All posts by n8rngtd.top

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Mar-2016Tamim Iqbal though was able to push on…•ICC/Getty ImagesSabbir Rahman provided great support during a partnership of 97 runs in 55 balls•AFPOman’s bowlers lost their sting and Bangladesh capitalised. They went from 29 for 0 in six overs to 139 for w in 16.•ICC/Getty ImagesTamim reached his century off 60 balls – it was the first hit by a Bangladesh batsman in T20Is – and helped set a target of 181•Associated PressTaskin Ahmed provided a breakthrough in the first of the chase, Al-Amin Hossain struck soon after and Oman were 14 for 2•Associated PressRain came calling in Dharamsala again, repeatedly, and the match was reduced to 12 overs. Oman’s revised target was 120•Associated PressBut only Jatinder Singh and Adnan Illyas were able to post double-figure scores•Associated PressShakib Al Hasan picked up 4 for 15 as Oman crumbled to 69 for 9 and were knocked out of the World T20•AFP

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Apr-2016Suresh Raina, though, ensured a productive Powerplay with a flurry of boundaries•BCCIBrendon McCullum shared a 56-run stand with Raina, before holing out to deep midwicket•BCCISunrisers’ bowlers picked up regular wickets in the middle overs to hold off Gujarat Lions’ surge•BCCIMustafizur Rahman was economical again, returning figures of 1 for 19 from four overs•BCCIDespite Raina’s 51-ball 75, Lions were restricted to 136 for 8. Bhuvneshwar was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 4 for 29.•BCCIIn the chase, David Warner provided Sunrisers with a blazing start again•BCCIDale Steyn struggled to contain Warner and Shikhar Dhawan on his debut for Lions•BCCIDhawan finally found some form, as Sunrisers cruised towards the target•BCCIWarner and Dhawan struck fifties as Sunrisers romped to a comfortable win with 31 balls to spare•BCCI

Stats highlights from the first T20I between Zimbabwe and India in Harare

Bharath Seervi18-Jun-20162 Number of T20Is won by Zimbabwe against India. Before this two-run victory, they had defended 145 at this same venue in the second game of the two-match series last year. Zimbabwe have now achieved two consecutive T20I wins against India, after having lost their first three matches. This is their narrowest win in T20Is in terms of runs and the second narrowest loss for India.170 Zimbabwe’s total in this match – their highest against India in T20Is. In the four T20Is between the two teams before this game, Zimbabwe had never scored more than 150; their highest was 145 for 7 in Harare last year. The total of 170 is their second highest in a T20I at home. This was their tenth total of 170 or more in T20Is, of which eight have come outside Zimbabwe.36 Runs scored by Zimbabwe in the last two overs of the innings – 21 in 19th over and 15 in the 20th – is the most they have scored in those overs of a T20I. Zimbabwe scored 59 runs in the last five overs – their third most in T20Is.0 Number of times India had lost a wicket off the first ball of their innings, before this match. On Saturday, KL Rahul, making his debut, was bowled by Donald Tiripano off the first ball. Rahul became only the second Indian player to fall for a duck on T20I debut; the first being MS Dhoni in India’sinaugural T20I against South Africa in 2006.5 Number of Zimbabwe batsmen who scored 20 or more in their innings – their joint most in a T20I and their third such instance in 52 matches. This was only the second such occasion against India; the first came in the 2007 World T20 in Durban when five England batsmen notched up 20-plus scores.3 Number of quicker half-centuries by Zimbabwe batsmen in T20Is than Elton Chigumbura’s 25-ball effort in this match. The fastest T20I fifty for Zimbabwe was recorded by Malcolm Waller in 20 balls against Bangladesh in Mirpur in 2015. There have been two fifties off 21 balls – by Chigumbura against UAE and Sean Williams against Afghanistan.7 Sixes hit by Chigumbura during his unbeaten 26-ball 54, the most by a Zimbabwe batsman in a T20I. His seven sixes are also the joint most against India in T20Is. He was adjudged Man of the Match for his knock, his second such award in T20Is.54* Chigumbura’s score, which is the highest by a player batting at No. 7 or lower against India in T20Is. The previous highest was 36 by Albie Morkel in Durban in the 2007 World T20. Overall, this is the eighth time a batsman made a fifty at No. 7 or lower in T20Is.4 Instances of both Indian opening bowlers conceding 40 or more runs in a T20I. Jaydev Unadkat and Rishi Dhawan, making their T20I debuts, conceded 43 and 42 runs respectively. Against Zimbabwe, there was only one such instance before this.

