Cricket World Cup 2015 – What do some of the Stats say?

Cricket World Cup

The ICC Cricket World Cup is always a special event, and I think made more memorable this year because of the size of the stadium, and that the two Trans-Tasman combatants were to do battle in the middle. No doubt if India had been one of the finalists, and of course there were many of them there in any case, the atmosphere would still have been something special too. But Aussies verses Kiwis has been an intense rivalry for over 100 years and has been only heightened by the ANZAC legend forged on the beaches of Gallipoli. We now know that Australia are the World Cup Champions for 2015, but did the odds stack up in their favour going into the game? Here is a look at some of the statistics of both teams for 2015 –

The Final of the CWC 2015 on Sunday March 29th was somewhat of an anti-climax after the NZ v SA semi-final, and to a lesser degree India’s semi-final verses Australia.

I was fortunate enough to be watching the Final from above Bay13, and the atmosphere for most of the match was one of good banter and spirit. We were surrounded by Indian fans who while disappointed their men in sky blue were not one of the protagonists on the field, happily joined in with some very humorous BlackCaps supporters trying to resist the green & gold tide.

The last moments of the match seemed fittingly symbolic as current captain, Michael Clarke alongside captain-in-waiting, Stephen Smith guided the team to victory with Michael Clarke departing before the final winning runs, allowing Stephen Smith to ‘accept the baton’, and close out the game for Australia.

Australia dominated the match from the first over, and apart from some brief periods of fight from the BlackCaps, they were never seriously in trouble.

With the benefits of hindsight and some post-Cup statistics through my close friend and analyst, Krishna Tunga, Founder and Creator, www.allthatcricket.com and the archives of Cricinfo, here is a brief synopsis of the two teams-

  • Australia started the tournament with a great win against England,
  • a gap of 14 days Aust headed across the ditch eager to dominate co-host New Zealand
  • They started solidly (10 overs(68/1) but lost control of their steering and crashed to 151….
  • Clarke said it was a kick they needed, and as revealed later, it was an eye opener for them.
  • It also became a blessing in disguise as they found another “game changer” who became an X-factor for them to win this tournament.

Similarly,NZ like Australia wanted to dominate their opponent, and captain Brendon McCullum set the tone at the beginning of the tournament, but especially in this encounter.

  • McCullum with Guptill had special plan for Johnson – going after him from the very first over with success.
  • In the end NZ did manage to scamper home and win the game,
  • Quoting Krishna Tunga, “ Australia found a new hero, a game changer, who never really had delivered consistent spells that brought fear to batsmen. The Arrow-man – Mitchell Starc the tall left armer, whose yorkers are as precise and sharp as an arrow!”.

After this game, Australia started to repair and build by making a few changes –

  • The most important one was to promote Steve Smith at No.3
  • Watson was firstly dropped and then returned down the batting order,
  • This order provided all-rounders who could take control of the game in the last 10-20 overs Watson, Maxwell, Haddin and Faulkner
  • Yet none of the batsmen featured in top five and only one(S Smith) in top 10 for most runs in this WC.

Here is a statistical analysis of Australia (prepared by – www.allthatcricket.com )

The last column is the GAP FACTOR – difference in batting v/s bowling statistics. A gap of 0.1 point suggests their better performance in that particular indicator. The higher the Gap Factor the higher the indicator of a winning influence factor.

The tables will demonstrate that Australia was the dominant team across most measures of the game. If on was to add fielding statistics as well, I believe they would only enhance the picture below.

