Sports
‘Boks’ fail to impress and the Black juggernaut rolls on
by Rajitha Ratwatte
The current “world champions” trying to save face after the two-point defeat last week, took on the resurgent Wallabies in front of over 35,000 fans at the Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane. Great playing condition with the temperature in the mid-twenties and dry conditions underfoot. Michael Hooper the Australian skipper captaining for the 60th time! Dave Rennie the Kiwi-born and raised coach of the Australian side, had made a few changes and among them not playing Hunter Paisamy at no12 and replacing him with Len Ikitau, the “human cannonball”, hooker Taniela Taupo also got a start. The change in the center was justified with Len Ikitau forcing his way over the line in the 12th minute to score mid-left and Quade Cooper sullied his impeccable record by hitting the upright with his attempted conversion. 5–0 to the Wallabies. Handre Pollard got three points back for the Springboks with a penalty converted from 35 meters out and mid-right. 5–3 was the score until Taniela Taupo displayed his great strength and low center of gravity by making good ground and allowing Ikitau to ground his second try. This time QC made no mistake 12–3. Pollard did his thing again literarily shaving the right upright and in the 25th minute, the score read 12–6. The Wallabies reliable full-back Tom Banks suffered what is now thought to be a broken hand and was replaced by Reece Hodge 30 minutes into the game. Quade Cooper slotted another penalty taking the Wallaby lead to 15–6 until another ludicrous TMO intervention resulted in a yellow card for the Australian no 6 Lachlan Swinton. The Boks could only manage two penalties during the period in which they had numerical superiority taking the score along to 15–12 at halftime.
The South Africans were the first to score in the second half with their playmaker and nov9 Faf De Clerk kicking ahead to allow their no13 Lukhanyo Am to score far right. Pollard was unable to convert 15–17 and the Boks ahead for the first time in the game. Quade Cooper rectified matters converting a penalty from right in front of the posts and putting the wallabies back into the lead 18–17. Marika Korombeiti decided that it was time to show his skills, dotting down twice in quick succession once off a great pass from his skipper Hooper which QC converted, and then from a great turnover by Reece Hodge which Cooper couldn’t add the extra points to. 30–17 and the Wallabies convincing in their dominance of the World Champions who definitely seem to be fortunate to have the title. This win takes Australia to number three in the world ranking the computation of which seems to be understood only by the mandarins of the IRB and also gaining the Nelson Mandela trophy.
The crowd had swelled further for the second game of this week’s doubleheader. The Argentineans playing the NZ All Blacks for the second time inside seven days. Quinn Tupea wearing the no 12 black jersey for the first time due to injuries and Reiko Ioane very much a makeshift no 13 were the only perceptible areas of weakness in the NZ Line up. Santiango Carreras coming in at no10 for the Pumas was expected to make a difference. Ethan Blackadder at no 6 and Hoskins Sututu at no 8 showing the depth of selection available to the All Blacks. Damian Mackenzie starting at no 10 for only the second time in his All-Black career. That too probably due to Beauden Barret nursing a calf injury. Patrick Tuapoletu the Auckland Blues skipper playing in the second row led the way with the first seven pointer of the game in the fifth minute and the Pumas pulled one back three minutes later converting a penalty from right in front of the posts when Ethan Blackadder was pinged for being offside, 7-3. The ABs gave Jordie Barret the ball as he was doing the kicking for this game in the 11th minute to add further three points off a “gimme” penalty right in front of the posts, 10–3. In the 16th minute, Jordie Barret went over the line but was denied a score due to a forward pass, this was one of four occasions on which the ABs went over the line and were denied for infringements. The New Zealanders scored two more tries in the first half once off no 9 T.J. Peranara and again when a chip ahead created by Ardie Savea was picked up by Hoskins Sututu who passed to Topu Vaa’I in the no 5 jersey. Jordie Barret completed an impeccable first half of kicking duties with a penalty taking the score to 24–3 at halftime.
