ESPNcricinfo staff28-Mar-2015Despite the high-risk approach he has adopted at the top of the order, Brendon McCullum (328 runs at 41.00, strike rate 191.81) has been frighteningly consistent at this World Cup, with four half-centuries in eight innings, the most vital of which was the 26-ball 59 that laid the base for New Zealand to hunt down a 43-overs target of 298 in their semi-final against South Africa. McCullum has channeled the same aggression into his fielding and captaincy, ensuring his bowlers are always thinking wickets.•Getty ImagesPerhaps the best measure of Steven Smith‘s (346 runs at 57.66, 1 hundred, 3 fifties) impact on this World Cup is to look at what went on at the other end during his two most vital innings. When Wahab Riaz was roughing up Shane Watson during Australia’s quarter-final against Pakistan, Smith was coolly accumulating a match-winning 65. When Aaron Finch was struggling to time the ball off the square in the semi-final against India, Smith breezed his way to a 93-ball 105. No one has quite figured out how to get him out or even keep him quiet.•Getty ImagesHaving had little opportunity to contribute during the early part of the World Cup, Grant Elliott (227 runs at 37.83, strike rate 107.07) has turned it on when it has mattered most. Cameos against Bangladesh and West Indies showed glimpses of what the selectors had seen to recall him in his mid-30s, but New Zealand required far more when he walked in during their semi-final against South Africa. Elliott’s unbeaten 84 and his winning six off Dale Steyn will ensure he always remains a World Cup folk hero.•Getty ImagesAustralia’s line-up is full of battering rams, but it’s Glenn Maxwell (324 runs at 64.80, strike rate 182.02, 5 wickets at 36.20) who provides the manic, out-of-the-box edge that can turn 320 into 380. What’s been amazing is how frequently he’s done it at this World Cup, with two half-centuries and a brilliant maiden hundred in a high-scoring game against Sri Lanka.•Getty ImagesCorey Anderson (231 runs at 38.50, 14 wickets at 16.21) laid down an early marker with a 46-ball 75 and two wickets in the opening game of the World Cup against Sri Lanka. He has continued to contribute with both bat and ball, scoring vital runs down the order, including a half-century in the tense semi-final against South Africa, and breaking partnerships whenever brought on to bowl.•ICCHaving opened the batting in 2011, Brad Haddin (126 runs at 42.00, strike rate 157.50, 14 catches) has had to bat in the lower order this time, but has still managed important contributions when called upon. Against New Zealand, he top-scored with 43, an innings that almost won Australia a low-scoring thriller, and he also made quickfire cameos against England, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka to ensure he pipped Luke Ronchi to the wicketkeeper’s slot in this XI•Getty ImagesLong-running injury struggles had restricted Daniel Vettori (15 wickets at 18.80, economy rate 3.98) to T20s alone for more than a year, and though he had played 11 ODIs since returning to the New Zealand side last October, no one could have foreseen the impact he would make at the World Cup with his undiminished ability to tie batsmen down with changes of pace and trajectory. He has been electric on the field as well, and has scored 41 runs in 25 balls while being dismissed only once in five innings.•Getty ImagesIt takes a lot to usurp Mitchell Johnson as Australia’s leading quick bowler in ODIs, but Mitchell Starc (20 wickets at 10.20, economy rate 3.65) has managed to do so, with pace, swing and death-overs yorkers in the biggest tournament of them all. New Zealand will worry that his best performance in the World Cup came against them, a six-wicket haul that almost allowed Australia to defend a total of 151.•Getty ImagesTrent Boult (21 wickets at 15.76, economy rate 4.41) leads Starc narrowly at the top of the World Cup’s leading wicket-takers’ list, confirming that this has been a tournament for left-arm quicks. Boult began the tournament slowly, with his new-ball partner Tim Southee doing the more eye-catching work, but has since become the leader of New Zealand’s attack. Boult’s best performance was his five-wicket haul against Australia, where all his wickets came in a second spell that read 5-3-3-5.•Getty ImagesHe only played two games during the group stage, but it’s an indisputable fact that Australia’s attack has looked a whole lot better since Josh Hazlewood (7 wickets at 20.85, economy rate 4.19) returned to the side. Replacing Pat Cummins for the quarter-final against Pakistan, Hazlewood picked up a four-wicket haul, and in the semi-final he frustrated India’s batsmen with his control during a vital part of their chase, dismissing the dangerous-looking Shikhar Dhawan and following up with a maiden to Virat Kohli.•Getty Images

While Australia have been regulars in World Cup finals and have won the title four times, for New Zealand this is their maiden entry

Shiva Jayaraman28-Mar-20151 Number of World Cup knockouts played between Australia and New Zealand before the final in this World Cup. Australia won the quarter-finals in 1996. New Zealand’s win in the league match in Auckland earlier was only their third over Australia in World Cups out of nine matches.7 Number of times Australia have made it to a World Cup final. No other team has featured in more than three finals; New Zealand will be playing their first.1981 The last time New Zealand won the final of a multi-team tournament against Australia, which was the first of the three finals of a tri-series. Since then, New Zealand have lost 12 finals to Australia, the last of which was in the 2009 Champions Trophy.3-2 New Zealand’s win-loss record in the last five ODIs against Australia at the MCG, the last of which was won by New Zealand in 2009. But besides the three wins, New Zealand have won only one other game, way back in 1983. Overall Australia have a 14-4 record against New Zealand at this venue for a win-loss ratio of 3.5, which is their best against any team they have played more than two times at the venue. Australia’s record against New Zealand in the finals of any tournament at the MCG is 5-0.6 Number of consecutive ODI wins for Australia at the MCG. The last time they lost here was against Sri Lanka in 2012. Australia have won 8 of their last 10 games here.4 Wickets taken by Tim Southee in five games since his 7 for 33 against England. Southee has conceded 294 runs from 46 overs since then at an economy of 6.43. Southee averages 85.50 against the batsmen in the current Australia squad.