WC2015                     Batting Bowling Gap between bat and bowl
Avg 42.14 20.46 21.68
R/o 6.84 5.07 1.77
Scoring rate 52.44/100balls 41.05/100balls 11.39
Boundary rate 13.93 8.87 5.06
Centuries 4 1 3
Top 4 batsmen(contribution) 64.45% 47.80% 16.7
Eco rate of bowlers(the higher the minus value, the greater the winning influence factor)  
Maiden over 1.59 4.45 -2.86
Consecutive < 4 runs/overs (C 4) 22.93 38.47 -15.54
 < 4 runs/over  (L 4) 33.12 44.83 -11.71
>6 runs /over (6+) 54.78 36.25 18.53
>10 runs/over (10+) 23.57 12.40 11.17
Powerplay(Batting)  
Avg 43.80 27.70 16.1
R/O 6.00 5.20 0.8
Scoring rate 39.80 34.00 5.8
Boundary rate 12.70 11.50 1.2
Maiden over 2.50 6.30 -3.8
Consecutive < 4 runs/overs (C 4) 20.00 17.50 2.5
 < 4 runs/over  (L 4) 45.00 46.30 -1.3
>6 runs /over (6+) 45.00 38.80 6.2
>10 runs/over (10+) 20.00 12.50 7.5
Powerplay(second )
Avg 110.50 18.60 91.9
R/O 8.80 6.00 2.8
Scoring rate 61.30 44.00 17.3
Boundary rate 20.70 12.50 8.2
Maiden over 4.00 7.10 -3.1
Consecutive < 4 runs/overs (C 4) 12.00 25.00 -13
 < 4 runs/over  (L 4) 28.00 50.00 -22
>6 runs /over (6+) 68.00 46.40 21.6
>10 runs/over (10+) 44.00 28.60 15.4

 

 

Partnerships Bat Bowl
Partnerships (>100 runs) 7 2
Opening stand avg 22.75 29.29
(>100 runs) top order(I,II, III) 4 1
(> 100) middle order(IV,V, VI) 2 1
(>50s) lower order(VII, VIII, IX, X) 1 1

 

 

 

            Method of dismissals bat Bowl
LBW 5.88% 1.28
Bowled 21.57% 21.79
Run out 5.88% 6.41

 

 

                           New Zealand- Their best ever One Day Team

They had the best start to a World Cup campaign. Their last two series before the WC were ODI series against SL and Pak at home. They won both the series in convincing fashion.

Led from the front by their captain Brendon McCullum who promoted himself to open the batting. Although he finished 16th in the list of most runs, it was the manner in which he launched their innings, allowing his partner Guptill to build, accumulate and assault!. Guptill finished with most runs(547)in this WC.

As the tournament progressed, their batting performance was fading –

  • None more so than McCullum himself who normally explodes at the beginning of a tournament, and then cannot sustain his energies at the crucial phases of an event.
  • Nobody else was able to play a dual role of anchoring and assaulting or at anchoring which was the roles for  experienced Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson.
  • Elliott did come to the fore against South Africa when it counted to nurse the BlackCaps into the Final.
  • Surprisingly only two centuries were scored by them in this tournament.
  • Batsmen like Corey Anderson, and Luke Ronchi didn’t get much opportunity in the middle
  • By the time Sunday 29th arrived, the Blackcaps were either overcome by the emotions of the day and the occasion, fatigued and tired by the length of the tournament, or as one member of the Australian team said to me on sharing a lift with Brendon McCullum on the morning of the match, “….he no longer had his game face on….they were just happy to be there win, lose or draw…..”

 

Nevertheless, this NZ team is close to their best ever ODI team to have played in an important tournament. They have the nucleus of talented young athletes who with the right nurturing should be able to maintain what has been achieved  through the last 6-12 months. New Zealand bowling was outstanding, much better than their batting in this tournament. Their bowlers got the maximum no. of LBWs and Bowled dismissals, which is not easily attainable on hard bouncy surfaces,including NZ.

No team was able to post >300 total and there was only one batsman to score a century (Mahmudulla of Bangladesh).

In reading the statistics below, while they were undefeated coming into the Final, their statistical measures of success were not at the same level as Australia, for the majority of measures.

NZ tournament statistics

 

