It seems as each summer comes around in Australia we have a new commentator appear on our screens with a modern day bat, comparing it to the bats of old.
This constant stream from commentators is accompanied by the lament at the demise of bowlers and how it is a batsmen’s game.
The last World Cup in Australia – historically a haven for fast bowlers – became a batsmen’s paradise as they regularly scored over 350, with Martin Guptill scoring a magnificent 200.
It was once again expected that this tournament on the much smaller grounds of England would be similar – with some experts expecting the first ever score of over 500.
However, we have seen the resurgence of the fast bowler, from the great West Indies again breathing fire with the ball to the unrivalled talent of Jasprit Bumrah.
The 2015 World Cup had 49 games while the 2019 World Cup will now have 48 games, with no associate nations playing, this is the first World Cup to not have all Test nations involved.
The 2015 World Cup had 25 scores of over 300, three scores of over 400 and 36 batsmen scored a century, with both Guptill and Chris Gayle scoring double centuries.
This World Cup so far has seen a drop in scores. Out of the 15 games so far there have been six centuries.
Eight teams have scored 300 plus so far, with seven teams scoring under 200 with multiple games called off due to rain delays which is a constant in English summer.
We are seeing players emerge such as Oshane Thomas and Lachie Ferguson this World Cup.
The West Indies demolished Pakistan at Trent Bridge. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP)
Eight bowlers in the 2015 World Cup had strike rates of under 20 while in this World Cup 24 bowlers have a strike rate under 20.
Are the bowlers simply improving and bowling better, or is it the duke balls allowing bowlers to demonstrate their craft?
Did the batsmen become so transfixed on the dangers of bowlers like Rashid Khan and Adil Rashid that they failed to prepare for fast bowling?
The consensus in the lead up to the World Cup was that this would be the World Cup where the leg spinners would dominate.
Whilst a leg spinner bamboozling a batsmen is a sight to behold, a fast bowler at the top of his game is something that is a sight to behold.
Whilst the 2015 World Cup was a batsmen’s game, the two most memorable moments were Mitchell Starc dismissing Brendon McCullum and Wahab Riaz’s spell to Shane Watson.
The resurgence of the fast bowler has reinvigorated the one-day format, the shortness of Twenty20 cricket does not allow us to see extended fast bowling.
Whilst fast bowlers cannot exert too much energy in a Test match to bowl at top pace for a whole match or even an extended spell.
The fast bowlers have created an aura that any team on any day has the potential to win a game, they can turn it on and knock over any batsmen.
All of a sudden the favourites in England could be knocked off by any team on a good day and victory is now not assured.
Batsmen have begun to fear fast bowling and become exposed, batsmen such as Usman Khawaja who always look calm, now have begun to looked flustered even fearful.
The life has been brought back into one-day cricket along with the resurgence of truly damaging fast bowlers who put fear into batsmen.
Hugh Thompson
Guest
Good article. Well done Fazz. Each end has a new Kookaburra, which certainly helps the quicks. First 10-15 overs would be hard work if there is sone help in the deck.
Stephen Whittingham
Guest
Interesting article, well written with many good points, Worth a read, Steve
Neel
Roar Guru
It’s great to see the fast bowlers have a say in the World Cup so far. The battle between bat and ball has been fairly even so far and there haven’t been those endless mammoth scores that everyone was predicting. I reckon the fast bowlers will keep performing as the tournament progresses. Currently the top 5 wicket-takers in the tournament so far are all pacers, with Amir, Cummins, Starc, Henry and Ferguson leading the wicket takers list.
Riccardo
Roar Rookie
Thanks Fazz. It's a Kookaburra ball unfortunately; the Duke would have been better IMO. But these pitches aren't producing endless mammoth scores as yet which is great as the bat isn't dominating the ball to the same extent we have seen or expected at this tournament. The quicks are having a say, especially the better ones, as Paul has alluded to, and it's good for the game. This is not T20 and I, for one, want to see there is a genuine contest for the bowlers. We're still gonna see flat tracks and big scores but where's there's a contest there can be an upset which creates interest for the spectator and doubt for the batsman. Game on...
Paul
Roar Guru
hi Fazz, many thanks for putting together this interesting first article. I'm not sure I'd agree that fast bowling has had a resurgence across the board, as we still see supposedly quick bowlers going for more than 7 an over. I think what we are seeing is a rise to the top of guys who can exploit the conditions and the very best like Bumrah & Cummins, tend to stand out more, simply because they don't need a lot of help to be extremely difficult to play. I'd hate to be a spinner trying to get the fingers warm and the wrist supple in 11 degree temps as they've had in recent days. Hopefully they'll come into their own if the English weather warms up and the pitches begin to deteriorate. I love the contests between bat & ball we're seeing. It makes a mockery of the game when a guy can stand there and flat bat a quality bowler, because he knows he's batting on a road and the bowler will get zero sideways movement. At least now the bowler has a chance and that's all the really good ones need.