What 2010 may bring us

Firstly, I must apologise for neglecting my blog. The advent of Christmas holidays plus a revolutionising of my career path have led to me being distracted.

Another year has gone and now we face 2010. India is the number one test side, Australia the number one ODI side. And 2009 was a year of definite ups and downs, with ups such as England’s against-the-odds Ashes win; Australia’s remarkable victory in the ODI series in India despite fielding a bits-and-pieces squad; Virender Sehwag’s remarkable appetite for destruction; the exciting Champion’s League; and India finally assuming the ranking of best test nation on the planet.

Downs were most certainly the IPL, which started brightly but faded into monotony by the end; Mitchell Johnson’s confusing Jekyll and Hyde transformations; the West Indian player strike; and finally the hideous and shocking attack on the peaceable Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore.

After a confusing year, it seems the appropriate juncture to offer my predictions ahead for this year’s test cricket (And maybe beyond).

Firstly, I predict Australia will probably win all their test series this year. And they will put up a firm fight (As most would expect them to) in their ODI series. Do not expect much of them at the World Twenty/20 though. If they play well, expect them to make the semi finals. But I cannot see them winning.
In fact, I reckon the West Indies are overdue and may steal the tournament from right under the noses of everyone, and they will face either India or Pakistan in the final.

Looking at the tests booked for next year, Australia looks to be playing the most series during the year, and an Australian may lead the run scoring charts by the end of the year. That said, England may turn it on and show a lot of fight to be in the running this year. And if anyone from that team is going to score runs, it’ll be either Andrew Strauss or Alastair Cook, who may finally realise his immense potential.

Following his successful 2009, the top bowler will be Graeme Swann, who has given England’s attack some much needed vitality. He will be pivotal in all England’s tours, and could end up being the difference in the Ashes.

India is going to soon face the harsh truth that their stalwarts of the middle order can’t go on forever. Despite a boom year for Rahul Dravid, and a solid one for Tendulkar, the majority of them are on the wrong side of 35 and they need to start thinking of bringing in the precocious young talents of Virat Kohli and Cheteshewar Pujara. Their bowling attack has been fine without being dominant, which is a worry outside of India. Thankfully Zaheer is back, and he makes a world of difference to their balance.

Australia is certainly ripe for the plucking, and they will face a weakened New Zealand team in New Zealand, and then Pakistan in England before the Ashes. If the groundsman want to see their colonials cousins jump, the least they could do is produce some green wickets which will make for some dynamic cricket.

Expect India to hold onto their number one test ranking this year, although they will have an interesting time against the powerful South African line up. Australia may surge back to second if they put up some fight. But I wouldn’t count on it.

ODI cricket will be as unpredictable as ever, and people may be drawn back to the format.
Twenty/20 will surge again, with the IPL hopefully fixing what went wrong last year (Being too damn long), and the Champion’s League proving popular. As an early punt, I expect an Australian team to win again. You could tell in the inaugural tournament that they were the most disciplined sides, and that it would take something special to beat them. But expect the odd shock, or maybe another brilliant calypso showing, or even an IPL team blitzing into the final.

Finally, on a more personal note, expect more blogging from me as my time is freed and I can write further about the game I am, quite unashamedly, obsessed about.

Too close for comfort

You would not have found many pundits who would have predicted such an intense test series that just finished. 2-0 does not reflect how strongly the Windies came back at a weakened and perhaps cocky Australian line up.

And it was the Windies’ bowling which surprised and exceeded expectations, especially as their best bowler Jerome Taylor was forced home through injury and their potentially most devastating bowler Fidel Edwards was not picked to tour.

Chris Gayle, who has had a difficult year with his lackadaisical attitude to test cricket and fondness for ADHD cricket Twenty/20, led from the front, belting two centuries in contrasting fashion: His Adelaide century carrying his bat anchored the innings and gave the West Indies something to bowl at, while his Perth ton was all devastation, leaving the Australian bowlers sprawling in his wake.

Australia scored no centuries in the series, but had four batsman average over 50. The Windies had four centuries, but only two men averaged over 50 and one of them was Narsinghe Deonarine, who scored a defiant 82 in the last test to give the West Indies a sniff of victory.

