Tag Archives: south africa

The Best Opponents in World Cup Knockout Matches

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Question: What happens when two immovable objects meet each other?
Answer: The one with the bigger reputation stays where it is.

In the match between perpetual WC knockout match losers, South Africa finally removed the thorn from their side. It is not fun when New Zealand shares the top spot for giving it up when it really matters. And after having some laughs, the Saffers went from 108/2 to 172 all out, losing by a staggering 49 runs chasing 222.

So here is the record: Won 30 of 42 group-stage matches. Won zero of 5 knockout matches.

To rewind, the tragic performances of South Africa at the World Cup:

1992: South Africa needed a plausible 22 off 13 balls to beat England in the semi-final. Rain interrupted play, and when it resumed, the rain rule converted the target to an impossible 21 runs off 1 ball.

1996: A masterpiece from Lara and South Africa lose by 19 runs. Remember that the West Indies had a terrible tournament: winning only 2 matches in the group stage, albeit one versus Australia, losing against Kenya and ending up as the last qualifier in their group.

1999: The drop that cost them the match against Australia in the Super Six which meant that the crazy run-out that lead to the tie against the same opponent in the semi-final ended their tournament.

2003: Tight loss against West Indies, Stephen Fleming, inability to understand the D/L target and Kenya’s surprising surge (aided by NZ’s forfeit) meant that South Africa failed to qualify for the knockouts in the tournament it was hosting.

2007: I guess they ran out of gas as demonstrated by their loss against Bangladesh and in any case, ended up against Australia again in the semi-finals, losing by 7 wickets and almost 19 overs remaining.

2011: In case you forgot, South Africa topped the group with 5 big wins (7 wickets, 231 runs, 131 runs, 206 runs and even the 3 wicket win against India chasing close to 300). Their only loss came against the maverick fighting-for-their-lives England team who they had already dispatched for just 171. Among the possible qualifiers from Group B, New Zealand seemed to be the most harmless until it all ended in a few crazy overs.

South Africa Out, Sri Lanka on Verge

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A few days back, Purna pointed out that 5% believed that England would win the Champions Trophy and she decided to cast her lot with Bangladesh! Well, believe it or not, England are just two victories away from being crowned the Champions (the next match against the Kiwis does not matter and they only need to win the semis and finals).

This competition is turning out to be a classic. Two consecutive victories for England. South Africa crashing out in the group stage. The second string West Indies creating major scares for Pakistan and Australia, and probably nightmares for the Indian team. Big favorites Sri Lanka just a few Net Run Rate decimal points away from elimination.

Today’s matches were spectacular. The Sri Lankan team’s batting performance against New Zealand was absolutely stunning despite their loss. Every time you thought that New Zealand had finished them off, another Lankan player would come out and bash a few sixes. Kulasekara hit his best ever ODI score (57 not out) and No. 10 Malinga equaled his. Thanks to their effort, the SL NRR stayed ahead just enough to keep them in the running. Take away 13 runs and South Africa would still be in the tournament and Sri Lanka would be flying back.

And England. Wow! After they had sunk to the absolute depths, losing to Australia 6-1, they are the first team to qualify for the semis. South Africa, yet again, fail to go past the first hurdle as hosts, despite that magnificent 141 by Graeme Smith. No choking this time. Just outplayed.

Tuesday will decide Group B. England are already through and the only effect of a loss is their position in the group (No. 1 or No. 2). But unless they lose by a huge margin, they will remain No. 1. New Zealand will go through if they win. If they lose, it will depend on Net Run Rate.

A quick back-of-the-envelope calculation shows that a low scoring match (less than 237 or so) that goes to the wire may allow New Zealand to overtake Sri Lanka’s net run rate even though they lose. I will post a graph with more details in my next post.

