After a spectacular 2000th Test where a few records and statistical highlights emerged, I thought of the importance of numbers and stats in analysing sports. A recent article set about questioning the role of numbers and the pursuit of statistical analysis of performances. While stats don't quit reveal the full picture, a careful and exact analysis can often bust a few myths and end arguments while fueling new ones.. Here's a small number based quiz to all fellow cricket stats enthusiasts..I sure am a huge fan of cricket stats and can't quite describe how amazing the feeling is when I dig into scorecards and databases to find answers to the most 'useless' of questions :)
All you need to do is to fill in the exact number there. Accuracy is important guys. Some are easy/well-known numbers and the rest...well, don't curse me!
1. Gavaskar's aggregate in his debut series: _ _ _
2. Bob Massie's match figures on Test debut: _ _ / _ _ _ (example 10/74)
3. Sir Garry Sobers Test average: _ _ . _ _ (example 35.25)
4. Highest Test partnership: _ _ _
5. The scores in the four innings in the first Tied Test:
WI 1st innings: _ _ _
Australia 1st innings: _ _ _
WI 2nd innings: _ _ _
Australia 2nd innings: _ _ _
6. Laker's figures in the two innings at Old Trafford 1956: _ _ / _ _ and _ / _ _
7. Wally Hammond's record Ashes series aggregate for England in 1928-29: _ _ _
8. Viv Richards' tally in the calendar year 1976: _ _ _ _
9. Test averages of Malcolm Marshall, Joel Garner and Curtly Ambrose: _ _ . _ _ & _ _ . _ _ & _ _ . _ _
10. Ambrose's figures when he bowled England out for 46 in Trinidad in 1994: _ / _ _
11. Score when Graham Dilley joined Ian Botham in THE TEST in Headingley 1981: _ _ _/_ (example 200/9)
12. Score when Dravid entered in Calcutta 2001 and score when the partnership ended (clue: partnership was 376 runs)
entry: _ _ _/_
exit: _ _ _/_
13. The number of wickets Dennis Lillee has in Tests and number of dismissals for Rodney Marsh (hint: both numbers are equal): _ _ _
14. The highest ever stand to end in a run out: _ _ _
15. Best bowling in an innings in a defeat : _/_ _
16. Total number of wickets taken by Terry Alderman in 12 Tests in England in 1981 and 1989
: _ _
17. West Indies' lowest score in Tests till they were bowled out for 51 in Trinidad in 1999: _ _
18. CLyde Walcott's run tally in the 1954-55 series against Australia which WI lose 3-0: _ _ _
19. The score at entry of Jack Fingleton and the partnership total with Bradman in the famous 1936-37 MCG Test where Bradman sent tail-enders to bat first on a tough pitch: _ _ / _ and _ _ _
20. The deficit Australia overcame against Sri Lanka in the 1992 Colombo Test (Aus won by 16 runs): _ _ _
That's it for now guys...be back with more later..have fun
1. 774
2. 16/137
3. 57.78
4. 624- jayawardene and sangakkara
5. 453, 505, 284, 232
6. 9/53 and 10/37
7. 905
8. 1710
9. 20.94 20.97 and 20.99
10. 6/24
11. 135/7
12. 232/4 and 608/5
13. 95
14. 446
15. 9/83
16. 83
17. 53
18. 827
19. 98/5 and 346
20. 291
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Thursday, July 21, 2011
DVD Reviews: Fire in Babylon and From the Ashes: Excellent recreation and terrific entertainment
Fire in Babylon: The story of the outstanding West Indies cricket team of the 1970s and 1980s
A video that I had been waiting to get my hands on did not disappoint. For someone who grew up listening to heroic achievements of West Indian greats, and idolised their top performers, this movie was a Godsend. I had read about West Indian history and followed their cricket for years, but the movie claimed to provide me with something that I had never quite seen- rare footage of classic match-action and interviews with the best players of a bygone era. The story itself is woven around the tale of how prevalent racism was in the early days of Caribbean cricket, and how important it was for the natives to reclaim their identity. Although it is not clear how many players shared these sentiments, it becomes quite easy to understand that most of them wished to make the cricket field a platform where they could perform and demonstrate to the 'masters' (whites) that they could compete and surpass the best around. The movie traces the roots of cricket in the Caribbean back to the early days of Headley and Constantine till the 1960 series against Australia when Frank Worrell was appointed captain and in effect became the first black captain to lead the West Indies. Cricket remains the only sport where players from all islands, so disparate in nature and way of life, come together and the first instance of this unity was seen under Worrell. Perhaps, more importantly, the West Indies became a far more competitive side intent on erasing the tag of 'Calypso entertainers' who mostly enjoyed the game and did not care much about victory.