A worrying aspect was that only Dwayne Bravo averaged under 30 with the ball, and Kemar Roach bowled better than seven wickets and an average of over 50 suggests, creating concern and alarm with his pace and bounce and leaving a lasting impression on the battered Ricky Ponting. In time, he will be a ferocious bowler able to tear attacks apart with more exposure to test level.

Australia will be wondering where their plans went wrong. The Windies defied them in moments they looked set to dominate, and they faltered at crucial times as they did in the Ashes this year. On that occasion, when Australia faltered, England capitalised on the unexpected advantage better than the Windies did this series.

I was not impressed with Mitchell Johnson who, despite being the leading the wicket taker in the series with 17, was comprehensively out bowled by Ben Hilfenhaus in Brisbane and by Doug Bollinger in Adelaide and Perth. His run rate of 4.33 suggests that he was unable to give the control needed by the bowling attack and when Hilfy returns, he may be facing trouble for his position, because after such an impressive performance they cannot drop Bollinger.

Pakistan must be feeling confident they can cause Australia harm in this series. Unlike the Windies, their bowling attack is impressively formidable on paper. It is their batting, particularly that of the top order, that is frail. They may struggle to confront an opening bowling combination that will hopefully be Hilfy and Doug the Rug.

And on a final aside note, Brendan Nash, who left Australia to live in Jamaica and suddenly found himself in the national team and then the West Indies team, acquitted himself greatly during the series. He scored 250 runs at 41.67, with only Chris Gayle of the West Indies players scoring more. They would not have fared as well in the series without his pugnacity and desire to fight.

One of cricket's greatest absurdities

Cricket is definitely a funny old game. It’s a definite cliché that phrase, but it occasionally has a way of throwing a spanner in the works and providing something that just shouldn’t normally happen.

Rewind to Chittagong in 2006. Australia was playing their first test series in Bangladesh, and in the first test Bangladesh gave a spirited fight led by a stirring century from Shahriar Nafees. There was hope the spirit shown by the Bangladeshis would be carried into the Chittagong match. Alas it was not to be.

And the stage was set for the most absurd inning in cricket history.

Jason Gillespie had long been one of Australia’s great fast bowling servants. His partnership with Glenn McGrath was a major factor in Australia’s run of dominance and he could have easily been a top bowler for any other country at his peak.

He has recently been dropped following a disastrous campaign to England in 2005, which effectively spelled the end of his career, and was only called up because McGrath, Kasprowicz, and Tait were missing. He bowled well in the first test, and took three cheap and effective wickets in the first innings of Bangladesh. At the end of the first day, he was sent in at first drop after Matthew Hayden fell for 29, to join Phil Jaques.

He was not removed for the rest of the innings. Day two was shortened because of poor weather, but by the end of day three he had progressed to his maiden test (And first class) century.

Midway through day four, he moved on to an unbeaten 201, the highest ever score by a nightwatchman and also a higher score than many of his more illustrious batsmen. Along the way he chalked a gigantic 320 run partnership with Mike Hussey, who scored a rapid 182.

There was nothing really remarkable of Dizzy’s batting technique. He effectively put his leg as far as he could down the pitch and blocked. Now he was never a fast scorer, but he was incredibly difficult to dislodge. In India in 2004 his defensive innings, along with Damian Martyn’s century, helped draw the second test, setting the stage for Gillespie to take nine wickets in the next test to bowl Australia to victory.

His double century was full of drives, cut shots, and pulls. He had passed fifty twice previously, so everyone knew he could be a real pest if he hung around. This was something different. He bullied and wore down the Bangladesh attack that just couldn’t get past the long front foot. He brought up his double century with a leg glance for four. The commentators laughed with genuine glee, and Dizzy shook his head at the absurd notion that he of all people had scored a test double century.

Sadly, I have been unable to find any video footage of this particular gem. I’d dearly love to see it and laugh again. It always brings a smile to my face just thinking about it.

Only Glenn McGrath scoring a century could be close to more absurd. Or maybe Chris Martin making it into the 20s.

Is there a resolution?