Senior players are important to the team, not only to act as calm heads in crisis situations but also to provide inspiration to younger talent

Crispin Andrews04-Aug-2016Misbah-ul-Haq scored a hundred at Lord’s, led Pakistan to their first opening -Test victory in England since 1996, and celebrated his ton with a few on-field press-ups in front of a packed house. And all this aged 42.You have to go back to the mid-’90s to find an older Test cricketer than Misbah. And even then, England’s John Emburey was making a comeback, while John Traicos was nearing the end of his career when Zimbabwe started playing Test cricket. Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Sachin Tendulkar were the last Test regulars over 40, and both were younger then than Misbah is now. England wicketkeeper Bob Taylor was a few days older when he played his last Test. If Misbah goes to Australia later this year, he will go past Taylor.Taylor retired in 1984. In the decades before that, a fair few international cricketers played into their forties. In the 1920s and earlier, a handful even played into their fifties. The modern game, however, increasingly values and requires fitness and youthful exuberance. Most cricketers are thinking of retirement when they reach their mid-thirties. If they are not and their performances dip, the selectors, the media and the public start thinking about retirement for them.Misbah, however, has shown that there’s still a role for the old dog to play – as long as the old dog is good enough and fit enough. Take his runs out of the first two Tests against England and you have Pakistan scorecards that look a lot like recent West Indian efforts without Chanderpaul, or some of Sri Lanka’s underwhelming performances since Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene retired. West Indies haven’t won a Test since they dropped Chanderpaul last year. It’s unlikely their results against Australia and India would have been different even with Chanderpaul in the side, but his solid presence in the middle order might at least have prevented some of those increasingly regular batting collapses.Senior bowlers are just as important, although fast bowlers tend to become seniors in their early- to mid-thirties, such are the stresses and strains of that particular profession. Spinners can last a little longer, but imagine a Sri Lanka attack without Rangana Herath holding it together. Or Pakistan without the wily Yasir Shah.

“A cricket team needs thoughtful individuals. People who can step back from their own batting and bowling and think about the game as a whole”Ray Illingworth

Dale Steyn limped out of South Africa’s last two series, against England and India, and South Africa lost both. The England attack was a completely different proposition in the second Test against Pakistan with James Anderson leading it – though Anderson himself only took four wickets.Senior players, the real quality ones like Misbah, Herath and Anderson, do much more than just score runs and take wickets, though.Former Australia batsman Gary Cosier recently told me that one of the reasons the Packer-era Australian teams he played in struggled was because there were no senior players to maintain a flow when they batted, in rotating the strike and running between the wickets.During the 1977 Centenary Test, Cosier watched as one of those senior players, Greg Chappell, dug in for 40 from 139 balls on a bowler-friendly MCG. The pitch flattened out later in the game and both sides scored big. But Chappell’s first-innings effort gave Australia a crucial 43-run lead and they ended up winning the game by 45 runs. Chappell says it’s the best he ever batted in a Test.Today, Pakistan bat around Misbah, just as Sri Lanka batted around Sangakkara and Jayawardene and West Indies did around Chanderpaul. In 2014, with Sangakkara and Jayawardene in the team, Sri Lanka beat England at Headingley. This year Sri Lanka looked as clueless as Pakistan did in 1978, when they toured England without Asif Iqbal, Majid Khan, Mushtaq Mohammad and Imran Khan, their World Series Cricket senior players. Each of the last three times Pakistan beat England away, in 1987, 1992 and 1996, their team was full of high-quality experienced players.Forty-two-year-old Fred Titmus falls to the ground after being hit by 24-year-old Jeff Thomson on a rampage in Melbourne, 1974-75•Getty ImagesAccording to Barry Richards, who played first-class cricket and unofficial Tests until he was 38, a senior player is more likely to remain calm under pressure. “If the going gets tough, the senior player knows if he just hangs in there, the bowlers will get tired, they’ll bowl a bad ball, he’ll hit a four and things will change,” Richards says. “If you bottle a younger player up for half an hour, sometimes they’ll play an extravagant shot and get out.”Patience can indeed be a virtue when teams are full of young cricketers in a hurry. At Lord’s, Misbah and Younis Khan put on a careful 57-run partnership and consolidated the innings, after which Misbah and Azhar Ali pushed ahead and put Pakistan in a winning position. In the first Test against Sri Lanka last month, 36-year-old Adam Voges held Australia’s first innings together with a patient 47.”The senior pro provides steadiness and maturity,” says Ray Illingworth, who captained England when he was 37, and surrounded himself with senior pros like Geoff Boycott, John Edrich and Basil D’Oliviera. So too did his successors. Mike Denness took Fred Titmus, 42, and Colin Cowdrey, 41, to Australia in 1974-75. Tony Greig handed a debut to 33-year-old David Steele in the 1975 Ashes and recalled 45-year-old Brian Close to face West Indies a year later.England’s idea was that these hardened pros could blunt the opposition’s fearsome pace attacks. Young players, it was believed, wouldn’t manage against Lillee, Thomson, Roberts and Holding.Most of today’s international debutants are youngsters, players who selectors believe might forge long and distinguished careers at the highest level. Sometimes, however, selectors still go for the stop-gap solution.

