ODI Cricket Betting: The seven cardinal sins of 50-over cricket

Bat and ball / Jamie "The Pacman" Pacheco / 07 October 2009 / Leave a Comment

Rana Ul-Naved celebrates taking another wicket but two no-balls in one over were costly to Pakistan in the ICC Champions Trophy semi-final

"Now I’m not sure if there is a hierarchy of cardinal (or deadly) sins but if there was, the front foot no-ball would cricket’s equivalent to the ugliest and most serious of all of them."

A trip to Seville, Rana Ul-Naved bowling the 45th over in the ICC semi-final and Brendon McCullum dropping a sitter got Jamie Pacheco thinking about the no-nos of ODI cricket.

On a recent trip to Seville, my girlfriend drew my attention to a view which included a beautiful cathedral, town hall and several striking buildings built in the days when town square flamenco dancers were the Justins and Beyonces of their day. I agreed the view was a stunning one but lamented the presence of a big crane that entered my field of vision and spoiled things somewhat.

"Can't you just ignore it? Pretend it's not there?" she asked. The answer was no, I couldn't. I had to factor in the ugly with the beautiful, the negatives with the positives, the good with the bad. Maybe that way, the next time I was in front of a view that was truly flawless I'd appreciate it that little bit more.

All of which got me thinking about the recent ICC Champions Trophy. As the praise was heaped on Shane Watson for peaking at just the right time with the bat, on Ricky Ponting for getting runs in all matches bar the final and on the rest of the team as a whole for doing the basics right, I couldn't help but think about where it was that Australia's opponents had gone wrong and the extent to which their mistakes had contributed to the winners' success. And on a wider note, what are the cardinal sins you can commit in 50-over cricket?

Now I'm not sure if there is a hierarchy of cardinal (or deadly) sins but if there was, the front foot no-ball would cricket's equivalent to the ugliest and most serious of all of them.

Measuring your run up correctly and executing it is the bread and butter of bowling. Sure, you may give away the odd run tempting the batsman to edge a wide one or spoon a short one but in the process you are at least giving yourself a chance of taking a wicket; after all, the batsman is out if the catch is taken irrespective of it being called a wide.

But bowl a front foot no ball and you pay the price several times: automatic one run penalty, a free hit next ball and no chance of taking a wicket with either delivery. And this stuff changes the outcome of matches. In a tight semi-final between New Zealand and Pakistan, Younis Khan's side bowled six wides and gave away six leg byes; almost identical figures to New Zealand's efforts in the match. But as New Zealand bowled two no-balls, Pakistan bowled four and more importantly, at the worst possible time.

Needing 42 to win from 36 balls, Naved-Ul-Hasan bowled two no-balls in the next over; the first being hit for four in the process. As it happens, none of the free hits went for further boundaries but they did go for runs and going into the next over New Zealand needed just 28 from 30 balls. The game had suddenly changed.

Cricket changes and the onus is on its players to adapt. And those who adapt best are those who reap the rewards. Look at the way that Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana changed their approach to opening the batting when fielding restrictions were introduced almost a decade-and-a-half ago. So why did the likes of Andrew Strauss and Younis Khan leave their batting powerplays to the bitter end of the innings when tail-enders, who lack the skill and timing to take advantage of them, were in? In both semi-finals, England and Pakistan failed to capitalise on them and paid the price. As ever, it was Daniel Vettori who was more lucid than those around him, taking the powerplay with himself and (more importantly) Grant Elliott well set and getting a handful of boundaries that won them the match.

To round things off, here are the other five cardinal sins that may just fall short of deserving eternal damnation but should at least buy you half an hour in the dreaded ice bath:

Don't drop an in-form batsman (Shane Watson) when you're holding the wicket-keeper's gloves (Brendan McCullum)

Bat your fifty overs out (where to start?)

Sort out contract issues with your best players ahead of a big ICC tournament rather than after it (West Indies)

Sort out a practice match against Sri Lanka if you've never faced Ajantha Mendis before (South Africa)

And...

Don't take on the arm of Ricky Ponting/AB DE Villiers/Paul Collingwood when trying to nick a quick single to cover.