Crucket

I was disappointed to learn last week that Chris Martin (avg. 2.17, high score 12) is not the worst ever test batsman, the honour for which goes to Pommie Mbangwa (avg. 2, high score 8).

However, NZ really cleans up in the list of worst ever specialist test batsmen. NZ owns the list. Of 41 specialist batsmen with averages under 25, there are 11 NZers, including the batsmen rated the worst, Lawrie Miller (avg. 13.84, high score 47).

There are several names in the list from the 50s and 60s, when NZ cricket was completely out if its depth internationally. However, there are several more recent names, including test incumbent Jamie How.

They are all heroes and we salute their efforts. Also, if you look a bit deeper, there are stories that sit alongside the stats that change the context of their “achievements” somewhat. For example, Lawrie Miller had his best match (aggregate of 72) in the NZ’s first ever test victory. Similarly John Parker featured in our first win over Australia. Trevor Franklin, while not achieving much himself, was half of one of the best opening pairings we’ve had; his partnerships with John Wright averaged 55. It’s interesting to note actaully how many of the players are specialist openers, starkly demonstrating the problems we’ve had in that position. A couple of the players also have reputations as bowlers (perhaps because their batting reputations are so poor), such as John Morrison. I also note Bruce Murray bowled only one over in his career, but gave away no runs and took a wicket, perhaps making him one of the best ever test bowlers.

I’ve wondered, does the umpire communicate with the scorers? Does the umpire ever have to correct the scorers when they get the manner of dismissal wrong in cases where, say, the batsman might have been out caught, lbw or even stumped?

I got thinking about this because of something I noticed in the reports on last night’s ODI on TV3 regarding Sehwag’s dismissal. The early report talked about an “unlucky Sehwag”, which I take to refer to him being given out caught when he hadn’t hit the ball, as recorded in the scoreboard: c McGlashan b Butler. (Cracker of a ball by Butler, incidentally.) A later report however had Butler “trapping Sehwag in front”. Could that have been the umpire’s actual call?

As if we weren’t struggling enough, but 4 wickets in 5 balls…

I’d love to see a representation of what each of those wickets did to the D-L target.

In conjunction with Sportsfreak, Crucket is offering two of its readers a give-away.

That’s right; free stuff, and it’s legal.

We have two complimentary passes to the game at the National Stadium this Friday (March 6) to watch New Zealand take on India in that rather quaint form of the game known as a one day international.

The only problem is that we really have no idea who to give them to. So if you can come up with a good idea for how we can give them away, they’re all yours.

It can be anything: a rant on the state of the game, jokes, a haiku, or a thesis on which place in the batting order Brendan McCullum should be.

Judges’ decision is final, but obviously gratuitous cheap shots at the BCCI are welcome.

Travel, accommodation, and a full bottle of Tui to throw in the air not included.

Big thanks to the Freak for supplying the prize.

Love this image from the Herald, from an article extolling the strengths of our exciting top four, McCullum, Ryder, Guptill and Taylor, showing them all flourishing their blades.

The Indians of course have brought along debatably the best ODI top order currently in service. (That would be a fiery debate however.)

Let’s see how the two top four compare head to head.

Not entirely flattering to the New Zealanders in terms of ranking, with an average of about 50 compared to an average of about 12 for the Indians. However, the stats don’t look vastly different (except maybe the rather unfair comparison between McCullum and Tendulkar). Based on these averages, we’d expect the Indians to score about 150 from about 29 overs. Whereas the New Zealanders will score 160 off about 31 (admittedly rather skewed by Guptill’s stats). Pretty much dead even.

Indian have an extremely good middle order in Dhoni alone, but NZ have Vettori and Mills in their bowling line up. You’ve got to expect this to be a close run series. I’m picking 3-2 to New Zealand.