“I look at my Somerset team-mate Marcus Trescothick and I’m in awe. His pure love for the game is infectious and leaves others in wonder and makes them want to rise to his standards”Chris Rogers

Australia picked Voges and Chris Rogers for two challenging Ashes tours, believing that their younger players weren’t quite ready and that the two thirtysomethings’ county experience might prove invaluable in England. They were right. Rogers proved to be a solid addition for a couple of years. Voges didn’t get many Ashes runs, but he has done so well since that he’s currently averaging almost as much as Don Bradman.What Sri Lanka and West Indies have also lost recently, and what Pakistan will lose when Misbah and Younis retire, are cricketers who know their own game inside out, and their role in the team just as well. They are not always the most talented players in the team, although Sangakkara and Jayawardene undoubtedly were. But because they know their limits and play within them, often they are the most consistent and reliable.The senior player doesn’t just enhance a team through his own performances. It’s his influence on team-mates and the side as a whole that also makes his contribution invaluable. “A cricket team needs thoughtful individuals. People who can step back from their own batting and bowling and think about the game as a whole,” Illingworth says.Richards adds that a senior player tends to play for the entirety of a game, tries to predict what will happen next, and has a wider appreciation of who does what and what the pitch is going to play like. “When you’re young, it’s all about the moment,” he says.He also believes that senior players feel under less pressure to maintain their place in the side than their younger team-mates, who need to look after their stats to stay in the reckoning and to get the big T20 contracts. In parts of the world, like Pakistan and India, where public and media scrutiny is particularly intense, an older player, with maturity, nerve and knowledge might better handle the pressure of captaining the side than a younger, more impulsive, less secure player.Many cricketers look back fondly at how an older head helped them during their formative years. Whether that was by advising during difficult times, taking the pressure off during a game by facing the brunt of the opposition’s best bowler during a partnership, or by setting a general example about how to be a successful international cricketer.Today, some of this mentoring role is performed by a coach. But according to one of the most highly regarded modern coaches, Yorkshire’s Jason Gillespie, players still learn best from other players. “A coach can’t go on the field with the team,” Gillespie says. “There’s a reason we’re called support staff.”In the first innings in Colombo, the 36-year-old Adam Voges steadied Australia after a top-order collapse•AFPAs captain (though maybe not as coach), Illingworth preferred players to learn from senior players who had done it at the highest level than coaches who hadn’t.Rogers, still playing first-class cricket at 38, thinks younger players need more than one example to look up to. “A young guy in the Australian set-up, when I played, might have resonated more with Brad Haddin or myself than [with] Michael Clarke, or vice versa,” he says. “If you only have one leader then it can be a little one-dimensional.”I look at my Somerset team-mate Marcus Trescothick and I’m in awe. His pure love for the game is infectious and leaves others in wonder and makes them want to rise to his standards.”Gillespie remembers, when he first played for Australia at 21, admiring the way Ian Healy went about his work. “Healy had played 100 Test matches for Australia, yet he was first at practice, looking to improve his wicketkeeping. As a young player coming through, seeing that drive and desire is an inspiration.”But Illingworth and Richards, even Gillespie, played during times when players, if they were good enough, could get away with being less than super-fit.Even great players like MS Dhoni and Curtly Ambrose were criticised for their lack of fitness and poor fielding towards the end of their Test careers and their place in the side was questioned. When he was captain, Dhoni himself once said that playing Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Tendulkar in the same one-day international would cost India 20 runs in the field. Misbah at least looks lean and fit enough to play the modern game even if his fielding isn’t always the best.Of course, not all senior players retain the necessary qualities and attitudes to make a difference to their teams. Some become jaded and unreceptive to new ideas and more concerned with protecting their own position in the team. Others operate out of ego and insecurity, determined to prove that they can still be the team’s gun player.For these players, when performance or fitness levels drop, it’s easy to fall back on past glories and status to justify their inclusion. There are plenty of very good and even great cricketers who believe they were shunted off into retirement too early but who had long stopped giving their team what they needed.Gillespie says senior players must continually strive to be the best they can be and look for ways to be better players and team-mates. Illingworth agrees. “You can’t offer advice, encouragement or ask for a bit of extra effort when things are not going well if you’re not doing it yourself,” he says.Misbah ticks all the boxes. He’s calm under pressure, fit enough, and has the drive to make his team better and to win games for his country. He might be a bit conservative as a captain, but then so is Alastair Cook. And while Misbah is still scoring runs and Pakistan are winning, the selectors, media and public will probably overlook a few misfields and the occasional second-ball dismissal slogging the spinner to deep midwicket.