WC2015                            Batting Bowling Gap between bat and bowl
Avg 36.96 24.53 12.43
R/o 6.35 5.23 1.12
Scoring rate 47.67 41.94 5.73
Boundary rate 13.66 10.40 3.26
Centuries 2 1 1
Top 4 batsmen(contribution) 63.12 % 54.67% 8.45
Eco rate
Maiden over 3.62 8.53 -4.91
Consecutive < 4 runs/overs (C 4) 24.10 31.01 -6.91
 < 4 runs/over  (L 4) 39.17 53.20 -14.03
>6 runs /over (6+) 48.51 37.27 11.24
>10 runs/over (10+) 18.38 14.50 3.88
Powerplay(Batting)
Avg 42.70 21.90 20.8
R/O 7.20 4.60 2.6
Scoring rate 40.60 31.50 9.1
Boundary rate 19.30 10.40 8.9
Maiden over 6.70 14.40 -7.7
Consecutive < 4 runs/overs (C 4) 12.40 36.70 -24.3
 < 4 runs/over  (L 4) 36.00 57.80 -21.8
>6 runs /over (6+) 55.10 30.00 25.1
>10 runs/over (10+) 25.80 12.20 13.6
Powerplay(second )
Avg 32.80 37.00 -4.2
R/O 6.30 5.90 0.4
Scoring rate 49.00 47.30 1.7
Boundary rate 15.20 13.00 2.2
Maiden over 3.80 8.00 -4.2
Consecutive < 4 runs/overs (C 4) 15.40 20.00 -4.6
 < 4 runs/over  (L 4) 38.50 44.00 -5.5
>6 runs /over (6+) 53.80 52.00 1.8
>10 runs/over (10+) 23.10 24.00 -0.9

 

 

Partnerships Bat Bowl
Partnerships (>100 runs) 6 2
Opening stand avg 50.33 16.89
(>100 runs) top order(I, II, III) 4 1
(> 100) middle order(IV,V, VI) 2 1
(>50s) lower order(VII, VIII, IX, X) 0 1

 

 

 

            Method of dismissals Bat Bowl
LBW 3.50 12.00
Bowled 22.80 25.33
Run out 8.77 0.00

 

Click on the below link to see the following statistics which are taken from Cricinfo summary of the tournament. It is interesting to note where Australian and New Zealand players finished in the respective areas – CWC Stats 2015

 

Results

Matches

1st Match, Pool A: New Zealand v Sri Lanka at Christchurch – Feb 14, 2015

New Zealand won by 98 runs New Zealand 331/6 (50/50 ov); Sri Lanka 233 (46.1/50 ov)

New Zealand won by 98 runs

2nd Match, Pool A: Australia v England at Melbourne – Feb 14, 2015

Australia won by 111 runs Australia 342/9 (50/50 ov); England 231 (41.5/50 ov)

Australia won by 111 runs

3rd Match, Pool B: South Africa v Zimbabwe at Hamilton – Feb 15, 2015

South Africa won by 62 runs South Africa 339/4 (50/50 ov); Zimbabwe 277 (48.2/50 ov)

South Africa won by 62 runs

4th Match, Pool B: India v Pakistan at Adelaide – Feb 15, 2015

India won by 76 runs India 300/7 (50/50 ov); Pakistan 224 (47/50 ov)

India won by 76 runs

5th Match, Pool B: Ireland v West Indies at Nelson – Feb 16, 2015

Ireland won by 4 wickets (with 25 balls remaining) West Indies 304/7 (50/50 ov); Ireland 307/6 (45.5/50 ov)

Ireland won by 4 wickets (with 25 balls remaining)

6th Match, Pool A: New Zealand v Scotland at Dunedin – Feb 17, 2015

New Zealand won by 3 wickets (with 151 balls remaining) Scotland 142 (36.2/50 ov); New Zealand 146/7 (24.5/50 ov)

New Zealand won by 3 wickets (with 151 balls remaining)

7th Match, Pool A: Afghanistan v Bangladesh at Canberra – Feb 18, 2015

Bangladesh won by 105 runs Bangladesh 267 (50/50 ov); Afghanistan 162 (42.5/50 ov)

Bangladesh won by 105 runs

8th Match, Pool B: United Arab Emirates v Zimbabwe at Nelson – Feb 19, 2015

Zimbabwe won by 4 wickets (with 12 balls remaining) United Arab Emirates 285/7 (50/50 ov); Zimbabwe 286/6 (48/50 ov)

Zimbabwe won by 4 wickets (with 12 balls remaining)

9th Match, Pool A: New Zealand v England at Wellington – Feb 20, 2015

New Zealand won by 8 wickets (with 226 balls remaining) England 123 (33.2/50 ov); New Zealand 125/2 (12.2/50 ov)

New Zealand won by 8 wickets (with 226 balls remaining)

