Week in Summary (11/11/24 - 17/11/24)

We’ve been spoilt for choice in terms of international white ball cricket this week, so what better opportunity to kickstart this new series summarising all the games from around the cricketing world. No matter what follows below, however, my biggest takeaway from this week is that we were robbed of the Salt and Pepper combo.

West Indies vs England

After a slightly disappointing showing in the ODI series, England’s T20 team finally remembered how to take powerplay wickets, and wrapped up this five match series within three games.

Saqib Mahmood’s stark improvement in the first six overs, going from an average of over 90 before this series to less than 10 through the first three T20s here, has been vital, and is a hugely encouraging sign for his return to the international stage, but the West Indies top order are now facing as many questions as England’s bowlers have found answers.

The Windies top four contributed a grand total of 111 through the first three games, at an average of just 9.25. Even looking at the entire top 6, a batting average of just 12.83 through those first three games, including scores of 43 and 54 from skipper Rovman Powell, makes for dismal reading. Whilst England’s new-found wicket taking prowess early on is a factor, some of the shot selection we’ve seen has left much to be desired - attempting to pull length balls seems to be a developing trend.

Three consecutive tosses won for England has also helped them on their way to three consecutive wins, but batting contributions from a range of players is also encouraging. A first international 50 for Jacob Bethell, the youngest to reach that mark for England in T20s, is an encouraging sign for the future, and Ben Stokes will hope this translates against the red ball in New Zealand, despite his modest first class stats. Bethell also notched up an impressive direct-hit run out with just one stump to aim at, which will only his bolster his claim to a permanent spot in the side.

Phil Salt also starred alongside Bethell with a dominant century, and now boasts one of the most impressive career strike rates in T20 internationals. His skipper, and the man he’s replaced behind the stumps, Jos Buttler joined the party in game two, with 83 from 44 balls which hopefully marks a return to his best following a golden duck in the first game. Liam Livingstone and Sam Curran each contributed, with 39 and 41 respectively, in a tight run chase in the third game, before Rehan Ahmed finished things off in his first T20I game for two years.

The West Indies will be encouraged by the success of their spinners, Gudakesh Motie and Akeal Hosein, with the former picking up 4 for just 22 in the third game. Hosein has also performed very impressively in his role bowling in the powerplay, not going for more than 6 an over in any of the first three games. Seam bowling, with the exception of Alzarri Joseph, is proving to be a cause for concern though. Dependence on all-rounders, partly because of a lack of options available to them but also due a struggling top six, has led to some struggles taking wickets and keeping run rates down. Some shoddy fielding, including a host of dropped catches, is also a worry.

In the 4th game, Rovman Powell finally saw the coin fall in his favour, and put England into bat. Strong performances from five England’s top six (looking at you, Liam), particularly Bethell’s 62 from 32 balls, took them to an intimidating total of 218/5, but the Windies top order found their feet at long last. Evin Lewis and Shai Hope raced to 136 from 9 overs before a wicket fell, meaning the required run rate was down to under 8 an over.

Three wickets in three balls looked to get England back in with a shot, but the captain and Sherfane Rutherford got the Windies over the line. Despite the loss, England will take Rehan Ahmed’s 3fer away from this game as a big positive as they look to an eventual future without Adil Rashid.

Unfortunately the final game was a washout, but finished the West Indies did carry on the success their top order found in the previous game, with an unbeaten opening stand of 44 in the five overs of play we saw. I’m still fuming England didn’t pick Salt and Pepper together for this one, even though all the flavour would’ve been washed away.

South Africa vs India

With the series poised at 1-1 coming into this week, following an impressive century from Sanju Samson and Tristan Stubbs stepping up in a low scoring affair in Gqeberha, the third game of this series turned into a much more thrilling event than it had any right to be.

A century from Tilak Varma took India to a hefty 219/6, so at 68/3 after 9 overs, and then 84/4 after 10, South Africa looked to be all but out of this one. The required rate got up above 16 with 7 overs to go, but with Miller and Klaasen at the crease there was always a chance. Klaasen proceeded to do what he does best and clobbered 23 runs from Chakravarthy’s final over, and Marco Jansen’s blistering knock nearly got South Africa over the line.

