Dominant Australia in a tournament of upsets

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 2007.

Top Batting performances

SNo	Rating Pts	Year	ODI#	Batsman	For	Vs	Runs	Balls
1	810	2007	2581	AC Gilchrist	Australia	Slk	149	104
2	594	2007	2555	ML Hayden	Australia	Win	158	143
3	492	2007	2547	Imran Nazir	Pakistan	Zim	160	121
4	478	2007	2579	DPMD Jayawardene	Sri Lanka	Nzl	115*	109
5	464	2007	2567	AB de Villiers	South Africa	Win	146	130
6	415	2007	2561	SP Fleming	New Zealand	Bng	102*	92
7	401	2007	2560	ST Jayasuriya	Sri Lanka	Win	115	101
8	396	2007	2569	SB Styris	New Zealand	Slk	111*	157
9	363	2007	2578	KP Pietersen	England	Win	100	91
10	362	2007	2574	GC Smith	South Africa	Eng	89*	58

Adam Gilchrist's half-squash-ball supported 149 in 104 balls in the final against Sri Lanka leads the table. As many as 100 of these runs were scored in boundaries! The strike rate was above 150. This innings put Ricky Ponting's effort four years back in the shade. What Ponting and Damien Martyn did was to put the issue beyond doubt, while Gilchrist's innings was more dominant and intimidating. After a huge gap comes Matthew Hayden's 101 in 68 balls against South Africa. This was also an equally dominant innings and led Australia to an easy win. Imagine Shaun Pollock going for 83 runs in 10 overs.

Imran Nazir's innings was a top quality one, albeit against Zimbabwe who were no pushovers. Then comes Mahela Jayawardene's match-winner against New Zealand. This was also played in Kingston and one would have expected Shane Bond and company to trouble the Sri Lankans. Finally come AB de Villiers' beautifully-paced innings of 146 against West Indies. South Africa scored plenty because of this gem, aided by cameos from Herschelle Gibbs and Mark Boucher.

Top Bowling performances

SNo	Rating Pts	Year	ODI#	Bowler	For	Vs	Analysis
1	474	2007	2573	NW Bracken	Australia	Slk	9.4 - 3 - 19 - 4
2	470	2007	2574	AJ Hall	South Africa	Eng	10.0 - 2 - 18 - 5
3	420	2007	2556	CK Langeveldt	South Africa	Slk	10.0 - 1 - 39 - 5
4	414	2007	2580	GD McGrath	Australia	Saf	8.0 - 1 - 18 - 3
5	382	2007	2580	SW Tait	Australia	Saf	10.0 - 0 - 39 - 4
6	362	2007	2579	M Muralitharan	Sri Lanka	Nzl	8.0 - 0 - 31 - 4
7	331	2007	2557	JDP Oram	New Zealand	Win	8.0 - 2 - 23 - 3
8	318	2007	2538	Mashrafe Mortaza	Bangladesh	Ind	9.3 - 2 - 38 - 4
9	316	2007	2564	A Nel	South Africa	Bng	10.0 - 1 - 45 - 5
10	315	2007	2569	WPUJC Vaas	Sri Lanka	Nzl	9.0 - 2 - 33 - 3

Nathan Bracken's top-quality spell of 4 for 19 in nearly 10 overs is at the top of the bowling performance table. This was not a World Cup for great bowling performances. Bracken more than made up for Shaun Tait's poor bowling. Bracken dismissed the openers and two allrounders. Very close to Bracken's bowling effort comes Andrew Hall's 5 for 18 against England. It must be said that most of Hall's wickets were low order ones.

Charl Langeveldt's spell against Sri Lanka was a similar one. Couple of top order wickets compensating for the higher economy rate. This spell was almost made nought by Lasith Malinga's 4 in 4 in the South African innings. Glenn McGrath's spell, even though he captured only three wickets, was important since that was in the semi-final against South Africa. He dismissed Jacques Kallis, Ashwell Prince and Mark Boucher for a combined tally of five runs. That was more important than Tait's four wickets, which appears next. Tait picked up two late-order wickets.

