World Cup 2019, Semi-Finals: New Zealand break Indian hearts, England destroy Australia

 

World Cup 2019

Semi-Finals: New Zealand break Indian hearts, England destroy Australia

July 11^th 2019

 

The two loudest and brashest fan-bases in cricket were clear: India would play Australia in the Final at Lord’s on Sunday; no other result was even conceivable. After all, New Zealand had lost their last three matches and Australia had hammered England in the Group stage. It was the natural order. England were bottlers, who are utterly over-rated and New Zealand were lucky even to make the Semi-Final ahead of Pakistan.

No one was quite prepared for the reality. After all, when New Zealand stuttered to 239-8, the Indian fans were licking their lips at the impending rout. India though seemed to have their hearts and minds at Edgbaston, where they had fully expected to be playing the hosts. They did not seem attuned to murky Manchester, where the persistent rain had forced the game into a reserve day. After just nineteen balls the Indian reply was in ruins at 5-3, with the top three all out for a single. Dinesh Karthik followed soon after and India were facing total humiliation. Worse, they were desperately behind the run-rate and needing to re-build before they could even think about scoring quickly. India though, are India. All those embarrassing tribulations of the early editions of the World Cup, in which India only turned-up to make up the numbers, have been long forgotten and India sees reaching the World Cup Final as nothing more and nothing less than their birth-right. You never write-off an Indian team, even an Indian team at 92-6, with the Required Run Rate up to 7.7 and rising fast. And so it proved. The finish got unbearably tense.

That New Zealand’s attack had anything to defend at all was down to a doughty, if dour partnership between Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor. It was not pretty – the run-rate did not reach 4 until the 42^nd over, but it was effective and there were wickets in hand to have a final slog, although the spoilsport Manchester weather meant that the last 23 balls had to wait until the second morning: 28 scored from them.

It did not look like enough, but New Zealand at least had something to bowl at. However, for India, the tactic was clear: bat out the first ten overs without losing a wicket and don’t worry about the runs. If it was 25-0 from 10, fine. If it was 35-0 from 10, game over. 24-4 from 10? Jon McEnroe in his prime would have screamed “you cannot be serious!”

Ten overs, sixty balls left. Ninety needed, but Dhoni and Jadeja building a partnership.

Leather starts to fly. Two overs. Eighteen runs. 72 needed from 48. Jadeja past his 50 and Dhoni acting as sheet anchor. Advantage India, surely?

42 wanted from 24 balls. 37 from 18. Surely Jadeja and Dhoni would produce a final sprint and ease India home. Tight it would be, but two or three big blows would settle it. What no one expected was for the last four wickets to go down in eleven balls. New Zealand had won by 18 runs and the Indians were left wondering how, after looking by far the best team in the tournament for so long, they had lost two of their last three matches and were going home early.

On current form, you would, most certainly not have bet on New Zealand to win. Having just and only just squeaked past the West Indies, New Zealand had lost another close finish to Pakistan and then been hammered both by Australia and England. They appeared to have run out of form at the wrong moment but, now, they were into the Final, thanks to holding their nerve at the critical moment.

And so to Edgbaston, where Australia do not exactly have a good record. In fact, they have not won there since 1993. However, they had never, before today, lost a World Cup Semi-Final and England had not won a World Cup knock-out match since 1992.

The mantra of this World Cup has been “bat first and beat England”. Australia won the Toss and decided to bat. Game over?

Chris Woakes ran in. Juicy half volley. And hammered to the boundary. “Richard in London” launched himself to fame as a pundit on the BBC by declaring, after one ball, the England had bottled the match. One ball into the seventh over, Australia were 15-3 and bottler Woakes had 2-10. By then people were getting concerned for the health of “Richard in London”. No much more than an hour later, Smith and Carey had a century partnership and, if England were not on the ropes, the initiative was slipping away fast, while the instant punditry was starting, once more, to look at least a defensible position. Adil Rashid was bowling and Australia were tucking in. However, Adil Rashid’s great strength has been that he has not been afraid to give away cheap runs if he can get the batsmen to take dangerous liberties. After four overs of punishment, his fifth produced two dots, two singles and, more critically, two wickets. Back came Jofra Archer. Back went Glenn Maxwell. And then, supposedly Unthreatening Adil, added a third wicket. It was not disarray, but nor were Australia anywhere near a competitive total. Woakes and Wood finished off the tail and Australia had not even batted-out their overs.

If you wanted to know how big a deal this was, the ball from Jofra Archer that knocked-off Lukas Carey’s helmet even made it onto the Spanish evening news, just after the images of people running the bulls in Pamplona. There is more than a hint of 2005 in England’s bullying of the opposition and Joffra Archer has laid down the same sort of marker that Steve Harmison laid down in 2005 with that brutal ball at the start of the series.

The Australian fans were confident that 223 would be enough. The script called for England to slump to 13-5 in reply. Bairstow and Roy had other ideas. 10 overs: 50-0. 20 overs: 147-2. Even with generous help from the umpire in Roy’s wicket (that does not excuse dissent), Australia were taking a terrible beating.

England won with 107 balls to spare. And, if you want a hint of how big a win this was, just ponder that, if you double England’s score at 30 overs, you get 420 as a projected 50-over total.

