Aravinda steals the show

A brief introduction into the methodology of Performance Analysis.

The Batting Performance Ratings analysis takes into account the Runs scored, Balls faced, Next highest score (if this is the highest score), % of Team score, Innings status at entry, Bowling quality, Pitch information, Team strengths, Target score in front, Match location, Result and Match importance. These parameters are given appropriate weights. The calculations are done in such a way that Rating points of 1000 would be allotted to a mind-blowing and match-winning score of 200 in 150 balls in a WC final.

The Bowling Performance Ratings analysis takes into account the Wickets captured, Quality of batsmen dismissed, Scores at which batsmen were dismissed, Bowling accuracy, Batting quality, Pitch information, Team strengths, Target being defended, Match location, Result and Match importance. The calculations are done in such a way that Rating points of 1000 would be allotted to a magnificent and match-winning analysis of 10-2-15-6 in a WC final.

The Player Performance Ratings analysis takes into account the Batting Rating points, Bowling Rating points and the Fielding Rating points, which is a combination of catches and stumpings. There are minimum criteria for batting and bowling stints to ensure that these are genuinely all-round performances.

The Team Performance Ratings analysis takes into account the Result, Margin of win, Resources utilized, Team strengths, Match location and Match importance. The calculations are done in such a way that Rating points of 1000 would be allotted to an overwhelming win by 150 runs or 8 wickets in a WC final.

Let us move on to the Performance Analysis tables for 1996.

Top Batting performances

SNo	Rating Pts	Year	ODI#	Batsman	For	Vs	Runs	Balls
1	546	1996	1083	PA de Silva	Sri Lanka	Aus	107*	124
2	460	1996	1080	CZ Harris	New Zealand	Aus	130	124
3	435	1996	1065	ME Waugh	Australia	Ind	126	135
4	416	1996	1079	BC Lara	West Indies	Saf	111	94
5	382	1996	1049	G Kirsten	South Africa	Uae	188*	159
6	338	1996	1075	VG Kambli	India	Zim	106	110
7	332	1996	1070	SR Tendulkar	India	Slk	137	137
8	309	1996	1072	RB Richardson	West Indies	Aus	93*	133
9	307	1996	1048	NJ Astle	New Zealand	Eng	101	132
10	303	1996	1073	AC Hudson	South Africa	Net	161	132

Aravinda de Silva's beautifully paced match-winning century in the final is the top batting performance of the World Cup. This is not surprising in view of the importance of the match. The quality of Australian bowling was an added factor. A hundred in a World Cup final is a special innings and normally leads to a win, barring the single instance of Mahela Jayawardene.

Chris Harris' excellent innings, batting at No. 5, in the quarter final against Australia should have resulted in a win. He took New Zealand to a very good score. But an equally good hundred by Mark Waugh enabled Australia to cross this target comfortably. Waugh's innings missed the top-ten by a single point.

But Mark Waugh's classy 126 which was responsible for their close win against India finds its place in the top ten. An interesting point was that including Mark Waugh, five Australian batsmen were run out in this innings. Brian Lara's match-winning hundred against South Africa in the quarter-final is in fourth position. This was probably Lara's best World Cup innings ever.

Top Bowling performances

SNo	Rating Pts	Year	ODI#	Bowler	For	Vs	Analysis
1	424	1996	1065	DW Fleming	Australia	Ind	9.0 - 0 - 36 - 5
2	418	1996	1081	ST Jayasuriya	Sri Lanka	Ind	7.0 - 1 - 12 - 3
3	381	1996	1069	SF Dukanwala	U.A.E.	Net	10.0 - 0 - 29 - 5
4	322	1996	1082	SK Warne	Australia	Win	9.0 - 0 - 36 - 4
5	316	1996	1066	MO Odumbe	Kenya	Win	10.0 - 3 - 15 - 3
6	316	1996	1083	PA de Silva	Sri Lanka	Aus	9.0 - 0 - 42 - 3
7	297	1996	1066	RW Ali	Kenya	Win	7.2 - 2 - 17 - 3
8	281	1996	1082	CEL Ambrose	West Indies	Aus	10.0 - 1 - 26 - 2
9	274	1996	1079	RA Harper	West Indies	Saf	10.0 - 0 - 47 - 4
10	271	1996	1050	PA Strang	Zimbabwe	Win	7.3 - 1 - 40 - 4

Damien Fleming complemented Mark Waugh's hundred with an incisive bowling performance against India. This is the best bowling performance of 1996. This is closely followed by Jayasuriya's 3 for 12 against India in the semi-final. Even though this spell had only three wickets, Jayasuriya broke the back of Indian batting dismissing three top wickets including a well-set Sachin Tendulkar.

Coming from an associate nation, Shaukat Dukanwala's five-wicket spell was a match-winning one against Netherlands. Then comes Shane Warne's memorable bowling effort against West Indies in the semi-final. At fifth place is Maurice Odumbe's 3 for 15 against West Indies. Kenya scored only 166 but defended this paltry total with excellent spells from all bowlers, especially Odumbe, who dismissed three middle order batsmen.

