Attendance and TV viewership soared this BBL, and Cricket Australia deserves plenty of credit, but will the new fans stay on?

Freddie Wilde02-Feb-2015Seasons one and two of the Big Bash League were defined by the looming spectre of a new broadcasting deal for the competition. Having signed a seven-year deal for the old KFC Big Bash in 2005, pay-per-view channel Fox Sports owned the rights to the first two seasons of the new incarnation. This gave Cricket Australia and the tournament itself two seasons to create fresh interest among broadcasters. Given the size and depth of CA’s financial investment in the BBL, the new deal would have to be significant for it to justify their commitment to the concept.There was, therefore, something unashamedly and understandably brash about the early years of the BBL. In his talks with the Australian Cricket Board before World Series Cricket in 1977, Kerry Packer told the administrators: “There is a little bit of the whore in all of us, gentlemen, don’t you think?” Thirty-five years on, CA was similarly brazen in its pursuit of popularity. This was, to a sport and a nation historically defined by high-level performance, something of a culture shock. This shameless and arguably cheapening self-promotion was, however, in the eyes of CA, necessary for cricket’s audiences to be expanded, and in this regard they were right.Fundamentally there was very little difference between the old KFC Big Bash and the new BBL, but they looked different, they were marketed differently, and the first season’s results were better than even CA imagined possible. In BBL01, TV viewership rose 83.5% on the old Big Bash (71% higher than was budgeted for), and attendances rose 30% (10% higher than was budgeted for). That the BBL was hidden behind a pay-per-view wall was not an obstacle to its popularity. The 31 matches in the first season were comfortably the 31 highest rated shows on pay-per-view television in Australia through the season’s duration. The highest-rated match of the season was the fourth-most watched programme in Australian pay television history. The revolution had well and truly been televised.Average viewership and attendances fell slightly in season two, with CA making the mistake of scheduling too much of the season before Christmas. CA operations manager Mike McKenna defended the figures claiming that “at the beginning [of the first season] we set our targets for three years and blew them out of the water in year one. So we are still doing better than we originally projected.”Despite the popularity of the BBL, just one team, Melbourne Stars, turned a profit in the first season, and the combined team losses amounted to $1.85 million, with CA itself losing $10 million. McKenna was unperturbed by the financial troubles, however, saying that “based on results from the opening season, we’re confident this investment is a worthwhile one. Any loss needs to be viewed in the context of the significant investment needed to launch a new league and contains a proportion of expenses that relate to establishment costs.”In the second season, despite projections that five teams would make a profit, only two actually did. But these figures, CA maintained, were to be expected. It was the nature of the long-term investment. CA pointed to the imminent broadcasting deal as the endgame for the league’s start-up costs.

It was not until this fourth season that the rest of the world really took notice of the BBL. Average TV viewership rose again, this time from 910,000 to 930,000, but more tangible was the staggering climb in average attendances from 18,778 to 23,548

