5-0.
That simple scoreline represents the most dominating performance in a series you can have. It's only happened 10 times, including the Ashes series we have just witnessed. That's less than the amount of triple centuries hit in Test cricket or perfect games thrown in Major League Baseball.Whitewashes, the term associated with a 5-0 series drubbing, only come around on average once every 20 years or so, only happening more often when a team is great or a team is terrible.
For example, the whitewashes accomplished by the 1920-21 Australians, the 1984 West Indians, the 1985-86 West Indians, and the 2006-07 Australians, all happened mainly because the team that won was good. Really good. For example, the West Indies teams contained in that list are considered to be some of the best ever, along with that 2006-07 Australian team. Interestingly in all of these whitewashes, England were on the receiving end. I honestly don't know what to make of that, but England just happens to be the nation that schedules the most 5-Test series. (Also it must have been embarrassing for England to lose by a combined score of 10-0 to the West Indies over a span of two years, with one of the series being in England, the other in the West Indies)
The other whitewashes, accomplished by the 1931-32 Australians over South Africa, the 1959 English over India, the 1961-62 West Indies over India, the 1998-99 South Africans over the West Indies, and the 2000-01 Australians over the West Indies, all occurred not because the winning team was good, it was rather because the team on the losing end was absolutely terrible. But if you count closely, there are only 9 whitewashes in that list. The 10th, the 2013-14 Australians over England, is still up for debate.
Australia definitely played the better cricket over the 5 Tests, and I am not saying at all that their 5-0 victory was not deserved. Also, basically the same English team played some wonderful cricket in their 3-0 victory over the Australians in the summer. However, I think age caught up to England on this tour. Having one senior player retire and another leave during the middle of the tour just adds to the misery. And I don't think this Australian team has reached the heights of that great team of the 90s and 2000s. Can they?
Well, they've got a series at South Africa coming up next month. We will see then.
Monday, January 6, 2014
Sunday, September 22, 2013
CLT20
The Champions League T20 got underway on Saturday with a game between two of the heavyweights of the T20 format. Mumbai Indians, the team with the most fans of any domestic team, with global stars such as the legend himself Sachin Tendulkar, Kieron Pollard, Harbhajan Singh, and Mitchell Johnson, and ably led by young captain Rohit Sharma, faced off against the Rajasthan Royals, a team short on stars but high on resolve, led by the retiring Rahul Dravid, "The Wall", which would be an appropriate nickname for what they've built up at their home, the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. The Royals have an excellent record at home, so it would be a tough task for the star-studded defending IPL champion Mumbai to come in and breach the fortress.
The build-up to the game focused mainly on the fact that it may be the last time we see two Indian legends, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, on the field together. However when the actual game came along, neither was much of a factor. The Royals won the toss and elected to bowl first on a pitch that was grassy and supported their bowling attack of 5 pacers as opposed to Mumbai's attack of 3 pacers and 2 spinners, although those 2 spinners were Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha, who have periodically bowled together for India. Tendulkar looked back to his best for all of 17 deliveries before he was out, leaving Sharma and Pollard to do the rebuilding work to get them to a competitive score of 142.
The other legend in today's game Dravid, was out for just 1 in the 2nd over. Enter 18 year old Sanju Samson. Samson played an extremely responsible innings of 54 from 47 balls and led the Royals to victory with Shane Watson and Ajinkya Rahane lending able support.
The kid outshines the legends. A changing of the guard within the Indian team is soon to be in store, and Samson will definitely be a part of it.
Some notes from the second day:
Trinidad and Tobago might have the best bowling attack in the tournament.
Chennai are the best all-around team and most consistent team in all of T20 cricket.
Looking forward to tomorrow.
The build-up to the game focused mainly on the fact that it may be the last time we see two Indian legends, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, on the field together. However when the actual game came along, neither was much of a factor. The Royals won the toss and elected to bowl first on a pitch that was grassy and supported their bowling attack of 5 pacers as opposed to Mumbai's attack of 3 pacers and 2 spinners, although those 2 spinners were Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha, who have periodically bowled together for India. Tendulkar looked back to his best for all of 17 deliveries before he was out, leaving Sharma and Pollard to do the rebuilding work to get them to a competitive score of 142.
