All posts by n8rngtd.top

New Zealand’s latest power hitter is only 23 but he has overcome a series of challenges, including debilitating injuries, to get this far

Andrew Alderson09-Jan-2014Every so often a New Zealand sportsperson delivers a memorable turn of phrase.World heavyweight boxing title challenger David Tua went on the game show and asked to buy a vowel. “O for awesome,” he said. That gem ended up on t-shirts.Former All Blacks rugby captain Buck Shelford was dropped unexpectedly from the nation’s most revered sports team in 1990. “Bring Back Buck” banners still appear at grounds.Olympic gold medal-winning rower Nathan Cohen delivered a succinct “Yep, go” pep talk to partner Joe Sullivan heading into the last 500 metres of their double sculls final in London. They won, moving from last to first during the race. Cohen’s remark had a good airing at mates’ barbecues last summer.Like the other phrases, Corey Anderson’s admission that “shot, bro” was the principal dialogue he and Jesse Ryder shared in their 13.2-over blitzkrieg of West Indies in Queenstown, was also quintessentially Kiwi. Whether the phrase graduates from barbecues to t-shirts to folklore will depend on how the career of the fastest one-day international centurion unfolds.Anderson produced a 3D wagon wheel – on his way to a century off 36 balls, and eventually an unbeaten 131 off 47 – that resembled a spider that might have starred in . In fact, it was scarier. Fourteen legs protruded in the form of sixes from a tiny 23-run thorax of singles and twos.Rarely has an innings of such grievous bowling harm come from a New Zealand bat. The first of the modern genre was Lance Cairns’ six sixes at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in February 1983, which included pasting Dennis Lillee one-handed over deep square leg. Another was Nathan Astle’s 222, the fastest Test double-century, during a defeat to England in Christchurch in 2002. Brendon McCullum’s 158 not out off 73 balls for Kolkata against Bangalore in the first IPL match, in 2008, also cemented his reputation as a power-hitter.If last year’s IPL auction is a gauge, relatively unknown players outside their country of origin – like Australians Glenn Maxwell and Kane Richardson and South African Chris Morris – can earn lucrative sums. Add in Anderson breaking Shahid Afridi’s 17-year ODI century record and he should come to the bidding armed with a suitcase. He may thank Queenstown’s inclement New Year’s Day weather for the rest of his life.A crucial hurdle stands between him and IPL riches: the Indian ODI series. The IPL auction is scheduled for February 12, at which point New Zealand will have played five ODIs against the visitors, matches beamed live into the homes of significant IPL decision-makers. There are no T20Is scheduled, so if Anderson sustains his form, he will be on the cusp of a career breakthrough.His sporting pedigree is sound. Dad Grant was a sprinter at the 1974 Commonwealth Games in Christchurch; Mum Linda was a top netballer. Anderson was useful in throwing events at Christchurch Boys’ High School, alma mater to arguably the country’s two finest Test pace bowling allrounders – Sir Richard Hadlee and Chris Cairns. Anderson fans can be grateful there is no “hitting” event in athletics.Yet his story still contains an element of nothing-venture-nothing-win. The 23-year-old has overcome a series of debilitating injuries since his first-class debut aged 16 years and 89 days in 2006-07; the youngest New Zealand first-class cricketer in 59 seasons. As Anderson recovered he took a bold step breaking away from his Canterbury home. He wasn’t under contract when he started with Northern Districts in 2011-12 but adapted well in their professional environment to progress his career.Former New Zealand representative Grant Bradburn was Anderson’s coach at ND; he also mentored him on this season’s development tour to the subcontinent.”Corey has developed hugely over the last couple of years to be fitter, stronger and more resilient,” Bradburn says. “He is an explosive cricketer but has learned to trust that his body will be up to the rigours of the sport. I see him as a batting allrounder good enough to be in the top six in any format. As a bowler, he is certainly not a part-timer. He has pace and the ability to swing the ball or hit the wicket hard. As a fielder, he’s dynamic in the inner ring, with a bullet arm.”

