Initiative to recognise prominent grassroots campaigners for efforts during pandemic

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Dec-2020The Kia Oval has been renamed for 24 hours as the Kia Shahidul Alam Ratan Oval, in honour of a former Bangladesh cricketer who is now the leader of a London cricket charity which has been helping to keep children active during lockdown.The Oval was one of a number of prominent sports venues in London to join an initiative to honour grassroots sport community workers and volunteers who, with the support of National Lottery funding, have gone above and beyond during the Covid-19 pandemic.Ratan, a wicketkeeper in Bangladesh’s pre-Test days in the 1980s and 1990s, is chief executive of Capital Kids Cricket, a charity which uses cricket as tool to change the lives of disadvantaged children.During lockdown, Capital Kids Cricket created a digital activity zone to keep kids active, learning and keep in touch with each other socially. Ratan oversaw all their activity, including running virtual sessions with vulnerable kids such as refugees. The charity also arranged regular quiz evenings and family consultations via Zoom to ask about challenges they might face and offer support.”It is brilliant news to be recognised with this honour and it means a lot,” Ratan said. “This may bring some light to the charity and people like me who want to make a change, who want to go the extra mile to help people who need it.”To have a prestigious stadium like The Kia Oval named after me is a huge honour in the cricketing world, not only here in the UK. I would like to thank Surrey Cricket as well.”Without funding, we can’t do anything. The National Lottery are a very generous funder,” he added.”We work across London but we do a lot of coaching in Newham, Waltham Forest, Tower Hamlets, Hackney, Westminster and Camden – then some bits in Hammersmith & Fulham and Ealing.”As soon as we found out about going into lockdown, I had a call with our coaches and said we must make sure we keep things going.”We have three or four clubs we look after and we told our coaches to set up activities within a home environment. Show the kids what they can do with batting, bowling and fielding within their home – in living rooms, small backyards or alleyways between houses.”After two weeks, we decided to introduce a virtual challenge and competitive element. It was very simple challenges like keepie-uppies with the bat and ball, seeing how many times they could keep the ball up in the air, or juggling with two or three cricket balls.”Once we finished that competition, we’d started to establish a connection with clubs around the world. We then wanted to do something simple to connect with those clubs and even more people.”The charity initiated a virtual ball-passing game globally. Hundreds of people joined from the USA to Australia, South Africa to Sweden, including Syrian refugee camps from Lebanon, ending with a virtual celebration with 130 people and families from across the globe joining via zoom.They have now started women and girl’s activities online, running aerobics exercises and boxing classes, and they also ran summer cricket camps in three locations, while constantly supporting parents over the phone who are facing loneliness or suffering from mental health challenges.Other venues to change names this week will be Twickenham rugby stadium, The Redgrave Pinsent Rowing Lake, The Paula Radcliffe Athletics Track, The Geraint Thomas Velodrome in Wales and The National Outdoor Centre in Wales.Dame Katherine Grainger, UK Sport Chair said, “It’s fantastic that sports across the nations have been able to come together to celebrate grassroots champions who have gone above and beyond this year. Around £30m a week is raised for good causes across the UK by people playing The National Lottery, and has helped sport at all levels, from the smallest rowing club to helping athletes prepare for the Tokyo Olympics next year.”Tim Hollingsworth, CEO of Sport England, said: “With the help of The National Lottery’s players, thousands of grassroots sports workers and volunteers from local clubs and organisations across the UK have been be able to continue to help people and communities to remain active, connected and motivated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Grassroots sport also has a fundamental role to play in providing much needed physical and mental wellbeing in these difficult times.”

A hundred caps, check, but don’t rule out a hundred more

George Dobell03-Feb-20213:59

The key stops in Joe Root’s journey from 1 to 100

This was one half-century he was always going to convert.From the moment Joe Root toddled out to bat in Nagpur – really, did old-school Yorkshiremen like Brian Close or Ray Illingworth, look as young as Root did that day even in their pre-natal scans? – it looked likely he would spend a decade and more in the side. A hundred caps: check. Don’t rule out a hundred more.Yes, there have been a few stumbles on the way. And yes, there are one or two hurdles – notably runs in Australia – yet to clear. But, even now, he averages more than any of England’s other top-10 Test run-scorers. By the time this year is over, still aged 30, he will have scored more than any other than Sir Alastair Cook.Is he as good as Virat, Kane and co? Right now, you would probably have to say no, though the story isn’t over. But even if he isn’t, a player can be brilliant without being as good as that trio. You don’t judge Sachin a failure because he’s not Bradman, do you?It’s interesting, though, that those who claim James Anderson’s record is flattered by playing half his career in English conditions, rarely acknowledge the reverse influence on Root’s figures. He actually averages more away from home than Virat or Kane. If he had their home surfaces to enjoy… As ever, you have to be careful with stats.If you need any further evidence of how tough batting in England has become, consider this: when was, Root apart, the last time England gave a debut to a specialist batsman who went on to enjoy a Test career of unquestionable success? The answer is Jonathan Trott, probably, in 2009. If you want to go back to the last England-born batsman, it is probably Alastair Cook, in 2006, and before that Ian Bell in 2004. Whichever way you look at it, Root is a giant among contemporary English batsmen.But now, as he reflects on joining an elite club – he will be the 15th England player to win a hundred Test caps; none have a higher batting average, only three have more wickets – it is more the future than the past which occupies his mind.”It’s eluded [the century] me a few times with the bat so I’m really proud to be on the eve of playing a hundred Tests,” Root says. “It feels great to join that club. There are some fantastic players – people I’ve looked up to for many years – among them. For a young kid from Sheffield… from being seven or eight years old, dreaming of playing for England, to be sat here now… I’m sure he would be extremely proud.”I hope it’s not near the end. I still feel like there’s a lot left in me. There’s certainly a burning desire to keep going and play as long as I can. I’m really excited about the coming year.”It says much about Root’s general attitude that he believes the key to his future is adopting a more selfish attitude with the bat. There have, he concedes, been moments in the past where his attention was not fully focused on his primary role as a batsman. Now, he says, he has understood the need to put himself first at times.”That [selfish] mind-set certainly helped me in the last two games in Sri Lanka,” Root admitted. “In the nicest way possible, I’ve tried to be a bit more selfish with my batting, knowing if I bat for a long period of time I make big runs and it’s obviously going to benefit the team.”It’s sounds simple. You might ask why has it taken you 99 games to figure it out. But I’m just desperate for us to do well collectively and that’s naturally how I’ve always tried to think about the game. At times I do think about too many things and try and overthink certain periods of play.”Root admits he’s become more selfish with the bat•SLC