10th Match, Pool B: Pakistan v West Indies at Christchurch – Feb 21, 2015

West Indies won by 150 runs West Indies 310/6 (50/50 ov); Pakistan 160 (39/50 ov)

West Indies won by 150 runs

11th Match, Pool A: Australia v Bangladesh at Brisbane – Feb 21, 2015

Match abandoned without a ball bowled

Match abandoned without a ball bowled

12th Match, Pool A: Afghanistan v Sri Lanka at Dunedin – Feb 22, 2015

Sri Lanka won by 4 wickets (with 10 balls remaining) Afghanistan 232 (49.4/50 ov); Sri Lanka 236/6 (48.2/50 ov)

Sri Lanka won by 4 wickets (with 10 balls remaining)

13th Match, Pool B: India v South Africa at Melbourne – Feb 22, 2015

India won by 130 runs India 307/7 (50/50 ov); South Africa 177 (40.2/50 ov)

Scorecard

India won by 130 runs

14th Match, Pool A: England v Scotland at Christchurch – Feb 23, 2015

England won by 119 runs England 303/8 (50/50 ov); Scotland 184 (42.2/50 ov)

England won by 119 runs

15th Match, Pool B: West Indies v Zimbabwe at Canberra – Feb 24, 2015

West Indies won by 73 runs (D/L method) West Indies 372/2 (50/50 ov); Zimbabwe 289 (44.3/48 ov, target: 363)

West Indies won by 73 runs (D/L method)

16th Match, Pool B: Ireland v United Arab Emirates at Brisbane – Feb 25, 2015

Ireland won by 2 wickets (with 4 balls remaining) United Arab Emirates 278/9 (50/50 ov); Ireland 279/8 (49.2/50 ov)

Ireland won by 2 wickets (with 4 balls remaining)

17th Match, Pool A: Afghanistan v Scotland at Dunedin – Feb 26, 2015

Afghanistan won by 1 wicket (with 3 balls remaining) Scotland 210 (50/50 ov); Afghanistan 211/9 (49.3/50 ov)

Afghanistan won by 1 wicket (with 3 balls remaining)

18th Match, Pool A: Bangladesh v Sri Lanka at Melbourne – Feb 26, 2015

Sri Lanka won by 92 runs Sri Lanka 332/1 (50/50 ov); Bangladesh 240 (47/50 ov)

Sri Lanka won by 92 runs

19th Match, Pool B: South Africa v West Indies at Sydney – Feb 27, 2015

South Africa won by 257 runs South Africa 408/5 (50/50 ov); West Indies 151 (33.1/50 ov)

South Africa won by 257 runs

20th Match, Pool A: New Zealand v Australia at Auckland – Feb 28, 2015

New Zealand won by 1 wicket (with 161 balls remaining) Australia 151 (32.2/50 ov); New Zealand 152/9 (23.1/50 ov)

New Zealand won by 1 wicket (with 161 balls remaining)

21st Match, Pool B: India v United Arab Emirates at Perth – Feb 28, 2015

India won by 9 wickets (with 187 balls remaining) United Arab Emirates 102 (31.3/50 ov); India 104/1 (18.5/50 ov)

India won by 9 wickets (with 187 balls remaining)

22nd Match, Pool A: England v Sri Lanka at Wellington – Mar 1, 2015

Sri Lanka won by 9 wickets (with 16 balls remaining) England 309/6 (50/50 ov); Sri Lanka 312/1 (47.2/50 ov)

Sri Lanka won by 9 wickets (with 16 balls remaining)

23rd Match, Pool B: Pakistan v Zimbabwe at Brisbane – Mar 1, 2015

Pakistan won by 20 runs Pakistan 235/7 (50/50 ov); Zimbabwe 215 (49.4/50 ov)

Pakistan won by 20 runs

24th Match, Pool B: Ireland v South Africa at Canberra – Mar 3, 2015

South Africa won by 201 runs South Africa 411/4 (50/50 ov); Ireland 210 (45/50 ov)

South Africa won by 201 runs

25th Match, Pool B: Pakistan v United Arab Emirates at Napier – Mar 4, 2015

Pakistan won by 129 runs Pakistan 339/6 (50/50 ov); United Arab Emirates 210/8 (50/50 ov)

