The sheer longevity of WG Grace’s career was remarkable, and some of the records he set might never be equalled

S Rajesh01-Aug-2010Comparing WG Grace with other modern-day greats is a near-impossible task – at least statistically – due to the period in which he played. His international numbers hardly look imposing, but that needs to be judged in the context of the period he played in. While his first-class record was superb, what stood out more than anything was the sheer longevity of his career: Grace began his first-class career when he was 16, and finished at 60, for a remarkable career that stretched 44 years – a time span that is mind-boggling in today’s age.His impact on the game obviously went far beyond the stats, but he didn’t do badly on the field either. His overall first-class numbers were outstanding: he finished with 54,211 runs at an average of 39.45, and a wickets tally of 2809 at 18.14. Apart from the sheer number of runs and wickets, what’s also remarkable is that his batting average was more than twice his bowling average, a feat few have managed to achieve in the last 50 years. And if his overall batting average doesn’t seem as impressive as some of the more recent batsmen, remember that he played his entire cricket on pitches that were hardly as well laid out as the tracks we’re used to.Over his four-and-a-half decade first-class career, Grace had several highlights. Here’s a list of his amazing achievements, some of which might never be equalled. In 1871, aged 23, he scored 10 centuries and 2739 first-class runs at 78.25. The next best average was 37.66 with just one hundred. Even 31 seasons later, he scored 1187 at 37.09, while Victor Trumper, at age 24, averaged 48.49 (Trumper’s best season). In 1876, he scored 839 runs in a mere eight days, with a sequence that read 344, 177 and 318 not out. It was a season when only one other batsman topped 1000 runs. His 344 was also the first triple-century in first-class cricket. Between 1868 and 1880, he topped the first-class averages 10 times, including seven times straight till 1874. Between 1868 and 1876, he scored 54 first-class hundreds; the next highest didn’t even manage 10. In the decade 1871 to 1880 he averaged 49, a period during which nobody else averaged more than 26 or scored even a third of his runs. He also took 1174 wickets in the 10 years, which was the second-best in the country after Alfred Shaw. In 1895, as a 47-year-old Grace reeled off scores of 288, 52, 257, 73 not out, 18 and 169 – the last bringing him 1000 runs before the end of May (the first man to reach that landmark). His 288 was also his 100th century, making him the first player to the milestone. Grace played 870 first-class matches in his career, which is the third-highest on the all-time list, after Wilfred Rhodes (1110) and Frank Woolley (978). His tally of 54,211 runs is the fifth-highest, while his haul of 2809 wickets puts him in 10th place.

Most runs in first-class cricket

BatsmanMatchesRunsAverage10s/ 50sJack Hobbs83461,76050.70199/ 273aFrank Woolley97858,95940.77145/ 295Patsy Hendren83357,61150.80170/ 272Phil Mead81455,06147.67153/ 258WG Grace87054,21139.45124/ 251Grace played only 22 Tests – all of them against Australia – but he had some noteworthy achievements in that format too. At the time of retiring he was one of only six batsmen to have scored more than 1000 Test runs; in his first Test he scored 152 at The Oval, making him only the second batsman – after Charles Bannerman – to score a century on debut. In the first innings of that match, he added 120 runs for the second wicket with Bunny Lucas, which was the first century partnership in Test cricket. (Click here for all century stands before 1900.) The only other century Grace scored was in his eighth Test, when he made 170 at the venue where he started his Test career. In 14 matches after that he topped 50 five times but never managed to go past 75; in his last seven innings, his highest score was 28.

Highest run-getters in Tests before 1900

BatsmanTestsRunsAverage100s/ 50sArthur Shrewsbury23127735.473/ 4George Giffen31123823.351/ 6Joe Darling18113935.593/ 4Alec Bannerman28110823.080/ 8WG Grace22109832.292/ 5Syd Gregory24109628.103/ 4Andrew Stoddart1699635.572/ 3Tom Hayward1597644.363/ 3Ranjitsinhji1297053.882/ 6Percy McDonnell1995528.933/ 2Grace also led England in 13 Tests, winning eight and losing only two. The last time he captained the team was in the summer of 1899, when he was all of 50 years and 320 days old – no other captain has come within five years of matching that feat. It’s a record that, like several of his other first-class feats, will probably never be equalled.

