The Dos and Don’ts of cricket
The 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup is currently on the go, with DStv viewers enjoying some fantastic action live and in HD from England.
In honour of the ongoing tournament, and SuperSport’s comprehensive coverage of it, we look at the ‘Dos and Don’ts’ of watching the Cricket World Cup on your ‘World of Champions’.
DO
Enjoy the power hitters at the World Cup
One of cricket’s greatest sights is seeing a batsman strike the ball high, wide and handsome, sending it out of the playing ground for a six. This World Cup is set to be one in which power hitters such as Chris Gayle, Jos Buttler, Virat Kohli, David Miller and Martin Guptill come to the fore, with batsmen adopting ever more aggressive approaches in limited overs cricket.
Respect the brilliance of world-class bowlers
The balance of the battle between bat and ball has long been a key factor in limited overs cricket. Batsmen have generally held sway in recent years, with rising run rates and smaller boundaries making life tougher for bowling attacks. However, the likes of Jofras Archer, Mitchell Starc, Kagiso Rabada, Jasprit Bumrah and Oshane Thomas are leading the light for the quicks, while spinners such as Shakib Al Hasan, Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal will use their guile and skill to dominate.
Gawk in wonder at the amazing catches
The 2019 World Cup has already produced some incredible catches, with two standout efforts which defy belief no matter how times you watch (and gawk in wonder at) the replays: Ben Stokes’ acrobatic effort to dismiss Andile Phehlukwayo and Sheldon Cottrell’s seemingly nonchalant grasp on the boundary rope to end a fine innings from Steve Smith.
DON’T
Don’t confuse ODIs with T20Is and Tests
Okay, for the uninitiated, cricket comes in three forms: Tests (matches played over a maximum of five days, with red balls and white clothing), One Day Internationals (ODIs – matches played on one day with 50 overs per innings, featuring white balls and coloured clothing) and T20 Internationals (basically a shorter, more intense version of ODIs). The ongoing World Cup is in the ODI format.
Underestimate any opponents
The Cricket World Cup has a rich history of upsets, the most recent of which saw Bangladesh (once regarded as minnows of the game) comfortably defeat South Africa’s Proteas on the opening weekend of the current tournament. The smaller field at this edition of the World Cup (just 10 teams, compared to 14 in the 2011 and 2015 tournaments) means there are no ‘weak’ nations or ‘easy’ games.
Get caught short by Duckworth-Lewis-Stern
No, that’s not the name of a law firm, but rather a mathematical formula to help calculate the target score for the team batting second in a limited overs match interrupted by weather. With England notorious for it’s rainy climate, there’s a fair chance that several matches could have this extra bit of drama thrown in.
For the latest news, fixtures and results from the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup, head to SuperSport’s tournament page.
