Top 7 Players of the Week - November 14th – 20th

#4 Colin de Grandhomme

Off to a dream start!

Winning the Man of the Match in your debut match is the stuff of dreams. That was what Grandhomme, the 30-year old New Zealand paceman, managed at Christchurch. He picked up a 6-wicket haul against Pakistan in the first innings wrecking their top order. Grandhomme batting at No.6 then scored a valuable 29 off just 37 balls.

He picked another wicket in Pakistan’s second innings, taking his tally to 7 in the match, apart from giving the Kiwis their first breakthrough. Pakistan were bundled out for 171 as New Zealand knocked off 108 runs in 31.3 overs winnings by 8 wickets.

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#5 Jeet Raval

Jeet Raval impressed with the willow in hand

Another New Zealand debutant in the first Test at Christchurch against Pakistan was Raval who impressed one and all with a fighting 55 in New Zealand’s first innings. New Zealand were in a spot of bother at 40 for 3 but Raval was solid on one end, walking in as an opener. He scored an unbeaten 36* in the second innings as well, ensuring New Zealand have no trouble knocking off the small target.

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#6 Kyle Abbott

Kyle Abbott: South Africa’s unsung hero?

Abbott has been one of South Africa’s unsung heroes for long. He performs whenever given a chance given he is always behind the likes of Vernon Philander and Dale Steyn in the pecking order. Abbott followed up his 3/41 in the first innings of the second Test against Australia at Hobart with a 6-wicket haul in Australia’s second. 4 of those were top-order wickets getting him a Player of the Match award.

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#7 Donald Tiripano

Donald Tiripano

Tiripano makes it to this list for one of the best final overs in an ODI match for Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe set West Indies a target of 258 in the ongoing tri-series match, Sri Lanka being the third team.

At Bulawayo, West Indies were favourites going into the last over requiring just 4 runs with 5 wickets in hand. 28-year old Tiripano, who had bowled only 5 overs in the first spell and nothing from then on, bowled a brilliant over getting T20 World Cup hero Carlos Brathwaite out and then unintentionally affecting the run-out of non-striker Ashley Nurse. He then bowled the perfect last ball, full and wide to prevent West Indies from getting the run they needed to win. The match ended in a well-fought tie.