The sale of not only the BBL broadcasting rights but the international rights – on the market for the first time in 34 years – dominated CA’s thoughts in early 2013. The board hired investment bank Credit Suisse to help guide it through the sale of the rights, and their own negotiating party was headed by Stephanie Beltrame, CA’s general manager of media rights, and Dean Kino, general manager of business and legal affairs. Selling two sets of rights, CA played Nine and Ten off each other, driving the price up. When Nine invoked their right to match any offer made by Ten for international cricket, that left Ten with the BBL. Ten boss Hamish McLennan hailed the five-year, $20-million agreement as “the deal of the century for Cricket Australia and Ten”.The introduction of the BBL on free-to-air television was a watershed moment for the league’s popularity. The league’s official website, bigbash.com.au, claimed research had found that season three was the BBL’s most successful season in “all three key attendance metrics”.Average television viewership rose from 235,000 to a staggering 910,000, meaning close to one million people were watching domestic cricket matches almost every night in December and January. The average attendance also rose massively on the disappointing season two, to 18,778, which was also over 1000 per match more than the excellent first season. The headline statistic for CA, however, was that 42% of attendees were coming to their first BBL game, which was 14% more than in season two, and that 22% of attendees were coming to an elite cricket match for the first time.”BBL attracting new cricket fans” ran the headline on the official website. Closer research found that 50% of attendees were with family, 24% were children (compared to 9% in Tests), and that 51% of women attended their first BBL game. The third season was also a breakthrough one for the finances of individual teams, with seven of the eight sides turning a profit; and the only reason the Hobart Hurricanes failed to do so was because of stadium development”We have unashamedly designed a competition and marketed a competition to attract new people to the game,” CA’s CEO James Sutherland said. “It’s definitely paying off for both us and Channel Ten,” McKenna said during the season. “They put a lot on the line in order to get the rights off Fox Sports for the Big Bash… and we also had a lot at stake.”Yet despite the enormous success of the third season, McKenna revealed in October 2014 that CA was still not making a profit from the BBL. “But that’s a deliberate growth strategy,” he said. “The Big Bash League is about bringing new audiences to the game and about reinvesting money in grassroots cricket.” In a year in which CA’s willingness to not invest in the future of the international game was made evident by its part in the takeover of the ICC, by contrast its confidence in investing and nurturing long-term growth in Australia’s own domestic game provides a poignant and pertinent realisation.It was not until this fourth season that the rest of the world really took notice of the BBL. Average TV viewership rose again, this time from 910,000 to 930,000, but more tangible was the staggering climb in average attendances from 18,778 to 23,548. One semi-final drew over 50,000 spectators. While the first two seasons were defined by the necessity of a new broadcasting deal, the third, and particularly the fourth, have been defined by the match attendances.About 52,633 people watching a domestic cricket match played outside the subcontinent could come to be seen as a seminal moment in the history of the domestic game. Indeed, another mind-warping statistic is that Adelaide Oval saw larger attendances for its first three BBL matches than it did for the entire Australia-India Test match, while it took the Gabba just two BBL matches to do the same. Domestic cricket in Australia is outselling international cricket.Audience participation: a spectator joins in a Perth Scorchers celebration•Getty ImagesThere is little doubt that the BBL being on free-to-air television has boosted the league’s popularity. Dan Migala, who has been sports marketing company PCG’s man on the ground in Australia working with CA has said he sees Network Ten’s role in the BBL’s popularity as “incredibly important”, and that he believes Ten’s viewers are “future attendees of not only the BBL but also other forms of the game”.It is expected that for the first time all eight teams will turn a profit after this year’s fourth season. “Clubs are rapidly becoming more commercially successful,” BBL general manager Anthony Everard claims. “One club generated $1.5 million in sponsorship revenue this year, and another club had gate receipts for one match of $450,000.” While it is planned that the level of central funding of teams by CA will decrease over time as the clubs become more self-sufficient, Everard believes that it is “likely” CA will continue to provide “tagged funding towards specific initiatives such as community engagement, event presentation etc.” Which he believes are “critical to the objective of engaging new fans – families, kids.”Crucial to the popularity of the BBL has been CA’s realisation that it needs to offer more than just cricket to draw young fans to matches, and that has seen a myriad of in-game, extra entertainment provided. “We had to look at the match through the lens of the child,” recalls Migala. “You quickly realise that they have many options for entertainment. Video games. Movies. Soccer. The list can go on and on. This is why the BBL is very much communicated as an entertainment product first that has cricket. The entertainment value will draw in the children but the cricket will keep them there.”However, there are those who doubt this, because for the sport itself popularity and success are not mutually inclusive, and the BBL’s detractors worry that the cricket itself is only an element of the BBL package, and not necessarily a defining one. While there would be no product without the cricket, growing the sport’s popularity necessitates that the cricket is the centrepiece of the event.Migala, something of a new-age sports marketer, who was instrumental in designing the broader entertainment package on offer at the BBL, is not worried about excessive entertainment superseding the sport. “The on-pitch product has to be there, but I’d argue that the fan engagements aren’t ‘extras’ but part of a symphony-like experience for attendees.”Bill Veeck, legendary MLB marketer and team owner, famously said, ‘You can control everything about the fan experience except what happens on the field’, and that’s the foundation of the BBL’s approach to making sure they over-deliver on the experience for every fan each and every time they pay to attend a match.”It is hard to quibble with what Migala says. In an age in which people are seen to have shorter attention spans and more distractions than ever, getting them through the gates of cricket stadiums, by whatever means deserves credit. Whether the thousands of new fans who have been to the BBL then become fans of longer formats is the next great question that will shape the future of cricket in Australia.

It may be hard to keep track of a tournament on the other side of the world but it is time to dispel the negativity

David Hopps13-Feb-20151:36

NYC Speaks – Who will win the World Cup?

England will sleep through much of this World Cup. The time difference between New Zealand and Australia makes that inevitable. Perhaps that is a good thing because, by and large, England sure has been sleeping through the build-up.A few media types stirred on Thursday to deride the opening ceremony. Danny Boyle it wasn’t. A man of a certain age singing “Howzat” – nearly 40 years after he briefly sent teenaged girls into raptures – and an administrator saying “May the best team win”, with the emphasis on the wrong words as if he had spent too long practising it in the bath, was Australia’s contribution to popular culture.Australia might win the World Cup but New Zealand won the opening ceremony.And before we move on, England were represented by ballerinas in Union Jack tutus dancing to “Money Can’t Buy Me Love” by the Beatles. What on earth do we make of that? Maybe it was intended as a subliminal message to the ECB, a warning that after a decade trying to stabilise cricket’s finances, the nation is in danger of falling out of love with the game. Or maybe it was a preview of the half-time show in this season’s NatWest Blast.Wake up, England! Rediscover that love. The World Cup is upon us. It is about to begin; yes, now. It is time to push aside the pessimism and negativity and soak up the delights in store. Otherwise in England this will become the Rip Van Winkle World Cup, where you will all wake up a long time hence to discover that the tournament is finally over, your muskets are rotting and rusty, your beards a foot long (even if you are a woman, because it is a very long tournament) and your dog is nowhere to be found.

