Plays of the Day from the third day of the third Test between England and South Africa at Lord’s

George Dobell and Firdose Moonda at Lord's18-Aug-2012Disappointment of the Day
Despite the heightened sense of competitiveness in which this match has been played, it seemed that just about every one of the 30,000 spectators at Lord’s, supporting either side, was willing Jonny Bairstow to reach his maiden Test century. Starting his innings under such pressure – as the man who replaced Kevin Pietersen, with his team teetering at 54 for 4 and his reputation against the short ball far from assured – Bairstow withstood everything that was thrown at him by an excellent South Africa fast-bowling unit and earned his side a foothold in a game that was slipping from their grasp. South Africa bowled with great skill and discipline on the third day, however, and as Bairstow’s run-scoring opportunities dwindled so his nervousness in approaching three figures grew. He scored only one run in the last 40 minutes of his innings and none from his final 15 deliveries. Finally, frustrated and anxious, he attempted to play across the line and was bowled by a full delivery from the deserving Morne Morkel. Still, Bairstow had given his side hope and provided an excellent demonstration of the qualities required to prosper at this level.Overrule of the Day
To say that umpire Kumar Dharmasena has endured a poor game would be like stating that the Titanic had run into a spot of bother with an iceberg. His latest error came when he gave Graeme Swann out leg-before for 12 off the bowling of Dale Steyn to reduce England to 264 for 8. England utilised the DRS, however, which showed that the ball would have bounced over the stumps. It may prove to be a vital moment: Swann went on to score 37 and helped England’s tail add another 51 runs and carve out a small first-innings lead. In a relatively low scoring game, such contributions may yet prove vital. Dharmasena redeemed himself a little later in the day with three tough, correct, not-out lbw decisions in an over from Swann.Drop of the Day
South Africa were 49 for 1 and Hashim Amla had scored just 1 when, in attempting to turn a short ball from Stuart Broad down to fine leg, he gloved a chance to the left of Matt Prior. England’s wicketkeeper was unable to cling on, however, and Amla was able to extend South Africa’s lead to 139. It may prove to be the final nail in the coffin of England’s hopes of retaining their No. 1 Test status.Ball of the Day
Vernon Philander has had little to show for his consistency over the last three matches but he made his presence felt with a delivery that summed up why he has had so much success before. South Africa took the new ball as soon as it became available and Philander benefitted both from his own skill and Prior’s impatience. He bowled a full delivery, which swung away and Prior had a nibble, without giving himself any time to assess the bowling with the new nut. His thick outside edge found Jacques Kallis at second slip, who took it at a good height. The over before that Steyn had also tempted Prior with the old ball that he was able to get late movement on. All it took was a slightly shinier one and for Philander to make it move dramatically and Prior was a marked man.Duel of the Day
With an eye to taking early wickets, Andrew Strauss brought Swann on in the tenth over. Swann flighted the ball in an attempt to draw Graeme Smith out and force him to play on his less-favoured off side. The battle that followed was enthralling. Swann beat Smith’s outside edge, once so closely that Strauss thought there was a kiss of bat or glove and asked for a review as Smith pushed uncertainly in front of him. The South Africa captain seemed to have settled when he struck a square drive off a wide delivery but the very next ball, Swann won the war. Smith swept a delivery that was angled in and missed. He thought about reviewing, perhaps on the suspicion that he was outside the line but replays showed he was just inside and would have had to go anyway.

ESPNcricinfo presents the Plays of the Day from the Super Eights match between India and South Africa

Andrew Fernando in Colombo02-Oct-2012The heave
Three batsmen in India’s top five were bowled playing ugly shots, but Virender Sehwag will cringe the most when he sees a replay. He came down the pitch to Robin Peterson and, although Sehwag does not need to reach the pitch of a delivery to play a good shot as most batsmen do, swiped rashly across the line and missed the ball by a good six inches.The trip
Fielders are taught to watch the ball into their hands but Dale Steyn might have done well to keep a slightly better eye on his surroundings as well when Yuvraj Singh launched Johan Botha over long-off in the sixth over. So intent was Steyn on completing the catch, he did not realise he was right on the boundary, and he tripped over it with arms outstretched, almost colliding with the hoardings. The worst thing was, the ball cleared the ropes by a good eight metres.The sweep
The slog-sweeping of a medium-pace bowler is becoming more common but few batsmen can control the stroke, given the pace of the delivery. But that’s exactly what MS Dhoni did when Jacques Kallis pitched one full in the final over of India’s innings. Dhoni knelt and played a conventional sweep to Kallis, and the ball didn’t leave the carpet until it hit the boundary.The one-two
Peterson was caught at point playing a reverse-sweep off R Ashwin, but received a reprieve when it was discovered, upon review, that Ashwin had bowled a front-foot no-ball. The next ball was a free hit, and Peterson thought he’d attempt the stroke once more, but with Ashwin bowling flatter and faster, it turned out even worse for the batsman, and he had a stump uprooted.The cheer
India have become Sri Lanka’s nemesis over the last two years and the home crowd have realised that, at present, India seem to have the mental edge. As a result, the biggest cheer of the evening was reserved for a single, remarkable only because it was the run that took South Africa to 122 and put Pakistan in the semi-finals ahead of India. Sri Lanka fans added their voice to the Pakistan supporters celebrating in the stadium – though they are unlikely to be cheering with such unity when the teams play each other on Thursday.

