Sri Lanka’s rise in international cricket has been quite astounding, probably surprising even themselves. Just over a decade after their test debut they won the World Cup, historically toppling Australia in the final.
They have produced a number of talented cricketers over the years; Aravinda De Silva, their first world class batsman; Muttiah Muralitharan, the off-spin wizard; Mahela Jayawardene, probably their best captain; Kumar Sangakarra, one of histories greatest keeper/batsmen; and Chaminda Vaas.
Vaas made his debut against a Pakistan line-up featuring the rampant Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, and his test debut passed without notice, taking no wickets and making 0 and 4. His next test he took 4 wickets, and he became their strike bowler from that point on.
His test bowling record reads 319 wickets at 29.21 with a strike rate of 65.6 and an economy rate of 2.66. While not brilliant, an average under 30 is generally quite good, especially from a nation still establishing itself as a cricket power.
He also doubles as an accomplished all-rounder, with a test century and a batting average of 23.54. If you point out the fact that he has never really had a world class opening partner and that he is often burdened with a large workload (Along with Murali), Vass’ figures are quite remarkable.
Unfortunately it seems he is often underrated because of his lack of histronics and simple bowling method. As Lasith Malinga was hyped up for the previous Australian series in 2004, it was Vaas who landed the telling blows, taking 5/31 in the first test off 18.3 overs.
He is, to this day, the only bowler in ODI history to take eight wickets in an innings, with his 8/19 against Zimbabwe which included a hat-trick. He is the most prolific bowler in Sri Lanka’s history after Murali. No other bowler apart from this pair have taken more than a hundred wickets at test level. Only Sanath Jayasuria joins them in the 300 club of wickets in ODIs.
People are all talking about Murali’s record this series, about Malinga’s pace, about Dilhan Fernando’s chance to shine.
Without Chaminda Vaas, Sri Lanka’s record in recent times would never have been quite as good as you would think.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Preview: Sri Lanka v Australia
Since the World Cup final, it’s been one of the more anticipated test series in world cricket. The challengers: Sri Lanka, having emerged as one of the more powerful teams in the world via their competitive displays in test cricket and in the World Cup.
Now they face the supremos: Australia. The unstoppable juggernaut of cricket has not lost a test since the 2005 Ashes, when they went down 2-1 to England, and have not lost a home series since the West Indies won in 1992-93.
Strictly speaking, there has never been a better chance to beat Australia than now. They have lost their stalwart bowlers Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne. There is no Justin Langer to get them off to a flying start and no reassuring presence of Damian Martyn in the middle order.
Australia is still an immensely powerful side though. Whilst Langer may be gone, Hayden, who has been hungrily pursuing runs, is not. And he is joined by the equally run hungry NSW opener Phil Jaques, whose aggressive batting and penchant for big centuries will be put to good use.
Ricky Ponting is in excellent touch, but this series is a big test for him. Ponting has been accused of being weak against spin bowling and Sri Lanka has access to the best off-spinner in world cricket: Muttiah Muralitharan.
Their middle order has a new look but is still formidable. Mike Hussey has looked unstoppable in test cricket and he is joined by the improving Michael Clarke and Andrew Symonds, who has a big chance to score runs this summer and cement his position.
Gilchrist will have fond memories of his World Cup final century, but he has been on the wane for some time now. He is no longer consistently devastating as he used to be, and his brilliance has been reduced to flashes. His keeping is still of an excellent standard though. But this summer could be his swansong.
The bowlers are all shooting out for spots, and this is where it gets interesting. The only two guaranteed a spot are Brett Lee and the reliable Stuart Clark. Mitchell Johnson is leading for the third spot against Ben Hilfenhaus and Shaun Tait, whilst Stuart MacGill has the experience advantage over the better all-round cricketer Brad Hogg.
Sri Lanka have come with a team that mixes young enthusiasm with hard experience. In Mahela Jayawardene they have a top quality batsman and probably their best captain ever, combining tough play with all the sensibilities of a diplomat.
Their bowling attack is fearsome and has variety. In Chaminda Vaas they have a reliable left-arm swing bowler who gives nothing away. In Lasith Malinga, they have scorching pace and unpredictability. In Dilhara Fernando, they have sharp pace and seam. Finally, with Murali, they have a cunning master able to work out even the best batsmen.
