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At 30 for 3, New Zealand were tottering, but Kane Williamson and Brendon McCullum laid down the marker to remind the visitors that they would not find the Tests any easier than they did the ODIs

Abhishek Purohit in Auckland06-Feb-20140:00

Crowe: McCullum tailored his game for occasion

As Kane Williamson and Brendon McCullum walked off the ground at tea, Virat Kohli gestured in their direction, trying to catch their attention from around 50 feet away. McCullum looked to his left, Kohli clapped, and the New Zealand captain acknowledged the well-earned praise with a nod.McCullum and Williamson had taken 125 runs off the 27 overs between lunch and tea. This after New Zealand were 30 for 3, having lost the toss on a grassy pitch under overcast skies. The pair would stretch that partnership to 221 runs at more than four an over before Williamson’s unfortunate dismissal, feathering Zaheer Khan down the leg side.By then though, New Zealand had shown beyond doubt that it was not going to get easier for India in the Tests than it was in the ODIs. New Zealand have been making a mockery of expectations and predictions throughout this series against the big boys from India. Few expected them to be anything more than competitive in the one-dayers, but they found refreshing consistency and almost swept the five-match series.Surely it would be harder to match skills and temperament with a much higher ranked opponent in the longest format? At 30 for 3, it seemed to be so. Peter Fulton had two reprieves and still made only 13, Hamish Rutherford played too many shots too soon, and Ross Taylor was due a failure after successive centuries in the ODIs.But another man, Williamson, was due a failure even more. Going back to New Zealand’s last game in the Champions Trophy, Williamson has now made two centuries and ten fifties from his previous 16 international innings with a further two forties. Only once during this period has he fallen before reaching 10. It is one thing to be consistent, but to string together such a run at the age of 23 is incredible. It also shows how much belief he has in his own game to be able to stick to a plan irrespective of the situation.Even Taylor seemed rattled in his short stay with the new ball kicking and seaming, but Williamson remained as calm as ever. He edged early, but with soft hands. He felt comfortable enough to step out and loft Jadeja at the stroke of lunch. Two balls after being put down on 32, he eased into a lovely push down the ground. Williamson has been widely marked for years to become one of New Zealand’s best ever, but what about the captain?This has to be one of the most crucial innings McCullum has played, both for his team and for himself. Such has been the recent history of New Zealand cricket that with Taylor’s golden run, McCullum’s relatively fallow period would inevitably stand out starker for many.After a slightly underwhelming outing with the bat in the ODIs, Brendon McCullum made a significant mark in the first Test•Getty ImagesMcCullum did more or less do the job he had to in three of his five innings in the ODIs – getting some quick runs after Williamson and Taylor’s big partnerships. But he also had two successive ducks, and with Taylor sitting by his side after the end of the ODI series, McCullum was asked whether his own form was a concern. “Yes,” he had replied.And even before a reporter had finished the question about the toss the day before the Test, McCullum had interrupted him to say New Zealand would bowl. He felt the toss would be crucial on this pitch, and losing his sixth successive one to Dhoni this morning wouldn’t have been too encouraging.McCullum said after the toss that some hard work lay ahead for New Zealand’s batsmen, and at 30 for 3, his job had become even more difficult. It is fascinating to watch an attacking batsman like McCullum being forced to curb his aggression in Test cricket. But apart from the odd swing-and-miss, McCullum curbed himself well during that crucial period before lunch. He was 5 off 20 at the break.Even more fascinating was to watch McCullum and Williamson slowly but surely force Dhoni to spread the field a bit. In the 32nd over, McCullum cut Ishant Sharma in front of square for four. Dhoni removed one of his two gullys and put a man at extra cover. Next ball, McCullum cut again, this time through point for four more.

It is one thing to be consistent, but to string together such a run at the age of 23 is incredible. It also shows how much belief Williamson has in his own game to be able to stick to a plan irrespective of the situation

This was the period when whatever pressure the three wickets had created began to dissipate. Two balls after these fours, Williamson hooked Mohammed Shami for six. In the next over, McCullum pulled and slashed Zaheer for more runs through boundaries.Dhoni began the 43rd over from Zaheer with deep point in place. McCullum reached his fifty with a push down the ground, and made room to cut the next ball to the third-man rope. The 45th over started with another slip being removed and two men at fine leg and deep square leg. But unfazed as ever, McCullum hooked, and split the gap between those two men.It wasn’t all boundaries, though. In the last over before tea, when Ishant bowled a few bouncers, both batsmen, who had pulled and hooked so well, just ducked.Williamson credited McCullum for continuing to bat solidly after he had reached his hundred, something he personally could not do. McCullum hit only three boundaries after the landmark, and one of them was off an inside edge.The one-day series triumph was the best he had been part of, McCullum had said. While he could justifiably take credit for that as the captain, the chief batting roles were performed by Taylor and Williamson. By ending the first day of the first Test on 143, McCullum has stamped a more personal mark on this contest.