They didn’t have many opportunities in Test cricket but in 2010 Sri Lanka shaped up nicely for the World Cup

Siddarth Ravindran30-Dec-2010For a year that included three tri-series titles, a first-ever one-day series victory in Australia, and a respectable showing in the World Twenty20, there was a strangely flat feeling about Sri Lanka’s performances in 2010. The main reason is the lopsided FTP, which hasn’t provided enough Test cricket – there were no away Tests this year for Kumar Sangakkara’s men. Of their two home series, one was a result of the BCCI’s new-found love of the long form, and the other was the rain-ravaged contest against West Indies, during which more time was spent watching the weather forecast than the cricket.In the Test cricket that was on offer, they were patchy. Their first five-day game came as late as July and was dominated by the retirement of their talisman, Muttiah Muralitharan. Fittingly Sri Lanka’s greatest match-winner won them one last game before bowing out. It turned out to be their only Test victory of the year. That series against India ended in a draw as Sri Lanka lost the P Sara Test despite Thilan Samaraweera’s best efforts. The matches against West Indies could have been a good indicator of how Sri Lanka will fare in the absence of Murali, but torrential rain through the series frustrated fans.The supporters won’t be complaining about Sri Lanka’s one-day form, though. Winning every series they played in 2010, barring the Asia Cup, where they dominated the league stage before faltering in the final, Sri Lanka enter the World Cup year as a formidable outfit. Their tri-series triumphs may be quickly forgotten but what will remain in the memory is the back-from-the-dead victory against Australia in Melbourne, where Angelo Mathews and Lasith Malinga produced a world-record 132-run ninth-wicket stand to deliver an improbable win.What has made Sri Lanka so dangerous is that they aren’t over-reliant on one or two stars; match-winning performances have come from a number of players. Few people will be able to guess who their highest wicket-taker of the year is – 21-year-old allrounder Thisara Perera. Another young allrounder, Mathews, continued to show he has the talent and temperament for a long international career at the top, while offspinner Suraj Randiv has also made a bright start.The new talent supports the big names who were part of Sri Lanka’s run to the 2007 World Cup final. Tillakaratne Dilshan didn’t quite hit the heights of 2009 but made match-winning centuries in the finals of two tri-series, Mahela Jayawardene and Sangakkara remain prolific, Malinga continues to befuddle batsmen, and Murali is still around for a final tilt.In the only global tournament of the year, the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean, Sri Lanka again made it to the knockout stages before losing to the eventual champions. This time Sangakkara’s side ran into England, who turned in a supremely composed performance to knock Sri Lanka out in the semi-finals.

What has made Sri Lanka so dangerous is that they aren’t over-reliant on one or two stars; match-winning performances have come from a number of players. Few people will be able to guess who their highest wicket-taker of the year is

Fading star
Perhaps the most pathetic sight of the World Twenty20 was that of 40-year-old Sanath Jayasuriya, once an unstoppable marauder, scratching around for 15 runs in six innings. He hasn’t played international cricket since, but remains hopeful of making next year’s World Cup after finding a place in the 30-man provisional squad.New kid on the block
With Murali’s career nearly over, and Mendis’ star still struggling to reclaim the lustre of 2008, Sri Lanka slow-bowling options were looking thin. Suraj Randiv stepped up. He lacks extravagant turn but his extra bounce and discipline soon made him the first-choice spinner across all formats. In an eventful year, he was at the forefront of Sri Lanka’s push for a series win over India at the P Sara Oval, involved in a controversy over a deliberate no-ball, and was electric throughout in the field.High point
There was a maiden one-day series win in Australia, but the uplifting farewell to Murali in Galle was a heart-warmer in a year in which the game was awash with dispiriting headlines. It was sweetened by the win set up by Murali’s eight wickets, the last of which carried him to the milestone of 800.Low point
Surrendering to a weakened India in a deciding Test will hurt, though losing to the world’s top side isn’t as disappointing as having virtually the entire series against West Indies washed out – in a year when Sri Lanka were starved of Test cricket. Sangakkara called it the “worst series of his life”.What 2011 holds
Sri Lanka have two big-ticket events in the first half of the year: first, the World Cup at home, for which they among the favourites, and then the challenge of a full tour of England, which will test how far Sri Lanka have progressed as a Test side.

