Month: November 2017

New Zealand v West Indies – Test Series preview

Test cricket returns to New Zealand tomorrow with the first of a two-game series between the hosting Blackcaps and a visiting West Indies side. The first match is to be played inside Wellington’s favourite roundabout at the venerable Basin Reserve, arguably one of the most picturesque international cricket grounds in the world.  The second and final test gets underway in Hamilton, city of the future, on the 9th December.

New Zealand have not played much Test cricket of late – tomorrow’s game will only be their sixth this year, and first since March. And they won’t be playing too many more in the foreseeable future either as NZ Cricket clearly focuses more on limited overs fixtures – the home season sees only four test matches over an elongated summer. The Blackcaps lost their last series 1-0 to South Africa, on the back of beating both Pakistan and Bangladesh 2-0 in their previous engagements.

The visiting West Indies side, for their part have had an up and down time of late themselves, albeit one that has started to show glimpses of hope for a young side captained by Jason Holder and coached by Australian Stuart Law. A recent 1-0 series win over Zimbabwe in Bulawayo followed consecutive 2-1 series defeats to England in England and Pakistan at home – but the one test they did win against England at Headingley earlier this year showed that they are more than capable of causing an upset when the stars align for them.

Historically, there has been very little to split the two sides over the years – with both having picked up 13 wins apeice in the 45 Tests previously played. In Kiwi conditions, the home side are more dominant, having won ten matches to the Windies’ seven.

New Zealand have been affected by two late withdrawals from their first-choice squad, with regular keeper BJ Watling out with injury and key man Tim Southee sitting out the first test as he awaits the pitter-patter of tiny fast-bowling feet. Southee’s absence could potential give birth to a new Test career, with uncapped-at-test-level pair Lockie Ferguson and George Worker called up into the squad as cover. There will be at least one new black cap handed out tomorrow,  with replacement keeper Tom Blundell set to take his place behind the stumps.

The youthful West indies squad is stratring to look more settled, but they do have two potential test debutants in their ranks – with Sunil Ambris from St Vincent and the Grenadines and Rayman Reifer from Barbados hoping to get the nod.

An intriguing series in early summer New Zealand conditions awaits! A few interesting statistical milestones to kee a watchful eye on:

Kane Williamson (New Zealand)

The Blackcaps’ skipper, and one of test crickets current “Big Four” middle-order batsmen captains, will be keen to take his bow in a season where Messrs Smith, Root and Kohli have already taken theirs.

He currently has 5.116 test runs to his name, enough for sixth place for his country. A not unfeasible 219 more in this series will see him overtake John Wright in fifth.

Ross Taylor (New Zealand)

Wright is in mortal danger of losing another fifth spot in his country’s record books – with his 82 Test match appearances set to be surpassed in Hamilton by Taylor, who currently has 81.

Trent Boult (New Zealand)

With Southee out, more focus will be on the other half of the Kiwis traditional pace attack. Boult will therefore be confident of moving from his current 190 wickets past the 200 milestone.

Neil Wagner (New Zealand)

Often overshadowed by the Southee-Boult double act, Wagner’s fiery fast bowling has nonetheless already brought him 130 test wickets, enough for joint-ninth for the Blackcaps. One more scalp and he’ll leave Lance Cairns behind in his wake.

Shai Hope (West Indies)

The Windies’ revived hope over recent weeks has come from a new Hope in the ranks – Shai from Barbados. His twin Headingley hundreds were instrumental in their surprise win over England in that match, and in the last four matches he has scored 530 runs at an average of 106. A mere 79 in this series will bring up hos first 1,000 for the West Indies.

Roston Chase (West Indies)

Also hailing from Barbados, all-rounder Chase only needs 34 runs to bring up 1,000 in the longest format himself.

Kemar Roach (West Indies)

And we bring up a trio of Barbadians with rejuvenated fast bowler Roach -who will be aiming for another nine test wickets to bring up 150.

Australia vs England – 1st Ashes Test preview

The waiting game is almost over, and after a seemingly endless build up, attention can finally turn to action on the cricket field, as Australia prepares to host its oldest and most intense rival, England, in a five match Ashes series.

