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Australia coach calls flat pitches “a huge problem” for game in wake of MCG abandonment

Andrew McGlashan in Perth10-Dec-2019While maybe not the talk of the town, there is plenty of chatter about pitches in Australia. There was the abandonment of the Sheffield Shield game at the MCG and now the intrigue about what will be laid out for the second Test to be staged at the new Perth Stadium. For Australia coach Justin Langer, however, there is just one thing that matters: Test cricket can’t afford flat surfaces.The scenes at the MCG over the weekend were sparked by a pitch that started too soft when the groundsman, Matt Page, went too far after the ground’s recent problems with lifeless pitches. Langer sympathised with what they were trying to do because he believes the nature of surfaces are the biggest factor in the longer formats.ALSO READ: NZ brace for ‘most extreme’ Test in Perth“I see flat pitches as a huge problem for the health of cricket,” he said. “I’ve said this for 10, 15 or 20 years, for the health of Test cricket, first-class cricket and even one-day cricket you want to play on wickets where there’s a contest between bat and ball. It’s been very well documented what happened at the MCG this week, but I know they are trying to push it so they get a contest back because we don’t want to see cricket anywhere in the world, in my opinion, on flat wickets which are batsman-dominated, it’s just not spectacle.”The pink ball under lights is trying to keep some great life in Test cricket, but the most important thing for me is to get the wickets right so there’s a contest between bat and ball. Hopefully everyone around the world, whether it’s spin, seam, swing, pace and bounce, whatever it is, give the characteristic of giving the bowler some hope because we want spectacle in all cricket, it’s entertainment. We don’t want to see really flat wickets.”Although it does not give the full picture of Test surfaces, Australia comes out well this decade in terms of the percentage of drawn Tests in the country with the third lowest (16.98%) behind South Africa (12.76%) and England (14.49%) – excluding Zimbabwe and Ireland as host nations. The issues at the MCG aside, Langer does not believe there is a big problem with the pitches produced in Australia.”We’ve seen [problems] for a few years at the MCG but, I don’t know what the statistics are, but I imagine you get a higher proportion of results here in Australia. I think Australian wickets are going pretty well. There’s a lot of focus on the MCG at the moment because of the last few years of Test cricket, and that’s good that’s happening, because we want to see good wickets. But overall I think the wickets in Australia are excellent.”What we don’t want to do is go the other way where there’s no chance for a batsman. We’ve got to get the balance right. We don’t want to see wickets that are so green that the game is over in two days. That doesn’t make sense either. But when there’s wickets falling and the best batsmen score runs, that’s great Test cricket or great one-day cricket for me.”For the next few days, much of the attention will be on how the pitch in Perth plays. The surface made a promising start against India last year although was only rated ‘average’ by the ICC, probably on the basis of some uneven bounce that was on display, which generated a surprised reaction to many who had watched the Test match.This year the pitch will be baked in hot weather and there is a chance cracks could open up although Langer said they often look worse to the batsman than they really are. The cracks at the WACA became part of cricket folklore, from Tony Greig losing his keys down one to Curtly Ambrose being run out when his bat got stuck to the jagging delivery that bowled James Vince in the 2017-18 Ashes.”Last year against India, it’s exactly what we’re looking for in Test cricket,” Langer said. “There was a result, it was entertaining cricket. It was fast and bouncy. Obviously the conditions are going to be very hot. Traditionally in Perth when it gets hot you get cracks in the wicket. Having played here for a long time they are usually more psychological than having a physical impact on the game. I’m sure there will be cracks that open up and it’s usually part of the drama that is a contest here in WA. I think it’s going to be a very good wicket. Hopefully there is some pace and bounce, hopefully there is a contest because that’s what we need in Test cricket.”With Melbourne to come and then this series finishing in Sydney the talk about the 22 yards will not go away. The SCG has had issues of its own – some related to the other sports that use the stadium – and the pitches for the Sheffield Shield have not had much pace but spin, which the ground has historically been famous for assisting, has played a key role.”It’s pleasing to see we’ve got some unique characteristics to the SCG to an extent again,” New South Wales captain Peter Nevill said. “I thought our last wicket against Western Australia was a fantastic wicket. It’s good to see quality spin and people having to play quality spin. We get criticised enough when we go overseas to the subcontinent [saying] we can’t play spin.”Unless we’re preparing conditions in Australia that allow you to play two spinners, and this is the only venue around the country you can, people aren’t going to be exposed to that and they’re not going to get any better at playing it. I’d love to see the SCG continue to be a spinning wicket and I think the curator needs to be allowed to do so.”And it wasn’t just the view of the home captain. “I think that’d be a pretty good deck to roll out for the Test here,” Queensland skipper Usman Khawaja said. “You obviously want it to probably break up a little bit more, but I think that’s more to do with the weather than the wicket. It’s feeling more like the SCG of old, when I started playing.”