In the shorter-term, Root provides a strong hint that Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes will return to the team for the first Test in Chennai. And while it seems safe to assume Ollie Pope and Stuart Broad will also return, it is unclear at this stage which of Dom Bess or Moeen Ali is first-choice off-spinner.”Any team would welcome Ben back with both arms as often as possible and we certainly do,” Root says. “Having watched him practice, he looks like his bowling is strong, he is batting very well and very much ready to get going.”I had the displeasure of facing Jofra today and he bowled at the speed of light. He looked in great rhythm.”Despite that, Root is under no illusions about the size of the task ahead of him. Success would, he admits, represent his “greatest achievement”.”As a captain, I think it would be,” he says. “I played a very small part in the amazing 2012 series. That was very special. But I don’t think at the time I appreciated how hard it is to win in these conditions.”Having toured since I have a better understanding of it. It would be a huge achievement for this group of players. But it’s one we certainly have the tools to do. I’m really excited about it. It should be good fun.”We ask a lot of our top sportspeople. Over the years, Root has not only carried his side’s batting, but emerged as a willing spokesperson for the benefits of diversity and importance of protecting players’ mental health. At the same time, he had made a point of decrying homophobic ‘banter’, ensured his side have remained focused and positive during their long periods in the ‘bubble’ and been a willing advertisement for a game that has been hidden behind a paywall for too long.Related

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You can’t really quantify the value of such attributes. But most would agree these things matter. Yes, Root has overseen a succession of away wins that hasn’t been seen since zeppelins were the future of transport. And yes, he requires only one more victory to equal the record for most successes as an England Test captain. But perhaps an equally important contribution is his leadership of the sport through a time of social upheaval. Somewhere along the way, Root has grown into an impressive man.”Understanding that responsibility is really important,” Root says now. “We’re very aware that we’re role models and it is very important we use that in a positive way and try to make cricket as good as it can be while we have the opportunity to have a big effect on it. As players at the top of the game, we have a really good opportunity to make changes for the better.”As a player and captain, in particular, you want to try to lead the way in those opportunities and that image for the sport. You want the next guy to come in and the next generation to be inspired. For the kids to look at the game and think, ‘I want to be a part of that, I want to play cricket because it looks so much fun. It looks a really good sport to be a part of.'”News that Channel 4 will broadcast the series free-to-air in the UK, means there is every chance that a new audience will have an opportunity to watch the sport over the coming weeks. In Root, they will have a fine role model to admire as player and man. Whatever happens – and even the most fervent England supporter would concede their team has an almighty challenge in front of them – there’s a lot to like about him and his team.

Australia will pip India to the post – and set up a final against New Zealand – if England win the fourth Test

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Feb-2021The ten-wicket win, well inside two days, in the pink-ball Test in Ahmedabad has not only given India an unassailable 2-1 lead in the four-Test series, it’s given them a clear shot at qualifying for the inaugural World Test Championship final, to be played at Lord’s from June 18. The result in the third Test also means that it’s now a two-horse race to meet New Zealand in the final – Australia vs India – with England’s hopes lying in tatters.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The target for both India and England, before the series, was to top Australia’s points percentage of 69.17. England, having slipped to 64.1 after the latest reversal, cannot get there, but India can, unless England spoil their party in the final exchange.What India need to do to reach the finalAs things stand, India are actually ahead of New Zealand on points percentage. India have 71.0 (490 overall) compared to New Zealand’s 70.0 (420). In terms of the WTC final, India’s target, even before the series had started, was to earn 70 points – having come into the third Test with 30 points for a win and a loss, they needed to win the series 2-1 or 3-1.They are now at 2-1, but…What if India lose the final Test?There, that’s the only way they can’t make the WTC final, which means that though they are out of the hunt themselves, Joe Root’s boys can be killjoys for Virat Kohli’s team, and make Tim Paine and Co very happy. A 2-1 (with a draw in the final Test) or 3-1 scoreline does the job for India, while 2-2, the only other possibility, isn’t good enough for them.What about the possibility of points being docked…?Related

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A 3-1 series win will be perfect for India, and they don’t have to worry about being docked points for slow over-rates or anything else. Australia might have avoided a lot of the uncertainty had they not dropped four points because of a slow over-rate against India in the Boxing Day Test. Had that not happened, Australia would have been level with New Zealand on 70, which would then have brought the runs-per-wicket ratio into play (that is the ratio of the runs scored per wicket lost, and the runs conceded per wicket taken). Australia’s ratio is currently 1.39 while New Zealand’s is 1.28.This means Australia would have stayed ahead of New Zealand, and would have been certain of qualification. Now, they will need England to help them out, if they can.Importantly for India, the WTC rules state that even if the Ahmedabad stadium gets an unfavourable rating from the ICC – the Test got over in under two days, with spinners running amok – the team, India, will not be affected.