Tim Southee – World Cup 2015

Wkts BBI Ave Econ First-3 matches 11 7/33 10.09 4.11Last-5 matches 4 2/65 74.00 6.4361 Total runs scored by Australia’s top-order (No. 1 to No. 3) against New Zealand in ODIs as opposed to their middle-order (No. 4 to No. 7) which has 2216 runs against them. While Michael Clarke has hit 944 runs at 39.33 against New Zealand, Brad Haddin has hit 692 runs against them – the most he has against any team in ODIs. Both of Haddin’s ODI hundreds have come against New Zealand. Watson has done well too, scoring 550 runs at an average of 45.83.

Australia batting v New Zealand – top and middle-order

Inns Runs Ave SR 100s/50sTop-order 5 61 12.20 68.53 0/0Middle-order 61 2216 42.61 85.39 3/14208 Runs scored by New Zealand’s openers – Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill – off Mitchell Johnson in ODIs. While McCullum has scored 113 off 102 Johnson deliveries and has been dismissed only once, Guptill has 95 from 132 balls and has been dismissed twice by the bowler.

Mitchell Johnson v New Zealand openers in ODIs

Batsman Conc Wkts Balls Ave EcoBrendon McCullum 113 1 102 113.00 6.65Martin Guptill 95 2 132 47.50 4.3265.61 Aaron Finch’s batting average at the MCG. He has scored two hundreds and one fifty in six innings at this venue, with 135, 96, 22, and 121 his last four scores. However, Finch’s opening partner David Warner hasn’t done too well at this venue having scored just 129 runs from his seven innings.10 Number of fifty-plus scores by Steven Smith in 19 ODI innings since October 2014. He hadn’t scored a fifty in his first 38 ODI innings. Since October 2014, Smith has scored 1016 runs at an average of 67.73 including four hundreds and six fifties. Smith’s 337 runs in this series are the third-highest by an Australia No. 3 in any World Cup.

Steven Smith – ODI career

Runs HS Ave SR 100s/50sFirst 38 ODIs 477 46* 20.73 86.56 0/0Last 19 ODIs 1016 105 67.73 91.44 4/63 Number of times Shane Watson has got out on a duck in his last-five ODIs innings at the MCG. In spite of his three recent ducks, Watson averages 35.66 from 15 innings at what has been his most productive venue in Tests. He has hit six fifty-plus scores from nine Test innings at the MCG, scoring 517 runs at an average of 73.85.9 Number of innings since the last time Martin Guptill hit a fifty against Australia in ODIs. In nine innings since then Guptill has managed 154 runs against Australia at an average of 17.11 and a highest of 40. Among the bowlers in the current Australia team, Shane Watson has dismissed him thrice in 29 deliveries.16.17 Ross Taylor’s batting average against the bowlers in the current Australia team. Taylor has scored 194 runs against them at a strike rate of 62.78. Taylor has been dismissed five times by Johnson in 132 balls and four times by Watson in 82 deliveries. Overall though, Taylor has hit 764 runs against Australia – his highest against any team in ODIs – at an average of 36.38 including a century and six fifties.

Ross Taylor v Australia bowlers

Bowler Runs Dis Balls SRMitchell Johnson 92 5 132 69.70Shane Watson 45 4 82 54.88Michael Clarke 52 2 81 64.20Mitchell Starc 0 1 1 0.0017 Sixes hit by Brendon McCullum out of the 58 that have been hit in the mandatory Powerplays in this World Cup. He has hit none after the tenth over. McCullum’s 17 sixes are the fourth-highest by any batsman in a World Cup. Out of his eight innings in this World Cup, McCullum has batted beyond the 10th over only once, against Sri Lanka in Christchurch. Of the 150 balls he has faced inside the first-ten overs, he has hit 59 boundaries scoring 308 runs at a strike rate of 205.33.1 Number of century stands conceded by both Australia and New Zealand in this World Cup – the least among teams. Oppositions have averaged 20.77 per wicket against Australia – the least against any team in his World Cup. New Zealand have conceded 22.97 runs per wicket in this World Cup.25.71 Australia’s average opening stand in this series – the second-worst their first wicket has averaged per dismissal in any World Cup. They had averaged 24.83 runs per dismissal in 1983. Australia’s openers have put on only one fifty stand in seven innings.14 Maidens by Boult out of the 75 overs he has bowled in this World Cup – seven more than the highest bowled by any other bowler. Boult has bowled 296 dot-balls, which is also the most by any bowler in this World Cup. However, in terms of dot-ball percentage, Boult’s 65.78% is only the third-highest for any bowler who has bowled at least 50 overs in this World Cup. Mitchell Starc leads this list with 228 dot-balls out of 335 deliveries (68.06%). Boult is the leading wicket-taker in this World Cup with 21 victims, while Starc is a close-second with 20 wickets.

Plays of the Day from the Pakistan v South Africa World Cup 2015 Group B match, in Auckland