The other legend in today's game Dravid, was out for just 1 in the 2nd over. Enter 18 year old Sanju Samson. Samson played an extremely responsible innings of 54 from 47 balls and led the Royals to victory with Shane Watson and Ajinkya Rahane lending able support.
The kid outshines the legends. A changing of the guard within the Indian team is soon to be in store, and Samson will definitely be a part of it.
Some notes from the second day:
Trinidad and Tobago might have the best bowling attack in the tournament.
Chennai are the best all-around team and most consistent team in all of T20 cricket.
Looking forward to tomorrow.
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Australia vs New Zealand Preview
Shifting over to the world of rugby with this post.
The Rugby Championship is contested by the four main Southern Hemisphere rugby powers: Australia (the Wallabies), New Zealand (the All Blacks), South Africa (the Springboks) and Argentina (the Pumas). This tournament was originally called the Tri-Nations, being only contested by the Wallabies, All Blacks, and Springboks. From 1996 to 2011, the era of the Tri-Nations, New Zealand were the most successful side, winning the title 10 times, while Australia and South Africa each won three times. Argentina joined the competition in 2012, and it was renamed The Rugby Championship. New Zealand then proceeded to win the 2012 championship by winning all six of their games.
In addition to competing for the Rugby Championship title, Australia and New Zealand also compete for the Bledisloe Cup, a trophy which is decided over three games, the two home-and-home matches the teams play during the Rugby Championship, and a third match, sometimes at a neutral site. New Zealand have held the Bledisloe Cup since 2003, an unprecedented run of 10 straight victories. The greatest Bledisloe Cup match is often deemed to be the greatest match of all time. On July 15, 2000, Australia welcomed New Zealand to Sydney's Olympic Stadium which had just been built for the upcoming Olympics. A record crowd of 109,874 watched an instant classic, to most who watched it, the greatest game of all time. (I won't spoil it for you guys who have never seen it)
Now, on Saturday, Australia welcome back New Zealand to the very same stadium where they played that fateful day in 2000, looking to defeat their arch rivals and take the lead in the Bledisloe Cup series. In his team, Australia's new coach, Ewen McKenzie, named uncapped fly-half Matt Toomua, who I have never seen play but is rated very highly. Most of the forwards are the same as in Australia's last series, against the British and Irish Lions. New Zealand have gone with the tried and true lineup which has gotten them innumerable trophies over the past few years, although they do have some slightly new faces on the wing, with Julian Savea and Ben Smith starting.
Game time is 5 am Saturday morning, so set your alarm, get some coffee or tea, find a stream, and watch one of the greatest spectacles in rugby. Also, if you have never seen the Haka, make sure you find a way to see that.
The Rugby Championship is contested by the four main Southern Hemisphere rugby powers: Australia (the Wallabies), New Zealand (the All Blacks), South Africa (the Springboks) and Argentina (the Pumas). This tournament was originally called the Tri-Nations, being only contested by the Wallabies, All Blacks, and Springboks. From 1996 to 2011, the era of the Tri-Nations, New Zealand were the most successful side, winning the title 10 times, while Australia and South Africa each won three times. Argentina joined the competition in 2012, and it was renamed The Rugby Championship. New Zealand then proceeded to win the 2012 championship by winning all six of their games.
In addition to competing for the Rugby Championship title, Australia and New Zealand also compete for the Bledisloe Cup, a trophy which is decided over three games, the two home-and-home matches the teams play during the Rugby Championship, and a third match, sometimes at a neutral site. New Zealand have held the Bledisloe Cup since 2003, an unprecedented run of 10 straight victories. The greatest Bledisloe Cup match is often deemed to be the greatest match of all time. On July 15, 2000, Australia welcomed New Zealand to Sydney's Olympic Stadium which had just been built for the upcoming Olympics. A record crowd of 109,874 watched an instant classic, to most who watched it, the greatest game of all time. (I won't spoil it for you guys who have never seen it)
Now, on Saturday, Australia welcome back New Zealand to the very same stadium where they played that fateful day in 2000, looking to defeat their arch rivals and take the lead in the Bledisloe Cup series. In his team, Australia's new coach, Ewen McKenzie, named uncapped fly-half Matt Toomua, who I have never seen play but is rated very highly. Most of the forwards are the same as in Australia's last series, against the British and Irish Lions. New Zealand have gone with the tried and true lineup which has gotten them innumerable trophies over the past few years, although they do have some slightly new faces on the wing, with Julian Savea and Ben Smith starting.
