Times Media
TELFORD VICE, Cape Town
SA won more one-day internationals when their batsmen had to elude an additional fielder in the deep and their bowlers did not enjoy the benefit of using a different ball from each end.
Since October, 2011, when the current ODI regulations came into force, SA have won 32 of their 56 games - a winning percentage of 57.14. Of their 56 matches before then, they were victorious in 64.29%.
Before October, 2011, a maximum of five fielders were allowed between the 30-metre circle and the boundary when a powerplay was not in force, and one new ball was used at the start of the innings.
Now, only four players roam the outfield in the non-powerplay overs and each innings begins with two new balls.
The 2011 World Cup on the subcontinent was played under the old rules. Next year’s tournament in Australia and New Zealand will be subject to the existing measures.
What impact will the differences have, especially considering the marked contrast between conditions in Asia and Australasia?
“It will help the fast bowlers, but top order batsmen like the ball to come on to the bat,” Peter Kirsten, a veteran of the 1992 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, said on Wednesday.
“So it will be a good contest between bat and ball, more so than what we saw four years ago.
“But if you’re on a wicket with a bit of juice in it, like some of the New Zealand pitches can have, the ball will move around early on.
“Good spinners will still do well, but teams will look to pick fast bowlers more.”
For Boeta Dippenaar, who played in the 2003 World Cup in SA, “The two new balls will make a bigger difference than it would have done had that measure been in place in the 2011 World Cup.
“It will actually work in the batsman’s favour because on Australian pitches you get value for your shots. But you will need a good opening stand.
“One-day cricket is a little bit different in SA and Australia in that you need to be more stability up front in your innings.”
Dippenaar also saw trouble ahead in the way SA bowled in their second match against Australia in the triangular series in Harare 10 days ago, when they conceded 101 runs in the last 10 overs.
“We have a very good team, but we saw in that game that we still need to work on our death bowling,” Dippenaar said.
SA lost that match, but bounced back to beat Australia in the final. AB de Villiers’ team also have valuable opportunities remaining to tighten the nuts and bolts in relevant conditions.
They play three ODIs in New Zealand in October - the third of them at Seddon Park in Hamilton, where they open their World Cup campaign against Zimbabwe on February 15 - and five in Australia in November.
That includes matches at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and the Sydney Cricket Ground, where SA will face India on February 22 and West Indies a week later in World Cup games.
SA’s six pool matches are evenly split between Australia and New Zealand. Their other opponents are Ireland, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates.
Comments
No comments yet. Start the conversation.