Rainy Start to the Champions Trophy

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The first match of the Champions Trophy between Sri Lanka and South Africa did not turn out to be a great advertisement for the beleaguered ODI format. It started off well, though, with Sri Lanka making 181/2 after 29 overs, only to end up with 319/8 after the full 50 overs. South Africa were well positioned at 90/1 after 14 overs, but kept losing wickets and then rain ended their misery.

This is a good win for Sri Lanka whose recent home victories have been tainted by the skewed results of the Premadasa Stadium. This was also their toughest match in the group and should be good enough to get them into the semifinals. Of course, they still have to beat New Zealand and England, but I don’t think either team poses a threat.

Also hats off to Dilshan. I am amazed at his transition. He made his ODI debut in December 1999 and this was only his third century. And his second of the year. While his career average is at a pitiful 31.56, his average for this year is a remarkable 54.90. Now, if he can make amends for his silly shot in the World Twenty20 final and lead Sri Lanka to the Trophy, this would definitely be his year.

South Africa shouldn’t panic yet. I felt that they lost the game in the first quarter when the Sri Lankan batsmen were going at an incredible pace. They pulled it back a bit, but it was not enough. 30-40 fewer runs to chase, they may have achieved the target. They should get to the semis, but given South Africa’s track record at these competitions, nothing can be taken for granted.

Cricket Fiascos: England v. South Africa, 1992 World Cup Semifinal

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You don’t get a lot of games when the team you have been supporting for the entire match wins, but suddenly you don’t feel like cheering for them anymore. The 1992 World Cup semifinal between England and South Africa was one such experience for me. I was rooting for England to win the match and they seemed to have a good chance of closing out the match when South Africa needed 22 runs off 13 balls for victory.

Suddenly rain intervened in the match and the officials, instead of doing the common sense thing in a big match, lopped off 2 overs for South Africa, resulting in a farcical, absurd target of 22 runs off a single ball. The two SA batsmen, Brian McMillan and Dave Richardson, were shattered and disgusted. The World Cup has always been a bucket of sorrows for South Africa, but nothing (even the 1999 semifinal with Australia) can compare with the way they were robbed of a place in the final.

It had been a crazy World Cup, with the favorites Australia not even reaching the semi-finals. Pakistan, making a return from the dead after a poor start to their campaign, squeezed into the semi-final and then, in an unforgettable semi-final, riding on a stunning batting display by the then-youngster Inzamam-ul-Haq, eliminated New Zealand, who had defeated everyone else in the tournament. Pakistan would go on to defeat England in another enthralling match, thus landing the World Cup and preventing it from falling into the hands of a team which was stained by its rain-rule-assisted victory.

Being the Number One Test Team

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Australia still remain on the top of the ICC Test rankings with 126 points edging out South Africa which has 121 points. On an intuitive level, we know that this is meaningless, as Australia has just lost to both India and South Africa. In comparison, South Africa has had two excellent years. The last time they lost a series was in Sri Lanka in 2006. And if they beat Australia at home, no one can deny that they are the strongest team in world cricket today.

But in one way, South Africa have some ways to go before they can achieve the stunning heights of the previous No. 1. When Australia beat India 2-1 at home last year, they had won almost all the recent series against any opposition, home or away. Discounting Bangladesh, Australia had won 13 out of 14 possible series against the Test nations, the sole exception being the 2005 Ashes series. Not won and drawn, but won. And of course, the Ashes was lost by the small matter of 3 runs and 3 wickets.

Now, of course, that is down to 11 of 14. But South Africa’s record is 9 wins, 2 draws (against India and NZ away) and 3 losses (against Australia and England at home, and Sri Lanka away). They can fix the Australia loss immediately and probably beat England next time around. But India and Sri Lanka are considerable walls to surmount.

India first. India has the best home record after Australia with 5 series wins and 5 series draws. Since Australia’s home record is simply a function of their overall team strength (they win everywhere!) while India’s away record (5 series losses and 2 series wins) is atrocious with the same team, India simply has a huge home advantage that cannot be easily taken down. Steve Waugh rightly called India the “Final Frontier”. South Africa have had more success in India than most teams, but this year, even they were held to a draw.