The allrounder said he was fully fit but MSK Prasad clarified that they wanted him to play at least two games before getting him back in the national side

Sidharth Monga in Delhi25-Oct-2018MSK Prasad, India’s chairman of selectors, has said Kedar Jadhav was not picked for the last three ODIs against West Indies because of his fitness history.”We did not pick Kedar because of his history of fitness,” Prasad was quoted as saying by . “There have been occasions earlier when he has come back fit and then broke down, a case in point being the Asia Cup last month.”Jadhav’s hamstrings – “compromised”, as his Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming described it during commentary – have caused him issues for a while. He injured himself in his first IPL match this season and missed the entire tournament, and then reinjured himself during the Asia Cup.When the team was announced for the first two ODIs against West Indies, Prasad had said at the press conference that Jadhav was on course to come back after the first two matches. Fit again, Jadhav was playing a Deodhar Trophy match in Delhi on the day he was left out of the India squad. Jadhav batted, bowled and fielded in the Deodhar game, running twos without any apparent trouble; he was shocked when told moments after the match that he was not part of the India squad.”I didn’t know [that I have not been selected],” Jadhav said in a press conference minutes after the match. “Obviously, I have to see [why].”When asked if he was surprised, because his form was not a concern and he had proved his fitness at both the NCA and Kotla, Jadhav said: “Let’s see. I don’t know. You are the first one to tell me this [that I have not been picked]. I have to see why they have not picked me.”Prasad clarified that they wanted Jadhav to play at least two games before they select him for India, given his fitness history, but Jadhav’s team was eliminated and he won’t get that chance. “Actually, we were thinking that if India A won today, then Kedar would have got another match, which would have given us a fair assessment of his match fitness,” Prasad said. “Maybe we could have added him as an additional player (in Indian team) before the fourth ODI as the Deodhar final is on Saturday. Players need to understand that there is a process that we follow while selecting the team.”Jadhav said that he was fully fit. “The rehab was good, I cleared all the fitness tests, I was cleared match fit, which is why I was playing here,” Jadhav said. He ran hard in his 25-ball 41, pinching three consecutive twos in the last over of the innings. He bowled and fielded too, although he did leave the field for a few minutes before coming back on. However, it is unlikely there was any assessment made on the day because the team was announced at around 3.30pm IST. Three selectors were watching the match at the Feroz Shah Kotla, so it is unlikely the selection meeting took place today.”They pick you only if you clear all the tests [at NCA] and you are completely fine,” Jadhav said.Jadhav said there was no need for doubts despite his repeated injuries, as long as there was clearance from the NCA. “Only if you have followed all the rehab, all the fitness rules, all the exercises do they clear you at NCA. As long as they clear you, you shouldn’t be having any doubt when playing on the field. You should express yourself. When I get clearance from NCA, I don’t hold myself back to play or to dive or to bowl.”Whatever injury it might be, when you are playing well, batting well, bowling well, it sets you back,” Jadhav said. “You don’t know how long you will be out for, and when you do come back whether you will rediscover the touch you were in. And you lose out on the matches in between. It hurts, but then you have to accept it and move on.”The three remaining matches against West Indies are the last ODIs India play this year. Jadhav is now expected to turn out for Maharashtra against Vidarbha in the Ranji Trophy at the start of November.

