Cricket World Cup 2015: Top Stats, Best Scorers and Bowling Figures
West Indies stole the show on Day 8 of the Cricket World Cup with a 150-run mauling of Pakistan. That was before Australia’s clash with Bangladesh was called without a ball being bowled due to persistent heavy rain in Brisbane.
After losing their opening fixture in this tournament to Ireland, it was imperative that Jason Holder’s team stepped up to the plate in their most recent clash. And the Caribbean islanders turned in a multi-faceted display, as a combination of exemplary batting and fierce bowling proved to be too much for a hapless Pakistan outfit.
Lendl Simmons shone with the bat for the Windies, while Jerome Taylor dazzled with the new ball. But the man of the match was Andre Russell, as he played vital roles in both of the aforementioned disciplines.
Here’s a look at how the Windies’ win affects some of the overall individual standings and a detailed examination of some of the finest performances as we move into the second week of what’s been an enthralling tournament to date.
All statistics courtesy of ESPN cricinfo.
Top 10 Gross Run-Scorers
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Player | Runs |
Brendon McCullum (NZ) | 157 |
Lendl Simmons (WI) | 152 |
David Miller (SA) | 138 |
Aaron Finch (Aus) | 135 |
Darren Sammy (WI) | 119 |
JP Duminy (SA) | 115 |
Virat Kohli (India) | 107 |
Kane Williamson (NZ) | 104 |
James Taylor (Eng) | 98 |
Top 10 Leading Batting Averages
2 of 7
Player | Average |
Aaron Finch (Aus) | 135.00 |
Virat Kohli (India) | 107.00 |
James Taylor (Eng) | 98.00 |
Paul Stirling (Ire) | 92.00 |
Ed Joyce (Ire) | 84.00 |
Sean Williams (Zim) | 84.00 |
Lendl Simmons (WI) | 76.00 |
Suresh Raina (India) | 74.00 |
Shikhar Dhawan (India) | 73.00 |
Mushfiqur Rahim (Ban) | 71.00 |
Top 10 Strike Rates
3 of 7
Player | Strike Rate |
Andre Russell (WI) | 265.38 |
Brad Haddin (Aus) | 221.42 |
Daniel Vettori (NZ) | 200.00 |
Brendon McCullum (NZ) | 182.55 |
Glenn Maxwell (Aus) | 165.00 |
Mashrafe Mortaza (Ban) | 155.55 |
David Miller (SA) | 150.00 |
Luke Ronchi (NZ) | 141.37 |
Corey Anderson (NZ) | 138.70 |
MS Dhoni (India) | 138.46 |
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Top 10 Wicket-Takers
4 of 7
Player | Runs | Wkts |
Tim Southee (NZ) | 111 | 11 |
Daniel Vettori (NZ) | 77 | 6 |
Jerome Taylor (WI) | 86 | 6 |
Sohail Khan (Pak) | 128 | 6 |
Mitchell Marsh (Aus) | 33 | 5 |
Corey Anderson (NZ) | 44 | 5 |
Trent Boult (NZ) | 117 | 5 |
Steven Finn (Eng) | 120 | 5 |
Mohammed Shami (India) | 35 | 4 |
Tendai Chatara (Zim) | 113 | 4 |
Top 10 Bowling Figures
5 of 7
Player | Runs | Wkts |
|
Tim Southee (NZ) | 33 | 7 |
|
MR Marsh (Aus) | 33 | 5 |
|
Sohail Khan (Pak) | 55 | 5 |
|
Steven Finn (Eng) | 71 | 5 |
|
Mohammed Shami (Ind) | 35 | 4 |
|
Jerome Taylor (WI) | 15 | 3 |
|
Corey Anderson (NZ) | 18 | 3 |
|
Mashrafe Mortaza (Ban) | 20 | 3 |
|
DL Vettori (NZ) | 24 | 3 |
|
AD Russell (WI) | 33 | 3 |
|
Top 10 Economy Rates
6 of 7
Player | Overs | Runs | Econ |
Samiullah Shenwari (Afg) | 1.1 | 2 | 1.71 |
Mashrafe Mortaza (Ban) | 9.0 | 20 | 2.22 |
Jeevan Mendis (SL) | 2.0 | 5 | 2.50 |
Andy McBrine (Ire) | 10.0 | 26 | 2.60 |
Shapoor Zadran (Afg) | 7.0 | 20 | 2.85 |
Daniel Vettori (NZ) | 25.2 | 77 | 3.03 |
Taskin Ahmed (Ban) | 7.0 | 23 | 3.28 |
Mirwais Ashraf (Afg) | 9.0 | 32 | 3.55 |
Imran Tahir (SA) | 10.0 | 36 | 3.60 |
Mitchell Marsh (Aus) | 9.0 | 33 | 3.66 |
Day 8 Standout Performers
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All-Rounder Russell the Windies’ Star Man
Well known for his brash mohawk, Andre Russell’s appearance makes him one of the most recognisable figures in this West Indies team.