Talking points from Mitchell Johnson’s new autobiography

Brydon Coverdale27-Oct-2016 Resilient…Recalls how he was plucked from obscurity by Dennis Lillee
As a kid, Johnson had been more interested in tennis than cricket, but by 17 he was rattling a few batsmen in Townsville’s club cricket. His own club, The Wanderers, paid his airfare to travel to Brisbane for a pace-bowling camp at which Dennis Lillee would be one of the coaches. It took only three balls for Lillee to identify Johnson as a “once-in-a-generation” quick; immediately and excitedly, he phoned Rod Marsh at the Academy in Adelaide. “I’ve found one,” Lillee said. Only once before had he rung Marsh with a similar comment. On that occasion the bowler had been Brett Lee.As a rare cricketer who had not come through the age-group system, Johnson had no idea how his life was about to change: “The next day I flew back to Brisbane and caught a plane across the country to Adelaide. It was the first time I had ever been outside of Queensland.”…Reveals how he almost punched Kevin Pietersen on the 2009 Ashes tour
The pressure of his first Ashes campaign was significant enough, and the last thing Johnson needed on the eve of the first Test was a family-related controversy. But that was exactly what happened when his mother, Vicki Harber, who Johnson described as “naïve about the media”, gave an interview in which she complained about her son having moved to Perth to be with his then girlfriend, Jessica Bratich. Johnson said he was very protective of his mother, but the developing news story of a “rift” between he and his mother left his mind scrambled.Events came to a head as the teams warmed up on the morning of the first Test, when Kevin Pietersen, hitting balls in the direction of the Australians, made some comments that Johnson believes to this day “crossed the line”. Only the cool head of Stuart Clark prevented a punch-up.”He got really personal and I’m not going to dignify his comments by repeating them. The red mist descended and I stormed in his direction with every intention in the world of hitting him. This was all being played out in full view of spectators who had arrived early and the media. Stu Clark saw it all happen and came rushing over just as we came together and jumped between us.”…Admits that the Barmy Army got under his skin in 2009
There are times when the Barmy Army might seem like a 12th member of England’s team, and Johnson certainly struggled to block them out. They had two main songs directed at Johnson: “He bowls to the left, he bowls to the right, that Mitchell Johnson, his bowling is shite”; and another based on the theme that played on the perceived squabble between his mother and his girlfriend.”England knew they had their foot on my throat and they weren’t going to let me up. When I batted, the close fielders sang the Barmy Army songs. I found out later that Matt Prior had texted the leader of the Army and told them to keep at me because they could see it had got under my skin. He was right. The songs had got into my head. Even though I hated them, I found myself singing them. It was almost like I was taunting myself.”Mitchell Johnson and Kevin Pietersen get up close and personal•Getty Images…Tells of the change in atmosphere after Ricky Ponting’s retirement
Johnson was first in the Australian squad under Ricky Ponting’s captaincy back in 2005-06, and Ponting was always a big supporter of Johnson. So Johnson was pleased to be recalled to the Test side at the WACA in 2012 for what Ponting announced would be his final Test.”Even when he wasn’t captain Ricky steered things and kept them on the straight and narrow by force of his presence. He was a strong guy and would always speak up. He was the last of that era to say what was on their minds and be happy for others to do it. After that, people got more reluctant and bit their tongue a little bit more.”…Explains how rifts in the team emerged in 2012-13
After Tim Nielsen resigned as coach, Johnson told people Australia should get Mickey Arthur, who had been his coach at Western Australia. But, Johnson said, it was disappointing the way things turned out, with too many factions inside the team. “It seemed like there was a young clique who were the ‘in’ group and the rest of us were outsiders”.It all came to a head in Chandigarh in 2013. After losing the first two Tests, Australia’s players were told to write down a few ideas of where the team could improve. Johnson, not much good at “doing assignments”, thought he should just go and tell the team management his ideas, but forgot to do so. He was soon told he would not be picked because he hadn’t done his homework. “I had a chat with Mickey as well, for maybe an hour. I had lost respect for him and told him and he didn’t like it; he was gutted by it.”Shane Watson, Usman Khawaja and James Pattinson were also suspended for a match for failing to do their homework. Johnson believes Watson was being punished for speaking his mind too often. “Mickey told me I spent too much time with Watto and that was the real issue here. I was told we were too close, like we were a faction or something. I am sorry but you can’t help but be close to a bloke you have been playing cricket with since you were 19. Usi and Patto got caught in the crossfire. Watto was being punished for speaking his mind about some of the things that were going on and we all went down with him. The problems between him and Michael Clarke were well known and it just seemed to get out of hand on this tour.”…Underlines Darren Lehmann’s role in Australia’s 2013-14 Ashes whitewash
Johnson had considered his cricket future during the hard times, but there remained a burning desire to prove his doubters wrong. That was certainly what he achieved during the home Ashes triumph in 2013-14, when he was named Player of the Series. Johnson writes of how things just felt right ahead of the series. Lehmann had been named coach earlier in the year, and told the players this was supposed to be the best time of their lives, and that they should just enjoy themselves. “Nobody was walking on eggshells anymore. It felt like the approach we had when I started with Queensland and I was good with that.”…Admits that he was never the same bowler after the death of Phillip Hughes
Johnson was in Perth when the news came through that Hughes had been struck in a Sheffield Shield match at the SCG. In the coming days as it became apparent how grave the situation was, he jumped on a plane to Sydney. When Johnson landed and switched on his phone, he learned that Hughes had died. “I just sat there with my cap pulled down and cried as everybody got off the flight”.The emotional aftermath put cricket into perspective, and Johnson said he was not alone in struggling to commit to the game following the death of Hughes. As a fast bowler who was expected to intimidate batsmen, the ground had forever shifted. When Australia played the delayed first Test against India and Johnson struck Virat Kohli on the helmet with a bouncer, he felt sick.”I couldn’t summon up any aggression and I don’t think I bowled a whole-hearted bouncer for the rest of that game. I struggled in the following game, too, and I am not sure if I have ever bowled one in the same way since. You have to mean it when you do it. You bowl the short ball to intimidate people. You want them to take evasive action and you want them to be frightened of getting on the front foot after that. Those are the facts of the situation and in the aftermath of what happened to Hughesy it seemed almost impossible or irresponsible to have that intent.”…Expresses his dislike of the move to day-night Tests
Johnson announced his retirement mid-series last summer, after the second Test against New Zealand in Perth and before the final Test of that series – the inaugural day-night Test at Adelaide Oval. He had played in a pink-ball Sheffield Shield game earlier in the season, and said he “didn’t enjoy it at all”.”Every time night fell, the game would shift and you started another contest … the pink ball goes soft so quickly and while it is hard to score with, it is ever harder to bowl with. All you do is set a ring field and go through the motions as best you can.”Johnson was “really unimpressed” by the day-night concept, and believes a better move would be to bring Test cricket in to four days, which would force curators to prepare better pitches that would offer a fair competition between bat and ball.Resilient,