The venue for the first test, staring tomorrow, is the Brisbane Cricket Ground in the suburb of Woolloongabba, Brisbane. Not many people call it that though – it is to all cricket fans simply the Gabba, or to nascent cricket journalists looking for a catchy tag-line, the Gabbatoir, owing to Australia’s enviable record at the ground. And it is this record more than anything that will have England worried as they look to start their defence of the Ashes they won at home in 2015 – Australia have won 63% of the 59 tests they have played at the ground, and England have only ever won there four times in 20 attempts.

England of course have the much better recent record in matches between the two teams – that 2015 win being one of four of the last five Ashes series that England have won, with the hosts only win in that period a 5-0 drubbing in 2013/14 which left England rattled and shorn of many of its established stars. The Australian media, and even the most mild-mannered of their players, are making great talk of repeating this series and opening up scars of old English wounds,  but if the truth be told these are two almost completely different sides, with few player remaining in either side from that encounter. What psychological damage lingers from four years ago remains to be seen, but Australia have set themselves up in their fans’ eyes as strong favourites with a win over the old enemy almost certain. They will hope they can walk the Ashes walk as well as they can talk the talk, otherwise egg will very much be on Antipodean faces.

It’s not doubted that both squads have their fair share of inexperience to them. England have no fewer than five uncapped players in their 17-man squad (Mason Crane, Sam Curran, Ben Foakes, George Garton and Craig Overton) with the bowling looking especially vulnerable to any injury to the first choice starting arsenal. That said, they have three players in the squad with over 100 caps each, and will hope that the mix of seasoned old-hands and fresh-faced exuberance will be one  that can carry them forward.

Australia for their part have sprung a host of last-minute selection surprises – dropping opening batsman Matt Renshaw (depriving him of a chance to play against the country of his birth) in favour of uncapped Cameron Bancroft as well as recalling Shaun Marsh to the middle order for his ninth (yes, ninth…ninth!) attempt at proving he is worthy of a test place. The biggest surprise was probably the recalling of Tim Paine as wicketkeeper after several years in the wilderness. The Australian selectors have copped a bit of flak in the rabid local press, so there is reason to be nervous for the hosts too.

Both sides have also been in indifferent and inconsistent  form in Tests over the last two years. Australia, ranked fifth in the ICC rankings, have won only one of their last five Test series, losing at home to South Africa and away to Sri Lanka and India. England (ranked third) while winning their last two series at home against the West Indies and South Africa, also lost heavily to India. Both sides have recent test defeats to Bangladesh to be proud of.

So, aside from home advantage, there is actually very little to choose between two middle-ranking teams in transition. Both bowling attacks are reasonably settled, both batting line-ups anything but. So all will come down to who steps up when it matters when the bats and ball finally get their chance to do the talking.

Whilst the main prize will of course be first blood in the battle for that famous 3-and-a half inch high urn, and the bragging rights that go with it for the next two years, there are plenty of individual milestones are stats to keep a watch out for:

Alastair Cook (England)

Former skipper Cook, winner of three Ashes series so far, has 11,629 test runs to his name from his 147 tests. The runs total puts him ninth in the all-time world listings, 185 runs behind Sri Lanka’s master-batsman Mahela Jayawardene in eighth place. How he would love to take a huge stride towards that target at the Gabba.

To do so, he would most likely need his 31st test century, and if he were to notch up a tonne in Brisbane he would move into the world top ten for that particular stat too, alongside Steve Waugh, erstwhile captain of the hosts.

Cookie has also scored 14,894 runs in all formats of international cricket, needing just 106 more to break the 15,000 barrier.

Jimmy Anderson (England)

England’s leading all-time wicket-taker has 506 test scalps so far, and 793 in all international formats, so will be on the prowl looking for seven more victims of his vicious swinging balls to bring up 800 wickets.

Stuart Broad (England)

Second only to Jimmy in England’s all time wicket-takers list is Australian fan-favourite Broad with 388 wickets. What price 12 more at the Gabba to become only the 14th bowler in Test history to take 400?

Steven Smith (Australia)

Ranked number one Test batsman in the world, just ahead of his English counterpart Joe Root, captain Smith already has a mightily impressive 20 Test centuries to his name. one more will move him up alongside David Boon and Neil Harvey into Australia’s all time top ten century-maker rankings.