“People pigeonhole me as a limited-overs player. The pinnacle is still playing Test matches”

Bradburn remembers a key moment when Anderson’s mental maturity shone: “He scored a beautiful hundred in India [on the development tour] where he found a consistent tempo and stayed with it, rather than trying to bully the attack.”The calmness he exuded was a credit to him because he had a habit of going well, then losing control and getting out too early.”Anderson’s feats on the recent tour of Bangladesh pushed him ahead of Colin Munro in the race to secure the vacant Test allrounder berth, a problem compounded by Daniel Vettori’s extended absence.”New Zealand’s probably been calling out for [a pace bowler allrounder] since Chris Cairns left,” Anderson said after his ODI debut against England in Cardiff in June where one ball from James Tredwell was dispatched into the River Taff. “I’ve had a lot of injuries and my bowling has only come along in the last 18 months. If I can play more consecutive games over a couple of years I might become a genuine allrounder but for now I’m a batsman who bowls fourth change.”Because I’m a harder hitter people pigeonhole me as a limited-overs player. The pinnacle is still playing Test matches.”Anderson made his debut century in his second Test. He was less compelling with the ball, taking three wickets at an average of 22 – there was a decent lbw but also two soft dismissals from wafts outside off stump. However, he’s been consistent and, after the West Indies series, has contributed the useful sum of 11 wickets at 19.36 in five Tests.Jacob Oram played his last Test in a similar role to Anderson during 2009. His biggest concern is ensuring Anderson avoids the same injury issues he suffered over a stop-start career.
“I have empathy with him trying to stay on the park for sustained periods,” Oram said. “As an allrounder, you’re susceptible to more injuries because there is less downtime between batting and bowling. It’s about trying to work out a balance so his body has a chance to rest.”

If England do win the ODI series against Sri Lanka, it may only serve to mask some of the issues they must resolve ahead of the World Cup

George Dobell02-Jun-2014You could argue that, if England are to challenge at the World Cup, the best thing to happen to them would be to experience defeat in the final match of the ODI series against Sri Lanka at Edgbaston.Were England to win the game, and with it a series that is currently tied 2-2, it might convince them that the make-up of their current side – with only four frontline bowlers and four steady batsmen at the top of the order – is adequate to serve them well in New Zealand and Australia. Indeed, victory might render it awkward to drop individuals ahead of the ODI series against India. It would be a feel-good win with a long-term hangover.This was always going to be a transitional series for England. Coming to terms with life after Kevin Pietersen, Graeme Swann and, in all probability, Jonathan Trott (who began his comeback in Warwickshire’s 2nd XI on Monday) was bound to take time. A couple of other players, Stuart Broad and perhaps Ben Stokes, are also likely to feature in a World Cup squad when they have proved their full fitness.As a result, England have chosen a team with a view to these early season English conditions. They have reasoned, understandably, that the benefit of winning this series will outweigh any negatives of failing to settle upon a specific XI for the World Cup.So they have stocked their top four with good quality, traditional batsmen who can negate the movement offered by two new balls and build a solid platform before the middle-order leads an acceleration. And they have tried to plug the gaps in the bowling attack with a couple of batting allrounders who, in these conditions, can generally be relied upon to contribute 10 overs between them. In these conditions, it makes sense.But will it work in Australia?So far in this series, England’s fifth bowlers – generally Joe Root and Ravi Bopara combined – have contributed 25.5 overs between them and taken one wicket for 149 runs. They are comfortably the most expensive of England’s bowlers.Away from early summer English pitches there is no reason to think they will fare any better. On the fast-scoring grounds anticipated in the World Cup, going in with a part-time fifth bowler is not only an obvious weakness in itself but it leaves the team exposed should one of the four frontline bowlers suffer a bad day or sustain an injury.As England have found out so many times before – most notably in the World Cup final of 1979 – a side may get away with part-time bowlers in bowler-friendly conditions. But on good pitches, against good players, such a tactic will often prove damaging.The choice of who to bat in the top four is equally perplexing for England. With Alastair Cook presumably assured of his place – and he might not be an automatic choice, at present, were he not captain – England’s options at the top of the order are limited. With Peter Moores, the England coach, admitting that a total of around 300 might be considered par in the World Cup, the clamour to select Alex Hales will probably not be denied for long.

“In Australia, or on any good pitch around the world, you have to be able to score 300. It’s the new par score. So we know we have haven’t got long”Peter Moores