Sri Lanka’s problems come with their batting. Jayawardene and Sangakarra are world class batsman able to face any attack. But after that the cupboard gets thin.
Jayasuria is 38, and probably past his prime. Despite being one of only two Sri Lankan batsmen in this side to have scored a test century against Australia, he is no longer as devastating as he used to be. Old stalwart Marvan Attapattu is back as well, but his average of 38.91 won’t really cause fear in Australia’s bowing.
The middle order after Jayawardene is a major problem. Silva, Samaraweera and Prasanna Jayawardene are relatively untried at test level, especially in tough conditions against the world’s most formidable attack. As most teams discover playing Australia, they can’t match the depth that makes Australia so formidable.
Australia should win this test series. Their record at home bodes well in their favour. By comparison, Sri Lanka has never won a test on Australian soil. And only Attapattu and Jayasuria have scored centuries here.
Despite having a good bowling attack, the two players who have extensive experience against Australia, Vaas and Murali, have poor records against Australia. Malinga made his test debut against Australia in their previous tour there, but wasn’t able to inflict the damage people know he is capable of.
In their most recent warm-up match against Queensland, they were humbled by Ashley Noffke on a bouncy and seaming pitch Queensland is famous for. What will happen when they face Lee, Clark, Johnson or Hilfenhaus on that sort of pitch? How would they play the tweakers of Hogg or MacGill?
Sri Lanka must go out and play the most aggressive cricket they can, only then can they hope to match it with the powerful Australian team.
Now they face the supremos: Australia. The unstoppable juggernaut of cricket has not lost a test since the 2005 Ashes, when they went down 2-1 to England, and have not lost a home series since the West Indies won in 1992-93.
Strictly speaking, there has never been a better chance to beat Australia than now. They have lost their stalwart bowlers Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne. There is no Justin Langer to get them off to a flying start and no reassuring presence of Damian Martyn in the middle order.
Australia is still an immensely powerful side though. Whilst Langer may be gone, Hayden, who has been hungrily pursuing runs, is not. And he is joined by the equally run hungry NSW opener Phil Jaques, whose aggressive batting and penchant for big centuries will be put to good use.
Ricky Ponting is in excellent touch, but this series is a big test for him. Ponting has been accused of being weak against spin bowling and Sri Lanka has access to the best off-spinner in world cricket: Muttiah Muralitharan.
Their middle order has a new look but is still formidable. Mike Hussey has looked unstoppable in test cricket and he is joined by the improving Michael Clarke and Andrew Symonds, who has a big chance to score runs this summer and cement his position.
Gilchrist will have fond memories of his World Cup final century, but he has been on the wane for some time now. He is no longer consistently devastating as he used to be, and his brilliance has been reduced to flashes. His keeping is still of an excellent standard though. But this summer could be his swansong.
The bowlers are all shooting out for spots, and this is where it gets interesting. The only two guaranteed a spot are Brett Lee and the reliable Stuart Clark. Mitchell Johnson is leading for the third spot against Ben Hilfenhaus and Shaun Tait, whilst Stuart MacGill has the experience advantage over the better all-round cricketer Brad Hogg.
Sri Lanka have come with a team that mixes young enthusiasm with hard experience. In Mahela Jayawardene they have a top quality batsman and probably their best captain ever, combining tough play with all the sensibilities of a diplomat.
Their bowling attack is fearsome and has variety. In Chaminda Vaas they have a reliable left-arm swing bowler who gives nothing away. In Lasith Malinga, they have scorching pace and unpredictability. In Dilhara Fernando, they have sharp pace and seam. Finally, with Murali, they have a cunning master able to work out even the best batsmen.
Sri Lanka’s problems come with their batting. Jayawardene and Sangakarra are world class batsman able to face any attack. But after that the cupboard gets thin.
Jayasuria is 38, and probably past his prime. Despite being one of only two Sri Lankan batsmen in this side to have scored a test century against Australia, he is no longer as devastating as he used to be. Old stalwart Marvan Attapattu is back as well, but his average of 38.91 won’t really cause fear in Australia’s bowing.
The middle order after Jayawardene is a major problem. Silva, Samaraweera and Prasanna Jayawardene are relatively untried at test level, especially in tough conditions against the world’s most formidable attack. As most teams discover playing Australia, they can’t match the depth that makes Australia so formidable.