Luis Reece has had a fine T20 season and Derbyshire needed him again after an uncertain display against Durham

ECB Reporters Network15-Aug-2017Luis Reece carried Derbyshire Falcons to the brink of the NatWest T20 Blast quarter-finals with 66 from 49 balls that sealed a three wicket win over the Durham Jets at Derby.Reece scored his fourth T20 fifty as the Falcons survived a late wobble inspired by Durham skipper Paul Coughlin to chase down 162 with three balls to spare. Derbyshire go second in the North Group with two matches to play.Stuart Poynter had made a competition best unbeaten 61 from 32 balls as the Jets recovered to 161 for 7 but Reece again played a decisive hand to turn the game.Durham’s innings began badly with Keaton Jennings run out by a direct hit from midwicket in the first over and Graham Clarke lbw going back to Wayne Madsen in the third.Michael Richardson went for a duck in the fourth when Hardus Viljoen side-footed the ball into the stumps in his follow through and although Tom Latham twice pulled the South African for four, the Jets hopes of a substantial total were dented when he swung Matt Henry into the hands of deep midwicket in the last over of the powerplay.Jack Burnham and Paul Coughlin added 38 before the Jets skipper was caught behind trying to pull Ben Cotton and the Falcons looked in control when Burnham was caught at third man in the 17th over.Luis Reece has had a fine NatWest Blast tournament•Getty Images

But Poynter had already lofted Imran Tahir for six and he drove and pulled two more from Cotton in the 19th over to reach 50 from 28 balls.A full toss from Henry was dispatched over deep point for his fourth six and when he late cut the last ball for four, 35 had come from the final two overs.The Falcons lost Billy Godleman in the second over despite replays showing James Weighell was perilously close to a no ball and after Matt Critchley pulled Chris Rushworth for six, he miscued to midwicket to reduce the home side to 33 for 2 in the 5th over.As one of the leading batsmen in the competition, Madsen’s wicket was key and he moved smoothly to 24 but then swung Ryan Pringle to wide long on.Reece, badly dropped at deep cover on 21, pulled Jennings for six but the Jets were building pressure which told when Alex Hughes top edged a pull in the 15th over.Reece took two fours from Weighell as 16 came from the 16th over, Henry pulled Usman Arshad for six, and although wickets fell in the closing overs, they had done enough.

South African pace bowler Kagiso Rabada proved an instant hit with Kent supporters by claiming two wickets on debut to help steer Spitfires to a tense 10-run win over NatWest T20 Blast rivals Sussex Sharks in Canterbury

ECB Reporters Network30-Jun-2016
ScorecardKagiso Rabada struck twice on his Kent debut•Getty Images

