World Cup 2019 wrap: Standout player, biggest dud, best quote – Calypso kings, brittle Lankans, de Kock, Moeen feature in week 1 wrap

One week and nine matches old, World Cup 2019 has now arrived at the stage when early dominances are established in big leagues; and with ten teams, this is one. Let us have a look back at the highlights of the week that went by.

Standout players – West Indian fast bowlers

Come on, admit it: you have missed this. Tall, broad-chested West Indian fast bowlers hurling thunderbolts at helpless batsmen, hurrying them for pace.

The pattern had been laid in an unofficial warm-up match, where Andre Russell had hit Usman Khawaja on the helmet. Now they caught Pakistan unaware on a flat wicket at Trent Bridge. Russell (2/4) made the early dents, while Oshane Thomas (4/27) got the wickets. Both of them went for the throat, knocking the batsmen out of their way.

They got support from Sheldon Cottrell (1/18) and Jason Holder (3/42), not as quick but steady nonetheless. A shell-shocked Pakistan, bowled out for 105 in the 22nd over, lost before lunch.

Biggest duds – Sri Lankan middle order

Like the West Indian pacemen, you cannot single out one person here. Nos. four to seven in the Sri Lankan line-up got 0, 4, 0, 1 against New Zealand, and 2, 0, 0, 2 against Afghanistan – a sum total of 9 runs and 8 dismissals. Enough said.

Standout moment – de Kock‘s run out

Nothing summed up the South African journey more than Quinton de Kock’s run out against Bangladesh. De Kock edged an attempted cut, but Mushfiqur Rahim grassed the chance. The ball rolled along the ground without much pace.

And then, for reasons unknown, de Kock set off for an impossible single. Aiden Markram did not respond, and Mushfiqur ran, picked up, and threw down the stumps with a direct hit.

Room for improvement – South Africa

Three matches, three defeats. This has been the worst start to a South African World Cup campaign by some distance. To make things worse, Anrich Nortje did not arrive, Dale Steyn has been ruled out, Hashim Amla has copped a blow, Lungi Ngidi has pulled a hamstring – you get the drift.

And amidst all this, AB de Villiers has caused a stir by announcing that Cricket South Africa had turned down his request to be a part of their World Cup campaign.

Really, things cannot get any worse from here.

Standout quote – Moeen Ali

“He actually messed up. He came running in and had to go back.”
– Moeen Ali, somehow finding a way to criticise Ben Stokes’ supercatch