The Pumas came back roaring in the second half and scored first through a penalty 40 meters out but right in front. 24–6 Ethan Blackadder continued his hard unrelenting Mahi (Maori word for work) showing great handling skills, combining with Will Jordan, and sending Samisoni Taukeiaho over the line. Jordie Barret struck the left upright with his attempted conversion from the right touchline. 29–6 until Emiliano Boffelli in the no 11 jersey for the Pumas broke a three game drought of tries against the All Blacks and scored off a perfectly weighted cross-kick by their no 10 Santiago Carreras. This seven pointer took the score to 29–13. The All-Black bench came on and it must be said the Finlay Christie the Auckland no 9 looked a little out of his depth but the Canterbury Crusader no 8 Luke Jacobsen who had scored twice in the last game fitted right in. The Argentines’ found another gear and attacked relentlessly retaining 70% of possession but the NZ defence stood firm. The Black forwards began dominating the scrums and Taupo Vaa’i got his second from a great offload by Scott Barret his fellow second-rower. The conversion took the score to 36–13 where it remained until full time.
This completes nine wins in a row from the New Zealand All Blacks and unless the algorithms and permutations used in calculating the IRB world rankings have another unfathomable calculation, should result in the All Blacks regaining their well-deserved place at the top of the rankings.
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The first truly heavyweight clash of this expanded T20 World Cup format comes freighted with both history and subplots. A rematch of the 2010 World T20 final at Kensington Oval, the match pits Jos Buttler’s defending champions – who are aiming to become the first team to retain the trophy – against the Australian winning machine, victors at the 2021 edition and current world title-holders in Test and ODI cricket. And that’s before you throw in the Ashes for afters.
Already there is added pressure on England, after the rain in Bridgetown led to a share of the points in their opener against Scotland (and that having conceded 90 runs from 10 overs without taking a wicket in a tepid bowling display). Lose to their oldest rivals and it will leave their Super 8 prospects open to being waylaid by the perils of net run-rate calculations, or worse.
The Scotland match was the third abandonment in five suffered by England, after a rain-affected home series against Pakistan, which has clearly hampered their readiness for this campaign after almost six months without playing T20 together. It does not take much for a side to click in this format – and England looked in decent shape when they did get on the field against Pakistan – but Buttler will be anxious for things to go their way on Saturday, if only to avoid further questions referencing the team’s disastrous ODI World Cup defence last year.
Australia, under the laidback leadership of Mitchell Marsh would love nothing more than to add to the English sense of jeopardy – having helped bundle them out of the tournament in India on the way to taking the crown. Their head to head record is less impressive in T20 however, with England having won six of the last seven completed encounters, as well as that 2010 final.
Despite a wobble with the bat, Australia avoided mishap against Oman earlier in the week, the experience of David Warner and Marcus Stoinis shining through in difficult batting conditions. Surfaces in the Caribbean – not to mention those games staged in the USA – have already had teams scratching their heads; rather than the “slug-fest” England had prepared for, following a high-scoring tour of the Caribbean in December, it looks as if boxing smart may be the way to go.
Speaking of Warner, this could be the last time he faces up against England in national colours – and another match-winning contribution would likely reduce the chances of them meeting again in the knockouts. On the other side of the card is Jofra Archer, fresh from an emotional maiden outing at Kensington Oval and ready to take on Australia for the first time in any format since 2020. Can Mark Wood fire up England’s campaign, as he did during last summer’s Ashes? Will Pat Cummins be back to harass the old enemy once again? Seconds out, it’s almost time to rumble.
Cummins is set to return after being rested for the Oman game, which saw Mitchell Starc leave the field with cramp. Starc is understood to be fine and could keep his place – which would likely see Nathan Ellis miss out. Marsh is still not fit to bowl, with Australia likely to continue with the allrounder combination of Stoinis and Maxwell to give them cover.
Australia (probable XI): David Warner, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh (capt), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Josh Inglis (wk), Tim David, Pat Cummins, Nathan Ellis/Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood
The one change England may consider is Reece Topley coming in for Wood, with the expectation that there will be some rotation among the seamers through the course of the tournament.