South African pace bowler Kagiso Rabada proved an instant hit with Kent supporters by claiming two wickets on debut to help steer Spitfires to a tense 10-run win over NatWest T20 Blast rivals Sussex Sharks in Canterbury.On a two-paced pitch that made boundary hitting tricky for both sides, Kent successfully defended 166 for 6 with Rabada claiming 2 for 31 and Fabian Cowdrey 2 for 8 to seal their sides third south group win.After collecting his Man-of-the-Match award 21-year-old Rabada said: “It was a great start for my debut and I’m just happy that I could contribute and that the team has won. It’s a good start for me and hopefully we can get some momentum from this.”It was quite a good wicket but most of the guys felt we fell a bit short runs wise, so credit to all the bowlers because we made it tough for them to score and got wickets at crucial times.”Visiting skipper Luke Wright said: “I was delighted, after the start Kent had, to restrict them to that total. I’d have taken that total any day, so it’s disappointing now and feels like we let that one slip away. But credit to their bowlers, I felt they executed their plans really well.”Also credit to Sam [Northeast] for his decision to bring on Cowdrey when he did. You never know how it’ll go when you bring on a part-time bowler, especially with someone like Ross Taylor batting. But it proved a gutsy decision.”Needing to score at 8.35 an over to surpass Kent’s modest 166, Sussex openers Wright and Chris Nash had faced only eight deliveries when a low sun glinting through the gap between the Pavilion and the Frank Woolley Stand caused a stoppage in play for 17 minutes. As the players stood in the middle waiting for the sun to drop, the irony was not lost on a Kent side who have lost 1,216 overs to inclement weather in all forms of cricket this summer.On his Kent debut, Rabada struck with his 11th delivery by pegging back the off stump of Chris Nash with a 90mph yorker.’Bad light’ came into play again at the opposite end of the ground as this time the setting sun reflected off the windows of the Sky Sports commentary box to dazzle the batsmen and cause a further 10-minute delay.Six balls after the resumption Wright attempted to uppercut against Rabada to be caught superbly on the run at third man by David Griffiths.With James Tredwell bowling frugally, Sussex still required 100 to win with 10 overs remaining, but that was the cue for Taylor to cut lose by taking 17 off a Darren Stevens over.Kent hit back when, in his first over, Cowdrey had Phil Salt caught at cow corner then, Cowdrey’s arm ball wrapped Taylor on the pads flush in front to send him packing one short of his 50.Matt Machan launched into a leg-side six off Griffiths leaving Sharks to score 32 to win off their final two overs. Mitch Claydon conceded nine off the penultimate over, leaving Rabada with 23 to defend in the last.Batting first after winning the toss, Kent made a watchful start through Tom Latham and Joe Denly, who appeared content simply to see off the pace of Tymal Mills.The Kent openers took a brace of boundaries off Nuwan Kulasekara, the Sri Lanka seamer making the first of his three appearances for Sussex, but still seemed too circumspect.Ajmal Shahzad dropped short allowing Latham to clip the first six of the night over midwicket as Kent reached 48 without loss after their six Powerplay overs.   
Sussex hauled the run-rate in further to restrict Kent to 89 fwithout loss at the innings mid-point and spark the loss of three wickets in seven balls.After helping to set a record opening stand in matches against Sussex worth 90, Denly’s 40-ball knock for 44 ended with a sliced drive high to deep cover off Nash then, four balls later, Northeast holed out to long-on to make it 99 for 2. The rot continued as Latham clipped off his legs to be caught at deep fine leg for 48.Sam Billings should have gone for 12 when he miscued a Danny Briggs full-toss only for Salt to spill a comfortable throat-high chance at mid-wicket. The drop cost only 10 runs when Billings miscued his next full toss to long-on where Machan pocketed the chance to make it 130 for 4.In his second stint down the Nackington Road slope Mills mixed his pace and lengths superbly to bamboozle Kent’s big-hitting duo of Stevens and Alex Blake.Frustrated by the lack of boundaries, Stevens launched into a straight drive against Jordan to pick out Kulasekara at long-off.Mills conceded his sole boundary of the night in his final over, but wrapped up his excellent four-over stint of 1 for 15 by yorking Cowdrey for a duck. Blake’s unbeaten 36 was full of miscues and mishits as Kent mustered 166.

Yuvraj Singh hopes his 89-ball 129 sparks a new beginning after scoring a first century in nine months after a lay-off in France and the NCA to work on his fitness