A T20 special that includes worst bowling figures, lowest team totals, and minnow wins

Steven Lynch01-Apr-2014Following Alex Hales’ heroics against Sri Lanka, how many other hundreds have been scored in the second innings of a Twenty20 international? asked Trevor Ashworth from Canada

Alex Hales’ sensational 116 not out for England against Sri Lanka in Chittagong in the World Twenty20 last week was the 11th century in T20 internationals (Ahmed Shehzad added the 12th three days later). Only two others came in the second innings of the match: Richard Levi’s rapid 117 not out for South Africa against New Zealand in Hamilton in February 2012 (he reached his hundred in 45 balls), and Martin Guptill’s 101 not out for New Zealand v South Africa in East London in December 2012.In their stunning victory over Ireland, Netherlands’ run rate was nearly 14 per over. What’s the Twenty20 international record? asked Andrew Bailey from Australia

Netherlands scored 193 for 4 in 13.5 overs against Ireland in Sylhet in the World Twenty20 preliminary phase – that’s a rate of 13.95 an over. And that has never been exceeded in an uninterrupted match: the only quicker scoring overall was by New Zealand during the 2009 World Twenty20 at The Oval, when they piled up 90 for 3 in six overs – that’s exactly 15 an over – to overhaul Scotland’s 89 for 4. That, though, was in a match restricted by rain to seven overs per side. The next-highest scoring rate in a completed innings is 13 per over, by Sri Lanka in their record T20 international total of 260 for 6 against Kenya in Johannesburg during the first World Twenty20 in September 2007.Mashrafe Mortaza’s four overs cost 63 against Pakistan. Were these the most expensive figures in a Twenty20 international? asked Keith Moore from England

Mashrafe Mortaza’s 4-0-63-0 against Pakistan in Mirpur on Sunday equalled the worst figures for Bangladesh in T20 internationals – Rubel Hossain finished with 4-0-63-2 against West Indies in Mirpur in December 2012. But Mashrafe will be (slightly) relieved to know that they weren’t quite the worst figures in all T20 internationals: Jimmy Anderson’s four overs for England against Australia in Sydney in January 2007 cost 64 runs. Later the same year Sanath Jayasuriya also conceded 64 for Sri Lanka against Pakistan in the inaugural World Twenty20 in Johannesburg. Unlike Anderson, Jayasuriya didn’t even have the consolation of a wicket.Netherlands just failed to beat South Africa in the World Twenty20. How many victories have there been for Associate nations against Test-playing teams? asked Henry Parkinson from Portugal

Well, perhaps until yesterday’s upset in Chittagong, the most famous T20 victory by an Associate team over a Test-playing one was also by Netherlands over England – at Lord’s, no less – in the World Twenty20 in 2009. The Dutch have now met England twice in T20 internationals… and won them both! They also beat Bangladesh by one wicket in The Hague in July 2012, two days after Scotland also overcame them at the same ground. Ireland have recorded three T20 victories over senior opposition: they beat Bangladesh at Trent Bridge in the 2009 World Twenty20, toppled West Indies in Kingston earlier this year, and beat Zimbabwe in Sylhet in the qualifying stage of this World Twenty20. And finally, also in this tournament, Hong Kong beat Bangladesh by two wickets in Chittagong.Netherlands were dismissed for 39 by Sri Lanka. Was this the lowest team total in any Twenty20 match? asked Ricky Dooley from New Zealand

Netherlands’ embarrassing collapse to 39 all out against Sri Lanka in Chittagong last week was easily the lowest in T20 internationals, undercutting Kenya’s 56 against Afghanistan in Sharjah in September 2013. The lowest by a Test-playing nation is 60, by New Zealand against Sri Lanka at Chittagong yesterday; prior to that it was 74 – by India against Australia in Melbourne in February 2008, and also by Pakistan against Australia in Dubai in September 2012. There has been only one lower total in any senior T20 match: in October 2009 Tripura were bowled out for 30 by Jharkhand in Dhanbad, with Mihir Dawakar taking 5 for 6. For the overall list, click here.A couple of months back West Indies successfully defended a total of 96 against Ireland. Is that the lowest first-innings total to win a complete Twenty20 international? asked Faraz Ahmed from Pakistan

The match you’re talking about was in Kingston in February: West Indies managed only 96 for 9, but then bowled Ireland out for 85 to win by 11 runs. It was the lowest total to win an uninterrupted T20 international, but there have been two lower successful totals in rain-affected games: Ireland scored only 43 for 7 in an innings reduced to nine overs in Belfast in August 2008, but somehow restricted Bermuda to 41 for 8. And in Hambantota in the last World Twenty20 in September 2012, South Africa made 78 for 4 in seven overs, and restricted Sri Lanka to 46 for 5 in reply.