Gary Ballance, Joe Root and perhaps even Ian Bell might be considered vulnerable later in the summer, though bringing in Hales only a few months ahead of the World Cup will give him less time to learn his trade at the top level.”We’ve got some decisions to make,” Moores said. “One is to make sure we’ve got enough depth in the bowling.”It’s a balance, because sometimes you don’t want too much bowling. You don’t want to take the responsibility away from those guys who’ve got to be able to front up and deliver, and know it’s their role.”But against strong sides, you need five strong bowlers as well as decent depth and ability to strike up front. They’re the things you’re going to need to win that World Cup.”One option at the World Cup would be to play another bowler – almost certainly Broad – ahead of one of the batsmen. But that would weaken the batting further and require even more of the likes of Jos Buttler, who is required to produce a miracle almost every time he bats. As on Saturday, sometimes even Buttler’s miracles aren’t enough.”Our top four haven’t quite got it right,” Moores admitted. “Bell and Cook are a very experienced opening partnership and have done well in the Powerplays. It’s important that we stay positive out of the Powerplay. In Australia, or on any good pitch around the world, you have to be able to score 300. It’s the new par score. So we know we have haven’t got long.”To be fair to Root and Ballance they had to rebuild on Saturday from 10 for 2. They did the right thing and rebuilt and kept wickets in hand. Looking back we could have done with pushing things a little bit more.”We’re fortunate that there is a domestic 50-over competition this year in which we can have a look at the players like Alex Hales. Then we have to identify what is our best team for the back end of the summer, the winter and then that World Cup.”Whatever happens at Edgbaston on Tuesday, England are surely going to require some further rebuilding before that World Cup.

The Indian cricket world reacts to former Mumbai batsman Amol Muzumdar’s retirement from domestic cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Sep-2014

Amol's spirit left a mark and batting made a statement. Best wishes and welcome to the band of retired! #AmolMuzumdar

— sachin tendulkar (@sachin_rt) September 25, 2014

Congrats Amol Muzumdar on a outstanding career. One of the few cricketers who took a lot of pride playing 1st class cricket #inspiration

— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) September 25, 2014

Amol Muzumdar the unsung hero of Mumbai cricket retires leaving behind a tremendous record!Always put his whole heart into his game #Respect

— Rohit Sharma (@ImRo45) September 25, 2014

An unsung hero.. A great team man.. Extraordinary cricketer .. A great guide.. Amol Muzumdar cricket will miss you # respect

— ajinkyarahane88 (@ajinkyarahane88) September 25, 2014

What a career…true mumbai blood…congrats. mr consistent amol muzumdar on a great career..enjoyed playin wid u..KHADOOS…

— abhishek nayar (@abhisheknayar1) September 25, 2014

Amol Mazumdar a name that may have been,but couldn't be,the Shivalkar of batting,take a bow champ you came,saw and delivered #AmolMuzumdar

— shishir hattangadi (@shishhattangadi) September 25, 2014

Stats highlights from Australia’s 73-run win against South Africa in Canberra

S Rajesh19-Nov-201427 Number of times Australia have scored 300 or more after batting first in a home ODI. They’ve won each of those matches. The highest total they haven’t successfully defended at home is 281, against West Indies at the Gabba in 1997.51.68 The average opening partnership for Australia in ODIs in 2014. They’re the only team with a 50-plus average opening stand this year.12 Number of times openers from both teams have put together century stands in the same ODI; in today’s game the first wicket yielded 118 for Australia and 108 for South Africa. The last such instance was in the 2011 World Cup game between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, when Sri Lanka added 282 for the opening wicket, and Zimbabwe responded with 116. The only other such instance in an ODI between Australia and South Africa was also in a World Cup, in 2007 in Basseterre.5 Number of ODI hundreds for Amla in 2014, which is a record for all batsmen this year. Finch and Virat Kohli have four each.102 Hashim Amla’s score, which was his first ODI century against Australia in 15 innings – his previous-best against them was 97. Amla now has at least one ODI hundred versus every team that he has played at least three innings against.90 The number of runs Amla needs to reach the 5000-mark in ODIs. He has so far played 98 innings; the current record for least innings to reach 5000 is 114, by Viv Richards and Virat Kohli.5 Number of ODI hundreds that all Australian batsmen have scored in 2014. Aaron Finch has contributed four of those. The only other hundred was Steven Smith’s 101 against Pakistan in Sharjah.1 Number of times Australia have scored more than 329 in a home ODI against South Africa: in Sydney in 2006, they made 344 for 6 in a VB Series game and ended up winning by 57 runs. This is only their third score of 300 or more in a home ODI against South Africa.6 Number of times AB de Villiers has scored 50 or more at a 150-plus strike rate in ODIs, including today’s 34-ball 52. His best among those is a 27-ball unbeaten 54 against Bangladesh in Benoni in 2008.6 Number of times Dale Steyn has bowled ten overs in an ODI, and gone wicketless conceding 50 or more runs. This was the second such instance against Australia, which is the only opposition against whom this has happened more than once.4 The number of ducks for Rilee Rossouw in his first eight ODI innings. His score sequence reads thus: 0,0,36,26,0,0,30,2. His scores in his last four List A innings immediately before his ODI debut read thus: 137,38,74,69.4 The number of ODIs hosted at the Manuka Oval in Canberra. The first match here was played during the 1992 World Cup, but the next one only happened in 2008. Australia have played ODIs here only twice – against West Indies last year, and this game. Before today’s game, no player had played more than one ODI here.