Nikita Bastian in Auckland07-Mar-2015Steyn takes the plunge
In the ninth over, at 30 for 0, Pakistan already had what was by far their biggest and longest opening stand of the tournament. It was still a slow start, but Ahmed Shehzad was beginning to look comfortable, having pulled and driven Kyle Abbott to the boundary in the space of six balls. An opening partnership can’t flourish too long with Dale Steyn in the opposition though. Shehzad mistimed a flick and Steyn ran to his right from mid-on, while looking over his shoulder, and ended his sprint with a spectacular dive. He came up with the ball clutched in his fingertips, but was floored again by his team-mates piling on top of him in celebration.De Villiers’ dollies
South Africa had the scoring rate under control with Pakistan 35 for 1 in 10 overs. AB de Villiers tried to slow things down further, bringing legspinner Imran Tahir on at one end, and his own gentle half-trackers at the other. The experiment was quickly aborted though, after one of his deliveries barely reached half-way up the pitch and sat up for Younis Khan to flat-bat down the ground. Two balls later, de Villiers sent one down that was just as short and even loopier. Sarfraz Ahmed was waiting, then wound up and eventually swatted it to long leg for four more. To de Villiers’ credit, he was not put off and returned an hour later to take Younis’ wicket.Seeing triple
The second 10 overs, runs wise, did not go as well for South Africa. Pakistan added 72 more. Sarfraz was playing his first game of the tournament, brought in to shake up a flagging batting line-up and he made quite the statement. He greeted JP Duminy with two confident pulls – both times, he took a few steps down the track before unleashing – and both times the man at deep midwicket was interested for an instant before watching the ball sail over his head. Sarfraz could not complete a hat-trick, but he did get a third six later in the over, a carbon copy of the first two: two steps down, almighty swing, midwicket left ball-watching.Goliath v Goliath
How often do you see Morne Morkel run up to a batsman in his follow-through, only to be dwarfed? Such was the case after a couple of frustrating rain breaks, as Mohammad Irfan faced up to him in what was the final over of Pakistan’s innings. First up, Morkel got one to climb quickly on the seven-footer, forcing him to duck hurriedly to avoid one that went buzzing past his ears. Irfan was not pleased, and it was made clear the following ball when he backed away and slashed angrily at a length ball. Next up was a yorker, which Irfan French-cut for one. Sadly, that was the end of that intriguing mini-battle, with Pakistan all out the following delivery.Stamping on stumps
Two overs into the chase, Faf du Plessis committed a costly error – he took out the ICC’s flashing Zing wickets in his rush to make his ground ahead of Misbah-ul-Haq’s throw from short mid-off. He’d set off for the run and had Misbah hit at the non-striker’s end, it looked like he would have been out. That probably would not have been as costly a loss for South Africa, though, as it could have been for the ICC if the stumps were damaged, given a kit of nine stumps and 14 bails sets them back by roughly $40,000.Sarfraz’s stretch
The pacy Wahab Riaz has been one to watch this World Cup, and today he was helped along with a first-ball wicket courtesy a spectacular take from Sarfraz behind the stumps. As a wicketkeeper Sarfraz often comes across as a bit heavy-footed, safe more than athletic, but today he showed he can put in the sharp dive when needed, throwing himself low to his right to hang on to a chance, one-handed, from the in-form Hashim Amla. It was Sarfraz’s third catch of the night, and not his last – having taken over keeping duties from part-timer Umar Akmal, who had his fair share of slip ups with the gloves in Pakistan’s first four games, Sarfraz finished with six catches, equalling the world record for ODIs.

There are ways of making the Associates an integral part of the tournament while still keeping the event competitive and lucrative

Sambit Bal17-Mar-2015The World Cup has strolled in leisurely fashion through what had been billed as the round of dull predictability. But it can be said upon reflection, and with a degree of gratefulness, that neither have the last four weeks been dull nor have they been predictable. In the end, seven of the eight teams fancied to feature in the quarters have made it – some just about. Three matches in the first round were virtual knockouts, and it took until the last day of the first round for the last two teams to get on board.Once again, it is to Ireland that the World Cup owes a big thank you. And to England – if you want to be cruel. By causing one major upset in three successive World Cups – against Pakistan in 2007, England in 2011, and West Indies in 2015 – Ireland have kept the first part of the tournament bubbling. England kept it alive and open with ineptitude. In 2011, they managed to sneak through despite losing to Ireland and Bangladesh, but this time Bangladesh took their place in the last eight by rights. They might have had a slice of fortune by way of the washout that allowed them to split points with Australia, but the way the group stage ended, it wouldn’t have mattered: over the five weeks, Bangladesh were better than England.Further, the first round remained enjoyable till the end, for the subplots it provided. New Zealand set the tone by unleashing a breathtakingly aggressive brand of cricket. With the bat it has been done before, but Brendon McCullum went for broke with the ball too, bowling out both England and Australia by using up his wicket-taking bowlers in the first 30 overs.India surprised the world by rousing themselves from a slumber and topping their group in a manner that left even their most ardent fans nonplussed. A group of bowlers who hadn’t managed to bowl out a side all summer, captured 60 wickets in six matches, the only team to do so this World Cup. It is a first in India’s ODI history. Even after it had become clear they couldn’t be dislodged from pole position, whether they would be able to bowl out their opponents remained a matter of interest – as it did with New Zealand, who were denied by Bangladesh.

There is an argument that the current format could be made far more competitive and meaningful simply by taking away the quarter-finals. Putting that into practice here, it would have left New Zealand, India, Australia and South Africa fighting it out