The problems at the moment facing West Indian cricket have been well documented, with the power struggle between the WICB and the WIPA leading to the majority of their superstars refusing to play for their team.

In the meantime, the West Indians played a test series against Bangladesh and became the second team (After the now non-test playing nation Zimbabwe) to lose a series to the Bangas. It was a vastly under strength and untried side, with young hopefuls joining old veterans to form a team who would never even look like getting a game normally (With the exception maybe of Darren Sammy).

Now recent talks between the two parties have recently fallen apart again, and now there is a distinct chance that the West Indian team to travel to Australia to compete for the Frank Worrell Trophy will be led by Floyd Reifer and will feature unknowns who, although facing a weakened Australian side, will most certainly be crucified.

While this is happening, several West Indians will may the journey south to play in the Big Bash over the summer, earning their cash as mercenaries. This may be the future of West Indian cricket now, with the best players heading abroad in search of money they claim is not coming from the board. Chris Gayle has publicly stated his disdain for test cricket, and others are being snapped up by IPL franchises as well.

The reasoning is simple. Why play test cricket for the West Indies when you can earn more money in less time playing Twenty/20?

One hopes that come the end of the day we can have a resolution so we don’t lose a cricket team filled with history, explosiveness, and raw talent. I would hate to see the day when cricket is without the West Indies. Something within the game, maybe excitement, would die with them.

Hilf and North strike a blow for anonymity

Well...................well...................another Ashes series gone by and another result not everyone expected.

In 2005, we watched England down a far superior Australian team boasting several immortals of the game. In 2006/2007, we watched a highly fancied England team get annihilated by ‘Dad’s Army’. What does that leave us with in 2009?

Well it was probably a case of two mediocre teams battling to stop themselves from being the first to drop the ball, which in the end was all that was needed at The Oval. Australia dropped the ball badly and England capitalised in a big way to secure a 2-1 win that no-one really expected to happen.

Now in my opinion, the pitches were once again shite. I hate how curators are turning pitches into bland batting strips. It annoys me that the bowlers are getting the raw end of the deal. Why can’t we see a green pitch for once where the ball moves around like a nightmare? Why can’t we have a dustbowl that turns square? Why can’t we have a bouncy pitch that has a chance to rattle a batsman’s helmet?

But enough griping, on to the point at hand.

The stats make great reading for the series, especially since Australia had three bowlers with 20 wickets and four batsmen with over 300 runs yet still found a way to lose the series. Only one bowler managed to average below 30 as well, a further example of the pitches turning out like the M4 Motorway.

Australia came to England’s shores with a team made up of fledging stars and young guns, with a lot of the hype centred on Phillip Hughes and bowlers Johnson and Siddle.
Yet it was the unknown soldiers Ben Hilfenhaus for the bowlers and Marcus North for the batsmen that provided a solid base for the rest of their team.

Hilfenhaus was unheard of when he came to England. He had been well known in Australia for several season after emerging as one of the best young quicks coming through the ranks, particularly in the season Tasmania managed to win the Pura Cup (Now back to Sheffield Shield thank God) for the first time.

Conditions definitely favoured him, and in the five test series he collected 22 wickets and bowled some magnificent outswingers, although he never took a five wicket haul he so deserved. The English will have a lot of respect for the quiet former bricklayer who worked hard for his wickets.

North came through a different route. Now 30, he has plied his trade for Western Australia and has been a county pro for many years now, playing for five different counties during his time in the country. His selection for South Africa was a gamble, but in England it made perfect sense as he had the years of experience in English conditions.

His two centuries and a 96 left him a formidable object at number six and we could well hold onto that position for some time. And with Mike Hussey out of sorts and on the wrong side of 34, he could even be boosted up the order.

The success of Hilfy and the Australian cricket team’s only smoker are a good sign for the team and a victory of anonymity. Let’s hope that they continue to prosper for Australia’s sake.

A worrying lack of depth

While a lot of the media attention during this Ashes series has been diverted to the Australian form woes and Freddie’s impending test retirement, I’ve noticed something alarming about the England side that no one has really delved into.

