Early plays on World Cup
Early plays on World Cup
I have been short of some spare time so I have found an article off another site which I have copied and will alter to suit my plays.
Keep your eyes fixed on the top order if you want to hit the bookies for six in the World Cup top batsman market.
Keep your eyes fixed on the top order if you want to hit the bookies for six in the World Cup top batsman market.
The recent VB Series highlighted the advantage of being first to the crease with openers occupying the first five spots in the top runscorer standings.
And a delve into past World Cup history produces a similar conclusion with the lists of top tournament runscorers dominated by top order batsmen.
In 1996 Sachin Tendulkar smashed 523 runs to help India reach the final and significantly he opened the batting in that tournament.
In 1999, number three Rahul Dravid topped the charts with 461 runs while teammate Sourav Ganguly, who opened the batting, finished third highest runscorer.
The Waugh twins occupied the other two slots in the top four. Mark opened the batting while Steve came in at number four. Although Steve Waugh proved that it is possible to look outside the top three, his presence in the top scorer standings highlights another key element for a successful punt - picking a batsman who plays as many games as possible. The Waughs played the maximum 10 games in the last World Cup while all the top 18 batsmen played at least seven times.
Given the format of this tournament it's absolutely imperative that your top bat pick gets to the Super Six stage. That will guarantee an extra three games on top of the six group matches.
Getting to the final will take that maximum number of knocks to 11 which is obviously the ideal scenario.
However, it's possible to argue that the benefit of going all the way is slightly diminished with the greater number of matches.
So I wouldn't rule out a batsman out from a team who you might think won't get to the semi-final stage. They will still have nine innings to rack up the runs and it's possible that the teams expected to get to the semis and final will give their top batsmen a rest during one of the easier group games to keep them fresh for the 11-match slog.
However, that doesn't stop me siding with two players who I feel WILL get to the crease more often than most of their fellow openers - Matthew Hayden and Herschelle Gibbs.
Hayden fell just three runs short of finishing top batsman in the VB series as he smashed 458 runs from nine matches. The left-hander forms a devastating opening partnership with Adam Gilchrist although he also showed in the latter stages of the VB series that he's prepared to play a more watchful role if wickets start falling around him. Hayden averages a healthy 45.53 in one-day cricket and played to that mark when the Aussies visited South Africa for a one-day series in 2001/2. Clearly he likes these batsmen-friendly wickets and will be rubbing his hands at the thought of pasting the Dutch, Namibian and Zimbabwe attacks to all parts. He won't mind facing the old enemy either after smashing England's bowlers around for most of the recent Australian summer.
The bookies are expecting Hayden to be one of the leading lights of course but nevertheless the 12/1 is a backable price.
Some may be drawn to the 20/1 on fellow opener Gilchrist but the added responsibility of keeping wicket will surely stretch his concentration in such a hectic tournament. I also feel that he will be rested for a couple of games with Maher taking over the duties as the trail in the VB Series appeared to work.
South African opener Gibbs was as big as 100/1 in the early shows for the last World Cup and almost pulled off the coup, finishing eighth with 341 runs. But on home soil he can really hammer home his status as one of the tournament's best flat-track bullies and make hay against the weaker attacks.
South Africa have to be given great respect in this tournament given the record of their various sports teams when playing on home soil. The Springboks won the rugby union World Cup in 1995 in front of a beeming Nelson Mandela and their football team, Bafana Bafana, won the African Nations Cup when tournament hosts in 1996.
And Gibbs can play a huge role in helping the cricket team to a similar triumph. Although his one-day career record isn't as impressive as Hayden's he looks to be coming into form at the ideal time. Since October Gibbs has warmed up by clobbering 541 runs in 13 one-dayers and bizarrely that includes four ducks.
Perhaps most significantly he plundered 153 and 97 not out against Bangladesh. He will get the chance to punish the same opponents in the group stages and can build his confidence further against the other Pool B bowling attacks which look much weaker than their Pool A counterparts. At 14/1 Gibbs appears on an attractive price and one that should be taken.
There's plenty of contenders for our remaining picks with Nick Knight and Nathan Astle coming close to selection.
But with doubts remaining that England and New Zealand will play their full quota of group games, I'm put off slightly, especially when it's also a possibility that both teams may not even get to the Super Six stages.
Indian batsmen have topped the runscorer charts in the last two World Cups - Rahul Dravid in 1999 and Tendulkar in 1996 - and those two, along with Virender Sehwag form a powerful top three.
But my problem with India is the likelihood of their bowlers letting them down which could lead to an early exit. In addition Dravid has the extra burden of keeping wicket while Tendulkar isn't in the best of form and hasn't excelled in one-day cricket in South Africa (his average is nine runs lower than his career record).
Pakistan's strength appears to lie in their bowling so that leaves us with Sri Lanka and the West Indians. And both teams have a backable candidate.
For the West Indies, step forward Brian Lara.
Lara was sixth highest runscorer in the 1992 World Cup, 10th in 1996 and flopped badly in 1999. So you might think that the World Cup is not really his stage as even in his pomp he failed to reward backers. But try looking at it another way. Lara has something to prove here and if the mood takes him he could do just about anything. His last one-day knock produced a near run-a-ball century against Sri Lanka in Colombo while his one-day record in South Africa is fractionally better than his career average. Batting at three, Lara should get plenty of time at the crease and the West Indies could be one of the surprise packages of this World Cup. If they are to be, Lara will almost certainly play a major part so his fate as a top bat candidate is very much in his own hands. Again, Lara will face the weaker Pool B attacks and a couple of big knocks against the minnows will see his odds crumble faster than England's middle order.
He's still respected in bookie land but the 25/1 at Paddy Power suggests they feel he is past his best. I personnally do not, however, a more suitable alternative is to back Lara as top West Indian batsman at 5/2 with Corals, Chandlers or Bet365.
The obvious pick for Sri Lanka is skipper Sanath Jayasuriya. Although his swashbuckling style makes him one of the most exciting one-day batsman on the planet, he averages less than 30 on South African soil and has passed fifty just once in his last 15 matches there. That poor record added to the extra responsibilities of skippering the side could just go against him.
Instead I will nominate opening partner Marvan Atapattu. The right-hander, unlike Jayasuriya, flourished in Sri Lanka's recent one-day series in South Africa, ending the five-match rubber with 123 not out, 39 and 53. He should be full of confidence on his return. Atapattu, with five double centuries to his name in Test match cricket, knows all about compiling an innings and as with Lara will get plenty of opportunities in the group stages to score.
Sri Lanka's chances of reaching the Super Six also look decent, especially if New Zealand forfeit a game, so I'm hoping he'll have at least nine trips to the crease. He has the shots, the skill and the temperament to really flourish in this World Cup and I will play Atapattu to be top Sri Lankan Batsman at 5/2 with Corals and Chandlers.
TOP SERIES BATSMAN
M. HAYDEN @ 12/1 1 point E/W ( 1/4 odds 1,2,3,4,5, places with Paddy Power)
H. GIBBS @ 14/1 1 point E/W ( 1/4 odds 1,2,3,4,5, places with Paddy Power)
TOP WEST INDIAN BATSMAN
B. LARA @ 5/2 1.5 points ( Coral, Chandlers )
TOP SRI LANKAN BATSMAN
M. ATAPATTU @ 5/2 1.5 points ( Coral, Chandlers, Bet365 )