Dolphins team-mates, Imraan Khan and Mfuneko Ngam, believe Hashim Amla will be an astute, authoritative captain who will lead by example

Firdose Moonda11-Jun-2014The ability to command respect, control a dressing room and encourage calm through actions rather than words will define Hashim Amla’s captaincy, according to two former Test players he has led before. Imraan Khan and Mfuneko Ngam were part of the Dolphins’ squad Amla took to the domestic first-class competition title in the 2004-05 season and both believe he will make an astute and authoritative national leader, but not in the obvious ways we have come to expect of Test captains.”I don’t think he will shout much – at the guys in his own team and the opposition – so it will be different, but that could be a good thing,” Khan told ESPNcricinfo. “We all know he is relaxed and calm in the way he goes about things.”While Amla’s predecessor, Graeme Smith – and captains through the ages from Ricky Ponting to MS Dhoni – led through presence, Amla is expected to do the same by example. “His lifestyle is something that will make him a good captain. He is disciplined and quiet and goes about his own business. Guys respect him,” Ngam said. “Sometimes quiet guys are more powerful.”Amla’s silent strength was evident from a young age according to childhood friend Khan, who played alongside Amla from under-13 level. “He has always been a mature guy which is why he was always involved in leadership through the age-groups,” Khan said. “I always thought he could become a Test captain.”Despite Amla’s reluctance to involve himself in leadership in the past, Khan remembered that he took to the role easily as a youngster. Amla was only 22 years old when he was put in charge of the Dolphins and he managed to assert himself over an outfit filled with experienced players including Lance Klusener, Dale Benkenstein and, albeit only for two matches, Shaun Pollock.There, he set the example mainly through his own performances. The Dolphins lost only one game that season and shared the trophy with the Eagles after a high-scoring drawin which Amla top-scored with 249.”We (the Dolphins) had quite a senior squad that season and the way he controlled the dressing room, especially for a young guy was impressive,” Khan said. “It also cut both ways. To have all those guys around, guys like Benky, would have helped Hashim as a young captain.”The South African team Amla will take charge of now is fairly similar in composition to the franchise he led a decade ago. Although the Test squad is in transition, there is still an experienced core made up of AB de Villiers, Dale Steyn, JP Duminy and Faf du Plessis. Having dealt with a similar situation in the past, both Khan and Ngam think Amla is well positioned to understand the dynamics of it again, especially as he is now satisfied with the progression of his own ability.”Then, he was still young and working hard on his own game. He was concerned about things like his technique but even with that, in team meetings he had a lot of input,” Ngam said. “Obviously leading the country is a different thing, it comes with different pressures and there are more things to do off the field than on it but I expect him to make a good captain. He doesn’t get intimidated easily and his knowledge of the game is very good.”The time Amla spent fine-tuning his own approach contributed to the way he thinks about and reads the game. Khan said despite his reserved public persona, Amla is outspoken behind the scenes where he enjoys getting involved in strategy and tactics. “He is not the kind of guy that will let the game just drift away. He is always thinking and his mind is always ticking,” Khan said. “He’ll have good plans in place and he knows how to execute them.”More than a loud leader, a thinking one could be what South Africa needs over the next few months.

Stats highlights from a day which was completely dominated by Kumar Sangakkara

S Rajesh09-Aug-2014501 Runs scored by Kumar Sangakkara off Saeed Ajmal in Tests. Ajmal has dismissed him Sangakkara only three times, giving the batsman an average of 167. The next-highest runs scored by any batsman off a bowler since May 2001 is 431, by Mahela Jayawardene against Harbhajan Singh.10 The number of double-centuries Sangakkara has scored in Tests, next only to Don Bradman’s 12. Sangakkara also has six scores of 150 or more against Pakistan, the second-best by a batsman against one opposition, after Bradman’s 11 against England.84.59 Sangakkara’s Test average against Pakistan. In 38 innings against them, Sangakkara has scored 2707 runs, which is easily the best by any batsman facing Pakistan – the next-highest is Sunil Gavaskar’s 2089 runs, scored in 41 innings.9 Number of centuries for Sangakkara in his last 19 Tests, going back to June 2012. Sangakkara has scored 2504 runs in these 19 Tests – the highest by any batsman at an average of 83.46. Those nine hundreds include scores of 319, 221, 199 not out and 192.1329 Sangakkara’s Test aggregate in 2014, which is the highest by any Sri Lankan in a calendar year. He has scored those runs in 16 innings, at an average of 88.60. The previous-highest by a Sri Lankan in a year was 1271, by Sanath Jayasuriya in 19 innings in 1997.18 The number of century partnerships in Tests between Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene. Only Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, with 20, have more century stands. However, Sangakkara and Jayawardene average 56.28 per completed partnership, compared to 50.51 for Tendulkar and Dravid.91.15 Angelo Mathews’ batting average in his last ten Tests. In 17 innings, ten times he has gone past 50, with three centuries, three scores in the 90s.1094 Mathews’ Test aggregate in 2014, in 16 innings, at an average of 91.16. Only Sangakkara has scored more runs this year. With Mahela Jayawardene scoring 919 and Kaushal Silva 792, the top four run-getters in Tests this year are all Sri Lankans.933 The number of Test runs Mathews has scored against Pakistan, out of an aggregate of 2947, which means 31.6% of his total runs have come against Pakistan. His next-highest against any team is 449, against Australia.46.2 The number of overs Ajmal bowled before getting his first wicket in the innings, which is the longest he has ever waited for his first scalp. In Abu Dhabi against Sri Lanka in 2013, Ajmal had figures of none for 115 from 49 overs. In an innings in which he did take at least one wicket, the longest he had waited for a first scalp before today was 41.2 overs, against England at Lord’s in 2010.166 The runs Ajmal conceded in Sri Lanka’s innings, which is the most he has gone for when taking a five-wicket haul. His previous most expensive five-for was 5 for 151, against South Africa in Dubai last year.