Shahid Afridi, Sohaib Maqsood, Ahmed Shehzad, Wahab Riaz and Sarfraz Ahmed on World Cup memories, future stars and dazzling peers

Interviews by George Dobell and Melinda Farrell08-Feb-2015What is your earliest World Cup memory?Shahid Afridi: The 1992 World Cup. I was very young but I remember it was Ramadan and I was getting up in the morning at four o’clock and watching the matches. That was great. We didn’t start well, but we ended it well. That was great leadership from Imran Khan.Sohaib Maqsood: The one I remember most is the 1999 World Cup. I remember most of the games. I still remember the key game we won against Australia, when we saw Wasim Akram bowl those lovely yorkers at the end. And I remember that hard defeat we had in the final. We did really well in the whole World Cup and then couldn’t put up a good show in the final. As a kid, after watching that final we were really disappointed, and after the first innings Pakistan played we went out into the street and played our own World Cup.Ahmed Shehzad: I used to watch Inzamam-ul-Haq. I didn’t get to see a lot of World Cups glued to the TV, only the good games, the big games – India v Pakistan, the semi-finals, the finals. I always wanted to play the game and practise for it.Wahab Riaz: The final that Pakistan played here in the 1992 World Cup. I remember that Wasim Akram spell in the final.Sarfraz Ahmed: The 1999 World Cup. I watched all the matches. I remember watching Wasim Akram and Shaoib Akhtar bowling and Moin Khan batting.Who will be the breakthrough player in this World Cup?Afridi: Ahmed Shehzad. He’s very aggressive, very positive. He can show the world he is someone.Maqsood: Ahmed Shehzad is going to be one of those players to look at in this World Cup. He has been really doing well for Pakistan over the last two years now and he’s been a top performer, so I’m really looking forward to see him doing well in this tournament.Shehzad: Yasir Shah. He’s a legspinner, he just played against Australia in the Test series and he did wonders for us. I wish him all the luck because he’s a wonderful bloke and a wonderful bowler. I want him to do wonders and he’s the one everyone should look out for.Wahab: Sohaib Maqsood. The conditions suit him a lot and he’s a good attacking cricketer. He’s aggressive and I think he can take on any bowler in the world.Sarfraz: I think my whole team is a breakthrough team. We are working very hard.Who is the best death bowler you’ve seen?Afridi: Wasim Akram.Maqsood: Wasim and Waqar Younis. As a Pakistani kid I have grown up watching their bowling and seeing them bowl really well in the death overs. You don’t see that much these days.Shehzad: I think Lasith Malinga. He’s in his 30s but he still can bowl some very good yorkers and if you go back two years I think he was unbelievable. He still is. He’s working really hard. I’ve never seen anybody bowl yorkers the way he did in the past. He was so accurate with it, so powerful with it. If you asked him to bowl six yorkers in a row he would bowl them.Wahab: Wasim. He used to bowl reverse swing, he used to bowl yorkers, he had a lot of varieties.Sarfraz: Wasim, Shoaib Akhtar and Waqar and, at the moment, Malinga.Who are Pakistan going to play in the final?Afridi: Any team, but I want Pakistan in the final. New Zealand have a very good combination and Australia have done well. Both of them are playing at home as well. Maqsood: Inshallah if we do. There are plenty of good teams in this World Cup. South Africa is probably one of the strongest, and Australia as well, especially in their home conditions. So I think either Australia or South Africa. Shehzad: It’s a tough question. We won’t take New Zealand lightly in this World Cup because they have a very good combination under Bendan McCullum and they’ve done really well over the past six or seven months. We should never underestimate them. Wahab: I think we will play South Africa.Sarfraz: Maybe India. That would be a good final.Destructive much? AB de Villiers was a popular choice•Gallo ImagesWho is the most destructive batsman you’ve seen?Afridi: Sanath Jayasuriya is in his own class and Adam Gilchrist. AB de Villiers nowadays, he’s done a great job. Maqsood: In recent times I would say de Villiers. He has every gear of batting. If he has to come in on survival mode, he plays really well, and he’s the most dangerous when he attacks the bowlers. He’s a really, really devastating player to watch. Shehzad: Chris Gayle and Shahid Afridi. These two are legends and they’ve done wonders for their countries and I hope in this World Cup they play some innings everyone will enjoy. Wahab: There are a few but if you want one who is playing now, de Villiers.Sarfraz: I think, at the moment, de Villiers. When I was younger, Mohammad Yousuf, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Ricky Ponting and Sachin Tendulkar.What’s the best World Cup match you can remember?Afridi: 1992 World Cup final, Pakistan v England. Because we won! Maqsood: I still remember the 1999 semi-final between South Africa and Australia which ended up as a tie and Australia qualified for the final. I’ve seen enough of the highlights – they were always on television, every two or three months. That’s one of the best games I’ve ever seen. Shehzad: The 1992 semi-final, Pakistan v New Zealand. They were ahead of us and Inzamam-ul-Haq played the most memorable innings of his life, which was the height of his career. I think that’s a match one should remember. Wahab: I think the 1992 World Cup semi-finals. We beat New Zealand. It was a close game. I was only eight or nine years old. The semi-final was on a school day and we got the day off for the semi-final and the final, so it was a holiday. We will try to repeat history, we will try to win the World Cup here. We are tigers.Sarfraz: Best I’ve ever seen are the highlights of the 1992 World Cup final. I was very young but I remember the highlights.Have you ever had a proper job?Afridi: No. I started playing cricket when I was very young and I was selected to play for Pakistan when I was 16 or 17, so had no need for a job. That was the job. Maqsood: I worked in England when I played league cricket. I’m not going to tell you exactly what it was but I worked there for two years. You can say it was a shop. Shehzad: No. I was very young and studying at school when I joined a club. I always wanted to play cricket. That is my passion and that is my life. I never thought of doing anything else and I never will. Wahab: No, I have never done any kind of job.Sarfraz: No.Who is the best finisher ever?Afridi: Michael Bevan. He was very talented and a very good player. I’ve never seen a finisher like him. You can say Steve Waugh as well.Maqsood: I think I would say Michael Hussey. Shehzad: There was a time when Yuvraj Singh used to finish the game nicely for India, especially if you talk about the last World Cup, which India won. I think Yuvraj was the one to pick out.Sarfraz: Inzamam-ul-Haq.