If ever there was a performance that laid bare a visiting team’s intentions, it was the one that Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook produced on the most one-sided day of the series so far

Andrew Miller at the Gabba28-Nov-2010Just as it was far too early to write off England’s prospects during their long hard slog on the third day at the Gabba, likewise it is too soon to declare that Australia’s Ashes have been reduced to cinders on the fourth. But if ever there was a performance that laid bare a visiting team’s intentions, it was the one that Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook produced on the most one-sided day of the series so far.In the course of their 188-run stand, England’s captain and vice-captain happened to surpass Hobbs and Sutcliffe as the most prolific opening pair in their country’s Test history – a quirky statistic maybe, but one that underlined the vast experience they bring to the top of the order. Both men played and struggled here four years ago, with Cook’s Perth century their only innings of note in 20 attempts, and both men returned with a burning desire to make amends. The series is still young, and the Sydney finale isn’t even close to the horizon. But two critical components of England’s squad have risen to their first big challenge.Strauss, it has to be said, came within inches of remembering this match for all the wrong reasons. The primal scream that he emitted in the 55th over, as he dabbed Xavier Doherty through third man for four to bring up his fourth Ashes century and his first in Australia, was as raw and passion-fuelled as the one with which Michael Hussey had deafened his team-mate, Brad Haddin, during the Aussies’ triple-century alliance on Saturday. And like Hussey’s, it was in part a recognition of the fine lines between success and failure on which matches, and series, can teeter.For it was the same scream that had stuck in Strauss’s throat in the very first over of the match, when his anxious attempt to get England’s Ashes campaign up and running resulted in a cramped cut straight to gully, and a long, slow, agonised walk back for a duck. And had Ben Hilfenhaus’s first-ball inswinger in the second innings struck him any lower on the pad, he would quite conceivably have marked his return to Australia with the most ignominious pair of his career.”The third ball of the game was pretty much close to as bad as I’ve felt on a cricket pitch,” said Strauss. “Getting out in the first over of such an important Test match wasn’t the start I was looking for. Then the first ball in the second innings, I thought was a very good leave! My heart was definitely in my mouth. I did think it was a bit high – I was clinging to that hope anyway. Thankfully, it was the bit of luck sometimes you need. It wouldn’t have been a particularly pleasant match if that one had been out.”Almost from the moment England had walked off the field at The Oval last summer with the Ashes in their grasp, Strauss had been rehearsing his contest, and those moments, over and over in his head, knowing full well the fate that had awaited England in Australia the last time they had gone down there to defend a hard-fought victory, and recognising that, as captain, the influence he exerted this time around would be paramount to the cause.Australian teams always target the captain of any team that visits their shores. It is a fact of international cricket that Strauss has tried to play down as the product of too much talk in the media, but nevertheless, there is no escaping the extent to which tours become synonymous with their leaders. Jardine, Hutton, Illingworth, Brearley and Gatting trip off the tongue with greater ease than the dates of their triumphant campaigns, just as Flintoff’s 5-0 remains an indelible fact on his CV.And it’s not just English captains to whom such epithets apply. In 2003, on the last occasion a visiting side avoided defeat in the Gabbatoir, it was India’s captain, Sourav Ganguly, who produced the defining innings of the Test and arguably his life, a brilliantly doughty 144 that overcame his much-trumpeted weakness against the short ball and instilled in his team-mates the belief that they could face down the Aussies as equals. Sure enough, they won a sizzling contest at Adelaide and departed with a 1-1 draw – making them only the third side in 18 series to avoid defeat Down Under.To call Strauss’s innings on Saturday the most important of his life would be premature, and moreover it would also do a disservice to his other three Ashes hundreds – most especially his first-innings 129 in the decisive Oval Test of 2005, a performance of such ice-cool temperament in the midst of almost unparalleled pressure, it goes virtually unnoticed when the frantic final stages of that contest are recalled.But not since Ian Botham clobbered his 14th and final Test hundred on this very ground in 1986-87 has an England gun player, to use the colloquial term, travelled to Australia and produced the performance of which he is capable at the first time of asking. Strauss needed his luck, as most centurions do, and when Mitchell Johnson spilled a scuffed smear at mid-off with Strauss on 69 and England still the best part of 100 runs in arrears, it took over from Hussey’s referred lbw as the most critical flashpoint of the match.”It was important I took my opportunity, and showed the way,” he said. “That is one of your duties as captain. Any time you have an opportunity to score a hundred in an Ashes Test match, it is a very special thing.” Only the manner of his departure let him down, as he gave the charge to the spinner Marcus North and was stumped for 110. “It was not the sort of dismissal that we were looking for quite frankly,” he said. “It was not the sort of dismissal I was looking for as both a batsman and a captain. I picked the wrong ball to go down to and paid the price.”Nevertheless, as he walked back to the dressing-room with England’s arrears reduced to a handful of runs, he took with him a share of a partnership statistic that is of far greater relevance than the topping of Hobbs and Sutcliffe. No visiting team has ever produced a higher first-wicket stand at the Gabba, and the previous record of 135 was set by Desmond Haynes and Gordon Greenidge in 1988-89, in the last Test match that Australia lost at the venue, and one of only two five-Test series that they’ve lost at home in 22 years.The former prospect is slim in the extreme – and it was a notion that neither Cook nor Strauss was keen to address at the close, mindful as they possibly are of how quickly the circumstances can change in Australia. After all, in Adelaide on the 2006-07 tour, England led by 97 runs going into the final day with nine wickets still intact, and no-one needs reminding of what transpired from there.Without Warne, McGrath and a string of game-changing Aussie greats to contend with, however, the latter goal feels more tangible than ever before.