Afghanistan managed to win a World Cup match in their first tournament, denying Scotland their own first in a thrilling one-wicket win achieved with a last over-boundary. Such was the depth of England’s misery that even their otherwise meaningless final match, against Afghanistan, carried significance: it was a match they couldn’t afford to lose.There was the running thread between India and Pakistan; Pakistan’s own story of finding a stirring bowling performance when they appeared to be sinking; the trans-Tasman bowl-out; Ireland beating Zimbabwe with a catch on the rope to stay alive; and South Africa raising mountains while batting first but stumbling in chases.The pull of sport lies not merely in the pleasures and pains of triumphs and defeats but also in the textures and the layers of the stories that have come along the way. The next 12 days will define this World Cup, but the last four weeks have given us more than the mere routine of setting up the inevitable.That inevitable, of course, was that the Associates would go home, leaving the top eight to begin the real business of winning the World Cup. Bangladesh’s presence is a welcome change to the plot, but it doesn’t largely alter the reality that a team can be more or less abysmal for a month and still end up in the final on the back of two good days.The problem with the World Cup has never been the presence of the Associates, but the format, which has been designed to keep the “revenue- earning” teams in the tournament for as long as possible. In principle, 2007 had a better format – 16 teams, four groups, with eight qualifying to the second round – but the unanticipated departures of India and Pakistan wrought commercial calamity.There is an argument that the current format could be made far more competitive and meaningful simply by taking away the quarter-finals. Putting that into practice here, it would have left New Zealand, India, Australia and South Africa fighting it out for the trophy, and there would be no argument against the merits of those four teams. But of course, it would meant four fewer marquee games on television, and who could have guaranteed at the start of the tournament that India, on whom rides the financial viability of the tournament, would end in the top four?The Associates bring freshness, the joy of the unexpected, an amateur spirit, and they give cricket fans a worthy and ennobling pleasure•Getty ImagesAnd so to the idea of a ten-team World Cup: more matches between relatively evenly matched teams, more meaning, tighter contests, and of course a far more lucrative tournament. Despite the feel-good factor the presence of minor nations brought, it is true that as the tournament wore on, the gaps between the weaker and stronger teams widened. A case was made for close contests featuring the Associates, but invariably those happened between two weak teams.Barring Ireland, no other Associate managed to put in a contest. Afghanistan had Sri Lanka in a bother for a while, but once Mahela Jayawerdene took charge, the outcome became a formality. And even Ireland, once that win against the underperforming West Indies was out of the way, never looked capable of challenging a top nation.A parallel is often drawn with the football World Cup, but it ignores football’s much wider base and the fact that an uncompetitive game there lasts only 90 minutes, against one-day cricket’s eight-odd hours.However, it is easy to see why cricket fans love the idea of Associates in the World Cup. Who with their heart in the right place doesn’t love a good romance? The Associates bring freshness, the joy of the unexpected, an amateur spirit, and they give cricket fans a worthy and ennobling pleasure: being able to root for the underdog, and occasionally, the reward of a thrilling upset.Between commercial pragmatism and romance, cricket must find common ground. Sachin Tendulkar has spoken of a 25-team tournament and Martin Crowe has put forward the idea of an 18-team World Cup lasting ten weeks. In the spirit of the moment, here’s one more idea.The ten-team World Cup can stay, but why not simply add a qualifying leg to the main tournament? The idea put forward by Wally Edwards, the Cricket Australia chairman, to rebrand ODIs as World Cup cricket is worthy of serious consideration. It is, of course, impossible to regulate the number of ODIs each country wants to play, but let there be a minimum number of matches each team must play. The top six teams can then qualify directly for the World Cup, and the bottom eight can play in the first round of the World Cup, with the top four from there joining the second round. It will then feel like one long, seamless tournament but with every match invested with significance, and the matches in the first round will be between more evenly matched teams. And most of all, they will take place on a stage that the minor nations crave and deserve.It is simplistic, and somewhat misinformed, to demonise the ICC for its treatment of the Associates. The fact is that there have been many in the organisation who have championed and worked tirelessly for the cause for years. The Afghanistan story, among the most uplifting in sport, wouldn’t have been possible without these efforts. But that spirit often finds itself at odds with the immediate commercial interests of the ICC board, which is ruled by a smaller group.Still, a middle ground can be found. The world doesn’t have to thrown out of the World Cup to make it a tournament. With vision, will and some flexibility, it can be an exclusive competition while staying inclusive.

Five things to look out for at the ICC Americas Division One T20 tournament

Peter Della Penna02-May-2015

A whole new world

The tournament will be the first major cricket of any kind played at the brand new Indianapolis World Sports Park. The ICC tweeted a photo of a juicy pitch on Saturday morning ahead of Sunday’s inaugural match at the facility between Canada and Suriname, but only time will tell.Weather conditions in Indianapolis for the early part of the week show it will be cool in the mornings with temperatures hovering around 50F (10C) for the daily 10 am scheduled start but by 2 pm for the second match of the day, it will be mostly dry and sunny. The outfield looks well maintained and it will be interesting to see how many broken windows need to be replaced over the 12 games. The ground was built in a residential zone on the east side of the city with the north boundary ringed by several houses that could be in the firing line of Canada’s Rizwan Cheema and USA’s Steven Taylor.

The rise of Suriname

Canada is a virtual lock to claim one of the top two spots and advance to the World T20 Qualifiers in Ireland and Scotland this July. However, with only one other berth up for grabs instead of the three reserved in the past for the Americas region, a dogfight may ensue for the remaining spot. The debate in the region is which team will be the one left out: USA or Bermuda. What they may not realize is that it wouldn’t be farfetched to see both of them left behind and Suriname leapfrog them into this summer’s global qualifier.Suriname’s comfortable win over Bermuda at the last Americas Division One in 2013 was a wakeup call for everyone in the region that the South American nation can’t be taken lightly. USA enters with a very inexperienced squad and their traditional home advantage at the Central Broward Regional Park in Florida has been neutralized by a tournament site nobody has played at before. If a side like USA comes in unprepared, the upset bug is ready to bite and bite hard.

The resurgence of Cheema?

Named captain again at age 36 by Cricket Canada for this tournament, Rizwan Cheema’s reputation as a basher was forged during a magical two-year period from August 2008, beginning with 89 off 69 balls and 61 off 45 in back-to-back ODIs against West Indies at King City. By mid-2010, the pixie dust started to wear off, and the five years since have been topsy-turvy.When Cheema’s batting began to seriously wane, he focused more on developing his pace bowling to keep his spot in the team. He scored 54 off 42 in Canada’s first warm-up match in Texas on April 28 against an attack featuring USA veterans Usman Shuja and Timroy Allen, as well as former West Indies fast bowler Mervyn Dillon. However, he fell for a duck in the next game and 4 on Friday before the team departed for Indianapolis. Which Cheema will show up at World Sports Park? Canada needs more of the former to feel confident about success, not just in Indiana but also in Ireland and Scotland in July.

