Few players have had the impact on English cricket this century that Ben Stokes has and his retirement from international cricket has left a huge void. It has been a turbulent few days for the England captain, who was dropped for the second Test against New Zealand at The Oval after breaking the team curfew. Stokes returned for the final Test, but his decision to announce his retirement on Sunday has plunged English cricket into further uncertainty.
Who succeeds Stokes remains the million dollar question. The selectors are reportedly reluctant to hand Harry Brook the reins, despite him already leading the white ball side. Interesting weeks lie ahead.
Whether Managing Director Rob Key and Head Coach Brendon McCullum survive the fallout also remains to be seen.
Stokes himself has come in for criticism after promoting himself to open the batting, with several former players pointing to the fragility of England’s system. Yet the fact remains that both English and world cricket will be poorer without him. He will continue to play for Durham and it appears the final chapter of his career will include a few lucrative franchise assignments.
Nottinghamshire, in a remarkable gesture, refunded all supporters who had purchased tickets for day five while opening the gates free of charge to the public. It was a fitting farewell for one of England’s greatest modern-day cricketers.
Kiwis script remarkable comeback
While England were in disarray, New Zealand regrouped superbly to complete a remarkable comeback and secure the series 2-1. They had endured injuries and the sudden retirement of Kane Williamson, but showed immense character by drawing level at The Oval before sealing the series at Trent Bridge.
Women’s World Cup gathers pace
The Women’s T20 World Cup has reached its business end, with the semi-finals and final to be played in London.
T20 cricket invariably produces surprise and this tournament has been no exception. West Indies booked a semi-final berth after edging out defending champions New Zealand. Ironically, they nearly threw it away by losing their final group match to Ireland, a side that had lost its previous four games. In the end, West Indies and Sri Lanka finished level on points with three wins apiece, but the Caribbean side progressed courtesy of a superior net run rate.
New Zealand endured a forgettable campaign, managing victories only over Scotland and Ireland. To make matters worse, three stalwarts of the women’s game; Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates and Lea Tahuhu, bowed out of international cricket without the farewell they had hoped for.
India began the tournament among the favourites after lifting the ODI World Cup at home last year. Many believed they had finally joined the elite, but defeats to South Africa and Australia ensured they missed out on the semi-finals.
Australia and England, meanwhile, cruised through the group stage with five wins from five and start as overwhelming favourites to contest the final at Lord’s later this week.
Crowds have flocked to grounds, even for matches not involving England, providing further evidence that women’s cricket continues to soar. The ICC has also doubled the prize money, with each semi-finalist guaranteed USD 800,000. The champions will pocket more than USD 2 million, while the runners-up will receive in excess of USD 1 million.
West Indies humble Sri Lanka
West Indies’ fast bowlers rolled back the years as they demolished Sri Lanka by an innings and 217 runs this week. They may not possess the fearsome aura of the great pace quartets of the 1980s, but they remain more than capable of blowing away quality batting line-ups.
All five quicks played their part, exposing Sri Lanka’s frailties. The visitors themselves fielded four seamers, but they simply could not generate the pace or menace of their West Indian counterparts.
Sri Lanka’s cause was not helped when Lahiru Kumara broke down after bowling just one over. Sadly, this was nothing new. The fast bowler has suffered the same hamstring injury several times before during Test matches. More baffling was Sri Lanka’s decision to pick him despite not having played a domestic game since the second week of January. It was a gamble that backfired spectacularly.
The bowlers deserved every bit of the praise they received, but the platform for victory had been laid by a world record sixth-wicket partnership of. 401 between Roston Chase and Amir Jangoo, the highest ever for the sixth wicket in Test cricket. Jangoo, drafted in as a late replacement for the injured Shai Hope, grabbed his opportunity with both hands, producing a memorable double hundred that may well mark the beginning of a new era for West Indies cricket.
The match also saw Kemar Roach claim his 300th Test wicket, becoming only the fifth West Indian to reach the milestone after Malcolm Marshall, Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh and Lance Gibbs.
Ireland shock world champions
Ireland produced one of the biggest upsets of the year by defeating world champions India in the T20I series in Belfast.
The two-match contest had been viewed as little more than a warm-up for India’s tougher assignments against England, but Ireland had other ideas. They won the opening game by 34 runs to register their first-ever victory over India in any format before edging the second by a solitary run to complete a famous series sweep.
It was hardly the start new captain Shreyas Iyer had envisaged. Questions were immediately raised about India’s preparations, while the series served as another reminder that away from flat batting tracks, even the world champions can be vulnerable.
Prior to the series all the talk was about how Vaibhav Sooryavansi could go onto make his international debut but there was no room for the 15-year-old. He could still become the youngest person to represent India when the team lands in England.
