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This year’s club, the allure of each year’s edition needs no explanation. Younger generations are perhaps more likely to ask “What is the point?” The answer in 2017, it seems, is Virat Kohli (as it is to most cricket-related questions these days). India’s captain is pictured on the cover of the latest , bat poised horizontally to reverse-sweep during the Test series destruction of England, and the sense of cricket past meeting cricket future is palpable.Kohli’s backdrop is, of course, a familiar yellow hue. Some things do not change. Lawrence Booth is now well into his stride as editor (this is his sixth edition) and there is a clear sense of how the is large, it contains multitudes.This year’s trove includes the usual gems: Five Cricketers of the Year, Notes by the Editor, the Index of Unusual Occurrences, and Errata, which faithfully records a mistake in Cambridge’s averages from the 1913 edition (it is never too late to get such things right). There is also a broad range of piquant commentary, encompassing global warming (and a surprise threat to English swing), the story of six-hitting (the key unit of currency in “cricket’s bling economy”, according to Gideon Haigh) and the dark side of IPL success, to accompany diligently compiled series reviews from across the globe (disclaimer: including one by this author).Kohli’s award for leading cricketer in the world was inevitable after a juggernaut year in which he became, as Booth writes, “the spiritual successor to Sachin Tendulkar”. Putting him on the cover was equally logical, after England produced the sort of uneven success that only a curate could approve of – though Eoin Morgan’s one-day side, chasing 50-over silverware this summer, is pushing to get pyjamas their proper recognition.The decision by Morgan to miss the Bangladesh tour last year on security grounds was questioned by some but receives an empathetic appraisal from Booth, who suggests that the forthcoming Champions Trophy will provide a chance “to remind critics that the English game is lucky to have Morgan”. Elsewhere in the Notes, the editor addresses Durham’s controversial demise (which is later explored in greater detail by Stephen Brenkley), ICC politicking, and the “indignities” suffered by Indian fans (as distinct from the touring Barmies) in their own stadiums.WisdenThe international flavour continues with Pakistan’s venerable, and now retiring, duo of Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan among the feted Five (an honour that can be won only once); and Australia’s Ellyse Perry is named the Leading Women’s Cricketer – although it is a little hard to find her, tucked away on page 1169. Nearer the front, Clare Connor remembers the “game-changer” Rachael Heyhoe-Flint, and there is another touching tribute to Tony Cozier, eulogised as a media “allrounder of Sobers proportions” by Vic Marks.We live in divided times, although English cricket is at least familiar with such strife – from the KP saga to England’s impending T20 revolution, which Ashley Giles recently referred to as the domestic game’s version of Brexit. The EU referendum makes an appearance in Alex Massie’s fine dissection of cricket’s politics, while it is also pleasing to see another fault line addressed in a piece on England’s slowing production line of working-class heroes (written by a genuine working-class hero, too, in editor Phil Walker).It is tempting to wonder where the reader sits on the wobbly political axis of 2017. Is buying a £50 book with an Indian batsman on the front, leafing idly through the pages and gazing with bourgeois satisfaction at the ever-growing collection on the shelf symbolic of being part of the metropolitan elite? Or does a predilection for a hardback tome devoted to annually chronicling the most conservative of sports in the manner of time-honoured ritual indicate membership of the group of Empire nostalgics who have (ironically) led the revolt against globalisation?But that brings us back to the point of , which is to gather the game’s followers together in celebration. The global village and the village green may have never been further apart but cricket’s bible is still being passed on faithfully down the years, drawing people in with its mystical yellow glow. Why, even as I was poring over my new copy on the train, a man gestured to his young son: “Daddy has a big collection of those to show you at home.” Sooner or later, it’s a fair bet he’ll be ready to join the club.Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack 2017
Edited by Lawrence Booth
Bloomsbury
1536 pages, £50

They overcame terrible running between the wickets and a snoozy start with the ball to nearly defend 206 against South Africa

