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Showing posts with label Brendon McCullum. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brendon McCullum. Show all posts

Saturday 2 May 2015

Batsman's Game?? - Just One Century In IPL 2015 So Far...

#IPL2015

And so we thought IPL, or T20 for that matter, was a batsman's game?
Think again. With all rules stacked heavily in their favor - the powerplay, the two bouncers per over rule, the Freehit, massive bats (but the ball has remained unchanged over the years), field restrictions and everything else - the batsmen are still not able to strike it rich in this year's edition so far!

Just one century in 34 games!
#Brendon McCullum is the only one to get to the three figure mark this year with a stunning 100 for 56 deliveries against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Rohit has come close with 98 but other than that there havent been huge individual scores from batsmen.

Goes to show, its not about the rules or advantages, its about skill and applying it to score runs!

Edges are flying for sixes, mishits are clearing ropes easily, defensive shots are screaming to the fence and short boundaries making life easy for batsmen.. Yet .. just one century.

Why?
Is the level of batsmanship and skill going down overall?
Are bowlers doing better than expected?
Too much pressure on batsmen to perform given their advantages?

Just feel, the overall skills are dropping and cricketers making entry to international sides, especially in test cricket, via IPL will struggle big time. There will be odd exceptions but generally the level of batting is going down. Sad but true!

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Tuesday 24 March 2015

CWC15 LIVE - Is Guptill Runout The Game Changer? SA Back With Purpose

#NewZealand vs #SouthAfrica
#Auckland
24th Mar 2015

How do you define self destruction?
Watch this piece from #MartinGuptill and #RossTaylor running between wickets.
Yes, No, No, Yes, Go .... OUT ..... Martin Guptill run out by over 2 metres!

Shoddy running and big miscommunication leads to an easy wicket for South Africa. Just when both of them had steadied the ship and looking to steady platform for the final push, this happened.

Ross Taylor, pushed this to point, called for a run, stopped. Then Guptill called and stopped. Finally, they decided to go for the run but too late. #HashimAmla swooped on the ball and passed onto #deKock who whipped the bails with Guptill miles out.

Amazing reactions
 - Ross Taylor distraught at the other end and under immense pressure to take his team through.
 - Tahir ecstatic
 - SA team swoop into a huddle and they are back big time in this game!

#LIVE #CRICKET #SCORE
NZ: 148 for 3, 21 overs 

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CWC15 LIVE - NZ Ahead At The First Drinks Break In Chase Of 298

#NewZealand vs #SouthAfrica
#Auckland
24th Mar 2015

Inspite of losing #BrendonMcCullum and #KaneWilliamson in quick succession, the #Kiwis are ahead in this semifinal match vs South Africa.

McCullum's stunning 59 from 26 balls set the tone for the runchase.
But #MorneMorkel struck twice to dismiss both the skipper and his deputy to pull things back.

Double centurion from previous game #MartinGuptill and #RossTaylor are at the crease and steadying things for New Zealand.

A fascinating mid and end game in the offing.
Don't go anywhere! 

#LIVE #CRICKET #SCORE
NZ: (Chasing a revised D/L target of 298) 102 for 2 in 12 overs.

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CWC15 LIVE - Blazing Kiwi Start Evens The Contest vs SA

#NewZealand vs #SouthAfrica
#Auckland
24th Mar 2015

The start to a stiff run chase couldn't have been better!
#BrendonMcCullum has come out with a purpose and boy! has he started well?

He's just completed his 50 in 22 balls.
Just the kind of start needed to get that chase going...

He has torn into the world's premier fast bowler #DaleSteyn.
The 5th over bowled by him has gone for
6-0-6-4-4-0

#ABDevilliers needs to look at options.
How about #ImranTahir? or #JPDuminy?
Need to change the pace and speed of this game.
Currently, the Kiwis are using all the bowlers' pace. Need to slow it down... 

#LIVE #CRICKET #SCORE
SA: 281 for 5 (43 overs)
NZ: 71 for 0 (6 overs, Target: 298)

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Friday 27 February 2015

CWC 2015 - NZ v Aus - Biggest Game In Pool A

#NewZealand v #Australia , #Auckland
28th Feb 2015

In whats the biggest game of the tournament probably, New Zealand take on Australia at Auckland in high voltage Pool A match. Australia were and are always firm favorites to win the cup based on their overall ability and form. The Black Caps probably have the best chance to win the trophy owing to home conditions and form of some of their key players. 

Its going to be a battle of nerves and the team that takes an initiative and innovates will come up trumps. So, whats is favor of each team then?

New Zealand
 - Home ground in Auckland. Australia will travel to New Zealand after a long time and need to adapt quickly
 - Home crowd support and conditions to suit the Kiwis more
 - Big chance to set the record straight against their neighbors (Aus have always been the better team)
 - Bowling and Batting clicking at the same time. The only worry is some of their middle and lower order players havent got a decent hit in yet. Same with the Aussies who have played on the opening day of the tournament and nothing after that. Thats 14 days ago. That should make them a bit rusty?
 - The fielding is at par but Kiwis seem to just have an edge there

Australia
 - Home or away, the Aussies are massively adaptive and aggressive in all environments. This is the reason why they have been so dominant over the years.
 - Man to man - skill wise - they are the better team no doubt. Kiwis don't have the superstar batting or bowling prowess but they are performing brilliantly as a unit.
 - All round ability is better and even under pressure they can stand up tall unlike most other teams who generally crumble, NZ being one of them.

Our judgment says its Aus 60 - 40 NZ.
We may be wrong and if we are, this World Cup is alive and kicking. 
Imagine Australia stuck on 3 points after 3 games battling it out with other teams in the group to qualify for the quarter finals! That would dent their pride big time.   

Players to watch?

Aus - David Warner, Steven Smith, Michael Clarke (well finally he gets to play after a long injury layoff), Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Starc

NZ - Brendon McCullum, Kane Williamson, Corey Anderson, Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Daniel Vettori

May the better team win.
We just hope this is the first "heavyweights" game of this #CWC15 that goes down to the wire. Many of these games so far have been one-sided while the minnows have produced some cracking and thrilling results!  

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Friday 20 February 2015

CWC 2015 - Dejected Barmy Army (England Fans)

You don't want to be an ‪#‎England‬ ‪#‎Cricket‬ ‪#‎Fan‬ today surely!!
After annihilation by ‪#‎NewZealand‬, England were left to lick their wounds and a huge gathering of the ‪#‎BarmyArmy‬ at the ‪#‎Westpac‬ stadium in‪#‎Wellington‬ was left stunned, dejected and depressed... Check some of these faces! 
You really felt for them...












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