And so to Lord’s. Whatever happens, there will be a new name on the World Cup. Both England and New Zealand have reached the Semi-Finals. England have played in the Final, three times, but have never won. New Zealand were losing finalists last time out.

New Zealand’s batting has not really fired: just once have they reached 250 in the tournament. England have passed 300, six times but, when England’s batting has failed, it has failed big time. The New Zealand bowlers are canny, but their batting depends too much on Kane Williamson. Both sides can be vulnerable. And both can be tough to beat. Which will handle the pressure best?

World Cup 2019, Days 34-39: Pakistan and Bangladesh fall short, New Zealand hang on

 

World Cup 2019

Days 34-39: Pakistan and Bangladesh fall short, New Zealand hang on

July 7^th 2019

 

Over the last week the configuration of the Semi-Finals has been confirmed. The top four are indeed the four teams that have seemed likely to qualify since the first week of this ridiculously extended marathon.

All through, people have been talking of the parallels with the 1992 tournament, played in Australia and New Zealand. Parallels there are, but nowhere near as strong as the Pakistan fans have been trying to believe. That tournament started with New Zealand crushing all opposition, winning their first seven games. As in 2019, Pakistan’s fate was firmly tied to New Zealand’s. While, in 2019, fate determined that Pakistan had to win their last game by a huge margin to pip New Zealand to the last qualifying spot, in 1992, they had to beat the previously unbeaten New Zealand in their last group match to pip Australia. What fewer people remember is that the other two Semi-Finalists were South Africa and England, with the Final between Pakistan and England.

In 1992, New Zealand showed how little group phrase form, meant by following their seven runs on the trot with two defeats: the defeat to Pakistan in the final group game was then followed by a second defeat to Pakistan in the Semi-Final. New Zealand lost momentum at the critical moment and went home. Again, the abiding sense in 2019, is that their campaign has, once more, deflated at the critical moment.

In 1992, England lost their last two groups games – to New Zealand and to Zimbabwe – before winning the notorious Semi-Final, in which South Africa’s target of 21 from 13 balls was reduced, after a brief rain interruption, first to 21 from 7 balls and then to 21 from 1 ball: not one of the ICC’s more glorious moments. And India? They finished above just Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe: their only high point of a poor campaign was a win against Pakistan.

In another sense, the parallels are weak too. New Zealand, England and Pakistan all averaged totals around 200 in their group games. Pakistan’s average total was 203, New Zealand’s was 201 and England’s, exactly 200, with South Africa averaging 190. It was cricket from a different age, in which a side batting first and setting 240 knew that they were very likely to win.

Anyway, back in 2019, which is what concerns us here, we have ended up with a first Semi-Final between India and New Zealand and a second, between Australia and England.

Undoubtedly, India are the happiest of the sides, as theirs looks unquestionably the easiest task. They must have been expecting to have to play England at Edgbaston, scene of their only defeat so far in the tournament. Instead, a remarkably tepid Australian performance in their last group game has allowed the Indians to top the group.

The week has consisted of a series of final eliminators. It started, with India hanging-on to beat Bangladesh in a tight finish. A margin of 28 runs looks safe enough, but Bangladesh fought to the finish. With 36 required from the last 3 overs and a set batsman at one end, who was hitting well, Bangladesh were closing on an extraordinary win and the chance to keep their hopes alive. India though are made of stern stuff. Mohammad Saifuddin took a single from the fourth ball of Jasprit Bumrah’s final over, exposing the tail-ender and Bumrah responded magnificently, bowling Rubel Hossain and Mustafizur Rahman with his last two deliveries. India were through to the Semi-Final and Bangladesh were out, but not before showing that they are no longer a push-over in English conditions.

The scene was set for England’s showdown with New Zealand at Chester-le-Street. Once England won the Toss, you suspected that New Zealand’s task might be a tough one and, by the time the score reached 104-0 from 15 overs, with Roy and Bairstow scoring at seven-an-over, that task became a massive one. By the time that England had their mid-innings wobble, there were good runs in the bank and it was obvious that the pitch was not the flat one that Roy and Bairstow had made it seem. At 14-2 after 5.2 overs, already the New Zealand challenge was fading fast. Williamson and Taylor started to fashion a recovery, although the RRR was starting to climb alarmingly even before they were both run out in consecutive overs. Williamson can feel unlucky, but Wood’s magnificent dive to get a finger on Taylor’s drive, deflecting it on the stumps, made its own luck. Taylor then committed suicide, going for an inexistent second run, in what seemed almost an act of contrition. And that was that. New Zealand were heavily beaten, but not quite heavily enough to give Pakistan a realistic chance of going ahead in Net Run Rate.

The West Indies – Afghanistan clash was more a case of “A Comedy of Errors” than “Great Expectations”. Afghanistan, once again, failed to close out a win when it was there for the taking against an opponent that was offering plenty of facilities. With 68 required from the last 6 overs and a set batsman, Afghanistan should have gone closer. A 23-run margin was another exercise in frustration for them, while the West Indies will reflect how a brilliant start to the campaign has become a very poor finish.

And so to Pakistan v Bangladesh. The calculators had come out and their news was not good. If Pakistan bowled first, they were, mathematically, eliminated. No combination of scores would save them. If they batted first, they needed to win by a hundred runs more than the world record margin for an ODI. Realistically, any score under 450 gave them no chance.