Plus, centuries on debut, most matches, closest games – all in World Cups

Steven Lynch17-Feb-2015Nuwan Kulasekara bowled the last ball of the 2011 World Cup and the first ball of the 2015 one. Has this happened before? asked Mark Long from England

Nuwan Kulasekara of Sri Lanka bowled the delivery which MS Dhoni smashed for six to clinch the 2011 World Cup in Mumbai, and started the 2015 tournament last Saturday with a dot ball to New Zealand’s Martin Guptill in Christchurch. My first inclination was that, with only ten previous tournaments, this couldn’t possibly have happened before… but it has. In 1987, Craig McDermott bowled the last over to clinch Australia’s victory over England in Kolkata; and in 1992 he sent down the first over of the opening match, against New Zealand in Auckland – and bowled John Wright with his first legitimate delivery, after two wides. Glenn McGrath bowled the last ball of the 1996 and 2003 World Cups. Imran Khan bowled the last ball of the 1992 World Cup, and in 1979 had also bowled the first ball of one of the four matches on the opening day. Darren Lehmann, now Australia’s coach, hit the winning boundary in the 1999 final at Lord’s, and took the catch that ended the 2003 one, in Johannesburg.Aaron Finch scored a hundred in his first innings in the World Cup. How many others have done this? asked Brad Linklater from Australia

Aaron Finch, during his bruising 135 against England in Melbourne on Saturday, became the 14th batsman to begin his World Cup career with a century. The list starts with Dennis Amiss (137 for England v India at Lord’s) and Glenn Turner (171 not out for New Zealand v East Africa at Edgbaston) on the first day of the inaugural tournament in 1975. They were followed by Trevor Chappell and Allan Lamb in 1983, Geoff Marsh in 1987, Andy Flower in 1992, Nathan Astle and Gary Kirsten in 1996, Scott Styris, Andrew Symonds and Craig Wishart in 2003, the Irishman Jeremy Bray in 2007, and Virat Kohli in 2011. With an unbeaten 115 for Zimbabwe against Sri Lanka in New Plymouth in 1992, Flower is the only person to score a century on overall ODI debut during a World Cup.Steven Finn’s five wickets cost him 71 runs. Was this the most expensive in the World Cup? asked Michael Fancutt from Australia