He may be on the fringes of South Africa’s Test side but Lonwabo Tsotsobe still has a lot to contribute

Firdose Moonda11-Aug-2012Lonwabo Tsotsobe is under no illusions. He knows he will not play in the third Test against England at Lord’s unless there is an injury. But it did not stop him from running in faster than he has done in recent memory, bowling at a better pace or conducting himself as though he was on trial.”We’ve got 15 good players in our squad and you just wait for your chance and take it with both hands. I am always ready to take the chance,” Tsotsobe said after the drawn tour match against Derbyshire.They are not words locals would associate with the Tsotsobe they knew. He was given a chance, by Essex last season, and quite clearly did not want it. It was against Derby that Tsotsobe threw the chance away when he bowled so forgettably that people still remember it: off a few paces with a distinct sense of lethargy. He fielded as though he’d rather not be there and a few days later, he got his wish when Essex booted him out.Back home, he was highly regarded as a limited-overs bowler and had taken baby steps in the Test side and his conduct on the county circuit barely registered. He did not say much in the local press about his unhappy time at Essex, apart from his outburst on Twitter that caused all the trouble in the first place, and continued to turn in good performances for South Africa.Before Vernon Philander was picked, Tsotosbe was the third seamer in the Test side and he had not disgraced himself in that role. He took the wickets of Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid and MS Dhoni in the Test match in Durban and was building a reputation as a giant slayer of sorts.Tsotsobe was not spoken about in the same way as someone like Marchant de Lange, who made an impact months later against the touring Australians, because he was not nearly as quick. Qualities such as subtlety are often underappreciated but it was what Tsotsobe used to his advantage.Philander, who also relies on skilful rather than spectacular bowling, was chosen ahead of Tsotsobe and his extraordinary success saw him take the third seamer’s role. When Philander was injured, for the Boxing Day Test of 2011, de Lange was picked ahead of Tsotsobe and became the year’s most successful debutant with a return of 7 for 84 in the first innings. De Lange was then picked in the squads for New Zealand and England – from where he had to return home with a lower back injury – and Tsotsobe slipped down the pecking order.He has forced himself back up with strong showings in the tour matches, starting with his 3 for 46 against Somerset at Taunton, his economical 1 for 38 against Kent and his four-for at Derby. Although those hauls won’t see him perform a coup over one of the first-choice seamers, they can ensure he keeps the pressure on them. “It’s always a good thing to have competition because it pushes guys to the limits,” he said. “It pushes the guys who are playing to perform in the matches and guys on the outside to keep doing well when they get a chance.”Tsotsobe also appears to have picked up some speed but says he done nothing different in terms of action or approach. What he has worked on is his “fitness”, evident in his leaner physique and zippy work in the field.He has also taken on additional chores, such as sharing drinks duties with the rest of the fringe players, and although he has not been called on as a substitute fielder yet he has been made as much a part of things as anyone else. Faf du Plessis spoke of the sense of inclusion in the South Africa squad and how every member feels wanted and worthwhile.Tsotsobe is no different. On match day, he can be spotted chatting to Philander, gesturing and perhaps even advising the seamer. In spare moments he is bowling with Allan Donald either in the nets or on the practice pitches, something Tsotsobe did not usually do before.If South Africa rise to No. 1 in the world, he will not be among the players recognised for it but a small part of the victory will also belong to him. He has played a part in the preparation and the build-up and, although few will know it, it may have been one of the more important parts in keeping the rest of the attack on its toes.Tsotsobe said although the squad knows that something big awaits, they are trying to remain as calm as possible in the lead up. “We’ve got good ways of switching off and taking our minds off cricket,” he said. “The boys seem very calm. It’s what got us going in our first Test. We were calm and cool so we’re going to stay in that zone of not being too excited.”

