The "Before" Has Been More Exciting Than The Main Event

 

 

Cricket 2014

 

An Excess Of One-Sided Matches And Awful Batting

 

March 25^th 2014

 

 

So far it would be fair to say that the qualification event for the World T20 has far outshone the main event. Tomorrow is a rest day in what has been a disappointing competition so far, marked by one-sided contests and awful batting collapses, sometimes disguised as close finishes. Australia, South Africa and New Zealand have all put in bids for the worst collapse, but the performances by the two qualifiers have, sadly, taken the prize.

Having been so exciting in winning their group in extraordinary style the Dutch came down to earth with a crash against Sri Lanka. Having set all kind of records against Ireland, they set more records, this time of a less desirable kind: having been 1-3 and taking nearly 3 overs for runs scored to surpass wickets lost, 39 all out marked some kind of recovery. It was the lowest ever score in a T20 international. Sri Lanka’s win was the quickest ever in a T20 international. It was awful to watch. The Dutch looked totally overawed and unprepared. There must be a suspicion that, for them, their Final was the win against Ireland and the side, which did not even know which group it would go in and who their opponents would be, has mentally returned home to celebrate.

Today, Bangladesh were little better. The West Indies reached a scratchy 171, despite losing four wickets in the last over. Bangladesh had already beaten them twice in T20s: would this be a third in five encounters? At 16-3 many fans were wondering if the Dutch score would be beaten. At 59-7, the lowest ever score by a Full Member in a T20 (held by Bangladesh) was under severe threat. 98 all out was nothing like as bad as it might have been, but it was hardly a contest.

The matches are following a pattern. Everyone elects to bowl first in the evening matches, expecting the dew to make bowling difficult later. Those sides who have spinners pack their sides with slow bowlers of all types and frequently toss the new ball to one of them. When the power play overs produce plenty of runs against the seamers, a couple of spinners are summoned and the run rate usually nose-dives. A side conserves wickets hoping to get to the sort of “40 wanted from the last four overs” scenario that is usually a cakewalk for the batsmen and then collapses horribly trying to force the pace at the death, hence India’s go-slow against the West Indies to ensure that they did not emulate others in looking proper charlies.

With the occasional exception (Dale Steyn’s last over against New Zealand went right against the pattern of other games), it is the slower bowlers who are proving to be the heroes. One expected the Warners, Finches and Gayles to be the stars, but the big hitters are not the ones getting the headlines in most games. The sides that look best suited to winning are the ones with plenty of slow and medium-pace options, rather than the fast-medium that usually prospers elsewhere. Batsmen with cool heads capable of milking runs are also doing at least as well, so far at least, as the big hitters. It points to sides such as South Africa and Australia not being as well adapted to winning as India, or Sri Lanka. I would be willing to take a small bet that neither will qualify for the semi-Finals. Pakistan and the West Indies will do well, if they can play with their heads (never a given in either case). And England and New Zealand may just be surprise packages.

India and Sri Lanka are almost through to the semi-Finals now – India need only to heap more humiliation on Bangladesh in their next game on Friday to confirm their place, Sri Lanka will qualify if they beat and all but eliminate England on Thursday.

What would be nice though is to have a couple of nice, close contests that are not decided by brainless batting and house of cards collapses at the death.