Game time is 5 am Saturday morning, so set your alarm, get some coffee or tea, find a stream, and watch one of the greatest spectacles in rugby. Also, if you have never seen the Haka, make sure you find a way to see that.
Thursday, August 1, 2013
The Ashes 3rd Test. Also, the Caribbean Premier League.
Australia 303/3 vs England
Scorecard
Finally a good day for Australia then.
The problem is it took them 10 tries to get a day where they truly dominated the proceedings. They're going to need about 12 more of these in order to complete the greatest Test series comeback of all time. Today also exposed that this Australian team can actually play cricket well, on one condition: Their captain, Michael Clarke, must play well and get a century or at least a substantial score. Case in point: this whole series so far. Clarke hasn't had a very good series; as a result, his young team has no confidence because their captain and main senior player can't get any runs. Today, Clarke played well and was able to kick on and get a century, so his batting partner, Steve Smith, was able to play with confidence knowing his captain would be a guiding hand to help him out in the middle. As a result, Smith played a very composed, mature innings.
Now to see if they can keep it up.
Highlights: http://mycrickethighlights.com/ashes-3rd-test-day-1-cricket-highlights-2013/
Also, I am currently watching the inaugural Caribbean Premier League, and I think it's simply brilliant. The quality of cricket has been good so far, and most importantly, it's putting people back in the seats. Despite their loss last night, T&T look like the favorites to me.
Tomorrow: A post all about the Cricket World Cup because of the launch of the 2015 World Cup on Monday.
Thanks for reading everyone.
Scorecard
Finally a good day for Australia then.
The problem is it took them 10 tries to get a day where they truly dominated the proceedings. They're going to need about 12 more of these in order to complete the greatest Test series comeback of all time. Today also exposed that this Australian team can actually play cricket well, on one condition: Their captain, Michael Clarke, must play well and get a century or at least a substantial score. Case in point: this whole series so far. Clarke hasn't had a very good series; as a result, his young team has no confidence because their captain and main senior player can't get any runs. Today, Clarke played well and was able to kick on and get a century, so his batting partner, Steve Smith, was able to play with confidence knowing his captain would be a guiding hand to help him out in the middle. As a result, Smith played a very composed, mature innings.
Now to see if they can keep it up.
Highlights: http://mycrickethighlights.com/ashes-3rd-test-day-1-cricket-highlights-2013/
Also, I am currently watching the inaugural Caribbean Premier League, and I think it's simply brilliant. The quality of cricket has been good so far, and most importantly, it's putting people back in the seats. Despite their loss last night, T&T look like the favorites to me.
Tomorrow: A post all about the Cricket World Cup because of the launch of the 2015 World Cup on Monday.
Thanks for reading everyone.
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Ashes 2nd Test Day 1
England 289/7 vs Australia
Scorecard
Here are some quick thoughts on the first day's play of the second Ashes Test at Lord's.
1. Ryan Harris was the best of the Australian fast bowlers by a distance today, and Australia should make sure that his injury-prone body is well-managed for the rest of the series.
2. Ian Bell is the real deal. When England were in a wobbly position after being 28/3, he calmly walked in at number five and began scoring freely en route to a vital 109.
3. Steve Smith conjured up memories of a certain Shane Warne today when he took three English wickets in the evening session. However, he is nowhere near the bowler Warne was and the English batsmen should figure him out the rest of the series.
Series prediction: 3-0 or 3-1 England.
