Summary of World Cup performances

Finally we summarize all performances in the World Cup. All 205 players who played at least one match for any of the 14 teams are included.

Batting:

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=2;filter=advanced;size=200;spanmax2=29+Mar+2015;spanmin1=14+Feb+2015;spanval1=span;spanval2=span;template=results;type=batting

Guptill (547) moved just ahead of Sangakkara (541) during the final. Dhawan is 5th with 412, after de Villiers and B. Taylor

Bowling:

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=2;filter=advanced;size=200;spanmax2=29+Mar+2015;spanmin1=14+Feb+2015;spanval1=span;spanval2=span;template=results;type=bowling

Boult and Starc both took 22 wickets, though the latter had a better average, economy rate and strike rate. Umesh Yadav was third with 18, while Shami along with Morkel and J. Taylor had 17.

Fielding:

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=2;filter=advanced;orderby=dismissals;size=200;spanmax2=29+Mar+2015;spanmin1=14+Feb+2015;spanval1=span;spanval2=span;template=results;type=fielding

Haddin leads with 16 dismissals followed by Dhoni with 15. Stumpings were rare with Sangakkara taking the most with 3. Among non-keepers, Roussow led with 9 followed by Yadav with 8.

All-round:

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=2;filter=advanced;size=200;spanmax2=29+Mar+2015;spanmin1=14+Feb+2015;spanval1=span;spanval2=span;template=results;type=allround

This lists aggregates in order of the difference between batting and bowling averages. The question of defining an all-rounder now comes in. If we take an arbitrary figure of 200 runs and 10 wickets then only C. Anderson and A. Russell qualify.

Partnerships:

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=2;filter=advanced;size=200;spanmax2=29+Mar+2015;spanmin1=14+Feb+2015;spanval1=span;spanval2=span;template=results;type=fow;view=innings

Gayle and Samuels lead with 372 for the 2nd wicket

Innings scores-batting:

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=2;filter=advanced;orderby=batted_score;size=200;spanmax3=29+Mar+2015;spanmin3=14+Feb+2015;spanval3=span;template=results;type=batting;view=innings

Gayle (215) and then Guptill (237*) made the highest scores in World Cup matches.

Innings bowling performances:

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=2;filter=advanced;size=200;spanmax2=29+Mar+2015;spanmin1=14+Feb+2015;spanval1=span;spanval2=span;template=results;type=bowling;view=innings

Southee and Starc have the best figures of 7-33 and 6-28 respectively.

Innings fielding performances:

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=2;filter=advanced;size=200;spanmax2=29+Mar+2015;spanmin1=14+Feb+2015;spanval1=span;spanval2=span;template=results;type=fielding

Sarfraz Ahmed took 6 dismissals in the first match he played here, while Umar Akmal was the only one to take 5. Sarfraz equalled the record of 6 held by Gilchrist. Among non-keepers, Umar Akmal and S.Sarkar had 4 catches which equalled the World Cup record held by Mohammed Kaif.

All-round performances in a match:

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=2;filter=advanced;orderby=start;qualmin1=30;qualmin2=3;qualval1=runs;qualval2=wickets;size=200;spanmax2=29+Mar+2015;spanmin1=14+Feb+2015;spanval1=span;spanval2=span;template=results;type=allround;view=match

These players scored at least 30 runs and took at least 3 wickets in a match. Wahab Riaz (54* and 4-45) and Sean Williams (96 and 3-72) can be said to have done best.

Now for the finals (continued)

By now you would be quite familiar with the finalists’ national anthems-so you can hear them once more from well-known artistes:

Australia:

New Zealand:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhCgcZ0efAA

As mentioned earlier, even if you look back for ODIs in the past 5 years you will find one win apiece-Australia in the 2011 WC and New Zealand more recently. And they have not met in Australia in this period.

In my earlier post on March 26, I had summed up the overall performances for players from the four semi-final teams. Today we take a look at the best individual performances.

Batting-scores of 90 and above:

The most fours is by Guptill (24). He also has the most sixes (11).

We now take a closer look at the strike rate:

Bowling-strike rate of 110 and above, for scores 50 and above:

McCullum tops this list, while de Villiers has the best strike rate for scores above 100.

Now for the best innings bowling:

Bowling-4 or more wickets in an innings:

Southee and Starc have the best individual hauls of 7 and 6 respectively.