Stats highlights from the second day’s play in Brisbane, where Pakistan collapsed in their first innings

Bharath Seervi16-Dec-201616 Runs scored by Younis Khan in his last six Test innings. This lean patch began with a duck in the second innings against West Indies in Sharjah, followed by 2 and 1 in Christchurch, 2 and 11 in Hamilton, and a duck in the first innings at the Gabba. It is the lowest aggregate for six consecutive Test innings in Younis’ career, ahead of the 54 runs in 2002 with scores of 2, 0, 23, 4, 2, 23. Younis had made 218, 127, 29* and 51 in four innings prior to this slump.8.28 Asad Shafiq’s average in his last seven innings. His scores read: 0, 0, 16, 17, 23, 0 and 2. Shafiq’s poor run also began in Sharjah, where he made a pair.24 Runs for which Pakistan lost their seven wickets at the Gabba – 1 for 43 to 8 for 67. It was their worst collapse from the second to the eighth wicket. The previous worst was for 25 runs at the WACA in 1981-82.6 Innings in 2016 in which none of Pakistan’s top six made a fifty. It happened at Lord’s and at Old Trafford, against West Indies in Dubai, in both innings in Christchurch, and now at the Gabba. They had only one such innings in 2015 and two in 2014.2 Innings in which two visiting bowlers took four or more wickets in Australia in the last six seasons. Both occurred this season: Kyle Abbott (six wickets) and Kagiso Rabada (four) in the second innings in Hobart, and Mohammad Amir (four) and Wahab Riaz (four) at the Gabba. Before these two instances, James Anderson and Chris Tremlett had taken four each in an innings in the 2010 Boxing Day Test.4-97 Mohammad Amir’s figures at the Gabba – his best since his return to Test cricket. He had three three-wicket hauls in the 16 innings before this.2010 The previous time two Australia batsmen scored centuries in the same innings against Pakistan – Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke in Hobart. Since that Test, there was only one century for Australia in eight innings against Pakistan – David Warner in Dubai. Steven Smith and Peter Handscomb scored centuries in the first innings in Brisbane.55.59 Australia’s average per wicket in the first innings at the Gabba – their highest at a home venue in the last ten years. They have scored over 400 runs in the first innings in eight of the last ten Tests here.