Yasir Ali led the way with the bat, scoring 92 in the Bangladesh Emerging Team’s only innings

Mohammad Isam28-Feb-2021Tanvir Islam’s career-best match haul of 13 for 106 cleaned up the Ireland Wolves as the Bangladesh Emerging Team won by an innings and 23 runs, finishing the only four-day game of the tour on the third day. Islam, a 25-year-old left-arm spinner who had taken 19 wickets in his 11 previous first-class games, finished with figures of 8 for 51 from 28.3 overs in the Wolves’ second innings at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram.The visitors were bowled out for 139, having made 151 in their first innings, as they went through yet another struggle against spin. In the first innings, Islam took 5 for 55 while captain Saif Hassan, who bowls part-time offspin, took two wickets. In the second innings, it was Islam again with the wickets while Ebadot Hossain and Hassan took one each.In between the Wolves’ two innings, the home side were bowled out for 313 with Yasir Ali top-scoring with 92. He struck eight fours and five sixes in his 115-ball knock. Bangladesh’s top three – Saif, Tanzid Hasan and Mahmudul Hasan Joy – all got out in the forties.Mark Adair and Graham Hume took three wickets each while Jonathan Garth took two wickets. Among the Wolves batsmen, only captain Harry Tector struck a fifty for the visitors, having got out for a duck in the first innings. Curtis Campher top-scored with 39 in the first dig.The two sides next take on each other in five one-day games and two T20s in Chattogram and Dhaka.

Derbyshire make off with points for draw after century stand between sixth-wicket pair

George Dobell11-Apr-2021A century stand from Matt Critchley and Harvey Hosein led Derbyshire to safety on the final day of their Championship match at Edgbaston. Resuming on the fourth morning with a lead of 39 and five wickets in hand, Critchley and Hosein added 113 in 36 overs to steer their side from danger.While Derbyshire had dug something of a hole for themselves with their aggressive batting on the third evening, Critchley and Hosein adopted a more sophisticated approach on the final day. Prepared to wait for scoring opportunities, they played admirably straight, shrugged off the times they were beaten – inevitable on these early-season surfaces – and put away the loose ball without fuss.Perhaps understandably in these horribly uncomfortable conditions – play started in sub-zero temperatures – Warwickshire’s seamers lacked the required consistency to build pressure. For although ball continued to beat bat fairly regularly, there were also a number of release deliveries that helped Derbyshire stretch their lead towards safety.Critchley was, perhaps, the more eye-catching of the pair. While every other batter in the match has struggled for fluency, he timed the ball sweetly in both innings and looked a high-class player. He was particularly efficient off his legs and punished anything overpitched. He brought up his half-century (73 balls, eight fours) with a rasping cut for four off Hannon-Dalby and finished as Derbyshire’s top-scorer in both innings.Related

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Hosein offered steadfast support. Although generally patient – his half-century occupied 103 deliveries – he produced a gorgeous on-drive when Craig Miles overpitched and put away anything on his legs efficiently.Maybe the batters were helped by a change in atmospheric conditions, too. Although the temperature remained uncomfortably cold – indeed, this may well have been the coldest day of the match – the heavy cloud cover of the previous day dispersed for a few hours to produce slightly more benign conditions. They were the only pair to bat through a completed session in the match.While Warwickshire’s seamers beat the bat enough to justify their usage, it might have been worth a look at the spin of Danny Briggs a bit earlier. He wasn’t called upon until the 67th over of the innings by which time Derbyshire were almost 200 ahead.It was something of a surprise when Liam Norwell made the breakthrough. He had generally struggled to rediscover the menace he showed in the first innings but, angling one in, he trapped Critchley leg-before 17 short of a well-deserved century.”It was a great partnership for us,” Billy Godleman, the Derbyshire captain, said. “Critchley played beautifully in the first innings and backed it up today under immense pressure with the game situation. I was really proud of our players today.”The value of the stand was demonstrated as Derbyshire lost their final four wickets for 25 runs. Although Fynn Hudson-Prentice helped Hosein add a further 35 for the seventh wicket, after he was well held by Michael Burgess, standing up to the seam of Will Rhodes, the final three went cheaply. Hosein was left unbeaten on 78, his fourth half-century – two of which have been unbeaten – in his nine most recent first-class innings.That left Warwickshire requiring 213 in a minimum of 41 overs for victory. Maybe, had poor weather not intervened, we might have seen an exciting finish. But five overs into the Warwickshire “chase”, snow started to fall and play was suspended.There was little indication Warwickshire had been tempted to go for their target, anyway. Two of the first four overs were maidens and Dom Sibley was scoreless after 10 deliveries. They head to Trent Bridge later in the week with Olly Stone and, perhaps, Hanuma Vihari expected to come into their side. A decision on Vihari, who is only due out of quarantine on Wednesday, will be made nearer the time, but it could be he replaces Briggs in the XI. Suffice to say, he faces quite a culture shock in terms of weather and pitches.Afterwards, Mark Robinson, the new Warwickshire head coach, admitted to a touch of frustration.”Maybe our seamers could have been a tad more consistent on the final morning,” he said. “And maybe we could have been a bit more ruthless both on the last morning and when we got level with them in the first innings.”It’s a new start for us and I’m still learning about the team. We’re not perfect. But we’ll get better game by game. It’ll be a hell of a team.”But, while this was ultimately a frustrating day, there was a first glimpse – in the first team environment, anyway – of Jacob Bethell. Warwickshire are confident they have uncovered something of a gem in the 17-year-old Barbadian. You suspect his appearance here, albeit as a substitute fielder, will be the first of many.

