Cricket World Player Of The Week - David Warner

16 January 2012

David Warner celebrates his rapid-fire century at the WACA.

©REUTERS/Brandon Malone. Picture Supplied by Action Images

David Warner blasted himself into the record books and to this week’s Cricket World Player of the Week award with an innings of supreme power in Perth over the weekend.

His century on day one of the third Test between India and Australia came off only 69 balls and was the joint fourth fastest of all time in Test cricket – equalling the effort of Shiv Chanderpaul in 2002 in Guyana, and trailing only Sir Viv Richards (56 balls), Adam Gilchrist (57 balls) and John Gregory (67 balls).

The manner with which he dealt with debutant seamer Ranganath Vinay Kumar, dispatching him for 31 from his first four overs, before bringing up his century with a six displayed an arrogance that the Australia of old, led usually by Matthew Hayden, showcased on a regular basis at the top of the order. He eventually fell for 180 from 159 balls and unsurprisingly ended with the man-of-the-match award.

The pugnacious left-hander from Paddington in New South Wales has averaged over 63 from his first five Test matches despite being previously thought of as a limited overs specialist who does not have the technique to prosper at the highest level of the game.

Other contenders for this week’s award include his accomplice in that opening partnership of 214, Ed Cowan who made 74, Hashim Amla, who made a century in South Africa’s thrashing of Sri Lanka in the opening One-Day International and Dinesh Chandimal who made a spirited 92 not out for the visitors in the second ODI.

Of the bowlers, Umesh Yadav ended with five wickets amid the carnage of Australia’s first innings in Perth, Morne Morkel took four for 10 in South Africa’s demolition of Sri Lanka in Paarl, and Lasith Malinga proved himself to be a cut above the rest of Sri Lanka's attack with figures of five for 54 and one for 38 in the opening two one-day internationals.

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