World Cricket Watch » World Cricket Feature

The Reverse Sweep – An Incredible Week in Cricket

David Green — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 00:56:18 +0000

This week we try not to laugh when looking at Australia’s all too frequent batting collapses. We also look at the contrasting retirements of Murali and Shahid Afridi from test cricket, wallow in Shane Warne’s likely misery at the unexpected success of Shane Watson and Marcus North with the ball and make the case for Adil Rashid to be elevated to the England squad. Finally, there is an exclusive story connected to a new book about Sachin Tendulkar that you may have heard about.

The Reverse Sweep is an irreverent and acerbic round-up of the week that was in cricket. For similar musings on the sport that God would play, please visit our blog also entitled The Reverse Sweep – selected as one of the 50 best cricket web sites in the world by The Times. Alternatively, you can read our regular column on CricDude, or follow us on Twitter @TheReverseSweep.

Australia collapse again

We touched last week on Australia’s increasingly frequent habit of the batting collapse. This reached its nadir yesterday when they were hustled out for a paltry 88 against Pakistan at Headingley.

This nasty habit cost Australia the Ashes last summer when first innings batting collapses at Lord’s and The Oval handed England the little urn. And despite winning eight of their nine tests since that memorable final day at The Oval, Australia have continued to collapse more often than an aging drink and drug addled rock star.

Pakistan failed to capitalise at Lord’s last week as they did at Sydney (but surely this time they will finally make Ricky Ponting’s men pay). West Indies at Perth and New Zealand at Hamilton also failed when presented with openings by the brittle Australian batting line-up. However, these three teams were either dysfunctional (Pakistan), limited (New Zealand) or chaotic (West Indies), which meant that Australia were able to recover through the ineptitude of their opposition and some typical Australian grit.

England though have the quality to make Ricky Ponting’s men pay should this habit persist through the upcoming Ashes series. As such, Andy Flower and Andrew Strauss will be studying the eight Australian batting collapses since the start of the Lord’s test last summer with interest. Here are the other seven to help them on their way:

1. Lord’s 2009, 2nd Test vs England (Aus lost by 115 runs): After England had scored 425, Australia appeared to be coasting at 103 for two before the England seamers sparked a collapse that saw their opponents slip to 152 for eight and eventually 215 all out. Despite a brilliant hundred from Michael Clarke and sterling support from Brad Haddin in their second innings, the die was cast and Australia slipped to their first defeat at HQ since 1934.

2. Edgbaston 2009, 3rd Test vs England (Match drawn): In the next test, Australia suffered another first innings batting collapse after closing a rain interrupted first day on 126 for one. Graham Onions took wickets with the first two balls of the second morning and Australia eventually made only 263. More rain and another second innings century from Michael Clarke, with able support from Marcus North, saved Australia’s bacon this time.

3. The Oval 2009, 5th Test vs England (Aus lost by 197 runs): Needing only a draw to retain the Ashes, Australia looked in pole position when they reached 73 for none in response to England’s 332. But an inspirational spell from Stuart Broad saw Australia lose seven wickets for 38 as they slumped to 111 for seven. Another brave second innings fightback with Michael Hussey and Ponting leading the charge couldn’t stop the inevitable as England regained the Ashes.

4. Perth 2009, 3rd Test vs West Indies (Aus won by 35 runs): After securing a 208 run first innings lead, Australia appeared to be cruising to a 2-0 series win when they reached 66 for one in their second innings. But the wicket of Shane Watson sparked another collapse as Australia lost their last nine wickets for 84. A better side than West Indies may have done better than falling 35 runs short of the 359 run victory target on a flat Perth wicket.

5. Sydney 2010, 2nd Test vs Pakistan (Aus won by 36 runs): Ponting’s brave decision to bat first under grey skies looked to be a call equivalent to that of Nasser Hussain at Brisbane in 2003 when his side slipped to 62 for seven before folding for 127. But Pakistan conspired in their own downfall by first allowing Hussey and Peter Siddle to add 123 for the ninth wicket in Australia’s second innings with butter fingered keeping from Kamran Akmal and dreadfully negative captaincy from Mohammad Yousuf the main culprits. Then despite only requiring 176 for victory, Pakistan panicked and folded like a house of cards in a strong breeze.

6. Hamilton 2010, 2nd Test vs New Zealand (Aus won by 176 runs): After winning the toss and batting, Australia eased to 172 for three before losing its last seven wickets for 59 in what was now becoming an all too familiar story. New Zealand though lacked the resources to take advantage and Australia hit 500 in their second innings to set-up an easy victory.

7. Lord’s 2010, 1st Test vs Pakistan (Aus won by 150 runs): Batting in difficult conditions, Australia had done really well to reach 171 for two in their first innings, before the wicket of Clarke sparked another batting collapse that saw seven wickets fall for 51 runs. Then a last wicket partnership between Hussey and Doug Bollinger saw them reach 253. As they had at Sydney, Pakistan threw away the initiative to collapse themselves to 148 all out and Australia in the end won easily.

With only two tests against India to go before the Ashes, Ponting and coach Tim Neilsen must be increasingly worried about Australia’s brittle achilles heel. Unlike in the near past, there is no Steve Waugh or Adam Gilchrist to come in at 50 for four or 75 for five to turn things around. Andy Flower and Andrew Strauss still have issues of their own to address such as who will bat at three and the poor form of James Anderson, but they will be increasingly confident about following in the footsteps of Mike Gatting in 1987 and beating the Aussies in their own backyard.

800 and out for Murali

18 years, 133 tests, 67 five fors (next best Shane Warne with 37), ten wickets in a match 22 times (next best Warne again with 10) and now a nice round 800 wickets (next best, yes you guessed it Warne with 708) to finish with. Those are impressive and probably never to be beaten numbers. As we wrote a couple of weeks ago, Muttiah Muralitharan’s skill as a bowler is matched by his decency as a human being. This was shown in the starkest terms by the way in which Murali tirelessly strove to help rebuild his shattered country after the devastating tsunami of 2004. It is entirely fitting that Murali should bow out from tests at his favourite hunting ground of Galle and by taking the last Indian wicket available reach that magical figure of 800. No Bradman like anti-climax for this all-time great then.

…and now for an entirely different retirement

Whilst Murali bowed out with that record and a red carpet, Shahid Afridi’s retirement from test cricket couldn’t have been more different. Playing his first test for four years and his first as captain of Pakistan, Afridi’s eccentric batting convinced him that he was not cut out for test cricket. So, Salman Butt becomes Pakistan’s fifth test captain in their last 18 tests following the four captains of the apocalypse. Despite this dreadful inheritance, he seems to have started pretty well. All he has to do now is avoid a Sydney style disaster and he may have the job for life.