Jarrod Kimber at Leicester26-Jun-2017Pakistan lost their World Cup opener with one over and three wickets to spare. As far as contests go, for most of the time, it was like an angry male silverback gorilla fighting a coy mouse. But to look at this as a loss or just a disappointing moment would be wrong. Pakistan showed what captain Sana Mir called “the fighting spirit”.Against what is probably the quickest attack in women’s cricket, with Shabnim Ismail steaming in, trying to prove she’s the fastest in the world, it could have been horrible. Ismail and the rest of her quartet could have ripped through Pakistan with pace. Instead her first ball was quick but short and wide and it was smashed away to the backward-point boundary.Forget being blown away, after eight overs they had seen off Ismail and Marizanne Kapp; they were 43 for 1. Had it not been for the sublime swing bowling of Moseline Daniels, they might taken flight. Instead they weren’t blown away, they just stood still. How still, pretty damn still, stiller than teams usually get in ODIs. Pakistan women scored only five runs off the bat in a five-over period. They twice played out two consecutive maidens, including the 40th and 41st overs. But despite the six maidens and periods of statue-like batting, they kept fighting.South Africa bowled wide to a Pakistan side filled with bottom-hand dominant batsmen. According to , they scored 27% of their runs between the keeper and point. Part of that was them adjusting to the extra pace, or just trying to reach it. The bigger problem was how many times they hit the ball straight to point, like it was some elaborate fielding drill.It was only Nahida Khan who looked completely top class. She hit balls through the packed off-side field with such ease they seemed on rails. When she needed a boundary, she would clear her front leg and try a controlled swing. One she smashed so well it cleared long-on for six. This combination of perfect timing and calculated chances made for a quality innings. The only problem was the end.Nahida cleared her front leg and tried to smash the ball over the leg side. Instead, she skied a ball over mid-on’s head. Even with the smaller boundaries, accounting for Daniels’ incredible athleticism and the lucky bounce she received, you’d have to be almost actively not wanting to run to only get a single. But that is what Nahida ventured after she was slow to react, and then was sent back by Kainat Imtiaz. It was terrible running and was made worse next ball when Imtiaz slapped a ball straight to Ismail at deep cover. They were trying to make up for the lack of two off the last ball and decided to turn an easy single into a non-existent two. Nahadia turned blind, and she ended up one metre and 21 runs short of a hundred.It wasn’t even the saddest mistake of the day. Nain Abidi’s wicket deserves to be put into the hall of shame for worst shots played when well set in the middle overs of an ODI. She raced down at a legbreak from Suné Luus even before the ball was bowled, allowing Luus to drop it shorter and give it a rip. Abidi never got within metres of the the ball, in length, line, or pitch and then while still on the run tried to play an off-balance slog-sweep. Even if she wasn’t given out stumped, she might have given out stupid. And it was these sorts of errors from set Pakistan batsmen that left them 30 short of a defendable total on 206.Sana Mir nearly marshalled Pakistan to victory in a defence of 206•International Cricket CouncilSouth Africa did the opposite: they made 113 before losing their first wicket. Pakistan’s bowlers beat the bat once or twice, there was one pretty ordinary drop, but for most of the time they were watching the game and not actually participating in it. Lizelle Lee blasted a six 30 metres beyond the boundary, and on her own outscored Pakistan’s six tally. That should have been it, but then Pakistan found “the fighting spirit”.It was as if a completely new team came out to take over. The coy mouse became a screaming tiger, and the silverback gorilla became a chimpanzee on a unicycle. Pakistan fielders were swarming as one, like this green alien invasion, no matter where the ball went, it seemed like every player was making her way over. When the ball was dropped on the off side they had about 35 fielders in the ring. Their spinners became harder to hit, as if the ball had become a shuttlecock. And South Africa completely panicked. They had two batsmen at the same end once. And they ran off a fumble when the ball only went two metres from the fielder and the stumps.Sidra Nawaz missed a stumping when Pakistan were appealing for a caught behind. And yes, they were unlucky when Luus was hit plumb in front and not given. But this was now their game, forget the fading batting performance and the snoozy start to their bowling, South Africa had lost seven wickets and were pouring gasoline on themselves every time they set off for a run.With 12 balls remaining, South Africa needed 16 runs. Considering how the game, and most importantly, the last bit of the chase, had gone, it seemed a monumental task. But Mir used Imtiaz who at that stage had gone for more runs per over than anyone else in the game, and her last three overs cost 33 runs. The problem was that Mir had run out of her other front-line bowlers. She had bowled the 48th over over, so couldn’t bowl until the last over. She could have thrown the ball back to Bismah Maroof, who had 1 for 7 from two overs. But Mir was afraid of full tosses from the spinner, so she backed her seamer.Javera Wadood dived as far as she could fling herself, and ended up face down in the dirt as the ball went to the boundary. Ayesha Zafar ran as fast as she could but only got fingers on a ball that wasn’t slowed down enough not to make the rope. And then Imtiaz’s sixth ball was thumped down the ground by Ismail who passed 20 runs for the fifth time in her 71 ODIs. South Africa scored all 16 runs in the 49th, the most productive over in a low-scoring game, and finally defeated Pakistan.But Pakistan didn’t look, or act like a losing team at the end. And they shouldn’t have.On Sunday, Nahida scored more than any Pakistan women ever has in a World Cup innings.They took on a seam-bowling attack in England and almost beat it. They scored their highest ever total in a World Cup, and Mir said, “I’m a happy captain”. Pakistan lost the game, but not their fighting spirit.

For the good of the game, the ECB’s broadcast rights deal couldn’t afford to fail; in the circumstances, it seems nothing short of a triumph