Jacques Kallis has shifted a gear since scoring his first double-century in December 2010. A key factor for this seems to be the presence of Hashim Amla

Firdose Moonda at the Gabba11-Nov-2012Australia debutant Rob Quiney would not have had an inkling that some of his thoughts during Australia A’s match against the touring South Africans in Sydney would apply to Jacques Kallis. But they do.After being dismissed for 85, Quiney suggested that scoring a hundred was just a starting point for batsmen these days and that people who mattered looked for “big scores and for people to bat for long periods of time”. He meant it in terms of his own quest for selection and probably with the knowledge that previous players have accumulated first-class run tallies into the thousands before they were picked for the national side.On the other side of the divide is Kallis, a stalwart of the South African game who has achieved so much that some would argue he has nothing left to prove. Yet, that statement applies aptly to him because recently, a hundred has not been enough.Since his first double-century – remarkably it came after 142 Tests – Kallis has been close to unstoppable. He has scored six hundreds in 13 matches, including another double-ton and three knocks of over 140. It could be a sign of the times, as Quiney hinted, or a maturing of Kallis the batsman, but his want for better scores is insatiable.Kallis could not quite put his finger on what has brought about this run.”I’ve just been batting really well for the last couple of years,” he said. “I’ve been really comfortable, my strike-rate has been higher and I have had a bit of luck as well.”While there may not be an exact science to identify what brought about Kallis’ recent form , two things stand out as clear motivating factors which weren’t there in the past. He is either spurred on by team situations which call for his leadership, or by the confidence of the man at the other end of the wicket. Most often that person is Hashim Amla, and he has played a telling role in Kallis’ form.The first instance was demonstrated against India at Newlands in 2010. South Africa faced a series defeat at home, going into the contest at 1-1 against the then No.1 ranked side in the world. At 34 for 2 in the first innings, Kallis walked in and his knock of 161 took them to safety. Although he suffered a side strain in that match, he returned to score another hundred in the second innings and was instrumental in the eventual draw.His next big score was his second double-century, against Sri Lanka at Newlands. Again, South Africa had a series on the line and were in trouble early at 56 for 2. Kallis had the poise of Alviro Petersen and the audacity of AB de Villiers to partner him through to 224.At the Oval in July, Amla’s role became evident. As he was crafting his way to a record triple-century, Kallis carved out an unbeaten 182. Later, Dale Steyn revealed Kallis’ selflessness when he said Kallis had told the dressing room that he didn’t want the time to go on to complete a third double-hundred, and would prefer Graeme Smith to declare if it meant the team would win.The Brisbane hundred is the fourth big score and again it was with Amla alongside him. The pair has now become South Africa’s leading partnership of all time which is an indicator that the two are comfortable batting together.For a lot of his career, Kallis has not had a stable No.3 above him. The revolving door has seen the likes of Gary Kirsten, Daryll Cullinan, Smith, Jacques Rudolph and Boeta Dippenaar pass through it, and none besides Kirsten enjoyed a fruitful pairing with Kallis. Some, like Smith, were there only to bide time. Others, like Dippenaar, were going to be too fragile to establish themselves in the role permanently. With that in mind, Kallis had to become the default repairer in case things went wrong in the rest of the line-up.His approach had to often steer to the conservative. Once Amla had planted roots into the No.3 spot, Kallis started to show more flamboyance a bit more regularly.Kallis’ centuries are almost perfectly split into two halves: those which came before Amla arrived, and those that were scored after. Kallis played for 11 years before Amla featured in the team and scored 23 centuries in that period. Since Amla cemented his place in the South African side, in 2006, Kallis has scored 21 Test tons.Amla’s presence has contributed to the overall stability of South Africa’s line-up. With Smith a long-time opener and De Villiers also building towards a decade as an international cricketer, South Africa’s line-up has taken on a familiarly dependable shape.Some could think of that as predictable, but for Kallis it seems to have created the environment for him to thrive in. He even speaks about his own batting as a team activity, rather than one done in isolation. “We have been performing well together for a few years now,” he said at the end of the third day’s play. He didn’t add that in particular, he has been outdoing everyone else, but we already know that.