Australia should win this test series. Their record at home bodes well in their favour. By comparison, Sri Lanka has never won a test on Australian soil. And only Attapattu and Jayasuria have scored centuries here.
Despite having a good bowling attack, the two players who have extensive experience against Australia, Vaas and Murali, have poor records against Australia. Malinga made his test debut against Australia in their previous tour there, but wasn’t able to inflict the damage people know he is capable of.
In their most recent warm-up match against Queensland, they were humbled by Ashley Noffke on a bouncy and seaming pitch Queensland is famous for. What will happen when they face Lee, Clark, Johnson or Hilfenhaus on that sort of pitch? How would they play the tweakers of Hogg or MacGill?
Sri Lanka must go out and play the most aggressive cricket they can, only then can they hope to match it with the powerful Australian team.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Mark Waugh: Failed potential?
Few people who watched cricket during the 90's will have forgotten the Waugh twins. They defined an era where Australia once again became the dominant force in cricket, and they played under three captains during this time.
They both had relatively different career paths into the Australian team. Steve, the older twin by a few minutes, was thrust into the team at barely 20, and forced to fend for himself for years, until he blossomed as a batsman in the famous 1989 Ashes campaign.
By the end of his career Steve was the most respected and worshipped cricketers Australia has ever produced, having become captain by the end of his career and finishing with the great average of 51.06.
Mark's however was completely different.
As Steve was thrown against tough teams having had the bare minimum of first class experience, Mark bided his time. He made NSW, and began peeling off centuries for the state and overseas for Essex, where he was befriended by soon-to-be English captain Graham Gooch.
Whilst Junior made mountains of runs at first class level, Steve's career was up and down. The 1989 Ashes was a great triumph for Steve, but he needed to keep it up. During that tour, he and Mark had become the first brothers to score centuries against each other, with Steve scoring a century for Australia whilst Mark helped himself to one for Essex.
During the 1990-91 Ashes series, with Steve suffering from lack of form, Mark was put in place of him and immediately scored 138. Many critics who saw this innings rated it his greatest innings and one of the most exhilarating debut centuries ever.
For a while, Mark was suddenly ruler of the roost. He did well in a tough tour of the West Indies later that year, and seemed to be enjoying test cricket. Steve, realizing his career was on the line, re-evaluated his technique and emerged as a risk-free and determined batsman capable of winning games.
Sadly, Mark became something else.
When the two are compared, it is like chalk and cheese. Steve was all grit and determination, waiting until a loose ball was bowled before punishing it heavily. Mark, however, was brilliant. He oozed elegance and confidence, and like the English batsman David Gower, had the remarkable ability to make batting look relatively simple.
He could drive with pristine timing, as well as cut and hook spectacularly. When he used his feet to spinners, rarely was the case that he misjudged the ball. His specialty shot was to flick the ball casually through square or midwicket. It was if bowlers were more a hindrance than a threat when Mark was batting.
This casual indifference was usually a double-edged sword, as he would often play lazy shots not befitting a man of his talents. Although he scored 8029 test runs with 20 centuries, his average was 41.81, hardly worth writing home about.
In one day cricket there can be no doubting he was superior to Steve. He opened later in his career with Adam Gilchrist and the pair formed a truly destructive duo. His penitence for riskier shots allowed him to display a lot of his talent, and he played some truly memorable innings.
Mark's 173 off 148 balls against the West Indies in the final of the Carlton-United series in 2001 was a masterpiece of one day cricket, and gives him the rare distinction of having a higher score in one day cricket than in test cricket.
The only other ability in which Mark stands alone, and probably is superior to any other, is fielding. On all-round ability, Mark exceeds the exploits of the finest fieldsman of the modern era, including Jonty Rhodes, Andrew Symonds and Ricky Ponting. His 181 catches is a world record, with Brian Lara next with 164.
He often fielded at slip, taking the majority of his catches from the bowling of Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath. Often these catches were spectacular, including some that had gone past him. His claim to immortality was that he took catches no-one else could take.
When we focus on his batting record, it is difficult to see what made Mark Waugh such a great player, and why people such as I hold him with such great esteem. 41.81 is good, but not great. His first class average by comparison is 52.04, over ten runs better.
Like David Gower and even Victor Trumper, with Mark Waugh is was more about how he made the runs and not how many he made. Often he was the bane of opposition captains, when out of nowhere suddenly he'd have 70 runs on the board and they'd be tearing their hair out trying to stop him.
