ipl-2 is enhancing some reputations and injuring some

i have written in these pages about the difference between the 'how' and the 'how much' and came face to face with it last evening. the commentators pick the player of the match and it was my turn to co-ordinate the award. so off i went to jeremy coney and pommie mbangwa and the others with my list but with a question i couldn't immediately answer.

we have to give points for the top three performances (3, 2 and 1) and at the end of the tournament the points are added up for the player of the tournament (certainly that is how i understand it!). in the delhi daredevils vs. chennai super kings game, irrespective of the result, it was clear that ab de villiers would be player of the match for his 105 from 54 balls. but what about number two? i thought in batting friendly conditions lakshmipathy balaji will 3-19 from 4 overs was outstanding. but then, what about pradeep sangwan who had 3-28 while the super kings were chasing? which was the more valuable performance?

going by numbers, and the fact that balaji bowled a fine last over, you would have no hesitation in arriving at the verdict. but sangwan's three wickets contributed very substantially to the daredevils' win. the ‘how’ favoured sangwan, the 'how much' favoured balaji. the majority went with sangwan but it was one of those that would arouse debate either way. maybe you should tell us what you think-dispassionately and without team loyalties since this is a forum where cricket comes first!

oh, and by the way, hayden was a unanimous third!

meanwhile the ipl is enhancing some reputations (abhishek nayar, ab de villiers....), creating some (kamran khan) and injuring some. (flintoff, pietersen...) and yes, highlighting some that had been strangely cloaked (rahul dravid, sourav ganguly!)

if the weather clears, more runs will be scored, bowling variations will come in and it will seem a bit like ipl 1. as i write, there is bright sunshine outside my room in durban. but if it starts getting cold and windy, expect more 140-150 scores which will bring out the role of the captain even more (see warne's handling of kamran khan).