ESPNcricinfo explains what today’s developments in court mean in the overall scheme of ongoing investigations into IPL corruption case and where could this lead to in the near future

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Nov-2014What happened in the court today? What do the Supreme Court notices mean?
Another slow, methodical step in the IPL 2013 corruption case. An interim order from the Supreme Court special bench consisting of two judges TS Thakur and FM Kalifullah has asked four individuals – N Srinivasan, Gurunath Meiyappan, Sundar Raman and Raj Kundra – to respond to findings related to them in the Mudgal Committee report.The Mudgal commission, appointed by the Supreme Court to conduct a fair probe into the IPL corruption case, submitted its first report in February 2014 which was made public. Along with the report, the court was given a sealed envelope containing the names of 13 individuals, whose role in IPL corruption case needed, the committee recommended, to be investigated further. The court revealed that one of the names in the sealed envelope list was that of N Srinivasan. In May, the Mudgal Committee was given greater investigative powers by the court and appointed a team of police officers to carry out further investigations into the allegations contained in the sealed envelope. It is this second, more detailed and thorough phase of the Mudgal committee investigation which came up before the court on Friday. After reading through the report, the court has asked four “non-playing actors in the drama” to respond to the findings of the Mudgal committee.What is the next step?

The four individuals have been issued notices. Portions of the report which feature the names of players have been “redacted” i.e. blacked out and the report has been given to the lawyers of the four individuals concerned as well as the opposition counsel. They have been given four days to respond and the arguments will resume before the special bench on November 24. The four individuals named will have to present their cases separately before the judges, with counter arguments from their opposition. Once the arguments are completed, and it could take more than one hearing for that to happen, the court will announce its decision into the matter and if it so deems fit, issue an order. The court order once issued cannot be challenged or revoked. There is a very good chance of this case going through into the early weeks of January 2015.What does this mean for N Srinivasan?
To start with, an unexpected delay in his carefully-charted course to being re-elected as BCCI president. In the run-up to the court hearing, there was news put into circulation that Srinivasan’s name would be cleared by the Mudgal committee. On the back of this belief, the alliances had been formed with East Zone members who were expected to nominate and support Srinivasan’s name to take over as BCCI president during the voting process of its annual general meeting, expected to take place in Chennai on November 20. The BCCI elections had already been postponed, in order to ensure that by the time the Mudgal committee report was out in early November, the Supreme Court would allow him to resume his BCCI duties. Now that the elections and the AGM are delayed yet again, it will mean a re-evaluation of the environment around him. In about two weeks, Srinivasan, apart from dealing with the Mudgal committee “findings”, will have to check whether the political climate around his candidacy has changed. Any distinct signs or hints of growing opposition will indicate his time is up. If there are no challengers to him, however, he may have to wait through a few more postponements as the case may take a a considerable amount of time to conclude.Will anyone ever be convicted?
This is not a criminal case, this is a public interest litigation filed by a rival body, the Cricket Association of Bihar (CAB) which set in motion this prolonged legal battle. The heaviest “punishment” that can be meted out will come in the form of a court order pertaining to the IPL case in regards to officials’ own role in the IPL’s case and the status of teams involved. While the country’s law against betting is archaic and contains minimal punishment, the draft of a new bill pertaining to the Prevention of Sporting Fraud Act, has been shunting between government ministries, waiting for cabinet and then parliamentary approval.What is the best-case scenario for the two IPL teams who feature in the case?
The teams involved in the IPL 2013 corruption scandal are Chennai Super Kings, whose official Gurunath Meiyappan is charged in a case by the Mumbai Police, and Rajasthan Royals, whose co-owner Raj Kundra was questioned by the Delhi Police. Had there been swift and appropriate action in May 2013 against team officials being questioned in connection to betting within the IPL – either, a temporary suspension, fines, docking points – things would not have come to this pass. At the moment one clause of the IPL franchise agreement recommends termination. Clause 11.3 (c) says the agreement between the IPL and the BCCI can be terminated if: “the Franchise, any Franchise Group Company and/or any owner acts in any way which has a material adverse effect upon the reputation or standing of the League, BCCI-IPL, BCCI, the Franchise, the team (or any other team in the League) and/or the game of cricket.” There is no definition of ‘material adverse effect’ but a Supreme Court case that has lasted for over a year, it can be argued, could fit the bill.