David Warner (Australia)

When he’s not running his mouth off to the press declaring war on England, vice-captain Warner is also quite adept at running between the wickets, and has also notched up 20 Test centuries, so he too will be eyeing a top ten spot.

 

India v Sri Lanka – 1st Test Preview

Kolkata’s Eden Gardens cricket ground has hosted forty test matches over its storied history since becoming India’a second test venue in 1934, but never before has it welcomed Sri Lanka onto its hallowed turf. All that will change on Thursday, with the Lions due to make their long-awaited bow at India’s home of cricket in the first of a three-match Test series. Nagpur and Delhi will host the second and third matches respectively. These, remarkably, will be Sri Lanka’s first tests in India since 2009. A long time between drinks!

Sri Lanka have never won a Test match on Indian soil, having lost ten and drawn seven of the seventeen matches between the two sides held in India since the islanders were granted test status 35 years ago.

One suspects that this may not be the series where India’s dominance over their southern neighbours is broken. India are in supreme form in the longest form of the game, having lost only two of their last 30 tests, and having to look back nearly three years for their last series defeat. Their most recent test outfit was a 3-0 series win in Sri Lanka where the home side was rarely in contention. India are ranked number 1 in the ICC team rankings, and their ranking is not unjustified. The supreme form, allied with homefield advantage, makes Virat Kohli’s men strong favourites.

Sri Lanka have had a torrid time of things in 2017, with often embarrassing defeats suffered regularly throughout the year and captaincy changes a-plenty. They can at least point to their most recent Test series delivering a shock 2-0 series sweep against Pakistan in their temporary fortress of the UAE. Not many visiting teams have won tests in the emirates, let alone series, and Sri Lanka will be hoping this unexpected win will carry them on a crest of confidence as they head across the Palk Strait to the northerly neighbours.

There are plenty of individual milestones and potential records to keep an eye on as the Eden Gardens fixture unfolds:

Virat Kohli (India)

A regular feature of these pages, India’s superstar captain always seems to be on the verge of breaking another record or milestone. This time, focus will be on whether he can notch up a 50th international century for his country, having already scored 17 Test tonnes alongside 32 in ODIs.

R Ashwin (India)

Along with teammate Ravindra Jadeja, Ashwin is one half of India’s all conquering, spin-bowling, all-rounder double act. Jadeja is ahead of his fellow spin king in both the ICC bowler and all-rounder rankings, but Ashwin has more scores on the doors in terms of wickets. He currently sits with 292 victims to his name, and will fancy his chances of becoming only the fifth Indian bowler to reach the 300 milestone. Anil Kumble, Kapil Dev, Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan would be some pretty good company to be in should he join that exclusive club.

Rangana Herath (Sri Lanka)

Sri Lanka have a spin-bowling superstar of their own in the ageless Herath, currently ranked as the fifth best test bowler in world cricket.

He current;y has 405 career test wickets in his kit bag, enough for joint twelfth in the all-time rankings, alongside West Indies legend Curtly Ambrose. Herath has a habit of picking up ten-wicket hauls, and one more in this game would see him edge past Wasim Akram’s 414 into eleventh place. A not entirely unrealistic thirteen wicket haul would see him move into the top ten, joining Harbhajan Singh from the host nation, and South Africa’s Dale Steyn on 417 wickets.

Dilruwan Perera (Sri Lanka)

Another spinner looking to make a mark in the Gardens, Perera will be hoping for seven wickets to take him from his current 93 to the 100 wicket milestone.

If he achieves it, he will move from a current seventh place in his country’s all-time wicket-taker list, past Sanath Jayasuriya in 6th on 98 and will join Dilhara Fernandon in fifth on the round 100. Lasith Malinga is just one further ahead on 101 in fourth, and not out of Dilruwan’s reach by any means.

Dinesh Chandimal (Sri Lanka)

It has often been difficult to keep up with such things in 2017, but Chandimal is currently Sri Lanka’s Test captain. The skipper has 2.930 runs to his name so will be hoping for seventy more to take him past the 3,000 career milestone.