Ex-england skipper questions place of ODIS
Breakers forced to work for win
One of the world’s foremost cricketing brains is calling for oneday international cricket to be banned; while in the corridors of New Zealand Cricket it’s their primary focus for the next two years.
From golden child of the 1980s to problem child of the 2010s, the humble ODI is fast becoming the elephant in the room for cricket administrators.
What happens after the fastapproaching 2015 World Cup, to be hosted in Australia and New Zealand, is the burning question for the International Cricket Council.
Mike Atherton, former England captain and cricket correspondent for The Times, said that the only solution amid a congested schedule of tests, Twenty20 and one-dayers was to abandon ODIs.
‘‘No other sport must market itself across three different disciplines, and the amount of tinkering of the rules aimed at 50-over cricket suggests strongly that it cannot survive as a spectacle with- out false accounting,’’ Atherton said.
The latest ODI rule tinkering kicked in at the end of last year. One new ball used at each end; two bouncers an over allowed for bowlers; no bowling power play; the batting power play must be completed before the 40th over; and no more than four fielders allowed outside the 30m circle.
NZC chief executive David White welcomed the rule tweaks at the time, saying the ICC was trying to make the ODI a ‘‘one-day test’’, by bringing the pace bowlers into the game and ensuring it was not a batting slugfest.
NZC has a vested interest in the ODI, too, as it prepares to co-host its second World Cup in two years. Director of cricket John Buchanan unashamedly said amid the test carnage in South Africa that the World Cup was NZC’s main focus.
New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum offered his defence of ODI cricket as the Black Caps and England reconvene for the threematch series opener in Hamilton tomorrow.
‘‘We’ve got a World Cup in 2015, which is something that many teams are targeting, us included. ‘‘It’s certainly got its place. ‘‘I’m not sure what unfolds after 2015, but with the rule changes it seems the game is looking to be moved forward constantly.’’ New Zealand Breakers workhorse Mika Vukona willed his team to their 12th straight Australian NBL victory in Auckland last night.
A final-quarter meltdown threatened to engulf the Breakers as the Wollongong Hawks whittled a 15-point deficit all the way down to three, with still the best part of two minutes remaining.
But Vukona, who had started with eight quick points, took the game over to seal a 92-84 victory in front of another sellout North Shore crowd.
He had an offensive rebound and three-point play off Tom Abercrombie’s missed triple to extend the lead back to six, then powered in for a layup to seal the deal with a minute left.
Vukona finished with a teamhigh 24 points on 11-of-14 shooting, equalling his career best output and setting a new high for his time at the Breakers.
He also had four rebounds to round out a rousing display, and show he’s more than up to the challenge provided by the injuryenforced absence of American big man Will Hudson.
With the runaway league leaders forced to downsize without their backup centre (for about a month), the result was a faster pace and increased intensity from the back-to-back Australian NBL champions as they extended their winning streak to a club-best dozen. Not only did the victory take the Kiwi club to an imposing 20-3 record atop the standings, but it was their 10th on the trot at home, their fifth on the bounce over the Hawks (including a four-game sweep this season) and put them closer to securing that all-important minor premiership.
Some of the half-court defence was a bit ropey, and the way the Breakers allowed the Hawks back into the contest was also a concern.
But there was a lot to be positive about, too, nothing more so than an explosive third quarter from Tom Abercrombie that saw the jumping jack three-man finish with 17 points (7/12 FG) and six boards.