We are left with a cricketer that perhaps never really achieved what others believed him capable of. By the end of career he was a shadow of his former self, and was weighed down by his guilt over a bookmaking scandal he and Shane Warne were involved in.
But a smile can be brought to the face of any cricket lover when they are asked to recall Mark Waugh at his graceful best.
They both had relatively different career paths into the Australian team. Steve, the older twin by a few minutes, was thrust into the team at barely 20, and forced to fend for himself for years, until he blossomed as a batsman in the famous 1989 Ashes campaign.
By the end of his career Steve was the most respected and worshipped cricketers Australia has ever produced, having become captain by the end of his career and finishing with the great average of 51.06.
Mark's however was completely different.
As Steve was thrown against tough teams having had the bare minimum of first class experience, Mark bided his time. He made NSW, and began peeling off centuries for the state and overseas for Essex, where he was befriended by soon-to-be English captain Graham Gooch.
Whilst Junior made mountains of runs at first class level, Steve's career was up and down. The 1989 Ashes was a great triumph for Steve, but he needed to keep it up. During that tour, he and Mark had become the first brothers to score centuries against each other, with Steve scoring a century for Australia whilst Mark helped himself to one for Essex.
During the 1990-91 Ashes series, with Steve suffering from lack of form, Mark was put in place of him and immediately scored 138. Many critics who saw this innings rated it his greatest innings and one of the most exhilarating debut centuries ever.
For a while, Mark was suddenly ruler of the roost. He did well in a tough tour of the West Indies later that year, and seemed to be enjoying test cricket. Steve, realizing his career was on the line, re-evaluated his technique and emerged as a risk-free and determined batsman capable of winning games.
Sadly, Mark became something else.
When the two are compared, it is like chalk and cheese. Steve was all grit and determination, waiting until a loose ball was bowled before punishing it heavily. Mark, however, was brilliant. He oozed elegance and confidence, and like the English batsman David Gower, had the remarkable ability to make batting look relatively simple.
He could drive with pristine timing, as well as cut and hook spectacularly. When he used his feet to spinners, rarely was the case that he misjudged the ball. His specialty shot was to flick the ball casually through square or midwicket. It was if bowlers were more a hindrance than a threat when Mark was batting.
This casual indifference was usually a double-edged sword, as he would often play lazy shots not befitting a man of his talents. Although he scored 8029 test runs with 20 centuries, his average was 41.81, hardly worth writing home about.
In one day cricket there can be no doubting he was superior to Steve. He opened later in his career with Adam Gilchrist and the pair formed a truly destructive duo. His penitence for riskier shots allowed him to display a lot of his talent, and he played some truly memorable innings.
Mark's 173 off 148 balls against the West Indies in the final of the Carlton-United series in 2001 was a masterpiece of one day cricket, and gives him the rare distinction of having a higher score in one day cricket than in test cricket.
The only other ability in which Mark stands alone, and probably is superior to any other, is fielding. On all-round ability, Mark exceeds the exploits of the finest fieldsman of the modern era, including Jonty Rhodes, Andrew Symonds and Ricky Ponting. His 181 catches is a world record, with Brian Lara next with 164.
He often fielded at slip, taking the majority of his catches from the bowling of Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath. Often these catches were spectacular, including some that had gone past him. His claim to immortality was that he took catches no-one else could take.
When we focus on his batting record, it is difficult to see what made Mark Waugh such a great player, and why people such as I hold him with such great esteem. 41.81 is good, but not great. His first class average by comparison is 52.04, over ten runs better.
Like David Gower and even Victor Trumper, with Mark Waugh is was more about how he made the runs and not how many he made. Often he was the bane of opposition captains, when out of nowhere suddenly he'd have 70 runs on the board and they'd be tearing their hair out trying to stop him.
We are left with a cricketer that perhaps never really achieved what others believed him capable of. By the end of career he was a shadow of his former self, and was weighed down by his guilt over a bookmaking scandal he and Shane Warne were involved in.
But a smile can be brought to the face of any cricket lover when they are asked to recall Mark Waugh at his graceful best.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Spoiled for choice
Australia is a lucky country. There's no denying it.