Sri Lanka’s marks out of 10, for the Test series against New Zealand

Andrew Fernando30-Nov-20129.5
Rangana Herath (20 wickets at 13.9)
Rangana Herath is doing his best to fill Sri Lanka’s Murali-shaped void, and reaped Murali-like figures in this series to prove it. He bagged three five-wicket hauls in four innings, and made New Zealand look like school cricketers on a helpful track in Galle. At times he seemed like the only Sri Lanka bowler who could get a wicket, and he bore that pressure well. He has moved up to second place on the world Test bowler’s rankings as a result of his returns in the series.9
Angelo Mathews (210 runs at 70)
Angelo Mathews was Sri Lanka’s best batsman of the series by some distance, and perhaps the first series in which he truly made a mark as a Test batsman. Mathews had the advantage of batting low enough down the order to miss the best of New Zealand’s new-ball bowling, but he didn’t allow his side to slip even further against a spirited attack, and his lowest score in three innings was his first-innings 47 in Colombo. In Galle he put on a vital 156-run stand alongside Mahela Jayawardene to lift Sri Lanka from 50 for 5, but his last innings was his best. Batting to save the Test, Mathews soaked up every ounce of pressure New Zealand threw at him, and might have pulled off a famous innings had either Thilan Samaraweera or Prasanna Jayawardene stuck with him for longer on the fifth day.6.5
Nuwan Kulasekara (7 wickets 26)
The second consecutive series in which he has been Sri Lanka’s best seam bowler, which is particularly impressive considering this is only his second series since being recalled to the Test side. Swung the ball well early in the innings, where he took most of his wickets, but at around 125kph, became friendly once the movement had disappeared. Was rarely wayward however, and though he may never become a strike Test bowler, he has proved he can fulfill an important role for his side through his discipline.6
Thilan Samaraweera (100 runs at 33.33)
A 76 in the first innings at the P Sara ensured Sri Lanka avoided an embarrassing follow-on, and he looked set to defy the visitors alongside Mathews in the second innings, until a mix-up caused his demise. It should also be noted that he batted through pain in both innings after having split webbing in between two fingers in the field. He played the swinging ball better than any other batsman in Sri Lanka’s top five, but did not produce the big score his side expect of him.Mahela Jayawardene (100 runs at 33.33)
Made an important 91 in his first innings of the series, which was also the closest a Sri Lanka batsman came to making a hundred, but he failed to contribute at the P Sara. Appears to still have a major weakness outside off stump, particularly to balls that are pitched short of a length. He will be disappointed with his returns in the series, especially as it was at home.5.5
Dimuth Karunaratne (60 runs at 60)
Made a duck in his first innings in international cricket, but recovered well in the second innings to make a belligerent 60. Appears to be particularly strong on the leg side, and he has earned a trip to Australia, where his technique will be given a thorough examination if he gets a game.4.5
Shaminda Eranga (5 wickets at 38.2)
Was good in the Galle Test where there was movement in the air, but poor in Colombo when the ball did not swing. He was erratic in the second Test, often releasing the pressure that Nuwan Kulasekara had mounted at the other end; though he produced a few good balls in each spell, he lacked the consistency to force mistakes from his opponents. He seems to have the ingredients to become a good international bowler, but has much to learn at this level.4
Prasanna Jayawardene (45 runs at 15)
Kept well but could not contribute meaningfully with the bat until the last day, where he resisted alongside Mathews for 35 overs. Fell to the sweep twice in three innings, and was the only Sri Lanka batsman to be dismissed exclusively by spin in the series. His batting had improved over the past 18 months, but he could not spend enough time at the crease against New Zealand to show that.Tharanga Paranavitana (71 at 23.66)
Scratched around for 40 in the first innings in Colombo, before collecting a duck in the second innings, to go with his zero from the first Test. His is the only position in the Sri Lanka batting order that is under major scrutiny, and he was far from making the place his own in this series. Was again tentative against the moving ball, especially outside his off stump.Suraj Randiv (5 wickets at 46, 48 runs)

A poor series with the ball, and though he was perhaps unlucky to not take more wickets in Galle, his two scalps in Colombo were fortuitous. Continues to bowl too many poor balls, allowing batsmen to feel comfortable against him, and he would do well to work on getting more turn as well. Played a decent innings in Sri Lanka’s first innings in Colombo, and his commitment in the field was excellent as usual.2.5
Tillakaratne Dilshan (19 runs at 9.5, 1 wicket at 19)
Missed the first Test through injury, and failed to make any major contributions in the second. He missed a simple, straight delivery from Tim Southee in the first innings, and could not sustain a positive start to his innings in the second.2
Kumar Sangakkara (21 runs at 7)
It’s a rare series in which Sangakkara fails to make a hundred, let alone a fifty, and he will be livid about his performance against New Zealand. He was unlucky to be bowled off his thigh pad in the final innings, but his hook shot in the first innings at the P Sara was a strange stroke to play on zero, while he will feel he should have played the moving ball better in Galle. He has relinquished his No. 1 batting ranking to Michael Clarke, partly due to this lean trot.

From Anonymous, United States of America
Ganguly’s recent comments have angered many