Steven Finn’s 5 for 71 in England’s World Cup opener in Melbourne was easily the most expensive five-for in World Cup history. The previous-best (or perhaps previous-worst) was shared by two West Indians: Winston Davis took 7 for 51 against Australia at Headingley in 1983, while Ravi Rampaul took 5 for 51 against India in Chennai in 2011. A day after Finn’s record, Pakistan’s Sohail Khan, now in second place, took 5 for 55 against India in Adelaide. Indeed, there’s only been one more expensive five-wicket haul than Finn’s in all one-day internationals: the Scotland seamer Gordon Goudie took 5 for 73 against Australia at The Grange in Edinburgh in 2009. Ben Stokes took 5 for 61 for England against Australia in Southampton in 2013. Finn was only the third England bowler to take a World Cup five-for, following Vic Marks (5 for 39 against Sri Lanka at Taunton in 1983) and Tim Bresnan (5 for 48 against India in Bangalore in 2010-11).Has anyone got closer to a World Cup century than James Taylor? asked Terry McKinley from England

The unfortunate James Taylor became the second player to be marooned on 98 not out in a World Cup match. The first one was also against Australia: Collins Obuya had reached 98 when Kenya’s overs ran out in Bangalore in 2011. Sachin Tendulkar (India v Pakistan in Centurion in 2003) and Tatenda Taibu (Zimbabwe v Canada in Nagpur in 2011) were both dismissed for 98 in the World Cup. But there have been two World Cup 99s: Australia’s Adam Gilchrist was run out for 99 (from 88 balls) against Sri Lanka in Centurion in 2003, while JP Duminy holed out one short for South Africa against Ireland in Kolkata in 2011. Before the current tournament there had been 47 scores in the nineties during the World Cup, nine of them not out. Tendulkar and Michael Clarke both made three of them; Clarke had still not managed a World Cup century before this tournament started.Andy Flower scored a century on his one-day debut, which was a World Cup match against Sri Lanka in New Plymouth in 1992•Getty ImagesWho has played the most World Cup matches? asked Mohammad Qalil from Pakistan

Ricky Ponting leads the way here with 46, including four finals (1996/1999/2003/2007). He’s one ahead of Sachin Tendulkar, who played in six different tournaments (a record he shares with Javed Miandad). Muttiah Muralitharan played in 40 matches, Glenn McGrath 39, and Sanath Jayasuriya and Wasim Akram 38. The overall appearances record isn’t going to be broken this time: the most by any current player before the 2015 tournament started was Mahela Jayawardene’s 33.Have there been any one-run victories in the World Cup? Or one-wicket ones? asked Mahendra Jain from India

Before the 2015 tournament, there had been only two one-run victories in World Cup history, both of them by Australia over India – in Chennai in 1987, and in Brisbane in 1992. There had been one victory by two runs (by Sri Lanka over England in North Sound in 2006-07), and four by three runs. There had been four wins by one wicket: by West Indies over Pakistan at Edgbaston in 1975; Pakistan over West Indies in Lahore in 1987; South Africa over Sri Lanka in Providence in 2007; and England over West Indies in Bridgetown, also in 2007. Pakistan’s win in 1987 was clinched off the final delivery of the 50th over, the only time the side batting second has won a World Cup match off the last possible ball. There have also been four tied World Cup matches: the Australia v South Africa semi-final at Edgbaston in 1999; South Africa v Sri Lanka in Durban in 2003; Ireland v Zimbabwe in Kingston in 2007; and India v England in Bangalore in 2011.

A hero of the 1979 World Cup final, Joel Garner looks back at his performance in that match, and generally at putting the fear of God into people