The Lord’s (dis)honours board

The test at HQ between Pakistan and Australia was notable for the fact that 14 of the Pakistan wickets to fall in the match went to the unlikely trio of Steve Smith (on debut), Shane Watson and most unlikely of all, Marcus North. Pakistan should hang their heads in shame at this, but Shane Warne won’t be happy either. To see the names of Watson and North on the Lord’s honours board where his name is a notable absentee will no doubt stick in the throat a bit.

It’s time for Rashid

As is often the case we found ourselves agreeing with a discussion on Test Match Sofa. This one related to Adil Rashid and whether he should be elevated to the England test and/or one day squad. So far this season, Rashid has taken 47 championship wickets at 27.44 and scored 504 runs at 50.40. These are stats that the likes of Tim Bresnan, Luke Wright and James Tredwell could only dream of. In our view, Rashid should go to Australia as the second spinner where we could expect to play at Adelaide and/or Sydney. He should certainly go to the World Cup, where three spinners will be required. But will the England selectors go where their Australian counterparts have by picking (the inferior to Rashid) Steve Smith?

…and finally

News that ten ultra limited editions of a forthcoming biography of Sachin Tendulkar will contain a signature page that has drops of the Little Master’s blood has prompted a media frenzy this week. What hasn’t been reported though is that interest in acquiring one of the ten copies has reached fever pitch in the unlikely cricketing outpost of, yes you’ve guessed it. Transylvania.

That’s all for this week folks.

Sanath Jayasuria’s 20 Years of Swashbuckling Cricket

Suyash Srivastava — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 09:11:09 +0000

He has been one of the hardest hitters of the ball, one of the best all rounder’s cricket has ever had, one of the most explosive players in history, a nightmare for any bowler, one of Sri Lanka’s greatest cricketers. We pay a tribute to Sanath Jayasuriya for entertaining cricket fans for two decades!

Whenever we will remember the men of steel who ever existed in cricket, Sanath Jayasuriya is a name that will automatically flash to our minds. For the past two decades the man has been entertaining cricket fans from all over the world in most thrilling fashion. Even at the age of 40 he plays cricket with equal zeal and is an idol for all those young cricketers who face a fitness problem every now and then.

It was not just his blitzkrieg knocks, but even his left arm spin that’s been of great advantage for Sri Lanka throughout his career. He even fielded like a panther pouncing upon the ball and was also involved in run outs, most which came of direct hits! He has his unique style of batting which has troubled the opponents on plenty of occasions. He is known to hit the ball for maximums on all sides of the wicket with extreme wrist power. Jayasuriya’s wicket is a matter of relief for any opponent. He still plays for Mumbai Indians in the IPL and opens the wicket with Tendulkar making it one of the most fearsome and experienced opening pairs in the world.

He made his Debut in 1989, just a few days after Tendulkar made his debut in the shorter version of the game. In the initial days he started batting as a middle order batsman and it was certain that one day he would become a very good ODI player, though nobody was aware of just how good he would be. In the mid nineties Jayasuriya was asked to play the key role of opening the innings for his side and he has never looked back since then. With his brutal capabilities of hitting the ball hard, Jayasuriya capitalized the given opportunity and since then he is known to be a nightmare for all kinds of bowlers.

His true potential was yet unknown to the world until the 1996 World Cup. In this tournament he all of a sudden changed strategy of how to approach an ODI. He, along with his fellow opener Romesh Kaluwitharana, had a different tactic of smashing it inside the initial 15 overs taking full advantage of the field restrictions. This pinch-hitting strategy was a sudden surprise for the rest of the teams and before they could actually adapt this tactic, it was all over for them.

Sri Lanka became the World Champions in the year 1996 and for his brilliant all round performances Jayasuriya was adjudged the man of the series. That world cup Jayasuriya changed the face of how to play cricket altogether!

Because of his aggressive approach towards the game, initially he was considered to be a genuine ODI player. But when given a chance even in Test Matches, Jayasuriya continued his journey of attacking bowlers from all over the world. But overall, he isn’t known to be a very successful test player. In the 110 matches he has played he has scored 6, 973 runs with a batting average of 40.07. Jayasuriya had the record for the highest individual score for Sri Lanka in test matches (340 runs) which was later broken by Mahela Jayawardene (374 runs), with this inning Mahela also shared a record partnership of 624 runs with Kumar Sangakara playing against South Africa.

But some way or the other, Jayasuriya couldn’t make much into the record book of test matches. He became the first Sri Lankan cricketer to play 100 tests on 20 September 2005. When Sri Lanka toured Pakistan in 2006 Jayasuriya gave indications of retiring from test cricket. But soon he reversed his decision. After scoring 78 runs against England in May 2006, Jayasuriya finally declared his retirement from test matches. He entertained the crowd even in his last test innings as he hit James Anderson for six fours in an over.

Vital Statistics in the ODI Record Books

The ODI record book has his name every now and then. He still holds the record for the fastest 50 off just 17 balls and fastest 150 which came off just 95 balls against England. He jointly holds the record of third highest ODI score of 189 runs along with Vivian Richards. He jointly holds a record with Tendulkar of having scored more than 150 in ODI’s on four occasions. He had even scored the fastest 100 which came of just 48 deliveries which was later broken by Shahid Afridi (37 balls).

He still has the record of scoring 30 runs off an over, twice in the ODI matches. It was also a record for a long duration before it was broken by Hershelle Gibbs who scored 36 runs off an over! He still holds the record of scoring maximum boundaries in an innings (24 fours in his knock of 157 runs against Netherlands in 2006). He shares a record with Afridi of hitting the maximum number of sixes in an ODI innings (11 sixes) which is the second highest number of sixes. It was a record for 12 years before it was broken by Xavier Marshall of West Indies in 2008 while he played a fine knock of 157 not out hitting 12 sixes against Canada.

Jayasuriya was the first to play 400 ODI matches; Tendulkar joined the list later on. As far as total number of sixes in a career is concerned, Jayasuriya still has the record of hitting 270 sixes in his career and has the second highest record of scoring 1500 boundaries throughout his career. Overall he is the second highest run scorer in ODI matches having scored 13, 928 runs in 444 matches. The only record which he will never cherish is the number of ducks (34), which is also the highest in ODI’s. Besides this, with the kind of blitzkrieg knocks he has played throughout his career Jayasuriya has a career strike rate of over 91 which is the third highest in terms of players who have played more than 250 ODI matches. With such a brilliant overall record he is the second highest in terms of Man of the Match awards (47) after Tendulkar (60).