Andrew Miller01-Jul-2017Tom Harrison, the ECB’s chief executive, was – to put it mildly – the cat who got the cream as he walked into the Lord’s media centre on Friday afternoon to answer questions about a groundbreaking TV rights deal.”Are you interviewing us?” one senior member of the press corps asked, as Harrison prefaced his round-table chat by inviting the assembled journalists to give their own verdict on the day’s news.That in itself was a revealingly self-confident gesture, born of the knowledge that the most important rights tender in the history of English cricket could scarcely have panned out better for the board, or by extension (and rarely can this be said with a straight face in the grubby world of sports business) the sport that the ECB represents.To be clear, that is not quite the same as saying this was English cricket’s perfect day. Too many short-sighted decisions have been made over too long a time frame for the sport’s mounting problems to be eradicated in a single hit. The details of this latest announcement cannot hope to satisfy every supporter – fans of Test cricket may be concerned at its secondary status, for instance, while there will be those who fear that the ECB has swapped one existential crisis for another by forcing through a raft of constitutional changes to make its new products as cosmetically alluring as possible.But let us also be clear. This was the deal that could not afford to fail, and on the terms under which it was conducted, it has been little short of a triumph.Harrison can take a lot of the credit for that. As a former executive at IMG, his surprise appointment in October 2014 as David Collier’s successor had been made almost entirely with this rights tender in mind, as the ECB – and, crucially, Sky Sports as well – began to face up to the realities of more than a decade of mutual over-reliance.In the 13 years that had elapsed since English cricket took the plunge and threw in its lot with the cash-rich but context-poor world of subscription TV, the received wisdom had been that reach and revenue were mutually exclusive. Since 2006, Sky’s cash had helped to transform the ECB itself into a titanic entity in the British sporting landscape, while its sympathetic stewarding of an at-times awkward sport has been genre-defining. But in a pure numbers game, Sky’s audience had consistently paled compared to those days of yore when the national summer sport had been pumped out, reluctantly at times but consistently all the same, by the national broadcaster.The consensus going into this rights cycle, therefore – shrewdly accepted by both host and lead broadcaster – was that at least a partial return to that mainstream was needed to help convert the uninitiated and propagate a business model that had been in desperate need of new blood. “Sky have invested very heavily in our future but it’s not purely about the money,” said Harrison. “It’s about a belief that we can create a transformational environment for cricket going forward. We’ve entered into a different paradigm where that partnership is concerned.”ECB chief executive Tom Harrison: “Sky have invested very heavily in our future but it’s not purely about the money.”•Getty ImagesAnd so now, with Sky’s clear blessing, the BBC is back on board, set to bestow its largesse on the sport once again after a hiatus of 21 years. In the interim, innumerable executives have argued, from one rights cycle to the next, that the sporting landscape has shifted so rapidly that the traditional free-to-air debate cannot possibly still be relevant. And, on the one hand, that is undeniably true – the importance of digital clip rights, for instance, a fundamental aspect of the BBC’s side of the bargain for 2020-2024, could hardly have been factored in back in 1998. But on the other hand, there are still some aspects of the old order that retain a near-mythical status – take Harrison’s assertion, for instance, that the primetime highlights will be pumped out on BBC2, rather than BBC4, presumably to catch those casual seekers of Gardeners World or Newsnight, rather than cater to an audience that, in straying from the normal channels, might already have known what it was looking for.It is this opportunity for random access, rather than the actual “free” aspect of the free-to-air debate, that is arguably the most significant factor of the BBC’s return to the fray. Writing in Wisden in 2005, the editor Matthew Engel predicted that the longer-term effects of cricket’s absence from the mainstream would take “a generation to unfold”, and sure enough, we have reached that tipping point now. There are teenagers and young adults missing from the game today who, with only the merest of initial glimpses, could have been ranging from casual fans to candidates for national honours by now. Instead, the sport is such a mystery to them that many will not have watched a single one of Alastair Cook’s England-record tally of 11,057 runs. Even allowing for gross apathy, how many kids of the 1980s and 1990s could have said the same of Graham Gooch or David Gower?That’s not to say that the BBC wasn’t complicit in the decisions that caused the game to be cut off from its fan base. In 2004, when Sky swooped in to become the ECB’s exclusive broadcast partner, they did so amid a climate of disillusionment from cricket’s terrestrial options. The BBC didn’t even table a bid for the rights that it had lost to Channel 4 five years earlier, and when that pattern was repeated for the 2008 tender, it led Giles Clarke, the then-chairman, to rail against the broadcaster for nevertheless finding enough cash to bid a estimated £250 million for motor racing.”How many people play Formula One?” he had said, acidly. “The BBC could have used that money to buy two Twenty20 internationals a year.”Well, they’ve done just that now, and pitched in for ten as-yet unidentified domestic T20s as well, all the while being kept well clear of the tasty bout of arm-wrestling going on above them. It is a credit to the careful positioning of the ECB’s tender that Sky and BT Sports were given the room to flex their muscles and propel the central broadcasting deal to vertigo-inducing heights, without allowing the bottom line to take top billing.On the contrary, the chance for those broadcasters to become something more than just customers appears to have been an alluring proposition, particularly for Sky, whose grip on the Premier League football market has been loosened in recent seasons by the ground-shaking sums of cash that BT has been willing to fling onto the pitch, but whose determination to cling onto cricket has been redoubled as a consequence. At £1.1 billion, the overall package is more than double the £445 million that Sky coughed up at the last auction in 2012 – and adds up to what Harrison described as a ” gamechanger for cricket in this country”.”We set out 18 months ago to get a balance of reach, revenue and exposure,” Harrison said. “Now we have strategic partnerships where previously we had purely transactional relationships, and that’s a hugely exciting moment for us.”Sky have ambitious plans in place for the new domestic T20 league•Getty ImagesHow those partnerships will manifest themselves will be fascinating to behold. For Sky’s part, perhaps the most fundamental aspect will be their role in moulding the new domestic T20 league – to suit both their broadcasting purposes and their stated commitment to the ECB’s participation agenda.The details of the tournament have been left deliberately vague up until now, precisely because the final sign-off was always intended to be a gift to the successful bidder. But Sky’s commitment to English cricket has never been in doubt, and they now have the chance to take command of one of the central planks of the new rights cycle, where previously they would have been restricted both by the prerequisites of the international calendar, and by the ECB’s Articles of Association. It can only be assumed in the circumstances, given what they know of the sport in which they have invested so heavily down the years, that they will be as sympathetic to the game’s heritage as they reasonably can be.”We have ambitious plans for the T20,” said Harrison. “It’s got to do a big job for us to bring new audiences to the game, because we are thinking about new audiences in pretty much everything we are doing. We want this to be a joint effort with the biggest media buyer in the country, putting its shoulder to the wheel to get more kids playing.”As for the BBC, their input is likely to be more nuanced. There may be a limit to how much impact their annual allocation of live games can realistically have, but that is arguably true when it comes to the Beeb’s occasional broadcasting of FA Cup matches and England football internationals as well. What cannot be in any doubt, in both cases, is their ability to turn the stars of those teams into household names through the breadth and depth of their coverage, as indeed they have done with Team GB’s medallists at a succession of summer and winter Olympics.And on that front, cricket has watched jealously from the sidelines for too long. One of the most telltale signs of the sport’s invisibility in recent years has come every December at the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year awards, a popularity contest as much as a measure of outright excellence, but one that still manages to capture the imagination of casual sports fans like few other events. England’s cricketers haven’t produced a winner since Andrew Flintoff for the 2005 Ashes, while they’ve warranted just a handful of token nominations since cricket left terrestrial TV the following summer.With due respect to Danny Willett, Kadeena Cox and Adam Peaty, three of last year’s nominees, the likes of Joe Root, Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali should be shoo-ins for such recognition year in, year out. From 2020 onwards, they will at least be back in the picture. And, leaving aside for the time being all other arguments about the look and feel of the deal, that fundamental return to relevance can only be for the greater good of the game.