The best economy rates are by Vettori (1.80) followed by Ashwin (2.50). Also note that Yadav is at the bottom with 8.00.

Looking at strike rates:

Strike rates for 4 or more wickets in an innings:

The best strike rates are by Starc (in first and third position) and Southee. Ashwin (but not Yadav) is one of those at the bottom.

Best innings fielding:

3 or more dismissals (keepers and non-keepers):

Dhoni has the most with 4, while several keepers and non-keepers have 3.

All-round performances in a match:

At least 30 runs and 3 wickets:

Only one instance-and Anderson may well be considered as the secret weapon of New Zealand.

And finally the best partnerships:

Partnerships above 100:

Nothing beyond the 5th wicket. The best opening partnership is by India’s Dhawan and Sharma.

May the best team win!

Now for the finals

Data for past ODI encounters between Australia and New Zealand is quite sparse. In the past 5 years there have been only 2 such finished matches which are shared 1-1. Australia won in the 2011 world cup, and New Zealand won the recent league match. And in the past 5 years there has been no ODI between these teams played in Australia.

Anyway, we now look back to the individual performances of players from the four teams which made the semi-finals (including all matches up to and including the match on Mar 26):

A quick look at batting from these teams:

All those who scored 100 or more runs:

While Guptill has the most runs (532) and highest individual score (237*), de Villiers has the highest average (96.40) and McCullum has the highest strike rate (191.81). Now de Villiers will not be there in the final, and the next in line for highest average is Guptill with 76.00.

Now for bowling:

All those who took at least 5 wickets:

Boult has the most wickets at 21 with Starc close behind with 20. The best innings bowling is 7-33 by Southee followed by Starc with 6-28. The best average here is 10.20 by Starc, best economy rate 3.65 also by Starc and the best strike rate 15.0 by C. Anderson.

Now for fielding:

All keepers and non-keepers who made 5 or more dismissals:

Most dismissals by a keeper is 15 by Dhoni and 9 by Roussow for non-keepers.

The best ratio of dismissals per innings is 2.00 by Haddin for keepers and 1.50 by Roussow for non-keepers.

And finally all-round performances:

Minimum 100 runs and 5 wickets:

Only three make the cutoff. We can say that Maxwell is the best batsman among them and Anderson the best bowler.

Some more numbers will appear before the finals.

Yet another theorem for the World Cup

AGAIN NOT TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY

Statement of the theorem:

1) No host can win a World Cup

2) If a country is one of the hosts, it can win only if the final is in one of the other co-host countries.

As we will see, this had a 100 percent success rate until 2007. Dhoni and Co spoiled it in 2011, so some other theorem will have to be created.

Going over the results;

1975: WI won in Eng

1979: WI won in Eng

1983: Ind won in Eng

1987: Aus won in Ind

1992: Pak won in Aus

1996: SL (host) won in the final held in Pak

1999: Aus won in Eng

2003: Aus won in SA

2007: Aus won in WI

(9 out of 9 so far)

2011: Ind won in Ind (though if SL had won the theorem would still be valid)

Anyway, we still have a 90 percent success rate. So we can be quite confident that Australia will not win the final.

World Cup: a method for predicting the winner.

WARNING: NOT TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY!

  I first came across this “theorem” in the runup to the 1992 World Cup. Its statement is:

If the World Cup tournament is held in a white-majority country, it will be won by a “non-white” team.

If it is held in a non-white country, it will be won by a “white” team.

Consider the instances before then:

1975  in Eng, won by WI   True

1979  in Eng, won by WI   True

1983 in Eng, won by Ind    True

1987 in Ind/Pak, won by Aus    True

Now we see how this theorem worked after someone had deduced it:

1992 in Aus/NZ, won by Pak    True (5 out of 5 so far)

1996 in Ind/Pak/SL, won by SL  False (for the first time)

1999 in Eng/Neth, won by Aus  False

2003 in SA/Ken/Zim, won by Aus True (we consider SA to be a non-white country)

2007 in WI, won by Aus                  True

2011 in Ind/BD/SL, won by Ind        False

Thus this theorem has worked in 7 out of 10 cases or 70%

Now figure out which of the following contenders will win in 2015: Ind, Pak, SL, BD, WI

Odds and ends from the World Cup

We know that Kumar Sangakkara now holds the record for the most consecutive centuries in all ODI cricket (not just in the World Cup):

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/records/282969.html

As you can see, the previous record was 3 by various people. No one scored more than two in a row in the World Cup. R. Dravid was one of them.