How I unearthed a precious gem while shifting stuff from one room to another in my house

Vaibhav Verma26-Jan-2015Good things tend to happen when you least expect it. It happened with me around 10 years ago. An engineering student then, I had come back home for a vacation and was helping shift stuff from one room to another because the house was being whitewashed. I agree, that’s not a very exciting thing to do, but it does give you an opportunity to have a look at the old stuff lying around untouched for years and stir up memories. Sometimes it’s even better when you find something precious, which you did not even know existed.This precise thing happened to me when an old envelope lying among other documents caught my attention. The envelope had a faded appearance, like its colour had changed from white to cream. The envelope was addressed to Mr VN Varma (my father), and had a stamp on top right corner. The stamp said the envelope was from Adelaide and was posted in 1969. Adelaide? To the best of my knowledge, we didn’t have any relative in Australia.Inside the envelope there was a greeting card and a small note. The note said: “Dear Mr Varma, I thank you for your kind letter. Unfortunately no photo is available. Your father was very charitable in his judgment of me. I only hope he is right.”At the end there was a signature, which I didn’t recognise. I asked about it and to my utter surprise, turned out the letter was signed by none other than Sir Donald Bradman. Something as priceless as this was found while shifting things around to colour our walls. I was amused, curious, happy and angry at the same time. But curiosity outweighed all other emotions, and I asked my father to tell me the story behind it.It so happened that my father was quite inquisitive in nature during his teen years. His father, an avid reader, told him about exploits of Bradman. My father somehow found Bradman’s address, and wrote a letter to him asking for his signed photograph. And then came the reply from the master himself.Although it’s not rare to write to your hero and get a reply from him/her via email/Facebook/Twitter today, it was totally a different thing in that era. That my father had the enthusiasm to find Bradman’s address and write a letter to him and that Bradman had the generosity to reply to a fan in India was incredible. The letter – you can view it below – is with me since then, and is one of my most prized possessions.Vaibhav VermaVaibhav VermaIf you have a submission for Inbox, send it to us here, with “Inbox” in the subject line.

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Apr-2015Suresh Raina was next to follow as he was undone by a Nathan Coulter-Nile delivery, leaving Chennai Super Kings 38 for 2 after four overs•BCCIDwayne Smith and Faf du Plessis steadied things as they put on 33 for the third wicket•BCCIImran Tahir and Coulter-Nile put the brakes on Super Kings’ scoring rate•BCCIDu Plessis looked good for his 32 and it took a sharp outfield catch by Shreyas Iyer to get rid of the South African•BCCIRavindra Jadeja struck one four and a six for his 18-ball 17 only to be stumped off an Amit Mishra delivery leaving Chennai at 119 for 5 after 16•BCCISuper Kings added a further 31 runs, thanks mainly to MS Dhoni’s 27-ball 30, to finish on 150 for 7•BCCIAshish Nehra started off strongly and picked up three wickets inside five overs to unsettle Daredevils’ chase•PTI The third wicket was that of Shreyas Iyer, who went to a spectacular catch from Faf du Plessis•BCCIDaredevils found it difficult to get runs in the middle overs as R Ashwin tied them down•BCCIYuvraj Singh found it difficult to face short-pitched deliveries and handed an easy catch to Ishwar Pandey, leaving Daredevils at 99 for 5•BCCIAlbie Morkel carried on strong at one end despite losing partners and brought up his fifty off 43 balls•BCCICoulter-Nile was undone by a straight delivery from Ashwin, leaving Daredevils at 124 for 7 after 18 overs•BCCIRaina pulled off a brilliant save at deep point to prevent a boundary, which eventually turned out to be the difference between the two teams•BCCIMorkel took it down to the last ball but could manage only a four when six were needed•BCCI

Stats highlights from the West Indies-UAE match in Napier

S Rajesh15-Mar-20152 The number of 50-plus scores by West Indies’ top four batsmen, before today. Chris Gayle’s 215 and Marlon Samuels’ unbeaten 133, in the same game against Zimbabwe, were the only innings. Johnson Charles and Jonathan Carter doubled that number today. In contrast, there have been six 50-plus scores from their batsmen batting at No. 5 or lower.50* Carter’s score, his maiden half-century in ODIs, in his eighth innings.107 The partnership between Amjad Javed and Nasir Aziz, which equals the highest for the seventh wicket in World Cup history. Javed had also added 107 with Shaiman Anwar when UAE played Ireland earlier in this tournament. Those are the only two instances of century stands for the seventh wicket in World Cup history.3 The number of instances of teams putting together a century partnership for the seventh wicket after being six down for less than 50, in all ODIs. The partnership of 107 between Javed and Aziz is the highest among the three.3 The number of times a No. 8 batsman has scored more than 60, which was Aziz’s score, in World Cup history. The only batsmen to achieve this are Heath Streak (72* v New Zealand in 2003), Abdul Razzaq (62 v New Zealand in 2011), and Deryck Murray (61* v Pakistan in 1975).2 The number of times West Indies have had the opposition five down for less than 30 in this tournament – they also had Pakistan at 25 for 5 in Christchurch. No other team has achieved this feat in this World Cup so far. The last time West Indies were in this situation before this World Cup was in December 2012, against Bangladesh.4 Wickets for Jason Holder, the third time he has taken four in an ODI. His figures of 4 for 27 are his second-best in ODIs: against Pakistan in Providence in 2013, he took 4 for 13 from 10 overs. These are also the best figures for West Indies in this tournament.6 The number of batsmen bowled in the UAE innings, only the fifth instance of six or more batsmen being bowled in an innings in a World Cup game. The last such instance was in the 1979 final, when six England batsmen were bowled.1 The number of times two of the last five batsmen (No. 7 and lower) have scored fifties in an ODI for one of the non-Test teams. The two fifties by Amjad and Aziz was the first such instance.3 The number of ducks for Krishna Chandran in this tournament, the most by any batsman. With the ball, Chandran has figures of 1 for 177 from 25 overs in this World Cup.