Besides having a wonderful career with the bat, Jayasuriya has been an extremely successful bowler for Sri Lanka in the ODI’s as well. He has taken 322 ODI wickets which is great achievement in itself, besides being the second highest run scorer. Even in tests Jaya has taken 98 wickets. Glen McGrath considers him to be one of the toughest batsman to bowl at, because of his devastating capabilities one is never sure of what the result would be no matter how brilliant a bowler you are.

For two decades he has been a great asset for the Sri Lankan team. He is popular as a very explosive opening batsman, but as a matter of fact he has been equally active with the ball as well. He is the only ODI player to have scored more than 10,000 runs and capture over 300 wickets! He has played his heart out giving his 100 percent in each and every match. His fitness is a challenge for all the players around the world.

20 years have passed yet his batting style is the same without a pinch of mercy for the bowlers. The spectators get their money’s worth when they watch him bat in full flow. With his brutal capabilities he has won the hearts of millions of cricket fans. At an age of 40 he still bats with equal ease as he loves playing the game, the kid inside him is excited to play and win matches for Sri Lanka! For me, he is Sri Lanka’s greatest ever batsmen.

The hot topic of discussion is will the cricket fans get to see him play the 2011 World Cup? Sangakara has clearly said that he would like to have Jayasuriya in his squad of 11 men for the 2011 World Cup. But as all other teams are preferring youngsters in the team the Sri Lankan selectors might have some other plans.

What is for sure is that a few years down the line Jayasuriya will retire from all formats of the game. Then too the sun will rise, then too cricket will be played, but there would never be another Jayasuriya, and we’ll cherish the memories he has always showcased!

What to read next? Pick from the Latest World Cricket Stories…

Cricketers Reincarnated as Footballers

David Green — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 04:06:02 +0000

During the World Cup, we couldn’t help noticing the similarities between some of the teams and players with their counterparts in cricket. The most obvious example of course, being the dysfunctional French team with the equally chaotic pakistan team of the last 12 months.

We’ve noticed several other doppelgangers as well.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Kevin Pietersen - Both are supremely talented, but also ever so slightly in love with themselves and a bit fey. Like to be centre of attention and divide opinion like no other in their respective sports so that you either love them or hate them. Incidentally, we love KP at the Reverse Sweep but hate Ronaldo – see what we mean?

Lionel Messi and Sachin Tendulkar – By contrast these superstars go about their respective business of scoring (or creating) goals and runs with professionalism and decorum. Both also are considered by many as the second greatest in their sports behind Maradona and Bradman.

Franz Beckanbauer and Shane Warne - Both enjoyed rubbing English noses into the ground during glittering careers, and both now reserve their ire for their former foes through the press. Warney has already questioned England’s chances of retaining the Ashes this winter and Der Kaiser made several barbs against Fabio Capello’s men in South Africa. Let’s hope at least Warne is wrong.

Steven Gerrard and Michael Clarke – Although both Gerrard and Clarke are good players they are perhaps rated better than they actually are. Clarke was a poor choice as Australian Twenty 20 skipper and the downbeat Gerrard has proved just as bad for England in the World Cup. The similarities don’t end there as anyone who has witnessed the two of them in their say a lot, say nothing press conferences.

Mauricio Espinosa and Daryl Harper – Espinosa was the linesman who failed to spot that Frank Lampard’s shot had gone over the line. Just as in need of a trip to Specsavers is the diabolical Harper who’s performance in the recent South Africa-England series made Espinosa look like he has 20/20 vision in comparison. Espinosa may be blind, but Harper is both blind and deaf given that he missed the audible edge from Graeme Smith when sitting in the video umpire’s chair.

John Terry and Shoaib Malik- If Mohammad Yousuf is to be believed then Malik was the chief mutineer amongst the Pakistan players that so unsettled his and Younis Khan’s captaincies. Terry tried and failed to launch a mutiny amongst the England camp in South Africa – if he changed his name to Jean Thierry, he may have been more successful.

Jonathan Trott / Craig Kieswetter and Miroslav Klose / Lukasz Podolski – England have populated their cricket side with South Africans like Trott and Kieswetter and reaped the rewards. Similarly, Gerrmany have rebuilt its football side with non-Germans such as the sharpshooting duo of Klose and Podolski. Fabio Capello now knows how Ricky Ponting feels.

Nicolas Anelka and Andrew Symonds – Les enfants terribles. Anelka was sent home early from the World Cup for supposedly calling France manager Raymond Domenech to “Go fuck yourself, you son of a whore”, whilst amongst Symonds’ many misdemeanours, he was sent home from the World T20 in England last summer for being drunk.

Robert Green and Herschelle Gibbs - Gibbs famously dropped the World Cup according to Steve Waugh’s famous sledge. Green didn’t actually drop the World Cup as England clearly were never going to win it, but his butter fingers will prove to be as equally indicative of his team as Gibb’s drop was of his team of chokers.

Patrice Evra and Chris Gayle – Both were captain’s of teams that refused to train or play. Evra will not go down in history as a great French leader like De Gaulle or Napoleon; indeed he even makes Sarkozy look good in comparison.

Wayne Rooney and Yuvraj Singh - Both turned up patently unfit to their country’s big tournament of the year and proceeded to underperform, although Rooney at least had the excuse of being injured rather than have eaten too many poppadoms.

What If Cricket Nations were at the FIFA World Cup…

David Green — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 03:52:44 +0000

If cricket’s nine test sides were at the World Cup, which footballing nation would they be?

Pakistan are France - Bit of an obvious one this one. The football world was amazed by the dysfunctional, disloyal and mutinous French, but thanks to Pakistan and the PCB, cricket is familiar with having a crazy team and an even crazier administrative board within its ranks. L’equipe de France is only an apprentice in controversy compared to the old hands of Pakistan.

India are England – Both full of richly talented performers but who continually fail to deliver on the big stage that is the World Cup to deflate the huge media expectation at home. 44 years of hurt for the England football team is nearly equalled by India’s 27 year gap since they won the cricket World Cup in 1983. However, at least India are the number one ranked test side; the England football team have done nothing as good.

England are Spain - Until recently, both sides had failed to deliver on the big stage for a very long time. England had a false start with winning the 2005 Ashes, but since the introduction of Andy Flower as coach have regained the Ashes and now won the World T20. Spain finally broke their quarter final hoodoo in the 2008 European Championships and now both teams dream of the ultimate success of a football World Cup and an Ashes win in Australia. Both have a really good chance.

Australia are Germany – England’s biggest foe in cricket and football respectively, both are now rebuilding after long periods of success. Whilst both are not quite the side they were in days of yore, both tend to raise their game for England and like nothing more than rubbing the nose of St George in the mud. It is a fool that would ever rule out the Australian cricket side and the German football team.

