Monday, March 29, 2004
Flemings "Coming of Age", Vettori's "Never Had Nor Will Have an Age" and Cairns "End of an Age"
It's time to start blogging it real.
This from Flemings profile at cricinfo: "Fleming confirmed his greater batting consistency with a career-highest 274 not out against Sri Lanka in the first Test of their 2003 series. He followed that an equally impressive 192 at Hamilton against Pakistan later that year." In Lynn McConnell's defense he had no way of knowing that Fleming would fall back into his old inconsistent ways after that innings.
274*, 69*, 0, 33, 1, 8, 30, 192, 0, 0, 24, 27, 4, 31*, 30 and 9
Since that 'watershed' test in Sri Lanka where he scored the magnificent 274* and 69* he has played 8 tests for 389 runs at an average of 30 (he averages 38.08 following his two 'knocks' in the 3rd test against South Africa). But in one dayers he has been much better since his century against South Africa in the World Cup. In the 25 matches since then he has averaged over 37 and scored more than 20 runs in 17 of his 24 innings which in one day matches represents a decent contribution. Check it out.
As for Vettori. He has played 52 tests for NZ and only managed one 5 wicket bag in a test match that NZ has actually won and it happened about seven years ago in his second ever test (5/84 v Sri Lanka). I went through his stats and of the 18 test victories he has been part of he has only taken 5 or more wickets of the 20 to fall on 5 occasions.
True enough that he doesn't often have the best conditions to bowl in in NZ but even on the sub continent...
India: 5 Tests 330.3 overs 876 runs 17 wickets BB:6/127 ave: 51.52
Sri Lanka: 5 Tests 198 overs 466 runs 20 wickets BB:6/64 ave: 23.30
Pakistan: 1 Test 40 overs 178 runs 1 wicket BB:1/178 ave: 178.00
For a combined 11 Tests, 1520 runs, 38 wickets at an average of 40. Fantastic stuff.
Bowling in the second innings of our opponents in all tests: 42 innings 2264 runs 60 wickets BB:7/87 ave: 37.73, 3 five wicket bags, 1 ten wicket bag
His stats in the second innings of the opposition is actually worse than the first innings. Whats that all about?!
I don't want to compare Vettori to spinners from other countries as somebody like Warne is a freak and Muralitharan is a cheat along with several other chuckers. He is a left arm finger spinner and there are few of his kind around. But all the same...
lets compare him to Boje (who doesn't chuck and is not regarded as one of the great test bowlers) for a moment in the current test series.
Vettori: 136.2 25 418 4 at an average of 104.50 striking every 204 deliveries
Boje: 75.4 11 248 9 at an average of 27.55 striking every 50 deliveries
These guys are bowling on the same pitches aren't they?
My colleague may disagree but I think the chances of Vettori bowling NZ to victory in a test match are what they have always been. Slim to anorexic.
So for gods sake take 4 wickets at the Basin and prove me wrong! As a side note, this will only be the 15th time in Vettori's 53 tests that NZ has been bowling in the 4th innings (obviously due to the toss, rain, innings defeats and victories...) Also for an interesting article/defense of Vettori check this out from a couple of months ago. One of the rare occasions when Joseph Romanos has decided to cover something other than tennis (yawn). Christ in the lastest issue he even managed to slip in the prize money earning stats for all tennis players all time (double yawn). Tennis has got to one of the most over-rated spectator sports in the world. All the evidence you need is when you have some massively rich European event with three quarters of the reasonably small arena empty with two of the so called biggest name players in the world on court.
Back to the cricket.
I see Cairns was dismissed for 41 in what may be his final test innings if the rumours are true. He hit one six and I think he now has 82 or 83 sixes in his test career. Some guy called Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards hit 84 sixes in 121 tests and Cairns hit his 82? in just 58 tests. Does this mean that Cairns has consistently been the biggest hitter the game has ever seen?
Viv Richards was a far superior batsman, no question about it. He averaged over 50 versus Cairns 33.5 and scored 24 centuries and 45 fifties versus 5 and 20 from Cairns. But for shear hitting power, Cairns seems to be peerless?
Perhaps there is somebody who can compare favourably but I certainly don't know who.