As for Sri Lanka, the only teams to beat them at home have been Australia and Pakistan. While this blog has been harsh on Sri Lanka for their self-serving matches against Bangladesh, this is a team clearly on the rise with improved performances and a new matchwinner, Mendis, who is even more lethal than Murali. Beating them is not going to be easy.

Another big difference between the Australian and South African teams is the margin of victories. Australia had been dealing out whitewash after whitewash to unfortunate teams including South Africa. If we take the most recent series against all opposition, the success rate is 77% (32 wins, 7 draws, 7 losses). South Africa, by comparison, is at 57% (20 wins, 8 draws and 14 losses). 

South Africa look to be in the period when Australia seemed shy of asserting their dominance, namely, losing dead-rubber matches. They lost one in England earlier this year and now the Sydney Test. Winning more matches will likely make them more blood-thirsty. If this Australian series win is not a false dawn, we will soon see long winning streaks by the South Africans.

Sydney Breaks Cricketing Hearts Again

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I remember staying awake till the wee hours of January 6th, 2008 to see if India would save the second Test against Australia. It was looking very optimistic with just two overs to go until a sensational over by Michael Clarke blew away the remaining three India wickets while the Indian captain Anil Kumble, with a fighting 45, stood helplessly at the other side. I was heartbroken, dejected and, to some extent, disgusted that the last two batsmen could not manage to preserve their wickets for 11 more balls.

Almost to the day, again in the penultimate over of the day, Australia took the last wicket, this time of the captain himself. Graeme Smith came out to bat with a broken hand and survived 26 minutes, but was not able to withstand the final effort by the Australians. Perhaps if Ntini had taken a single off the previous over instead of hitting those boundaries. Perhaps if Johnson’s ball had not hit the crack in the pitch. These close matches create a lot of “what-if” scenarios in your mind.

The closeness of this Sydney Test brings brought back some of the ugly memories of last year’s Test, but of course, this Test was a more, shall we say, conventional one. Australia dominated the match throughout and South Africa were always trying to make a fight of it. India felt that they had been robbed because of some horrible umpiring decisions and because for some parts of the game, they were ascendant, having made a huge 1st innings courtesy Sachin’s 154.

That Test marked the start of Australia’s terrible year (in relative terms, of course). They lost the return series in India 2-0, lost the current series against South Africa and even let the West Indies off with one draw in a series. Will this be a turnaround year for Australia? Their new attack will have to come good in South Africa and their batting order has to click in tandem. It does like the end of the line for Hayden, but we have been saying that for sometime now and he refuses to leave and the Board refuses to kick him out. We will see.

Cricket’s 2008 Top Headliners!

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So what were the top stories of 2008?

Inaugural Success of IPL

Year 2008 witnessed the opening of IPL (Indian Premier League), the mega event from BCCI that clearly gave cricket a stunning make-over and boost in game excitement, viewership and tremendous marketing potential. The mantra for 2008 became T20 or, as it is called, 20-20. A 3-hour-rapid fire game that takes you to the edge of your seat until the final ball is bowled.

IPL is BCCI’s response to the rival Indian Cricket League (ICL) into Twenty-20 era. They pulled up 8 teams from Indian cities bringing overseas and domestic player mixture. The key difference being IPL swamped in current top International players while ICL dominantly settled for retired, yesteryear stars. IPL is BCCI’s child,  so you can imagine the media attention, money involved is big.

South Africa Record 2nd Highest Run Chase in Test Cricket History

South Africa beat Australia in the first Test of their series by 6 wickets chasing down a huge victory target of 413, becoming, in the process, the 2nd highest-run chasing team in Test cricket. AB de Villiers was chosen Man-of-the-Match for his unbeaten 106 in the chase (and for his vital 1st innings 63 and pouching 4 catches off the Australian batting line). Graeme Smith continued to excel in batting in the 4th innings, with his average the 3rd highest in history, behind Geoff Boycott (England) and Sunil Gavaskar (India). West Indies still hold the record for highest run chaser, scoring 418/7 against Australia in 2003.

