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

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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

Todd Greenberg assures players that he will travel to Pakistan with them; Nick Hockley is also expected to make the trip

PTI11-Jan-2022Todd Greenberg, the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) chief, has assured the country’s cricketers that he would travel to Pakistan with the squad if the tour gets the go-ahead, and would be fine with “one or two players” backing out of the trip.”I’ve made an assurance to the players that they won’t go alone,” Greenberg was quoted as saying by the . “If they’re going to Pakistan, I’ll be going with them and I think that’s important. It’s an opportunity to show the players that we’re in this together.”The ACA accompanied Cricket Australia on a pre-tour of Pakistan late last year, and the reports were all very positive. But we’ll continue to take the advice of DFAT [Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade] and other government organisations, as we need to be able to satisfy not just the players, but their families, that it’s safe to tour.”International teams have been reluctant to travel to Pakistan since the terrorist attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore in 2009, though international cricket has taken place in fits and starts in the country recently. If Australia get the security clearance to travel, it would be Australia’s first tour to Pakistan since 1998, when Mark Taylor’s side won the three-Test series 1-0.”There may be one or two players who won’t be comfortable despite the best advice we give, and that’s OK, we need to respect that,” Greenberg said.He stressed that while Australia were keen to fulfil their international commitments, they would allow players to make their own choices. “We have to be kind and patient with each other, and there’ll be a player or two who say, ‘You know what, this is not for me at this particular point in my life and career, I’m not comfortable going’,” he told SEN Radio during the fourth Ashes Test in Sydney. “If that’s the case, we need to have great respect for that.”CA chief executive Nick Hockley is also planning to travel to Pakistan for at least a part of the tour, while the interim chair Richard Freudenstein may visit for a period to meet with his counterpart Ramiz Raja, unless a new permanent chair is chosen by then, according to the report in the newspaper.Pakistan are scheduled to host Australia in March-April for three Tests, three ODIs and one T20I, with the Tests in Karachi, Rawalpindi and Lahore, which will also host all the limited-overs matches.

Sarel Erwee is the favourite to make his debut at No. 3 for the visitors

Firdose Moonda15-Feb-2022

Big picture

The biggest rivalry in global rugby – between All Blacks and Springboks – is not mirrored in world cricket but Dean Elgar and Tim Southee think it could be. Last week, they both spoke of the “great rivalry” that exists between their two cricket sides but you’d be forgiven for thinking they’re simply talking things up.Historically, the cricketing match-up between South Africa and New Zealand has been quite one-sided. South Africa have dominated these encounters – pre- and post-readmission – and won 13 of the 16 series they’ve played against New Zealand, who have not emerged victorious from any. All told, New Zealand have only beaten South Africa four times in 45 Tests but the teams meet so infrequently that perhaps these numbers don’t really matter.They last played against each other five years ago, in 2017, and South Africa could consider themselves fortunate to have got away with a 1-0 series win after the weather saved them in the third Test in Hamilton. Only four members of the current South African squad – Elgar, Temba Bavuma, Keshav Maharaj and Kagiso Rabada – played in that series and they have since undergone an overhaul, mainly in administration but also in personnel, and can finally have the foundations of a rebuild.New Zealand may slowly find themselves in a similar position. Ross Taylor has retired, Kane Williamson’s elbow injury has sidelined him, Neil Wagner is in his mid-30s, and Southee and Trent Boult are not far behind. So far, their transition appears to be going smoother than South Africa’s did but that doesn’t mean they can capitalise too much on the schadenfreude.Related

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South Africa have won three of their last four Test series, including a come-from-behind win against India. There is depth in their squad and talent in the provincial pools, and despite head coach Mark Boucher’s disciplinary hearing hanging over the squad, they seem to be getting on with things in a clinical way. There was even little to no complaints about the ten-day quarantine they had to serve in New Zealand, though Rassie van der Dussen expressed hope it would be the last time they had had to travel under such strict restrictions. South Africa were allowed to train, which has given them more time to acclimatise to conditions, not least because both Tests will take place in Christchurch.If they thought batting would be easier than it has been at home, they’re probably wrong. This has been built up as a contest of the quicks with 14 seamers sprinkled across both squads. As was the case during South Africa’s series against India, it may not be about big runs as much as it is about crucial partnerships, strong temperaments and small margins.There are important incentives to do well for both teams though. New Zealand are the current holders of the Test mace and ranked No. 2, so beating them would arguably rank higher for South Africa than their recent success against India at home. It would also strengthen South Africa’s position on the World Test Championship points table. New Zealand, meanwhile, dropped points against Bangladesh and they visit England and Pakistan later this year, so they need to bank all the home points they can.