Pakistan won the Toss and batted. Would they go after the bowling from the word go and try to work a miracle? No. They chugged along in a tuk-tuk set at four and a half per over and just barely reached the minimum score of 308 required to avoid automatic elimination. It took Bangladesh just eleven balls to score the eight runs required to confirm New Zealand’s qualification. That they won by a large margin, with a lot to spare, makes Pakistan’s lack of ambition all the more frustrating.

And so, to the last two matches, which would decide the top two in the table and the Semi-Final crosses.  

India blew Sri Lanka away. It was not much of a contest. Despite another wonderful innings from Angelo Matthews, Bumrah was far too good for the rest of the batting. Centuries for Sharma and Rahul, an opening partnership of 189 at better than a run-a-ball and the rest was just net practice. Bumrah is, without doubt, the bowler of the tournament and India’s biggest weapon in the knock-out stage.

Logic dictated that in the afternoon match, Australia would push aside their pet whipping-boys and top the table, setting-up a Semi-Final with New Zealand. What happened though was that the Australian attack, which had seemed to get progressively stronger and better-balanced after some rather anaemic early performances, had one of its least-threatening days of the tournament. The South African top four, which had shown the reliability of a jalopy that was condemned to the scrapyard, fired. Century for du Plessis. Van der Dussen fell just short of one of his own. Fifty for de Kock. 34 for Markram. Finch fell in the third over. Khawaja retired hurt in the fifth with a calf strain and Steve Smith fell in the seventh. Australia were effectively 33-3. Warner and Carey kept Australia in the chase, but wickets always fell before they could get their noses in front and, although the final margin was just 10 runs, it felt like a much heavier defeat.

India finish top and play New Zealand at Old Trafford on Tuesday.

Australia play England at Edgbaston on Thursday.

One assumed that India will cruise into the Final, notwithstanding a suspect middle-order. New Zealand seem to be fading. The other Semi-Final is intriguing. Australia won the group game very comfortably, but against an England side that was struggling a bit without Roy at the top and without the four-pronged pace attack that served them so well at the end of the campaign. Australia have, themselves, looked vulnerable at times, although David Warner and Steve Smith have had wonderful campaigns. They will be thinking: win the Toss, bat first and win. It is true that England’s three defeats came, chasing and that runs on the board have been important through the tournament but, before those three defeats, England had had fifteen consecutive, successful chases. It will be interesting to see how the two sides approach the match.

 

 

World Cup 2019, Days 29-31: New Zealand and England at Risk

 

 

 

World Cup 2019

Days 29-31: New Zealand and England at Risk

June 29^th 2019

 

Odd events at Headingley. Very odd.

At 17:29, UK time, Pakistan’s World Cup hopes were hanging by a thread. The Afghan spinners had an absolute stranglehold on the batsmen. The Required Run Rate was climbing. The difference between balls to come and runs was increasing alarmingly. Afghanistan were on the point of a famous victory. At 17:34, Pakistan were back on the brink of victory themselves after a single, catastrophic over for Afghan hopes.

In one of the most inexplicable tactical decisions of the tournament, Gulbadin Naib, who had been leaking runs, brought himself back, in place of a spinner. Samiullah Shinwari had just bowled a superb over for just two runs, racking-up the tension. When one more, economical over would have effectively sealed the match, Naib bowled an over of the most incredible dross. It went for 18 runs and 46 wanted from 30 became 28 from 24. The dynamic had changed.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman brought it back with another great over. 6 needed from the last over. Who did Naib entrust with that last over? Two full tosses, a ball down leg and a freebie outside off later, Afghanistan, or maybe just the team’s captain, had managed, somehow, to lose. The universal comment was “what was Gulbadin Naib thinking”? Did he want to be the hero? If Pakistan qualify for the Semi-Finals thanks to this result, he may face some interesting questions.

It was a strange day. Incidents between fans before the match. A pitch invasion and fighting on the terraces.

The bottom line is that Pakistan are now probably in the best position to qualify for the Semi-Finals. They must beat Bangladesh in their last game and hope that England do not win their two remaining fixtures.

Before this, India duly eliminated the minimal mathematical chance that the West Indies had of qualification. The West Indies opened the tournament with a demolition of Pakistan and were highly competitive against South Africa and Australia, but have since fallen apart. After batting steadily, a strong finish took India to a testing score. Kemar Roach’s figures were exceptional, but Oshane Thomas and Carlos Bathwaite went for a combined 10-0-96-0, which rather undid his efforts.

After Shami torpedoed the top order, the Indian bowling was relentless. Shami and Bumrah combined for 12.2-1-25-6. You had to be impressed.

Meanwhile, the outside chance that Sri Lanka had of qualifying, despite their limp performances, was almost extinguished by South Africa. Eliminated and with no pressure on them, they produced the sort of performance that had been expected before the tournament. It was as one-sided as any game so far. After losing a wicket first ball, the next eight batsmen got a start, but none passed 30. South Africa went off like a pack of stampeding Wildebeest and won at a canter. Sri Lanka must now win their last two games and rely on Pakistan losing their last match, England losing their last two and Bangladesh losing to India before beating Pakistan. It is not going to happen, is it?

And then, Australia annihilated New Zealand. It is a result that gives England hope and should alarm New Zealand, because they could yet miss out on the Semi-Finals. It is unlikely, but not quite impossible. If England beat India tomorrow and then New Zealand and Pakistan beat Bangladesh or, even more so, if Bangladesh win their last two matches, New Zealand could go out on NRR.