Weakness against spin, two collapses and losing the key moments – these are the key issues that have dogged South Africa in their last two ODI defeats against India

Sidharth Monga20-Jan-2011In both their close defeats of the last week, South Africa can identify common failings that they desperately need to work on. The two collapses in Johannesburg and Cape Town are the obvious ones, as are losing key moments. The way the Indian lower order finished off the tight chase in Cape Town was in contrast to how the South African batsmen froze in Johannesburg.The less obvious problem that South Africa had, and one that should concern them given they are playing at home, is how they struggled against the spinners. In the previous two games, they managed only 167 runs in 42 overs of spin. Only 19 of those overs were bowled by India’s specialist spinner, Harbhajan Singh, off whom they scored only two boundaries in two games.All these will be termed by many as South Africa’s traditional problems, much to their dislike. Not only to stay alive in this series, on what is usually the slowest pitch in the country, but also in the World Cup to come, they will have to overcome their troubles against spin, and their habit of not winning tight games.Graeme Smith chose to focus on the issue of losing key moments, rather than the spin problem, on the eve of the must-win game. “Harbhajan has bowled extremely well,” Smith said. “The nature of the wickets also [has played a part], they haven’t been easy to bat on. India, too, have struggled to bat on those wickets.”I thought if we could have got 20 more runs [it would have made the difference] … we were well set up to get those 20 more runs … [but] the disappointing thing for me is that we have [lost] 5 for 30 and 6 for 20 in our last two games. If you probably take that out of our game, we would probably be 3-0 up. Otherwise, we have played decent enough cricket throughout the vast majority of the games. We just haven’t handled those moments where we needed to kick on or make the right decisions well. Those are the lessons that we can learn, and hopefully we can come out tomorrow and play with a good spirit and get those things right.”Smith also hinted that the announcement of the World Cup squad, which was always around the corner, might have had a thing or two to do with the younger players being slightly tense. “Now that the World Cup squad is announced, the tension has kind of lifted on the players and the way they play the game, so hopefully tomorrow we can play with a bit more freedom.”Smith said it was better for the young side to lose now and learn its lessons rather than experience it in bigger events. “Losing is never a nice thing, but there are some important lessons for us in the last two games,” he said. “It’s a good time for us to learn from those lessons now – take those lessons forward, keep a good positive and attacking frame of mind.”Smith looked more relaxed than he has done during press conferences on this tour so far, even though rain on the eve of the match meant his side couldn’t train at the ground. That should hardly make a difference, though, because teams play so much these days that they don’t need switching on before every game, especially at the fag end of a tour.South Africa can draw confidence from playing in Port Elizabeth, where the side often gets strong and vocal support from the crowd. “PE fans in particular are great supporters of the team,” Smith said. “We have got some of the most vibrant crowds in the country here; the guys really do enjoy playing here. The Warriors have been very successful at their home ground over the last period of time, and to have Lopsy [Lonwabo Tsotsobe], Colin [Ingram] and Johan [Botha] with their knowledge of the ground is crucial. We will certainly tap in to that.”It is a proud record that South Africa need to defend. They have never lost a home ODI series to teams other than Australia and England. Before the start of the series, they had lost to India at home only on three occasions. The tally could be doubled and South Africa will have to prevent that to keep the series alive. “It’s exciting, it’s an opportunity to perform,” Smith said. “I don’t think it’s a time where you look at it and say, ‘I have to perform tomorrow, I have to make a difference.’ There will be 11 of us on the field tomorrow, and we have got to trust each other that each of us will perform our roles and we have got to be good enough to get us over the line.”