In India you will struggle to find a bar not showing the cricket. In England, you struggle to find a bar that is

Wake up, England. Who cares how you do it. If it grabs your fancy, you can even satisfy your mobile phone obsession and use Wakie, an alarm clock app which promises to pair you up with a total stranger who will call you to get you out of bed in the morning. Imagine that. You are slumbering through a World Cup group game when Ian Bell rings you up and says: “Get out of bed for heaven’s sake, I’m 58 not out, I’m working my guts off here.”Believe it or not, there are parts of the world where ESPNcricinfo’s 100 Day Countdown to the World is a perfectly natural thought process. Not in England though. Even the football World Cup is only allowed a week’s anticipation at best. If a comet was hurtling towards earth and predicted to wipe out the entire planet, until the precise moment when it began to blot out half the sky it would just have to take its chance along with the supermarket run, the meet-up in the pub and a discussion about why they bothered making a second series of .In Bangalore, the headquarters of Cricinfo, where I have decamped for the tournament, the sporting obsession is palpable. World Cup previews and re-runs flicker from every TV screen. The only place that will matter on Sunday will be Adelaide as India do battle with Pakistan. In India you will struggle to find a bar not showing the cricket; in England, you struggle to find a bar that is.The Indian prime minister has sent tweets to every member of the squad. A British prime minister, even an Old Etonian, would first check with focus groups whether being associated with cricket was a good idea in an election year. They would advise him to tread very carefully. Back in 1999, England made a mess of the opening ceremony, firework smoke engulfed the VIPs and Tony Blair told an aide that it did not entirely fit his vision of “Cool Britannia”. The 2005 Ashes apart, cricket in England has rarely been cool.England’s players soak up the atmosphere in Australia but the World Cup will be watched from under the duvet at home•AFPTo be English in Australia is to be the butt of a nation’s humour. There is no cheerier way for Australia to begin the World Cup than indulging in their traditional bagging of the English. Presumably this is a more of a survival mechanism than ever after their prime minister chose Australia Day to give Prince Philip a knighthood.Buy a coffee: “You’re English? Ah, that’s bad luck.” Ask for a beer: “Your team are s***, mate.” At least the taxi drivers rewarm the old jokes. “I couldn’t live in England – it’s cold, overcrowded and full of the English.” On Friday, a plane circled the city carrying the banners that have adorned advertising hoardings all week: “Missing: pair of balls. If found, please return to the England cricket team.”There is a lot of flapping of gums. But at least they are enjoying themselves.It was a relief to arrive in India with the World Cup about to begin. Inconvenient for sure, because a day after leaving the central heating broke down, and the tickets for Dara O Briain will go to waste, and there is a wedding in the diary that will have to be given a miss.But it has been a wonderful escape from English negativity: the complaints that the tournament is too long, the reluctance to buy into the hopes and aspirations of a reshaped one-day side that is at least showing signs of adventure and ambition, and a general carping about the game that has become a default position that many cricket lovers cannot quite escape.Wake up, England! But only when you are ready to join the fun.

Australia claimed the Border-Gavaskar Trophy by beating India 2-0. Here’s a rating of the performances of players who made those results