Meanwhile SA need 198 more runs with 8 wickets in hand. Both teams have scored 3 centuries and hit 10 fifties in the series which would indicate that it's been pretty even. New Zealand has held themselves together a little better though and the Afrikaners have capitulated several times against the new ball. but I can't help but feel that they will grind this one out and level the series.
bloggingitreal@yahoo.com
This from Flemings profile at cricinfo: "Fleming confirmed his greater batting consistency with a career-highest 274 not out against Sri Lanka in the first Test of their 2003 series. He followed that an equally impressive 192 at Hamilton against Pakistan later that year." In Lynn McConnell's defense he had no way of knowing that Fleming would fall back into his old inconsistent ways after that innings.
274*, 69*, 0, 33, 1, 8, 30, 192, 0, 0, 24, 27, 4, 31*, 30 and 9
Since that 'watershed' test in Sri Lanka where he scored the magnificent 274* and 69* he has played 8 tests for 389 runs at an average of 30 (he averages 38.08 following his two 'knocks' in the 3rd test against South Africa). But in one dayers he has been much better since his century against South Africa in the World Cup. In the 25 matches since then he has averaged over 37 and scored more than 20 runs in 17 of his 24 innings which in one day matches represents a decent contribution. Check it out.
As for Vettori. He has played 52 tests for NZ and only managed one 5 wicket bag in a test match that NZ has actually won and it happened about seven years ago in his second ever test (5/84 v Sri Lanka). I went through his stats and of the 18 test victories he has been part of he has only taken 5 or more wickets of the 20 to fall on 5 occasions.
True enough that he doesn't often have the best conditions to bowl in in NZ but even on the sub continent...
India: 5 Tests 330.3 overs 876 runs 17 wickets BB:6/127 ave: 51.52
Sri Lanka: 5 Tests 198 overs 466 runs 20 wickets BB:6/64 ave: 23.30
Pakistan: 1 Test 40 overs 178 runs 1 wicket BB:1/178 ave: 178.00
For a combined 11 Tests, 1520 runs, 38 wickets at an average of 40. Fantastic stuff.
Bowling in the second innings of our opponents in all tests: 42 innings 2264 runs 60 wickets BB:7/87 ave: 37.73, 3 five wicket bags, 1 ten wicket bag
His stats in the second innings of the opposition is actually worse than the first innings. Whats that all about?!
I don't want to compare Vettori to spinners from other countries as somebody like Warne is a freak and Muralitharan is a cheat along with several other chuckers. He is a left arm finger spinner and there are few of his kind around. But all the same...
lets compare him to Boje (who doesn't chuck and is not regarded as one of the great test bowlers) for a moment in the current test series.
Vettori: 136.2 25 418 4 at an average of 104.50 striking every 204 deliveries
Boje: 75.4 11 248 9 at an average of 27.55 striking every 50 deliveries
These guys are bowling on the same pitches aren't they?
My colleague may disagree but I think the chances of Vettori bowling NZ to victory in a test match are what they have always been. Slim to anorexic.
So for gods sake take 4 wickets at the Basin and prove me wrong! As a side note, this will only be the 15th time in Vettori's 53 tests that NZ has been bowling in the 4th innings (obviously due to the toss, rain, innings defeats and victories...) Also for an interesting article/defense of Vettori check this out from a couple of months ago. One of the rare occasions when Joseph Romanos has decided to cover something other than tennis (yawn). Christ in the lastest issue he even managed to slip in the prize money earning stats for all tennis players all time (double yawn). Tennis has got to one of the most over-rated spectator sports in the world. All the evidence you need is when you have some massively rich European event with three quarters of the reasonably small arena empty with two of the so called biggest name players in the world on court.
Back to the cricket.
I see Cairns was dismissed for 41 in what may be his final test innings if the rumours are true. He hit one six and I think he now has 82 or 83 sixes in his test career. Some guy called Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards hit 84 sixes in 121 tests and Cairns hit his 82? in just 58 tests. Does this mean that Cairns has consistently been the biggest hitter the game has ever seen?
Viv Richards was a far superior batsman, no question about it. He averaged over 50 versus Cairns 33.5 and scored 24 centuries and 45 fifties versus 5 and 20 from Cairns. But for shear hitting power, Cairns seems to be peerless?
Perhaps there is somebody who can compare favourably but I certainly don't know who.
Meanwhile SA need 198 more runs with 8 wickets in hand. Both teams have scored 3 centuries and hit 10 fifties in the series which would indicate that it's been pretty even. New Zealand has held themselves together a little better though and the Afrikaners have capitulated several times against the new ball. but I can't help but feel that they will grind this one out and level the series.
bloggingitreal@yahoo.com
Comments:
Post a Comment