But so far in this World Cup, the explosive all-rounder has enhanced his reputation with some glittering displays, and he was named man-of-the-match after his team’s comfortable win over Pakistan, per the ICC account:
"All-Rounder! The Player of the Match is @Russell12A for his stunning batting & bolwing today #TwitterMirror #PakvWI pic.twitter.com/v2ARpzuRAs
— ICC (@ICC) February 21, 2015"
First, Russell did what he does best with the bat. After his team-mates built a solid platform with diligent scoring in the middle overs, Russell tucked into the Pakistani bowling attack. He struck 42 from just 13 balls in the latter stages, a knock that included four towering sixes.
As noted by Freddie Wilde of ESPNCricinfo, the all-rounder’s batting is a little underrated, especially when compared to some of his more illustrious team-mates:
"Andre Russell has scored more ODI runs in 2015 (192) than Chris Gayle has scored in 2014 and 2015 combined (177). #CWC15 #PakvWI
— Freddie Wilde (@fwildecricket) February 21, 2015"
Not content with helping his team to a total of 310/6, Russell played a key role with the ball, too.
After an initial blitz with the new ball, the 26-year-old took the crucial wicket of Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq as well as dismissing Umar Akmal who was well set on 59.
He ended up with figures of 3/32 after dismissing Wahab Riaz with the Pakistani effort clearly toiling, capping off a fine day.
With Dwayne Bravo missing from the Windies’ squad for this tournament and Chris Gayle out of form, Russell seems to be relishing taking on the role as this team’s talisman. But if the West Indies are going to progress beyond the quarter-finals of the competition, you suspect he will have to turn in a few more virtuoso displays yet.
Taylor Terrorises Pakistan Top Order
After the West Indies struggled early in their own innings, it was apparent that the new ball was doing plenty on this wicket. During the Pakistan batting effort, the Windies exploited those conditions superbly, with Jerome Taylor causing some major problems for the top order.
Indeed, as noted here by Cricket Record, the start of the Pakistani innings was the worst in the history of the World Cup:
"Pakistan 1/4 - this is the lowest team score at the loss of 4th wicket in all time ODI history. #CWC15 #PAKvWI
— Cricket Record (@cricinfo_record) February 21, 2015"
Taylor was the man responsible as he took took three wickets in a devastating spell of bowling; Nasir Jamshed, Younis Khan and Haris Sohail all fell for ducks in his first two overs. The paceman bowled supreme line and length throughout the opening overs; that accuracy coupled with his express pace was too good for the Pakistani batsmen.
As noted by Andy Zaltzman of ESPNCricinfo, it was a long overdue return to form for the mercurial fast bowler:
"Jerome Taylor since his comeback to ODIs after 4-year absence, before today: 11 wkts, ave 38, econ 6.8. Today: 3 for 15 off 7. #PAKvWI
— Andy Zaltzman (@ZaltzCricket) February 21, 2015"
The quick pitches Down Under should suit Taylor’s stylistic principles down to the ground. Wickets in New Zealand and Australia are typically bouncy, the ball gets a lot of carry, and on days like the one at the Hagley Oval, the new ball can seam around enough to cause problems for even the best batsmen.
With the batting side of this West Indies team functioning pretty well—they have scored in excess of 300 in their last two innings’—the onus will be on the bowlers to reach comparable levels.
If Taylor can continue to exploit the favourable conditions for new ball bowlers and preserve his accuracy, the Windies could devastate a few more batting line-ups in this competition yet.
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