Both teams are strong at the top but have a tendency of losing steam towards the end of their innings

Saurabh Somani17-Apr-2021

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In the blue corner, we have Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant and others. In the red, there are KL Rahul, Chris Gayle, Nicholas Pooran and friends. The Delhi Capitals’ contest against the Punjab Kings is of the kind where, were it a boxing match, there would be the promise of some heavy-duty action in the first few rounds, with the possibility of a peter-out later on.That’s because of how the two teams are made up. Both rely on their top orders to do the bulk of the work, and if the top order falters, then the batting goes from sizzle to fizzle pretty quickly. There are other points in common too: they are stocked with lots of pace options, and each has won one game and lost one. However, while the Capitals might look back at their defeat against the Rajasthan Royals and think they could have won two in two, the Kings would need to pick themselves up after a rather comprehensive wipe-out against the Chennai Super Kings.Related

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This will be the last outing at the Wankhede Stadium for the two teams in IPL 2021. The tracks there have not lived up to the reputation of being batting beauties in the last couple of matches, but given a flat track, there are bound to be fireworks.What both teams might look for, though, is a bit more batting depth. Each faced a top-order collapse in their last games, which would have made them conscious of how steeply the batting falls off after the top few. While Pant being around allowed the Capitals to at least hit near 150, none of the top five stayed much beyond the powerplay for the Kings, and it needed Shahrukh Khan at No. 6 to drag them just over 100. They both have the personnel in their squads to lengthen the batting, though that would inevitably come at the expense of the bowling, and it’s a balancing call they have to take. The Capitals could drop one of their overseas bowlers to bring back Shimron Hetmyer, while the Kings could do the same to bring in a Fabian Allen or a Moises Henriques.

In the news

Anrich Nortje, bowler of the fastest ball in IPL history, is back in the Capitals’ team bubble after a Covid-19 scare. Nortje had landed in Mumbai on April 6, and had to spend extended time in quarantine after a positive test, but has subsequently tested negative thrice. The Capitals certainly missed Nortje in their loss against the Royals, and he can now resume his partnership with Kagiso Rabada to provide the pace blast they had last year. Nortje’s addition would almost certainly mean a benching for Tom Curran, who hasn’t been able to control the flow of runs effectively.The Capitals have also roped in Shams Mulani as a temporary replacement for Axar Patel, a like-for-like left-arm-spinning allrounder, and brought in Aniruddha Joshi for the injured Shreyas Iyer. It remains to be seen whether either of them can be fitted into the XIs.Nicholas Pooran has had two ducks, but he remains amongst the best hitters in the game•BCCI

Likely XIs

Delhi Capitals: 1 Prithvi Shaw, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Ajinkya Rahane, 4 Rishabh Pant (capt, wk), 5 Marcus Stoinis, 6 Shimron Hetmyer, 7 Lalit Yadav, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Avesh Khan, 11 Anrich NortjePunjab Kings: 1 Mayank Agarwal, 2 KL Rahul (capt, wk), 3 Chris Gayle, 4 Deepak Hooda, 5 Nicholas Pooran, 6 Shahrukh Khan, 7 Jhye Richardson, 8 M Ashwin, 9 Mohammed Shami, 10 Riley Meredith, 11 Arshdeep Singh

Strategy punt

• The Capitals didn’t use up all of R Ashwin’s four overs in their defeat against the Royals, something that coach Ricky Ponting admitted might have been a mistake. They would not want to repeat that in this game, with Ashwin likely to be particularly valuable in the middle, bowling to Gayle and Pooran, both left-handers. Both big-hitting West Indians have not quite managed to get on top of Ashwin. While the offspinner has a long history of success against Gayle and has even kept him to less than a run-a-ball, he bowled superbly to Pooran in IPL 2020’s opening game too, getting him for a duck.
• With Pooran having fallen twice to short balls in IPL 2021 and yet to score a run, expect Delhi to unleash their considerable pace artillery at him too. For the Kings then, a good start is essential. The Capitals might want to have both Ashwin and a pacer bowling to Pooran, but if Rahul, Agarwal and Gayle can get the team off to a good start, then those plans will come unstuck. And while Pooran may have started off with two ducks, he remains amongst the best hitters of the ball, who can cause mayhem when coming in with a set platform.
  

  Stats that matter

  • In five IPL games at the Wankhede, Pant has averaged 63.66 at a strike rate of 192.92. Even including games other than the IPL, Pant has enjoyed himself at this venue, averaging 41.83 at a strike rate of 180.57 in nine matches.
  • Since January 2018, only one batter has scored more than 2000 runs in the IPL: Rahul. He’s done it at an average of 54.54, while the strike rate has veered sharply between extremes in past seasons. It remains to be seen which version of Rahul turns up. While the aggressive version worked wonders in the win against the Royals, the collapse against the Super Kings might make him change tack.

