Kallis's run-glut, and the injustice of day-night matches

Kallis the run-machine
Most of the South African batsmen made merry against some rather innocuous West Indies bowling, but one player who cashed in more than the others was Jacques Kallis. As if scoring four hundreds in the four-Test series wasn't enough, Kallis went right ahead and thumped two more in the one-dayers, besides making an unbeaten 95. In all, Kallis raked up 1073 runs and was dismissed six times for an incredible average of 178.83. His average of 180.50 is the fifth-highest in the all-time list in an ODI series among batsmen who have scored at least 300 runs.

Top averages in an ODI series

	Matches	Runs	Ave	Series & Season
Youhana	5	405	405.00	Zimbabwe, 2002-03
Jadeja	5	354	354.00	Pepsi Series, 1997-98
Haynes	4	340	340.00	Australia, 1983-84
Bevan	10	389	194.50	Benson & Hedges, 1995-96
Kallis	5	361	180.50	West Indies, 2003-04

It wasn't the first time Kallis had demonstrated his machine-like run-scoring ability. In the last two-and-a-half years, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh have been at the receiving end as well; against Zimbabwe in 2001-02, Kallis amassed 388 runs in the Tests without being out, while Bangladesh failed to dismiss him in two Tests, during which time Kallis piled up a further 214. (Kallis's Test average against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh is a staggering 390.50.)

His run-glut against West Indies took his Test average up by five points to 53.26, making his the seventh-highest Test average among current batsmen who have played at least 20 Tests. But Kallis's career stats, while extremely impressive, is still highly skewed. More than half his runs have come in 30 Tests against Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, New Zealand, India and West Indies, at an average close to 100. Against the rest (Australia, Pakistan, England, Sri Lanka) he scores a more modest 34.76 per innings. It would be unfair to classify him only a plunderer of the meek - Kallis has performed consistently well against most opposition in the last few years, and averages 41 in Australia - but it's a record he must redress if he wants to counted among the great batsmen in Test history.

Kallis's skewed Test record

Against	Tests	Runs	Ave	100s
B'desh, Zim, Ind, NZ, WI	30	3046	92.30	11
Aus, Pak, Eng, SL	45	2440	34.86	4

Leading Test averages among current players

	Tests	Runs	Ave	100s/ 50s
Smith	21	1881	58.78	6/4
Hayden	50	4488	58.29	17/14
Dravid	75	6546	57.42	16/32
Tendulkar	111	9265	57.19	32/37
Ponting	75	5821	55.97	20/21
Gilchrist	51	3169	55.60	9/16
Kallis	75	5486	53.26	15/27

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The injustice of day-night matches
South Africa's breathtaking run-chase at Johannesburg may have been the perfect riposte to Brian Lara's comments about day-night matches favouring the team bowling under lights, but statistics over the last three years back Lara's statement completely. Of the 200 ODIs played under lights since January 2001, 119 - that's 60% - have been won by the team batting first. As the table below shows, all teams have a more favourable win-loss ratio when setting a target. The contrast is most stark for West Indies, who have managed just one win in 11 tries when batting under lights. No wonder Lara is so keen to do away with day-night games.

Teams in day-night matches since 2001

	Batting first		Batting second
	Played	Win %	Played	Win %	Diff in %
New Zealand	20	40.00	26	34.62	5.38
Kenya	5	20.00	7	14.29	5.71
Pakistan	30	76.67	23	69.57	7.10
India	28	60.71	21	42.86	17.85
Australia	20	80.00	24	58.33	21.67
Zimbabwe	8	37.50	19	15.79	21.71
England	18	50.00	13	23.08	26.92
South Africa	19	78.95	25	52.00	26.95
Sri Lanka	31	61.29	19	26.32	34.97
West Indies	12	58.33	11	9.09	49.24

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Laxman's golden run ... as a catcher
VVS Laxman has had a golden summer with the bat in Australia, but his catching proficiency hasn't been far behind either. The catch he took to dismiss Ray Price against Zimbabwe at Perth was his 12th in the VB Series, making him the joint-highest catcher in a one-day series (excluding wicketkeepers). Allan Border and Jeremy Coney took as many catches, but required three more matches than Laxman.

Most catches in an ODI series

	Catches	Matches	Series & Season
Laxman	12	8	VB Series, 2003-04
Border	12	11	Benson & Hedges, 1988-89
Coney	12	11	Benson & Hedges, 1980-81
Border	11	12	Benson & Hedges, 1985-86
Ponting	11	11	World Cup, 2003
Hooper	11	7	Total Int'l Series, 1992-93

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Who gives a toss?
Adam Gilchrist, stand-in captain for Ricky Ponting in Australia's comfortable win against Zimbabwe at Perth, maintained his perfect record as captain - not only was it his sixth win in as many matches, it was also the sixth time he had lost the toss and then gone on to win, making him the only one to have a 0% win record in tosses and a 100% win result in matches. As the list below shows, six of the seven names are of captains who led outstanding teams. It is hardly surprising, then, that the toss hardly made a difference to them.