The 1960-61 series in Australia was played to full houses and the quality was top-class. Worrell's team was given a ticker-tape farewell in Melbourne and this was the start of an era in which West Indies would go on to become a genuine competitor. However, the form tapered off in the early 1970s and in 1975-76, the West Indians were humiliated 5-1 in Australia. They were stunned by the wild crowds and aggressive fast bowling of Lillee and Thomson. Racist taunts added to the embarrassment. Following a 1-1 draw in the home series against India, Clive Lloyd, who was perilously close to losing his captaincy, embarked on a move that was to revolutionise the game. He chose to pack his side with four fast bowlers who would relentlessly pummel and pepper the opposition with hostile pace and bounce. Tony Greig's unfortunate grovel' remark touched a raw nerve, and West Indies, led by Viv Richards' batting and Michael Holding's blinding pace annihilated England. Packer's World Series Cricket came and went but had a positive effect on the West Indies team who seemed to discover the joy of playing together and winning. England stood no chance any more but the big challenge lay in winning in Australia, something no West Indian team had ever achieved previously. They duly went on to crush Australia unleashing a barrage of short-pitched bowling. The press tried to curtail the use of bouncers and devise tactics to nullify the threat posed by the Caribbean pace bowlers. It was, however, not hostile bowling alone, but a brilliant combination of aggressive bowling and batting which led the West Indies to the top of the world. The icing on the cake came when Lloyd' team won 5-0 in England, an unprecedented achievement. Despite the protests against the bowling, very few had answers to the quality of the West Indies. The film beautifully portrays the rise and provides a strong emphasis on the background of racism and torture that proved to be a motivation for most members of the great team, especially Richards.
For cricket fans in this generation who have grown up wishing to know more about the era when the Caribbean Kings lorded over the cricketing world, the movie is perfect. The DVD is a must-own for a cricket aficionado. It is packed with extra features including interviews with batsmen who faced up to the bowling and an interview with David Frith, the former editor of Wisden, who does not quite approve of the nature of the bowling. Overall, but for a few glitches in the footage, and for the fact that there could have been some more emphasis on the 1960s team, the movie is a great one and one to add to the collection.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From the Ashes: the story of Ian Botham masterminding England's remarkable comeback in the Ashes 1981
There are very few stories in sport that transcend eras and occupy a place in the list of immortal achievements. One such is the story of Ian Botham's outstanding performances in the Ashes series in 1981 when he, almost singlehandedly, took England to the promised land from a position where they stood no chance whatsoever.