Richie Benaud pays tribute to Gerry Alexander, the West Indian captain who died over the weekend in Jamaica

Richie Benaud18-Apr-2011Gerry Alexander, who passed away this week, was one of the finest wicketkeeper-batsmen I have ever seen. He had another great attribute in that he was ‘a good bloke,’ liked around the cricket world for his skills but just as much for his communication and camaraderie.He was a very good cricketer. During the tied-Test series he was the man we feared with the bat in the bottom half of the order. In all five Tests he did something, whether it was first innings or second. Scores of 60, 72, 108, 63*, 87* and 73 are those of a genuine batsman and, when you add to that his athletic keeping, it makes for an outstanding cricketer.Additionally, as noted, he was a gentleman and a fine conversationalist; and a wonderful lieutenant to Frank Worrell, who was the first black player to be permitted to lead a West Indian team on tour. Frank was the best captain I played against; I know he never berated his players for mistakes but gently made it clear that they should heed the lesson.Gerry Alexander has always been etched in my mind for the run out of Wally Grout in the tied Test on the final day. Conrad Hunte was the fielder chasing the ball struck by Ian Meckiff almost to the midwicket boundary.The throw from Hunte was superb, but it was flat and fast and Alexander was looking into the sun as he prepared to try for the run-out of Wally Grout. He gathered the ball and hurled himself into the stumps to achieve the dismissal, part of an extraordinary piece of cricket. A splendid cricketer Gerry Alexander, and I shall be raising a glass to him in Sydney tonight.

Plays of the day from the 2011 World Cup final between India and Sri Lanka in Mumbai

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Apr-2011Move of the Day
Sri Lanka were wise to send Nuwan Kulasekara to bat ahead of a recognised allrounder like Thisara Perera. It was a critical moment in the match when Chamara Kapugedera disappointed by failing to read a slower ball from Zaheer Khan. At 182 for 6 with ten overs to go Sri Lanka needed another partnership before they could utilise the batting Powerplay to their advantage. Kulasekara might not be a specialist batsman but is a gritty character and he managed to rotate the strike with his senior partner Mahela Jayawardene and put the pressure back on the Indian bowlers. Eventually, their 66-run partnership allowed Sri Lanka to assume a commanding position, which was further strengthened by Jayawardene and Perera in final five overs, that fetched 63 runs.Theatrics of the Day
There were plenty of Sreesanth moments on the field today. His first ball itself was full of theatrics. It pitched outside leg and straightened to catch Tillakaratne Dilshan on the pads, prompting an appeal so primal and so prolonged that it earned him a prompt rebuke from Aleem Dar. But it was in the 13th over when it all boiled over for Sreesanth. On the second ball, Kumar Sangakkara shimmed down the wicket and lofted over mid-off; the next one was driven straight back him and he splayed his legs to make room for the ball to pass through; on the fifth, he was warned for running on to the danger area; the sixth was a no-ball, and the free-hit was edged past the wicketkeeper for four. From 39 for 1 in 12 overs, Sri Lanka jumped to 54 in the course of these six balls, and Sreesanth walked off looked heavenwards, pondering divine injustice.Mahela’s Moment
The passage that captured how Jayawardene had gone about his stunning century involved not so much a shot but what he did after it. He smacked Zaheer over mid-off for a boundary and ran down the pitch pumping his fist and waving his bat everywhere he could see his country’s flags. Then came the moment. He put down his bat, took off his gloves and helmet, and placed them on the ground. There were 13 balls to go but it was as if this was a Test match where he needed to take a breather to re-mark his guard and start again. He re-adjusted the bandana he wears before picking the helmet up again and strapping it all up. Zaheer was at the top of his run, arms on his hips, wondering waiting to bowl the next ball. The whole stadium, somewhat numbed by the Sri Lankan Powerplay acceleration, was waiting. Having controlled the entire innings, Mahela would not be rushed and more than anything else, who else could have taken their own time.Catch of the Day
The third-wicket partnership between the two Indian Turks was beginning to build and had gone past 50 when Dilshan found his one chance. The Sri Lankan fielding had begun to flatline and then it happened. Virat Kohli tried to drive one over Dilshan but found neither direction and all that Dilshan saw was the ball coming to his right. He flung himself towards the non-striker Gautam Gambhir, and as it flew past, snatched it just in time. It was secure in his hand by the time he hit the ground and when he got up, he let out a shout of joy as his teammates crowded around him. The partnership had been broken and Sri Lanka then lifted themselves in the field.Rearrangement of the Day
Zaheer and World Cup finals have an interesting relationship. In the ill-fated 2003 edition, he went for 15 runs in a wayward nervous first over after India had put Australia in. Today seemed set for perfect redemption when he started with three consecutive maidens and took Upul Tharanga’s wicket, too, in his first spell. Cricket, though, can be cruel, and in his last spell, Zaheer realised just that. Mahela and Perera took 35 off his last two overs to send his figures from 5-3-6-1 at one point to 10-3-60-1. A lot can change in two hours.Drop of the Day
Gautam Gambhir was on 30, looking ominous. Along with Kohli he had begun rebuilding the Indian innings after the early loss of Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar. Suraj Randiv was bowling only his third ball of the World Cup. It was a well-flighted delivery, but Gambhir danced out of his crease to loft Randiv wide of Kulasekara at long-off. But the fielder failed to take a start, then charged abruptly and dived forward as the ball was falling down but could not pouch it. It proved to be a costly error as Gambhir eventually played a match-winning knock.