While Virat Kohli suggested the Australians deliberately used dressing room help for DRS, the visitors had other things to say

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Mar-2017

Tight-rope walks by the boundary line, tag-team efforts and some spectacular close-catching feature in our list of IPL’s most memorable catches

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Mar-2017Punter rolls back the yearsRicky Ponting, to dismiss Unmukt Chand, Mumbai Indians v Delhi Daredevils, IPL 2013It was Throwback Tuesday at the Wankhede, as Ponting pulled off one of his usual OMG takes at extra cover. Harbhajan Singh’s loopy offbreak was met with a lunge forward by Chand, who spooned one into the vacant part of the off side. Diving a few inches across, a momentarily-airborne Ponting crashed into one of the practice pitches with the ball safely pouched in his hand, despite having appeared to have slipped initially.Hop, skip and jumpAjinkya Rahane and Johan Botha, to dismiss Rahul Sharma, Rajasthan Royals v Pune Warriors, IPL 2012Relay catching has become commonplace in the IPL, with at least one or two such YouTube moments occuring every season. Ajinkya Rahane had to run 20 yards from long-on to collect an incredible lay over from Johan Botha at the long-off boundary. Rahul Sharma had skied one towards the end of his side’s chase, and Botha had lost his balance moments before the ball was about to stick in his hands. Though the catch went in Rahane’s name, the hard work was all Botha’s. It was one of those moments where one is reminded why cricket scorecards need to re-consider how such catches are recorded.Colly gets a taste of his own medicineDavid Hussey, to dismiss Paul Collingwood, Kolkata Knight Riders v Delhi Daredevils, IPL 2010Paul Collingwood is no stranger to taking spectacular catches off Australian batsmen. It’s unlikely any ardent follower of the game will ever forget the incredible catch that got rid of Matthew Hayden in 2005. This time, however, roles were reversed as David Hussey plucked a fast-moving projectile that was on its way to one of the first few rows of the Feroz Shah Kotla stands. Hussey backpedalled, got his hand to the ball, juggled it over the boundary rope and, in a flash, threw it back into play while still airborne. It was an instance of third time lucky for the Australian as he completed one of the most memorable catches in IPL history.A rare moment of magic in the cordonSuresh Raina, to dismiss Suryakumar Yadav, Gujarat Lions v Kolkata Knight Riders, IPL 2016This one was a departure from the tight-rope walking stunts at the boundary line that have come to define many of the IPL’s best catches. An innocuous-looking Dwayne Smith in-dipper was met with a cheeky ramp by Suryakumar Yadav that initially appeared to have blinded Suresh Raina at first slip. What followed, though, was one of those is-it-a-bird-is-it-a-plane routines, as Raina plucked one out of thin Eden Gardens air to send Yadav packing.A sprint, a near-collision and a typical Bravo celebrationDwayne Bravo, to dismiss Suryakumar Yadav, Chennai Super Kings v Kolkata Knight Riders, IPL 2015It was that man Suryakumar Yadav again; this time, however, top-edging a skidder from Mohit Sharma. Two men hurried underneath the ball, but Dwayne Bravo’s sprint from long-on outpaced Faf du Plessis’ from the other side. A collision nearly ensued, before Bravo leapt over his South African team-mate, pulling off a low catch, inches above the ground. Chepauk erupted, and the Trinidadian was all too happy to break into a celebratory jig.Tim Southee and Karun Nair pulled off a superb relay catch near the boundary•BCCIHop, skip and jump – Part 2Tim Southee and Karun Nair, to dismiss George Bailey, Rajasthan Royals v Kings XI Punjab, IPL 2015Chasing 163, with just about an over to go, George Bailey was Kings XI’s last hope, and he duly dispatched a length ball from James Faulkner to the long-on boundary. While Southee was by the fence, he had no chance of taking the catch while remaining in play. He stuck his hand out, and with barely enough time before he landed beyond the fence, tossed the ball in the air milliseconds before his foot touched the other side of the skirting. An alert Nair ensured a tag-team effort was truly on, completing the formalities easily, much to the dismay of the opposition.Kieron Pollard did it all by himself to pull off one of IPL’s best-ever catches•BCCIPollard goes soloKieron Pollard, to dismiss Kevon Cooper, Mumbai Indians v Rajasthan Royals, IPL 2014At a crucial moment during Royals’ chase of 179, Kieron Pollard pulled off what was a blinder, even by T20 cricket’s high fielding standards. In short, the West Indian did what two men normally do with a relay catch: he turned himself into a juggler-thrower by the rope and, then, doubled up as the diver-catcher a few metres within it. All those uniformly open-mouthed faces photographed in the backdrop go some way to explain the incredulity of it all.Hop, skip and jump – Part 3Shane Watson and David Wiese, to dismiss Shreyas Iyer, Royal Challengers Bangalore v Delhi Daredevils, IPL 2016The catch to get rid off Iyer early was one of the few high points for Royal Challengers during Delhi Daredevils’ 192-run chase that Quinton de Kock put to bed with a mind-blowing 108 off 51 balls. For everything else you need to know about the catch, we’ve got six freeze frames on hand to tell you the story of some more boundary-side relay-catching magic.Shane Watson and David Wiese’s brilliant tag-team effort put an early end to Shreyas Iyer’s innings•BCCIAB does what AB mustAB De Villiers, to dismiss Praveen Kumar, Royal Challengers Bangalore v Delhi Daredevils, IPL 2010AB de Villiers took boundary-side catching to the next level with this effort against his future employers. A full-blooded Praveen Kumar pull looked well on course to cross the long-on boundary, when de Villiers intervened, not with a juggle or a relay throw, but by diving backwards with one hand outstretched, getting hold of the ball, before landing on his back within inches of the advertising boards. Did we expect anything less from AB?Manish Pandey hugs Chris Lynn after he took a stunner to get AB de Villiers•BCCILynnsanity by the midwicket fenceChris Lynn, to dismiss AB de Villiers, Kolkata Knight Riders v Royal Challengers Bangalore, IPL 2014Chris Lynn’s screamer, perhaps, has the highest match-winning quotient on this list of spectacular catches. It involved what was, at once, a belaboured and delicate effort on his part to make it happen. AB de Villiers was doing what AB de Villiers is known to do: piloting his side’s chase to a thrilling last-over finish. With six runs needed off the last three balls, the advantage was truly with the South African, until he dispatched Vinay Kumar to the deep midwicket fence. Lynn lined himself up for the catch but, subsequently, slipped, fell, sat down, balanced himself and arched his body backwards – all in one motion – to create one of the most memorable, near-yogic images in IPL history. It was one of those times when a few inches separated a match-winning six and a decisive wicket.