Pakistan won by 129 runs

26th Match, Pool A: Australia v Afghanistan at Perth – Mar 4, 2015

Australia won by 275 runs Australia 417/6 (50/50 ov); Afghanistan 142 (37.3/50 ov)

Australia won by 275 runs

27th Match, Pool A: Bangladesh v Scotland at Nelson – Mar 5, 2015

Bangladesh won by 6 wickets (with 11 balls remaining) Scotland 318/8 (50/50 ov); Bangladesh 322/4 (48.1/50 ov)

Bangladesh won by 6 wickets (with 11 balls remaining)

28th Match, Pool B: India v West Indies at Perth – Mar 6, 2015

India won by 4 wickets (with 65 balls remaining) West Indies 182 (44.2/50 ov); India 185/6 (39.1/50 ov)

India won by 4 wickets (with 65 balls remaining)

29th Match, Pool B: Pakistan v South Africa at Auckland – Mar 7, 2015

Pakistan won by 29 runs (D/L method) Pakistan 222 (46.4/47 ov); South Africa 202 (33.3/47 ov, target: 232)

Pakistan won by 29 runs (D/L method)

30th Match, Pool B: Ireland v Zimbabwe at Hobart – Mar 7, 2015

Ireland won by 5 runs Ireland 331/8 (50/50 ov); Zimbabwe 326 (49.3/50 ov)

Ireland won by 5 runs

31st Match, Pool A: New Zealand v Afghanistan at Napier – Mar 8, 2015

New Zealand won by 6 wickets (with 83 balls remaining) Afghanistan 186 (47.4/50 ov); New Zealand 188/4 (36.1/50 ov)

New Zealand won by 6 wickets (with 83 balls remaining)

32nd Match, Pool A: Australia v Sri Lanka at Sydney – Mar 8, 2015

Australia won by 64 runs Australia 376/9 (50/50 ov); Sri Lanka 312 (46.2/50 ov)

Australia won by 64 runs

33rd Match, Pool A: Bangladesh v England at Adelaide – Mar 9, 2015

Bangladesh won by 15 runs Bangladesh 275/7 (50/50 ov); England 260 (48.3/50 ov)

Bangladesh won by 15 runs

34th Match, Pool B: India v Ireland at Hamilton – Mar 10, 2015

India won by 8 wickets (with 79 balls remaining) Ireland 259 (49/50 ov); India 260/2 (36.5/50 ov)

India won by 8 wickets (with 79 balls remaining)

35th Match, Pool A: Scotland v Sri Lanka at Hobart – Mar 11, 2015

Sri Lanka won by 148 runs Sri Lanka 363/9 (50/50 ov); Scotland 215 (43.1/50 ov)

Sri Lanka won by 148 runs

36th Match, Pool B: South Africa v United Arab Emirates at Wellington – Mar 12, 2015

South Africa won by 146 runs South Africa 341/6 (50/50 ov); United Arab Emirates 195 (47.3/50 ov)

South Africa won by 146 runs

37th Match, Pool A: New Zealand v Bangladesh at Hamilton – Mar 13, 2015

New Zealand won by 3 wickets (with 7 balls remaining) Bangladesh 288/7 (50/50 ov); New Zealand 290/7 (48.5/50 ov)

New Zealand won by 3 wickets (with 7 balls remaining)

38th Match, Pool A: Afghanistan v England at Sydney – Mar 13, 2015

England won by 9 wickets (with 41 balls remaining) (D/L method) Afghanistan 111/7 (36.2/36.2 ov); England 101/1 (18.1/25 ov, target: 101)

England won by 9 wickets (with 41 balls remaining) (D/L method)

39th Match, Pool B: India v Zimbabwe at Auckland – Mar 14, 2015

India won by 6 wickets (with 8 balls remaining) Zimbabwe 287 (48.5/50 ov); India 288/4 (48.4/50 ov)

India won by 6 wickets (with 8 balls remaining)

40th Match, Pool A: Australia v Scotland at Hobart – Mar 14, 2015

Australia won by 7 wickets (with 208 balls remaining) Scotland 130 (25.4/50 ov); Australia 133/3 (15.2/50 ov)

Australia won by 7 wickets (with 208 balls remaining)