When it comes to cricket, we are one of the few nations in the world, probably the only nation, that can create an Australia 'A' team that is good enough to match it with other test nations. As we go into battle without McGrath, Warne, Langer, and Martyn, Australia is still confident of victory. Why?
Because we have depth. The domestic competition here is the best in the world, and the lack of spots available creates an intensity that is not rivalled by any other county's domestic competition. By comparison, County Cricket in England has too much teams, and therefore average cricketers who wouldn't otherwise get a run in a restricted competition fall through the gaps.
Australia are really spoiled for choice. To replace Langer, the contenders are Phil Jaques, Chris Roger, Brad Hodge and Shane Watson, all of whom could play for another test nation. In the middle order we could have Dave Hussey, Simon Katich, Hodge, Watson, Adam Voges and a plethora of young batsman with talent, one of the most exciting being young Western Australian Luke Pomersbach.
In the fast bowling department, Australia have Mitchell Johnson, Shaun Tait, Ben Hilfenhaus, Doug Bollinger, Brett Dorey, Ashley Noffke and the like. The problem to come will be replacing Shane Warne, a once-in-a-lifetime cricketer. Stuart MacGill and Brad Hogg are relaible spinners, but both are over 35. Aaron Heal is a big talent, as is South Australian spin duo Cullen Bailey and Dan Cullen. The fact is they can't really replace Warne, so Australia must bide its time whilst the young and inexperienced spinners develop their craft instead of being thrown into test cricket too young.
The likely Australian test side, well at least in my opinion, should probably look something like this:
Phil Jaques (NSW)
Matthew Hayden (QLD)
Ricky Ponting (C) (TAS)
Michael Clarke (NSW)
Michael Hussey (WA)
Andrew Symonds (QLD)
Adam Gilchrist (WK) (WA)
Brad Hogg (WA)
Brett Lee (NSW)
Stuart Clark (NSW)
Mitchell Johnson (QLD)
12th Man: Shaun Tait (SA)
Quite a formidable side.
An Australian 'A' side, featuring the best of the rest, could look something like this.
Chris Rogers (WA)
Shane Watson (QLD)
Simon Katich (C) (NSW)
Brad Hodge (VIC)
Dave Hussey (VIC)
Brad Haddin (WK) (NSW)
Luke Butterworth (TAS)
Ashley Noffke (QLD)
Aaron Heal (WA)
Doug Bollinger (NSW)
Ben Hilfenhaus (TAS)
12th Man: Cameron White (VIC)
Now you can't say this team wouldn't be competitive at International level. It features players that any other test nation would die to have. Two of those players average over 50 at first class level and another three average over 45. The bowling attack is potentially strong enough to give any test nation a shake up.
Does any other nation have this sort of spoilt choice? Not to such a level as this. I could even find you a third team to go along with this Australia 'A' team. Nowhere else in the test nations can you find such depth of talent.
When it comes to cricket, we are one of the few nations in the world, probably the only nation, that can create an Australia 'A' team that is good enough to match it with other test nations. As we go into battle without McGrath, Warne, Langer, and Martyn, Australia is still confident of victory. Why?
Because we have depth. The domestic competition here is the best in the world, and the lack of spots available creates an intensity that is not rivalled by any other county's domestic competition. By comparison, County Cricket in England has too much teams, and therefore average cricketers who wouldn't otherwise get a run in a restricted competition fall through the gaps.
Australia are really spoiled for choice. To replace Langer, the contenders are Phil Jaques, Chris Roger, Brad Hodge and Shane Watson, all of whom could play for another test nation. In the middle order we could have Dave Hussey, Simon Katich, Hodge, Watson, Adam Voges and a plethora of young batsman with talent, one of the most exciting being young Western Australian Luke Pomersbach.
In the fast bowling department, Australia have Mitchell Johnson, Shaun Tait, Ben Hilfenhaus, Doug Bollinger, Brett Dorey, Ashley Noffke and the like. The problem to come will be replacing Shane Warne, a once-in-a-lifetime cricketer. Stuart MacGill and Brad Hogg are relaible spinners, but both are over 35. Aaron Heal is a big talent, as is South Australian spin duo Cullen Bailey and Dan Cullen. The fact is they can't really replace Warne, so Australia must bide its time whilst the young and inexperienced spinners develop their craft instead of being thrown into test cricket too young.
