Second Cricket All-Stars match: 10 hits and misses

Warne's Warriors took an unassailable 2-0 lead over Sachin's Blasters after victory at HoustonOn the back of a successful start to the unique venture, the 30 retired stars of the Cricket All-Stars tournament shifted base to the Minute Maid park in Houston for the second match of the three-game series. The matches have given a large number of fans in the US their first experience of watching cricket matches in a stadium. The primary motive of the tournament lies in globalizing cricket, and by the looks of it, the idea is gaining ground.The Warriors won their second match in a row, decimating the Blasters’ bowling attack courtesy whirlwind knocks from Ponting, Kallis and Sangakkara. In reply to the mammoth target, Shaun Pollock provided a late burst that kept the fans entertained, but couldn’t bring much difference to the result.Here’s a look at the 10 hits and misses from the second match of the All-Star series:

#1 HIT: Kumar Sangakkara

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Just until recently, Kumar Sangakkara was pounding the best of bowlers in International cricket. He retired after the World Cup on the back of four consecutive hundreds, a first for any player.

One of the more recent additions to the retired list of cricketers, Sangakkara has found it easy against the 40-somethings in this tournament. Coming in at 63-2, he continued from where he had left off in the previous match. He targeted the spinners, hitting huge sixes over long on and mid-wicket to the likes of Graeme Swann and Muralitharan.

He completed his fifty off just 23 balls, eventually getting out to Klusener, but not before he had made 70, off just 30 deliveries, thus earning the Man of the Match award.

#2 MISS: Brian Lara

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Lara, one of the greatest batsmen to have graced the game, hasn’t been at his exquisite best in the series. With the Blasters needing to accelerate to come even close to the Warriors’ target, Lara just couldn’t conjure the right set of attacking shots. He showed a rare glimpse of his former self by charging down the pitch to Shane Warne delivery and dispatching it over his head for a four.

As the Blasters needed around 160 from 6 overs, Lara advanced down the wicket to challenge Symonds. He got stumped in the process, extinguishing whatever hope Sachin’s men had of coming even close to the target. As the big screen spelled out “You Miss, I Hit”, Lara trudged back to the pavilion.

#3 HIT: Ricky Ponting

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One of the cleanest strikers of the cricket ball, Ponting has shown fans glimpses of the kind of innings he used to produce for Australia in his pomp. With Warriors' already looking all set for a big score, the Ponting mayhem took the game away from the Blasters even before they came in to bat.

Coming in at the fall of Kallis’ wicket, Ponting joined Sangakkara in the middle. He took Shaun Pollock to the cleaners in the 16th over, punishing his looseners by depositing them over the fence. That over cost Pollock 21 runs and ended any semblance of a comeback from the Blasters. He hit the other South African, Lance Klusener for consecutive fours before ballooning a slower one into the keeper’s gloves.

#4 MISS: Muttiah Muralitharan

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Before this series, Muralitharan had played the 2014 IPL for the Royal Challengers, garnering praise from experts and fans alike for his economical spells. Murali had kept the run flow under check in the last game too, returning with sane figures amidst the Sanga carnage.

This time, though, Sangakkara didn’t hold back in playing attacking shots against his former teammate. He continued with his slog sweeps and pulls, dispatching Murali for three sixes. His last over was the most expensive, with Ponting and Sangakkara extracting 16 runs out of it, helping the team reach the 200-run mark in under 16 overs.

The Murali magic failed to work as he returned with a wicketless spell and an economy of over 11.

#5 HIT: Shaun Pollock

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The former South African captain had a rather forgettable day with the ball, bowling just two overs and conceding 32 runs. However, he replied with the bat in style, scoring at a strike rate of 250 to help the Blasters cross the 200-run barrier and save them the blushes.

He hit an astonishing seven sixes in his 22-ball stay, ruining the bowling figures of Akram and Symonds with his power hitting. With the Blasters staring down the barrel and the match all but over, Pollock gave the Blasters something to rejoice about as he hit Akram for three consecutive sixes in the penultimate over of the match.

#6 MISS: Shoaib Akhtar

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Akhtar breathed fire in the last match, troubling the likes of Kallis and Sangakkara with his pace and bounce. At Houston, he opened the bowling with Glenn McGrath. Although he troubled Vaughan and Rhodes initially, he wavered in his line and length.

With a rusty hamstring making matters worse, he went at an economy of 12 per over. Sangakkara used his pace to good effect, hitting him for consecutive boundaries. Symonds and Rhodes treated him with disdain in his final over, hitting 19 runs which included two sixes and a four.

But he still managed to beat Vaughan at times, and also tested Rhodes’ helmet with a bouncer off his last ball of the match.

#7 HIT: Saqlain Mushtaq

Musthaq was the most economical bowler from either side and also picked up two wickets, including that of Tendulkar

On the eve of Sachin’s 200th Test match, Saqlain Mushtaq had said that he still cherished Tendulkar’s wicket in the 1999 Chennai Test. The dismissal was crucial in the context of the game, eventually resulting in India’s 12-run loss.

The inventor of the Doosra came back to challenge the Little Master again, sixteen years later. The spinner, who last played in a competitive match in 2012, captured the wicket of Tendulkar, sliding the ball past his defences. He came back to dismiss Jayawardene in the 11th over, leaving the Warriors tottering at 88-4. In a match that resulted in a combined 467 runs, Mushtaq bowled three overs at an economy of 4, the lowest from either side.

#8 MISS: Sourav Ganguly

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The former Indian captain’s inclusion in the roster had generated a lot of buzz, with fans longing to see him take the field once again. The Prince of Kolkata joked a few days ago as to how he would take the return flight if Sachin didn’t allow him to open the innings.

The prospect of the seeing the Sachin-Sourav pair bat made many a fans wait with bated breath. Ganguly eventually came in at number 3 and started with a boundary and a six. However, a bouncer from Kallis, a delivery which had troubled him throughout his career, ended his twelve-ball stay at the wicket.

#9 HIT: Jacques Kallis

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The South African couldn’t convert a good start into a big score in the last match. This time however, he gave impetus to the Warriors innings, finishing with a quickfire 45 off just 23 balls. He singled out Klusener, his former teammate, for special treatment, whacking 15 runs off his first over, including two fours and a six.

He also launched into the off-spin of Graeme Swann and Virender Sehwag, depositing their deliveries over the midwicket boundaries. He eventually got out to a full toss, but not before he had given the Warriors a solid base. He also snapped up the wicket of Sourav Ganguly, surprising the latter with a shorter one.

#10 MISS: Mahela Jayawardene

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One of the few under-40s in this tournament, Jayawardene failed to fire for the second time in two matches. The Sri Lankan, who retired from ODIs earlier this year, had made 18 in the previous game.

Before he could get going, Saqlain Mushtaq trapped him leg before for a 7-ball 5. Judging by the replays and Jayawardene’s reaction, it was a harsh decision, considering the fact that the angle made the ball move down the leg side. His dismissal pushed the Blasters further into trouble, as the required run rate climbed steeply.

Strangely, he performed wicketkeeping duties in this match, at the expense of Moin Khan, helping himself to the catch of Ricky Ponting.