Rangpur Riders mixed solid supporting acts with the firepower of their big-hitters to power through the latter half of the tournament

Mohammad Isam13-Dec-2017Tournament reviewRangpur Riders were deserving winners of this year’s BPL, and not only because of their hired guns. They peaked at the right time, razing their playoff opponents in one big performance after another. They took down a youthful Khulna Titans side in the eliminator, before riding out the controversial two-day second qualifier against Comilla Victorians. In the final, they never pressed the panic button as Chris Gayle and Brendon McCullum burned down Dhaka Dynamites, the pre-tournament favourites.As usual, Mashrafe Mortaza led the team superbly while contributing with his all-round abilities. He was the team’s best bowler, regularly giving them early breakthroughs and standing up when the opposition got big on them.Rangpur also got success through local players like Mohammad Mithun, Nazmul Islam and Sohag Gazi who performed better than expected. Ravi Bopara and Rubel Hossain also provided important runs and wickets. It was also a maiden BPL title for Tom Moody, in his first season coaching in the tournament.What workedGayle and McCullum finally came good in the playoffs, as did Johnson Charles. Mithun and Bopara were their consistent performers in the league stage while among the bowlers, Mashrafe and Nazmul were the most effective.What didn’t workRangpur missed Thisara Perera after he had to leave for international duty. Kusal Perera, Adam Lyth and Ziaur Rahman also didn’t fit their plans while Sam Hain remained untested.Tips for 2018The maiden BPL title should motivate Rangpur to contract some more top T20 cricketers in the next season.

India-Pakistan clashes have never been short of passion and excitement at the Under-19 World Cup. We look at five memorable clashes from previous editions

Shashank Kishore in Christchurch29-Jan-2018India and Pakistan will meet in the second semi-final for the right to face three-time champions Australia in the 2018 Under-19 World Cup final in Mount Maunganui on February 3. The rivalry is fierce, but unlike in the men’s World Cup, where India have a 6-0 advantage, Pakistan hold the slight edge here. Contests between the two have been engrossing, and only occasionally one-sided. Here is a look back at five of them from previous editions:Group-stage fixture in Dubai, 2014India brushed aside questions over their preparedness after they had lost both warm-ups, and turned up on the big day. Sanju Samson, who had already played top-flight cricket with Rajasthan Royals at the Champions League T20 just a few months earlier, consolidated with a half-century. But it was Sarfaraz Khan, the 16-year old, billed as a special talent in Mumbai’s cricketing circles, who set the stage with a combative half-century that propelled India to 262 on a sluggish Dubai surface. It proved to be 40 too many for Pakistan, after Deepak Hooda returned five wickets with his flat offbreaks.Quarter-final in Townsville, 2012Returning from illness, left-arm spinner Harmeet Singh was prolific with the ball, and bailed India out with the bat. While Sandeep did the bulk of the damage with three wickets, Harmeet’s 1 for 20 in 10 overs played a part in Pakistan tumbling for 136. That ought to have sufficed for a relaxing second half, but it was anything but.ICC/GettyStill 17 away, India had stumbled to 120 for 6. When 10 were needed, they were 127 for 9, fast bowlers Azizullah and Ehsan Adil triggering the meltdown. Harmeet was left with No. 11 Sandeep Sharma to salvage a win. The pair batted for seven overs with admirable composure to drag India over.Quarter-final in Lincoln, 2010In cold and grey Lincoln, Pakistan seamer Fayyad Butt made use of helpful conditions to snare 4 for 27 and limit India to 114 for 9 in a match reduced to 23 overs a side. Pakistan, though, came out playing shots, and at 16 for 3, it was game on.It was then down to middle-order batsman Hammad Azam, whose brisk cameo knocked out the defending champions.Jaydev Unadkat, an IPL millionaire on Sunday, ended a brief recovery as Pakistan were five down needing another 37. With 24 needed off 16, Mohammad Waqas smashed Ashok Menaria over midwicket for six, but fell next ball. With 16 needed off 12, a timely four from Usman Qadir brought the equation down to a run a ball, but he too fell next ball.Amid the swinging fortunes, Hammad brought out his adventurous streak, biffing Sandeep across the line for six over midwicket, and then scooping Unadkat for four over short fine leg. Now, Pakistan needed just four off the final over, but lost Sarmad Bhatti off the second ball. Hammad, however, crossed over, and took control of the situation by slapping Sandeep through point to seal a thrilling two-wicket win.Final in Colombo, 2006A decade before they would become Test cricketers, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja were starry-eyed teenagers eyeing a World Cup prize when they ran into familiar opponents Pakistan in the final. The trophy must have seemed a formality when Pakistan were bundled out for 109. Not in the face of Anwar Ali’s swing, as he demolished Piyush Chawla’s record for best figures in a final with a five-for that floored India.AFPGaurav Dhiman, who had earned a reputation of being a hard-hitter upfront, was out first ball. Pujara was dismissed off Anwar’s first ball, to a potentially harsh lbw call. Rohit was bowled by an inswinger from the same bowler, and India were in tatters at 23 for 7. Chawla and Pinal Shah resisted to bring the target under 50. As the two looked increasingly comfortable, Pakistan’s fielders began to stutter. But when Shah got one that reared up from nowhere to kiss the edge, the end was near. Amid the carnage, Chawla stood inconsolable, after a performance that could’ve earned him a Player of the Final on most days. Pakistan had done the unthinkable.Semifinal in Dhaka, 2004With 497 runs in the competition, Shikhar Dhawan was in the form of his life. But when he fell for 8, India crumbled under pressure to fold for 169. It left the bowlers with a too tall a task in superb batting conditions in Dhaka. Despite that, Dhiman and RP Singh broke open the game, swinging the ball under lights, as Pakistan lost half their side with 83 on the board. But Fawad Alam stood tall, and with Tariq Mahmood, put on an unbroken 88-run stand to snuff out India’s fight. This match was a lesson for Pakistan in how to ease pressure in a stiff. They would go on to beat West Indies and win the tournament.