Kanishkaa Balachandran in Bangalore15-Sep-2013Hours after marking his comeback to competitive cricket after four months with a century that set up India A’s comprehensive 77-run win over West Indies A in Bangalore, Yuvraj Singh looked a relieved man. Perhaps the elation of blasting 123 off 89 balls against what he termed an “international attack” hadn’t sunk in. Looking considerably lighter, and feeling like he had a massive load off his shoulders, Yuvraj hoped this knock would spark a new beginning.Yuvraj came into this game having not played since the IPL in May. However, his road to a comeback started before that in January, when he last played for India. Ignored in the interim due to poor form and fitness, Yuvraj sought to get his fitness back with a rigorous program in France. He was given a lifeline by the selectors when named captain of the limited-overs squads in the ongoing matches against West Indies A. Expectations were high, and he delivered with a brutal century.”I always had the belief that when I’m feeling well from inside, when I’m feeling mentally good, I’m going to do well,” Yuvraj said. “It’s taken a lot of time because the body has gone through a lot. You just can’t go through such a disease (cancer) and come back and say ‘okay, I’m going to be a 100%.'”It’s just getting better and better with every off-season I’ve spent. I’m just happy with the way I hit the ball today and hopefully I can carry on this form in the coming months.”Yuvraj said he paid a lot of attention to his fitness over the last few months, and credited his stints in France and the National Cricket Academy for getting him back on track.”The doctors said it would take me about a year to get fully fit. My body’s improved a lot. I was focused on training, where I had my weaknesses, on my lung capacity, my diet, in my off-season with Zak [Zaheer Khan],” Yuvraj said. “And, Tim Exeter, whom we trained with (in France), has done wonders for me and Zak in terms of getting back.”
Yuvraj walked in in the 12th over after India had lost two wickets for 47.Despite the match being reduced to 42 overs, Yuvraj didn’t let the pressure of the run-rate get to him, and bided his time initially. He scored his first boundary off the 39th ball he faced, and accelerated once he passed his half-century. He needed just 20 balls to get from fifty to his century, and by the time he was dismissed, he had smashed eight fours and seven sixes.Asked if he was a bit too cautious initially, Yuvraj said the pacing of his knock was not too dissimilar from any of his other international centuries. The last time Yuvraj passed three figures was in a Ranji match against Madhya Pradesh last December.”I’ve been working on my batting and skills in the last couple of weeks. I just wanted to take some time at the start and attack when I needed to,” Yuvraj said. “I think most of my centuries are like this only. Take a few balls to get to 30-35, and then try and up the tempo.”Yuvraj shared stands of 100 and 125 with Mandeep Singh and Yusuf Pathan respectively, and the partnerships were crucial in propelling India A to a commanding total after the West Indies seamers made life tough for the top order. Mandeep was positive in his 67, looking for boundaries while Yuvraj looked to settle in. Yuvraj credited the younger Mandeep for taking the pressure off him.”Once a batsmen batting with you is set, it allows you to take a bit of time in the middle. It was a fresh wicket, it was doing a bit in the first couple of overs. Robin [Uthappa] and Mandy [Mandeep], they gave us a good start. It allowed me and Yusuf to cash in in the end. Mandy dominating at that time really helped me take my time and get settled in.”He also praised the opposition’s bowling attack, who were not as bad as their figures suggested. “I think it was a complete international attack,” Yuvraj said. “[Andre] Russell has obviously played for West Indies, Ronsford Beaton – that kid looks really special. He looks the future of West Indies fast bowling. He reminded me of Curtly Ambrose. Obviously, Curtly was great. I think he has a lot of potential, and I think they had a very good attack.”Having failed to make the cut for the three unofficial Tests, Yuvraj said he was happy living for the moment. “Look, I got an opportunity to play. I don’t know about four-day cricket; Test matches. I’m just happy I’m playing.”

The board members will sit to discuss and finalise changes to the rules concerning the presidency, and the terms of office bearers

Nagraj Gollapudi14-Sep-2012The BCCI has convened a series of high-level meetings on Saturday that could have long-term implications on the way it is run. The board members from the marketing committee, working committee and the IPL governing council will sit to discuss and finalise changes to the rules concerning the presidency, and the terms of office bearers.The proposed change to the election process of the president was originally mooted by Shashank Manohar to the board members informally. But in the working committee meeting last month, current BCCI president N Srinivasan put it forward formally for discussion. According to the present rule, the person who is nominated for the president’s post should have attended at least two AGMs as a representative from the same zone.”That is being amended now to any person who is proposed and seconded by the zone without the nominee having attended the board’s AGM from that zone,” a working committee member told ESPNcricinfo. “That means if two representatives from the same zone propose and second the candidate from any other zone to be become the president that is acceptable.”There are six members from the east zone, with one vote each. If any two of them propose a name from outside East zone he would eligible to become a president,” the official said.The board presidents have so far been picked on a rotational zonal basis. By that system, it would be the turn of East Zone to recommend a representative to replace Srinivasan, whose tenure comes to end in September 2014. Reportedly, the board was concerned about the capabilities of some of the names doing rounds in the East Zone for the top position. But according to the official, there was another strong reason for push to change the rule. “It is to accommodate Arun Jaitley [the current vice-president from North Zone],” the member said.The second rule change in the constitution being mooted is to allow the office bearers to have an extra term. At the moment every office bearer, barring the five vice-presidents, sit in the office for a single term of three years; the vice-presidents have two terms of three years each. “The proposed change is for the office bearers have an extra term of three years,” the official said. “The main reason is to have the best people work for the board.”