The movie considers the political situation in England and talks about the unrest prevalent at that time. Innumerable strikes and violence were rife in England in the first few months of 1981 and there was very little that could be done to improve the mood of the nation. The focus shifts to the cricket where the picture was gloomy too. Botham, who had been offered captaincy at the young age of 24, struggled for impact against the powerful West Indies and his captaincy was hanging by a thread as England took on Australia in the series that mattered. Dropped catches and ordinary bowling led to a defeat in the first Test and in the second Test (Botham's last chance to redeem himself), Australia were denied victory by the rain. Botham's form, however, was in the doldrums as he was dismissed for a pair, lasting just three balls in the match. Onto the third Test and Botham was replaced as captain by the scholarly Mike Brearley, who was described by the opposition as someone who could not bat, bowl or field. But lead he could! Brearley seemed to strike a chord perfectly with his beleaguered team mates and when Botham and Willis were chosen to play, England had hope. Quickly, the hope disappeared when Australia racked up over 400 and shot England out for just 174 with only Botham scoring a half-century. Australia enforced the follow on and England were on the ropes at 105/5 when Botham walked in. The movie packs the sequence with excellent interviews. Gideon Haigh, Kim Hughes (the Australian captain), Rodney Marsh among others have painted a picture which seems to bring the series to life. Botham, joined by Graham Dilley at 135/7, decided to enjoy himself, and with nothing to lose, swung away merrily at the bowling. Soon, the situation turned grim for Australia, and they were left chasing 130 for a 2-0 win. Botham's extraordinary 149* was indeed the stuff of dreams, and Bob Willis, who until the start of the game, was hardly a certainty to play, lit up the stage with a superb display of 8/43 to bowl Australia out for 111. England had won after following on and the nation was on its feet.
In the next Test at Edgbaston, Botham was central to a heist as he picked up five wickets for one run to snuff out Australia's chase when they seemed well on course for an easy win. Australia never recovered and Botham cracked another hundred at Old Trafford to crush Australia 3-1. The movie is narrated superbly and the story has been presented interestingly. After hearing for years about the drama of July-August 1981 and Botham's greatness, it is time to see it for real. Another great DVD to add to the colelction!
A video that I had been waiting to get my hands on did not disappoint. For someone who grew up listening to heroic achievements of West Indian greats, and idolised their top performers, this movie was a Godsend. I had read about West Indian history and followed their cricket for years, but the movie claimed to provide me with something that I had never quite seen- rare footage of classic match-action and interviews with the best players of a bygone era. The story itself is woven around the tale of how prevalent racism was in the early days of Caribbean cricket, and how important it was for the natives to reclaim their identity. Although it is not clear how many players shared these sentiments, it becomes quite easy to understand that most of them wished to make the cricket field a platform where they could perform and demonstrate to the 'masters' (whites) that they could compete and surpass the best around. The movie traces the roots of cricket in the Caribbean back to the early days of Headley and Constantine till the 1960 series against Australia when Frank Worrell was appointed captain and in effect became the first black captain to lead the West Indies. Cricket remains the only sport where players from all islands, so disparate in nature and way of life, come together and the first instance of this unity was seen under Worrell. Perhaps, more importantly, the West Indies became a far more competitive side intent on erasing the tag of 'Calypso entertainers' who mostly enjoyed the game and did not care much about victory.
The 1960-61 series in Australia was played to full houses and the quality was top-class. Worrell's team was given a ticker-tape farewell in Melbourne and this was the start of an era in which West Indies would go on to become a genuine competitor. However, the form tapered off in the early 1970s and in 1975-76, the West Indians were humiliated 5-1 in Australia. They were stunned by the wild crowds and aggressive fast bowling of Lillee and Thomson. Racist taunts added to the embarrassment. Following a 1-1 draw in the home series against India, Clive Lloyd, who was perilously close to losing his captaincy, embarked on a move that was to revolutionise the game. He chose to pack his side with four fast bowlers who would relentlessly pummel and pepper the opposition with hostile pace and bounce. Tony Greig's unfortunate grovel' remark touched a raw nerve, and West Indies, led by Viv Richards' batting and Michael Holding's blinding pace annihilated England. Packer's World Series Cricket came and went but had a positive effect on the West Indies team who seemed to discover the joy of playing together and winning. England stood no chance any more but the big challenge lay in winning in Australia, something no West Indian team had ever achieved previously. They duly went on to crush Australia unleashing a barrage of short-pitched bowling. The press tried to curtail the use of bouncers and devise tactics to nullify the threat posed by the Caribbean pace bowlers. It was, however, not hostile bowling alone, but a brilliant combination of aggressive bowling and batting which led the West Indies to the top of the world. The icing on the cake came when Lloyd' team won 5-0 in England, an unprecedented achievement. Despite the protests against the bowling, very few had answers to the quality of the West Indies. The film beautifully portrays the rise and provides a strong emphasis on the background of racism and torture that proved to be a motivation for most members of the great team, especially Richards.
