2019 ODI World Cup: 3 most lethal opening bowling combinations

Much of ODI cricket these days seems to revolve around batting. If your team bats first and doesn’t score 300, very rarely is it considered a favorite to win the match. In my opinion, this makes the performances from each country's opening pace attack so crucial. Teams rely on a fast start in the first 10 over powerplay to set the tone for their innings.

If a team loses 2-3 wickets in the first 10 overs of a match, it becomes very hard to provide a launch pad for that huge score often needed to win games of 50 over cricket. Throughout this article, I will look at and analyze who I believe to be the three most lethal opening bowling combinations at the next Cricket World Cup.

Do not be surprised if these three partnerships' abilities to knock sides over is the pivotal reason for each of these teams going far at the World Cup in England next year.

#3- Kagiso Rabada & Dale Steyn

This partnership could probably be placed higher on the list, however, based on Rabada’s lack of ODI experience, and the recent injuries of Dale Steyn I have decided to put them on third. Both bowlers have the capability to rip sides apart on a good day. Given that they both swing the ball with impeccable seam position whilst bowling at 140kph+, they could terrorize even the best batting line-ups at the World Cup next year.

In his remarkable career, Steyn has taken 180 wickets from his 114 matches played. His wickets have come at an average of 26.33 runs per wicket. Steyn’s strike rate is very impressive - he averages a wicket every 32 balls he bowls.

Rabada has not played anywhere near as many matches as Steyn, but his numbers are equally as impressive. Rabada has taken 75 wickets in the 48 ODI’s he has played. These have come at an average of 27.57 runs per wicket, and a strike rate of 32.36 balls bowled per wicket.

Provided the conditions at the World Cup are conducive to a bit of swing and seam, these two are capable of winning matches for South Africa before the first 10 over powerplay has even finished.

#2- Tim Southee & Trent Boult

These two make it here based purely on how well they back each other up at the bowling crease. Southee is often bowling tight line and length at one end, whilst Trent Boult is all-out attack with his in-swinging thunderbolts at the other end. You only need to look at the demolition job these two did of Australia and England at the last World Cup to see what they are capable of as a partnership.

Despite being one of the world’s best ODI bowlers, Boult was considered a Test specialist for the first few years of his career. He only debuted in ODI cricket in 2014, three years after his Test debut. Since then he has taken 122 wickets from just 66 matches. He averages an impressive 24.64 runs per wicket and an equally impressive 29.03 balls bowled per wicket.

Southee doesn’t have a record quite as impressive, however, a lot of his great work often results in wickets for other bowlers. In 133 matches Southee has amassed 175 wickets at a solid average of 34.34, and a strike rate of 38.11.

I believe that in English conditions these two will be crucial to New Zealand’s success. If they can get the ball swinging on a regular basis there is no reason the perennial underdogs cannot claim their first World Cup title.

#1- Josh Hazlewood & Mitchell Starc

This pair has only sparingly played ODI cricket the last 12 months due to Injury. Despite this, I believe they will both be dangerous come the World Cup in England next year. Starc and Hazlewood complement each other nicely.

Hazlewood is all about his line and length and hits the deck hard, bowling a heavy ball, usually around the 135kph mark. His consistency is what makes him so valuable to the Australian ODI set up. Hazlewood has taken 69 wickets from 41 ODI’s at an average of 24.28 runs per wicket and a strike rate of 30.81.

Mitchell Starc is a completely different bowler. With a slingy action, Starc relies on his pace and swing as well as his ability to bowl yorkers. Capable of bowling 150kph, Starc has amassed 141 wickets from just 72 matches played. He owns an impressive average of just 20.96 runs per wicket and a strike rate of just 25.48 balls bowled per wicket.

If Australia want to end this slump they are in and climb back to somewhere near the top of the rankings a lot will come down to the performances of these nasty fast bowlers.