KP’s injury was a bad setback for England, which, while I concede he’s not in the greatest form, leaves a big hole in their batting lineup. He is one player who stands head and shoulders above his teammates and is one of the few batsmen in their lineup that thrives against the strongest teams.

Ian Bell is his replacement, a very talented batsman with a technique quite pleasing on the eye and eight test centuries to his credit. That said, Belly (Or ‘The Sherminator’, as Warney calls him) has never scored a test century without someone reaching the mark before him. He has frequently lacked the necessary steel to mix it with the best sides, and his record as England’s number three was decidedly woeful.

There lies the problem. When a regular team member is out, does Ian Bell fit the criteria of England’s next best batsman?

Look into the county system and you’ll start to see the problem. At the top of Division One’s run scoring chart is Marcus Trescothick, now retired from international cricket. Michael Carberry is next, but he’s an opener. The first middle order batsman you find is James Hildreth, whose numbers this year have been partially bolstered by an unbeaten 303 against Warwickshire.

His nearest opponent is Jonathan Trott who, at 28, is a more mature debutant and has been scoring prolifically in the last few years. But he has 18 hundreds as opposed to 40 fifties. Slight conversion rate issue there.

In Division Two, there problem is even worse. The top four players are past their prime as test batsmen (With Martin Van Jaarsveld also a South African!). The nearest young batsman is Alex Gidman, whose record is rather modest. And below him is Phillip Hughes!

I’ve heard a number of calls for Robert Key or Joe Denly, but neither is really true and tested yet. That statement is arguable for Key, who has a test double century to his credit, but at 30 he isn’t really a young face. Denly needs another year or two to really figure out his technique before he gets thrown into the deep end. He didn’t have a particularly good year in 2008 and Division Two isn’t full of the top bowling talent.

England do have decent bowling numbers to fall back on, with Harmison waiting in the wings (Although hopefully they won’t need him) as well as the solid Tim Bresnan, Ryan Sidebottom, the young but sharp Luke Fletcher, and the spectacularly successful Alex Shantry, who has been snatching up wicket for Glamorgan. No spinners are really being noticed though, apart from those currently in the England setup.

Mark Davies was a player I thought needed to be in the test side, but he is struggling to get a regular game with Durham and despite a truly remarkable bowling record, he may become part of the unrecognised heap.

England is not short on keepers, with James Foster a class act and the unlucky and brilliant Chris Read.

But what can England do if they start losing batsmen to injury or retirement?

And the final question for you to ponder on, what will England do when Freddie leaves the test side?

Jimmy, will you please stand up......

England will be banking on its new look bowling attack taking the fight to the Australians during the Ashes. But in my opinion it is not Flintoff that holds the important card, it is Jimmy Anderson.

Jimmy has had a mixed bag of a career, pretty much summed up by one good spell and then six or seven ordinary ones. He looked the goods at times, and then he came crashing back to earth.

His Ashes series in 06/07 was nothing short of a disaster. He collected five wickets at the horrible average of 82.60 and was manhandled by Ricky Ponting and co.

Good signs were showing soon however. During the English summer he collected 5/42 against a powerful Indian batting lineup. The next two tests he was again ineffective. The story was continuing.

It took New Zealand’s tour to England to finally get the best out of Anderson. And he delivered with career best figures of 7/43 to wreck the Kiwis. He swung the ball alarmingly both ways at good pace. Had he finally arrived as a test cricketer or was it another in a long line of false dawns?

He did well against South Africa, fumbled on India’s batting tracks, and then performed brilliantly without much luck against the Windies.

Now, on the eve of the Ashes series, he has taken 5/34 against an admittedly weak Warwickshire side and has established himself as his team’s premier paceman.

England’s success will hinge on his performances. He needs to hassle openers Phillip Hughes and Simon Katich with his swing, and get the ball moving both ways. Hughes was also unsettled by the short ball in his brief stint against the Lions and he may find himself becoming an early Anderson target.

This is Anderson’s greatest test, a series against the oldest enemy Australia in which he is the unanimous spearhead. If he fails, his career will once more hit the stalling point it has hit before. If he succeeds, maybe he will have finally reached his immense potential.