41st Match, Pool B: United Arab Emirates v West Indies at Napier – Mar 15, 2015

West Indies won by 6 wickets (with 117 balls remaining) United Arab Emirates 175 (47.4/50 ov); West Indies 176/4 (30.3/50 ov)

West Indies won by 6 wickets (with 117 balls remaining)

42nd Match, Pool B: Ireland v Pakistan at Adelaide – Mar 15, 2015

Pakistan won by 7 wickets (with 23 balls remaining) Ireland 237 (50/50 ov); Pakistan 241/3 (46.1/50 ov)

Pakistan won by 7 wickets (with 23 balls remaining)

1st Quarter-Final: South Africa v Sri Lanka at Sydney – Mar 18, 2015

South Africa won by 9 wickets (with 192 balls remaining) Sri Lanka 133 (37.2/50 ov); South Africa 134/1 (18/50 ov)

South Africa won by 9 wickets (with 192 balls remaining)

2nd Quarter-Final: Bangladesh v India at Melbourne – Mar 19, 2015

India won by 109 runs India 302/6 (50/50 ov); Bangladesh 193 (45/50 ov)

India won by 109 runs

3rd Quarter-Final: Australia v Pakistan at Adelaide – Mar 20, 2015

Australia won by 6 wickets (with 97 balls remaining) Pakistan 213 (49.5/50 ov); Australia 216/4 (33.5/50 ov)

Australia won by 6 wickets (with 97 balls remaining)

4th Quarter-Final: New Zealand v West Indies at Wellington – Mar 21, 2015

New Zealand won by 143 runs New Zealand 393/6 (50/50 ov); West Indies 250 (30.3/50 ov)

New Zealand won by 143 runs

1st Semi-Final: New Zealand v South Africa at Auckland – Mar 24, 2015

New Zealand won by 4 wickets (with 1 ball remaining) (D/L method) South Africa 281/5 (43/43 ov); New Zealand 299/6 (42.5/43 ov, target: 298)

New Zealand won by 4 wickets (with 1 ball remaining) (D/L method)

2nd Semi-Final: Australia v India at Sydney – Mar 26, 2015

Australia won by 95 runs Australia 328/7 (50/50 ov); India 233 (46.5/50 ov)

Australia won by 95 runs

Final: Australia v New Zealand at Melbourne – Mar 29, 2015

Australia won by 7 wickets (with 101 balls remaining) New Zealand 183 (45/50 ov); Australia 186/3 (33.1/50 ov)

Australia won by 7 wickets (with 101 balls remaining)

 

 

 

John Buchanan

 

CLICK HERE… Learn John Buchanan’s Top 20 list for Producing a Winning Team Now!!!

Share This Post:

Get The First Chapter Of Our eBook For FREE!

Short description of the resource and explanation why it might be useful for one’s choice.

Related Posts

The Ashes

The Ashes


What Business can learn cricket. I was recently asked a series of questions about the significance of The Ashes. I coached the last Australian team to win in England in 2001. I coached a further 3 Ashes contests winning at home in 2003-04, losing a remarkable series in 2005, and…
Read Full Article
Art Skill Mindfulness

Leadership and the art or skill of Mindfulness


There have been plenty of articles written on this topic such as the one included by HBR – ARTICLE LINK The article discusses some of the work of Daniel Goleman, one of the great proponents of EI. The article also discusses the range of techniques to allow people especially busy…
Read Full Article

PROVEN TEACHING METHODS

Here’s The Three Ways You Can Work
With Us To Achieve Better, Lasting Results.

A coach and a leader with a unique perspective on the world, John is at home in any environment which seeks change, a desire for peak performance, and a vision to be the world’s best.

Speaking

Speaking

Are you planning to reach your Everest…be at the top of your game like a world champion team? Master Coach and Strategist John Buchanan will give you the road map, the tools and the inspiration you need to reach your summit.

Coaching

Coaching

This world champion coaching model will provide you, your team and your business with a road map to the top and the sacrificial acts that world champion teams embrace to give the best chance of having a “PB day”, every day at work.

Online Programs

Online Programs

I will be building relevant, insightful, practical courses and modules which will help you as a Leader and/or Coach to quickly make changes to the way you lead your teams, and indeed, the teams you want to create.