Cricinfo25-Feb-2013Anonymous, United States of America
Ganguly’s recent comments have angered many. Clearly he has vented his frustration taking advantage of the fact that he is playing his last series. He would have told these to the world sooner or later, but announcement of his retirement has accelerated the outburst. I think nobody should deny that it is natural for him to feel the way he feels, the only question being asked is his sense of timing.The dressing room needs to be a tightly knit unit now against the world’s best side. I am actually not so sure about the hairstyle comment referring to Dhoni – he might well have been speaking of Yuvraj in context of the ODI squad. In fact that seems more natural, since most of his anger comes from his omission from the ODI squad. On top of that, add the fact that Dhoni was ICC’s best ODI batsman this year – you have to be really not thinking if you say that about him. So Ganguly was engaging in measured aggression – as Yuvraj is not part of the current dressing room.One has to also consider that he was talking to a Bengali daily in mother tongue probably – it tends to bring out more emotions. The comments might well have been more of a soliloquy uttered in trust instead of spoken for brazen publication. His measured and dignified behavior earlier at the press conference and interviews actually suggests the above. All the critics calling for his head now probably have never gone through the cycle of emotions that he did. Let us give the guy a break. He did lose himself a bit on that occasion.Also, what qualities do you think made him the most successful captain overseas and home? What qualities do you think helped him make the fairytale comeback? Answer is aggression. Every weapon has positive and negative sides – the same aggression that catapults him to achieve the pinnacle of glory also pushes him to be edgy, snobbish looking, and rough with words. I know the answer is proper channelization – but spotting the same qualities that helped bring a new era of belief in Indian cricket messing up a personality pushed to the edge of despair – we can only quietly and maturely wait for him to regain composure.We can feel bad, but being the media and fans, let us not start another round of mud slinging. Tombstones always bear the best words about a person. There is a reason. Let us remember Sourav Ganguly for all his good deeds, and give him the benefit of doubt on the bad ones – as long as the bad ones are not overdone. Anyone with me on that?

He might not have a bagful of wickets on Test debut, but he showed he was more than an unusually tall curiosity

Firdose Moonda18-Feb-2013Whatever the outcome of the third Test between South Africa and Pakistan at Centurion, Misbah-ul-Haq’s men can leave knowing they gave a good account of themselves.At Newlands, Younis Khan and Asad Shafiq posted the highest partnership by an opposition team in South Africa in seven years, Saeed Ajmal took ten wickets in a match to show his ability as the world’s best spinner and Pakistan provided South Africa with their first real challenge of the home summer. Besides that, the impact of Mohammad Irfan will have left a lasting impression.Having watched the seven-footer perform in the ODIs in India, the cricketing public could not wait to see him with red ball in hand. The Wanderers seemed the perfect venue. With a pitch that would offer bounce and carry surely Irfan would be a trump card.Pakistan held him back. Instead, Rahat Ali made his debut, a disappointing one in which he went wicket-less in 25 fairly expensive overs. Misbah-ul-Haq confirmed there was temptation to play Irfan but that the team management felt he still had some development to do before he could be considered ready.In the tour match before the first Test, Irfan couldn’t keep the runs down. Word from the South African invitation side that played against him was that he was imposing but erratic. Some of them said once they got used to the physical presence they were confronted with, he was not too difficult to get away. Adjusting to the fuller length was an obvious challenge.But in the practice game after the Wanderers Test, Irfan came into his own. His opposition was a mixture of players from South Africa’s second-tier first-class tournament (the provincial domestic competition not the franchise one) but he showed he means business. He was restrictive and incisive with 7 for 40 in the match and speculation was rife that he had earned a Test debut.Before the Newlands match, Misbah said Irfan had become better in his follow-up spells which had been a specific area of concern. With Rahat failing to make an impact at the Wanderers and Juniad Khan an injury doubt, Irfan was certain to feature and there was much anticipation when his name appeared in the starting XI.Graeme Smith’s decision to field first meant interested parties still had to wait to see Irfan and his first appearance was made with bat in hand. Immediately, he stood out. Next to the fielders he was a giant, next to his own team-mates the same but it seemed he was a gentle one as he tried to slog Robin Peterson in ungainly fashion and was eventually bowled.His bowling appearance took even longer because he was not given the new ball. His first-innings performance was all but forgotten when Saeed Ajmal started the procession of South African wickets and the spotlight was almost completely off Irfan.But he grabbed some of it. His first Test wicket was the soft dismissal of AB de Villiers who was caught at mid-on. Irfan did not show child-like glee but responded to his success in a measured, mature fashion, befitting a 30-year-old. The only comedy was his team-mates jumping up to high-five him.He came into his own as the match went on and was given the new ball in the second innings. South Africa’s batsmen all said it was “pretty terrifying,” to face him at first. What they also noted was that he was much quicker than they expected and regularly breached the 140kph mark when they thought he was around mid-130s.Although not a quick bowlers’ surface, with no swing on offer and nowhere near the steep bounce that can be expected on South Africa’s Highveld. But Irfan have a solid account of himself which Dav Whatmore was happy with, even though there are some things to work on, as there are with many rookies.His run-up is the biggest one after he overstepped eight times, once for a wicket-taking ball, and was spoken to for running on the pitch. Whatmore dismissed the second of those as being due to “big feet,” and overall said Irfran’s showing satisfied him. “He tried pretty hard,” Whatmore said. “It was his first Test match and the conditions didn’t suit him but he showed he has something.”The something will be seen more clearly at Centurion. That is the ground South Africa usually prepare to assist the quicks and where they have recorded innings wins over India and Sri Lanka in the last two seasons. They may think twice about doing that this time around given the threat Irfan could pose. It may give him an opportunity to perform to his full capabilities which South Africa may not like but the cricketing world definitely will.”He is a hard working cricketer,” Mohammad Akram, Pakistan’s bowling coach, said. “The only words out of his mouth are “I love bowling,” and I think not only Pakistan, but the world will enjoy his bowling.” On the evidence of his first Test, it certainly seems that way.