Interview by Henry Cowen26-Mar-2015The lesson
5-37 and 3-28 |
I played against Lawrence Rowe in the late 1970s and I bowled at him for an hour and a half. I couldn’t get him out but he couldn’t hit it off the square and couldn’t score any. At the end of the day, Charlie Griffith walked into the dressing room and said: “Boy, you’ve just wasted a whole hour and a half. This game could have been over today and now you’ve got to come back tomorrow.” I said that I had tried and he said, “I know you tried but you tried too hard. What you should’ve done is bowl a straight ball!” The next morning I bowled an in-swinger, an out-swinger and then a straight ball: he was out caught bat-pad. Charlie just looked at me as if to say, “I told you so.”The collections
334 wickets in three seasons,
I took so many wickets at Littleborough! It was just as I was starting and I was on a funny contract. We played Saturdays and Sundays and what happened was, if you got five wickets for fewer than 30 you got a collection and if you scored 50 you got a collection – we lived off the collections. Every Saturday you played you were like a mercenary – you’d turn up, do your bit and have some fun.The debut
4-130 & 2-60 |
My debut was special and it was at home which made it extra special. I wasn’t too nervous – if you knew me and had seen me play cricket that would have been clear. Then there were injuries to Michael Holding and Wayne Daniel. Colin Croft and I were the natural replacements. I came on to bowl first change after Vanburn Holder pulled up in the third over and I got the first wicket. Ironically, it was Colin who took the catch. We started our Test careers together.Garner towers over his team-mates during a match in 1986•Getty ImagesThe World Cup win
5 for 38 |
Our plan was very much to keep it tight and wait for the batsmen to make mistakes. In ODI cricket you don’t always have to bowl to get wickets, you can get wickets by keeping the game as tight as possible and that’s exactly what happened. We kept putting the batsmen under more pressure, more pressure, more pressure. When we got rid of Brearley and Boycott all the other fellas came out and had to push the game on so all I had to do was basically bowl straight at the stumps.The headache
6 for 56 |
This was not one of our more productive tours! We played good cricket and continued to play the kind of cricket we were used to. What we found challenging was the umpiring decisions; Australia sent a film crew over to New Zealand to see what was happening – they spent three hours filming, said they understood what was going on and left! It was a tour we were glad to get behind us. The umpires did get to me a bit: it’s the first time I ever had a headache, the first and last time, believe it or not. The pressure was building. I think 10 minutes after we lost the game I had a splitting headache that lasted until four o’clock in the morning and it’s never happened since.Garner took a five-for in the 1979 World Cup final•PA PhotosThe payback
2 for 12, 59* |
I had great times at Somerset. The money was incidental: we had fun. I remember playing against Sylvester Clarke at Bath and he bowled two bouncers at me. I said, “Boy, you’re not going to get me out. This game’s going to finish and there’ll be other games when I’m bowling to you. Don’t you bowl these bouncers at me.” He came off and Roger Knight came on and I told him that if Sylvester Clarke couldn’t get me out then he wasn’t going to get me out either. I hit him for three sixes over long-on and we won the game. This was a one-day game in the middle of a four-day match – so we had two days left of the four-day match when this had finished. Later in the year, we had a return game at Surrey. I knew Sylvester had forgotten. I said to the umpire, “watch this”, and I bowled a slower-ball bouncer and he gloved it behind. He stood and waited for the decision and Sam just said to him, “What are you waiting for?” That’s how we played.The jester
6 for 23 & 5 for 57, 40* & 2 |
The thing is, we used to have so much fun playing against each other. When I was facing one of my boys – and vice versa, I’m sure – I knew them so well that I knew exactly when they were going to bowl a bouncer. I was playing for Somerset, facing Malcolm Marshall’s Hampshire at Bournemouth, and I could see him running in. I thought ‘You idiot, you’re going to bowl a bouncer’. I managed to get a single and I met him down the other end and said “I can’t hit you but I can hit the guy at the other end so I’m going to give it a bit!” Trevor Jesty was bowling at the other end and I got to 40 in no time. Malcolm couldn’t believe it; he said “Are you serious man?” I just said “The next man can’t bowl as fast as you so he’s going to get hit!” We had a lot of fun.Return of the kings: the West Indian players of the ’70s and ’80s relive the good times•AFPThe comeback
0-44 & 5-56 |
This was one of the highlights of my Test career. We went to Australia and we didn’t carry the trophy with us, we forgot it. Australia were leading the Test series after they won the first match and drew the second. We were playing the third Test and it was in danger of getting embarrassing. They batted for all of the fourth day and got to about 300-2 and we said: “Hey, we can’t go through this embarrassment. We’ve got to get some men. We’ve got to get some wickets.” We then bowled them out in a session, chased it down, won the match and retained the trophy by virtue of drawing the series. That was one of the better times, having to come from behind to win to save face.The final game
3-95 |
I wasn’t too uncomfortable retiring, I’d bowled a lot of overs, had a few operations and I knew my body couldn’t take it any longer. I have no complaints about playing cricket, none whatsoever: if I had to do it again, I’d do it all over again. The rest of the West Indies boys and I still have fun as a group. Up until two years ago we used to come together for a weekend in October. We’d go to an island, spend a weekend together and just do nothing. There would be 12-14 of us, the whole lot. It’s something we should do again, get the fellas back together.All Out CricketThe partnership
2-73 & 2-37 |
It’s hard to pinpoint career highlights, some of the best moments were about team success and some were more individual. I remember one moment very clearly, though, and it shows how tight we were as a unit. In 1984 we were playing at Leeds when I heard that at home in Barbados my uncle had been killed. We had started the Test the day before, on the Thursday, and I said to Malcolm [Marshall]: “I’ve got to be out of here by Tuesday”. It was Friday and the Test was only a day old. He said “No problem. Whenever you’re bowling, I’m going to be bowling as well.” He got seven wickets in the game and I only got four but I didn’t put the ball down because the two of us had decided we were going to bowl together so that I could go home. That’s one of the things that I remember very, very vividly.