Australia’s score, topped and tailed by collapses, looked short. At 46-3 and 92-5 New Zealand had the chance to go for the throat. A century partnership for the sixth wicket against the change bowlers changed the momentum and 44 for the seventh maintained it, even if a Trent Boult hat-trick – bowled, bowled, LBW – did, briefly, even things up. At half way New Zealand were in with a chance, but the Australian attack looks so better balanced now than it did two weeks ago. 5-26 for Starc, 1-14 for Cummins and even Steve Smith took his first wicket in ODIs for nearly 5 years. New Zealand’s NRR has taken a big hit and a heavy defeat in their last game might yet prove fatal. The New Zealand bowling attack has been excellent, but the batting is far too dependent on Kane Williamson.

Seven matches remain. India play three of them and have the fate of England and Bangladesh in their hands. If India beat England tomorrow, the hosts will have to rely on other results falling their way. It is not a cheering thought for Eoin Morgan’s men, beset with injury and other doubts. An England win though would set up a grandstand finale to qualifying and all but eliminate Sri Lanka.

 

World Cup 2019, Days 26-28: Seven Brides for Four Places

 

World Cup 2019

Days 26-28: Seven Brides for Seven Four Places

June 26^th 2019

 

For an Englishman of a certain age, the words “They think that it’s all over. It is now”, bring back memories of grainy footage in black and white of the one occasion when their football team did not make a mess of a World Cup campaign. The BBC commentator was the legendary Kenneth Wolstenholme. Mr Wolstenhome went to a better place in 2002, but may well be watching from above and allow himself a chuckle. England fans thought that it was all over after Afghanistan and Bangladesh were obliterated. Unfortunately, it is not. The vultures are circling and, suddenly, England’s games against New Zealand and India are becoming authentic heart-attack affairs, with most of the world desperate to see England lose and the very real possibility that they will.

So, what on Earth has happened?

Remember how Pakistan were effectively all but eliminated after losing to India?

Not any longer!

All those people who were remembering 1992 and saying that Pakistan would come back and win are suddenly getting VERY excited. Pakistan are suddenly and unexpectedly very much alive again in the tournament. But, there again, thanks to various twists of fate, so are Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

England are still favourites to snatch fourth place, but now must beat at least one of New Zealand and India to do so. India continue unbeaten, with two games in hand and probably need to win just one of their four remaining games to go through. That India top the table and give whoever finishes fourth the dubious honour of playing them in the Semi-Final, is not in much doubt by anyone. Pakistan fans with amnesia are licking their lips at the prospect that it will be them.

First, Pakistan rode over the dead body of South African cricket. Fair enough that South Africa have been awful and barely made a game of it, but the win was never in doubt, even if South Africa did manage, just, to bat out 50 overs. Pakistan dropped chances, lost one of their opening bowlers after just two overs and still strangled the life out of their opponents. Six catches dropped and a lot of shoddy fielding and still Pakistan were never threatened. What will they be capable of if they get it right one day?

Then, Bangladesh gave Afghanistan another lesson in chasing a target. 263 should have been, just about, within Afghanistan’s reach but, every time that they have got themselves into a good position in a chase, wickets have fallen. 104-2 from 28 overs, they were behind, but not hopelessly so. Three wickets fell for thirteen runs. End of. Samiullah Shinwari tried to hold the Afghan tail together, but Shakib Al Hasan turned-in arguably the performance of the tournament: 51 and 10-1-29-5 – he was unstoppable.

Bangladesh climb to 3 wins (that’s the first tie-breaker if points are equal) and 7 points, just one point behind England after the same number of games. However, Bangladesh must now play India and Pakistan and probably need to win both games to progress. Not easy.

Sri Lanka, having made England look foolish, were watching the England v Australia game with interest… as were Pakistan, Bangladesh and a few others. Unfortunately, only one side turned up. Bowling conditions. Win Toss. Bowl. 3 or 4 quick wickets and, “thanks for the game”. Unfortunately, it did not quite work out that way. Joffra Archer choose this moment to have one of his most innocuous new ball spells. Edges flew. False shots fell safe. Half-chances (and the odd genuine chance) went begging. Australia had a tournament’s-worth of luck in the first twenty overs. 173-1 could easily have become 350, or even more, with wickets in hand and forcing batting to come. England finally came to the party and the final total was boosted only by a late flourish but, the result was determined twenty over earlier. 285 should have been a straightforward chase until Behrendorff and Starc reduced England to 26-3 and, every time that it seemed that a recovery was coming, England lost a wicket. 177-5 with Stokes and Woakes starting to accelerate? England marginal favourites. 202-8? All over.

England utterly dismantled and now have to play India and New Zealand. Sri Lanka just two points behind, with a game in hand but, behind both on wins and on NRR. Even if Sri Lanka beat both South Africa and West Indies, they can only equal England’s four wins and they are far behind on NRR, the second tie-breaker. That said, if Sri Lanka beat South Africa, things will start to get very tight because they will then be level on points with England.