Even ridiculous hairstyles don’t stop some from being truly blessed

Andy Zaltzman25-Feb-2013

Lady Luck has huge crushes on these two
© AFP
A new Test batting star emerged for England yesterday, to go with the new one-day batting star and new Twenty20 batting star, who also emerged over the last year. Eoin Morgan’s highly attractive three-for-the-price-of-one offer has added to the growing competition for places in a Test side that should soon start to impact even on the seemingly undroppable.The calmness, timing and variety of run-scoring capabilities that Morgan displayed in his excellent and stylish performance bode well for his and England’s future, but his innings also illustrated the BruceReidically slender margins that separate the vintage champagne of success from the budget processed grape juice of failure.A better wicketkeeper than Kamran Akmal (any volunteers? – no previous experience required; candidates should ideally possess their own gloves and, preferably, a willingness either to watch the ball all the way into the those gloves, or to move their feet, preferably both; apply to PCB by next Thursday) would probably have been standing in the right place to catch an edge when Morgan, on 5, played away from his body to another good ball by the brilliant Aamer. He later survived what appeared to be a fairly conclusive lbw appeal when missing a sweep off Shoaib Malik on 35.Hawk-Eye suggested the ball would have hit the inside of leg stump, but, to compound the umpiring error, Pakistan had blown their two referrals trying to get rid of Kevin Pietersen, who seemed to be busy trying to get rid of himself anyway, as Kamran expanded the range of known methods of wicketkeeping ineptitude by demanding a referral for a rejected caught-behind appeal after a ball that had barely passed within conversational distance of the bat.Had Morgan been caught on 5, questions would have been asked about his Test-match technique and his footwork against the swinging ball. Had he been given lbw, he would have failed to convert three consecutive 30-plus scores into half-centuries. Instead of proving his Test credentials, he would have raised further questions about them. Instead of delivering under pressure, he would have failed under pressure. Instead of a “magical maiden ton”. He capitalised brilliantly on his luck, and some low-grade spin bowling, to kickstart his Test career in spectacular style. Pietersen had plenty of good fortune in his innings, but looked like a man who doesn’t play much cricket these days, and did not capitalise.Luck has always been and will always be a fundamental, and fascinating, part of sport, particularly in batting, where a batsman’s bad luck is final (how many centuries would I have scored in my career if I hadn’t been unlucky in 99% of all my innings?), and a batsman’s good luck can make the different between an unremarkable failure and a career-defining success.Some examples: Lara, dropped by Durham wicketkeeper Scott on 18, powerdrills his name into the record books by blasting 501 not out. Gooch snicks Prabhakar at Lord’s in 1990, but Indian keeper More Kamrans the primary-school-level chance, and Gooch goes on to score another 297 runs. Pietersen at The Oval in 2005, on nought, edges Warne – but Gilchrist’s glove deflects the ball away from the waiting Hayden at slip; then after 15, nervous in one of the most pressurised periods of play in all Test cricket, he edges Lee to slip, where Warne fluffs a relatively simple chance. On each occasion, the batsman was, essentially, provisionally out. They had made their mistakes, and were merely awaiting confirmation of their dismissals. Before being reprieved, and capitalising to achieve cricketing immortality.Pietersen’s luck was particularly transformative – it probably won the Ashes for England, and he became a cricketing hero over the course of one staggering afternoon. History shows that he played one of the great modern Test innings, one of the most brilliant and important in England’s Test history, an expression of individual cricketing bravery and daring that just about justified a brave and daring hairstyle, and elevated himself to the cricketing A-list. History could have shown that he failed, technically and temperamentally, thus concluding a debut series in which his early promise had faded into a run of costly failures, whilst sporting the most ridiculous haircut in Test history.Similarly, there must be many of one-, two- and three-cap Test players who ended their careers thinking, “If only that usually incompetent fielder hadn’t pulled off that uncharacteristic one-handed diving catch”, or “If only that umpire hadn’t been certifiably blind”. Scorecards do not record luck.Perhaps 1920s batsman Jack MacBryan would have turned out to be a surprise Test-match great. He had an unlucky Test career. In his only Test, in 1924, it rained for much of the first day, then for all of the rest of the match. MacBryan did not bat. And failed, in his 66.5 overs of fielding, to convince the selectors that he had what it takes to succeed at the highest level. Perhaps they spotted some flaw in his technique whilst he was playing pretend shots in the covers in between balls.For Morgan, then, the future looks bright. The cream generally rises to the top. But sometimes, it needs a helping upward shunt from the capricious hand of Lady Luck, a fickle woman whose hand can tenderly stroke or unforgivingly spank.Pakistan have had little luck with umpiring this summer, particularly with lbws, and could have had England in even deeper trouble yesterday. As it was, with Gul and Kaneria off form, only Aamer – fast becoming the world’s new favourite cricketer – and Asif applied pressure, and the fragile confidence of Salman Butt’s side visibly dissipated. At Headingley against Australia, they seemed to become nervous in the field when it became clear they would have to chase more than one run to win. As it was, Farhat and Azhar nervelessly took them close enough that even a top-quality collective choke could not deprive them of an excellent victory. Their inexperienced top order and dangerously long tail will do well to avoid defeat in this game.(A quick comment on the Umpire Decision Review System. It seems to me to be unfairly weighted in favour of the batting team. Generally, more appeals are given not out than are given out, so statistically the fielding side has more occasions on which it is likely to want to use their referrals, and are thus more likely to run out of referrals. If a not-out lbw decision turns out to have been fractionally out, it remains not out. If an out decision transpires to have been fractionally not out, it becomes not out.Whilst this maintains the traditional balance of doubt in favour of the batsman, there is a double punishment when, as happened to Pakistan yesterday, Pakistan referred a not-out appeal, the technology suggested that it could/should have been given out, but only marginally, so the “Umpire’s Call” stood.Thus, Pakistan, despite essentially having correctly referred an appeal that was shown to be out, lost a referral. I suggest that if a team refers and appeal that results in an “Umpire’s Call” refusal, it should not lose one of its referrals. I also think the fielding side should have two appeals, but the batting team should only have one.)(And finally, commiserations to all those who had to watch the Colombo Test match. I can only imagine what you have just been through. It sounds awful.)