A round-up of matches from the third weekend of Kenya’s new East African Cup and East Africa Elite League

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Sep-2011Much of the action took place off the field after eight national squad players boycotted last weekend’s matches in another row over central contracts. But this time Cricket Kenya took a hardline stance and refused to back down, leading to the eight seeking a meeting with the board on Friday. But the franchises took the initiative and told the players they had been dropped and would not be selected again this season, in effect scuppering any hopes they had of negotiating their way back into the Kenyan side.

East Africa Premier League

Rwenzori Warriors beat Rift Valley Rhinos in the meeting of the only two previously unbeaten teams, bowling out Rift for 77 and then knocking off the runs for the loss of five wickets with three overs to spare. Rift never recovered from collapsing to 3 for 3Nairobi Buffaloes moved second with a last-ball five-wicket victory over Nile Knights, Rajesh Varsani thumping a four with two needed for the win. Colins Obuya, who had reportedly received threats over his participation in the tournament while other former team-mates were striking, led the Nairobi innings with 55.Coast Pekee’s made it five losses in as many games as they only managed 95 for 6 in their 20 overs – Dominic Wesonga the pick of the bowlers with 4 for 15 – and Kongonis strolled to a six-wicket win with seven overs in hand, Duncan Allan celebrating his call-up to the national team with 51.

East African Cup

Kongonis moved top of the table, beating tournament whipping boys Coast Pekee by 70 runs (D/L). Kongonis overcame a middle-order collapse which saw them slip from 58 for 1 to 64 for 4, eventually posting 219 for 8. Weather interventions left Pekee chasing 149 from 23 overs, a target which proved well beyond them as they limped to 78 for 6.Nile Knights were left frustrated after rain washed out their match against Nairobi Buffaloes with them in a strong position. Ugandan international Arthur Kyobe scored 123 off 100 balls to steer the Knights to 261, and in reply the Buffaloes were wobbling on 55 for 4 from 17.4 overs when the rain came.Rwenzori Warriors, who are finding the 50-over game a tougher prospect, finally recorded their first win, beating Rift Valley Rhinos by five wickets. The Rhinos lost their way after starting well, losing their last nine wickets for 90 as they were bowled out for 137. The Warriors needed fewer than half their allocation of overs to knock off the runs.

James Franklin has not given up on fighting into New Zealand’s World Cup squad next year, despite losing his national contract during the off-season

Brydon Coverdale13-Sep-2010James Franklin has not given up on fighting into New Zealand’s World Cup squad next year, despite losing his national contract during the off-season. Franklin will have an opportunity to press his claims when he captains New Zealand A in Zimbabwe in October, after enjoying a highly productive county season with Gloucestershire.Franklin, 29, has an Irish passport and when he was cut from New Zealand’s contracted group, briefly considered using his heritage to play in England as a local player. However, the lure of the black cap was enough to convince Franklin to keep pursuing his international goals, especially with a World Cup around the corner.”Every domestic player around the world has got an eye on the World Cup,” Franklin told ESPNcricinfo, before the New Zealand A squad was named. “Going back home and hopefully being able to put up some good domestic performances, hopefully I might be able to put my case forward for selection for that. We’ll wait and see.”One of the major challenges for Franklin is to convince the selectors that he can lift his output at the elite level after struggling to grab his chances in 23 Tests and 75 ODIs. That could be extra difficult in a New Zealand side full of allrounders – Jacob Oram, Grant Elliott, Nathan McCullum, Kane Williamson and Scott Styris were all part of the recent tri-series in Sri Lanka.”There’s a lot of multi-skilled cricketers in the New Zealand side at the moment,” Franklin said. “That can only be a good thing for the New Zealand team going forward into a World Cup come February and March. The guys that are there at the moment are ahead of me, so I’ve just got to try and perform well at domestic level and push my case that way and force my way back into the New Zealand side.”In Franklin’s favour is the excellent form he has shown with Gloucestershire this year. He is second on the team’s run-scoring list in the County Championship, with 821 runs at 32.84, and has also collected 45 wickets at 22.86, including a career-best 7 for 14 against Derbyshire a fortnight ago.He also topped Gloucestershire’s one-day run tally with 511 at 73.00, including two centuries, and their Twenty20 list with 470 at 39.16, when he was given the chance to open the batting. Those numbers have appealed to the New Zealand selectors, and Mark Greatbatch hopes the A-team captaincy will help “unlock something we have not seen before” from Franklin.It is a strong indication that Franklin made the right move not to head to England permanently when he missed out on a national contract. Although he has not ruled out such a decision later in his career – Hamish Marshall has made the switch and will qualify for Ireland next year – Franklin still has the passion to play for his country.”I’m lucky in that I have an Irish passport through my grandparents, so I have a few options up my sleeve,” Franklin said. “I want to still go back home this summer and play for Wellington, try and win trophies with them and on top of that if I could try to get back in the New Zealand side for a World Cup, or even before that for Test match cricket, then that would be great.”It’s not a decision that you can take lightly. It wasn’t a decision to come to England and play as a local, that I wanted to make quite yet. I like to think that being 30 in November I’ve still got a good five to six or seven years of cricket ahead of me, as long as I can stay fit.”

