Midterm report
We are half way home. Some teams have surprised, others require rapid improvement in the second half of the season if they’re to contend for the playoffs.
Time to stand back for a moment and admire the view. The entertainment comes thick and fast in the Indian Premier League but here are a few of my favourite things so far in the current edition of the IPL.
Best game
IPL5 has produced no less than five last ball cliff-hangers this year – none more enthralling than Chennai’s seemingly impossible chase against Bangalore. CSK were way off the pace needing 43 from the last two overs but Albie Morkel refused to surrender.
In a single over the South African all rounder plundered an incredible 28 runs courtesy of two fours and three towering sixes. Morkel wasn’t there at the end – he had attempted one big hit too many – but his batting blitz turned a game which seemed lost for all money. It was the very essence of T20 cricket.
Best innings
Kevin Pietersen is one of the reasons Delhi is no longer in the doldrums. The former England captain is opinionated and sometimes controversial, but he backs up his attitude with a wonderful talent few can match. He is delivering for the Daredevils on a regular basis.
At his best Pietersen can carry an entire team on his back – something he did recently against the Deccan Chargers. With virtually no support, ‘KP’ smashed an unbeaten century off just 64 balls containing 15 boundaries. His innings led Delhi to a victory which otherwise would have been out of reach.
Best bowling
Twenty20 is a game where bowlers get few breaks. More often than not they merely serve up the ammunition for the likes of Gayle, Pietersen and Rahane to heave over the ropes. Once in a while, however, the bowlers get their revenge.
Dimitri Mascarenhas is hardly your typical ‘cricketing’ name. His recent performance for the Kings Xl against the expensively assembled Pune Warriors was anything but typical. His first delivery sent back Sourav Ganguly and three balls later he clean bowled big-hitting Marlon Samuels. Mascarenhas finished with five for 25 to set up an easy seven-wicket win for Punjab.
Best catch
Getting rid of Chris Gayle is easier said than done. When the Jamaican superstar is in full flow, which is most of the time, his wicket is a prized possession. When Gayle connects with his awesome power the ball is often destined for the boundary.
At 34 David Hussey is, perhaps, not as agile as he once was. But he rolled back the years to stop Gayle in his tracks. The veteran Aussie dived full length to pick up a brilliant one-handed catch that came off the meat of Gayle’s bat. A truly stunning piece of fielding worth watching time and again.
There’s no time to rest on your laurels in the IPL. The Daredevils may be sitting pretty right now but a couple of losses will pull them back to the pack. With a month to go and more than 30 games remaining it would take a brave man to predict the top four. I’m not that brave, or foolish.