So the compromise solution cooked up by NZC to allow six Indian players to participate in the State Championship ahead of the test series without them having to play with or against the NZ ICL players looks like it has satisfied everyone. The BCCI is happy because none of its players have to play with the radioactive ICL players, the NZCPA is happy because none of its ICL players are being pushed aside and NZC is happy because the BCCI is not upset and the Indians should give the Championship a bit of a boost.

Really though, this is no victory for the BCCI. They are coming out of this and the masters match with egg all over their faces. There will be few cricket followers either outside or inside India who would think that the actions of the BCCI are anything other than childish. And they have achieved nothing for that.

The purpose of the BCCI’s position is to drive ICL players out of other countries’ domestic competitions by forcing those other countries to choose between their ICL players or India. Quarantining the ICL players from the BCCI players is just a means to that end, not an end in itself. So if all they have achieved is to avoid contact with ICL players without having them excluded, then they have failed.

If the BCCI really had the courage of their conviction they would refuse to allow their players to be involved in competitions involving ICL players. That is, no Indian players in the State Championship if any ICL players play for any team.

Apparently the Indians have been training in Wellington for tomorrow’s match in Napier. The Mission Estate Winery Concert had filled up all the hotels.

“Is it a conspiracy? Or is it just an accident, designed to give New Zealand a significant advantage?” Or perhaps there is a less suspicious explanation.

Could Heath Mills be the toughest man in cricket? I haven’t really heard of anyone else standing up to the BCCI, so I am really interested in what comes of Heath Mills insistence that the ICL players will not be forced to step aside to accommodate the Indian test players looking for a bit of practice by playing in the State Championship.

The situation is as follows: as part of the agreement to add more international matches to the tour, and thereby dropping the only scheduled warm up match, six of the Indian players, those selected for the tests but not for the limited over matches, would be allowed to play a game in the State Championship for one of the New Zealand domestic teams. However, the precedent set by withdrawing Tendulkar and Karthik from the exhibition 20-20 in Wellington has raised the problem of the fact that Canterbury, Northern Districts and Auckland all have ICL players who may play in the games that the Indians are supposed to be playing in, risking spreading their ICL cooties to the pure, innocent Indians, either as team mates or opposition. If the ICL players play, then the BCCI must withdraw their players, who will then miss their only decent warm up opportunity.

Obviously the BCCI would prefer that the ICL players be dropped (and the changing rooms fumigated). And not doubt NZC will prefer that option too. But the NZ Cricket Players’ Association is insisting, quite reasonably, that India should not be allowed to dictate who gets selected for NZ domestic teams.

No doubt there will be some contractual procedure for NZC to withdraw the ICL players, to satisfy the BCCI, and probably get the NZCPA to all in line as well. However, it is quite delicious to see the BCCI cause so much trouble for themselves by their own childishness.

Sticking with my minor theme of blog comments, here are a couple of gems from Iain O’Brien’s Cricinfo blog:

Posted by: UberMetroMallu at February 24, 2009 1:42 PM

Ian, you don’t have a chance in hell against us Indians; I’ll tell you why. Man, you’re a Blogger. I mean, tomorrow, when you’re tearing in to bowl your first ball, you’ll be thinking that you look like a lithe, power-packed, all muscle and guts, picture-of-intimidation, Fast Bowler, who creates doubts in the minds of the Batsmen. You’ll probably think that noise you just heard is the Batsman’s bottoms squeaking out of fear. But then, reality will prove to be different, as it often does. Sehwag will take one look at you and recognize you as that pasty Blogger who pretend to be a Cricketer; he’ll maul you, grab your entrails and squeeze the smelly stuff out of them. It’s not like he’s going to think, “Oh! I better not step out against this guy, or he’s going to Blog about me, gulp!” You’re finished man; the Indians are going to hit you all around the park. It’s a shame your performance won’t be anything to write home about, but, you’ll still have plenty to write about. Dig irony, Ian?

…

Posted by: Iain O’Brien at February 24, 2009 11:15 PM

Thanks for all the comments, especially the one where my Sehwag will ‘grab and squeeze my entrails’; mate, you need some help!!

Looking forward to an great series…

Iain