Visitors inched close to series-levelling win after setting hosts 254 on tricky pitch and reducing them to 76 for 4

Danyal Rasool26-Jan-2025West Indies are inching closer to a series-levelling win after reducing Pakistan to 76 for 4 at stumps on the second day in Multan. The hosts are still another 178 runs away from victory. Earlier, West Indies had produced their best batting performance of the series, led by a half-century from their captain Kraigg Brathwaite to take control. They further solidifying their position when the lower order produced several useful contributions.In the 24 overs West Indies had with the ball in the final session, they inflicted four bruising body blows, including a last-gasp dismissal of Babar Azam that brought nightwatcher Kashif Ali to the crease. In pursuit of a steep target, made especially more awkward by the nature of these surfaces, Pakistan ran into headwinds early. Within 16 deliveries, both openers were gone. Shan Masood was out lbw playing for turn against Kevin Sinclair as the delivery carried on with the arm and rapped into his front pad. Mohammad Hurraira, too, played for phantom spin against Gudakesh Motie, and paid for it with his front leg in front of the stumps and an easy decision for the umpire.Babar and Kamran Ghulam staved off the worst of Pakistan’s fears to puncture the swell of optimism coursing through West Indies’ veins by gradually rebuilding from the ruins of that start. Ghulam was fortunate to be put down off the eighth ball he faced, but the pair found a way to hang on, putting run-scoring on the backburner for a few overs as they bedded in. Babar began to look brighter as his innings went on, and his continued presence began to feel like it would play an outsized role in the outcome of this match.But the partnership was broken when Ghulam failed to get to the pitch of a delivery from Jomel Warrican, and skied it to backward point. That is when the rebuild began anew. With Saud Shakeel, Pakistan’s best player of spin, at the other end, he and Babar were shepherding the day through to the finish.But Sinclair inflicted what at the moment felt like the knockout blow. A touch of extra bounce and a hint of more turn at Babar found a chunk of the inside edge, which deflected off the pad to short leg. West Indies’ slightly wild celebrations belied the magnitude of the moment.Kevin Sinclair had Babar Azam caught at the stroke of stumps•AFP/Getty Images

Brathwaite had challenged his side to be more aggressive, and led from the front. The tempo was set when he launched Sajid Khan over long-on for six in the fifth over, before consecutive boundaries to start off Noman Ali’s spell. It sent the message that the spin duo wasn’t going to have things their way, and Brathwaite kept reinforcing that in offence and defence. Abrar Ahmed, too, saw his second ball whipped through midwicket for four.But Mikyle Louis, Brathwaite’s opening partner, was neither as positive nor looked as comfortable. That was how Pakistan got back into the game: they drew Louis into a prod towards the off side, and Shan Masood took a straight forward catch at short extra cover.Debutant Amir Jangoo, though, took a leaf out of his captain’s book. Brathwaite slapped Noman for six over long-on, but found himself slowed down as he approached his half-century. Jangoo, though, motored along nicely, and when he helped himself to two boundaries off Abrar in an over, West Indies, in total control, had their lead inching towards three figures.But Pakistan’s spinners were bringing them back into the game. Brathwaite survived two raised fingers off consecutive deliveries with successful reviews, but fell the next over when he tried to charge Noman and ended up getting beaten by extra turn. It was a manner of dismissal almost identical to the one that would snare Kavem Hodge in the minutes before lunch.In the meantime, Sajid, too, was getting into the game. He had dismissed Jangoo shortly after Brathwaite went walkabout, forcing the issue with a sweep when he appeared to have misjudged the flight and the pitch of the delivery. It ended up taking a feather off the bottom of the bat to slip, and West Indies were left with two new batters at the crease.Tevin Imlach and the lower order dug in for West Indies•Pakistan Cricket Board