Changes afoot for both teams after drawn encounter at Lord’s

Andrew Miller09-Jun-2021

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Shall we talk about the cricket for a bit, then? Let’s park the timeline mining and the urge to be outraged by every less-than-savoury comment ever committed to the Twittersphere, and focus on the reason why such remarks from England’s senior sports stars are held to a higher standard than the rest of the poisonous soup that swills around that fetid site.England’s cricketers are public figures – a fact that might have been easy to overlook in the past 12 months of bio-secure bubbling, but at Edgbaston this week, they can expect to feel once again the full roar (or at least, a 70% roar) of the Hollies Stand, as the sport continues its tiptoe back to normality with cricket’s largest crowd since the T20 Blast final in September 2019, when Edgbaston was once again the host with the most.This year in the UK, only Leicester City’s FA Cup final win over Chelsea last month has been witnessed by more spectators than the 17,000 a day that will be permitted in Birmingham, and the euphoria of that occasion was palpable, even while the gaps in the stands remained gaping. All things being equal, this Test promises to be a celebration of cricket’s resilience and rebirth. But as we have been reminded over the course of the last few days, all things are far from equal right now.Nevertheless, the occasion could also be a celebration of a different ilk for the indomitable James Anderson, who now seems to be ticking off a milestone a match as he revels in the “sexy phase” of his career, the phrase recently coined by Peter Moores to describe Stuart Broad’s similarly zen-like confidence in his methods and mien.Joe Root has had much to ponder ahead of the second Test•Getty Images

Given the eight-week gap until the first Test against India, there seems little reason to defer Anderson’s record-breaking 162nd Test appearance on the grounds of workload management, although it was also England’s stated aim before the series to use these games, which fall outside the World Test Championship remit, to expand their pool of potential Ashes performers. Either way, he’ll get there soon enough, and will do so with a seasoned assurance far removed from the raw rookie who tore in on debut at Lord’s 18 years ago, even as his internal monologue was insisting he “wasn’t good enough”.New Zealand, too, are embracing the rest-and-rotation vibe. Some of their changes are enforced – most troublingly, the absence of their captain, the world’s No.1-ranked batter, Kane Williamson due to a long-standing elbow injury – but the rest are anticipated with the bigger picture in mind.For all that Tom Latham, their stand-in skipper, recognises that victory in England would be a memorable achievement in its own right, the three-day gap to the World Test Championship final against India requires a pragmatic approach, particularly to their fast-bowling resources. After six years as one of the premier teams in world cricket, encompassing the heartache of two World Cup finals, this is a glorious opportunity to obtain a tangible reward for their ceaselessly high standards.Related

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To that end, the first Test could hardly have gone better as a warm-up act. Devon Conway set New Zealand’s agenda with an obscenely assured debut, while there were sturdy workouts for three of the quicks who will spearhead their challenge for silverware, most notably Tim Southee with his third appearance on the Lord’s honours board (after two in the same match in 2013).They would doubtless have liked to cap their dominance with a victory, but England chose not to engage with a teasingly weighted declaration on the final afternoon. It looked, to the uninitiated, like an opportunity squandered, but was more likely an accident waiting to happen – especially for a callow batting line-up that served up four ducks in their flaccid first innings.”I still feel we made the right decision,” Joe Root said on the eve of the second Test, after reflecting on the criticism his side had received for their go-slow approach. “We turn up here, and we’ve got a chance to win the series.”If that is to happen, however, improvements are a must for England, who at least showed a greater willingness to hunker down in their dour second innings, thanks to Dom Sibley, who shut up shop for another of his puritanically grim half-centuries. But first time out, Dan Lawrence and Zak Crawley both fell to the sort of impetuous drives that will have Jasprit Bumrah and Co. licking their lips (let alone Josh Hazlewood and friends) while James Bracey’s six-ball duck and cartwheeling off stump made for an uncompromisingly tough baptism.On a practical level, too, England have been weakened by the absence of their best bowler from that first Test. Ollie Robinson’s misdemeanours require attention, but with seven wickets in the match, and 42 vital first-innings runs to stave off a complete meltdown, his on-field contributions will not be forgotten, even if his off-field actions continue to dominate England’s narrative.

Form guide

England: DLLLW
New Zealand: DWWWW

In the spotlight

Rory Burns is one of the very few England cricketers who is enjoying life more in the current climate than he was at the start of the year. After losing his place (and his sense of humour) during the tour of India, Burns then had to navigate his way out of a more contemporary Twitter rumpus, following his ill-judged response to a tongue-in-cheek comment from the ex-England women’s player, Alex Hartley. In between whiles, however, he put his head down for Surrey to grind out seven fifty-plus scores in nine innings, and has now regained the right to be considered England’s premier opening batsman. His third Test century was a nuggetty masterpiece – last man out for 132 out of 275, a performance that glued the innings together when it briefly seemed a 200-plus deficit was on the cards. He has happy memories of Edgbaston too, with a maiden hundred on his last visit in the 2019 Ashes.Tom Latham has some massive shoes to fill as Kane Williamson’s captaincy stand-in, but at the age of 29, and with nearly 4000 runs at a very healthy average of 41.97, there’s no time like the present for New Zealand’s vice-captain to step up to the higher role. Latham’s unassuming methods mask a steely temperament, although he hasn’t quite returned to the heights he reached in 2018-19, when he racked up five hundreds in eight Tests including a career-best 264 not out against Sri Lanka. Nevertheless, the last of those hundreds was against England at Hamilton, meaning that each of New Zealand’s openers has reached three figures in their last two encounters with Root’s men. If Conway can pick up where he left off with his debut double-century at Lord’s, the new skipper will have all the more space to grow into his new responsibilities.