The 17-year old broke a 21-year-old record and is the youngest ever to score a double-century across formats in men’s or women’s internationals

Gaurav Sundararaman13-Jun-2018Awesome AmeliaAmelia Kerr entered the record books by scoring the highest individual score in women’s ODIs. She broke a 21-year-old record, going past Belinda Clark’s 229 that was scored in 1997 against Denmark in Mumbai. Kerr also became only the second woman to score a double-century in ODIs. She reached her double-century in just 134 balls. Before this series, Kerr’s highest ODI score was 30 and she had scored 174 runs overall in her ODI career. Kerr’s innings on Wednesday consisted of 31 fours – the highest in women’s cricket and second highest behind Rohit Sharma’s 33 during his 264.Youngest to a double-centuryKerr also became the joint third-youngest (17 years and 243 days) woman to score an ODI century when she was promoted to open the innings for the first time in her career. Mithali Raj holds the record for the youngest to an ODI century when she got to that feat at 16 years and 205 days, also against Ireland. Three of the top five centuries scored by the youngest players were scored against Ireland. Kerr also became the youngest ever to score a double-century across formats in international cricket. The previous youngest was Javed Miandad in Tests when he scored a – double hundred at 19 years and 140 days.ESPNcricinfo LtdNew Zealand pile on the miseryJust like Kerr, Leigh Kasperek also batted higher than her normal position to score her maiden ODI century. Kasperek’s previous highest ODI score was 21. No. 3 Kasperek and Kerr together added 295 runs, making it the highest second-wicket partnership in women’s ODIs. New Zealand women also became the first team in men’s or women’s ODIs to score 400 or more runs in their third consecutive match.

Keaton Jennings and Ben Stokes provided moments of magic in the field while England’s spinners thrived in foreign conditions