And then, the “et tu, Brute”. New Zealand. Unbeaten. Just needing a win to qualify. Pakistan in front. Wild, unreliable, undisciplined Pakistan. Pakistan who drop catches and give away runs in the field for fun. Pakistan who were going to be found out by better sides, as they had been against India and Australia. Pakistan who reduced New Zealand to 46-4. At 30 overs, it was 94-5 and New Zealand were struggling to get past 180 and any realistically defensible total. Neesham and de Grandhomme (frequently labelled CDG by the wags and, today, flying, himself) gave their bowlers something to bowl at, but Pakistan were irresistible. A century for Babar Azam. A stylish fifty for Haris Sohail. It was never seriously in doubt. The bad news though is that Pakistan took the chase into the final over, so their NRR continues to be seriously anaemic. They also have a point fewer and a win fewer from the same number of games as England and a far inferior NRR to Bangladesh, who have the same points and same number of wins.

Tomorrow, India play the West Indies, knowing that a win will all but seal their place in the Semi-Final. The West Indies need a mathematical miracle to qualify but, technically, are not quite dead if they win tomorrow. That is followed by two, MUST NOT LOSE games for Sri Lanka and Pakistan on Friday and Saturday. If either loses, they follow Afghanistan, South Africa and, almost certainly, the West Indies, out of the tournament. The World Cup is very much alive thanks to two, shoddy England defeats. England are still masters of their own fate and their rivals have to do everything right and have results fall their way but, seven sides are now chasing four qualifying places.

World Cup 2019, Days 24-25: Afghanistan Trip on the Finishing Line, the West Indies conform to type and Pakistan Can’t Catch a Cold, but Send South Africa Home

 

 

World Cup 2019

Days 24-25: Afghanistan Trip on the Finishing Line, the West Indies conform to type and Pakistan Can’t Catch a Cold, but Send South Africa Home

June 23^rd 2019

 

When, in 1996, Kenya beat a West Indian side that, if no longer at the height of its powers, was still a most formidable opponent, it was regarded as the greatest cricketing shock of all time. Afghanistan, who have gone from richer to poorer the longer they have been in England, came agonisingly close to producing an even greater shock result.

The final margin was 11 runs. You felt that if Afghanistan could bat out 50 overs, they would win. In fact, thanks to a last over hat-trick, they failed by just one ball and, duly lost. While Mohammad Nabi was still at the crease, the target was just about with reach, but a middle-order collapse left him just too much to do. The margins, though, were so fine that, had Pandya missed Nabi on the boundary to the second ball of that over and the ball had gone for the six that it so nearly was, surely Afghanistan would have won. Nabi was that close to pulling-off a quite extraordinary victory for his team.

Neither side found scoring easy and Kohli was the only player on either side to score at a run-a-ball. Still, at 192-4, with almost six overs to go, it was still a surprise to see that they could only stagger to 224-8. The Afghan bowlers were magnificent and Rashid Khan, who only a few days earlier, had had a nightmare match, took 1-42 (Dhoni was his wicket) and tied the batsmen in knots, while Mohammad Nabi took 2-33. Had Nabi and Rahmat Shah been allowed to bowl out their overs instead of the expensive Aftab Alam, perhaps the result might have been different. However, “what might have been” wins no matches.

Player of the match went to Bumrah when, perhaps, on mature reflection, it should have been Nabi, who scored a 50 and took the same number of wickets, more economically than Bumrah.

However, the bottom line was, even when put under the most terrific pressure, India were able to defend a small target and win.

So far, they are the only side in the tournament not to have shown significant weakness. You have to be impressed. Previous Indian sides would have been overwhelmed by imaginary demons: deliberately underprepared, green pitches; rigged DRS; biased umpiring; global anti-India conspiracies. This Indian side just gets on with it and wins.

Elsewhere, it was New Zealand’s turn to show resilience under extraordinary pressure and, again, the West Indies impressed, but fell short.

The match had the most extraordinary possible start. Sheldon Cottrell bowled the first over, which went:

W 4 . 3 W 3

Both openers out for a golden duck, Guptill after a review for LBW, Munro bowled by inswinging torpedo. Three maidens in the first eight overs. New Zealand limping to 36-2 from 12 overs. However, Kane Williamson was still there and, by the time that Saluting Sheldon got him too, it was the 47^th over, Williamson had 148 and New Zealand had a total that they could defend. Williamson has faced 390 balls and scored 333 runs since his previous dismissal in the tournament. Impressive.

The West Indies start was little better than New Zealand’s had been but they were ahead on run rate for almost the entire innings. With Gayle and Hetmyer sharing a century partnership at the best part of 8-an-over, it looked for all the world as if the West Indians would stroll to victory but, as they had done against Australia, they lost their way when it seemed easier to win. 142-2 became 164-7. Brilliant, but appallingly inconsistent and ready to supply a Calypso Collapso at the drop of a steel drum. Their utter destruction of Pakistan in their first fixture is the biggest single reason why there will not be an India v Pakistan Semi-Final but, since then, they have swung between brilliant and dire, often in the same game.

Here it happened again. 211-8, needing 81 from 71 balls, with a tail that has few pretensions to batting ability, the match looked all over. Ten overs later, the West Indies needed just 8 from 12 balls. Jimmy Neesham beat the bat three time in five balls, although Carlos Brathwaite was able to get the runs that he needed to reach the unlikeliest of centuries. The last ball of the penultimate over was short and inviting. Brathwaite pulled. The ball flew towards Long-On. The fielder, Trent Boult, had already shelled two catches. Leap. Stick out hand. And he hung on.