The likely Australian test side, well at least in my opinion, should probably look something like this:
Phil Jaques (NSW)
Matthew Hayden (QLD)
Ricky Ponting (C) (TAS)
Michael Clarke (NSW)
Michael Hussey (WA)
Andrew Symonds (QLD)
Adam Gilchrist (WK) (WA)
Brad Hogg (WA)
Brett Lee (NSW)
Stuart Clark (NSW)
Mitchell Johnson (QLD)
12th Man: Shaun Tait (SA)
Quite a formidable side.
An Australian 'A' side, featuring the best of the rest, could look something like this.
Chris Rogers (WA)
Shane Watson (QLD)
Simon Katich (C) (NSW)
Brad Hodge (VIC)
Dave Hussey (VIC)
Brad Haddin (WK) (NSW)
Luke Butterworth (TAS)
Ashley Noffke (QLD)
Aaron Heal (WA)
Doug Bollinger (NSW)
Ben Hilfenhaus (TAS)
12th Man: Cameron White (VIC)
Now you can't say this team wouldn't be competitive at International level. It features players that any other test nation would die to have. Two of those players average over 50 at first class level and another three average over 45. The bowling attack is potentially strong enough to give any test nation a shake up.
Does any other nation have this sort of spoilt choice? Not to such a level as this. I could even find you a third team to go along with this Australia 'A' team. Nowhere else in the test nations can you find such depth of talent.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Cricketer of the Week
It's that time of the week where the Straight Bat announces its Cricketer of the Week. And this week's winner is:
South Africa's star all-rounder Jacques Kallis
Born October 16th, 1975 in Cape Town, Jacques Kallis has been the most prolific South African player since the legendary Graeme Pollock. A tough, grinding batsman and a useful swing bowler, he has been a key part of strengthening the South African cricket team in test and one day cricket.
He made his test debut against England in late 1995, but he gave no indication of what was to come, making 1 and not bowling in a drawn match. He played only one more test before being discarded until he was called upon to fight the mighty Australian team for the first time.
He did not start well, but in Pakistan he made he first half century, and making his maiden tour of Australia he cracked his first century, 101, guiding South Africa to a hard-fought draw.
Since then he has gone from strength to strength, amassing a record that would make any cricket fan impressed. His test average of 57.10, with 27 test tons is mightily impressive, as is his 216 wickets at 31.64. He has more international runs than any other South African, and at 32, he is hot on the heels of 9,000 test runs and beyond.
Throughout this, Kallis isn't as highly regarded in some circles than his record suggests. His record may rival that of Sir Garfield Sobers, but Kallis has gone about his craft in a completely different way.
One of the most unique achievements of Sobers was that no matter what he did, he was always going to have an affect on the game, whether batting, bowling or fielding. He could dominate matches, as he did in England in 1966, where he scored 722 runs at 103.14 and 20 wickets at 27.25.
Kallis has never really achieved this sort of dominance over a series, whilst he achieved good bowling figures and good batting figures in the same match, he has been unable to replicate it consistently. It should be remembered along that vein though, that cricket is not a one man game.
Kallis is more of a wicket accumulator, not a strike bowler, which Sobers was quite capable of doing. As economical as he can be, Kallis is not noted as being a prolific wicket taker. He has taken 44 wickets against the frail West Indies, and although he has taken 35 wickets against Australia, his average is a frustratingly high 37.17.
As a batsman, Kallis is much more impressive. He can look unmovable at times, and has a talent for remaining not out. However, his strike rate per 100 balls is 43.12. Ricky Ponting's by comparison is 58.95, Kevin Pietersen's 65.49.
His average against the West Indies is 77..33, against Zimbabwe 169.75, and he is yet to gain an average against Bangladesh, having scored 214 without being dismissed. Against those nations he has scored 11 of his 27 test centuries.
But against Australia he only average 38.32, with 3 centuries. And against Sri Lanka, a meager 33.63, with no centuries in 12 tests.
This is the blight on Kallis' remarkable achievements, that he has built a record on dominating weak teams but falling short of his talents against teams like Australia. For such a talented player, his record suddenly doesn't hold up to closer inspection. If he could follow he lesson of another great South African, Aubrey Faulkner, and "get on with it", maybe we'll see the best of Jacques Kallis.
He still the best South African cricketer of the modern era, and with still quite a few years left, he could amass a record that leaves any cricketer behind.