South Africa are Portugal- Consistently strong teams that never seem to win anything and have a tendency to choke. South Africa have stumbled with the victory line in sight in so many competitions, but the 1999 World Cup particularly sticks out with the two games against Australia and Herschelle Gibbs dropping the World Cup. Portugal too had the ultimate opportunity for a trophy when they played obdurate Greece at home in the European Championship Final of 2004, but contrived to lose 1-0 with Ronaldo finishing the game in tears (ha ha).

Sri Lanka are Holland - Continually punch above their weight, limited resources and a small population, and do so with a huge degree of style whilst even managing to win things. For Sri Lanka, it was the 1996 World Cup and strong subsequent performances plus colourful players such as Jayasuriya, Da Silva, Sangakkara, Vaas and Murali. Whilst for Holland, read the 1988 European Championship victory, two World Cup finals and some of the greatest footballers ever in Cruyff, Gullit and Van Basten.

West Indies are Italy - Fallen champions. Italy unbelievably finished bottom of a weak group containing Paraguay, New Zealand and Slovakia just four years after winning the World Cup. West Indies have been on a downward spiral ever since Australia won their elusive series in the Caribbean in 1995. Italy will rise again though, but will the demoralised West Indies?

New Zealand are Paraguay - Always seem to qualify for the second stage, but are then found wanting due to a lack of stardust and strength in depth. Dependable, tough to beat but ultimately boring. Finally, with South America having a history of dictators, Daniel Vettori would be right at home.

Bangladesh are Cameroon/Nigeria – Despite continuous stories saying Bangladesh are getting better they continue to lose and rank at the bottom of the pile. Whilst African football is reasonably strong and has a number of the best players in the world, the predictions of many (including Pele) that an African country would win the World Cup has failed to materialise and only Ghana made it past the group stage in South Africa. So it may be a bit of an unfair comparison to Cameroon and Nigeria, but for failing to even win a match in this year’s World Cup, for now they are Bangladesh.

The 40 Most Exciting Cricket Blogs On the Web

David Siddall — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 13:43:17 +0000

Has there ever been a more exciting time in the cricket blogosphere? There are so many great cricket blogs and websites emerging year after year. Publishing in cricket, from amateur to the pros, is flourishing all over the world.

With so much going on it is getting increasingly difficult to choose which blogs to follow. It begs the question “what are the most exciting cricket blogs on the web right now?”

As an avid cricket fan, there are some cricket blogs that we think you should be subscribing to and enjoying beyond measure. With that in mind we’ve compiled what we consider to be the 40 most exciting cricket blogs online right now. There’s a bit of everything in there for everyone.

In Alphabetical Order, It’s Time to Introduce the 40 Most Exciting Cricket Blogs Right Now…

99.94

Nesta Quin, The Trumpet and Rajesh Kannan’s dish up some of the most considered cricket analysis from beyond the boundary you could ever imagine encountering. Their average post is truly remarkable as their name suggests.

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A Cricketing View

Blogging out of Berkeley, California, Kartikeya Date starts our procession of quality cricketing blogs coming out of the United States. Never shy to have his two cents on the latest politics unfolding in cricket.

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Against the Spin

The world of cricket, academia and statistics collide to devastating effect. Age old cricketing debates are dissected with a ridiculous amount of data. And in a good fun way too.

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BCCI

Viewed by many as some of the best irreverent cricket spiel emerging from the sub-continent. This is the sex on violence approach to Indian cricket.

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Chinese Cut

Inspired by the shot Sujit Somasundar played of Glenn McGrath thrice in quick succession during the 1996-97 Titan cup in India. The Chinese Cut also offers aspiring players coaching tips in their cricketing classroom. A claim that cannot be made by any other blog.

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Cricket = Action = Art

What happens when a cricket tragic masters the art of photoshop? The answer is Cricket = Action = Art. This is a blog focused on humour and cricket but light on commentary. The images really do the talking and it’s your job to fill in with the commentary.

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Cricket Current

Intelligent cricket writing from the subcontinent. Close to 1,000 subscribers and some great coverage of the IPL at present, illustrate just how much Cricket Current is on the pulse.

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Cricket Minded

Exploring the phenomenon that is cricketing celebrity, Cricket Minded goes beyond the boundary into some of the cricketing social circles that others can only dream of.

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Cricket Tier

Breaking down the taboo that is cricket in the US of A, and educating every American one by one. Hear the boys from The Cricket Tier’s plea: “My fellow Americans, and anyone else out there who is wondering what exactly is cricket, look no further. Your tutorial into the great game begins now.”

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Cricket with Balls JRod is currently “keeping cricket lubricated”. Cricket with Balls is some of the most ballsy and entertaining cricket writing on the web. Not only does CWB have two bestselling cricket books, its own religion based around Virender Sehwag, but now its own collaborative magazine entitled “Cricket Sadists’ Monthly”.

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Different Strokes

One of the best CricInfo blogs from numerous cricket tragics that know the game inside and out.

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Doosra Redux

Doosra Redux is the cricket blog of prolific Indian writer Dileep Premachandran. To say Dileep has a way with words would be an understatement. Check out an excerpt from his latest post:

“As a microcosm of life, sport too has its I-was-there moments, occasions that made you believe it was more than just a game. If away victories in the West Indies and England in 1971 were akin to the fall of the Berlin Wall for Indian cricket, then the agony [the Miandad six in Sharjah and narrow defeat in Sunil Gavaskar's final Test, both against Pakistan] and the ecstacy [upsetting the West Indians to win the World Cup in 1983] of the decade that followed were like Nelson Mandela’s long walk to freedom.”

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Ducking Beamers

Ducking Beamers is “Examining the Cricket World – With Adequate Protection. Of Course.” Events on and off the field are covered in such depth and vigour that Ducking Beamers should not be avoided (no pun intended!).

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Eye on Cricket

Cricket as seen from Brooklyn, Samir Chopra makes his second appearance on this list. He constantly provides valuable insights into the game from the USA.

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Fly Slip

Introducing the nephew of cricket with balls. Fly Slip is looking for lost balls and does not mince its words.

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Harris Sports Thoughts

Nick Harrison shares his mad take on the world of sport. You’ll laugh so hard cricket will come out your nose. This is definitely up there in the irreverent cricket stakes.

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Iain O’Brien

Iain O’Brien’s cricket blog is his matches, his thoughts and his head. Who says cricketers aren’t eloquent wordsmiths?

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King Cricket

The King writes regularly for CricInfo and Wisden, and also occasionally appears on some podcasts with Andy Zaltman. Enjoy his cheeky brand of what he calls “cricket non-journalism”. Remains humble despite all the accolades.

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Are you a Left-Arm Chinaman?

Brash, aggressive, thought provoking cricket commentary and philosophy that attempts to challenge the dominant paradigms in current thinking.