Brathwaite was just inches from winning the match with a six.

It has summed-up the West Indies’ tournament: close, but no cigar. They are now mathematically eliminated.

It comes to something when a team drops no fewer than six chances, some of them easy and still blows the opposition away. South Africa had to beat Pakistan to conserve any illusion that they could still reach the Semi-Finals, but simply succumbed meekly. With the Required Run Rate rising steadily. With the fielders spilling chances for fun. With death or glory the only possible aim… South Africa seemed to have no other plan than to bat out their overs, a task that they managed to achieve… just. There was no serious intent until the RRR reached 14 and, even then, it was brief.

Pakistan have been their own worst enemy at times but, when you can drop so many chances and still win without breaking sweat, there is something special in your side.

South Africa have been dreadful, but Pakistan stay just about alive in the tournament although, realistically, both Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are better placed. Sri Lanka have one point more and a slightly better NRR, while Bangladesh, level on points, have a massively better NRR and face Afghanistan next. Pakistan face New Zealand and need to win and win big to keep their hopes alive and, even then, need other results to go their way.

 

World Cup 2019, Days 20-23: Oh, England! Sri Lanka blow qualification wide open

 

World Cup 2019

Days 20-23: Oh, England! Sri Lanka blow qualification wide open

June 22^nd 2019

Just when you thought that this World Cup had no surprises to offer. Just when you thought that the Big Four would navigate calmly into the Semi-Final. Just when you thought that England had got rid of their brainstorm day against Pakistan and were looking frightening, enter the dragon… or, in this case, the Lion.

Most pundits had written-off Sri Lanka, who have looked pretty awful so far. Their route to qualification still looks difficult, but two of their veterans have shown that there is life yet in the side.

Four days. Four matches. And the Big Four suffering a bit more than anyone expected apart, of course, from India, whose serene progress should continue today, against Afghanistan.

It is interesting that, with two games in hand now over most of their rivals, India should play the side destined to finish bottom, with a perfect, losing record. How much damage was done to Afghanistan on Monday when, after a slow start, England hammered their bowlers to such brutal effect, that it was a surprise that that last ball of the innings failed to go for the boundary that would have brought up the 400?

The England innings can be summed-up by a few numbers:

·       England were 46-1 after 10 overs, but scored 142-4 from the last 10.

·       England were 106-1 after 20 overs, but scored 233-4 from the last 20.

·       Eoin Morgan’s World Cup record 17, 6s meant that he scored 102 of his 148 runs in 6s.

·       Moeen Ali, who has been in poor form with the bat, scored 30 from his first 8 balls at the death, before only being able to dig out the last ball for a single, to finish with 31 from 9.

·       Rashid Khan, the Afghan spin wizard, went for 9-0-110-0 and would have taken the record for the most expensive figures ever in an ODI had he bowled his full 10 [Mick Lewis, of Australia, got his 10^th over v South Africa, in 2006 and finished with 10-0-113-0].

When Jofra Archer removed Noor Ali Zadran quickly, the sense of embarrassment was palpable. Gulbadin Naib added some defiance and, although Afghanistan never made a real effort to chase (strangely, they were actually ahead of England after 10 overs), they batted out their overs for their best-ever World Cup total.

There was little in a 150-run margin to suggest the disaster to come.

New Zealand then played a low-scoring cliff-hanger against South Africa. Certain traditions were observed. South Africa lost one of their openers quickly – in this case, de Kock. Although #2-6 all got starts, no one could push on. And 241-6 from 49 overs looked like being an interesting chase given that New Zealand’s largest, so far in the tournament, was the 245 to win against Bangladesh, which ended in the closest finish to a match so far. New Zealand were ahead of the chase for most of the innings, although some tight overs around over 30 actually led to South Africa having their noses in front. The difference, though, was that Kane Williamson was still there and, in partnership with Jimmie Neesham, chipped away and chipped away at the target. When Neesham fell, had Williamson followed, surely South Africa would have won.

Eight to win from the last over.  Phehlukwayo to bowl. Single first up. Williamson on strike. Phehlukwayo tries a variation. Williamson sees it and dumps the ball into the stands to bring up his century with his first six. Another boundary, third ball – 11 from 3 deliveries in a low-scoring match – and Williamson was the difference between the two sides.

The question is: if they are faced with chasing 320, or 340 instead of 240, how will New Zealand do? We do not yet know.

Then, we had Australia against a re-vitalised Bangladesh. The fans expected a blood-bath and got it, but not the way that they had expected. At 30 overs Australia were going along at 5.6, showing little sign of what was to come. Crucially, though, there were wickets in hand and a set batsman. 168-1 from 30 overs suggested 330-340, but Australia had obviously been watching England’s methods: 213 from the last 20 overs, 131 from the last 10 overs. The third highest score of the World Cup so far. Far too many, one thought.

Bangladesh, though, are beginning to believe in their ability. Even though wickets fell regularly, they kept chasing hard and, at half way, were 177-4 and 9 ahead of Australia at the same stage. Mushifiqur and Mahmudullah came together and put together a big partnership although, critically, slipped further and further behind the asking rate.

With 5 overs to go and 82 wanted, Australia just needed to keep calm but, at 300-4, Bangladesh were just in the match still.