Scorecard
Here are some quick thoughts on the first day's play of the second Ashes Test at Lord's.
1. Ryan Harris was the best of the Australian fast bowlers by a distance today, and Australia should make sure that his injury-prone body is well-managed for the rest of the series.
2. Ian Bell is the real deal. When England were in a wobbly position after being 28/3, he calmly walked in at number five and began scoring freely en route to a vital 109.
3. Steve Smith conjured up memories of a certain Shane Warne today when he took three English wickets in the evening session. However, he is nowhere near the bowler Warne was and the English batsmen should figure him out the rest of the series.
Series prediction: 3-0 or 3-1 England.
Monday, July 15, 2013
1-0 England. Also, BOOM BOOM IS BACK!!!
England 215 & 375 beat Australia 280 & 296 by 14 runs
Scorecard
My fellow blogger Matt Becker over at Limited Overs said it was the best Test he ever witnessed. I would have to say that this one runs Galle 2008, the second Test I ever watched, pretty close. That Test in Galle was the second Test of the series between Sri Lanka and India, and it had everything. Virender Sehwag's best innings (better than both his 300s), a 201 where he carried his bat on a pitch that was doing everything. The vaunted Indian middle order of Tendulkar, Dravid, Ganguly, and Laxman against Murali and Mendis. And finally, a delicately poised match going into the final day which India wrested away from the Sri Lankans to even the series. Sehwag's batting in that Test made me wonder "why doesn't everyone just bat like that?' It took me all the way up until Sehwag's recent drop in form to truly realize why.
This Test, too, had everything. A shock debut, two great bowling attacks, a man under pressure making a vital, match-winning century, and a finely poised match going into the final day. Except this match remained finely poised until the very last delivery of the match. And it was only fitting that it should go down to the last delivery being decided on DRS (cricket's version of instant replay, for the neophytes) and England winning because they rightly called for the review.
A commenter in Matt's article on the fifth day's play commented on how he can recall specific Tests from memory that he watched live. I think I'll start that list too.
Galle 2008, Trent Bridge 2013.
Hopefully I can add to this list in the years to come.
Pakistan 224/9 beat West Indies 98 by 126 runs
Scorecard
Now transferring from the long-lasting traditions of Test cricket to the not so long-lasting innings of Shahid Afridi. Except, that is, on days like yesterday, when he makes watching cricket so much more fun. 76 off 55 and 7/12. Next thing you know, he'll be dropped for something or other and announce his retirement... before coming back again.
Anyways, Boom Boom is back and the cricket world is better off for it.
See you tomorrow for the 2nd ODI between West Indies and Pakistan (it's on ESPN3, hooray!) and on Thursday for the 2nd Test between England and Australia at Lord's. If you haven't seen Lord's before, find a stream between the hours of 5 am and noon, because it really is breathtaking.
Scorecard
My fellow blogger Matt Becker over at Limited Overs said it was the best Test he ever witnessed. I would have to say that this one runs Galle 2008, the second Test I ever watched, pretty close. That Test in Galle was the second Test of the series between Sri Lanka and India, and it had everything. Virender Sehwag's best innings (better than both his 300s), a 201 where he carried his bat on a pitch that was doing everything. The vaunted Indian middle order of Tendulkar, Dravid, Ganguly, and Laxman against Murali and Mendis. And finally, a delicately poised match going into the final day which India wrested away from the Sri Lankans to even the series. Sehwag's batting in that Test made me wonder "why doesn't everyone just bat like that?' It took me all the way up until Sehwag's recent drop in form to truly realize why.
This Test, too, had everything. A shock debut, two great bowling attacks, a man under pressure making a vital, match-winning century, and a finely poised match going into the final day. Except this match remained finely poised until the very last delivery of the match. And it was only fitting that it should go down to the last delivery being decided on DRS (cricket's version of instant replay, for the neophytes) and England winning because they rightly called for the review.
A commenter in Matt's article on the fifth day's play commented on how he can recall specific Tests from memory that he watched live. I think I'll start that list too.
Galle 2008, Trent Bridge 2013.
