals. Out of players with at least 200 runs in the tournament, this strike rate is second best. 
A possible concern for Dhaka is their thin batting line up. A lot rests on Shakib and Kieron Pollard. Evidence in the last game, where they were 48/5, suggests that they need to get their batting right. If they can get their batting right, Dhaka’s spin attack can lead them to BPL glory. Sunil Narine and Shahid Afridi, in addition to Shakib is a great spin attack. Then add Pakistan star Mohammad Amir and 3rd highest BPL wicket taker Abu Hider and Dhaka have a really threatening all-round attack.
Dhaka’s net run rate of 1.631 is easily the best in the tournament, which shows they can win big. Can they score the runs required when it counts?
Shakib hit a great 47* and took 2/13 in his last game

Khulna Titans

Khulna would have been hoping for a Dhaka loss in the last game so they finish in that all-important second spot. It wasn’t to be.
Without possessing some of the big names that the other teams have, Khulna have done really well to finish where they have. Their best ranked performer is Abu Jayed, the medium pacer, with 18 wickets (2nd ranked wicket taker). However, his economy rate of 9.05 needs to improve. On the batting front, Mahmudullah sits 7th in the BPL batting charts with 292 runs. He is such an important player for the finals.
With just two Khulna players in the top 15 run scorers and wicket takers, it has been a real team effort, like Comilla Victorians. Khulna, however, will be hoping for plenty from Carlos Brathwaite, the man who famously hit all those sixes against Ben Stokes to win the World T20 last year for West Indies.
Khulna don’t possess the biggest names in world cricket but have played good cricket to get here, and can’t be written off. A big eliminator awaits.
Can Carlos Brathwaite go big in the finals?

Rangpur Riders

Khulna’s opponents for the big eliminator on Friday.
Rangpur have disappointed somewhat in this tournament. They finished with 6 wins and 6 losses. Compared to Khulna, they have bigger names in their side, namely Chris Gayle and Brendon McCullum, who are devastating T20 cricketers but haven’t quite reached their peak yet. 
What is encouraging for Rangpur though is they have two batsmen in the top five run scorers in the BPL. Ravi Bopara leads the run scoring charts, with a fine tally of 365 runs at a great average of 45.62. Mohammad Mithun sits 5th, with just one more run needed to reach 300 runs. 
Can Rangpur’s batting line up click and score big? Do they have enough bowling strength to lead them to BPL glory? What impact will the Bangladesh legend Mashrafe Mortaza have? It remains to be seen.
Can McCullum and Mashrafe deliver for Rangpur?

Prediction:

All four sides have cases as to why they will be BPL 2017 champions.
Comilla and Rangpur have played well as a team, while Dhaka and Rangpur have the big names.
When you consider the conditions, spinners will play an important role. I look at Dhaka’s spin attack and it is really impressive. If their batting can click, Dhaka will be really hard to beat, as they have the firepower with the ball. I predict them to win the whole tournament.
Agree or disagree? Leave a comment!
Thank you for reading this piece! Follow CricBlog on Twitter and Instagram.

Stats highlights – 2nd Ashes Test: Australia beat England

Charbel Coorey
-
0

Australia tried their best to let England back in the game, but eventually ran out winners by 120 runs in the second Ashes Test in Adelaide. The final day promised so much in terms of a close finish, but once Chris Woakes and key man Joe Root were dismissed in quick succession by Josh Hazlewood, the result was a formality.

Despite a fine second innings effort, England paid the price for a defensive approach in the first. England’s decision to bowl first screamed ‘conservative’ and ‘let’s not face Australia’s bowlers right away’. Even worse, England simply bowled too short on the first and second days, and conceded a score which was way too high. They left themselves just too much to do.

Australia were the better side and deserved to win, but are without their own concerns. Their batting collapse in the second innings is something not uncommon to Australia, especially in overseas/challenging batting conditions. England must keep believing that they can somehow retain the Ashes.

I love stats, so here are 6 key stats from the 2nd Ashes Test:

Worst run since 1920-21

England have now lost seven straight Ashes Tests in Australia, dating back to the first Test in their 5-0 series loss in 2013/14. Their worst run is eight, way back in 1920-21.
They must avoid defeat in Perth to avoid equalling this unwanted record and of course, keep their Ashes hopes alive.

Perfect 100%

Australia have now won four out of four day/night Tests. New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa and now England have all fallen prey to the Aussies under lights.
Interestingly, all seven day/night Tests so far have ended in results. Definitely good for Test cricket.

The worst conversion rate among the “big four”

Joe Root made yet another 50+ score without converting to a century. In the second innings, he held the key but couldn’t add to his overnight score of 67. 
Joe Root converts just 27.66% of his 50+ scores to centuries, which is the worst for the “big four”. Interestingly though, he has the most 50+ scores out of these four (48). For England to stand a chance of fighting back in the Ashes, he needs to score hundreds.
Joe Root possess the worst conversion rate among the “big four”

There is a first for everything…

Before this Test, James Anderson had 24 five-wicket hauls in Tests, with none in Australia. In his 15th Test down under, Jimmy Anderson finally picked up his first five-wicket haul with a fine 5/43 in the second innings. He looks unstoppable when the ball swings.