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Line and Length

Patrick Kidd is a sports writer for The Times. He first fell in love with cricket when he saw Graham Gooch swat successive balls over his head for six and on to the same red Cortina’s bonnet at Castle Park, Colchester. Line and Length is a great cricket blog from more traditional media avenues, that’s not afraid to reach out into the more crazy parts of cricket on the web.

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Miss Field’s Cricket Blog

The Perez Hilton of cricket blogs. Miss Field’s propensity to blog is in direct relation to the waistline of South Africa’s weighty captain, Graeme Smith.

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Paddle Sweep

“Where cricket is a stream of thought”. It’s been revamped and now finds itself on steroids with some great features and competitions.

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Poshin’s World

Christopher David invites you into his weird and wonderful world of cricket. Poshin is as passionate a cricket fan as you are ever likely to meet. Wanna know the inner workings of the Royal Challengers Bangalore? Christopher is your man.

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Sarah Canterbury

Sarah Ansell snaps some of the most insightful cricket photography out there on the web. From some of the most idyllic grounds around the UK to the action shots of the Ashes. Whilst Canterbury is her base [as the name suggests] she really does get around, including to the Test Match Sofa.

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Short Of A Length

Eccentric and provocative cricket writing from a man not afraid to speak his mind. Check out his “one word reviews”.

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Swanning About

A picture says more than a thousand words. When pop culture meets cricket meets satirical annotation you know you are in for a laugh a minute. If only all cricket bloggers had Photoshop skills like these guys.

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Test Match Sofa

They’ve taken the world by storm so far. It seems irreverent cricket commentary trumps the likes of Test Match Special any day of the week. When we mention the abbreviation TMS here on WCW you better make sure you know who we’re talking about. If cricket bloggers want to embed their audio commentary player widget on their websites they just have to email a request to info@testmatchsofa.com and the Sofa team will send the code over.

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The Boundary Rider

Luke Tagg boasts one of the best cricket blogs to come out of South Africa. He schooled Herschelle Gibbs, worships Gary Kirsten and writes with a constant tongue in his cheek. Prepare to be entertained.

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The Corridor

A bit of an old hat these days in the cricket blogosphere. Run by Cricinfo’s Will Luke, it features thoughts on cricket, sport and journalism.

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The Cricket Watcher’s Journal

Testament to the wealth of cricketing bloggers in the sub-continent the Cricket Watcher writes about cricket on a higher intellectual plane than most and has a finger on the pulse of the latest trends. A truly 360 degrees writer.

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The Old Batsman

“They’ve come to watch me bat, sir, not you umpire”. The doctor, WG Grace, is blogging from the grave to devastating effect.

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The Reverse Sweep

Another blogger who snugly fits into the prolific category. David Green aka “the Reverse Sweep” is an amateur historian, cricket fanatic and tidy top order batsmen. No topic is left uncovered. He knows the Wisden records like the back of his hand and regularly contributes to WCW with his epic, irreverent round-up of the week in cricket aptly titled “The Reverse Sweep”.

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The Silly Mid Off

Another great blog emanating from the US the Silly Mid Off. Covering cricketing politics, literature, action and much more wider issues to boot, The Silly Mid Off insight into the game we all love is always valuable.

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The Spin

Another great example of a cracking blog from more traditional pastures. Andy Bull, writer for The Guardian, each Tuesday gives you the week that was in cricket. Critical reflection on the state of the game is the staple diet.

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The Surfer

What are the hottest cricket stories around the web right now? What are the most cutting cricket quotes we should be paying attention to? The Surfer has all the answers. It’s CricInfo’s answer to media watch.

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The Top Spin

Cards on the table, I’m not a huge fan of the Daily Mail as a newspaper. It’s a bit too conservative for my liking. But the same cannot be said for its cricket coverage and in particular the critically acclaimed blog/column by Lawrence Booth entitled the Top Spin. You should definitely subscribe for some informed and entertaining cricket writing that can rival anything on the web.

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Third Umpire

Opinion and analysis on all aspects of cricket, from the international arena and England, to county cricket and the history of the great game. Intelligent and insightful cricket writing.

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Thoughts from the Dustbin

Here’s a typical thought from the dustbin and a bit of a disclaimer…

WARNING: I swear a lot and frequently offend Graeme Swann, Andrew Strauss, Ricky Ponting, Old People (that’s you, Mussey!) and the entire state of Victoria while simultaneously attempting to abduct Nathan Hauritz in order to keep him in a cage in my backyard.

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Well Pitched

Umair Qazi (Q), Masud Mahdi (Sledgehammer), Obaidullah Khawaja (Obaid) are the guys behind Well Pitched. They proudly present some of the best cricket blogging to come out of Pakistan, despite some very testing times for the game in their country.

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Wisden Cricketer

The Wisden Cricketer blog matches up to the high standards of its trusty father the Wisden Cricketer Magazine. That’s the world’s best selling cricket magazine by the way. Quite a read then.

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Left Your Blog Out? Tell us!

World Cricket Watch loves to hear from users and cricket fans so if we have left you or any other great site out, why not leave us a comment with a mention of the cricket blog. We will be sure to add it in if it fits the criteria. Which other cricket blogs are must reads?

Exciting Cricket Blogs and Recommended Reading from Our Users You Should Definitely Check Out…

Twenty 20 World Cup Final Preview

David Green — Sun, 16 May 2010 08:10:39 +0000

Australia vs England Twenty 20 World Cup Final Preview and Prediction

They have been the best two teams in the tournament, but both have had significant obstacles to overcome. For England it was the Duckworth Lewis method, which has been shown in this tournament to be wholly inappropriate for T20 cricket. And for Australia it has been their worrying propensity for batting collapses, which got them into trouble against Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and most famously of all Pakistan in a pulsating semi-final. The common denominator in the Australian recovery in each of those games was Michael Hussey who either supported or led his side to a decent total or as on Friday simply exploded runs.

The final is in Barbados, which will delight an Australian team brimming with the fastest bowlers in the tournament and a batting line-up that prefers quick bouncy wickets to slow turners. So, England’s quest to win their first ICC world limited overs tournament is going to be a tough one against a side that is arguably stronger and never knows when it is beaten. For Australia, it is an opportunity to complete their set of ICC trophies and finally prove that it has conquered the T20 format on the world stage.

So how do the teams match up? For what it’s worth, here is our marks out of ten for each of the likely line-ups, with the marks being based on performances in this tournament and potential effectiveness at T20 cricket – so early apologies to Michael Clarke.

