Top 10 Performances from World Cricket in July
July has been a busy month on the international cricket calendar.
The Ashes series got underway in England, Pakistan continued their tour of Sri Lanka and South Africa looked to dodge the rain long enough to fit in some play in Bangladesh.
India were also in action, going to Zimbabwe on a short, limited-overs tour, while Scotland and Ireland co-hosted the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier.
With so much action going on, there were plenty of candidates to make it into the list of top 10 performances during the last month.
Apologies to Mitchell Johnson's thunderbolt over on Day 2 of the second Ashes Test as well as Chris Rogers' hundred at Lord's, as neither of them made it onto the list.
Neither did Ambati Rayudu's one-day knock of 124 for India in Harare, Zimbabwe.
However, here are the select few who did make the cut. Feel free to have your say via the comments section.
10. Soumya Sarkar Flays South Africa
1 of 10
Soumya Sarkar produced two impressive knocks to help Bangladesh rally from 1-0 down to win the one-day series against South Africa.
The opening batsman made 88 in the second ODI in Dhaka, then he weighed in with 90 as the Tigers crushed the Proteas by nine wickets in the series decider in Chittagong.
He hit a six and 13 fours in the third and final one-dayer, helping Bangladesh ease to a target of 170 with the small matter of 83 balls to spare.
At 22, Sarkar looks like a real talent. He averages 49.42 in his 16 50-over appearances for his country, though he is yet to translate his one-day form into Test success.
9. Alasdair Evans the Star for Scotland
2 of 10
Alasdair Evans picked up carer-best figures in the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier against the Netherlands.
The seamer claimed five for 24 in the Group B fixture in Edinburgh, though his efforts were not enough to stop the Dutch from winning the game.
Evans claimed two wickets in his third and fourth overs to become the first Scotland bowler to take a five-wicket haul in a T20 international.
Despite the defeat, Scotland still went on to qualify for the final of the tournament. They were due to face the Netherlands again for the trophy, only for the final to be washed out.
8. Joe Root Sparkles in Cardiff
3 of 10
Joe Root kicked off the Ashes series with a century on Day 1 of first Test in Cardiff, Wales.
The Yorkshireman came in with his side in trouble at 43 for three on the opening morning, though he needed a lucky break right at the start of his innings.
Root edged the second ball he faced from paceman Mitchell Starc, only for Australia wicketkeeper Brad Haddin to spill the chance behind the stumps.
The let-off proved costly for the tourists—the right-hander went on to make 134 from just 166 deliveries, with his stylish ton proving to be the backbone of England's first-innings total of 430.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
7. Six of the Best from James Anderson
4 of 10
Given a pitch that offered a little assistance, James Anderson excelled in the third Ashes Test against Australia at Edgbaston, Birmingham.
After going wicketless in the previous match at Lord's, the Lancashire seamer responded by picking up six for 47 in 14.4 overs on Day 1.
He said after his bowling heroics, per Nick Hoult of the Telegraph: "My job is to take wickets and set the tone. I didn’t quite adjust to the pitch at Lord’s so it was nice today to put the ball in the right area more often. It makes you more determined to get wickets and bowl better."
However, while England went on to win the match, Anderson was unable to enjoy the celebrations. A side strain in the second innings saw the bowler unable to take to the field on Day 3.
6. Dale Steyn Joins the 400 Club
5 of 10
Rain ruined the two-Test series between Bangladesh and South Africa—a total of six of the 10 scheduled days were lost to the weather.
However, Dale Steyn did provide a highlight during the limited play that was possible.
The paceman reached the milestone of 400 Test wickets during the second match of the series at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur, Bangladesh.
Steyn—complete with new-look headband—dismissed Tamim Iqbal in the fifth over on Day 1 to become just the 13th bowler to make it to the magical number of 400.
The bowler said after play, per Firdose Moonda of ESPN Cricinfo: "I love what I am doing right now, even if it's in 40 degree heat and the ball is staying ankle high and it's not bouncing and there's no seam and it's very slow."
5. Oman Make It Through to ICC World T20
6 of 10Oman, coached by former Sri Lanka player Duleep Mendis, made history by clinching a berth at next year's ICC World Twenty20.
Victory over Namibia in Malahide, Ireland, in the qualifying tournament secured them a ticket to India. It also gained them immediate Twenty20 international status.
The nation on the Arabian Peninsula will now get the chance to rub shoulders with the big boys in world cricket—they had never previously qualified for a major ICC event.
Zeeshan Siddiqui was the hero for Oman, making 51 not out, as they beat the Namibians by five wickets.
Along with Oman, Afghanistan, Ireland, Hong Kong, Netherlands and Scotland also qualified.
4. Steve Smith's Double Hundred at Lord's
7 of 10
Steve Smith helped Australia recover from defeat in the opening Ashes Test in emphatic fashion at Lord's.
The right-hander put England's bowlers to the sword, as he became the first Australian to hit a double century at the famous ground since 1938.
His knock of 215 in the second Test helped the tourists pile up 566 for eight in the first innings, while it also returned Smith to the top of the ICC rankings for Test batsmen.
Australia went on to win the game by 405 runs, squaring the series.
3. Steven Finn's Impressive Test Comeback
8 of 10
Steven Finn's return to Test cricket was an example of how perseverance pays off in the end.
The seamer marked his first appearance in the format for over two years by taking eight wickets in the third match of the Ashes at Edgbaston.
The 26-year-old dismissed Australian duo Steven Smith and Michael Clarke twice in the match, as he helped England bounce back from a heavy defeat at Lord's to take a 2-1 series lead.
Finn, who claimed figures of six for 79 in the second innings, had flown home early from the Ashes tour of 2013/14 after coach Ashley Giles said he was "not selectable," per Andrew McGlashan of ESPN Cricinfo.
He has since worked hard at his county, Middlesex, to rebuild his confidence and reaped the rewards with his performance in Birmingham.
2. Younis Khan's Match-Winning Heroics
9 of 10
Pakistan secured a Test series victory over Sri Lanka when they managed to chase down a target of 377 to win the third and final match.
Younis Khan was one of the main reasons for their success, the veteran batsman making an unbeaten 171.
He shared in a third-wicket partnership worth 242 with Shan Masood, the pair helping Pakistan record the sixth-highest successful run chase in Test history.
According to Bishen Jeswant of ESPN Cricinfo, Younis registered the highest individual fourth-innings score by a Pakistan batsman. It was also his 11th score of 150 or more in Test action.
1. Kagiso Rabada's Magical Debut
10 of 10
Talk about making an instant impact—Kagiso Rabada marked his one-day debut for South Africa by taking a hat-trick.
The 20-year-old fast bowler dismissed the Bangladesh trio of Tamim Iqbal, Litton Das and Mahmudullah in successive deliveries in the opening ODI of the series in Dhaka.
Only one other player had managed to take a hat-trick on their first appearance—Bangladesh's Taijul Islam achieved the feat against Zimbabwe, per Sky Sports.
Rabada didn't settle for picking up a hat-trick.
He claimed a further three wickets in the innings, giving him final figures of six for 16, the best ever by a debutant in ODI cricket.
All statistics used in the slideshow are from ESPN Cricinfo.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
