Full Starc stumps all comers

MITCHELL Starc attacks the stumps more than any other bowler in the world with his express pace set to test just how far Bangladesh has come against pace bowling tonight.

An analysis of the Tigers’ batting has revealed that their average scores against pace have doubled this century.

While Bangladesh batsmen averaged just 16.9 runs per wicket against pace from 2000-04, that has steadily grown in every five-year window. Since 2015 they are averaging 32.2 runs per wicket against pace.

But Starc’s 13 wickets at this World Cup has boosted his strike rate to 25.5 balls, which is No.1 in the history of ODI cricket. Starc’s strike rate ranks in front of Ajantha Mendis (27.3 balls), Brett Lee (29.4), Trent Boult (29.7), Saqlain Mushtaq (30.4) and Waqar Younis (30.5).

The key weapon for Starc has been his full delivery. No bowler in the CricViz database has bowled a higher proportion of full bowls than Starc. Since 2006 a whopping 49 per cent of Starc’s deliveries have been full, which means they pitch within 6m of the stumps.

“The yorker for me is one I've probably gone to more often than not in the past,” Starc, 29, said this month. “So, while [batsmen] know it’s coming, as long as I keep executing it, hopefully it’s going to be better for me than them.”

Teammate Jason Behrendorff highlighted that two of Starc’s four wickets against Sri Lanka came as full balls smashed into the stumps.

“[He teaches] how important it is to bowl 145-150km/h,” Behrendorff said.