One big over? It was the 46^th.

Nathan Coulter-Nile conceded just four runs and took wickets with consecutive balls. That over killed-off Bangladesh and the only remaining interest was Mushifiqur’s century, which he duly obtained in the penultimate over. Australia won and won well, putting down a big marker, but the suggestion remains that their support bowling is vulnerable.

Can Australia defend 340 against a good batting line-up?

And then, the one that hurts for the hosts. Literally. And metaphorically. A body blow in the gut.

Sri Lanka batted and, after 14 balls, were 3-2: one each for Archer and Woakes. The track looked like a belter. The pundits were suggesting that Sri Lanka would need 350+ to have some hope of defending. When Angelo Matthews came in, he could hardly get bat to ball. At 30 overs it was 133-5 and one wondered if Sri Lanka could get to 220. Would England take 20? 25? 30 overs to seal the win?

However, Sri Lanka never folded. Matthews started to get a little more fluent. 180 was passed. Then 200. Then 220. 232 looked way short, but the momentum had shifted slightly because it was quite a lot more than Sri Lanka would have expected half an hour earlier.

James Vince, stand-in stuntman for Jason Roy takes a single off the first ball. Jonny Bairstow faces. Straight. Bairstow hits across the line. 1-1 and, suddenly, the butterflies are fluttering. James Vince doesn’t last long. 26-2 and the World Cup is awake. This was England’s nightmare scenario: chasing a small total on a pitch that, despite the opinion of the pundits, is proving hard to score on fluently.

Root and Morgan together. Surely order will be restored. England to win by eight wickets? They bedded-in carefully, always below 4-an-over. In other sides this would be a bad sign, after the Afghanistan game it was simply the promise of a rain of sixes to come, but they never did.

73-2: everything under control.

127-3: everything under control. Root and Stokes batting nicely.

And then the innings disintegrated. Ben Stokes played sensibly and tried to guide the tail towards the target. Even at 170-5, with Moeen looking in the mood, the target seemed trivial. Sri Lanka kept the pressure on. The RRR passed a run-a-ball and wickets fell. The bowlers were magnificent. The fielders backed them up. Stokes and Wood put on 26 for the last wicket and one wondered if there might yet be a last twist. Pradeep bowled a quick one. Wood edged. Perera pouched. And the great upset was sealed.

It looked for all the world as if, with a small target and England always up with the Sri Lanka score at the same stage, the batsmen just relaxed too much.

However, Lashith Malinga, with 10-1-43-4, showed that he can still be a potent force. It was the wonderful performance that toppled the pre-tournament favourites by making his team-mates believe in what seemed impossible.

Sri Lanka now play South Africa, West Indies and India. If they win those first two matches, their last game, against India, the penultimate qualifier of the tournament, will become a possible Semi-Final eliminator. How it would set things up!

How much damage has this defeat done England, who are now faced with most-likely having to beat at least two and possibly all three of New Zealand, Australia and India to qualify?

World Cup 2019, Days 18-19: Pakistani Pain, Indian Joy, Bangladeshi Ecstasy

 

World Cup 2019

Days 18-19: Pakistani Pain, Indian Joy, Bangladeshi Ecstasy

June 17^th 2019

Historians tend to classify events around a war as: before the war, the war, after the war. So too the World Cup. We have had two and a half weeks of “Phony War” before the main event and now, we have the aftermath.

First and most important: India and Pakistan got a game in at Manchester, despite the best efforts of the Manchester weather and it was friendly both on and off the pitch. Appeals to fans to keep things peaceful and to enjoy the day, worked, with a fabulous atmosphere in the stands. The game was played in the best possible spirit, helped by the fact that the majority of the crowd went home happy after seeing a complete performance from their heroes.

Pakistan, won the Toss, had a couple of real opportunities to get on top, made a decent start to a chase that was tough but, by no means impossible, but ultimately folded just when it seemed as if they might push India to the limit. The Indians, with the backing of the majority of the crowd, had much greater squad depth and the confidence that comes with being unbeaten and of having a winning record against their opponents. It was an unbeatable combination and, now, surely only England stand before them and undefeated run to the Semi-Finals.

Pakistan had several urgent tasks in this match. First and foremost, get the win points. And then, nearly as important, deny them to India, to give the chasing pack some hope. Finally, there was the small matter of improving their severely negative NRR, which could yet be the deciding factor in qualification if one of the Big Four falter and of trying to get some much-needed momentum behind their faltering campaign. Unfortunately for them, they failed in all of these. Pakistan can now reach only 11 points, maximum. India, with five games left, are on 7 and have a far superior NRR. Thus India knew that even a narrow defeat would serve their interests, but set out to make a big statement of intent anyway.