Hopefully I can add to this list in the years to come.
Pakistan 224/9 beat West Indies 98 by 126 runs
Scorecard
Now transferring from the long-lasting traditions of Test cricket to the not so long-lasting innings of Shahid Afridi. Except, that is, on days like yesterday, when he makes watching cricket so much more fun. 76 off 55 and 7/12. Next thing you know, he'll be dropped for something or other and announce his retirement... before coming back again.
Anyways, Boom Boom is back and the cricket world is better off for it.
See you tomorrow for the 2nd ODI between West Indies and Pakistan (it's on ESPN3, hooray!) and on Thursday for the 2nd Test between England and Australia at Lord's. If you haven't seen Lord's before, find a stream between the hours of 5 am and noon, because it really is breathtaking.
Thursday, July 11, 2013
A Record-Breaking Day
England 215 & 80/2 Australia 280
England lead by 15 runs
Scorecard
I woke up at 8:30 this morning, and the ESPNCricinfo notifications I saw on my phone told me that Australia had been reduced to 117/9. Right, I was thinking, England will get them out for 150 at most and take the ascendancy in the match. However, I had failed to realize until I pulled up Cricinfo that Australia had already made much more than 150.
I saw that Australia had somehow gotten to 238/9 thanks to semi-experienced campaigner Phillip Hughes and a young man I didn't even know was in Australia's squad until a couple weeks ago. Ashton Agar, all of 19 years of age, more known for his left-arm spin bowling than his batting, which is why he was batting at number 11, was on 71 from 71 deliveries, along with Hughes who was on 66 from 108. Now since I got introduced to cricket in 2008, I have been privileged to see many great moments happen live, such as Ajantha Mendis' 6/13 against India, Sachin Tendulkar's 200 against South Africa, MS Dhoni's six to win the World Cup, Hashim Amla's 311 against England, Marlon Samuels' 78 against Sri Lanka, and Tino Best's 95 against England, the previous high score by a number 11. Moments like those have stuck with me, and this one today has definitely joined them. As I eagerly found an online stream to watch the action, and to see whether young Agar would go any farther, I began to think about the enormity of the situation. Here was a 19-year-old who came in with his team at 117/9 staring into a substantial deficit on his international debut. And what does he do? He plays every shot in the book. Powerful, well-timed drives against the fast bowlers. Audacious straight sixes, off an accomplished spinner in Graeme Swann, no less. On top of it all, Agar conducted his business with the biggest smile at Trent Bridge today, more so than the England fans' in the morning and the Australian fans' in the afternoon. Agar ended up making 98 of the best runs I have ever seen made by a player in that sort of situation. The only situation I can think of that even comes close to this is this 2010 match between Sri Lanka and Australia. When Agar got out, pulling the ball to deep midwicket, he still had the same smile on his face that he had while playing all his lovely shots.
Well played Ashton Agar, and if this doesn't get you a promotion from number 11, I don't know what will.
After Australia were finally dismissed for 280, England went about consolidating and not trying to lose wickets until the end of the day. After Mitchell Starc, a left-arm fast bowler for Australia, took the wickets of Joe Root and Jonathan Trott in consecutive balls, both on questionable calls, Alastair Cook and Kevin Pietersen batted until the end of the day, getting England to 80/2.
A cracking Day 3 is in prospect, so wake up at 5 am, grab some coffee or tea, and find an online stream to watch the action!
In other cricketing news today...
India 203/9 beat Sri Lanka 201 by 1 wicket
Scorecard
MS Dhoni is quickly proving that he is the best captain in world cricket. After Dhoni got injured in the first game of this ODI tri-series in the West Indies, involving the hosts West Indies, India, and Sri Lanka, his Indian team looked listless in their first game under new leader Virat Kohli, conceding 374 against Sri Lanka. The stage was set for a half-fit Dhoni to make his return to the team after India scraped through to the final after a win over the Sri Lankans. And what a part he played. India were chasing a seemingly easy target of 202, and Dhoni walked to the crease with India at 139/4. Then India went through a momentary collapse which left them at 182/9. Dhoni has this ability to make his players better, and he did that with last man Ishant Sharma today, inspiring Ishant to fend off the Sri Lankan bowlers eagerly searching for the final wicket. It all came down to India needing 15 off the last over. Leave it to Mr. Cool. Six, four, six, and the game was over. Dhoni has truly proven in his career that he has the Midas touch. Also, this series was available on ESPN3, so head there if you want to catch the action from what was a great match.