Form guide

New Zealand WLLDW (last five Tests, most recent first)
South Africa WWLWW

In the spotlight

This is the first time South African born batter Devon Conway will play against his former countrymen. Conway is from Johannesburg and played for teams in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, so he will be familiar to many in the current South Africa squad but should not expect things to be too friendly. Elgar said the team “doesn’t see him as South African anymore” and will treat him like any other member of the opposition. “Once you walk over that white line, it is all business, irrespective if he is your friend or not,” Elgar said. Still, South Africa would have been thinking about Conway and his “purple patch”, as Elgar called it, as they identify key players in the New Zealand side. Conway’s Test career is only five matches old but he has already scored three centuries, including a double-hundred at Lord’s, and averages close to 70.Aiden Markram averages 26.47 in his last 19 Tests•AFP/Getty Images

In six innings against India, Aiden Markram scored only 76 runs at an average of 12.66, which means he now averages 26.47 in his last 19 Tests. South Africa have opted to stick with him on reputation, talent and white-ball form, but Markram must know the pressure is on to perform. Sarel Erwee is in the squad and likely to bat at No. 3 in Keegan Petersen’s absence. A good series for him could force Markram into the margins unless he matches up with runs of his own. While Markram’s ability has never been in doubt, this series could be a decisive one in the immediate future of his Test career.

Team news

Coach Gary Stead confirmed New Zealand’s top five will see Conway continue to occupy the No. 3 spot and Henry Nicholls move up to No. 4 in place of the now-retired Taylor. That could create room for an allrounder at No. 7. Having gone for a four-pronged specialist pace attack at this venue in the past, Stead confirmed New Zealand will adopt the same strategy and Matt Henry will replace Trent Boult, who is on paternity leave.New Zealand: (probable) 1 Tom Latham (capt), 2 Will Young, 3 Devon Conway, 4 Henry Nicholls, 5 Daryl Mitchell, 6 Tom Blundell (wk), 7 Colin de Grandhomme, 8 Kyle Jamieson, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Neil Wagner, 11 Matt HenrySarel Erwee is the favourite to make his debut at No. 3 ahead of Zubayr Hamza or Ryan Rickelton. Though he is an opening batter, he has been travelling with the South African side over the last year and Elgar has thrown his weight behind giving Erwee an opportunity. Though Maharaj didn’t bowl much during the India series, South Africa are usually reluctant to go without a spinner, which could see him keep his place. Should South Africa dispense with Maharaj, they may look to Wiaan Mulder or one of Glenton Stuurman or Lutho Sipamla for an extra seam-bowling option.South Africa: (probable) 1 Dean Elgar (capt), 2 Aiden Markram, 3 Sarel Erwee 4 Rassie van der Dussen, 5 Temba Bavuma, 6 Kyle Verreynne (wk), 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Keshav Maharaj, 9 Kagiso Rabada 10 Duanne Olivier, 11 Lungi Ngidi

Pitch and conditions

Expect pace and bounce on green tops for this series with very little in it for the spinners. That’s the view of van der Dussen, who called the Hagley Oval surfaces similar to the ones at the Lincoln University, where South Africa have been training. “The wickets look very green and very grassy but the surface underneath is quite hard so it makes it quite consistent in terms of bounce and pace,” he said. New Zealand have assessed the pitch as similar to the one on which they played Bangladesh earlier this year, where New Zealand scored 521 for 6 and bowled Bangladesh out for 126 and 278.After persistent rain in the build-up, the weather mostly cleared in Christchurch. Days will be sunny and mild, with temperatures in the early 20s but there is a 90% chance of rain on the third day.

Stats and trivia

• The last time New Zealand were without both Taylor and Williamson was in January 2008, against Bangladesh. They have played 117 Tests since.
• Markram needs 100 runs to reach 2000 Test runs.

Quotes

“They’re a quality side. They’ve come off beating India in South Africa a couple of weeks ago. They’ve got classy players throughout. While they lack experience, they’re a different team from what we’ve seen in the past, we cannot underestimate them.”
“The teams of the past have been really successful over here. The conditions favour seam bowling, and that might be a reason for that. It’s a proud record to be part of. It’s different in this series. They’ve been really successful over the last two years. They’ve played a lot of cricket at home. They know their conditions well and they are quite suited to it.”