ESPNCricinfo presents plays of the day from day one at Centurion

Firdose Moonda at Centurion15-Dec-2011Irresponsible act of the day
It usually does not take as much as a green pitch, a menacing bowling attack and a batsman under pressure to convince a cricketer that Test cricket is about playing mature, conscientious innings. But when all of those factors are at play, the need for sensible strokeplay is even more pressing. Not for Tillakaratne Dilshan. The Sri Lankan captain may as well have thrown his name away with his wicket because the shot he played to end his innings on six was a shocker. Dilshan said he would enjoy playing his shots on a fast, bouncy track but he seemed to want to get into it too soon. His first boundary was a crack through the covers and then he was tempted to go for a hoick over mid-on. Alas, he confused the Centurion of now with the one he played on during the IPL and top-edged to Vernon Philander.Berating of the day
While Dilshan should have been more unhappy with himself after that, he simply walked off the field with little emotion but some of the other Sri Lankan batsmen showed more annoyance. Tharanga Paranavitana repeatedly scolded himself after playing and missing at a Philander delivery but it was former captain Mahela Jayawardene who was the most disappointed. After seeing off the initial assault, being beaten and surviving an appeal for caught behind, he looked set to score the 46 he needed to get 10,000 Test runs and many more. But when he drove a ball he could have left and was caught by Graeme Smith at first slip, he was furious. He slapped his bat against his leg, in what seemed a painful gesture of dissatisfaction.DRS of the day
Vernon Philander has shown a liking for DRS – using it to claim the wicket of Shaun Marsh last month. In that match, the mad Test of Cape Town, he called for a review without consulting anyone else on the field and was proven right. This time, he did the same, for an appeal for caught behind against Thilan Samaraweera. Normal replays did not show any edge but Hot Spot revealed a tiny white mark that signaled the end of Samaraweera’s innings. The very next ball, Philander stifled his appeal, again for caught behind, but Smith decided to review it, having now developed trust in Philander’s instinct for when something is out. Again, he was correct. A smaller white smudge showed that the ball feathered Kaushal Silva’s glove, giving Philander two in two. His next ball was anticipated to be the first DRS hat-trick but Thisara Perera turned it around to square leg to avoid creating a technological milestone.Uber-casual shot of the day
South Africa had it pretty easy against the Sri Lankan attack and strolled to 72 without loss when Graeme Smith hit the ball down the ground as though it was rolling on a piece of silk. He timed it to perfection, sprinkled with touches of class and brought up his 30th Test half-century with it. Smith was the dominant partner in the stand between himself and Rudolph and led South Africa’s reply with patience and composure.Most sought-after cricketer of the day
Every year, on the first day of a Test match at Centurion, it’s ladies’ day. For R450 (US$60) a ticket, women get pampered with food, drink, massages and a special visit during the day. This time, it was the turn of young quick Marchant de Lange, who is only 21 has been known to call some of the older journalists, “Oom,” (uncle). With close to 300 ladies to impress, de Lange had to turn on the charm, while trying to hide his blushes. His schoolboy looks left the ladies confused as to whether to pinch his cheeks or flutter their eyelids but we were assured a good time was had by all.