Lord’s this week will mark the 100th time England and New Zealand have faced each in Tests. We pick 10 notable clashes between the two nations

Andrew McGlashan18-May-2015Christchurch, 1930: A tale of two Englands
Test No. 186 was the first time the two sides met, the match beginning on January 10, 1930 at Lancaster Park. England – or MCC as they were officially called then when they toured – had previously visited New Zealand as tag-ons to Ashes tours, but now New Zealand had Test status, so this was a stand-alone trip. The Test itself, a three-day game, was low-scoring, and England won by eight wickets with 55 minutes of play remaining. There was not a fifty in the match; Duleepsinhji top-scored with 49. The match and the tour were remarkable for another fact, though. England were playing on opposite sides of world at the same time: a team was also in the Caribbean, and later in the series, there was a day of the fourth Test, in Auckland, when, for two hours, England were playing there and in Guyana as well.Trent Bridge, 1973: So near yet so far
At one stage on the final day, as they hunted 479, it appeared New Zealand would secure a piece of history with the greatest run chase. England had a healthy first-innings lead when the visitors subsided to 97 (with extras top-scoring), and although England’s second innings was an odd card, hundreds from Dennis Amiss and Tony Greig had seemingly set them up for a comfortable victory. However, New Zealand were given their scarcely believable chance by captain Bev Congdon, who played his finest Test innings to make 176 before falling late on the fourth day. Vic Pollard and Ken Wadsworth took them to 402 for 5 before John Snow, Geoff Arnold and Greig plucked out the lower order. New Zealand’s wait to beat England went on.Wellington, 1978: A win, at last
Forty-eight years into contests between the two nations, and the 48th time they met, New Zealand registered their first victory – and in some style, too. Richard Hadlee took 6 for 26 as they successfully defended 137. It was a remarkable turnaround. After the first innings the match was even, but Bob Willis took out half of New Zealand’s second innings and they crumbled to 123 all out by tea on the fourth day. However, in the remaining two hours of the day it was England’s turn to fold against Hadlee and Richard Collinge, and they ended the day eight down. Hadlee duly snared the final two the following morning; he and Collinge sent down all but one over of the innings. “The crowd gathered in front of the pavilion and sang ‘For they are jolly good fellows’, followed by three cheers,” reported .Gimme five: Derek Randall is dismissed off Richard Hadlee’s bowling in Christchurch, 1984•Getty ImagesHeadingley, 1983: Willis not enough this time
Two years after conjuring one of Test cricket’s most famous victories, Willis could not rescue England again, as New Zealand secured their first win on English soil. Lance Cairns’ seven-wicket haul had kept the home side to 225, and then New Zealand amassed a 152-run lead, with contributions throughout the order. Ewen Chatfield then claimed five and, despite David Gower’s hundred, the target was just 101. Images of Australia’s collapse in 1981 came to mind when New Zealand fell from 42 for 1 to 83 for 5, but with the help of 25 extras, the winning runs came when Jeremy Coney clipped Ian Botham’s only ball of the innings for four – Willis had refused to bowl Botham earlier after a poor first-innings display.Christchurch, 1984: All out for less than 100 – twice
England were not in the best shape leading into the match. They had been forced to call up Tony Pigott, who was playing for Wellington, and was due to get married, to an injury-hit attack. New Zealand, managed to post 307 on what was already a tricky surface. England did not come close to matching them over two innings. They fell to 10 for 4 in the first; nine of the wickets fell to Hadlee, Chatfield and Cairns, and Stephen Boock took one with his first ball in Test cricket for three years. Second time around, Hadlee took 5 for 28 and Boock claimed two in consecutive balls. “There weren’t often many wickets left to take when Hadlee was in this form, so I enjoyed getting Gatting and Botham,” Boock said. “It was also a good era for us. Almost every series we played, we started as underdogs, but we were also determined to stand up for ourselves.”New Zealand celebrate their victory at The Oval in 1999•PA PhotosChristchurch, 1992: Time running out
This was a period when overseas victories were like hen’s teeth for England, and they secured the spoils at Lancaster Park in the nick of time. They had dominated throughout, piling up 580 for 9, but although New Zealand could not save the follow-on, they batted stubbornly – Dipak Patel was run out for 99 – and began the final day one down in their second innings. At 182 for 2, safety looked within their grasp but Derek Pringle winkled out Andrew Jones before tea. Still, England needed seven wickets in the final session and New Zealand were closing in on wiping out the deficit. Then Phil Tufnell, who the previous English season had bowled out West Indies at The Oval, made his mark. John Wright, having batted more than six and a half hours, lost his cool and was stumped. Then Tufnell snuffed out the middle order with a delightful spell (“The fruit of flighted bowling of rare, old-fashioned craft,” said Wisden). Martin Crowe remained the final obstacle and knew if he could get his team level 10 vital minutes would be lost and a draw earned. He gambled, charged at Tufnell, lofted the ball… and found mid-on.Auckland, 1997: Last men standing