Brydon Coverdale11-Jan-20155:14

Hits and misses of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy

9.5Steven Smith

Scored 769 runs at 128.16, breaking Don Bradman’s record for most runs in an Australia-India series. Was also the first Australian since Bradman to score four hundreds in consecutive Tests in a series, and all of Smith’s came in the first innings when the Tests were there to be set up. Most notably, he took over the captaincy from the injured Michael Clarke after the Adelaide win, and led from the front in the best possible way. Deservedly the Player of the Series.8.5David Warner
Made three hundreds in the series and lifted when the side needed a morale boost in both Adelaide and Sydney. Warner’s 145 in the first innings in Adelaide was full of raw emotion as the Australians returned to cricket following the death of Phillip Hughes, and his second innings hundred there helped set up the victory. His 101 on their return to the SCG, where Hughes was struck, was again poignant.Nathan Lyon
The major question surrounding Lyon as a Test bowler was his ability to bowl Australia to victory on the fifth day of a match. He answered emphatically at Adelaide Oval, where he claimed 7 for 152 in the second innings, when India were threatening to pull off their chase, and 12 for the match. Finished as the leading wicket taker from either side with 23 at 34.82, and 17 of those came in the two victories.8Michael Clarke
The way Smith led from the front it is easy to forget that Clarke captained Australia to the first win, in Adelaide. His 128 in the first innings set Australia’s series up and was masterful for his management of his emotions, so soon after delivering a eulogy at Hughes’ funeral, and for the way he completed it after retiring hurt with a hamstring injury. Clarke missed the rest of the series, but declared Adelaide the most important Test match of his career.7.5Chris Rogers
An average of 52.12 in a four-Test series in which he didn’t score a century is proof of Rogers’ consistency throughout the campaign. He finished with six consecutive half-centuries, including 95 in the first innings in Sydney, and although he would be disappointed not to have scored his fifth Test century, Rogers provided important solidity at the top of the order.Josh Hazlewood began the series as a debutant and ended it as the only bowler with an average below 30•Getty ImagesJosh Hazlewood
Began the series uncapped, finished it as the only bowler from either side averaging under 30. Hazlewood’s 12 wickets at 29.33 included a five-for on debut in Australia’s second victory at the Gabba, and his consistent lines, sharp bounce and subtle swing made him a handful for India’s batsmen even on docile pitches. An exciting prospect for the future.7Ryan Harris
Ten wickets in three Tests was not quite the return Harris might have liked but he was consistently at the India batsmen and built pressure. He was also Man of the Match in the draw at the MCG, where his six wickets for the match were complemented by 74 and 21 with the bat.Mitchell Johnson
Generally lacked the brute impact of last summer’s Ashes and was a little down on pace, but 13 wickets in three Tests was still an adequate outcome. Most notably, Johnson fired up in the victory in Brisbane, where his 4 for 61 in the second innings followed 88 with the bat, and was key to Australia taking a 2-0 lead.5Shaun Marsh
Made 254 runs at 42.33 in his return to the side after being dropped in South Africa. His steadying second innings in Melbourne was important to Australia getting firmly on top; getting run out for 99 was far from the perfect ending, though. Also contributed 73 at the SCG, but his catching was poor throughout the series.Brad Haddin
Struggled with the bat, especially against the short ball, but made 55 in the first innings in Melbourne. With the gloves, Haddin’s work varied from the sublime – a number of diving catches that would be athletic for a 27-year-old, let alone a 37-year-old – to the ridiculous, like not going for a much simpler take at the MCG that flew between Haddin and first slip. Fortunately it was mostly the former.Ten years later, Australia are still not getting the best out of Shane Watson•AFPJoe Burns
A pair of fifties in Sydney confirmed that Burns belongs at this level, after a nervy start at the MCG. His 33-ball half-century in the second innings at the SCG was as entertaining as it was selfless as Australia pushed for quick runs late on the fourth day. Needs to work on his short-leg fielding.Mitchell Marsh
Scored 41 and 40 in Adelaide and claimed his first Test wicket in Brisbane, but then sustained a hamstring injury that ruled him out of the rest of the series. His second innings in Adelaide was especially impressive for its selflessness – 40 off 26 balls as Australia set a target.4.5Shane Watson
Scored 238 runs at 29.75 and took five wickets at 48.80. His best came in the last Test of the series; in Sydney he scored 81 and claimed three victims. For most of the series he continued his trend of making starts but failing to capitalise, not what Australia needs from their No.3. As he has for ten years, Watson contributed bits and pieces here and there, but Australia still have not worked out how best to use him.Mitchell Starc
Disappointing with the ball in Brisbane, though contributed 52 with the bat. Returned much better in Sydney, where he found swing and pace and claimed five wickets in the Test.2Peter Siddle
Two wickets at 54.50 in Adelaide, and then was dropped.

ESPNcricinfo’s correspondents at the World Cup pick their best moments from the fifth week of matches