Stats highlights from the second day of the second Test between New Zealand and South Africa at the Basin Reserve

Gaurav Sundararaman17-Mar-2017160 Runs added by Quinton de Kock and Temba Bavuma for the seventh wicket – the fourth highest for South Africa in Tests, and second highest for South Africa against New Zealand in Tests. The 160 runs added by de Kock and Bavuma is also the highest for the seventh wicket for South Africa when they lost their sixth wicket for less than 100. The previous instance of a team adding more than 100 runs after losing six wickets for below 100 was India against West Indies in 2011.11 Instances of a team scoring in excess of 300 after losing their first six wickets for less than 100. Incidentally, the previous instance was when New Zealand scored 327 from 89 for 6 at Centurion in 2006. The last time South Africa achieved this was in 1967 againstAustralia.

114 Runs added by Quinton de Kock and Temba Bavuma in the second session of the day from 28 overs. They helped South Africa recover from 104 for 6 at lunch to 218 for 6, scoring at 4.07 runs per over. De Kock also hit three sixes in his innings – the most he has struck in an innings in his Test career so far.37 Runs scored by de Kock off Jeetan Patel’s bowling. He made 37 runs from 43 balls, including four fours and one six. Before this game, de Kock was dismissed by Jeetan Patel on four consecutive occasions across all formats.47 Unbeaten partnership by Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander for the tenth wicket – the joint-highest tenth-wicket stand for South Africa against New Zealand in Tests. The pair helped South Africa increase their lead to 81 at the end of day two.

South Africa are headed for their busiest summer ever, with the pressure of a World Cup and a new T20 League looming; they will need their captain to nail his targets