The Super Six of 2008

Chanderpaul 6 and Win – In their ODI home series against Sri Lanka.

Mystery Spinner – Ajantha Mendis

2008 saw the entry of a new (yet another!) spin wizard from Sri Lanka with his finger talking googlies, flippers, offbreaks, legbreaks and anything you can spell. He clearly gave India a very hard run during their away series and even India’s strong middle order were unable to read him. Mendis took 26 Test scalps and lead the 2008 ODI bowling with 48 wickets at an astonishing average of 10.12 and economy rate of 3.54. He is overturning the conventional wisdom in ODI where bowlers are relegated to side acts as batsman become big bat bullies.

Take a look at Mendis cleaning India’s clock in the Asia Cup final.

2008 Top Performances – Batting & Bowling

Top 10 ODI Batsmen

  1. Gautam Gambir (India): 1119 runs – Gambir came of age this year and stabilized the Indian opening.
  2. Mahendra Dhoni (India):  1097
  3. Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka): 942
  4. Virender Sehwag (India): 893
  5. Yuvraj Singh (India): 893
  6. Younis Khan (Pakistan): 865
  7. Salman Bhatt (Pakistan): 861
  8. Tamim Iqbal (Bangladesh): 807
  9. Shoaib Malik (Pakistan): 681
  10. Suresh Raina (India): 680

Top 10 Test Batsmen

  1. Graeme Smith (South Africa): 1656 Runs
  2. Virender Sehwag (India): 1462
  3. Ricky Ponting (Australia): 1182
  4. Hashim Amla (South Africa): 1161
  5. Gautam Gambhir (India): 1134
  6. VVS Laxman (India): 1086
  7. Neil McKenzie (South Africa): 1073
  8. Michael Clarke (Australia): 1063
  9. Sachin Tendulkar (India): 1063
  10. AB de Villiers (South Africa): 1061

Top 10 ODI Bowlers

  1. Ajantha Mendis (Sri Lanka): 48 wickets
  2. Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka): 35
  3. Nuwan Kulasekara (Sri Lanka): 33
  4. Stuart Broad (England): 32
  5. Sohail Tanvir (Pakistan): 32
  6. Nathan Bracken (Australia): 31
  7. Shahid Afridi (Pakistan): 30
  8. Abdur Razzak (Bangladesh): 29
  9. Mashrafe Mortaza (Bangladesh): 28
  10. Ishant Sharma (India): 27

Top 10 Test Bowlers

  1. Dale Steyn (South Africa): 74 Wickets
  2. Harbhajan Singh (India): 63
  3. Mitchell Johnson (Australia): 63
  4. Brett Lee (Australia): 57
  5. Makhaya Ntini (South Africa):  54
  6. Daniel Vettori (New Zealand): 54
  7. Ryan Sidebottom (England): 47
  8. Jimmy Anderson (England): 46
  9. Morne Morkel (South Africa): 43
  10. Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka): 43

Stats Courtesy: Cricinfo.com

High-Tech Review System

ICC embraced the technology to allow the batting or fielding team to appeal against umpiring decisions. Considering the amount of pressure the umpires are involved in making critical decisions which significantly impact game outcomes, this is definitely a welcome move from ICC. Not to say anything about avoiding acrimonious incidents such as what happened in the Sydney Test between Australia and India.

Controversy

Harbhajan Singh made his mark on 2008, but not always in a good way. He and Andrew Symonds were involved in a racial sledge/abuse case that resulted a three test ban on Harbhajan Singh. Not satisfied with that, Harbhajan got into a slapping incident with fellow Indian teammate Sreesanth and got thrown out of the IPL. He is back with the Indian team spearheading the Indian attack.

Well there you go that rounded up 2008 stories. Let’s look forward to yet another exciting year of cricket in 2009.