For Pakistan to win, they had to be aggressive and take their chances. They won the Toss, saw some moisture and decided to chase. Newly-elected Prime Minister, Imran Khan, who has held aloft the World Cup, gave his team five pieces of advice, none of which included giving the opposition century-maker a life on 42, or on spraying the new ball around in conditions that should have been perfect for seam bowling. By the time the openers were separated, the century partnership was long past and the scoring rate 5.7 per over. India were set up for a total anywhere in the range from 350-380, so 336 actually represented a decent effort from the bowlers, albeit helped by the extraordinary decision of Virat Kohli to walk when he had not actually hit that ball from Mohammad Amir that a gleeful Sarwaz threw up. Although Mohammed Amir finished with the excellent figures of 3-47, the truth is that his wickets were too little, too late. His opening spell of 4-1-8-0 was economical, but largely unthreatening and came with two warnings attached for running on the pitch. Similarly, India saw off a second, brief burst from him (2-0-10-0) around the thirtieth over but, tellingly, that second spell was not when Kohli had just arrived at the wicket, which would have been the aggressive tactic. Amir’s 3-29 from his last four overs were a tale of wickets when it was too late to stop the Indian juggernaut. To have had a chance, Pakistan needed Mohammad Amir to get at least one of the openers in his new ball spell, but he received scant support from Hasan Ali, whose initial spell was loose and whose final figures were truly eye-watering, although the fact that he did not bowl his full allotment at least saved him from the very real danger of a century of his own.

India were just too good. Apart from Rahul, who took on the sheet anchor role and the very brief intervention of MS Dhoni, all the batsmen scored at, or well over, a run-a-ball. In contrast, Pakistan were always behind the chase from the end of the third over. No one scored at a run-a-ball until defeat was certain and when Bhuveneshwar – Bhuvi – slipped awkwardly in his follow-through, half way through the fifth over of the innings and left the match and, at least for now, the tournament (he is not expected to return until near the end of qualifying), Vijay Shankar came on to complete the over and, removed Imam-ul-Haq with his first delivery. Even Indian misfortune was turned into success for the boys in blue.

Despite the century partnership for the second wicket, the bowling was tight, the fielding tighter and Pakistan just slipped further and further behind the asking rate. At 117-1 they had a chance to build some kind of position for an assault, but a disastrous collapse of four wickets in nineteen balls ended any hope of an exciting finish, as Yadav and Pandya squeezed the life out of the chase in a way that the Pakistani bowlers had singularly failed to do.

In the end, though, not for the first time, a major ICC match in England ended in farce as the drizzle descended. Pakistan had been drowning for a considerable time and this seemed an appropriate simile for their innings. The crowd dispersed as the cut-off time approached and then, unexpectedly, the rain stopped, the covers came off and the umpires decreed, to everyone’s amazement and to not a little horror from broadcasters, that five overs remained, when it was believed that there was time for just four at the very most. Pakistan were left to score 136 from 30 balls: 22x6 + 1x4 would do it. Several of the Indian players had to change back into their uniforms to come back out and the half-empty stands were treated to some slap-stick cricket as Pakistan accumulated enough runs against a unsurprisingly apathetic opponent, to make the DL margin look slightly more respectable, without ever changing the end result of a massive win for India.

India know that three wins from their last five games will see them safely into the Semi-Finals. Pakistan know that they need a miracle, starting with a win for Afghanistan against England tomorrow. Good luck to them on that one.

Who remembers the West Indian side who destroyed Pakistan in their first match and then gave the Australians a considerable fright, before falling just short in the chase? Or the West Indians who had South Africa on the rack when the rain arrived?

Since then, they have been destroyed by England and, now, by Bangladesh. There was a curious symmetry in that, in both defeats, the West Indies were 8-1 after 5 overs. Against England, they never really recovered. Against Bangladesh, despite a scarcely believable 13-ball duck from Chris Gayle, explosive innings from Hetmyer and Holder took them to 321-8. The match though turned in the 40^th over. In it, Mustafizur Rahman removed the destructive Hetmyer and then Andre Russell. Suddenly, Bangladeshi heads, which were beginning to drop, rose visibly and the team had a spring in their step. Although Shai Hope remained, his scoring rate was nothing special, putting pressure on his partner and costing his side some 15-20 vital runs.

Bangladesh started positively and were never behind the asking rate. They could even afford their own mini-collapse and still push on for victory. In fact, losing two, quick wickets barely slowed their charge. Just when the win-predictor showed that the West Indies were marginal favourites again, they seemed to give up on the match. Yes, Shakhib scored a wonderful century and Liton Das fell just short of his own, but the West Indians were woeful. In the end, 321-8 was not 15-20 short; it was at least 70-80 short of providing the joyous Bangladeshis a testing chase. Victory was achieved with eight and a half overs to spare and was a humongous pummelling to mark passing the half-way point in qualifying. Yes, we have got through 23 of the 45 games.

Bangladesh now lead the chasing pack, but have a far inferior NRR to any of the top four. Worse, they still have to play Australia and India and, realistically, they need to take a minimum of 3 points from those two games to have a chance to snatch that final qualifying spot, as well as beating convincingly both Afghanistan and Pakistan, but they are still very much alive in the competition, which is something that South Africa, the West Indies and Pakistan will envy.

Before that, Afghanistan should become the first side eliminated mathematically from the World Cup if they lose to England tomorrow. England will be without Jason Roy for the Aghanistan and Sri Lanka matches, at least and, intriguingly, although James Vince is expected to replace him tomorrow, have not ruled-out an unexpected late call-up for Alex Hales. To err is human (and boy is Alex Hales showing himself to be human), but to forgive is divine (and it seems that a certain red-haired Irishman is showing his potential, extraordinary divinity, here). England go into the match massive favourites and nothing less than a big win will suffice, which would elevate the hosts to the top of the World Cup table and put them close to a Semi-Final spot.