Australia

David Warner - An explosive keg at the top of the order who if he is in for five overs is likely to set-up a big total and/or a successful run chase for the Aussies. England must get him early – 8

Shane Watson - The cry-baby all-rounder is extremely dangerous with the bat and is another England must get early. His bowling will need to be exploited by England if they are to win – 9

Brad Haddin - Australia’s persistence with Haddin at three nearly cost them in the semi-final. Has a lovely straight drive and can score quickly, but surely David Hussey or Cameron White would be a better bet at three? – 7

Michael Clarke - Despite being a supreme test batsman, the captain is effectively a passenger at T20 cricket. England’s plan should be to get him to the crease and keep him there - 4

David Hussey – A really good T20 player. Scores quickly with the bat and is one of many Australians who can hit it out of the ground. His bowling is underrated and difficult to score off – 8

Cameron White - In our view, White is Australia’s best T20 batsman. Can score sixes at will and has been instrumental in recoveries against Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Should be captain – 9

Michael Hussey - The best limited overs batsman in the world, Hussey is a chameleon. He is a big-hitting Michael Bevan able to play a number of different roles as the situation demands. The supporting act to White against Sri Lanka, the main man against Bangladesh and then the freakish hitting against Pakistan. What a luxury to have him at number seven - 9

Steve Smith - Another one England must target with the ball, Smith has actually done reasonably well in the tournament especially as he is more of a batsman that can bowl than a frontline international leg-spinner. KP could tuck in here – 6

Mitchell Johnson -Johnson’s unpredictability is a strength and a weakness, but England will need to be brave here. If you get after Johnson like Umar Akmal did on Friday, he can get flaky. To have someone this good with the bat at number nine is incredible – 7

Dirk Nannes - Nannes will be looking forward to bowling at England’s opening pair on this Barbados wicket and is a potential match-winner for the Aussies. Can he be part of a winning side against England for the second successive T20 after being the key element of the Netherlands team last year? – 8

Shaun Tait - Tait has been fast, fearsome and quite brilliant in this tournament and England will need to see his opening spell off. Another of Australia’s T20 specialists who will be salivating about the Bridgetown track – 9

England

Michael Lumb – Has come in from nowhere and done well. His partnership with Kieswetter has been key in setting the tempo for England’s batting. Hasn’t got any big scores but a strike rate of 145 will more than do. Faces a huge test against the new ball pair of Tait and Nannes – 7

Craig Kieswetter - The second part of England’s Batman and Robin opening partnership. Kieswetter has also been impressive, but he will not have faced anything like Tait and Nannes before. If he and Lumb do well, England just could be in business - 7

Kevin Pietersen - Fatherhood obviously sits well with Pietersen. Along with Mahela Jayawardene, he has been the best batsman in the tournament and has played crucial innings in his last three matches. Is England’s key man and the Aussies know it - 10

Paul Collingwood - The captain has had a disappointing tournament with the bat, but England have not needed a typical backs-to-the-wall performance from the skipper yet. The juices will be flowing about facing the Aussies and having the opportunity to be the first England captain to lift an ICC world trophy. We back him to do well if England need him to – 7

Eoin Morgan - The Irishman was brilliant against West Indies and saved England against Ireland, but has not really been required to the same degree since mainly because of KP’s excellence. Australia will be wary of Morgan as when he is in full flow, he is very difficult to set a field to – 9

Luke Wright – A potential area of weakness for England. Wright is not really good enough to bat as high as six, although his big-hitting style can be useful in the final five overs. But what if Tait and Nannes run amok and Wright has to come in by the eighth over? That will be Australia’s plan – 6

Tim Bresnan – Has been reasonably economical with the new ball, but faces a huge test against Warner and Watson. Australia will look to target the doughty Yorkshireman. Capable of adding useful late over runs too – 7

Mike Yardy – Sussex’s opening batsman has proved a useful joker in the pack for England with the ball. But how will he fare against this powerful Australian line-up? It could get very messy. His unorthodox batting could prove useful at number eight – 8

Graeme Swann – Swann will be relishing this and is arguably England’s key man with the ball. His battle with the big hitting Aussie middle order of the Hussey brothers and White could be the key – 9

Stuart Broad - Has really knuckled down in this tournament and has bowled well. Can he produce an inspirational spell to match the one he bowled in the afternoon session of the second day at the Oval? Let’s hope so – 8

Ryan Sidebottom - A controversial pick ahead of Anderson, Sidebottom has showed the value of left-arm pace in T20. His suspect temperament faces a huge test against Warner and Watson – 8

So overall it’s 84 points each, which just goes to show how closely matched these two sides are. Australia arguably has more match-winners and will be supremely confident following the miraculous win over Pakistan. But we take England to win. They were our pick at the start of the tournament and we have to stick with that, but we also believe they have what it takes to triumph – just!

As well as writing regularly for World Cricket Watch, David Green has his own blog entitled The Reverse Sweep, which is updated daily, and writes a twice weekly column for CricDude. You can also follow David on Twitter @TheReverseSweep.

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Australia vs England T20 World Cup Final Preview

David Siddall — Sun, 16 May 2010 07:23:06 +0000

We’re through to the finals of the T20 World Cup and there couldn’t be a more exciting and delicately poised prospect in store. Australia and England, the two oldest foes in cricket, have been in scintillating form and rightly deserve to be in this nail-biting decider. The two contrasting semi-finals make for very interesting reading.

England, who prior to their semi were considered on level terms with Sri Lanka, brushed their opponents aside in a crushing 7 wicket win thanks to some imperious batting from the resurgent Kevin Pietersen and a calculated bowling display that choked the impressive Sri Lankan middle order. Meanwhile Australia, predicted by many to steamroll a lacklustre Pakistan who had only won 2 out of 5 matches in the tournament, had to rely on Mike Hussey smashing 34 off the last 2 overs for their right to passage into the final and Mr. Cricket experiencing the ‘best feeling’ of his career.

Watch the Michael Hussey Final Over Video Highlights 6646 Here…

Will this have any bearing on the final? What lies in store? Who will rise to the occasion?

Australia have finally taken a liking to the T20 format and their lineup packs one hell of a punch with power hitting and out and out pace. They are the only team to remain undefeated in the competition and until their semi looked simply unstoppable. The T20 World Cup is the only prize they haven’t taken to date and for that they can be excused seeing as it’s only its third installment. But if you consider the South Africans to be the “perennial chokers” of world cricket tournaments, then you have to give the Aussies the label of “perennial overachievers” whose players love the big game. And there’s nothing they like more than beating the English. Just think back to the 6-1 drubbing of England in the one day series right after us Poms had reclaimed the Ashes.

Meanwhile, England, who started off this tournament extremely shakily with a rain-affected loss to the West Indies and then were subsequently saved from embarrassment by the rain against the Irish, have put together four straight wins in a ruthless fashion. The batting of new father Kevin Pietersen has been sublime – a timely reminder as to why many consider him up there with the best batsmen in the world. We’ve almost forgotten altogether his 12 months of bad form. Furthermore, Eoin Morgan has been a revelation. Bowl at him in a conventional manner and he’ll smash you for six. Mix it up and he will mix it up with his trademark improvisation.