From TS Trudgian, Canada

Cricinfo25-Feb-2013
Ben Hilfenhaus: can swing, and adapt•AFPBen Hilfenhaus may have begun his Test career as a ‘stock’ bowler — an epithet which seems to convey an unfortunate admission of mediocrity — but he has shown, in the Tests against Pakistan in England, and recently against India at Mohali, that he is becoming the weapon of choice, particularly when the ball begins to swing. Australia have been searching for a quality swing bowler, at a reasonable clip, since the departure of Jason Gillespie in 2006 — that will teach him to score a double-hundred.Leaving aside the sorcery of reverse-swing, Hilfenhaus is the best exponent of swing in the current Australia squad. It is said that the high arm of Doug Bollinger induces some reverse-swing, but even the commentators quickest to proclaim ‘Don’t look now, but the ball is reversing’ would agree that 40 overs, or at the very least 30, must be bowled with the ‘mere’ weapon of conventional swing bowling. ‘The slightly pigeon-toed Hilfenhaus’ — words from Christopher Martin-Jenkins, not me — bowling a teasing line with variable away-swing is the perfect start to Australia’s efforts in the field.But he is not a one-trick pony, as some would label Ryan Sidebottom: a great bowler of swing in the overcast north of England or the humid days at the ’Gabba, but a relatively innocuous trundler otherwise. During the recent Test at Mohali, Hilfenhaus did have the ball hooping around from time to time, but when the conditions were less favourable, he was able to temper the little remaining swing with a very consistent line of middle- and off-stump. It is this combination of style and guile that probably has Hilfenhaus pipping his English bowling equivalent (Steve Finn, say) by a nose. James Anderson is a fine proponent of swing bowling, but perhaps as the ‘strike’ weapon he is best contrasted with Mitchell Johnson (see the next volume).The first-order approximation when bowling outswingers is to pitch every ball up to entice the drive and, if you are lucky, the nick. I have lost count of the number of times I heard Boycott on TMS bemoan the attitudes of almost all bowlers (with the noble exception of Yorkshireman R.J. Sidebottom, of course) who bowled at Headingley: they never ‘got it up’. That is something which I can neither confirm nor deny; in any case, pitching the ball up is a good start. One problem arises when you are not permitted sufficiently many slips — perhaps the run-chase is getting tight and the skipper needs to plug holes elsewhere.Another is when the ball stops swinging, or the seam is ill-positioned and the ball doesn’t swing on that particular delivery: then for the batsman it is money for old rope. Both of these ‘problems’ occurred in Mohali: during the fifth day Ponting did not have four slips (nor did he have a third man and there was a small bounty of runs made from edges and steers through the vacant fourth-slip area). Moreover, after the first few overs, the prodigious swing had disappeared. VVS Laxman, who still haunts my dreams as only the second man (the first being Lara) who is destined to snatch an Australian defeat from the jaws of victory, reached forward and pounded these to the cover point boundary. It was Hilfenhaus who led the counter-attack, mixing up his full swing-for-the-nick deliveries with balls short of a length on an off-stump line and the occasional bouncer.That both Sehwag and Raina should be dismissed off short deliveries should not have come as a surprise. Perhaps though, one might have thought these balls to be delivered with the height of Bollinger or the ferocity of Johnson.That it was Hilfenhaus each time emphasises his skill in adapting his bowling to suit the conditions — of both pitch and batsman. It would be silly to blame his figures of none for 100 in the first innings on the pitch alone, but he was bowling great spells of full-pitched outswing, and the edges induced were either not carrying, or going ‘through’ the slips.Certainly he will be a handful in Brisbane, but I am particularly excited about watching him bowl at Perth. Perhaps a further 250 or so for England to chase on the final day, Strauss well set on 50 and Trott in ‘the zone’ (although he takes five minutes to get there after each delivery), the Fremantle Doctor set to operate, four slips and two gullies in place, and the Hilf running in to a packed WACA crowd. . . game on.