England (probable XI): Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (capt & wk), Will Jacks, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Chris Jordan, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Reece Topley/Mark Wood
[Cricinfo]
Once is coincidence, twice is a clue, and three times is proof.
To paraphrase Agatha Christie, that is the narrative around South Africa’s meeting with Netherlands at this T20 World Cup.
The Dutch beat South Africa at the 2022 tournament and ended their semi-final hopes in a match where South Africa appeared to be sleep walking, and then beat them again at the 2023 ODI World Cup, where they exposed South Africa’s vulnerability in the chase. If they to do the treble, not only will Netherlands take the lead in Group D, but they will offer conclusive evidence of the threat they pose to Full Members, especially South Africa.
Of course, it will take some doing after South Africa’s opening performance against Sri Lanka, where they reduced their opposition to their lowest T20I total and chased it down in fairly straightforward fashion thanks to the most stable middle-order of their white-ball era. In Aiden Markram, Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller, South Africa have bankers and big-hitters and, for this match, they also have the advantage of experience. They’ve already played at Eisenhower Park, and have first-hand knowledge that run-scoring doesn’t come easily;Klassen said they are prepared to use their “cricket brains” and play “smarter cricket”.
But the conditions could be good news for Netherlands, who are not naturally a line-up of big hitters and build their innings on a foundation of turning ones into twos. In other words, they tend to take a slightly more conservative approach to batting, which may work well here, but they’ll be wary of the uneven bounce of the surface and will have to come up with plans to counterattack especially against South Africa’s seamers. Their own bowlers were exemplary in Dallas and will look to build on that performance against a line-up that will likely be more proactive than Nepal’s, but who they have managed to keep quiet not once, but twice in the past. Third time’s the charm, they say.
Anrich Nortje’s stunning return to form against Sri Lanka means South Africa may not have to tinker with the bowling combination, and Gerald Coetzee and Tabraiz Shamsi may have to wait their turns to get a game. The batting line-up should be unchanged, with no space for Ryan Rickelton yet.
South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markam, Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), David Miller, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Ottneil Baartman, Anrich Nortje
Conditions in New York may tempt Netherlands to include an extra seamer and they have Kyle Klein in their squad. But it could come at the expense of a shortened batting line-up and they may not want to risk that.
Netherlands: Michael Levitt, Max O’Dowd, Vikramjit Singh, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Scott Edwards (capt, wk), Bas de Leede, Teja Nidamanuru, Logan van Beek, Tim Pringle, Paul van Meekeren, Vivian Kingma
[Cricinfo]
Nuwan Thushara’s last over brought Sri Lanka screaming back into the match,as he first bowled Rishad Hossain, and then nailed Taskin Ahmed in front of the stumps with a pinpoint swinging yorker. This left Bangladesh eight wickets down, with 12 runs still to get.
However, the experienced Mahmudullah was at the crease for Bangladesh, and despite some further nervy moments, pushed Bangladesh across the line off the last ball of the 19th over.
But this was a match chiefly decided by Bangladesh’s own outstanding bowling. Mustafizur Rahman was the best among them, using shorter lengths and his cutters efficiently, to claim figures of 3 for 17. Rishad Hossain’s three-for through the middle overs also kept Sri Lanka quiet.
Mustafizur was instrumental in Sri Lanka’s downward spiral through the middle overs, which culminated in a crash-and-burn end. Ultimately, their inability to find boundaries, or even rotate strike against good Bangladesh bowling resulted in their downfall. A score of 125 for 9 always seemed poor on a decent pitch, even if their bowlers made a match of it in the end.
Brief scores:
Bangladesh 125 for 8 in 19 overs (Towhid Hridoy 40, Litton Das 36; Dhanajaya de Silva 1-11, Nuwan Thushara 4-18, Wanidu Hasaranga 2-32, Matheesha Pathirana 1-27) beat Sri Lanka124 for 9 in 20 overs (Pathum Nissanka 47, Dhananjaya de Silva 21; Tanzim Hasan Sakib 1-24, Taskin Ahmed 2-25, Mustafizur Rahman 3-17, Rishad Hossain 3-22) by two wickets
[Cricinfo]
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