Team news

Robinson’s suspension means that Craig Overton is in line for his first Test cap since the 2019 Ashes, in that No.8 bowling allrounder role that has become rather crucial to England’s balance in the absence of Ben Stokes (not to mention Edgbaston’s own Chris Woakes – remember him?). But another Birmingham local, Olly Stone, could be given the opportunity to impress, potentially as a like-for-like replacement for Mark Wood, whose workload England are keen to manage. Jack Leach is likely to return as a spin option, not least given the weather forecast, which means either Broad or Anderson could miss out. Bracey caused England something of a scare on Tuesday evening when he required lengthy treatment on a finger injury, sustained during wicketkeeping drills, but he’s set to continue behind the stumps.England (possible): 1 Rory Burns, 2 Dom Sibley, 3 Zak Crawley, 4 Joe Root (capt), 5 Ollie Pope, 6 Dan Lawrence, 7 James Bracey (wk), 8 Craig Overton, 9 Jack Leach, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 James AndersonThere’s a fair amount of upheaval in New Zealand’s ranks, partially by design but largely through injury. Williamson will rest his problematic elbow ahead of next week’s main event against India – he has been managing the injury since March, after missing the Bangladesh ODIs and the early part of the IPL. Will Young, who made a century in his most recent match, for Durham in the County Championship last month, will slot in at No. 3. Mitchell Santner has also been ruled out after struggling at Lord’s due to a cut on his left index finger, which may prompt a call-up for either Ajaz Patel or Rachin Ravindra, the other two left-arm spinners in New Zealand’s ranks. In better news for New Zealand, Trent Boult is back in the squad following his quarantine period, and could come straight into contention, along with Matt Henry, with Gary Stead, the head coach, indicating that they will rotate their options ahead of the WTC final.New Zealand (possible): 1 Tom Latham (capt), 2 Devon Conway, 3 Will Young, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Henry Nicholls, 6 BJ Watling (wk), 7 Colin de Grandhomme, 8 Matt Henry, 9 Kyle Jamieson, 10 Ajaz Patel / Rachin Ravindra, 11 Trent Boult.Trent Boult is set to play in the second Test•Pool/AFP via Getty Images

Pitch and conditions

It’s taken a while to splutter into life, but the English summer is now properly upon us, with temperatures in the mid-20s forecast all week. The Edgbaston pitch is habitually a sound one, and Chris Silverwood, England’s head coach, has requested a typically true deck with good carry for the seamers. There hasn’t been a whole lot of spin in evidence at the venue this summer – even that notorious fourth-innings assassin Simon Harmer was thwarted when Warwickshire saw off the champions Essex earlier in the season – but the high temperatures may help the pitch to dry and turn on days four and five.

Stats and trivia

• If selected for his 162nd Test appearance, James Anderson will break Alastair Cook’s record for England Test caps. He needs another six wickets to reach 1,000 in his first-class career.
• Tom Latham needs 12 runs to reach 4000 in Tests for New Zealand, a mark that only eight New Zealanders have previously reached. His next Test innings, coincidentally, will be his 100th, in his 58th match.
• New Zealand have lost on each of their previous four Test visits to Edgbaston, most recently in 1999, a match made famous by Alex Tudor’s 99 not out as England’s nightwatchman.
• Kane Williamson will have to wait at least until the WTC final to score the 44 runs he needs to overtake Stephen Fleming’s aggregate of 7172 in Tests, and become New Zealand’s second-highest run-scorer of all time, behind Ross Taylor.

Quotes

“It’s well documented that Kane’s personality and calm nature is vital to this group. He’s very relaxed, he doesn’t get too high or too low, he’s a wonderful leader, which we’ve seen throughout his captaincy career, but especially in the last couple of years, and he certainly will be missed.”
“I see it as an opportunity for them to go out and score Test-match runs for their country, and I hope they see it like that. They have a responsibility to go and play the situation to the best of their ability and try and eradicate any other thoughts.”

“I think we saw a lot of heart, a lot of commitment. What’s important to our group is our commitment to our style of cricket”

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jun-20213:08

Is this the greatest New Zealand Test team?

