Top 20 from the T20

After a mauling from the hosts in their first outing, Pakistan emerged as slightly unlikely world champions following the World T20 in England. They played a decent brand of the short form of the game to overcome a tricky Sri Lankan challenge after early favourites South Africa did the unthinkable by stuffing up in yet another semi-final.

Here are our top twenty from the T20.

20. The crowds
Norman Tebbitt was wrong, and that is always a satisfying sentence to write. The atmosphere India v England game was as nothing since the Pakistan v India game at Birmingham back in the 1999 World Cup. Whoever thought you'd hear "you're not singing any more" at the cricket? All the sides seemed to get a decent level of backing and the competition was the better for it. Pakistan's current travails means that they're unlikely to play at home any time soon. Come to England. Please.

19. Kyle Coetzer's amazing catch.

18. The Australian demise
Pure schadenfreude, but the look on Ricky Ponting's face was completely worth it.

17. A bit of imagination
One day cricket in England is played out with the massive speakers around the ground and they all go through the same repertoire at every game. Queen, Roy Orbison etc. Boring. At least the people on the wheels of steel seemed to have a bit of freedom with the platters that were spun. If music is a must, and it seems that it is, then don't just stick to a formula that doesn't even work.

16. The ground staff
Using just the three venues put a massive emphasis on the state of the pitches. They were all excellent, providing a decent competition between bat and ball - well, as much as you can do in the 20-over format.

15. No strategy breaks
You can keep that to yourself, IPL.

14. Abdul Razzaq's return
Not just Razzaq, but all the former ICL players. It's good to have them back, though New Zealand could really have used Shane Bond.

13. Adil Rashid
Another tournament with little to cheer for the hosts, but the emergence of Adil Rashid is surely a positive England can take away. His attitude is every bit as impressive as his ability insofar as he doesn't lose his cool if he gets clouted. He must play Test cricket before 2009 is over.

12. England's women
While the blokes are still waiting for a first ever international tournament win, the ladies have now bagged two in the space of six months. They're the standard bearers in the women's game. Additionally, what a great idea to play the semis and final of the women's competition alongside the blokes.

11. Spin
When Twenty20 was launched, everybody feared for the spinners. They were going to get clouted out of the park and, with it, the game. Instead, it's the side with decent spinners and, moreover, captains who trust their twirlers (I'm talking about you, Ricky Ponting) who made hay. Forcing the batsmen to impart their own pace on the ball pays dividends.

10. Streamlined tournament
Bloated tournaments do not work. The last World Cup was interminable. While doubts (for me if nobody else) still linger about a second group stage, the short and sweet nature of this tournament was in stark contrast to the decade long 50-over competition. Will the ICC learn from this? Probably not.

9. Great news for maths fans
England's exit has prompted Messrs Duckworth and Lewis undertake to bring forward the planned revision to their method of calculating run chases for 20 over games. The shorter the game, the less well the current D/L method works - the authors acknowledged this many years ago - so we can look forward to some lovely stats and mathematical tweaking in the not too distant future.

8. Proper shots
It wasn't big heaves to cow corner, pre-meditated shots and slashes across the line that got the runs. It was proper cricket shots and playing each ball on it's merits that won out. Hardly revolutionary, but has taken time for players to get into their heads.

7. Genuine keepers are back
Keepers can win matches. While most sides have tried to find their own equivalent of Adam Gilchrist, the cannier sides have picked the best gloveman available to stand behind the timbers. James Foster came up with two eye-catching stumpings and Kamran Akmal impressed. Niall O'Brien, Kumar Sangakkara, MS Dhoni and the evergreen Mark Boucher were all superb. Brad Haddin was a waste of space.

6. A fitting finale
It was only a few short months ago that a Test series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka was aborted after the attack on the visitors in Lahore. The scars, mental and physical, are still fresh giving this final a gravitas that seems at odds with the nature of the shortest form of the game. Great spirit between the players and one of the best games of the tournament.

5. Umar Gul
Reverse swing with a ball only 15 overs old? Impossible, surely? No. Not a bit of it. The spell of 5 for 6 against New Zealand was simply breathtaking.

4. Tillakeratne Dilshan
As well as having a name you can sing along to, he emerged as a batsman of real quality. Everyone is talking about his outrageous scoop shot, but it's not new. What is new is the confidence and regularity of playing it. You've got to be seeing the ball well to avoid getting it in the gnashers, but the fundamental principle of there not being many fielders behind the keeper is a fine one.

3. Ajantha Mendis and that carrom ball
What, how and where are just three questions every side had regarding Mendis in general. He completely bamboozled the South Africans, let alone the Irish who wouldn't have picked it even if he'd told the batter what he was going to do. Interestingly, only Pakistan could play him. Mind, they've seen more of him than anyone else.

2. The South African fielding
While they've a few chunky lads in the side - memo to Jacques Kallis; that tight fitting top does you very few favours mate - they also have AB de Villiers, JP Duminy and Herschelle Gibbs who are lightning in the field. Even Roelof van der Merwe - a man once described by a member of the Cricketballs team as looking like a Bremen gas fitter - can fling himself about a bit and take pretty good catches.

1. Shahid Afridi
For a while now, he's looked more like a semi-effective leggy while those crash, bang, wallop innings with the bat seemed a long time ago. He looks refreshed, his bowling is as good as anybody's and those big shots are back in his repertoire. Cometh the hour, cometh the man and Afridi was a major reason in Pakistan's victory.