ESPNcricinfo presents the Plays of the Day from the fourth day of the first Test between New Zealand and South Africa, in Dunedin

Firdose Moonda in Dunedin10-Mar-2012Strategic change of gloves
Forty minutes after lunch, South Africa showed the first signs of intent to increase the scoring-rate in their innings and push for an early declaration. Jacques Rudolph asked for a change of inner gloves but it seemed like he received a quick message from twelfth man Marchant de Lange too. Rudolph clubbed the first ball of the next over, a short and wide gift from Tim Southee, through point. He went on to score boundaries off each of the next four overs, reaching a century and allowing South Africa to declare 16 overs after lunch. ‘Who’s that?’ moment of the day
South African fans have already been annoyed about the broadcast of the first Test in Dunedin because they have found the almost all-New Zealand commentary team to be biased towards the home side. Now, they face further agitation. Barry Richards, the only South African commentator on tour, was on air when a shot of the South Africa team-manager Mohammed Moosajee was shown. He did not recognise Moosajee and called him an anti-corruption officer, causing a fresh fracas to erupt on social networks and within CSA’s management, which has taken the matter up with the broadcasters.Baptism of fire
New Zealand’s batsmen would have been ready for some hostile bowling in the fourth innings, and it was Test debutant Rob Nicol that took most of the early blows. He was hit on the thigh by Vernon Philander, on the shoulder by a Morne Morkel short ball that did not bounce as much as expected, and suffered his most painful blow when Morkel caught him on the gloves, with another short ball. At first, Nicol tried to just shake off the pain with a disinterested look on his face but by the end of the over he needed help, and a member of the medical staff had to bring out the magic spray.Gift of the day
After having hung in there through the body blows, being beaten umpteen times and short balls, Nicol ended up throwing his wicket away to an innocuous delivery. The first ball of Imran Tahir’s second over was a full-toss that he should have smacked over the covers. Instead, he spooned a lollipop shot to Graeme Smith at mid-off and was dismissed. It was a tame end not befitting the struggle before it.Wasted review of the day
Jacques Kallis has said having two reviews allows teams to try their luck on marginal calls, but South Africa used their first review of the fourth innings poorly. Morne Morkel was scaring New Zealand’s batsmen with the short ball and Brendon McCullum was on the receiving end of one that moved back in sharply. It struck him on the shoulder and lobbed to AB de Villiers at third slip who signalled that he thought it was out as soon as he caught it. After a brief huddle, Graeme Smith decided to review the not-out decision but it only needed one look – in real time – to confirm it had not hit the bat or gloves.Edited by Dustin Silgardo

ESPNcricinfo presents Plays of the Day from the third ODI between New Zealand and South Africa, in Auckland

Andrew Fernando03-Mar-2012The catch
A loose ball from South Africa’s new-ball pair was a rarity New Zealand could not afford to miss out on in the early exchanges. However, when they did stray, brilliance from South Africa’s infielders minimised, and often prevented altogether, any damage. When Martin Guptill cut a wide ball from Lonwabo Tostsobe in the fifth over, Faf du Plessis took things a step further and ensured the opening bowler was finally rewarded for a terrific spell, pulling off a stunning take backward of point. Fully stretched and airborne, du Plessis plucked the ball from behind him and Guptill, not a bad fielder himself, gaped on in disbelief before heading back to the hutch.The run-out
Having already pulled off the catch of the afternoon, du Plessis’ fielding heroics continued through the middle overs, when he ended Kane Williamson’s innings with a fantastic throw. Williamson had set off for a single from the non-striker’s end, gambling on the fact that the swooping du Plessis could not go down and deliver an accurate throw at full pelt. The batsman was wrong. du Plessis’ horizontal, mid-air throw found AB de Villiers’ gloves inches from the stumps, and Williamson was out by a metre.The set-up
Having roughed up Brendon McCullum and Rob Nicol with short stuff at startling pace in his first spell, Marchant de Lange reaped the reward for the tactic only several overs later, at the start of his second. Expecting another a ball at his throat, McCullum was moving onto the back foot almost before the ball was bowled, and was in a woeful position to play the full one that de Lange delivered. The ball caught the edge and looped to backward point to leave McCullum walking back three runs short of fifty.The freebie(s)
It wasn’t a good game for bowlers trying to hit the blockhole on free hits. After Wayne Parnell overstepped in the 31st over, he floated a length ball on middle stump that Colin de Grandhomme blasted over cow corner for his first ODI runs. Later, during South Africa’s innings, Kyle Mills’ knee-high full toss disappeared to the same part of the ground – only this time, it bounced before it crossed the rope off Hashim Amla’s bat.The false restarts
The groundstaff had the crowd on the edge of their seats with their cover-removing antics during the 40-minute rain delay during the New Zealand innings. They first brought the covers on, and were in the process of piling more on when the weather suddenly cleared and the umpires asked them to begin preparing for play. They then took them all off, but just as the pitch was completely uncovered, another squall washed through Eden Park and the umpires were eating their words. This routine continued for a further ten minutes while the weather made up its mind before, finally, the rain clouds blew over and stayed away for the remainder of the evening.Edited by Nikita Bastian