South Africa's star all-rounder Jacques Kallis
Born October 16th, 1975 in Cape Town, Jacques Kallis has been the most prolific South African player since the legendary Graeme Pollock. A tough, grinding batsman and a useful swing bowler, he has been a key part of strengthening the South African cricket team in test and one day cricket.
He made his test debut against England in late 1995, but he gave no indication of what was to come, making 1 and not bowling in a drawn match. He played only one more test before being discarded until he was called upon to fight the mighty Australian team for the first time.
He did not start well, but in Pakistan he made he first half century, and making his maiden tour of Australia he cracked his first century, 101, guiding South Africa to a hard-fought draw.
Since then he has gone from strength to strength, amassing a record that would make any cricket fan impressed. His test average of 57.10, with 27 test tons is mightily impressive, as is his 216 wickets at 31.64. He has more international runs than any other South African, and at 32, he is hot on the heels of 9,000 test runs and beyond.
Throughout this, Kallis isn't as highly regarded in some circles than his record suggests. His record may rival that of Sir Garfield Sobers, but Kallis has gone about his craft in a completely different way.
One of the most unique achievements of Sobers was that no matter what he did, he was always going to have an affect on the game, whether batting, bowling or fielding. He could dominate matches, as he did in England in 1966, where he scored 722 runs at 103.14 and 20 wickets at 27.25.
Kallis has never really achieved this sort of dominance over a series, whilst he achieved good bowling figures and good batting figures in the same match, he has been unable to replicate it consistently. It should be remembered along that vein though, that cricket is not a one man game.
Kallis is more of a wicket accumulator, not a strike bowler, which Sobers was quite capable of doing. As economical as he can be, Kallis is not noted as being a prolific wicket taker. He has taken 44 wickets against the frail West Indies, and although he has taken 35 wickets against Australia, his average is a frustratingly high 37.17.
As a batsman, Kallis is much more impressive. He can look unmovable at times, and has a talent for remaining not out. However, his strike rate per 100 balls is 43.12. Ricky Ponting's by comparison is 58.95, Kevin Pietersen's 65.49.
His average against the West Indies is 77..33, against Zimbabwe 169.75, and he is yet to gain an average against Bangladesh, having scored 214 without being dismissed. Against those nations he has scored 11 of his 27 test centuries.
But against Australia he only average 38.32, with 3 centuries. And against Sri Lanka, a meager 33.63, with no centuries in 12 tests.
This is the blight on Kallis' remarkable achievements, that he has built a record on dominating weak teams but falling short of his talents against teams like Australia. For such a talented player, his record suddenly doesn't hold up to closer inspection. If he could follow he lesson of another great South African, Aubrey Faulkner, and "get on with it", maybe we'll see the best of Jacques Kallis.
He still the best South African cricketer of the modern era, and with still quite a few years left, he could amass a record that leaves any cricketer behind.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
The Straight Bat
My inaugural post will be something of a description of the blog's purpose.
As a young journalist, I am keen to put down my opinions for all to read and comment on, particularly if the subject is my passions.
Being an atypical Australian male, I love my sport. And the sport I love above all is cricket. Over the years I have progressed from occasional spectator to keen spectator, and then to student of the game, and then to cricket tragic.
If you don't believe me, you should ask anyone who knows me.
With my posts, I hope to provide intelligent and thought provoking arguments about the modern game from a younger perspective, myself being still in my early 20's. In some areas I might be a little naiver than others, but I am confident in my abilities as a journalist and as a fan.
Arthur Morris, the great Australian opener once said: "Cricket is a game, and one to be enjoyed". It is a philosophy that all should remember when discussing the great game.
As a young journalist, I am keen to put down my opinions for all to read and comment on, particularly if the subject is my passions.
Being an atypical Australian male, I love my sport. And the sport I love above all is cricket. Over the years I have progressed from occasional spectator to keen spectator, and then to student of the game, and then to cricket tragic.
If you don't believe me, you should ask anyone who knows me.
With my posts, I hope to provide intelligent and thought provoking arguments about the modern game from a younger perspective, myself being still in my early 20's. In some areas I might be a little naiver than others, but I am confident in my abilities as a journalist and as a fan.
Arthur Morris, the great Australian opener once said: "Cricket is a game, and one to be enjoyed". It is a philosophy that all should remember when discussing the great game.
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