The deluge of runs Down Under

West Indian fast-bowlers, who smiled at the ‘greenery’ on the pitch suffered nightmarish bowling figures by stumps

Test cricket continues to confound, last Monday, the top-ranked Test team South Africa crawled to 143 in 143.1 overs as India razed them in Dehli. Three days later, on the opening days of  the Hobart and Dunedin Tests, the hosts Australia and New Zealand piled on 438 and 409 runs in 90 and 89 overs respectively.

Chalk and cheese have never been more alike!



PHOTO: AFP

West Indies entered the Hobart Test with their pace man and bowling consultant Sir Curtly Ambrose claiming that the wicket had enough life in it to make them lick their lips. Inside the first 10 overs, however, they were already licking their wounds as David Warner and Joe Burns hammered 70 runs.

By the time the torturous day ended, the statisticians were sent into an overdrive — arguably the worst day in the field in their Test history — most expensive day for a West Indian outfit in the five day format — Australia only three wickets down at stumps with a run rate of 4.92.

Adam Voges, the aging middle-order batsman batting at 174 off 209 balls at close, Shaun Marsh written off by leading Australia pundits sitting pretty at 139 off 205 balls, the Voges-Marsh alliance yielding 327 for the yet unfinished fourth-wicket stand.

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PHOTO: AFP

West Indian fast-bowlers, who smiled at the ‘greenery’ on the pitch on the eve of the Test, suffered nightmarish bowling figures by the time stumps were drawn by weary umpires. Jerome Taylor wicket-less in 12 overs, conceding 76 runs; Kemar Roach none for 64 in 11 and Shannon Gabriel none for 59 in 10, rarely have bowlers been dealt so disdainfully on the first day of a Test.

Australian writers had written off the Caribbean tourists before the series began, one feels they would be having a quiet chuckle already, at present there is more chance of snowfall in Karachi than a West Indian win at Hobart.

Similar fate befell the Sri Lankans at Dunedin’s University Oval, only a year after their Christchurch caning — New Zealand 429 for seven on day one — in Dunedin, the Lankans fared a tad better but are already staring down the barrel with the Black Caps 409 for 8.



PHOTO: AFP

Under Brendon McCullum, New Zealand have adopted a devil-may-care attitude. Time and again the approach has backfired but when it comes off, it makes for richly entertaining cricket, cue Sharjah, Perth, Christchurch, and Dunedin, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and even Australia have been stung hard.

Martin Guptill held the innings together with a masterful 156 studded with 21 fours. Kane Williamson, the incredibly competent number three, posted 88 to set the stage for McCullum’s thwacking — 75 off 57 balls, 13 fours and one six.

Like the West Indians, the Sri Lankans would indeed be fortunate to escape with a draw in Dunedin. Cricket in the Antipodean shores is being played at a breakneck speed and visiting teams are regularly confronted with the ruthlessness of blazing Australian and New Zealand bats.



PHOTO: AFP

Perhaps in hindsight it was a smart move by the two boards to make the teams’ line-up against the pink ball in the Adelaide Oval floodlights last month — 224, the highest team score in the four innings.

The red ball generally endures a serious onslaught in the summer Down Under, the West Indians and Sri Lankans have learned that the hard way. The pink ball and artificial lights might be the answer if the organisers plan to rein in the runs; cricket boards from around the world must make a plea already.