New Zealand’s captain Kane Williamson has described winning the inaugural World Test Championship in Southampton as a “special feeling”, but would not go as far as calling it the biggest day in the history of New Zealand cricket.”Certainly is a very special feeling. A couple of close ones and then to get one [final win is special],” Williamson said before collecting the Test Championship trophy. “India are a formidable side and we knew coming into the game it was going to be an incredibly tough challenge.”It’s the pinnacle, isn’t it, being involved in the final,” he added in the post-match press conference. “Even coming into the last day, although it was staggered with the weather and all the delays that we had, all results were on the table. It was just great the heart the team showed to take it across the line.”We saw both teams grab the momentum at certain points in time, and then to have the sixth day as back-up made for a fantastic game to be a part of. For us it’s a very proud moment in our history and a proud moment, just as a team really, to stick to what we do well and come away with the win, which is a really great feeling.”After the heartache of consecutive World Cup finals in 2015 and 2019 – the latter an agonising loss on boundary countback after both the match and the subsequent Super Over were tied – the triumph was sweet vindication for a New Zealand squad that has arguably never been bettered in the country’s history. Williamson, however, was keeping his emotions in check.”It’s a very special occasion and a fantastic feeling,” he said. “We’ve been involved in a couple of finals previously, and I suppose the first one [2015] was one-sided, the second one was pretty interesting, and this feeling is a bit different to those, which is great. I know the guys will celebrate that.”2019 was a great occasion and a brilliant game of cricket as well,” he added. “But obviously it’s a slightly different feeling, being on the right side of the result for us, and also a part of a great game of cricket and a great occasion, the first official World Test Championship. This is a really good feeling.”Related

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Williamson also said that while 11 people took the field for the WTC final, he wished to pay tribute to all 22 squad players who were part of the New Zealand Test side in the championship cycle. He also said that it was his players’ “heart and commitment” that earned them the final win.”I think for us, we know we don’t always have the stars, and we use our bits and pieces to stay in games and be competitive,” Williamson said. “I think we saw that in this match. I think we saw a lot of heart, a lot of commitment. What’s important to our group is our commitment to our style of cricket. And we had to, we know how strong this Indian side is in all conditions. We’ve seen it for a long time.”It’s not always easy I suppose when you’re playing in a one-off Test match as a final where anything can happen, and it’s a fickle game, and we respect that, but yeah, throughout all six days it ebbed and flowed and no one really got the upper hand for a long period of time.”The key partnership on the final day was Williamson’s unbeaten 96-run stand with Ross Taylor, who struck the winning boundary to finish unbeaten on 47. The pair first played together in Williamson’s Test debut back in 2010, also against India in Ahmedabad, and the captain paid tribute to his veteran batter.”It was fantastic to be a part of a partnership like that,” he said. “Obviously Ross is our most experienced player and a leader in the group, so it was nice that we were able to soak up some of the pressure and then score a few together, although it was really difficult to come by. But having an experienced hitter like Ross out there was certainly helpful.”It was a really special feeling to be there at the end together and tick those runs off. Even though it was 130-odd, on that surface you never felt comfortable. It was nice to soak up some of that pressure and put together a partnership.”Williamson also praised his lower-order batters in the first innings, who helped New Zealand take a 32-run lead. He said that while he personally found it tough to score runs against an “amazing” Indian attack, the way the lower order played with the freedom to take them to the lead played a big role in New Zealand eventually winning the match.He also praised the surface prepared for the final, calling it a “sporting wicket” for providing a result despite only four days of cricket possible.”That was tough obviously, an amazing attack, didn’t give you much to hit for long periods,” he said. “It was certainly tough going but we had to apply ourselves and the lower order played with a bit more freedom to take us closer to some sort of lead, which was important on a wicket like this. A very sporting surface, I suppose, and only four days of cricket produced some result.”The result, while a disappointment for India, was warmly greeted by the final’s neutral viewers around the world, who have taken to New Zealand’s style in recent years – starting with Brendon McCullum’s commitment to attacking cricket, and continuing through Williamson’s five-year tenure, including his grace in defeat in 2019.But after it was suggested on the match commentary that ‘nice guys do finish first sometimes’, Williamson insisted that the team’s only aim was to remain true to themselves.”In terms of our team and our behaviours, we try and commit to what’s important to us,” Williamson said. “People can comment on that, or tag us how they’d like, but it’s not about being anything other than authentic to us as a group and the sort of cricket that we want to play, and the behaviours that are important to us day in, day out. That’s something that is important to us as a team.”

England bowlers allow India to add only 88 to their overnight 276 for 3

Varun Shetty13-Aug-20213:08

Harmison: Anderson phenomenal even on a placid pitch

It was more ebb and flow and less one-sided on day two as England counter-punched throughout to significantly limit India’s chances of running away with an early advantage in the second Test. Spearheading the bowling effort once again was James Anderson, who became the oldest man in 70 years to take a Test five-for; he was aided much better on the day by the rest of the line-up, and together they made sure that India added only 88 to their overnight score of 276 for 3.By stumps, England were 246 behind with Joe Root looking solid, after he had put up an encouraging stand with Rory Burns that came just in time as a potent spell from Mohammed Siraj threatened to put India on top once again.The day couldn’t have begun any better for England. Overnight centurion KL Rahul miscued a drive straight to extra cover off Ollie Robinson, second ball of the day, and Anderson had Ajinkya Rahane caught behind off the first ball next over to put an end to a 23-ball effort for India’s vice-captain that yielded a single run. At 282 for 5, India were suddenly in danger of a rapid end to their innings as England made use of the overcast conditions far better than they had on the first day.Related