George Dobell27-Nov-20189.5Ben Foakes (277 runs at 69.25, eight catches and two stumpings)
A wonderfully poised arrival at the top level. Foakes was the top run-scorer on either side and, in Jos Buttler’s words, gave other keepers a “wake-up call” with the high standard of his glovework. He made a century on his first day in Test cricket – becoming the first England keeper to make one in Asia in the process – and then equalled the record for the quickest dismissal by a debutant keeper with the second delivery of the Sri Lanka reply. Within a few hours he had taken a stumping, too. Classy and selfless with the bat, almost flawless with the gloves, Foakes deservedly won the player of the series award.8Keaton Jennings (233 runs at 46.60)
While the runs fell away after a wonderful start in Galle (where he scored 192 in the game), Jennings found a way to contribute with a succession of outstanding catches – and a memorable assist – at short leg that may have taken expectations of the role to a new level. His high mark reflects his ability to shape games, rather than any particular statistical excellence – in Pallekele, in particular, his fielding might have made the difference between winning and losing. That century in Galle was very good, though the Australia seamers may well be licking their lips in anticipation of bowling to him in the Ashes.Ben Stokes (187 runs at 31.16, five wickets at 20.40)
Immense. The Sri Lanka coach, Chandika Hathurusingha, rated Stokes as the difference between the sides and it is hard to disagree. Stokes added a new dimension to the England attack by somehow managing to bounce batsmen out on sluggish surfaces, finishing as the fastest bowler in the series (he was the only man to break 90mph) and the highest wicket-taker among seam bowlers. Outstanding in the field – his run-out of Dimuth Karunaratne in Pallekele was a high point – he also produced two important half-centuries, and two scores in the 40s, with the bat. Anyone following the series via scorecard may wonder what the fuss is about; anyone watching it will know he was England’s most valuable player.Jos Buttler (250 runs at 41.66)
In a relatively low-scoring series, Buttler contributed several important innings with five scores between 34 and 64. Most impressive was his ability to adapt his game to the conditions and requirements of his team. So while he swept his way to success in Pallekele, he did it in Colombo by coming down the wicket to the spinners. In more comfortable batting conditions, his contributions may look modest. In this context, they were vital.Jack Leach (18 wickets at 21.38)
The man who made England’s spin attack work. Leach’s control meant the pressure was lifted from England’s other spinners who could instead concentrate on a more aggressive approach. Experienced in bowling in helpful conditions, he remained calm and patient whatever the circumstances and claimed a maiden five-wicket haul in Pallekele and calmed nerves in Colombo with a brilliant direct-hit run-out. He finished level with Moeen as England’s highest wicket-taker in the series.Jack Leach, Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid shared 19 of Sri Lanka’s 20 wickets•Getty Images7.5Adil Rashid (113 runs at 28.25, 12 wickets at 28.16)
Finally utilised in the role that suits him best – as a partnership breaker rather than in a defensive capacity – Rashid was a huge asset for England. While the most obvious example came in Colombo, where he ended with his Test-best figures in the first innings and has probably never bowled better, he also claimed key wickets in Galle (where he broke a dangerous stand between Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal) and Pallekele (there were a couple of beautiful legbreaks in Sri Lanka’s first innings) and produced four scores in excess of 20 which proved valuable in a low-scoring series.7Joe Root (229 runs at 38.16)
You can pick faults with his tactics, with his catching and with the fact that he only once provided an important contribution with the bat – his match-defining century in Pallekele was probably the innings of the series – but Root is building a hugely entertaining side that has just achieved something no England team has ever managed before: a whitewash in Asia. The unity of purpose and the commitment to the aggressive style reflect well on Root’s ability to unite the side and provide it with increasingly influential leadership.Moeen Ali (78 runs at 13.00, 18 wickets at 24.50)
The lack of runs, and a couple of soft dismissals, was a disappointment, but the bowling more than compensated. Four times Moeen claimed four-wicket hauls and he often bowled with a bite that rendered him England’s most potent option. He may never be a consistent bowler in the manner of many old-school offspinners (and he may well regret not taking his opportunity with the bat at No. 3) but Moeen’s best deliveries, with his drift, dip and spin, are as good as any of them.Sam Curran (112 runs at 37.33, one wicket at 50.00)
While conditions did little for his bowling, Curran produced a couple of important contributions with the bat. After making an important 48 in Galle, he top-scored in England’s first innings in Pallekele, with 64, when he dominated a tenth-wicket partnership of 60. Fulfilled some of his bowling duties by claiming a wicket with the new ball in Galle before a side strain ended his series prematurely.Jonny Bairstow (125 runs at 62.50)Recalled for the final Test, Bairstow responded with a century from No. 3 and was named Player of the Match. He could hardly have done more in the opportunity provided. Despite his obvious ambitions to reclaim the gloves, all the reports suggest he reacted positively and supportively around the rest of the team.Rory Burns is bowled by Dilruwan Perera•Getty Images6.5James Anderson (one wicket at 105.00)
Anderson seemed disappointed with his low-key contribution ahead of the final Test, but he played his role. He was part of tenth-wicket stands that added 101 runs across the Pallekele Test, while his economy rate (2.56 runs per over; the lowest on either side) created pressure that other bowlers exploited.5.5Rory Burns (155 runs at 25.83)The scores don’t show it, but Burns looked reasonably comfortable for his first experience at this level. He was a bit unfortunate with both his dismissals in Galle (a run-out and an edge down the leg-side) but batted beautifully in Pallekele. The lack of high-scores may gnaw away at him, and could put him under pressure in due course – not taking advantage of a first-day pitch in Colombo was a missed opportunity – but there was enough here to suggest Burns warrants patience.Stuart Broad (no wickets)
Bowled well in the first innings in Colombo – Root dropped two slip chances off him – and took a sharp catch in the field. Reacted positively and selflessly to his absence from the side.

Also: who has scored the most runs in Tests without ever being out for a duck?