Bermuda spin phenomenon Rawlins

Delray Rawlins was tabbed as one to keep an eye on from age 13 after a series of brilliant all-round performances at junior level. He made his senior team debut at age 15, producing a 10-over spell of left-arm spin to finish with 1 for 39, in a famous five-wicket win over USA at the 2013 ICC World Cricket League Division Three. The result not only prevented Bermuda from being relegated to Division Four but also prevented USA from advancing to the 2014 World Cup Qualifier in New Zealand. It was Bermuda’s first victory over USA in an ICC tournament match since 2005.In addition to being an exceptional fielder, Rawlins has continued to make strides with the ball, producing consecutive 10-over spells of 1 for 18 and 0 for 16 against Malaysia and Singapore respectively, last October at the WCL Division Three in Kuala Lumpur. The key for him now is to progress from being just economical to becoming a wicket-taking threat at the senior level like he has been in junior cricket. If he can do that, Bermuda’s chances of finishing in the top two improve drastically.

Failing to prepare

USA’s disastrous experience at Division Three was exacerbated by a canceled warm-up tour to Jamaica due to lack of funds. The same scenario has played out ahead of the Indianapolis event. While the other three teams in the tournament have some form of a warm-up series under their belts, most of USA’s players will be flying into Indianapolis on Friday and Saturday fairly raw. The squad features seven changes from the team that was relegated to WCL Division Four last October and hasn’t even practiced together ahead of their opening encounter against Bermuda. At best, each player’s preparation has been one or two matches at the start of their local league season, since competing in the USACA T20 National Championship over Easter weekend.So many times in the past, USA could get away with showing up at a tournament with no preparation and still win or gain promotion due to the superior talent possessed by their players. That method was finally laid to waste in Malaysia. USACA is gambling with another spin at the roulette wheel for this tournament. By Sunday, everyone will know if they doubled up or went bust.

Mark Footitt has had a rare opportunity to impress a man who matters by bowling against England’s captain Alastair Cook with England selectors in attendance. is he the left-arm quick England need?

Tim Wigmore15-Jun-2015Not for the first time, English cricket is gazing covetously upon an Australian side ahead of the Ashes. Having seen the damage inflicted by Trent Boult in the opening Test series of the summer, England now face the challenge posed by two more left-arm quicks – Australia’s two Mitchells – knowing that it is a strength they cannot match.In the five years since Ryan Sidebottom’s last Test appearance, no left-arm pace bowler has played for England. Other English left-armers, notably Bill Voce and John Lever, have made a significant contribution, yet none has ever taken 100 Test wickets.Enter – perhaps – Mark Footitt.At first glance he does not look much like the left-arm hope tantalising England. His run-up begins rather diffidently, only gaining speed in his last few strides. When he gets to the crease, his right-arm falls away.It all provides little indication of what comes next. Footitt can move the ball both ways at a speed near 90mph, has a formidable bouncer, and is skilled at bowling either over or around the wicket.In his approach he draws inspiration from an Australian star of 2005. “One of my favourite bowlers was Brett Lee. All the time he ran in, hit the wicket hard, and tried to be aggressive,” Footitt said. “That’s what I’m in the team for – to be a strike bowler, break a partnership or try and mop up the tail.”The sight might yet be spotted against Australia this summer. Should England’s phalanx of right-arm over-the-wicket bowlers struggle in the opening Tests, the selectors might seek out the greater variety Footitt would provide. There are few other contenders. “Left-armers are a bit like gold dust,” he said.”It would be a great opportunity and great experience for me to play in the Ashes. Obviously I would back my ability to play Test cricket.” So he should. Since the start of 2014, Footitt has taken 116 first-class wickets at a smidgeon under 20 apiece.

“I’ve run out of breath speaking to them about him. He’s international class. He’s left-arm, he swings it, and he can bowl fast.”Graeme Welch advances the Derbyshire view

