Twenty 20 Blog

Finally, it seems, the ICC may have actually organised a tournament that retains its competitiveness and unpredictability beyond the opening ceremony. The Twenty20 World Cup has thrown up some great games of cricket and some real upsets: from the Netherlands beating England, to Ireland making it out of the group. And who could have predicted that the Aussies would be one of the first teams to be eliminated – we’re all still hurting over that one!!

So now we reach the serious half of the tournament, the Super 8 stage. With two groups of four playing off for a spot in the semi final, every run or wicket could be crucial…

The eight remaining teams are divided into two groups – group E and group F for some reason. Group E comprises South Africa, England, West Indies and India. The slightly less competitive group F is made up of Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Pakistan and Ireland.

No change in the betting

Despite all the trials and tribulations of the group stages, India have still got to be considered the favourites. Even despite the obvious blow that Captain Virender Sehwag’s injury has caused, the Indians have six-hitting potential throughout the order. With Sehwag missing the rest of the tournament, the opportunity is there for Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni to fill his boots; I don’t think they will disappoint. Both players thrive on this form of the game, and will be very dangerous.

I see South Africa pushing India closest. They have already produced two of the performances of the tournament, against Scotland and New Zealand: Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis have continued to roll back the years, with some talismanic performances. They have been ably supported by AB De Villiers and Albie Morkel in the middle order. The bowling attack also continues to look supreme: Dale Steyn has to be one of the best strike bowlers in world cricket at the moment. As I so magically predicted, the spin of Van Der Merwe is continuing to tie batsmen to the crease, and he is backed up at the other end by Botha. Throw in an excellent prospect, in Wayne Parnell, and you’ve got one of the best bowling line-ups left in the competition. South Africa’s excellent fielding could also be a big factor, if they are to win the tournament.

But who will be next to fly home from the competition?

Not to put a dampener on the party atmosphere, but Ireland are still massive underdogs. This is not to say that they are absolute certainties to go home; this tournament has produced enough shocks already to demonstrate that every team is in with a chance. The T20 format can mean that games can turn in the blink of an eye, with individual performances being very important. This factor gives the ‘minnows’ a fighting chance. The Irish do have the quality, in certain players, to be competitive.
England’s group could definitely be labelled ‘the group of death’, containing the two favourites. It’s going to be very difficult for the English boys to make the semi-finals but, if they play in a similar fashion to the way they played against Pakistan, they will give themselves a fighting chance against any side.

The grouping of the teams looks a little unevenly weighted doesn’t it?

This is a no-brainer; the groups look like the Premier League and division one. Assuming the results go the way we would all expect, Sri Lanka and New Zealand are almost certain to take their place in the semis. This is despite some far from impressive All Black performances. This, compared to the other group, in which it is anybody’s guess who will go through: two good sides will miss out on semi-final spot. As I mentioned, India and South Africa will be favourites but, if the West Indies play anything like they did against Australia, they are contenders. Chris Gayle in particular looks to be in scintillating form. England too, have Kevin Pietersen, who reminded us all against Pakistan how he can take a game away from the opposition in a matter of overs.

Who are the stars of the tournament going into the Super 8?

The Sri Lankan team have been very good - after all they did for Australia in the groups. In the Aussie match, they were a little short on batting. Their established players – Jayasuriya, Sangakarra, and Jayawardena - were below par. Luckily, Dilshan et al provided ample backup. Their bowling also excelled: Malinga is close to unplayable when in form – his unorthodox action is so difficult to read, and his Yorkers come in impossibly low. Murali, obviously, is one of the all-time greats – capable of destroying any side. Another one of my tips though, was the star of Sri Lanka’s bowling performance: Ajantha Mendis was superb against Australia. His bowling was brutally accurate, and there was enough turn to cause Ponting and co all end of trouble. In the Australia game he showed lots of variation, from leg breaks and googlies to off breaks and flippers. It was all too much for the Australian batsmen.

Who is still to peak?

Well, the Indians have had it all their own way thus far. They haven’t been tested to the same extent as some of the other contenders, but I expect them to turn it on now things are getting serious.
The West Indies look to be hitting form at the right time, after poor preparations for the tournament. Chris Gayle truly is one of the best Twenty20 batsmen in the world. If he replicates his demolition of Australia, they will be there or thereabouts. He will be doubly determined to succeed, having had the spotlight on him and his team for the last few months.

England have been [very] slow to get going. After a shocking result against the Dutch, they earned a very impressive win against Pakistan. The top order finally looks coherent and, if the bowling remains consistent, they will be difficult to beat. I really hope they stick with Adil Rashid. His leg spin could prove decisive as the tournament progresses.

The way I see it, the semi-finalists this year will comprise Sri Lanka, New Zealand, South Africa and…England (well, what sort of fan would I be if I didn’t).

Finally, spare a thought for Tricky and the boys. Hopefully, they’ll continue to play in the same manner for the rest of the summer.

By Will Mathieson, Twenty20Blog.co.uk