For cricket fans in this generation who have grown up wishing to know more about the era when the Caribbean Kings lorded over the cricketing world, the movie is perfect. The DVD is a must-own for a cricket aficionado. It is packed with extra features including interviews with batsmen who faced up to the bowling and an interview with David Frith, the former editor of Wisden, who does not quite approve of the nature of the bowling. Overall, but for a few glitches in the footage, and for the fact that there could have been some more emphasis on the 1960s team, the movie is a great one and one to add to the collection.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From the Ashes: the story of Ian Botham masterminding England's remarkable comeback in the Ashes 1981
There are very few stories in sport that transcend eras and occupy a place in the list of immortal achievements. One such is the story of Ian Botham's outstanding performances in the Ashes series in 1981 when he, almost singlehandedly, took England to the promised land from a position where they stood no chance whatsoever.
The movie considers the political situation in England and talks about the unrest prevalent at that time. Innumerable strikes and violence were rife in England in the first few months of 1981 and there was very little that could be done to improve the mood of the nation. The focus shifts to the cricket where the picture was gloomy too. Botham, who had been offered captaincy at the young age of 24, struggled for impact against the powerful West Indies and his captaincy was hanging by a thread as England took on Australia in the series that mattered. Dropped catches and ordinary bowling led to a defeat in the first Test and in the second Test (Botham's last chance to redeem himself), Australia were denied victory by the rain. Botham's form, however, was in the doldrums as he was dismissed for a pair, lasting just three balls in the match. Onto the third Test and Botham was replaced as captain by the scholarly Mike Brearley, who was described by the opposition as someone who could not bat, bowl or field. But lead he could! Brearley seemed to strike a chord perfectly with his beleaguered team mates and when Botham and Willis were chosen to play, England had hope. Quickly, the hope disappeared when Australia racked up over 400 and shot England out for just 174 with only Botham scoring a half-century. Australia enforced the follow on and England were on the ropes at 105/5 when Botham walked in. The movie packs the sequence with excellent interviews. Gideon Haigh, Kim Hughes (the Australian captain), Rodney Marsh among others have painted a picture which seems to bring the series to life. Botham, joined by Graham Dilley at 135/7, decided to enjoy himself, and with nothing to lose, swung away merrily at the bowling. Soon, the situation turned grim for Australia, and they were left chasing 130 for a 2-0 win. Botham's extraordinary 149* was indeed the stuff of dreams, and Bob Willis, who until the start of the game, was hardly a certainty to play, lit up the stage with a superb display of 8/43 to bowl Australia out for 111. England had won after following on and the nation was on its feet.
In the next Test at Edgbaston, Botham was central to a heist as he picked up five wickets for one run to snuff out Australia's chase when they seemed well on course for an easy win. Australia never recovered and Botham cracked another hundred at Old Trafford to crush Australia 3-1. The movie is narrated superbly and the story has been presented interestingly. After hearing for years about the drama of July-August 1981 and Botham's greatness, it is time to see it for real. Another great DVD to add to the colelction!
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Sudden yet Seamless: the enduring charm of tennis
Novak Djokovic's recent Wimbledon triumph is yet another addition to the long list of surprises that make tennis a marvellous game to follow. One could ask, what is unique about surprises in tennis? The appeal of the game lies in the fact that these unexpected results are just so logical and predictable that anything other than these periodic shocks may be construed as uncharacteristic. The talented Serbian is no stranger to Grand Slam finals having won the Australian Open in 2008 and making the US Open final in 2007 and 2010. However, his show in 2011 is nothing short of astounding. After a brilliant display in the Australian Open, he ran up a streak of 41 consecutive wins in 2011 before a defeat to Roger Federer in the semi-final at Roland Garros. Although people cannot be faulted for assuming that the end of the streak would restore the Federer-Nadal domination, there was something different about Djokovic's run. He had defeated Rafael Nadal four times in four ATP finals in a year, a feat even the great Federer could not achieve. Two of these wins came on clay, a surface where Nadal has been near-invincible. To anyone doubting that tennis is just as cerebral a sport as it is physical, the psychological advantage the Serb had over the Mallorcan was perfect evidence. The tennis quality on display in the second set was reminiscent of Pete Sampras' remarkable performance in the Wimbledon 1999 final when Andre Agassi was left high and dry. Nadal, the supreme athlete, was dumbfounded by the angles that Djokovic managed to find with uncanny regularity. It might have come as a shock to many who had seen Nadal hold a 10-2 record in Grand Slam finals till the Wimbledon final, but to me the result was something I was very used to- tennis had always managed to serve these up from time to time.