Firdose Moonda26-Sep-20172:24

‘It’s a new beginning for us’ – Rabada

You’ve heard of five-year plans and ten-year timelines to live your best life, but Faf du Plessis will have to make do with less. Having often spoken of the 2019 World Cup as a logical end-point for him, du Plessis’ may be a three-year tryst with the South African captaincy, which is approaching its most important period now.The middle season of du Plessis’ leadership sees South Africa embark on their busiest home summer in history. They host four teams – Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, India and Australia – and will play 10 Tests, (pending the ICC’s approval of the four-day, day-night match against Zimbabwe as a Test) nine ODIs, and five T20Is, against the backdrop of distraction their domestic T20 league will bring.The inaugural Global T20 promises to add glamour and gravitas to the South African calendar and du Plessis, who is part of it as captain of the Stellenbosch Kings, will have to make sure his men stay focused on the national cause despite the excitement of the new event.Luckily for South Africa, in his first year in charge, du Plessis showed he could demand focus. South Africa won four out of five Test series to climb from No.7 on the rankings to No.2 and achieved their first-ever 5-0 ODI whitewash of Australia. They did all that while dealing with uncertainty on several fronts: from the future of the coach, Russell Domingo, to the commitment of the former captain AB de Villiers.As speculation sprouted on both subjects, du Plessis was the one person who could be counted on to be honest. He was steadfast in his support for Domingo and said both he and the team wanted Domingo to stay on. When they didn’t get that, du Plessis immediately sought information on the new man, Ottis Gibson, from the England changeroom and began to build a relationship with him.Faf du Plessis with Russell Domingo•Getty ImagesAt the same time, du Plessis was the one revealing de Villiers’ difficulties in managing his time playing both international cricket and in T20 leagues while also trying to prioritise his young family, Du Plessis did not expect de Villiers to avail himself to the Test side again; he probably also didn’t expect de Villiers to step down as one-day captain and hand him the full set of captaincies.It is now du Plessis’ job to lead South Africa in all three formats and he knows that means it his job to win the World Cup. Though still 21 months away, it will be talked about incessantly and annoyingly, the way a child talks about Christmas toy in January. It will be analysed until all there is left to analyse is the analysis itself. And it will be coveted, because until South Africa get their hands on the trophy, they will desire it with everything they have. If there is one man who understands how much of a toll that will take, it’s du Plessis.In the aftermath of South Africa’s failed Champions Trophy campaign, du Plessis was as much at a loss as anyone else but he was also the only person who accepted personal responsibility – he was involved in two run-outs in the must-win game against India. South Africans appreciated that. As angry as they were in the team’s inability to exorcise the ghosts of tournaments past, they could see genuine disappointment and hear an admission of guilt from du Plessis. They couldn’t fight with that. All they could do was hurt with him.In essence, that’s what allowed du Plessis to win friends and influence people in the year he has been captain. He is just plain likeable.Faf du Plessis waits to lead South Africa out•Getty ImagesHe has the backing of the change room – like during the ball-tampering allegations in Australia – and of the country. While Graeme Smith had faced the wrath of nation when he missed the homecoming press conference after the 2011 World Cup because he travelled to propose to his girlfriend, du Plessis found himself wrapped in support when he opted out of the Lord’s Test to spend a few extra days with his wife following the difficult birth of their first child. Sure, South Africans have grown up a little and come to see their sportsmen as people; but the sportsmen have grown up too, and see themselves as part of the people, not above them.This is also true of the way du Plessis interacts with opposition. He is well-respected across the cricket world, from Australia where Steven Smith backed him over ball-tampering, to Pakistan, where du Plessis was picked to captain the World XI earlier this month. Du Plessis is trusted for his maturity, which he will need as South Africa embark on the second year of his leadership.Foremost in du Plessis’ mind will be adapting the team to the style of the new coach, Gibson, and integrating the Barbadian into their values. But beyond the philosophical, there is also the real stuff. Du Plessis will have to play a role in managing players over the course of the next six months, particularly bowlers, of whom South Africa are already carrying four wounded ones. He will want to plough into the talent pool to find some of the missing pieces for all the international sides – batsmen, especially batsmen of colour, for the Test XI, death-bowlers in limited-overs cricket and players with big-match temperaments.Against Bangladesh, du Plessis may have a relatively gentle easing in, but things will get tougher as the summer unfolds. Against India, South Africa have a point to prove. It was only two years ago that South Africa were humbled on Indian dust-bowls, and with talk of green mambas ready to bite, the series should be filled with fireworks that a calm captain will have to have a careful watch over. After that, when fatigue may be setting in, South Africa host Australia, a side they have not had a home Test series win over since readmission.Faf du Plessis tries to nail his targets•Getty ImagesImportantly, du Plessis is not in this alone. His successor is being groomed under his nose and that’s no bad thing. South Africa have learnt from the mistake they made when they settled so deep into a comfort zone under Graeme Smith that they barely gave a thought to who would be next. That complacency cost them because it took more than three years after Smith stepped down in March 2014 to find out.Aiden Markram, the 2014 under-19 World Cup winning captain who was put in charge of the Titans franchise last week, is widely expected to become the next national leader and he will have a decent apprenticeship. Markram’s international career will start in two days’ time, when he opens the batting for Test team against Bangladesh. If all goes well, Markram will have ten Tests to bed in and may even find himself in a limited-overs’ side as the season develops.All of that should be encouraged because the more Markram can learn from du Plessis, the better. The more Markram can become part of the du Plessis era, the easier the transition will be.For now, its du Plessis’ team to mould and make a success of. Though he has already had some, du Plessis’ has most recently dealt with disappointment. The England tour, especially the Tests, were blighted by injuries and absentees but South Africa’s return home with nothing was a cause for concern. It suggested there is a need for a more serious introspection than the one South Africa had last winter, just before du Plessis took over, when they outlined goals. Now, they need clear plans and they need to find a way to stay competitive while dealing with myriad challenges – from a packed calendar to Kolpak. They need calm heads. They need to remember to have some fun too.They need du Plessis’ three-year plan to take shape.