As so often, England were slow starters in a series overseas, wasting the new ball on the opening day. Stephen Fleming scored his maiden Test hundred, and New Zealand posted a competitive 390, but England batted confidently in reply. Alec Stewart’s stellar form continued, Mike Atherton found some touch after a horrid time in Zimbabwe, and Graham Thorpe’s century ensured a useful lead. New Zealand were three down, and still behind, at the close of the fourth day. Shortly after lunch on the final day, when Darren Gough bowled Simon Doull, they were 142 for 9 – just 11 runs ahead. What followed was one of the more extraordinary last-wicket stands: Danny Morrison, the holder at the time of the record for the most Test ducks, and in what would be his final Test, batted nearly three hours and faced 133 balls alongside Nathan Astle, who brought up his hundred off the final ball of the match, having taken New Zealand to safety.The Oval, 1999: New Zealand send England bottom
It had been a desperate summer for English cricket: crashing out of the World Cup before the official song was released then bumbling their way through the series against New Zealand, which reached a deciding match at The Oval, following the visitors’ first ever victory at Lord’s. England started well enough, reducing New Zealand to 157 for 8 on the first day before Daniel Vettori hauled them to 236. That proved enough for a substantial lead, after England subsided to 153 (crawling along for 80 overs); Chris Cairns claimed 5 for 31. Cairns wasn’t finished. New Zealand had crashed to 39 for 6, threatening to hand the game back to England, when he produced one of his finest Test innings, making 80. At 123 for 2 a target of 246 seemed within England’s compass, but a collapse was never far away. Thorpe fell to Shayne O’Connor, and then Dion Nash took three wickets in 12 balls. The end came swiftly, Roger Twose settling under the skied catch that sent England to the bottom of the unofficial Wisden world rankings.Monty Panesar scrambles to make his ground during the final moments of England’s rearguard in Auckland•Getty ImagesChristchurch, 2002: The double doubles
It was a quite extraordinary Test match, starting on a green, seaming drop-in pitch and finishing on a road. And featuring a world record. Nasser Hussain’s outstanding century came in the toughest conditions on the opening day, and Matthew Hoggard’s 7 for 63 secured a first-innings lead. Then things started to change. From 106 for 5 – and with the match in the balance – Graham Thorpe and Andrew Flintoff added 281 in 51 overs. Flintoff’s maiden Test hundred came off 114 balls and Thorpe’s first double off 231: at the time, it was the third quickest double ton in Tests. Much quicker was to come. When the ninth wicket fell in New Zealand’s chase, Nathan Astle had just begun to tee off: six of the previous nine deliveries he had faced had gone for four. An astonishing assault followed on Hoggard and Andrew Caddick, and Astle went to a ferocious double off just 153 balls – the second hundred coming in 39 balls. With an injured Chris Cairns at No. 11, England were getting nervous – until Astle edged Matthew Hoggard to end the carnage.Auckland, 2013: Prior’s epic, Monty’s dive
New Zealand were on top from the start of this game. Alastair Cook had inserted them but England managed just one wicket on the opening day, while Peter Fulton scored his maiden Test hundred. Where England’s bowlers barely moved the ball, in the hands of Trent Boult and Tim Southee it was far more dangerous: England were bowled out well under halfway to the visitors’ first-innings score. Fulton then become the fourth New Zealander to hit twin hundreds in a Test and England were left more than five sessions to survive. Kane Williamson struck twice late on the fourth evening, leaving England 90 for 4, and though there was better resistance on the final morning, they were six down shortly after lunch and seven down at tea after Ian Bell’s 271-ball innings ended. Matt Prior remained, though, and did not just defend: his hundred came from 148 balls, although he had had a huge stroke of fortune when a bail had refused to dislodge when he was on 28. The blocking came from Stuart Broad: 62 deliveries to get off the mark and 77 in all over more than two hours. But he and James Anderson fell in one over to Williamson and it was down to Prior and Monty Panesar. In the final three overs Panesar faced just five deliveries – and his dive back into the crease during a hairy run became iconic. He was on strike for the final over, but escaped after three balls. Prior did the rest.

Opponents and commentators continue to underestimate Moeen Ali, yet he continues to score runs and take wickets. Perhaps it’s time he was shown the respect he deserves

George Dobell in Cardiff09-Jul-2015″There is,” said Lao Tzu, the Chinese philosopher, “no greater danger than underestimating your opponent.”But opponents keep underestimating Moeen Ali. And just as India learned in 2014, Australia will be reflecting now that it pays to treat him a little more respectfully.Moeen ended the second day of the first Investec Test with the wickets of two of the best players of spin in world cricket – the No. 1 rated batsman, Steve Smith, and the Australia captain, Michael Clarke – and a fluent half-century that helped England to a respectable first-innings score and inflict upon Mitchell Johnson the worst figures of his Test career. For a man who was the scourge of England in the last Ashes, that represents significant rehabilitation. Indeed, it may prove to be that Johnson’s scars that are more relevant than England’s.Moeen’s innings – pleasing though it was – should have come as little surprise. He earned his reputation as a talented strokemaker with time and class to spare. In 2007, aged just 20, he thrashed what was, at the time, the second highest List A century in games between first-class counties – it took 46 balls – and little more than a year ago, compiled a high-class century in just his second Test. We knew he could bat.Perhaps, putting him at No. 8, might have been interpreted as a lack of belief. But Moeen has chosen to interpret the move positively and feels that batting with the tail has given him licence to play his shots freely. Here he helped England add 137 for last four wickets, providing a reminder of the value of such depth in the order. England started the last Ashes series with Stuart Broad at No. 8 and never had the quality to rebuild after a poor start.

