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Despite three losses in a row to launch competition, SEC are one match away from their third final

Firdose Moonda05-Feb-2025Sunrisers Eastern Cape 184 for 6 (Markram 62*, Tahir 2-21) beat Joburg Super Kings 152 for 7 (Bairstow 37, Overton 2-20) by 32 runsSunrisers Eastern Cape remain on course for the SA20 three-peat after beating Joburg Super Kings in the Eliminator in Centurion, having recovered spectacularly from three defeats in their opening three games. They will play Paarl Royals in the second qualifier in less than 24 hours’ time to determine who will face MI Cape Town in Saturday’s final.SEC have the advantage of having the most recent experience of conditions up country while Paarl, who played in the first qualifier in Gqeberha, have had to travel. They’ve also lost their last three matches and their best batter, Joe Root, to national duty, so SEC can consider themselves favourites to reach a third final, if not the title itself.While they are a franchise that has often billed themselves as the epitome of an outfit that relies on team efforts, there was one individual who cannot be ignored: Marco Jansen.Even before the match, he was already the leading wicket-taker for this season, and in SA20’s history, and what we might call the only genuine allrounder in this tournament. None of the other bowlers who have taken 10 wickets or more have come close to scoring even 100 runs – Mujeeb Ur Rahman is closest with 55 – and, naturally, none of the batters who have scored 100 runs have taken 10 wickets.In the Eliminator, Jansen also became the joint-leading wicket-taker in the Powerplay, level with Paarl’s Bjorn Fortuin. He removed Devon Conway, the batter who had scored the most runs against him in T20s without being dismissed, in the fifth over when Conway played a leaden-footed tame drive to start JSK’s slide.Jansen did not find himself among the wickets again and the accolades from the Eliminator will go to others but his 12-ball 23, and his role in the 53-run sixth-wicket stand that ultimately proved match-winning with Aiden Markram, deserves special mention and got it from Markram. “It’s small chip-ins (with the bat) that help us a lot,” Markram said. “And then a guy like Marco comes in and whacks it.”Jansen was in in the 17th over, when Tristan Stubbs was bowled by Imran Tahir, and SEC were 131 for 5, with a target under 170 still within JSK’s grasp. They scored 15 runs off the next 11 balls and were 146 for 5 with two overs to go. Arguably, JSK made a tactical blunder by bringing back Lutho Sipamla, whose first three overs had cost 44 runs, but in the absence of many other options, they chose to back a player who has been good for them through the tournament.Jansen made sure he had an ending to forget. He picked his slower ball early and sent Sipamla’s first ball for six and then took 16 more runs off four balls he faced in that over, including ending it with another six. In total, 21 of Jansen’s 23 runs came off the five he faced from Sipamla and his contribution pushed SEC over 180.Markram said at the post-match press conference that he was “hoping for 195-plus”, but in the end 184 proved enough, despite JSK getting off to a good start. Conway and Faf du Plessis put on 40 inside five overs before Jansen dismissed Conway to open JSK up and set SEC on course for victory. According to his team-mates, that is ultimately the thing Jansen does best.”His attitude to win is unmatched,” David Bedingham told ESPNcricinfo before the Eliminator. “If you ask him if he went for 100 runs and took zero wickets in a Test match and scored a couple of ducks, I don’t think he’d care unless we won. His desire to win is why he is who he is. It also helps that he’s super talented. He’s seven foot tall, he bowls quick, he bats well so that also helps. But I think it’s his desire to win that makes him so special.”Markram echoed the idea that contributing to the team is the most important thing to Jansen. “He’s a very quick learner and he absolutely hates losing. He just gets fired up every time he plays and he’s marrying that fired up energy with better smarts,” Markram said.There’s also something else Jansen does before every game which may actually be the secret to his success. “He eats a triple-decker pizza before every game on the bus,” Markram said. “And a Coke. That’s not a joke.”Jansen’s dietary habits aside, if there is an individual who has played the biggest part in SEC’s success, it’s him – which means he is playing the game exactly as he wants to. JSK can only look on in envy, especially after their bowling resources were “decimated”, as coach Stephen Fleming put it.Nandre Burger and Lizaad Williams were ruled out before the tournament began, Gerald Coetzee could only play one game and David Wiese four, while Beuran Hendricks withdrew after the tournament started and was replaced by Sipamla, who finished as their highest wicket-taker. On the eve of the Eliminator, they also lost spin-bowling allrounder Donovan Ferreira to a side strain and du Plessis joked that he was struggling to find 11 fit players to field. He did, but only just.Maintaining a tournament run that lasts for 13 games over four weeks with so many players missing cannot be easy but for JSK, it will also not be an excuse.”I hate looking for excuses, but the turnover was high,” Fleming said. “If you look at our squad, when we first put it all together, it was very strong with South African bowling and overseas batting but it’s not the only reason. You do have to adapt. It is part of franchise cricket. But we just weren’t able to settle enough. I take some responsibility with that as well as we’re trying to find the team that’s going to take us forward: the right batting order. So we were chopping and changing and the whole thing just felt a little bit confusing. We just weren’t good enough.”

