Sometimes there is nothing anyone can do. Matthew Hayden's vicious, matchwinning 98 at Sydney was a majestic example of how to punish bad balls, good balls, the lot. As our graph shows, England didn't actually do that much wrong: 76% of their deliveries to Hayden were on a good length, but those 70 balls disappeared for 79 runs. Hayden was actually harsher on the good deliveries. Off short balls and half-volleys, he struck 19 off 22 deliveries, a rate of 5.18 per over as against 6.77 off the good-length stuff. He gave a particularly harsh lesson to the debutant Gareth Batty, clouting him for 24 runs off 21 balls. After he persecuted them in the Tests as well, England will be glad to see the back of this man.

Rob Smyth is assistant editor of Wisden.com.

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