If the Australian bowling has been all about pace, the English bowling has been all about guile. Which bowling style will prevail? England’s middle order will like the ball coming on to the bat for one. But also Australia have the muscle to dispatch England’s canny bowling mixture to the boundary. It will be interesting to see what happens to their slower half-trackers that have been so effective to date.

One question still remains. Can England rise to the occasion? After all, in the “perennial chokers” category they are a close second to their South African counterparts. England’s trophy cabinet is bare when it comes to big international tournaments. But this England side appears to be different to sides gone by. England coach, Andy Flower, has instilled a confidence and determination that we England fans aren’t used to but are growing to like – a ruthless England cricket team?.

The anticipation for this game is killing me. I can’t wait…

Who will shine for Australia? Shane Watson and Mike Hussey

Who will shine for England? Kevin Pietersen and Eoin Morgan

Australia Likely Starting Lineup: 1 Shane Watson, 2 David Warner, 3 Brad Haddin (wk), 4 Michael Clarke (capt), 5 David Hussey, 6 Cameron White, 7 Michael Hussey, 8 Steven Smith, 9 Mitchell Johnson, 10 Dirk Nannes, 11 Shaun Tait.

England Likely Starting Lineup: 1 Michael Lumb, 2 Craig Kieswetter (wk), 3 Kevin Pietersen, 4 Paul Collingwood (capt), 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Luke Wright, 7 Tim Bresnan, 8 Graeme Swann, 9 Michael Yardy, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 Ryan Sidebottom.

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The Reverse Sweep

David Green — Fri, 14 May 2010 07:19:00 +0000

This week we round-up the main talking points of the World T20 with England having secured their place in the final, India having gone home with its tail between its legs and Australia facing Pakistan later today in the second semi-final. We also look at the worrying form of Andrew Strauss, round-up the latest county action and pay tribute to Shane Bond as he bows out of cricket.

The Reverse Sweep is an irreverent and sometimes acerbic round-up of the week that was in cricket. For similar musings on this wonderful game of ours please visit my blog also entitled The Reverse Sweep, read my twice-weekly column on CricDude, or follow me on Twitter @TheReverseSweep.

England’s juggernaut keeps on

When we tipped England for the World T20 crown we probably did so as much out of jingoistic hope as actual expectation. But this England team is different from its T20 and limited overs predecessors. It is well-drilled, has strength in depth, possesses several game changers and has developed an utterly ruthless streak. Indeed, this English side has a very Australian feel to it in the way it attacks relentlessly and aims to steamroller the opposition.

We were worried about Sri Lanka. They have a team of gifted individuals, had gained momentum from their dramatic win over India and on a spin-friendly pitch in St Lucia, one expected England would have a tough test. But delightedly this proved not to be the case and right from the start of the Sri Lankan innings, there only appeared to be one winner.

England may not have the extreme pace of Dirk Nannes or Shaun Tait in its ranks, but it does have a varied attack that has proven to be strong in both the seam and spin department. Tim Bresnan has surprised many, including us, and Stuart Broad is fully concentrated on his bowling rather than having set-tos with umpires and is all the better for it. Ryan Sidebottom, who has controversially been selected over England’s erstwhile number one seamer James Anderson, has fully justified the faith of the selectors and shown the immense value that a left-arm quick seems to have in T20 cricket.

The spin attack at Paul Collingwood’s disposal has arguably proved to be the best in the tournament. T20 generally rewards spinners that are prepared to attack and as the Barcelona of world spinners, Graeme Swann has reaped the rewards for his positive approach. We suggested before the tournament that Michael Yardy could prove to be England’s joker in the pack, and he hasn’t disappointed those of us who knew how effective a T20 bowler he is for Sussex.

With the exception of Marcus Trescothick, previous England opening partnerships would probably have scratched around when chasing 129 for victory, and scoreboard pressure would have been the result. But Michael Lumb and Craig Kieswetter have a different approach that has really come off in this competition. By the time they both departed having scored a combined 72 runs between them off 55 balls with nine fours and three sixes, England were on easy street. Again hats off to the selectors for being brave here.

With an Ashes series approaching the supreme confidence and form being shown by Kevin Pietersen is a wonderful sign. It was said that if England were to win this tournament, then it needed their star man to fire. And 168 runs off 111 balls for once out in his last three knocks suggest that Pietersen is close to the form of his life. This despite a round-trip to London to be at the birth of his first child; causing him to miss the win over New Zealand.

The heroics of Eoin Morgan weren’t required yesterday, but with him, Pietersen and captain Paul Collingwood in the engine room, England’s batting line-up has a strength and formidability about it, which it hasn’t (at least in limited overs cricket) for some time.

The final on Sunday is likely to be against Australia; although don’t discount mercurial Pakistan, and it should be a fascinating encounter. Both sides have hitters at the top of the order, strength in depth in its batting and a number of options with the ball. An England-Australia match-up would also see the two best fielding sides in the competition meeting up. England are unlikely to be blown away like India, Sri Lanka and West Indies were by the pace of Tait, Nannes and Mitchell Johnson, so it should prove to be a close match. For England supporters yearning for their side’s first ICC limited overs trophy, it is likely to prove to be a nerve jangling afternoon.

Can Pakistan perform a miracle against Australia?

The short answer to that question is probably not. But, if any side can overcome a double-digit run of successive losses to the opposition, indifferent form and what on paper looks a one-sided contest, it is Pakistan’s unpredictable cricketers. They certainly have some momentum gained by their extraordinary passage to the semi-finals, and in truth they have nothing to lose. If they can win the toss and post 160, then the Pakistani spinners could put an Australian team with a worrying propensity for collapse under pressure. We shall see. In truth, Australia have been formidable in this tournament and with the likes of David Warner, Shane Watson and Cameron White with the bat, and the pace triumvirate of Nannes, Tait and Johnson this could prove to be a very one-sided contest. It is time for Pakistan to take inspiration from Imran Khan’s ‘Cornered Tigers’ of 1992 and play without fear.

India exits with its tail between its legs

For the third ICC competition in less than a year, heavily fancied India disappointed badly. They may be the number one test team in the world and also extremely difficult to beat in any form of cricket on the subcontinent, but this catalogue of woe requires big decisions from the Indian selectors. To be fair, any team would struggle to cope without Tendulkar, Laxman, Dravid and Sehwag, but an inability to contend with short-pitched bowling is a serious concern. As Chris Gayle observed after his side had beaten India “They are always going to be vulnerable against the short ball, every team has done it against them and it’s something they have to look at and try to prepare better.” India also suffered from poor fielding with Ravindra Jadeja being comically poor, and from being at least one bowler short. Indeed, minus the excellent Harbhajan Singh, India’s bowlers were generally toothless and expensive. For a more detailed post-mortem on India’s exit, please see Where did it all go wrong for India?