South Africa Are Number One

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It was hardly a contest at all. The South Africans brushed aside Australia’s meagre target in quick time and now have a legitimate claim to be No. 1 in Test cricket. Australia has simply been outclassed by a superior team with a captain who leads from the front.

What’s next for Australia? You have to go back a long way before you found a series where Australia played a dead rubber where they had already been beaten. This should spell the end for Matthew Hayden, a great batsman of the past, but reduced to irrelevance in this series. Perhaps he will resign instead of being outed by the selectors.

Hussey aside, the rest of the batting seems okay. Unfortunately, they do not seem to be coming together in unison to post huge scores. Australia’s main problem, though, is their toothless bowling that is encouraging to the other Test teams. They may be well advised to try out different bowling options in the next Test.

Though the series is lost, Australia do have a chance at redemption. They have an away series against the South Africans and if they can come up with a much improved performance, they can reclaim their throne.

As for South Africa, what a team. The right mix of experience and young talent including the debutant Duminy. A superb strike bowler in Steyn. An inspiring captain in Graeme Smith. We should have guessed that they were meant for great things on this tour, by the way Smith closed his mouth about his opponents and let his bat do the talking.

Australia Need a Miracle

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To win the series, South Africa need just another 153 runs with 10 wickets in hand and an entire day to play. Unless they lose their heads, it should be an easy target to achieve. Of course, South Africa did have a collapse in their first innings before recovering to post a lead. So there may be some hope for Australia, but after letting South Africa get to a 400+ target, that is not saying much.

Ponting was terribly unlucky to get out at 99. This would have been the 4th time he hit centuries in both innings of a single Test. Having hit 101 in the first innings, Ponting said, “I’m actually going to check with the scorers tonight and see if I can take one run from the first innings and transfer it over to the second innings, see if that’s possible.” A great player, but unfortunately captain of Australia when they are struggling to meet their past form.

Australia needs an inspired bowler today to go out and get a bunch of wickets, something like Bob Willis’ 8-43 in the 1981 Ashes Series. And they need a partner bowler to stem the runs on the other side. An injured Lee doesn’t look the part. Johnson may yet emulate his 8-wicket haul from the first Test, but he needs some support from the remaining bowlers. There aren’t too many runs to play with.

The South Africans have a few batsmen like Kallis who can drop anchor and others like Smith who can bludgeon the opposition into submission. It is their Test to lose. If they play sensibly, the match should be over around lunchtime.

Australia’s Dilemma

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What a Test debut for Jean-Paul Duminy. In his first match, he remained unbeaten with a 50 as South Africa overhauled a massive target of 414 runs against Australia. And yesterday, he added 318 runs with the 4 tail-enders to gain a vital lead for South Africa. At the close of the 2nd day, the consensus was that South Africa would fold up quickly with a huge deficit, so no one could even imagine a lead. The latest star in the SA team could not have scripted a better start to his career.

Duminy’s stunning effort has placed Australia in a huge dilemma. Only 6 sessions remain in the match and they are behind. If they try for the win by slogging their way to a big target, they could very easily lose wickets and be fighting to save the match. On the other hand, if they bat sensibly, they would have to bat for at least 4 sessions, but then have only 60-odd overs to bowl South Africa out. Which probably is not going to happen, considering the depth of the South African batting.

This series has exposed how deep a hole the retirements of Warne and McGrath has left Australia in. For a while, it seemed that Lee was turning into the main spearhead of the Australian attack, but his improved performances were just a random blip. In the current series, he has taken 1 wicket while conceding 200 runs. Stuart Clark, injured, is out of the picture and, at 33 years, not the best long-term prospect for Australia. Let us not even talk about the Australian spinners.

However, all this is good for cricket. It is boring when you have one team dominating all the others, like how Australia used to do. Now, South Africa and India are closing (or have closed) the gap with Australia and we can look forward to more interesting contests. More of that and less of the mind-numbing whitewashes.