22-Mar-2015Firdose Moonda: Steyn pops a vein
Dale Steyn seemed to have been waiting for Faf du Plessis to take that catch his whole life. When Tillakaratne Dilshan edged and du Plessis moved forward, Steyn seemed to be blue in the face holding his breath. Then du Plessis caught it and Steyn let it all out. He screamed, veins popping, eyes rolling, arms outstretched. Crazed, possessed, and pumped up – that’s how South Africa started the journey into the semis, and their intensity did not wane all through the game.Andy Zaltzman: Kusal Perera’s masterclass
Sri Lanka are no strangers to taking weird selectorial punts at big World Cup matches, as the team sheet from the 2011 final can testify. This time they chose to break up the flourishing Dilshan-Thirimanne opening partnership by bringing in flamboyant strokeplayer Kusal Perera to face the vaunted South African pace attack, on the back of one fifty and an average of 17 in his previous 18 ODIs (and four ducks in his previous nine).And he produced a masterclass: how not to open an innings in a World Cup quarter-final. First over, Dale Steyn the bowler. Perera dutifully played himself in. For two balls – a leave, and a drive to cover. Then, he cut loose. Ball three: a flamboyant swish; bat and ball emerge unscathed. Ball four: see ball three, but resulting in an edge over the slips for two. Ball five: a slightly more controlled drive, no contact. Ball six: see ball five, but resulting in an edge through the slips, and a single. Second over, Kyle Abbott the bowler. Ball seven: Perera unveils a new shot from his repertoire – the forward defensive. Perera accessorises the block with a scamper a few yards down the wicket for an obviously non-existent single, and a scamper back to safety. Ball eight: see ball three. Ball nine: see ball eight. He could have been out six times in seven balls. Seven, if you include the run out that would have transpired had he carried through with the scamper. Ball ten: forward defensive, edge, out. Entire SCG reportedly “unsurprised”.Sharda Ugra: Rubel’s rebel yell
The send off Rubel Hossain gave Virat Kohli involved neither gestures nor words. He had just dismissed India’s biggest batting star, luring him into a drive from wide outside off stump, and his celebration involved a sound that arose from the bottom of the bowler’s stomach and carried all the way to everyone watching, at the MCG and on millions of TV sets around the world. It carried with it history – Rubel and Kohli have been going at each other since their Under-19 days – and a declaration: the game was on and Bangladesh would compete on even terms. It took all of Mushfiqur Rahim’s calmness and determination to physically restrain Rubel, 5ft 10 and as strong as a tree, from charging into Kohli’s face. India did go on to quell the rebellion from their neighbours, but Rubel’s rebel yell at India’s heir apparent will always echo through the ages.Andrew Fernando: Rahat drops the game
Rahat Ali had already completed a catch in the least assuring manner. Cantering in from third man, he intercepted the uppercut from David Warner’s bat in front of his moving right knee – almost like he was bending down to pull up his trouser leg and suddenly found a ball lodged in his palms. Pakistan were elated at that. Their World Cup hopes remained alive. But the next time a high ball came to Rahat, the universe he existed in had changed.In between those two chances, Wahab Riaz had summoned a transcendental spell. He had bounced out Michael Clarke, and given Shane Watson the one-day working-over of a lifetime. The next high ball that came to Rahat was brimful of meaning. If there was any bowler who deserved a wicket at this World Cup, it was Wahab, in that moment. If there was any time his team needed a fielder to be safe, it was now. It wasn’t just six ounces of leather hanging in the air, it was the delicious possibility of a Pakistan surge. But Rahat got his hands to the ball and spilt it. So often missed chances fade over time in the memory. But for as long as Wahab’s spell is spoken of, or remembered, or written about, so will Rahat’s drop. Rahat will know that most of all.Rubel Hossain gave Virat Kohli a send-off to remember•Getty ImagesDevashish Fuloria: The no-ball that moved a nation
There was one pivotal moment in the quarter-final in Melbourne and anyone with basic needlework skills would have been able to almost capture it: put a green-chequered cloth in between the embroidery hoops and you have the MCG; stitch out a batsman in blue, half-crouched as he smites a high full-toss; a fielder, in green and red, waiting in the outfield, his team-mates, expectant; and an umpire with a red shirt with one arm raised, signalling a no-ball. But it would have taken talent and a whole lot of passion to represent in thread the disappointment of the green team, the drooping of shoulders, the change in the mood, and the end of fight. You’ll find many artists who can do that, but it won’t be a surprise if most of them are from Dhaka.George Binoy: Vettori’s age-defying leap
In a team full of players on the cutting edge of the next stage of fielding evolution, Daniel Vettori is perhaps New Zealand’s weakest link. And that link showed just how strong that chain is with an age-defying snatch on the boundary in the quarter-final against West Indies.Marlon Samuels slashed Trent Boult, and as the ball sailed towards third man it seemed certain to clear Vettori, who was back-pedalling and found himself a few yards inside the boundary as the catch descended over his head. He sprung up like a jack in the box, one arm raised above for the interception and his other three limbs thrust out at awkward angles. The catch stuck and Vettori landed only a little less gracefully than a gymnast. He indulged in a little swagger to celebrate as Blackcaps from far and wide on the field sprinted towards their old third man, with looks of amazement on their faces. “I couldn’t believe it,” Boult said after the game. “For him to leap up a couple metres in the air and stick out his paw. I actually enjoyed the celebration afterwards, it was just a little strut. It was very cool.”Arya Yuyutsu: Gayle hands out goodies
Given Chris Gayle’s fitness it’s hardly surprising that rumours have been rife that this World Cup could be the last time he plays for West Indies. And, after the loss to New Zealand, he certainly looked like he was ready to bid the game adieu. He pulled out his two pairs of batting gloves, throwing them into the crowd, one by one, to the sheer glee of the fans. Three of the gloves reached New Zealand fans. Realising that, he looked for the West Indies supporters higher up the stand. With a lazy smile, he wound up and zipped that final glove right amongst them. That catch was worth more than a million to those fans. But there were still people without any souvenirs. And the big man realised that. He pulled out his pads and frisbeed them into the stands. Next came his cap. A kid in the front of the stands got that cap, complete with signature. Later, he laid the rumours of retirement to rest; more opportunities in future to gather Gayle memorabilia then.Andrew McGlashan: A blast from the past
Obvious point first: this World Cup is all about the current players. This moment should probably be about Martin Guptill. It is wonderful, though, occasionally to dip back into cricket’s storied history. The here and now is important, but we should never forget what has gone before. Watching West Indies get dispatched for 393 in the quarter-final would send a shudder down the former greats of that region. One of them, Curtly Ambrose, has taken on the herculean task of trying to help lift them back up the ladder of world cricket. But, for half an hour at the Basin Reserve, he dipped into tales of the past: of bowling into the wind in Wellington, of being hit for six, of being angered by Dean Jones. He smiled through it all – a couple of days later he must have grimaced at the current generation. Certainly in the West Indies, they don’t make them like they used. But thank goodness Ambrose is involved. If only there was time for more stories.