Last winter Footitt was selected in the England Performance Programme squad. He also bowled in the nets to England as they readied themselves for the challenge of facing Boult. “I bowled really well, and I think they were really impressed,” he said.But to Graeme Welch, the Elite Performance Director at Derbyshire, the selectors are still not taking him quite seriously enough. “I’ve run out of breath speaking to them about him,” Welch said. “He’s international class. He’s left-arm, he swings it, and he can bowl fast.”Welch is aghast when he recalls a visit to Derbyshire by Kevin Shine, the lead fast bowling coach at the ECB, last year. “He complained about Derby wickets doing a little bit too much. We looked at Mark’s wickets and he got just as many away as he did at home.”Shine’s reservations hint at the wider challenge for Footitt. Derbyshire have not produced an England debutant since Dominic Cork in 1995. The challenge is particularly acute while they remain in Division Two of the County Championship.Not that Footitt regards Division Two cricket as inadequate preparation for a Test match. “The England captain plays in Division Two. There’s still a load of good cricketers in Division Two. The gap’s not as big as everyone says it is.” He said: “If you’re doing well, scoring runs, taking wickets, I think there should be the opportunity to play for England.”In an age when potential future England cricketers are marked out as separate from their county contemporaries, given tailor-made development programmes and spend copious time at the National Cricket Performance Centre at Loughborough, Footitt has followed a more circuitous route.As a 19-year-old on first-class debut for Nottinghamshire in 2005, he took 4 for 45 against Glamorgan. But injuries, inconsistency and Nottinghamshire’s formidable pace attack limited him to nine first-class games in five years, until Footitt was released after the 2009 season.Only Derbyshire were interested. He is a poster boy for the merits of the 18-county structure: with fewer teams, his career would long ago have been toast. “If they’d put it down to 16 or 12 counties or whatever, it wouldn’t give people opportunities to have a second chance,” he recognised.At Derbyshire he played more, but old problems remained. When Footitt turned 27 after three years at the club, he had still taken only 72 first-class wickets.Alastair Cook has the chance to experience Footitt at first hand•Getty ImagesHe could easily have never taken another. In October 2012, he had an operation to remove a disc from his back: “a nervewracking time.” Though he was not told as much at the time, the operation could have ended his career.He has scarcely missed a Championship game since, benefiting from a personal fitness programme developed by James Pipe and Jamie Tallent, Derbyshire’s physio and the fitness coach; he no longer does squats or lifts weights to protect his back. He also rarely plays Twenty20 cricket, which he credits with being able to maintain his pace until deep in a Championship game.After eight years as a professional had failed to marry potential and performance, and with a serious injury to overcome, he understandably struggled, in his own words, “to recognise that my talent was good enough to play first-class cricket.” But 42 wickets in Division One in 2013 assuaged the doubts.”You always have that little doubt in your mind when you have a bit of an off-day,” he said. “But you’ve still got to keep yourself going. Self-belief is something that I try and concentrate on massively to keep myself going.”Since Welch joined Derbyshire before the 2014 season, Footitt has ascended remarkable heights, taking more first-class wickets than anyone else in England. He has put an end to the tinkering with Footitt’s action. “He told me to leave things and told me to realise how good I am,” Footitt said. “He’s just basically just said ‘do what you do.’ “The only tweak Welch has made has been to liberate him from fretting about no balls. “I always looked at the front foot, instead of looking at where the ball was supposed to go,” Footitt reflected. No longer. “Now I look at where I’m bowling instead of where I’m going to land.”Footitt speaks with a palpable affection for Welch, who he credits with becoming more adaptable as a bowler. “Sometime you come in and you’re going to have a four-over burst trying to bowl full, full-speed, and others you just want to sit in there and maybe hold it back a bit and just try to bowl maidens.”Yet, for all his delight at his recent form, he speaks slightly ruefully. “If I knew what I know now when I was 20 years old I think the world would be my oyster.”Perhaps it still could be. Despite his lack of batting aptitude – Welch calls him “definitely a No 11 – and it’s a good job there’s not 12 or else he’d be 12″ – Footitt is becoming increasingly difficult for England to ignore.”I think he could be good enough to play for England, yes,” said Leicestershire’s Niall O’Brien, who saw plenty of left-armers for Ireland during the World Cup. “Footit is a very talented bowler who over the last two years has improved more than most on the county circuit. Able to bowl at 90mph, and with good control and the right mix of aggression, he is a deadly weapon.”Even if the Ashes come too soon, England have another 21 Tests by the end of 2016: ample opportunity for Derbyshire’s 20-year wait to produce an England player to end. Footitt’s compelling story would make him an apt man to end that unwanted run.

The partnership of Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar has been voted the best Test batting pair on social media. Here are some of the best comments we received

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Aug-2015

@ESPNcricinfo #BestTestPair has to be Mahela & Sanga, the number of times they have won games for Sri Lanka together is just remarkable.

— Clive (@vanillawallah) August 14, 2015

@ESPNcricinfo The wall makes bowlers to think to try at other end. And when they do it master shows him perfection. RD and SRT #BestTestPair

— Free Wanderer (@Free_wandering) August 14, 2015

.@ESPNcricinfo Hobbs-Sutcliffe averaged *thirty* runs more than the other 4 pairs. #BestTestPair #Bradmanesque

— Jayarama Shenoy (@eecraft) August 14, 2015

Close call on #BestTestPair- the way Hayden-Langer dominated attacks for the worlds #1 side makes them my pick. #BestLefty pair for sure!

— Arvind Iyengar (@iyengar_arvind) August 14, 2015

Without a doubt its Sanga&Mahala #BestTestPair it's almost like a perfect love story

— Anjana Wijesundara (@anjanawijesunda) August 14, 2015

#BestTestPair Rahul Dravid & VVS Laxman. For giving 2 most iconic, interesting & intriguing Test Matches in history of the game. Period.

— Momo Cricket (@momocricket) August 14, 2015

Desmond used paper cuts to finish the job. Gordon, a blunt axe. Equally effective. Deadly together. #BestTestPair

— The Zooter (@BluntBong) August 14, 2015

#BestTestPair Hayden and Langer. Smothering fast bowlers and spinners, Intimidating, Controlled Aggression blended with Sound Technique.

— Sidharth Acharya (@sidharth667) August 14, 2015

@ESPNcricinfo Greenidge and Haynes easily. #BestTestPair . The greatest opening pair backed up the greatest bowling attack ever

— Leigh Frayling (@LeighFrayling) August 14, 2015

#BestTestPair pic.twitter.com/QQtyUmqyI3

— Ghumman (@Emclub7) August 14, 2015

What Dravid and Laxman were to India, Mahela and Sanga were to SriLanka !! I understand those emotions too well!! #BestTestPair

— Durvesh Paralkar (@TheDarubhai) August 14, 2015

@ESPNcricinfo Tough to pick. But for sheer enjoyment in each other's successes & impact on SL, @KumarSanga2 & @MahelaJay #BestTestPair

— Yash Jha (@jhayash) August 14, 2015

#BestTestPair Sachin Tendulkar & Rahul Dravid – pure joy to watch two modern greats batting together …all my childhood

— Sachin Saraf (@sachin434) August 14, 2015

@ESPNcricinfo Heart says MJ & Sanga but stats show without a doubt #BestTestPair is Hobbs & Sutcliffe

— Eranda Wijewickrama (@erandawije) August 14, 2015

Rahul and Sachin, without any doubt. The WALL and the LITTLE MASTER – two of test cricket’s premier batsmen. They have scored centuries all around the world, and managed the Indian batting with our notorious record of having poor openers in the 90s and 00s. No one else comes close
– Triple_A

Justin Langer and Mathew Hayden they just gave a new dimension to open an innings in test cricket, scoring at 4 to 5 runs an over in test cricket at there time was something unbelievable

As an Indian, Sachin and Dravid are my favourites. But apart from them, I’m a fan of Sanga-Mahela combination. They are good friends, great players and the bestentertainers when batting together 🙂
– Roshan_P

15 century stands in 39 innings. On uncovered pitches. Hobbs and Sutcliffe by a country mile.
– GraemeSA

Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar. This pair’s scoring was probably evenly distributed over the span. They have most runs, 50s and 100s in partnership which are critical in test batting. This pair has scored in home as well as abroad, and that too for a long time span. They have faced some of the fiercest bowling attacks: Donald-Pollock, Wasim-Waqar-Shoaib-Saqlain, Ambrose-Walsh, Vass-Murli, McGrath-Warne-Lee.
– click2gunjan

The numbers don’t lie. Hobbs and Sutcliffe head and shoulders above. Their first class careers are unparalleled as well.