Trevor Bayliss has encouraged Moeen to vary his speed more often in an attempt to prevent batsmen from settling. It might be Bayliss’ first direct contribution to England’s cause

There will be surfaces where Moeen is tested far more by the short ball – this is a particularly sluggish pitch. But in among the pulls and sweeps were some gorgeously timed drives to the boundary that bore the hallmark of true class. There have been few better regular No. 8s in history and with him there, opponents’ bowling attacks will feel that they face a daunting task to kill off the England batting.But it seems to be with the ball that Moeen has to prove himself time and time again. Ahead of this series, a number of former England captains suggested he should make way for the legspin of Adil Rashid. He was, once again, dismissed as a “part time” bowler.Perhaps they had forgotten Moeen’s success against India last year or perhaps they had witnessed his rusty showing in Barbados – where he bowled particularly poorly – and concluded that the India series was an aberration.But either interpretation is harsh. Moeen claimed 19 wickets in that series against India – the fourth highest haul any spinner had claimed against India in a Test series outside the subcontinent and the best since 1967 when Ray Illingworth bowled 30 more overs and claimed one more victim – and dismissed some high-quality players.Indeed, he can now add Smith and Clarke to a haul that includes Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane and Kumar Sangakkara twice each. Repeated success cannot keep being dismissed as a one-off.While India, like Australia, lost their first few wickets against him as they attempted to thrash him out of the game – his first two of the eight career-changing wickets he claimed in Southampton came when Rohit Sharma and Rahane slogged innocuous deliveries to mid-off and mid-on respectively – such errors tend to boost the confidence of the bowler. In the second innings, he struck through his drift and arm ball.Moeen has not been at his best in his last few Tests. Recalled to the side in the Caribbean after recovering from injury, he was clearly rusty and, after a couple of modest performances, lost a bit of confidence. He has not had the overs he might have liked with Worcestershire, either, to rebuild such rhythm. They have Saeed Ajmal in the side and have played a fair bit of white-ball cricket in recent weeks.The “part time” tag is simply incorrect, though. Since the start of the 2012 season, Moeen has bowled more first-class overs than either Adil Rashid or a county stalwart such as Gareth Batty. In that time, he has also taken more wickets at a lower average than Rashid.But it is fair to think of him as a bowler in development. He did not start bowling regularly until the 2010 season – his sixth year as a first-class player – and, until 2012, had only taken one five-wicket haul. He is not the finished article and he admits he is not, as yet, bowling to the standard he reached against India. As he put it: “there will be lots of bad days ahead.”While he has similar weapons to Graeme Swann – the drift, flight, dip, turn and arm ball – he does not have Swann’s consistency. He does not have the ability to build pressure or maintain control. Only one of his 14 overs was a maiden and England were instead reliant upon James Anderson, who bowled four maidens in succession at one stage, and the impressively mature Ben Stokes, to bowl dry.Moeen Ali takes his second crucial wicket, Michael Clarke caught and bowled•Getty ImagesFor that reason, Australia’s tactics were probably wrong. There is, at this stage in Moeen’s career, no need to go after his bowling. He will bowl enough release deliveries – most pertinently the dragged down short ball – to allow batsmen to progress and give his captain some tricky challenges. Looking to hit him out of the attack just “brings me into the game more,” he said.And so it proved when Smith, intent on charging down the wicket, was wrong footed by Moeen’s decision to fire the ball down the leg side – perhaps in search of the stumping – and found himself in a horrible tangle and spooning a catch to short mid-on.If such a wicket was somewhat fortuitous – and you may equally well call it cunning – the wicket of Clarke was due to some old-fashioned guile. Holding the ball back just a little – it was four miles-an-hour slower than the delivery that dismissed Smith – he deceived Clarke just enough in the flight that the batsman was unable to reach the pitch of the ball with his drive and presented a sharp return catch.Moeen credited Trevor Bayliss for that wicket. While his bowling against India was notable for its pace – once he learned he could bowl faster at Lord’s he hardly bowled any other way – Bayliss has encouraged him to vary his speed more often in an attempt to prevent batsmen from settling. It might be Bayliss’ first direct contribution to England’s cause.Moeen’s problem may be simply that he is not a legspinner. Some commentators seem to have been seduced by the idea of fielding a legspinner in the belief that such a move is inherently aggressive. But anyone expecting Rashid to rip out top Test players or bowl tight overs all day has simply never watched him. He has many qualities but consistency is not one of them.If England go back to dropping players after a couple of poor games, they will go back to the grim years of the 1980s and 90s. Moeen might not have warranted selection as a specialist spinner in a richer playing age but, right now, he really may be as good as England have and his record – 35 wickets at 32.65 – deserves rather more respect than it is sometimes given.