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Apr-2015Ballance and Joe Root, England’s Yorkshire pair, resumed their partnership in the morning and took it in to three figures•Getty ImagesRoot passed fifty for the second time in the match… before playing the ball on to his stumps for the second time in the match•Getty ImagesJason Holder’s wicket was worth celebrating – but not much else was for West Indies, as England added 108 in the morning session•Associated PressSulieman Benn toiled without much success, although he did pick up Ben Stokes advancing down the pitch•Associated PressBallance pressed on, however, reaching his century from 233 balls with a thump down the ground. It was the fourth time he has celebrated the landmark in just nine Tests•Getty ImagesEngland eventually declared on 333 for 7, setting West Indies a target of 438. In a 20-minute spell before tea, they managed to dislodge Kraigg Brathwaite•Getty ImagesStuart Broad was the bowler, Joe Root at short leg the catcher. Broad’s celebration involved a signal to the dressing room, confirmation of a plan well laid•Getty ImagesJames Anderson was looking for the two wickets he needs to pass Ian Botham’s England mark but he was left frustrated on day four•Associated PressWest Indies battled hard through the evening session, led by Devon Smith, who made an unbeaten fifty•Getty ImagesBut England finished the day on a high note as Root removed Darren Bravo, thanks to a stunning catch at slip from Chris Jordan•Getty Images

England’s defeat in Barbados, and their failure to win the series in the West Indies, is another black mark on Peter Moores’ report card as coach. However, the team is moving in the right direction

George Dobell in Barbados04-May-20155:27

Butcher: England’s big wake-up call

It is only just over 12 months since Peter Moores was appointed England coach, but already it seems his time may be running out.Defeat in Barbados and a drawn series against West Indies might provide just the ammunition required to sack a man who was appointed by a regime that has now passed and seems never to have won the support of its replacement.While there is precious little time to make changes ahead of the next instalment in England’s endless schedule – Moores flies to Ireland overnight on Wednesday in order to take charge of the ODI on Friday and New Zealand arrive for their tour on Monday – the ECB showed a ruthlessness in dealing with ex-managing director Paul Downton that will not have instilled security elsewhere.News that the ECB has been talking to former captain Michael Vaughan – a man who has gone on record as saying Moores should be “removed” as England coach – is hardly a ringing endorsement, while news that Jason Gillespie has turned down the offer of coaching South Australia to remain in Yorkshire will only increase speculation that the ECB is grooming him as Moores’ replacement.Such speculation is, for now, premature. The ECB will leave a decision about the coaching role to Downton’s successor as director of the team. It may be relevant, however, that two of the front-runners for that role – Vaughan and former captain Andrew Strauss – were far from effusive in praise for Moores during his first period in the England job.It is not hard to make a case against Moores. His year in office has been dominated by England’s poor ODI form and their wretched performance in the World Cup. A Test series loss against Sri Lanka was followed by victory against India, but their notorious reputation as poor travellers mitigated – at least in some eyes – against the value of such a success. If you are looking for evidence to damn Moores – and it seems some are – it can be found without too much of a search.Moores did not enjoy a golden inheritance. Not only did he take over the team at a low ebb – England had just been whitewashed in the Ashes and defeated by Netherlands in a lame World T20 campaign – but it was also a side in the process of losing several senior players.More than that, he was tainted by association with the management that appointed him. While Moores had nothing to do with the carve-up of the ICC – which occurred every bit of six months before his appointment – nothing to do with the “outside cricket” press release – ten weeks before his appointment – and nothing to do with the unnecessarily harsh treatment – scapegoating, even – of Kevin Pietersen, the fall out of each has stuck to him.A combination of those factors – and the fact that he had been sacked in the job once before – meant he was never likely to enjoy a honeymoon period. Many people had no patience or belief in him before he began.But equally, a case can easily be mounted for his retention. The emergence of several young players – the likes of Moeen Ali, Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, Chris Jordan and Gary Ballance – could be used as evidence that Moores is on the right track, in Test cricket, at least. The progress of Joe Root, a batsman who had been dropped by the end of Andy Flower’s period in charge, might also be used as an example of a new-look England side in a developmental phase.The failure of England’s batsmen to post a large total when conditions were at their best in the first innings proved damaging•AFPThe problem with young players is that they often lack consistency. So it should have been no huge surprise that Buttler – a hugely talented but raw cricketer whose glovework standing back is good but standing up requires work – missed a stumping chance that might have turned this Test. With Jermaine Blackwood on just 4, Buttler was unable to gather cleanly and the batsman went on to feature in a match-clinching century partnership with Darren Bravo.Much the same could be said of Moeen. He bowled poorly in Barbados, dropping short frequently, and was understandably not trusted to deliver more than a dozen overs in the fourth innings in circumstances in which his side required him to provide an attacking edge. It does not mean he – or Buttler or Stokes – are poor players or that it is time to drop them. It means they are works in progress.England lost this match primarily due to their poor batting. In scoring only 257 in the first innings, they squandered the opportunity to register a match-defining total with the pitch at its best. Then, in registering only 123 in their second innings, they displayed a lack of composure in conditions that were testing, certainly, but far from impossible. Had they salvaged victory on the final day, it should not have obscured the frailties in their batting.Peter Moores has laid the groundwork for England’s future Test players, but will he be around to see them grow?•Getty ImagesBut nor should their failure condemn them all to the axe. With the exception of Jonathan Trott, whose international career is surely over, the batting line-up that represented England here is – a late break from Pietersen apart – probably the best line-up for the Ashes. When Alastair Cook said, after the match, that Root and Ballance would “break all kind of records” it was no idle talk.Perhaps selection errors were made here. The inclusion of a second spinner would have helped on a surface on which Stokes delivered just seven overs in the game, while Adam Lyth might also consider himself unfortunate.But there was logic in those decisions. The team management felt that Jordan and Stokes, in particular, required prolonged selection to help them gain more comfort at this level and feared that dropping either of them might result in them playing fearful cricket upon their return. Meanwhile Adil Rashid – who provides a reminder of the old adage that reputations often improve disproportionately when out of the spotlight – continues to work on improvements that are designed to make him a more effective bowler in the long-term.And there’s the rub. For while Moores continues to take a long-term view, his future may only be measured in the short term.Certainly the pre-series words of Colin Graves did him few favours. Not only did ‘mediocregate’ – as it may become known – motivate West Indies, it also provided a completely unnecessary slogan with which to beat England whenever they faltered. West Indies were never as bad as Graves implied and, at times, played some excellent cricket. Graves might also reflect that, the last time England played a Test series in the Caribbean, at the start of 2009, they lost.On that occasion, they went on to win the Ashes a few months later. While that seems unlikely right now, to see England at close quarters on this tour was to see a fragile recovery in its early stages. The results do not show it, but there is something good developing here. There is a unity of purpose, a spirit of enjoyment and determination, a level of raw talent that bodes well. It felt as if they were on the right track.What these players – and their coach – requires is time. But with the ECB in impatient mood, there is no guarantee they will be given it.