Top Player performances

SNo	Rating Pts	Year	ODI#	Player	For	Vs	Runs	Balls	Analysis
1	933	1996	1083	PA de Silva	Sri Lanka	Aus	107*	124	9.0-0-42-3
2	431	1996	1081	SR Tendulkar	India	Slk	65	88	10.0-1-34-2
3	395	1996	1077	ST Jayasuriya	Sri Lanka	Eng	82	44	9.0-0-46-2
4	395	1996	1081	PA de Silva	Sri Lanka	Ind	66	47	2.0-0- 3-1
5	367	1996	1048	GA Hick	England	Nzl	85	102	9.0-0-45-2
6	354	1996	1067	WJ Cronje	South Africa	Pak	45*	73	5.0-0-20-2
7	280	1996	1075	HH Streak	Zimbabwe	Ind	30	39	10.0-3-29-1
8	258	1996	1075	A Jadeja	India	Zim	44*	27	7.0-0-31-2

De Silva's final performance is the runaway leader in the player performance table. In fact this is right there around the top even when we consider all World Cups. De Silva captured the wickets of Mark Taylor, Ricky Ponting and Ian Healy. He also took two catches and then followed with a match-winning 107. This is possibly the best performance in a final by a player.

Tendulkar's semi-final performance against Sri Lanka was impeccable. He was economical in his complete spell and took the wickets of Arjuna Ranatunga and Kumar Dharmasena. He also scored 65 in the opening position. Nobody else did anything and the crowd took over. In an earlier match Jayasuriya took two wickets and scored a whirlwind 82 against England.

Now it is the turn of de Silva again. This time in the semi-final against India. Coming in at 1 for 2, de Silva attacked and scored a quick 66. The other batsmen contributed and helped Sri Lanka post a good total. de Silva also got the wicket of Nayan Mongia.

The much-maligned Graeme Hick finds a place in the top-five. He dismissed Stephen Fleming and Roger Twose and then anchored the England innings with a high quality innings of 85. The match was, however, lost.

Top Team performances

SNo	Rating Pts	Year	ODI#	Team	Own score	Vs	Other score
1	783	1996	1083	Sri Lanka	245 for 3 in 46.2	Aus	241 for 7 in 50.0
2	757	1996	1066	Kenya	166 for 10 in 49.3	Win	93 for 10 in 35.2
3	682	1996	1081	Sri Lanka	251 for 8 in 50.0	Ind	120 for 8 in 34.1
4	652	1996	1082	Australia	207 for 8 in 50.0	Win	202 for 10 in 49.3
5	642	1996	1067	South Africa	243 for 5 in 44.2	Pak	242 for 6 in 50.0
6	640	1996	1077	Sri Lanka	236 for 5 in 40.4	Eng	235 for 8 in 50.0
7	640	1996	1068	Australia	158 for 2 in 36.0	Zim	154 for 10 in 45.3
8	636	1996	1050	West Indies	155 for 4 in 29.3	Zim	151 for 9 in 50.0
9	631	1996	1080	Australia	289 for 4 in 47.5	Nzl	286 for 9 in 50.0
10	629	1996	1070	Sri Lanka	272 for 4 in 48.4	Ind	271 for 3 in 50.0

There are no surprises in the Team performance table. Sri Lanka's comprehensive win over Australia in the final leads the field. The ease of win and the quality of the Australian team helped in this. Kenya's demolition job against West Indies (73-run win on a score of 166) helped them get the second position.

Then comes Sri Lanka's semi-final win over India. This required some special processing since the match was abandoned. Australia's narrow semi-final win over West Indies follows next. Finally comes South Africa's comprehensive 5-wicket win over Pakistan at Karachi.

We could safely say that we move into the modern era with the 1996 World Cup. After less than ten years the World Cup moved back to the Indian sub-continent but had matches being played in Sri Lanka also. India was favoured to win the title and was closely followed by Pakistan, as was the situation in 1987. History repeated itself. India fell by the wayside in the semi-final and Pakistan before that. Sri Lanka won the final through one great all-round performance by the stylist, Aravinda De Silva.

India lost to Sri Lanka in a manner which spoke very poorly of the normally sporting Calcutta crowd. It did not matter that India would have anyhow lost to Sri Lanka. The crowd behaviour was unacceptable. Australia won a classic encounter against West Indies at Mohali in a match which had so many ups and downs that no one knew what was happening. Australia 15 for 4, 153 for 4 but finishing at 207 for 8. West Indies comfortably placed at 165 for 2 and collapsing to 202 all out. Stuart Law and Warne were superb, as were Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Lara.

The match of the 1996 World Cup was a toss up between two West Indian losses: Kenya's dismantling of the more favoured team and the narrow 5-run win for Australia in the semi-final. The former match would get my vote.
The innings of the event was another closely-run thing. How does one choose between Lara's 111 in 94 balls against South Africa in the quarter final and Aravinda de Silva's hundred in the final? Aravinda by a whisker, perhaps.
The bowling spell of the tournament was undoubtedly Warne's incisive spell in the semi-final against West Indies while defending a low total.