This was my 20th Wimbledon. Ever since I watched Agassi's heroics in 1992, I had witnessed a remarkable pattern of rise and dominance in men's tennis. Actually, the pattern goes back well into the 1970s. Bjorn Borg's domination of the lawns of Wimbledon was unprecedented in the open era, but after the brilliant display by the brash, yet highly gifted John McEnroe in the 1980 final, it seemed like Borg's time was about to run out. McEnroe defeated Borg in the 1981 final and also in the US open final in the same year, prompting Borg to retire at just 25 with 11 titles. The McEnroe show was not as complete, but the most unbelievable result came in 1985 when an unknown 17-year old German by name Boris Becker burst on the scene defeating Kevin Curren in the Wimbledon final. Becker defended his title in 1986, but was at the receiving end when Stefan Edberg won his first title in 1988 with an exceptional display of serve and volley tennis. Becker and Edberg won the Wimbledon titles in 1989 and 1990, but the signs were clear that their hold on the sport was coming to an end. Sampras, Agassi and Jim Courier were three very different players from the same country. While Sampras boasted an excellent serve and volley game, Agassi and Courier surprisingly possessed a strong baseline game, mostly a feature of clay-court specialists.
The 1993 Wimbledon is fresh in memory as it serves as a perfect example to illustrate the change of guard at the top of tennis. Becker met Sampras in one semi-final and Courier played Edberg in the other. Courier had won the Australian Open and made the finals of the French losing to Sergi Bruguera. Edberg, on the other hand, had a couple of lean years by his standards but was still expected to reach his fourth final. Another Becker-Edberg classic was on the cards, but in what followed, Sampras and Courier dethroned the greats, and ushered in a new era. Sampras went on to win Wimbledon and the US Open in 1993 and added to his Wimbledon count in the next three years. Becker and Edberg quietly faded away although the former won the Australian in 1995 and made the finals of Wimbledon in the same year, losing to Sampras. The giant Dutchman Richard Krajicek stunned the world by defeating Sampras in the quarter-final in Wimbledon 1996 but normal service resumed soon with Agassi also back to winning ways. Sampras won the next four Wimbledon titles, but never quite conquered clay. In Wimbledon 2001, 19-year old Roger Federer from Switzerland eliminated Sampras in a five-set thriller in the fourth round. His sublime groundstrokes and quicksilver footwork were soon to dominate the tour. Infact Federer's 237 consecutive weeks at No.1 is an aberration when the rankings are closely observed. Federer dominated the game between 2004 and 2007 winning 11 out of 16 possible titles. But then, just as people thought he would go on to win everything in sight for the next few years, out came Rafael Nadal, who till then had dominated Federer in clay-court exchanges but never on other surfaces. With his heavy top-spin game and extraordinary physical strength, he destroyed Federer in the French final in 2008, and soon after, triumphed in one of the finest matches in the Wimbledon final. Between 2008 and 2011, the pair won 10 out of 12 titles with Djokovic and Juan Martin Del Potro winning the other two. Djokovic's wins over Federer in the US open in 2010 and the Australian Open in 2011 were shocks, but served notice to the top two that it was no more a two-horse race. The results were sudden but the progress never in doubt. As in many previous cases, the ascent of Djokovic has again reinforced my view that tennis (especially men's tennis) has an everlasting charm that can be attributed as much to the unique pattern of rise and dominance of players as to the skills of those involved..
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