Steven Lynch11-Dec-2018I noticed that Wellington Masakadza made his Test debut captained by his brother. How many others have been given their first cap by a relative? asked Brian Hartson from South Africa
Slow left-armer Wellington Masakadza won his first cap in a rare overseas victory for Zimbabwe in Sylhet last month, in a side skippered by his brother Hamilton.It turns out this was the eighth instance of someone making his Test debut captained by his brother. The previous two instances both involved Arjuna Ranatunga, who was Sri Lanka’s captain when Dammika Ranatunga won his first cap, against Australia in Brisbane in 1989-90, and also when Sanjeeva Ranatunga debuted against Pakistan in Kandy in 1994-95. (Arjuna was also in charge when another brother, Nishantha, played his first one-day international, against Zimbabwe in Sharjah in 1992-93.)The first instance was in the very first Test match: Dave Gregory captained Australia in Melbourne in 1876-77, and his side included his brother Ned. It happened again in Durban in 1913-14, when Dan Taylor made his debut for South Africa, captained by his younger brother Herbie.In Calcutta in 1933-34, CS Nayudu made his debut for an Indian side led by his brother CK, while the following season Rolph Grant made his debut for West Indies in Bridgetown, under his brother Jackie. And in Karachi in 1976-77, New Zealander Murray Parker made his debut in his younger brother John’s only Test as New Zealand’s captain.For Pakistan, Zulfiqar Ahmed made his debut against India in Lucknow in 1952-53, in a side captained by his brother-in-law AH Kardar, while David Holford’s skipper for his first Test, for West Indies against England at Old Trafford in 1966, was his cousin, Garry Sobers.Who has scored the most runs in Tests without ever being out for a duck? asked Keith Hamilton from England
The leader on this particular list is the former Zimbabwean captain Dave Houghton, who now coaches Derbyshire. In a 22-Test career that started when he was 35 – he hit 121 in Zimbabwe’s inaugural Test, against India in Harare in 1992-93 – Houghton scored 1464 runs in 36 innings, without ever being out for a duck.There are five others who finished their Test career with more than 1000 runs and no ducks: the Australian captain Herbie Collins made 1352, his fellow Aussies Reggie Duff 1317 and Jim Burke 1280, while the recent West Indian player Brendan Nash scored 1103 and the 1950s Pakistani batsman Waqar Hasan 1071.Of current (or very recent) players, Sami Aslam of Pakistan has scored 758 Test runs without a duck, and the Australian opener Matt Renshaw 636.Marcus Harris was recently dismissed for 26 in both innings of his Test debut. Has this happened before? asked Christopher Shen from Australia
If you mean has anyone ever been dismissed twice for exactly 26 on debut before – as Marcus Harris was in the first Test against India in Adelaide – then the answer’s no. But there have been higher debut doubles. Dan Taylor – the South African coincidentally mentioned in the first question – made twin 36s on debut against England in Durban in 1913-14. The Indian allrounder Syed Abid Ali made 33 in both innings of his debut, against Australia in Adelaide in 1967-68.Another South African, Bernard Tancred, made 29 and 29 – a large proportion of his side’s runs in their inaugural Test – against England in Port Elizabeth in 1888-89. And the England pair of Arthur Carr (against South Africa in Johannesburg in 1922-23) and Mark Ramprakash (v West Indies at Headingley in 1991) both made two scores of 27 in their first Test appearance.No other bowler has as parsimonious an economy rate as Joel “Big Bird” Garner in ODIs – 3.09 in 98 one-dayers•Getty ImagesWhich bowler has been the most economical in ODIs? asked Devendra Patel from India
The lofty West Indian Joel Garner is on top of this particular table – and my guess is he’ll stay there forever, given the more attacking mindset of batsmen these days, not to mention the restrictions on fielders and bouncers which were less stringent in his day. “Big Bird” conceded just 3.09 an over in his 98 ODIs, leaving him significantly meaner than the next man, Australia’s Max Walker, who went for 3.25 an over.The most economical current bowler is the Afghan mystery spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman, at 3.84 per over; his spin partner Rashid Khan is not far behind, on 3.90. Another Afghan slow bowler, left-armer Amir Hamza, conceded 3.92 (his last match to date was in 2017). The only other bowler whose career took place entirely in the current century who went for less than four an over was the Zimbabwean left-arm spinner Ray Price, who just made the cut with 3.99.I noticed that Alastair Cook took part in 26 Tests at Lord’s. Is this a record for one ground? asked Alex Bartram from England
Alastair Cook’s 26 appearances is the record for Lord’s – his old mate Jimmy Anderson is close behind with 23 – but he’s only second overall, as Mahela Jayawardene squeezed in 27 Tests at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo. He’s also joint fifth on this list, with 23 Tests in Galle, a number matched by Kumar Sangakkara. Just above them lies Muttiah Muralitharan, who had 24 Tests at the SSC.Use our feedback form or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