With 25 needed from the final over, a leg bye, from an LBW review struck down on umpires call, to get Jansen back on strike followed by a drop for 6 at deep cover from centurion Varma but the game within reach for SA, but Arshdeep Singh pulled things back for India by getting Jansen next ball, for an incredible 54 from just 17 balls. The umpire turned down another LBW appeal and India reviewed again, successfully this time. With the danger man gone, and just as importantly no runs conceded, Arshdeep finished the job of defending 18 from the last three balls.

In the final game, India’s top order really turned things up a gear. A second century for Sanju Samson in this four match series and a stunning 120 from just 47 balls (featuring 10 sixes, no less) for now back-to-back centurion Tilak Varma took them to a remarkable, and ultimately unassailable, total of 283/1.

Tilak has surely marked himself down as a mainstay of the T20 side with 280 runs at an eye-watering average of 140 (yes, 140) and a strike of 198 this series, and at the age of just 25 you’r have to imagine that he’ll have many more centuries to come. Sanju, with two centuries and two ducks taking him to a comparatively modest average of 72 and a strike rate also in excess of 190, has also pencilled himself into the XI for the foreseeable. After surprisingly modest returns in international T20s given his IPL record, it’s a great sign for fans of Indian cricket to see him find his feet in this fashion.

Australia vs Pakistan

Much like England in the West Indies, Australia came into this T20 series against Pakistan off the back of a disappointing 2-1 loss in an ODI series against the same opposition, but have also sealed the series win with time to spare.

In a rain affected affair in Brisbane, Australia’s power hitters proved too much for Pakistan. Glenn Maxwell’s 43 off 19 and a quick-fire 21 from just 7 balls from Marcus Stoinis took the hosts to a total of 93/4 from just 7 overs. A largely new-look bowling attack sealed the victory by limiting the entire Pakistan top 6 to single figures scores as they collapsed to 16/5 and then 24/6.

The lower order showed some resistance to drag Pakistan up to 64/9, but they were never really going to challenge Australia’s total. Spencer Johnson was relatively expensive, but Nathan Ellis and Xavier Bartlett each picked up 3 wickets for not many, aided by the scoreboard pressure a big chase in a shortened game will always apply.

Pakistan bowled well in Sydney, particularly Haris Rauf and Abbas Afridi with 4-22 and 3-17 respectively, but contributions from almost the entire top seven, stand-in skipper Josh Inglis excluded, took Australia to a defendable total of 147/9. Jake Fraser-McGurk, yet to make his mark on the international stage after an impressive season with ? in the IPL made an eye-catching 20 from 9, and his opening partner Matthew Short got to 32 off 17 balls. The rest of the batting order largely just ticked along at around a run a ball, but Aaron Hardie’s 28 from 23 will be encouraging to Australia as they look to add yet another allrounder to their ranks, potentially in all three formats alongside Cam Green and Mitch Marsh.

Spencer Johnson recovered remarkably from an expensive couple overs in the first game to take 5-26. His searing pace proved too much for Pakistan as he picked up his first international 5 wicket haul, also his first in professional white ball cricket. Babar Azam had failed yet again, making just 3, and his opening partner Mohammed Rizwan struggled his way to 16 from 26 balls. Usman and Irfan Khan showed some resitance, with the former making 52 from 38 before succumbing to the pace of Johnson, whilst Irfan did his best to shepherd the tail towards the target unsuccessfully, as they were bowled out 13 runs short.

Sri Lanka vs New Zealand

We’ve seen two the three games in this ODI series, and Sri Lanka have successfully followed up a win in the T20 series by wrapping up a victory in two games against New Zealand.

Kusal Mendis has been the stand out for Sri Lanka, achieving something he’s often struggled to do by following up one big score with another important contribution. After an excellent 143 from just 128 balls took Sri Lanka to a total of 324 in the first game, which New Zealand were unable to chase down in a rain reduced affair, he followed it up with an unbeaten 74 in the second match to guide Sri Lanka to a successful chase of 210.

Avishka Fernando also scored a century in the first game, but failed to match Mendis with back to back scores, falling for just 9 in game two. Meheesh Theekshana has picked up 5 wickets across both games, and has been pretty economical to boot.

A fresh New Zealand batting order has struggled through the first two games. Only Mark Chapman has managed to get past 50, with 76 in the second match, although young keeper Mitchell Hay came close by getting to 49 alongside Chapman. Jacob Duffy was the pick of a struggling bowling attack in the first game, with 3 wickets and the best economy of an Kiwi bowler, whilst Michael Bracewell backed up his recent success in spinning Indian conditions with a tidy 4-36 in game two.