The death eaters

They're the bunch that thrives in the death, stepping up the accelerator, booming the sixes and applying the finishing touches. Unlike their colleagues at the top of the order, the finishers rarely have the luxury of getting set, having to pick up the pace from the tie they enter. Sometimes they can only survey the debris, entering after a top-order crumble and needing to pull off the minor miracles. They're either vilified for their recklessness or deified for their bravado but always remembered at the end of the day.

Australia are blessed. It took Michael Hussey 29 matches for his average to drop below 100 and he's not only replaced Michael Bevan as a finisher extraordinaire but actually bettered him. He can control the middle overs - maneuvering the spinners, scurrying between wickets, lofting aerial strokes, gliding cheekily - and possesses an enviable composure during the pivotal stages. Basically with Hussey at the crease forget the score; just put your money on Australia.

India have heavily relied on Yuvraj Singh and Mahendra Singh Dhoni during the final stages. When the mood catches him, Yuvraj doesn't just finish games, he kills them. Of the 16 half-centuries that Yuvraj has managed while chasing, India have won on 14 occasions (In 21 games between November 2005 and May 2006 he reeled off six half-centuries and three hundreds). In Dhoni, India possess a finisher imbued with the X-factor. His destructive qualities are well documented but he's recently shown that he can temper his approach, shepherding the tail during the tense stages.

South Africa's Mark Boucher has mastered the art of shifting gears over the years. His only one-day hundred was a 44-ball massacre and his matchwinning 98-ball 69 on a juicy trampoline at Mohali showed his versatility. Justin Kemp has been his partner in many a rescue act and teams will beware of his ability to clear the ropes, stands and even stadiums.

New Zealand's Brendon McCullum and Jacob Oram promise to be equally destructive. Their contrasting styles make them a combustible pair - one's a nuggety accumulator, who's well capable of the big shots, the other's a palm-tree hitter, who's adept at shifting gear. New Zealand, who enter the tournament on the back of a couple of sensational run-chases against Australia, often make up for their top-order failings through tail-end dynamite and can be counted to pull off the close chases.

England have banked on Paul Collingwood to provide them with the impetus towards the end. Though he was more of a playmaker during the recent CB Series, when he propelled England to the title, he's often been influential at the end, as five fifties and two hundreds in the last 25 games testify.

Sri Lanka may not have an accomplished finisher (Chamara Silva promises much but is only 14 ODIs old) but enjoy the aggressive talents of Chaminda Vaas and Farveez Maharoof lower down. Both have the ability to boost first-innings totals but it's in the second innings, with the tension mounting, that their talents will be tested.

The two major teams that might have a problem finishing are West Indies and Pakistan. Abdul Razzaq's absence leaves a big void and its now upto Shoaib Malik to steer the bottom half of the line-up. He's got the technique to move it around and is very capable of taking bowlers on. It may boil down to how much support he receives from the erratic but explosive Shahid Afridi and the tail.

Dwayne Bravo often carries the responsibility in the dying stages but West Indies' penchant for the collapse has left them vulnerable too many times. Dwayne Smith is more miss than hit while Denesh Ramdin has lost his cool more often than not. They'll hope to stay calm when it matters. A few million Caribbean cricket crazies will wish for the same.