Plays of the Day from the IPL match between Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad in Mumbai

Sidharth Monga25-Apr-2015The change-up
Praveen Kumar loves bowling the first over of an innings, but in the Sunrisers Hyderabad attack he is option number four. It doesn’t swing that much when you bowl second change, but Praveen can show he can swallow his ego. In his first over he beat Lendl Simmons with two slower legcutters that were short and outside off. Unmukt Chand would have seen both these balls from the other end, and would have had the slower balls at the back of his head when Praveen bowled short at regulation pace to end the over. Chand was late into the pull, the ball hit the sticker on the bat, and ended up in the lap of midwicket inside the circle.The overthrow
We saw in how Rahul Tewatia ran out M Vijay recently that spinners are actively looking to catch non-strikers short if the ball is hit back at them. At Wankhede Stadium, Simmons pushed one hard back towards Karn, who tried to deflect it on to the stumps behind him. He missed the stumps by inches and conceded a single to long-on. Replays also showed that Rohit Sharma, the non-striker, was not as dreamy with his backing-up as Vijay had been. Rohit had slid his bat back in by the time the ball went over the stumps.The penalty
After having hit the top of Simmons’ middle stump in the 13th over – redemption after going for two fours – Dale Steyn went to work on the new batsman Kieron Pollard. Steyn had his tail, and his pace, up. The first ball hit the sticker of the bat as Pollard looked to defend off the front foot. Steyn then dug the next one in short, getting it to rise towards the chest of the big man. Pollard fended, once again uncertainly. You would have expected one full and fast at his toes now, Steyn wanted to do the same, but missed his line by six inches. Instead of middle the ball ended at the base of leg stump, and Pollard got enough bat on it to beat short fine leg and take four. Margin of error for bowlers is almost non-existent at times.The unfriendly treatment
Harbhajan Singh and Shikhar Dhawan are good friends. Harbhajan calls Dhawan “Gabbar”, and you can see on Twitter the joy he derives from Dhawan’s success. In the brief duel on the field, though, Dhawan showed he knew his friend’s game better than the other way around. Dhawan and David Warner are two left-hand openers, and in defence of a small total Mumbai went to their No. 1 offspinner with the new ball. Dhawan, though, played him with aplomb: caressing the first ball of the innings for four, and reverse-sweeping the first ball of Harbhajan’s second over for four. More unkind shots were to follow. Harbhajan to Dhawan: 23 off nine balls.

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Jul-2015Ricky Ponting rings the five-minute bell•Getty ImagesDavid Warner started aggressively before falling in the 30s…•AFP… he holed out in Moeen Ali’s first over•Getty ImagesChris Rogers made watchful progress on his Middlesex home ground•Associated Press… while Steven Smith produced his usual flamboyant strokeplay•Getty ImagesRogers brought up his eighth fifty-plus score in nine Test innings…•Getty Images…as Smith also ticked to a fifty after twice falling having done the hard work in Cardiff•Getty ImagesBen Stokes saw a chance go down when Ian Bell could not cling onto an edge off Smith at slip…•Getty Images…a blemish in the field for England after their impressive work in the first Test•Getty ImagesSmith was first to reach three figures – his 10th hundred in Tests•AFPRogers was not far behind when he punched down the ground•Getty Images