The full statement of the former Zimbabwe captain on how he was allegedly approached by corruptors in late 2019

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jan-2022″To my friends, family, supporters and wider public.”I’ve been carrying a burden for over 2 years now that has sadly taken me to some very dark places and had a profound effect on my mental health. And I’ve only recently managed to start sharing my story with close friends and family and receive the love and support I guess I was too ashamed and frightened to seek in the first place.”This may not make for comfortable reading but I would like to make a statement regarding a finding made by the ICC, which is soon to be released.”In late October 2019, I was approached by an Indian businessman requesting that I attend India to discuss sponsorships and the potential launch of a T20 competition in Zimbabwe and was advised that I would be paid USD 15,000 to make the journey.
I can’t deny I was a little wary. But the timing was such that we hadn’t been paid for 6 months by Zimbabwe cricket and it was questionable whether Zimbabwe would be able to continue playing in the international arena. So I made the journey. The discussions took place, as he had said, and on our last night in the hotel, the businessman and his colleagues took me for a celebratory dinner.”We had drinks and during the course of the evening they openly offered me cocaine, which they themselves engaged in, and I foolishly took the bait. I’ve gone over it a million times since and still feel sick to my stomach reliving that night and how they played me.”The following morning, the same men stormed into my hotel room and showed me a video taken of me the night before doing cocaine and told me that if I did not spot fix at international matches for them, the video would be released to the public.”I was cornered. And with 6 of these individuals in my hotel room, I was scared for my own safety. I’d fallen for it. I’d willingly walked into a situation that has changed my life forever.”I was handed the USD 15,000 but was told this was now a ‘deposit’ for spot fixing and that an additional USD 20,000 would be paid once the ‘job’ was complete. I took the money so I could get on a plane and leave India. I felt I had no choice at the time because saying no was clearly not an option. All I knew was I had to get out of there.”When I returned home, the stress of what had taken place severely impacted my mental and physical health. I was a mess. I was diagnosed with shingles and prescribed strong anti-psychotic medication – amitriptyline.Related

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“The ‘businessman’ wanted a return on his investment which I could not and would not give. It took me 4 months to report this offence and interaction to the ICC. I acknowledge this was too long of a time but I thought I could protect everyone and in particular, my family. I approached the ICC on my own terms and | hoped that if I explained my predicament, my genuine fear for our safety and wellbeing, that they would understand the delay.”Unfortunately, they did not, but I cannot feign ignorance in this regard. I have attended many anti-corruption seminars over the years and we know that time is of the essence when making reports.”I would like to place on record that I have never been involved in any form of match-fixing. I may be many things but I am not a cheat. My love for the beautiful game of cricket far outweighs and surpasses any threats which could be thrown my way.”As a result of approaching the ICC I attended multiple interviews and engagements and was as honest and transparent as I could be during their investigations. Inside and outside I was beating myself up and I still wish I had sought support and advice earlier for a multitude of reasons.”That being said, the ICC are taking the decision to impose a multi-year ban on my international cricketing career. I humbly accept this decision and only hope that my story will be used as a means of encouragement for cricketers to report any approaches early.”I will admit that the past two years have been incredibly challenging, both personally and professionally, and it is from absolute rock bottom that I am trying to climb out of this mess I made.”My family and friends have been incredibly supportive of me and it is clear to me now that I have a much bigger problem which for some time has needed addressing.”And so, I would also like to let you know that on Tuesday the 25th of January I am checking into a rehabilitation centre to get clean and to get my life back on track. I have to tell my story now because I know people will want to hear from me. To try and understand what led to this point. But for many weeks I will be away and trying to get better.”l owe it to myself and to my family to get clean and to put them first. I have let a substance take control of me and impair my vision, my morals and my values and it is time that I prioritise what really matters.”I also hope my story inspires someone who hears it, to get the help that they need. I had not realised that coming forward and talking would give me so much relief from the hell I have found myself in for years. Drugs and narcotics do not discriminate and it took all that I have to admit that I have a problem.”To end I need to let you know I am sorry for those I have hurt. I am sorry for those I have let down.”I would like to thank my family, my friends and my supporters for always being there. I have learnt the true meaning of loyalty.
The greatest honour that can be bestowed, is to captain and represent ones country and for this, l am eternally grateful.”I am also grateful for what this experience has taught me. I am grateful for my four beautiful children, my loving and supportive wife, my health and the clarity I now have to want to be a better version of myself.”Brendan Taylor.”