We now look at the records for dismissals in World Cup matches as on Mar 11:

Sangakkara:      54 dis, 41 ct, 13 st

Gilchrist             52 dis, 45 ct,   7 st

McCullum          33 dis, 30 ctw, 2 st, 1 ctf

Boucher             31 dis, 31 ct, 0 ct

Moin Khan         30 dis, 23 ct, 7 st

Ponting              28 dis, 28 ctf

Dhoni                 26 dis, 21 ct, 5 st

Ramdin              25 dis, 25 ct, 0 st

We can expect Sangakkara and Dhoni to add a few more in the course of the tournament, besides McCullum (now not keeping), Dhoni and Ramdin. But Sangakkara’s total of 54 dismissals and 13 stumpings are likely to stand for a long time,while he may also cross Gilchrist’s total of 45 catches.

Ponting’s 28 catches as a fielder may also be a record for a long time. The next in line is Jayasuriya with 18. No current fielder is even close.

Guess which fielder has taken the most catches as a fielder in this World Cup? Umesh Yadav with 7.

Soumya Sarkar from Bangladesh took 4 catches in an innings (vs Scotland) to equal the World Cup record of 4 by Mohammed Kaif against Sri Lanka in 2003.

There is a strange symmetry here as the record is shared by a Hindu from Bangladesh and a Muslim from India. Also remember the only Hindu to score a hat-trick in Tests is Alok Kapali from Bangladesh. India does have Harbhajan Singh as the only Sikh to take a hat-trick, besides Irfan Pathan.

National anthems of WC 2015

So the festivities have begun. Since the practice of singing the national anthems seems to have picked up in recent tournaments, here is a quick run through the anthems which you are likely to hear over the next month:

AFGHANISTAN: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gs9y-P0FdOo

AUSTRALIA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8tswkr25A0

BANGLADESH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVjbVPFeo2o

ENGLAND: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKRHWT6xdEU

INDIA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yMvU73Wr7Q

IRELAND: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVoWUnKA18k

NEW ZEALAND: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BT9k_7_jP8A

PAKISTAN: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d41Ld1-8Mbo

SCOTLAND: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0MklIdTiaU

SOUTH AFRICA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gr0414FrN7g

SRI LANKA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1f4VYi9uE8

U. A. E.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8ArIT7u4Fg

WEST INDIES: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbcbsmeRYC8 

(also see http://www.angelfire.com/ks/davincy/windies.html)

ZIMBABWE : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKJOZ44Ec9k

This has a lot of disclaimers and peculiarities, as we will see. There is no country called the West Indies, so this “anthem” is purely used for cricket. I have been able to get the English lyrics or English translations for all the anthems.

As usual in such matters, the United Kingdom is on its own trip.

“God Save The Queen” : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppIomb3r_3Q is the national anthem of the United Kingdom. Scotland has a separate song which is not an official anthem, but is played at sporting events. That is given above. England sticks with the U.K. anthem for soccer but uses another song called “Jerusalem” for cricket, which is what you hear above. Ireland here includes Northern Ireland (which comes under the U.K.) and the Irish Republic (which is another country whose anthem is given here).

Several countries have versions of their anthems in different languages: New Zealand’s includes Maori followed by English in the same anthem. South Africa’s has five languages, one after another: Xhosa, Zulu, Sesotho, Afrikaans and English. Sri Lanka’s has Sinhala and Tamil versions, but the former is more commonly used. Zimbabwe’s has versions in three languages: Shona, Ndebele and English. Similarly Ireland has it in Gaelic and English. Scotland’s unofficial anthem also has  Scots and  Scots-Gaelic versions, though it is unclear if these are unofficial or even un-unofficial.

The UAE anthem might remind Brits of the term “Blighty”, said to be derived from Urdu: According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word derives from “bilayati”, a regional variant of the Urdu word “vilayati”, meaning “foreign”, “British”, “English” or “European.”

Parting shot: Supporters of one of India’s main political parties might find the Sri Lankan anthem particularly inspiring 🙂