CENTRESTAGE: GAYLE & HEARTY
We are just past the midway point in the league. There have been some close encounters and blistering knocks. A recap of the first four weeks’ play....
Too close for comfort
2There have already been two tied games with RCB featuring in both, one against the Sunrisers and the other against Daredevils. In contrast, it needed 319 completed games of the first five editions to produce these many tied games earlier.
Missing fifers
1Twenty20 promises batting milestones. But in the last two editions, bowlers too had been making a mark with plenty of five-wicket hauls. There were four such hauls in 2011 and three in 2012. However, there has been just one five-wicket haul so far — by RR’s James Faulkner. Will the bowlers pick up and deliver?
Close, yet not so close
0There have been plenty of last-over finishes. None though, has gone to last ball, excluding the tied games. Last season, there were seven games that finished on the last ball. This year, though there have already been five penultimate ball finishes as compared to two in the entire last season.
Light on tons
2There have been just two centuries in the first 39 games of this season. While the first edition (2008) saw five centuries in the initial 39 games, last year was similar to this year as at this stage, there were two tons.
Rein in sixes?
38This year, batsmen have taken the longest to rack up 300 sixes. The 300th came in 38th game on Sunday in Chennai. No. 300 in 2008 came in 28th game, 2009 — 33rd,
2010 — 31st game, 2011 — 34th game, 2012 — 31st game.