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Apr-2015The youngster responded with 45 off 77 deliveries and contributed to a 91-run opening stand with Azhar Ali•AFPAzhar was a steadying influence in the top order, and his 98-run stand with Haris Sohail set Pakistan up for a big total•AFPAzhar scored his maiden ODI century – also the first by a Pakistan captain in almost five years – before his dismissal in the 39th over•Associated PressThat wicket triggered a farcical collapse as Pakistan lost their last eight wickets for 47 runs and were bowled out for 250•Associated PressRubel Hossain was one of four Bangladesh bowlers to take two wickets•Associated PressTamim Iqbal followed up his successive centuries in the series with another fifty-plus score, getting a brisk 64 off 76 balls•AFPBangladesh lost a couple of quick wickets but Soumya Sarkar kept the chase on track, scoring his maiden ODI hundred off 94 balls•AFPHis unbeaten 97-run partnership for the second wicket with Mushfiqur Rahim sealed the 3-0 series win for Bangladesh•AFP

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Jun-2015Karunaratne and Lahiru Thirimanne then stitched together a 69-run partnership for the fourth wicket•Ishara S.Kodikara/AFP/Getty ImagesThe Pakistan bowlers found some reverse-swing and Wahab Riaz got the breakthrough before lunch, dismissing Thirimanne for 44•Ishara S.Kodikara/AFP/Getty ImagesYasir Shah began the turnaround for Pakistan with the wicket of Karunaratne who was stumped for 79•Ishara S.Kodikara/AFP/Getty ImagesThe legspinner then wrapped up the rest of the innings, finishing with 7 for 76 to leave Pakistan a target of 90 for a win.•Ishara S.Kodikara/AFP/Getty ImagesPakistan’s openers Mohammad Hafeez and Ahmed Shehzad chased down the target inside 12 overs, capping an emphatic win in four days•Ishara S.Kodikara/AFP/Getty ImagesPakistan’s 10-wicket win was their first victory in Sri Lanka since April, 2006. Sarfraz Ahmed was named the Man of the Match for his game-turning 86-ball 96 in the first innings•Ishara S.Kodikara/AFP/Getty Images

Stats highlights from the second day of the Dubai Test

S Rajesh23-Oct-20152780 Deliveries faced by Alastair Cook in Tests in 2015, which is 1008 more than Joe Root’s 1772, the next-best this year. Those two are also the only batsmen with 1000-plus Test runs so far this year: Cook has 1235 runs at an average of 61.75, while Root has an aggregate of 1195 at 70.29. Cook’s aggregate deliveries faced this year currently puts him in tenth place in the all-time list (among years where complete ball-by-ball data is available). The most balls played by any batsman in Tests in a calendar year is 3237, by Rahul Dravid in 2002. Cook is currently 457 behind that mark.9080 Cook’s aggregate as an opener, the second-highest in Test cricket, after Sunil Gavaskar’s 9607. During the course of his 65, he went past Graeme Smith’s tally of 9030.1057 Cook’s Test aggregate against Pakistan, which is second only to David Gower’s 1185. Gower got his runs in 27 innings, at an average of 49.37, while Cook has played 22 innings against them and averages 48.04.11 Fifty-plus scores for Root in Tests in 2015, the most by any batsman this year. Cook has ten, while no other batsman has more than seven.50 Test wickets for Moeen Ali, in his 18th match. Among England spinners who have taken at least 50 Test wickets since 1950, Moeen’s strike rate (57.9) is the best, though his average is 14th out of 18 bowlers.10.87 The batting average of Pakistan’s last four (Nos. 8-11) in Tests since the beginning of 2012, which is the lowest among all teams. England are fourth with an average of 16.60, while South Africa’s lower order has the best batting average: 21.45.6 Number of Misbah-ul-Haq’s Test hundreds, out of nine, that have yielded 102 or fewer runs. He has scored 100, 101, 101*, 102, 102*, and 102* in those six innings. His other three centuries are 161*, 135 and 133*. Eight of his nine Test hundreds have come in Asia.485 Test runs for Ian Bell in 2015, from 12 matches, at an average of 25.52. He started the year with 143 against West Indies in North Sound, but in his 20 innings since then he has managed only 342 runs at an average of 19.