Top Player performances

SNo	Rating Pts	Year	ODI#	Player	For	Vs	Runs	Balls	Analysis
1	595	2007	2560	ST Jayasuriya	Sri Lanka	Win	115	101	8.3-0-38-3
2	508	2007	2578	MP Vaughan	England	Win	79	68	10.0-0-39-3
3	489	2007	2557	SB Styris	New Zealand	Win	80*	90	10.0-1-35-1
4	459	2007	2536	SB Styris	New Zealand	Eng	87*	113	7.0-0-25-2
5	392	2007	2567	JH Kallis	South Africa	Win	81	86	8.0-0-36-2
6	372	2007	2533	SO Tikolo	Kenya	Can	72*	76	9.0-0-34-2
7	350	2007	2571	CD McMillan	New Zealand	Saf	38*	55	5.0-0-23-3
8	328	2007	2531	DR Smith	West Indies	Pak	32	15	10.0-0-36-3
9	281	2007	2579	JEC Franklin	New Zealand	Slk	30*	38	9.0-1-46-2
10

That old war-horse, Sanath Jayasuriya, leads the player performance table. He scored a quick 115 and followed up with three wickets in a match-winning performance against West Indies. Michael Vaughan's presence is quite surprising. I do not even know what type of bowling he did. But he captured 3 wickets for 39 and followed up with a quick 79. Shades of another captain, Mohammad Azharuddin, fifteen years earlier.

Scott Styris followed a very economical spell of 10 overs with a good 80 taking New Zealand to an easy win against West Indies. Styris also takes the next position. This was in a match a few days earlier. After restricting England to 210, with Styris producing his usual economical spell of 2 for 25, New Zealand slumped to 19 for 3. Styris steadied the innings with a top-quality innings of 87 and took the New Zealanders to an easy win. To round off the top-5 is another top all-rounder, Kallis. This was the match in which de Villiers scored his 146. Kallis scored 81 and then had a good spell of 2 for 36, dismissing Brian Lara and Kieron Pollard.

Top Team performances

SNo	Rating Pts	Year	ODI#	Team	Own score	Vs	Other score
1	782	2007	2575	Sri Lanka	81 for 2 in 10.0	Ire	77 for 10 in 27.4
2	773	2007	2570	Australia	92 for 1 in 12.2	Ire	91 for 10 in 30.0
3	760	2007	2574	South Africa	157 for 1 in 19.2	Eng	154 for 10 in 48.0
4	734	2007	2561	New Zealand	178 for 1 in 29.2	Bng	174 for 10 in 48.3
5	734	2007	2580	Australia	153 for 3 in 31.3	Saf	149 for 10 in 43.5
6	733	2007	2581	Australia	281 for 4 in 38.0	Slk	215 for 8 in 36.0
7	722	2007	2577	Australia	348 for 6 in 50.0	Nzl	133 for 10 in 25.5
8	716	2007	2546	Sri Lanka	318 for 4 in 50.0	Bng	112 for 10 in 37.0
9	714	2007	2560	Sri Lanka	303 for 5 in 50.0	Win	190 for 10 in 44.3
10	713	2007	2534	Sri Lanka	321 for 6 in 50.0	Ber	78 for 10 in 24.4

For once the final win by Australia has been pushed to the sixth position. All the top matches were such dominating wins that even the higher match index could not propel Australia into the top five. Sri Lanka's win over Ireland, with over 40 overs to spare is at the top. Then comes Australia's similar win with nearly 38 overs to spare against the same team.

South Africa's demolition job against England with over 30 overs in the bank follows next. Then comes New Zealand's win over Bangladesh in less than 30 overs. In fifth position comes the semi-final win with tons of resources to spare, by Australia against South Africa. Then comes the final. There is no doubt that the third sub-continent team to lose to Australia in three finals, Sri Lanka, was in the game for quite some time. This match was more closely fought than the two earlier finals.

To say that this was an eventful World Cup would be a great understatement. A bizarre and forgettable World Cup it was, both on and off the field.
- So many upsets. Bangladesh defeated India and South Africa. Ireland defeated Pakistan.
- Quite a few close matches. Ireland tied with Zimbabwe. Sri Lanka defeated England by 2 runs and South Africa by one wicket. England edged out West Indies by one wicket.
- Woolmer died in mysterious circumstances.
- Finally the fiasco in the final.

But for Australia, it was business as usual. For the second time they won 11 matches out of 11 to win the World Cup. This time they were more emphatic and never looked like losing a single match. Their average run win margin was 148. Their average wicket margin was 8. The closest any team came to them was in the final where they won by only 53 runs against Sri Lanka. 22 consecutive wins in two World Cups tells the tale.

Quite tough to decide on one match. After a lot of deliberation I have selected both of Sri Lanka's narrow matches, against England and South Africa as the matches of 2007.
The innings of the tournament was Gilchrist's 149 in 104 balls in the final against Sri Lanka. This effort lays claims to being amongst the top-three ODI innings ever. Hayden's 101 in 68 balls against South Africa was also an equally effective innings.
The bowling spell of the World Cup was probably Mashrafe Mortaza's four top-wickets for 38 against India. This was a match-winning effort. Malinga's 4 for 54 included an amazing 4 wickets in 4 balls reducing South Africa from 206 for 5 to 207 for 9, at which point a lucky four gave South Africa the win.