England lead by 15 runs
Scorecard
I woke up at 8:30 this morning, and the ESPNCricinfo notifications I saw on my phone told me that Australia had been reduced to 117/9. Right, I was thinking, England will get them out for 150 at most and take the ascendancy in the match. However, I had failed to realize until I pulled up Cricinfo that Australia had already made much more than 150.
I saw that Australia had somehow gotten to 238/9 thanks to semi-experienced campaigner Phillip Hughes and a young man I didn't even know was in Australia's squad until a couple weeks ago. Ashton Agar, all of 19 years of age, more known for his left-arm spin bowling than his batting, which is why he was batting at number 11, was on 71 from 71 deliveries, along with Hughes who was on 66 from 108. Now since I got introduced to cricket in 2008, I have been privileged to see many great moments happen live, such as Ajantha Mendis' 6/13 against India, Sachin Tendulkar's 200 against South Africa, MS Dhoni's six to win the World Cup, Hashim Amla's 311 against England, Marlon Samuels' 78 against Sri Lanka, and Tino Best's 95 against England, the previous high score by a number 11. Moments like those have stuck with me, and this one today has definitely joined them. As I eagerly found an online stream to watch the action, and to see whether young Agar would go any farther, I began to think about the enormity of the situation. Here was a 19-year-old who came in with his team at 117/9 staring into a substantial deficit on his international debut. And what does he do? He plays every shot in the book. Powerful, well-timed drives against the fast bowlers. Audacious straight sixes, off an accomplished spinner in Graeme Swann, no less. On top of it all, Agar conducted his business with the biggest smile at Trent Bridge today, more so than the England fans' in the morning and the Australian fans' in the afternoon. Agar ended up making 98 of the best runs I have ever seen made by a player in that sort of situation. The only situation I can think of that even comes close to this is this 2010 match between Sri Lanka and Australia. When Agar got out, pulling the ball to deep midwicket, he still had the same smile on his face that he had while playing all his lovely shots.
Well played Ashton Agar, and if this doesn't get you a promotion from number 11, I don't know what will.
After Australia were finally dismissed for 280, England went about consolidating and not trying to lose wickets until the end of the day. After Mitchell Starc, a left-arm fast bowler for Australia, took the wickets of Joe Root and Jonathan Trott in consecutive balls, both on questionable calls, Alastair Cook and Kevin Pietersen batted until the end of the day, getting England to 80/2.
A cracking Day 3 is in prospect, so wake up at 5 am, grab some coffee or tea, and find an online stream to watch the action!
In other cricketing news today...
India 203/9 beat Sri Lanka 201 by 1 wicket
Scorecard
MS Dhoni is quickly proving that he is the best captain in world cricket. After Dhoni got injured in the first game of this ODI tri-series in the West Indies, involving the hosts West Indies, India, and Sri Lanka, his Indian team looked listless in their first game under new leader Virat Kohli, conceding 374 against Sri Lanka. The stage was set for a half-fit Dhoni to make his return to the team after India scraped through to the final after a win over the Sri Lankans. And what a part he played. India were chasing a seemingly easy target of 202, and Dhoni walked to the crease with India at 139/4. Then India went through a momentary collapse which left them at 182/9. Dhoni has this ability to make his players better, and he did that with last man Ishant Sharma today, inspiring Ishant to fend off the Sri Lankan bowlers eagerly searching for the final wicket. It all came down to India needing 15 off the last over. Leave it to Mr. Cool. Six, four, six, and the game was over. Dhoni has truly proven in his career that he has the Midas touch. Also, this series was available on ESPN3, so head there if you want to catch the action from what was a great match.
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