His ability should make him a national treasure but there is an element to Stuart Broad that gets fans gnashing their teeth

Jarrod Kimber at Lord's19-May-2013Stuart Broad is the Nicholas Cage of bowling. Cage will take risks, perform erratically, pick terrible films, choose the wrong way to perform a role, overact and then occasionally perform so brilliantly that he makes an entire film. While doing all this he also divides opinion.Smack in the middle of Stuart Broad’s cluster bomb that made New Zealand look like they’re a club side who’d walked into Lord’s by accident, I received a link to a blog about Broad. Broad comes a close third to Sachin and Shahid in the most-blogged-about stakes. It is almost without doubt something about whether he’s a good or bad bloke, and a good or bad cricketer. This blog was in that vein.I’ve never met Stuart Broad, and up until he does something to me personally that offends, I won’t really worry about it. But working out whether Broad is a good cricketer is more interesting.Stuart Broad wins Test matches. That is not something that most humans do, and neither do most cricketers. Broad can change the game with the bat or the ball. Yet again, it’s a small club. When Stuart Broad does something good, he does something spectacular. Most people’s good is still kind of just better than okay.Yet, there are still doubts. And I’m not talking about the doubts that people who refer to him as Barbie have.Broad’s bowling average is over 31. Even after his 7-for today. 32 is the average of all the bowlers in the history of cricket. It means that as a bowler he is barely better than average.After 55 Tests Broad averages 25 with the bat. It’s good, but his hundred was against two bowlers who ended up in jail because of that summer. It’s not the average of a Test allrounder, more a handy bowler who either fails to deliver at all, or takes the game away quickly. It’s this batting pattern than haunts his bowling.Broad is hit for six sixes. Broad can’t finish a match against Netherlands. Broad helps England win the 2009 Ashes. Broad struggles against South Africa. Broad goes missing against Sri Lanka. Broad takes a hat-trick and wins England the world No. 1 Test Spot. Broad disappoints against South Africa. Broad takes no wickets in two Indian Tests. Then Broad takes 7 for 44 as his team give New Zealand a statistically gettable chase.It is all a simplification of Broad’s career. But it’s also based on how he has performed. Broad is either a monumental force of destruction, or a puppy lost in the wrong backyard. He has very little in-between.That sort of great-or-garbage cricketer is the one who will always get the most abuse from fans. Their fans fall in love for the magical moments. Their detractors hate every single moment in-between, and also hate that they are successful at all, keeping them in the team for more long periods of failure before only popping up for enough success to keep them around for longer.This Broad rampage comes just as, not for the first time, his place was being discussed by the fans and media – the people who despise him as if he’s doing it on purpose; like he wants to toy with their emotions.Then they point to the less important things. Broad’s blonde hair seems to annoy more people than a natural hair colour should. The stroppy behavior when a ball is misfielded from his bowling. The way he forces captains to refer to him almost every delivery where he beats the bat. That it seems like he gets a better deal from the match referees. That his girlfriends are sometimes celebrities. That his father played Test cricket. Very little of that really affects how good, or not, he is as a cricketer.He has not performed as consistently as his amazing performances hint he can. There are probably many reasons. One is that it isn’t easy to perform consistently like he did today, because few mortals ever have.Even at only 26, Broad is a veteran. He’s been in the game long enough to block out the angry fans and ignore the press he doesn’t like. He’s well-travelled, world-weary and England’s T20 captain.It’s the difference between his best and worst that he needs to narrow. Broad should be an automatic selection for this side. He should average under 30 with the ball, and he should average over 30 with the bat. Broad should be vice-captain of this Test side.The same Stuart Broad who annihilated New Zealand today has never averaged under 30 with the ball. That is far more annoying than his hair colour, genealogy or his girlfriends.When you bowl as fast as Stuart Broad, are as clever as Stuart Broad and can strike the ball like Stuart Broad you deserve to be a national treasure, not compared to a man who overacted in a film called National Treasure.