An India supporter relives the day history repeated at Old Trafford

Sudhindra Prasad17-Jun-2019Choice of game
With a plan to be at all India games during this tournament, attending the India-Pakistan match was inevitable. Having keenly watched the famous Old Trafford 1999 World Cup win on TV back in India, being at the rematch 20 years later at the same venue was a dream come true for my brother as well as me. India-Pakistan matches in the UK are mostly about good fun, entertainment and banter in the stands, and less about crowd trouble or fights between the two sets of supporters.Team supported
That team in blue. Having witnessed Pakistan’s recent resurgence against England and Australia, I was concerned about the return of the enigmatic nature of the Pakistan side. Thankfully that wasn’t to be.Key performers
Song name: Super-Ro!
Super, Super-Ro
Super, Super-Ro
Super, Super-Ro
Super Rohit Sharma
(back to the beginning & loop infinite)Rohit typically starts slowly and then later ups the ante. Today was different. With Shikhar Dhawan’s absence and with rain looming, his six to the leg side during the sixth over signalled his clear intent to dominate proceedings. That strategy helped India call the shots throughout the game.Wow moment
Watching from side-on, the Babar Azam wicket had more the frenzied effect of a breakthrough than the flight and guile of Kuldeep Yadav’s bowling. Shoaib Malik’s dismissal was the real moment when bedlam ensued in the stands. A golden duck by the dangerous Malik effectively sealed the result for India and was the passport for the India fans to go berserk in their celebrations. Seismic activity in the Manchester area would have spiked at that exact moment.One thing I would have changed
The injury of Bhuvneshwar Kumar further dents India’s lower-order batting strength. Although I am pleased that my favourite player, Mohammed Shami, gets a chance, I sure do hope for the quick return of Bhuvneshwar.Song of the day
Christmas came early in Manchester, as India fans sang,
with an obvious reference to the 7-0 streak in World Cup matches.Crowd meter
Old Trafford was transformed into absolute sea of blue. Pakistan fans were few and far between. The Pakistan presence was felt during some late-order India wickets and during that excellent Babar Azam-Fakhar Zaman partnership. Bharat Army’s dhol crew featured a top-notch saxophone player and they were relentless throughout the day, as reigned supreme.Getty ImagesFancy dress index
The usual fancy dress crew was on display. Pakistan fans were represented by the likes of Mr Pakistan, Cricket Dictator, Sheikh of Pakistan and Chacha Cricket. On the Indian side, it was Sudhir Gautham, who was joined by the famous RCB fan with his familiar red Indian headgear in the IPL, but only this time in a blue Virat 18 outfit. Groups in Dandiya Raas outfits seemed to be the latest fad in the stands. “Pandya in the middle and Dandiya in the stands”, said someone as the dance moves were unleashed during a Hardik Pandya over.Banter
Pakistan fan (screams out loud): Manchester is green.
India fan retorts: Sky is blue.Crowd in raptures. Epic.DRS coach?
Virat Kohli’s decison to walk off seemed very odd, especially when there was no nick detected on ultra edge. But the decision to not review the Babar Azam lbw decision was puzzling. That could have well broken the crucial second-wicket stand. How much longer before BCCI invites applications for a newly created position called “DRS review coach”?Shot of the day
The cut shot by Rohit off Hasan Ali that went sailing for six was quite reminiscent of that one-for-the-ages shot by Sachin Tendulkar off Shoaib Akhtar in 2003.Overall
A clinical performance that will hold India in good stead for the games to come. KL Rahul opened after a while and impressed. India’s bowling was penetrative enough to hold off the challenges thrown across by the Pakistan team. Fakhar Zaman’s ability to mix control and aggression is a sign of a good head on his shoulders. After this tournament, I see him as a vice-captain or captain of the Pakistan ODI set-up alongside the classy Babar Azam. Having witnessed many of Rohit’s centuries – including his first double-hundred – at various stadiums, I have no doubt that this was the best of them all. But I feel his best is still to come.Marks out of 10
11, if I could. But 10 it is. Despite the foul weather, the game had everything that an India supporter (except the disastrous wait times at food stalls, where starved patrons might faint out on hotter days) could hope for. Unless something drastic happens, the clock has already started to tick towards the next India-Pakistan World Cup contest in four years. Will you be there? I will.Want to do a Fan Following report? Read our FAQ here.

Week 3 had stars old and new showing up, Super Overs, and genius captaincy.

Varun Shetty23-Sep-2019Super Ricky shows up, Allen’s stock rises furtherAfter an up-and-down show last week, St Kitts and Nevis Patriots needed to get points on the board and captain Carlos Brathwaite was at the forefront. He took two wickets as Trinbago Knight Riders made 216 on the back of a Lendl Simmons 90, then made a 30-ball 64 after coming in at 80 for 4 and helped them tie the game as birthday boy Jimmy Neesham followed up a 31-run first over by failing to defend 19 in the last.In the Super Over, he starred in both halves – making 17 not out and then warding off protests from his team-mates, the management, and pretty much half the dugout to take the ball and concede only five against Kieron Pollard, the man who took the T20I captaincy from him recently.Some physical contact ensued between Knight Riders’ Ali Khan and Patriots’ Evin Lewis during the Super Over, causing a bust up as the batsman wasn’t pleased. Both of them were fined.Fabian Allen continued to show off his new and improved batting dimension, putting in a breathtaking performance from No. 7 after Patriots fell to 82 for 6 against Jamaica Tallawahs. Allen made an unbeaten 27-ball 62 as Patriots finished with 176 and killed the momentum Tallawahs have long sought in this edition of the CPL.Perfect Malik and his perfect teamTallawahs were at the receiving end again when Guyana Amazon Warriors captain Shoaib Malik had the perfect game: his 37-ball 67 took them to 218, his bold strategy of starting the innings with eight straight overs of spin paid off against a powerful line-up, and he even added two catches and a run-out as they capped off an 81-run win.Malik went one better on Sunday, even getting his bowling into the picture. As one of three spinners alongside Chris Green and Imran Tahir, he conceded only 10 in his four overs, and took the wicket of Barbados Tridents captain Jason Holder. The trio took a combined 7 for 46 in 13.3 overs as Amazon Warriors made it six in six to seal a playoff spot with four games to go.Bowler of the weekIt could have been either one of Green and Tahir, but the offspinner snuck in a career-best four-for in the last match of the week to sneak ahead of the veteran. Green has gradually become a player of interest to many franchises over the last year or so – his specialist ability bowling in Powerplays and at the death still a rare combination in T20 cricket all these years later.Green took five wickets from three games at an economy of 6.00 this past week. Trailing closely behind on a concentrated list of bowlers with four wickets in that period were Holder with an economy of 5.63 and Tahir with an economy of 5.37.Batsman of the weekIt was a pity what happened around Glenn Phillips during his magnificent 87 against Patriots. Having singlehandedly kept them in the chase – no, really, he made 87 of the 123 they had when he was dismissed – he missed out on both a hundred and an entry into the newly-founded Order of Exceptional Individual Innings. His 40 against Amazon Warriors was an impressive stay too, and joint top score in the Tallawahs innings.