An average of 87.86 during 1920’s is astonishing, no matter how many games you play maintaining that average is the unbelievable, Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe it is. If one doesn’t see that average then surely one is just voting for his/her favorite players.
– HarishVaranasi

Surely its got to be Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe. Look at their average. They scored more centuries in so little innings. Its not that their average is more than others by some 5 or 10 runs. Its way way more. You cant be biased and just support people whom you like. Its a sport and got to appreciate others who have done well. So its Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe.
– ALIASGARBAZARWALA

If you’ve watched or followed cricket at least from 80’s anyone would say without a doubt it was Greenidge & Haynes. Such a dominant pair specially in the opening has not existed in my view & major factor behind West Indies dominance in cricket for many years besides ‘Viv’ factor –
Rondy

Despite boasting a good record i don’t count Greenidge-Heynes and Hayden-Langer as they played for the best teams in their time. They had the luxury of never to face the best bowlers as they were their team mates. Sachin-Dravid and Sanga-Mahela on the other hand faced the best bowlers and were still able to succeed.
– mrgupta

It is pretty tough to make a call when it comes to selecting a pair. A partnership not only depends on the pair but also the platform set up by the fellow batsmen. To me the pair which took their team to an extraordinary score is Sanga & Mahela. Both lead from the from when they were the skippers. Took the responsibility of the team on their own shoulders. Yeah but it is a really tough call to make when the other 4 pairs have excelled on their own cards!
– VivekSubramnian

The suspension of the owners of Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals for two years from all IPL related activities has left the future form of the league shrouded in uncertainty

Amol Karhadkar15-Jul-20154:37

What are the BCCI’s options?

A day after the owners of the Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals franchises were suspended for two years by a Supreme Court-appointed panel, BCCI and IPL team officials had discussions across the country to try and figure out a way forward.IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla met with BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya in Kolkata to discuss the implications of the Lodha Committee’s order, and the Super Kings top management huddled with legal experts in Chennai around the same time. Royals remained tightlipped about their plans for a second day running, but word in the BCCI was that the franchise had no option but to appeal.While Shukla was sure that “IPL-9 will take place”, former IPL vice-chairman Niranjan Shah said a special general body meeting was the need of the hour instead of an IPL governing council meeting.Here are five options the BCCI might have to choose from for IPL 2016, and the reasons why some of them are unviable.A six-team IPL
Two teams – in their existing form – cannot be part of the next two seasons, but why can’t the IPL comprise only six sides in 2016 and 2017? Fewer teams mean fewer games, and a drastically shorter tournament is not commercially viable for the BCCI.The broadcast deal signed with Multi Screen Media says each IPL season will contain at least 60 matches. A six-team competition will have only 34 matches, severely compromising the BCCI’s revenue. The shortfall will affect the central revenue pool, a large chunk of which is distributed equally among the teams. Such a scenario would make it virtually impossible for all the stakeholders to make a profit from the tournament.Invite bids for two new teams for two years
If two teams can’t play for two years, can’t the BCCI invite bids for two new teams to take their place for the duration of the suspension?This option is unattractive because it is unlikely that an investor will spend so much money – irrespective of the valuation of the franchises, a team needs to pump in at least INR 125 crore every IPL season – when it is uncertain that it will be recovered in such a short time span.As for the question of offering to bring back the Kochi and Pune franchises: the Pune team owners, Sahara India, are dealing with legal problems concerning their chief, and the consortium that owned Kochi has no interest in entering the IPL again, especially after the result of an arbitration process directed the BCCI to pay them a large sum of money.Invite bids for two new teams for a longer duration
For several BCCI members, this seems the most logical option. Not only will it solve the financial muddle, new owners’ interest could also help BCCI restore the faith of fans. Adding two new teams, however, will not be straightforward because the two suspended teams can return after two years. That would mean the revenue model will have to be drastically altered and the BCCI will have to start preparing for a nine or ten-team IPL from 2018.The BCCI runs two teams for two years
Some BCCI officials have reportedly been floating the idea of the board fielding two teams – perhaps as Team Chennai and Team Jaipur. While a precedent exists – the BCCI ran the Rajasthan state team in India’s domestic tournaments – such a move is not possible in the IPL.In the case of the Rajasthan Cricket Asssociation, the BCCI suspended RCA and RCA challenged that in court. Because time was running out, the court directed the BCCI to protect the players’ interest and form Team Rajasthan under the BCCI banner in domestic cricket.In the IPL mess, the Supreme Court had to step in because the BCCI failed to act satisfactorily on breaches committed by team owners and officials. If the BCCI, with its history of conflict of interest issues, considers this route, it could lead to a fresh set of litigations.Suspend IPL for two years
One of the more extreme reactions, coming from outside the BCCI. “You have to be in the system to change the system,” said a BCCI official, hoping that stringent action against teams will lead to the board becoming more alert and following its rules.Suspending the IPL would not only affect the brand, it would have huge ramifications on the BCCI’s revenue, and as a result the revenue of state associations and players.