• James Anderson, the lord of Lord's when India come calling

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The last recognised pair – Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja – did come good at that point, even if briefly in a 49-run stand. Pant played with typical panache, stepping out to slash over the bowlers, to pummel through the covers, and on one instance even stepping out and leaving a ball outside off. He was dismissed by Mark Wood, who would eventually go on to get Jadeja as well. India’s last four wickets added 33, a laboured effort that took 16.1 overs of batting around an atypically subdued Jadeja, who was the last man out. That total of 364 signalled a move towards some parity in the game for England.Burns and Dom Sibley looked resolute as they took England to tea, but India would punch back immediately after. They did that via Siraj, and with the use of a strategy they had developed earlier in the year on their Australia tour: the leg trap, a move that involved consistently slanting the ball into batters with packed leg-side fields that eventually proved to be a viable attacking as well as defensive strategy.Siraj was the man entrusted to pull it off, attacking Sibley’s middle and leg stumps until he induced a leg-side strangle that has become endemic for England’s opener in a short career; he had chipped to midwicket at Trent Bridge, and he did it again on Friday after enduring 44 balls for 11. Next ball, India had three catchers in various orientations around midwicket, and that was enough to push the returning Haseeb Hameed to play down a middle stump line to a full delivery that rattled the base of off.It became crucial at this juncture for England that Root would get through Siraj’s spell unscathed, and the bowler didn’t make it easy. He consistently challenged Root’s inside edge with a sustained attack at the stumps. On two occasions he came close to trapping him lbw; on both, Virat Kohli made reluctant reviews that showed the ball was sliding down leg side and India burned two reviews quickly. With the second one, he was visibly distressed with wicketkeeper Pant, seemingly for being too late in telling him that the review wasn’t on.Funnily enough, it was a Siraj over that did eventually release the pressure off England. The 27th over went for three fours, all of them from Burns, who drove neatly past mid-off and followed it up with consecutive pulls to the midwicket boundary to jump from 19 off 78 to 31 off 84. It also managed to take Siraj out of the attack, and began a series of fours, including two from Root at the start of Ishant Sharma’s next over. From 42 for 2 at the end of 26 overs, England swiftly jumped to 73 for 2 at the end of the 30th.The pattern from there was much like that of India’s in the last session of day one, with the sun peeking through the clouds and scoring getting easier. Soon enough, Kohli was forced to turn to Jadeja to tighten up one end in a bid to get to stumps without too much damage.India did pull one back at the end, though: Mohammed Shami going around the wicket for a third wicket that involved the ball coming in at the stumps. Completely against the run of play, Burns was trapped on the back foot, the ball keeping a touch low as he looked to swish it into the leg side. He made it clear he wasn’t pleased with that decision and it ended up costing England a review. But on the balance, at least from the point of view that India didn’t make any massive strides after day one, England will have been the happier team at stumps.

England said there are no injury concerns around the quick bowler, and he was fit for selection

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Dec-2021James Anderson will miss the first Ashes Test in Brisbane but England insisted that it is not injury related and is part of the management plan to have him primed for the day-night Test in Adelaide next week.It was always unlikely that Anderson, the third-highest Test wicket-taker, would play all five Tests in a tight schedule and he himself has previously said three of the matches might be realistic.Anderson missed the majority of the 2019 Ashes with a calf injury he sustained in the opening Test at Edgbaston which left England a bowler short in a match they went onto lose and there were questions raised as to whether he would be able to return.But since then he has taken 57 wickets in 17 Tests and played in all of the matches against New Zealand and India in the last home summer.Anderson does not have a good record at the Gabba with seven wickets at 75.14 from four matches. In Adelaide he has taken 16 wickets at 29.50.”Jimmy is fit to play, and is not carrying an injury,” an ECB statement said. “With five Tests in six weeks the plan was to get him ready for the second Test in Adelaide.”With the limited build-up we have had so far on the tour, both him and the management didn’t want to take the risk of him playing after what had happened in 2019 at Edgbaston, when he broke down on the first morning.”He bowled at full capacity yesterday for just short of an hour and was in a good place physically. He will do the same again today at practice.”He will stay with the Test group this week and work with the coaches at the Gabba rather than playing for the Lions.”There remains a chance that England will go into the opening Test without Anderson and Stuart Broad with the latter having missed a large part of the home season with a calf injury. The disrupted preparations caused by poor weather in Queensland have hampered the fast bowlers’ lead-in.Buttler on Anderson: “We want a guy like that to be available for as much of it as possible, so think it’s a bit precautionary”•AFP

“Just with the build-up everyone has had, the guys just want to make sure everyone is perfect to go,” Jos Buttler said. “Jimmy’s not going to play but he is fit. Obviously it’s a very long series and we want a guy like that to be available for as much of it as possible, so think it’s a bit precautionary. He bowled well yesterday and will bowl again today.”Broad’s participation could rest on whether England play a specialist spinner in Jack Leach. With Ben Stokes back it gives them the chance to field a balanced attack although there remains some uncertainty about the amount Stokes will be able to bowl having not played competitively since July.”We always know that when he gets into that game he’ll want to leave his mark on it,” captain Joe Root said of Stokes. “Yes, there’ll be an element of managing expectations and you’ve got to trust his experience and our whole bowling group collectively that we can work together to take those wickets. I’m sure Ben will have a big say in that. It’s something we’ll definitely be trying to get right throughout the whole series.”Of the potential quicks, Ollie Robinson and Mark Wood have yet to play Test cricket in Australia while Chris Woakes averages 49.50 from four matches but Buttler was bullish in the capacity to take 20 wickets.”We are confident, that’s why the guys are here,” he said. “There’s some fantastic performers. Obviously Broad and Anderson have been brilliant performers for a long period of time and will play a huge part in the series. Whichever XI we take the field with we’ll be very confident.”England’s 12 for the Gabba Test: Joe Root (capt), Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler (wk), Haseeb Hameed, Jack Leach, Dawid Malan, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood