Perils of opening the batting in ODI cricket in England
In their 96 one-day internationals since the end of the 2007 World Cup, England have tried 19 different opening combinations between 12 players writes Steve James in the Sunday Telegraph
Akhila Ranganna
25-Feb-2013
In their 96 one-day internationals since the end of the 2007 World Cup, England have tried 19 different opening combinations between 12 players writes Steve James in the Sunday Telegraph. And Saturday’s brief proceedings with the bat in the first one-day international against India at Chester-le-Street emphasised why it has been so difficult to find a settled England pairing.
This was a glimpse of what so much of county cricket’s one-day stuff is like. The ball nipped around under grey skies on a pudding of a pitch, and the bowling was of negligible pace. And the orders? Make maximum use of the powerplay overs and their concomitant field placings. Oh, and don’t get out. All the very best.
It is why so often the more conventional opener outscores the batsman built for savagery. As Jonathan Liew pointed out, in the recent Sri Lanka series Cook’s strike rate was higher than Kieswetter’s. Plod was quicker than the pugilist.
Akhila Ranganna is assistant editor (Audio) at ESPNcricinfo