Clint McKay may be one of Australia’s less-heralded bowlers but his success reflects that of his fellow Victorian with England

Daniel Brettig05-Jul-2012Q: What do the best performing bowlers in England’s ODI series against Australia have in common? A: They all count David Saker as a major influence.Alongside Steven Finn, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad and James Anderson, the Australia seamer Clint McKay is a long-time student of Saker’s, having spent many a session with him when the former swing bowler was employed by Victoria. McKay said Saker had been a tremendous help to him and was clearly doing great things with England’s pacemen, stopping short of wishing for his return home only as it would be impolite to the interim bowling coach, Ali de Winter, to do so.”I’ve known David Saker for a long time, he’s been fantastic for my career. Being a Victorian, he worked with us for a long period of time and he’s fantastic,” McKay said. “No wonder the England bowlers are bowling so well at the moment and [have] so many opening bowlers around.”They’re bowling a fuller length, you can see the ball swing, and that’s one of his big strengths. He’s great at summing up batters and the knowledge of the game, which he seems to have passed on to the English bowlers, and there’s no doubt they’ve gone on in leaps and bounds since he’s been involved in the setup.”But in saying that too we’ve got a couple of good bowling coaches in Australia, we’ve got Ali de Winter on this tour, we had Craig McDermott before that and Troy Cooley before him.”While hardly the most fashionable member of the touring ODI squad, McKay has been their most effective by a distance this year, collecting 24 wickets at 24.54 in 15 matches, while conceding 4.65 runs per over. No one other than Shane Watson has conceded fewer runs per over, with Brett Lee and Xavier Doherty the next most frequent wicket-takers at significantly greater cost.McKay has done all this while bowling at the most difficult times, generally called upon by his captain, Michael Clarke, during the Powerplay overs and also at the close of an innings when batsmen flail most urgently. The public perception is that he is probably the last man picked for Australia in ODIs – the statistical evidence suggests he must be one of the first.”I love it, it’s the best way to be – the less headlines the better,” McKay said of his low profile. “You just float, get through, keep doing your job week in, week out and that’s what your team needs you to do. I don’t worry about the fanfare and all that sort of thing, the young kids can have it. Young James Pattinson loves the limelight and we’ll push him forward as much as we can.”I’m not sure about being comfortable in my spot, as soon as you get into a comfortable position, that’s when you can get yourself into trouble. So not only myself but the whole playing group are trying to work hard and get better as individuals and a group to stay No. 1 in the world. That’s a big thing for us and we’ve got to make sure we keep improving, getting better and better so we stay there.”Clint McKay has benefited from the advice of England bowling coach David Saker in the past•AFPA little less than two years ago, McKay had been Australia’s most accomplished limited-overs bowler, in a home series against Sri Lanka, and seemed destined for a critical role at the 2011 World Cup. However a stress fracture of the foot, sustained while playing a Twenty20 match, kept him out for almost a year, and had surgery gone awry there was the chance of it being the end for him. McKay said he reminded himself of his good fortune to be playing at all when he missed out on a Cricket Australia contract last month.”I knew it was going to be touch and go,” he said. “But looking back at where I was 18 months ago I thought I wasn’t going to play cricket ever again, let alone play international cricket. I had a bad injury, broke my foot and the surgeon said that if the the bone graft doesn’t take then I’d only be able to walk or run in five or six years’ time.”So to be out playing international cricket you take every day as it comes. You take the setbacks, but you bounce back and I try to play as much cricket as I can.”While the likes of Pattinson, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc jostle for chances to establish themselves, McKay provides a steady counterpoint. He knows he can only keep them out for a little while, but will do his best to help them develop along the way, offering them much of the advice passed down to him by Saker.”If the young kids jump me then it’s great for them and great for Australian cricket,” he said. “There’s some very exciting names coming through that are going to be superstars, but hopefully I can keep going for a while. Anything I can pass on to them to get to where they need to get to as quick as possible, I’m happy to do that. They’re going to be some great players.”