Joe Root failing to convert?

One of the great things about cricket is the statistics – no matter what you’re arguing for or against, the stats don’t lie… although they’re always open to interpretation!

Coming into this Ashes series most have acknowledged that neither the Australian nor the English teams are ‘great’ sides, nor in particularly dominant form. Both have inexperienced top order batsmen and while the Aussies have the youth and intimidation in the their pace attack, in Anderson and Broad the Poms have experience and bit of guile.

So most of the focus has been on the stand-out batsmen in each side. The hosts have world number one ranked Steve Smith, backed up by David Warner. The English have Joe Root, backed up by the vastly experienced Alastair Cook. That both talismans are also leading their teams makes it even more interesting.

Smith and Root are often spoken about as two of the four leading young batsmen in the world at the moment – along with Indian skipper Virat Kohli and New Zealand captain Kane Williamson. All four have played a similar number of test matches for their country and bat in the top order.

Teams’ best batsmen generally bat at 3, 4 or 5 in the order. The ability to influence the result more that others through an innings is what sets the greats aside from the very good. These innings are often hundreds, or big hundreds. Test teams that have players who are able to regularly score 100s, opposed to 50s and 60s, are the ones that are able to regularly post the runs needed to put pressure on opposition and give their bowlers something to defend.

I though it would be interesting to do a small comparison of some of the numbers of the top players at the moment, and for interest’s sake a few of the more recent batting legends of the game.

For the sake of this data I looked at runs scored batting at 3, 4 or 5 in the order.

The main thing that jumps out, with an eye on the Ashes, is Joe Root’s poor conversion rate. He goes past 50 at a similar rate to Smith – approximately 45% of all innings. (This in itself sets the two of them on another level compared to their contemporaries). However while Smith goes on to a hundred more than half of the time, Root’s conversion from 50 to 100 is just 29% – significantly lower than any on the broader list. Kohli, on the other hand, gets past 50 less frequently, but when he does his conversion to 100 is over 60%.

While England continue to rely on Root as the one to consistently turn matches their way with the bat, it is going to become more of an issue if he is not able to score the big hundreds his team needs. It’s a lot of pressure and while Steve Smith has blossomed with the burden of captaincy on him, it remains to be seen if Root with be able to do the same.

Note: Data provided by cricinfo and correct as of 26 November 2017

Robin Peterson should not be playing test cricket

So the Proteas have selected their T20 squad for the Aussies and then for the T20 World Cup.

I have very little interest in T20, but felt compelled to comment on this for one simple reason. I am not a big fan of Robin Peterson as part of the current Proteas test cricket set up and believe he should not be in the team. That being said – I find it very odd that he is not included in this squad, for a version of cricket where his ‘skill set’ can actually be valuable.

Have the selectors got it really wrong here? Peterson is a decent limited overs option for South Africa. I can only hope that they’re not planning on persisting with him in the test side – inexplicably seeing that as his strongest suit.

Proteas squad: Faf du Plessis (capt), Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Beuran Hendricks, Imran Tahir, David Miller, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Aaron Phangiso, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe.

Close the Barnes door

Reports today say that Proteas’ bowling coach Vinnie Barnes has threatened to leave if he does not get the the position as South African head coach.

Big deal. Let him go.

Allan Donald should really be in that position in any case and it is a scandal that he continues to do work for other countries when you get the feeling he’d welcome an opportunity with open arms. Barnes has been criticized at many times during his time with the South African cricket team. He coached Makhaya Ntini for years and couldn’t teach him to bowl a slower ball for Pete’s sake.

Of course he’s not rubbish, but he is hardly the secret behind South Africa’s success is he? Dale Steyn and Morné Morkel are in the top 5 rankings in tests and ODIs and Lonwabo Tsotsobe is number 7 in ODIs. But it’s not as though you often hear them heaping praise on the guy. One of the most commonly held reasons for the country’s team not consistently being top of the pile has been the ‘sameness’ of the bowling attack.

Coaches have a lifespan and after 7 years in the Proteas’ setup I think that it’s time for old Vinnie to saunter off. Perhaps he can go and get some experience as a head coach at another team and then make a return.

Future format changes for international cricket?

Too many formats confusing?

Today we hear that the October test series between the Proteas and the Aussies has been reduced to just two matches. This is one less than the usual 3 match series that the sides have contested in the past, which many cricket purists have often suggested be extended. This is apparently due to a busy schedule, which basically means that there is something that the Indian cricket board have invented needs to take precedence. This time it is the Champions League T20 competition.

On the same day, England have broken the mould by announcing different permanent skippers for each format of international cricket currently being contested. Andrew Strauss retains the test captaincy, while Alastair Cook takes over the ODI reins and Stuart Broad with toss the coin and pose for the sponsors in the short form of the game, for those who struggle to concentrate for more than a couple of hours.

And so to the point of this post. Perhaps it’s time to take a new look at the format of the international game?

Proteas Cricket World Cup survivors

An ODI World Cup year for a Proteas supporter has become a difficult balancing act of emotions. The team has taken its loyal following on a roller coaster over the last decade or so, mixing performances of world-leading class with inexplicable implosions.

I’ll never forget that feeling I had when the camera focussed on the great Allan Donald dejectedly stranded in the middle of pitch after that run out in 1999. Nor will I forget peeking at the TV from behind the couch during the 438 game. Cricket is a sport that brings out emotion in me unlike any other.

In a similar way to All Black rugby, the Proteas have been among the best in the world between world cups but have consistently failed to impress in the ODI show piece. The fifteen man squads have been announced this week and the South African selectors have decided on the group tasked with changing that.

Not the worst catch you’ll ever see