Is Cook “cooked”?

Alastair Cook’s difficult run against Australia has continued.
Cook is without a century against Australia since the final Test of England’s 3-1 series win in 2010/11. Outside of his huge 766 run tally in that series, Cook has scored 1,413 runs at an average of just 27.17 v Australia.
He will play his 150th Test in Perth, and has to step up to keep England in with a shout in this series.

Record Adelaide crowd

173,849 fans flocked the gates across the first four days of the Test, going past the record of 172,361 set way back in 1933!
Fans are still interested in Test cricket, but it has to be more appealing. Day/Night Test cricket is certainly appealing. A fair battle between bat and ball is appealing. Four Day Tests aren’t the answer – competitive conditions is.
—–
Thank you for reading this piece! Follow CricBlog on Twitter and Instagram.

Enough is enough… No more cricket in Delhi

Charbel Coorey
-
0

India v Sri Lanka “contests” in 2017 haven’t offered much to talk about. India are on track to win their fifth Test against Sri Lanka this year out of six Tests. It’s been horribly one-sided.

What’s also horrible is how Delhi is still getting international matches. This Test has been an absolute farce and a terrible advert for cricket, with the poor Sri Lankans understandably struggling with the extremely poor air quality of the Indian capital. What’s been more disappointing is some of the reactions.

Players have been feeling unwell and throwing up. Coaching staff have had to put the whites on because there aren’t enough healthy fielders. Players got the masks out. What sort of advert for cricket is that?

Why do administrators not take into account the health of the players when scheduling series? Too much cricket is not a problem for administrators because it brings in the money, but surely the health of the players needs to be considered?

What’s even worse is Team India claiming Sri Lanka were deliberately trying to waste time. As a cricket fan, that’s infuriating to see. Sri Lanka have played India five times previously in Tests in 2017, and didn’t “waste” any time. But all of a sudden, in the most polluted city in the world, Sri Lanka are wasting time. How does that work? Does the image of Suranga Lakmal vomiting above suggest wasting time?

Sri Lanka players struggle with the Delhi pollution

The Air Quality Index (AQI), an index that reports daily air quality, showcases Delhi as the worst major city in the world in terms of air pollution. An AQI of 0-50 shows that the air is very clean. An AQI of 301-500 shows hazardous Air Quality.

Under a month ago, on November 8, Delhi’s AQI was said to be around the 400 mark, which is extreme. Some reporting stations even reported an AQI of 999, such is the extreme nature of Delhi’s pollution. This represents a major, and potentially fatal, health risk and yet cricket is scheduled there?

Even worse, Sri Lanka were said to be wasting time. An argument has been that Virat Kohli batted for hours and didn’t require a mask, but this doesn’t mean he or any Indian player is not affected by the air quality. It is said that breathing in the Delhi air is like smoking 50 cigarettes a day, and remember, the Sri Lankan cricketers are not used to conditions like these. Just because someone is going on about their business as normal doesn’t mean their health isn’t affected. If you smoke one cigarette, you won’t feel the impact right away. But when you start smoking 50 a day, which is equivalent to breathing in the Delhi air, your health will really begin to suffer.

This should be a lesson for all future series. The health and safety of the players must come first. Even if a player doesn’t seem affected, he is. Cricketers aren’t different to the millions of people who are sick due to the Delhi air.

It’s time to see the BCCI take a stance for the better. No more cricket in Delhi until the air quality improves significantly. We should never see what we have seen in this Test.

Rant over.

—–

Thank you for reading this piece! Follow CricBlog on Twitter and Instagram.

EXCLUSIVE: Footage of Jonny Bairstow’s headbutt on Cameron Bancroft has appeared

Charbel Coorey
-
0

Footage has surfaced of Jonny Bairstow’s headbutt on Cameron Bancroft in a Perth bar about a month ago.

In a huge revelation, third umpire Marais Erasmus judged the impact of the headbutt using “Snicko”, and the impact was significant.

Jonny Bairstow backed this up, saying “it was huge impact. After Ben Stokes was involved in a brawl outside a bar, the coach told us to ‘use our heads’, so I went ahead and did just that. However, it’d be better if we can get a few big snickos off the Australian’s bats rather than their heads.”

Here is the footage:

England captain Joe Root showed full support for Jonny Bairstow. “Jonny was just following our coach’s instructions. After losing Benny Stokes, we didn’t want to lose another key player, so Jonny did the right thing in ‘using his head.’
It will be interesting to see what comes out of this.
——
Thank you for reading this piece! Follow CricBlog on Twitter and Instagram.

Another post you might like:


1...488489490...497Page 489 of 497