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jul-2015Resuming on 85 for 4, after being rattled by Mitchell Johnson, Alastair Cook fortified one end…•Getty Images… while Ben Stokes attacked at the other•Getty ImagesHe brought up a fifty off 67 balls and looked set to soar to a second successive century at Lord’s….•Getty Imagesuntil he played on for 87 to hand Mitchell Marsh his second Test wicket; the 145-run partnership was broken just before lunch•Getty ImagesPeter Nevill claimed a low catch to snaffle a nick from Jos Buttler, but replays showed that the debutant wicketkeeper had just grassed it•Getty ImagesThree overs later, Buttler edged behind a simple catch for Nevill•AFPCook would have been out earlier on 63 had Steven Smith not dropped a sitter at backward square leg•Getty ImagesJosh Hazlewood then wrapped up the tail with the second new ball as the hosts were bowled out for 312•AFPChris Rogers and David Warner started well once again as Australia raised their lead to 362 at stumps•AFP

Simon Hughes examines batsmanship through his own experiences and those of the greats of the game

Alan Gardner17-Oct-2015Who wants to be a batsman? It feels like a leading question and in a sense it is. Batsmen – the good ones, at least – are cricket’s millionaires (and who doesn’t want to be one of those?), but as Simon Hughes writes at the outset of his new book, everyone who plays the game has to take guard at some point. You would be daft not to try to maximise your winnings.Another question might swiftly follow, however. What does a former bowler with one fifty and a first-class batting average of 11.37 have to say on the subject? Well, Hughes largely uses his own experience as a self-deprecating study in how not to do things, while quizzing some of the great run guzzlers of our time on their methods. Along the way “The Analyst” applies some science to the artistry.It should be noted immediately that is not a technical manual; there are no diagrams showing the best stance or how to play a cover drive. And while Hughes promises to “unveil the secrets of batting”, this does not come in the form of a prescription. One of his conclusions is that the greats all stuck by what worked for them – “Not a right way or a wrong way, but way.”There are “Ten Wanna Be a Batsman Rules” but only one – Keep your head still – touches on technique. The majority focus on the mental aspects of batting, such as concentrating for extended periods of time, blocking out distractions and adapting to the situation. Oh, and play at The Oval (home to five of the 25 batsmen to have scored 100 first-class hundreds) if you can.Simon Hughes (first from left) in his role as the Analyst at the 2014 Trent Bridge Test•Getty ImagesPerhaps the most important challenge, in the long run, is how to deal with failure. Hughes’ own career, as he tells it, was full of hard lessons (most of which he did not learn) and the examples – running himself out first ball, demolishing his stumps while pulling Geoff Lawson for four – usually involve a joke at the author’s expense. But his close relationship with Mark Ramprakash also provides a more serious study in the agonies of underperformance.Hughes was a Middlesex team-mate when Ramprakash debuted as a 17-year-old prodigy and followed his notoriously unfulfilled England career closely after crossing the boundary to join the media. There is probably a whole book to be written on how a man capable of scoring 114 first-class centuries managed only two in 52 Tests, and an average of 27.32, but a mind clouded by self-doubt and anxiety emerged as the principle block on his talent.England’s confused selection policies and a lack of early success bit further into Ramprakash’s chances of success. Hughes notes that the leading Test run scorers all made a half-century within eight innings – you have to go as far down as Alec Stewart, currently 23rd, to find someone who took longer, and even then he reached 50 at the tenth attempt. Ramprakash needed two years and 17 innings and it was another five years before he finally reached three figures in a Test, in his 38th knock.Simon and SchusterThe result was Ramprakash’s mind becoming ever more cluttered, burying his immaculate technique beneath a muddle of neuroses. Contrast that with the advice of two other batsmen Hughes speaks to. “When you’re in form you’re thinking about nothing,” says Michael Vaughan, while Kumar Sangakkara, who did not excel at an early age but retired this year with the highest Test average since Garry Sobers, adds: “The moment you think, it slows you down. It restricts your body and movements and that’s when you make mistakes.”Failure is inevitable – at some stage – so there’s no point in dwelling on it. Graham Gooch, who made a pair on debut but went on to amass 8900 Test runs, puts his success down to a “philosophical” approach. “When I came back in the dressing room, people agreed you couldn’t tell whether I’d got nought or a hundred and fifty.” As Hughes describes it somewhat more prosaically, “batting can be a head-f***”.Weaved in among the psychology are nuggets such as the fact that the ball is only actually in play for around 45 minutes during a day of Test cricket (hence the importance of being able to switch on and off at the crease); a suggested ideal height of 5ft 10in; and Hughes’ theory that the DRS has effectively increased the size of the stumps (as far as lbws are concerned) by 70%.It should all be about enjoyment, of course, and if the batting life begins to weigh you down, just remember that Devon Malcolm hit more international sixes than Bradman.In all, is an interesting examination of one of sport’s more precarious pursuits. It even strikes a mildly progressive tone at the close, with Hughes’ realisation that his daughter Nancy is a better batsman than he was. For that, perhaps, we can forgive the dad jokes and references to checking out “well-endowed females in the Tavern”, crimes on a par with using your slightly naff broadcasting nickname to describe yourself in the third person.Other analysts are available, just remember that time at the crease won’t necessarily be improved by time on the couch.Who Wants to be a Batsman?
By Simon Hughes
Simon & Schuster
280 pages, £18.99