Two successive Championships and a strong White Rose flavour to the national side and already they are wondering in the Broad Acres whether Yorkshire would beat England

Alan Gardner22-Sep-2015During the 2012 Olympics it became a popular exercise to work out where Yorkshire would be on the medal table if it were an independent country. For a good stretch of the Games they were ahead of Australia and, to general delight in the Broad Acres, the efforts of Jessica Ennis, Nicola Adams and the Brownlee brothers saw Yorkshire finish a very respectable (and entirely theoretical) 12th.That same summer, Jason Gillespie got started on the business of reviving Yorkshire cricket. Relegation in 2011 had provoked another famous Yorkshire characteristic: plain speaking. Colin Graves, the club’s chairman, called performances a “disgrace”, and although what followed was hardly the doldrums – a year in Division Two, during which they were unbeaten – it was easier to express pride in Yorkshire’s Olympians than their cricketers.Three years on and Yorkshire have celebrated back-to-back Championship titles for the first time since the 1960s, when God’s Own County seemingly had a divine right to the trophy. To the surprise of no one, Yorkshiremen all over the land are rather happy again. Their bubble may have been burst by defeat at Lord’s three days after retaining the pennant – thus allowing Yorkshire supporters the existential ambrosia of being able to crow and grumble at the same time – but by then the nationhood question had raised its flat-capped head once again.Essentially, could Yorkshire beat England?Club-versus-country arguments in English cricket have become less vociferous since the advent of central contracts but the rumblings were there at the start of the season, when six Yorkshire players were whisked off to the Caribbean just as the Championship began. To make matters worse, England only deigned to pick three of them against West Indies. In all, Yorkshire donated seven of their number to the national team over the summer but shrugged off such privations (eventually) to win the title with two and a half games to spare.Where would Yorkshire rank as a Test nation, asked the agents provocateur excitedly on Twitter. Joe Root had led the way with the bat as England regained the Ashes but what if he swapped his brilliant-whites for the White Rose and took guard against Jimmy and Broady?It is here we move back into the realms of the hypothetical. England would clearly have to allow the likes of Root, Jonny Bairstow and Adil Rashid to turn out for their county – you might say they began the process this summer by unceremoniously handing back Adam Lyth and Gary Ballance – but who would take their places? And where would the match be played? Headingley would only provide one of the two with home advantage, while Lord’s, the only place Yorkshire have lost over the last couple of years, seems the natural counterbalance. Perhaps the Midlands could host a series decider.England actually lined up against county opposition in recent years, generally avoiding embarrassment during drawn Ashes warm-up matches, against Warwickshire in 2009 and Essex in 2013. This would not be quite the same as making a few runs against Naqaash Tahir or struggling to dismiss Jaik Mickleburgh, however.Many feel that Ryan Sidebottom is still wily enough to perform in Tests and he would surely give Alastair Cook, who is regularly troubled by left-arm seam, a thorough working over. Rashid has not yet been trusted at that level, but given how often English batsmen have been befuddled by legspin over the years, he would have a decent chance of upstaging Moeen Ali.While the first-class stats of England’s Yorkshire replacements in the batting order* – Alex Hales, James Taylor and James Vince – stand up to scrutiny, the inclusion of all three in the Test side would perhaps best be described as experimental. And while Jos Buttler is the England incumbent behind the stumps, Jonny Bairstow’s 1071 Championship runs at an average of more than 100 suggests Yorkshire would have the form man.Yorkshire can rely on passionate support at Headingley, as Gary Ballance can testify•Getty ImagesShould James Hildreth get a mention? Who decided to drop Steven Finn? Could Yorkshire still field an overseas player? These are all imponderables that I am going to ask here before you do.It’s unfortunate, at least in the matter of petty parochial rivalries, that there is only one Lancastrian in the England XI – though Jimmy Anderson would happily wage a War of the Roses on his own. This selection also features a broad mix of north and south, which might produce an inclusive and harmonious environment that blends together the best aspects of the United Kingdom; or quite possibly see their weak regional bonds torn apart by the juggernaut belligerence of England’s largest county.Then again, as David Cameron alluded to in his surprisingly astute/gravely offensive (delete as preferred) comments about Yorkshire folk last week, membership of the White Rose is hardly a guarantee of unity. Both the Yorkshire committee and the ECB seem to have put the infighting behind them but the chances of the cricket not being overshadowed by a barney must be minimal during what many are already calling the hold-a-grudge match.Anyway, the lobbying for this fixture to replace the MCC-Champion County match at the start of the season begins here. The only thing that we can agree on is total disagreement. You can, of course, have your druthers below.*As selected on last week’s county blogEngland (probable) 1 Alastair Cook (capt), 2 Alex Hales, 3 Ian Bell, 4 James Taylor, 5 James Vince, 6 Ben Stokes, 7 Jos Buttler, 8 Moeen Ali, 9 Stuart Broad, 10 Mark Wood, 11 James AndersonYorkshire (probable) 1 Adam Lyth, 2 Alex Lees, 3 Gary Ballance, 4 Joe Root, 5 Andrew Gale (capt), 6 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 7 Adil Rashid, 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 Liam Plunkett, 10 Jack Brooks, 11 Ryan Sidebottom

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Aug-2015Ishant and Umesh Yadav then got rid of the Sri Lanka openers cheaply, reducing the hosts to 11 for 2 inside six overs•AFPStuart Binny compounded Sri Lanka’s woes by dismissing Dimuth Karunaratne and Dinesh Chandimal; Sri Lanka went to lunch at 47 for 5•AFPIshant struck with the second ball after the break to send Lahiru Thirimanne for seven-ball duck, and forced Dhammika Prasad to retire hurt after pinging him on the hand•AFPDebutant Kusal Perera, however, counterattacked his way to a fifty while adding a vital 79 runs with Herath•AFPBut he top-edged Ishant, handing a straightforward catch to Virat Kohli at mid-off•AFPHerath frustrated India further by adding 29 runs with Tharindhu Kaushal and 27 with a returning Prasad, but fell one short of a fifty as Ishant completed his five-for. Sri Lanka were bowled out for 201, handing India a 111-run first-innings lead•AFPPrasad continued his trend of taking a wicket in his first over, bowling Pujara for a two-ball duck with a ripper•AFPNuwan Pradeep followed it with a double-strike to leave India at 21 for 3 at stumps•AFP