Strauss’ worrying form slump

The batting of Andrew Strauss was probably the difference between England winning and losing the Ashes last summer. His century at Lord’s saw Australia beaten at the home of cricket by England for the first time since 1934, and then two patient fifties at the Oval helped set up the decisive victory in the final test of the series. Strauss deservedly won the Compton Miller Medal as player of the series and was rightfully showered with plaudits for his captaincy and his batting. Since then his form has gone worryingly awry. His return of 170 runs at 24.28 in the series in South Africa was somewhat overshadowed by England’s fighting performance to draw the series and by the similarly poor form of Kevin Pietersen. Indeed, most people, us included, thought that Strauss’ poor series with the bat was just a blip.

However, Strauss has now completed six county championship matches this season for Middlesex and his poor form has continued with only 262 runs at 23.81 and a highest score of 69. Hopefully, it is a case of form being temporary and class being permanent. But with the first test against Bangladesh only a few weeks away and more importantly the Ashes series in Australia due to start in less than six months, Strauss’ slump is becoming more of a concern. As it stands, his decision to miss the Bangladesh tour so he could take a break from cricket looks less wise every time he comes to the crease and fails again.

Au revoir to Shane Bond

It’s sad to see that Shane Bond has announced his retirement from cricket following New Zealand’s exit from the World T20. It seems he has finally bowed to the inevitable after a series of injuries, which has severely curtailed what would otherwise have been a very successful test career. In announcing his retirement, Bond said “I know the time is right for me to step down. I have given it everything when playing for the Black Caps. I will miss the camaraderie because it has been a privilege to play along such a great bunch of guys who are so committed to do their best for New Zealand. Playing with pride for the Black Caps over the years has meant so much to me.” Bond was undoubtedly the Black Caps best bowler since Richard Hadlee, so he will be missed by the Beige Brigade and Super Dan, as well as lovers of express pace bowlers the world over.

Nottinghamshire storm to the top

At the start of the season we, like many pundits, tipped Durham to make it three Division 1 titles in a row. However, after their crushing innings defeat to new leaders Nottinghamshire, their title aspirations look to have already gone up in smoke. In truth, Durham have been decimated by injuries, especially in the bowling department, and that combined with poor form sees them second from bottom in the table. In contrast, the victory saw Nottinghamshire record its fourth victory out of four and enabled them to leapfrog Yorkshire at the head of the table. Both teams have been hugely impressive and it promises to be a battle royal between them for the title. As it stands, one cannot see any other side challenging these two powerful sides.

That’s all for this week folks.

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Ruthless England Learn from the Past

David Green — Wed, 12 May 2010 07:40:52 +0000

But Remember Not Too Long Ago?

Actually, we’ve been there before. Against all expectations, England had won its first two matches of last year’s Champions Trophy in South Africa against Sri Lanka and the hosts, and had already qualified for the semi-finals before they faced New Zealand in their final group match.

In that match, New Zealand won a good toss at an overcast Wanderers and promptly blasted England out for only 146, before knocking off the runs with more than 22 overs to spare. England had relaxed too much safe in the knowledge they were already in the semi-finals and as a result of the heavy defeat, qualified second. This meant they had to face an Australian side that had just beaten them 6-1 in a one day series in England, and that coupled with the loss of momentum saw England crash to another heavy defeat against Ricky Ponting’s men.

Has this England Side Turned the Tables?

Yesterday, New Zealand again won the toss, but this time they faced a very different England. Paul Collingwood’s side were determined, focused and ruthless in their demeanour even without their best player Kevin Pietersen. They restricted New Zealand to 149 for six, which was a challenging but highly gettable target and then batted like a side determined to avoid Australia in the semi-final. As a result, form, spirit and momentum has been maintained, and we at the Reverse Sweep are consequently confident that my pre-tournament prediction that England would win the tournament is still looking on (whilst the other David’s T20 World Cup Preview has flopped).

As we wrote after the win against South Africa, the side looks settled and well balanced. Lumb and Kieswetter keep giving the team fast starts, which has helped England become the only chasing team to win in the Super Eight stage – twice against Pakistan as well as the Black Caps. New father Pietersen looks in fine fettle and Eoin Morgan keeps astounding even his team-mates with his audacity and repertoire of strokes.

Finally, a word for Tim Bresnan. We couldn’t understand it when he first came into the side, and we made some harsh comments about him when he opened the bowling during the test series in Bangladesh. But he was England’s best seam bowler on that trip and his level of performance continues to markedly improve. His bowling is economical and he looks a very good number seven. No one had him down as Andrew Flintoff’s successor as England’s all-rounder, but Bresnan is making an unanswerable case for his selection in all forms of the game with his sustained level of performance.

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Michael Clarke New Role in T20 Revealed

David Green — Sun, 09 May 2010 00:34:30 +0000

Australia really found the Bridgetown pitch to their liking yesterday. Firstly, they bludgeoned their way to 184 for five with Shane Watson and David Warner hitting 13 sixes between them. Then Dirk Nannes and Shaun Tait ran amok to leave India in disarray at 23 for four. Although, Rohit Sharma inspired a late order recovery, the fat lady had already sung and left the building, and Australia eased to a comfortable victory, leaving question marks about some of the Indian batsmen’s ability to cope with extreme pace on a bouncy wicket.

But there was also another major talking point that emerged concerning Australian captain Michael Clarke. Now like many other observers, we at the Reverse Sweep have often questioned Clarke’s place in this formidable Australian T20 side. He may be a fantastic test and ODI batsman, but his strike rate of 106.45 in 27 T20 internationals does not compare favourably with those of his team mates and other leading T20 batsmen. And when you consider that Clarke usually bats in the pivotal number three position then his position in the side becomes all the more untenable.

So it was fascinating to see that Clarke seems to have woken up and smelt the coffee before his national selectors. As the Hussey brothers, White, Haddin and even Steve Smith entered the fray before their skipper, one couldn’t help but feel that Clarke has finally found his true place in this side – that of non-playing captain.

This all presents an interesting quandary for the Australian selectors. As a player Clarke is clearly not worth a place in this line-up. But they have publicly anointed him as the successor to Ricky Ponting as captain in all forms of the game. Do the selectors do as their English counterparts have done with Trott, Cook and Bell and jettison a player from a format that he clearly does not suit? Or do they persist with Clarke in T20 until he can at least take over the captaincy of the ODI side? It could prove to be a fascinating ride.

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