A tale of the good, the bad… and England
After a 44-day slog, Stephen Brenkley in Melbourne identifies the highs and lows from the 11th Cricket World Cup
THE GOOD THINGS
The 11th World Cup revitalised 50-over cricket. Scoring rates went through the stratosphere, from a record 83.91 runs per 100 balls four years previously to 94.20 this time.
If some of it was slogging, most of it was fearless. Batting has been transformed, largely by the Twenty20 game, whose methods have been swiftly adopted.
This is unfair on the bowlers but as ever they have adjusted and their struggle was not entirely uneven. There were few close matches but most were still exciting.
THE BAD THINGS
There was the constant feeling that there was something to play for. But this merely accentuated the other feeling that there will now be a return to the usual round of one-day series between countries, all of which lack context. Their existence is purely so teams can build towards the next World Cup (except England). To ensure the game does not stagnate, a way must be found to c reate qualif ying competitions, eventually involving all teams, which will have a goal.
At 44 days, the tournament is still far too long. It is like having an election campaign running for five months. By the time you reach the important day, everyone has more or less forgotten what they were doing there.
BEST BOWLER
In a competition dominated by heavy hitters, two or three bowlers gave the most pleasure. For New Zealand, the beaten finalists, Trent Boult and Daniel Vettori were admirable. But two other left-armers even-eventually clinched the deal for Australia. Mitch-ell Johnson was fearsome in the final when he should have been man of the match but throughout the six weeks, from February 14 on, Mitchell Starc took limited overs bowling to new levels. He proved that the fast swinging yorker lives.
BEST BATSMAN
Australia’s batting was a collegiate affair, though their next captain , Steve Smith, finished powerfully. The leading scorer was Martin Guptill, whose 237 for New Zealand in the quarter-final will stay long in the memory.
But to score four successive hundreds is unprecedented in one-day cricket and in a World Cup to boot. There may be an element of sentimentality attached but Kumar Sangakkara (below) showed that an old dog does not need many tricks if he has true class.
BEST MATCH
It is common in sport, perhaps in life, to say that what you have just seen is the best ever. Poppycock, of course. But the semi-final between New Zealand and South Africa might just be the greatest one-day match of all.
Consider the framing: World Cup, host nation, defeat staring them in the face. They refused to succumb and the fact there was an unsung hero in Grant Elliott, who carried himself nobly in victory, completed a magnificent tale.
LESSONS LEARNEDL
The decision review system is an unerringly good thing which India must be prevailed upon to use.
Four fielders outside the circle, instead of five, stacks the odds against the bowler still further but it might just work, adding to the spectacle.
Australia, for all their manifestly laudable qualities, make themselves difficult to like — as they showed in the final. England are hopeless (though knew probably that before).