The final over before lunch saw Pakistan strike a fifth time. Noman landed the ball in the footmarks and ripped it back into the pads of Alick Athanaze. An enthused appeal, needed partially because Pakistan had burnt all three reviews, was successful.Pakistan continued making inroads when a miscued reverse sweep from Justin Greaves found backward point. But as the visitors have done all series, their lower order dug in. Tevin Imlach and Sinclair did not take too many risks as they worked to build up a conventional Test partnership, and the runs appeared to follow. The duo batted for nearly 14 overs as Pakistan rotated through their bowlers, and the quest for a wicket became increasingly desperate.The breakthrough came in unlikely fashion when Sinclair somehow played all around a Sajid delivery from around the wicket, throwing his head to the skies in frustration. Imlach succumbed shortly after to fast bowler Kashif Ali, who was naggingly accurate on the brief occasion he was called upon.Yet again, however, the bottom two partnerships found ways of contributing. Motie combined with Warrican to add a further 27, before Kemar Roach, injured taking a splendid catch on Saturday, limped out to add a few more crucial runs. He got his side past 250 before Sajid finally wrapped the innings up. The sense, however, was that it was already too late.

She comfortably set a new mark for an individual score and also broke the record for sixes in an innings

Andrew McGlashan22-Oct-2023A day after a new low total was set in the WBBL, Grace Harris tore up the record books with the highest individual score in the tournament’s history with a brutal 136 not out off 59 balls against Perth Scorchers at North Sydney Oval.Harris, who was recently left out of Australia’s T20I side against West Indies, reached her third WBBL hundred from 48 balls. She also set a new record with 11 sixes, overtaking the previous mark of ten set by Ash Gardner, at the same ground, against Melbourne Stars in 2017.”I don’t know if I could top that,” she said. “I always find North Sydney to be a great ground for a batter, the wickets are quite nice and true surfaces. The boundary here, I back myself in to clear it if I give it a good swing. Might have got a bit of inspiration from Hayley Matthews recently…on what she did, she did tear our Aussie bowling attack apart.”One of those sixes came during an extraordinary passage of play where she had called for a new bat, but carried on using the one she wanted replaced then crunched the next ball for six as the handle ripped off from the blade. Having replaced the bat, for good measure she also sent the next delivery from Piepa Cleary over the ropes. “Thought it [the handle] just clicked a little bit and didn’t want to be given nicked off as the ball went past and I didn’t hit the ball,” she said. “When I faced up, I thought it’s probably hanging on, when they get that looser handle they are at their best, they are pinging. Thought I’d still hit it for six, they’d been going miles today…it went for six, so paid off for me then.”Scorchers had made early inroads when Chloe Ainsworth, who struck twice in her opening over on debut against Hobart Hurricanes, found herself on a hat-trick in the fourth over.To add to the context of Harris’ ferocious display, she had been 9 off eight balls at the end of the four-over powerplay before she took the attack to Australia team-mate Alana King with three sixes in her first two overs.She and Mignon du Preez added 91 off 47 balls for the third wicket. Harris then dominated a stand of 51 with Bess Heath as she took advantage of the favourable boundaries and some poor Scorchers bowling. Of the 37 runs added with Mikayla Hinkley, Harris contributed 32 off 10 balls.Heat’s eventual total was the second highest in WBBL history.Scorchers made a brave attempt early in their mammoth chase, led by Beth Mooney’s 25-ball fifty, and on the comparison were ahead of Heat at stages.Heat also lost Nicola Hancock from their attack after consecutive beamers against Sophie Devine, but they were able to regather themselves with Courtney Sippel coming to the fore.Devine, who came in at No. 3, couldn’t quite get going before picking out deep square leg and Sippel made it three wickets in the 10th to all-but end the contest when she claimed a return catch to remove Maddy Darke and had then had Mooney slicing to short third.To cap the records, the final overall tally of 408 runs in the match was also a new tournament record.