Says USA not complacent going into the T20 World Cup curtain-raiser, despite having recently beaten Canada 4-0 as well as stunned Bangladesh

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jun-2024T20 World Cup 2024 will kick off with North American neighbours USA – who are co-hosts of the competition – and Canada facing off on Saturday in Dallas. And of course, it was these two teams that played the first ever international cricket match, all the way back in 1844. The history of the rivalry is not lost on USA vice-captain Aaron Jones.”As everybody knows, USA and Canada played the first international game, so this has been something that was going on for years and years,” Jones said at a press conference on the eve of the World Cup opener.”As it relates to the players, we all are friends, we’ve all played together, against one another, for years. So everybody’s good and cool, but as it relates to the fans, it’s a bit of a rivalry, we all know that. We enjoy playing against Canada, they enjoy playing against us. We know for sure it’s going to be challenging and we’re looking forward to the challenge.”Related

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In the build-up to the World Cup, USA blitzed Canada 4-0 in a T20I series in April before recording a historic series win against Bangladesh in May. But Jones is not resting on past results.”I don’t really want to focus on the 4-0 victory in the last series [against Canada],” Jones said. “I mean, that’s gone already and, you know, the team that we played against in that series is not the exact same team we’ll be playing against tomorrow.”It’s a World Cup game, the first World Cup game. There’s going to be pressure on both teams. And obviously we know the outstanding rivalry we have with Canada, so pressure will be on both teams. It’s whoever handles the pressure best tomorrow [that will come out on top] to be honest.””Definitely, we have had some great competitive cricket over the past few years against US,” Canada captain Saad Bin Zafar said. “So we are hoping that we can play entertaining cricket.”Saad is also looking forward to the Canada players getting a chance to test themselves at the highest level.”Even coming from the qualifiers, as I mentioned for all of our players, it was like a dream to represent Canada in a World Cup,” he said. “We don’t get to compete against the top nations very often. The World Cup is the only stage where we get to compete and test our skills against the very best of the world. And we have finally made it.”It’s kind of emotional, but we were looking for this opportunity. We finally got it. And we just want to represent Canada well and to our potential play to our potential in this World Cup.”One player who will know how it feels to turn out for the country on both sides of the border is batting-allrounder Nitish Kumar. He had played 18 T20Is for Canada between 2012 and 2019, before getting his maiden T20I for USA in the series against Canada in April this year. Jones pointed out that Nitish already had experience of taking on his old team, so he would be more than ready for them come game day.”Obviously, he played against Canada the last time we played him in the series [in April] and he scored I think 60-something [64] in the game. He’s been gelling well, he’s been fitting in well, and I think he’s looking forward to playing against Canada.”

Sri Lanka have never beaten Australia in ODIs but they have the advantage of playing at home

Madushka Balasuriya03-Oct-20252:44

Can the Australia batting juggernaut be stopped?

Big picture: Sri Lanka need to up their game

If there were even the faintest doubt about who the favourites for the 2025 Women’s World Cup were, they were put to bed as swiftly as an Ashleigh Gardner blade swing after Australia’s dominant win over New Zealand in their tournament opener.In Indore, Australia started fast and stumbled, but like an unrelenting force, they just kept coming. In the end, their victory was less about outplaying New Zealand and more about brute-forcing the result. As far as early tournament markers go, it was an impressive one.Against India in their opener, Sri Lanka too set an early marker of the sort of side they are. They had India reeling at 124 for 6 but then proceeded to drop each of the next four chances that came their way to let the hosts claw themselves back into the contest and register a fairly comprehensive win eventually. Discipline followed by indiscipline; bad undoing the good.Related

• 'Good to start with best teams' – Sri Lanka's Athapaththu ready for Australia after India

Sri Lanka have not played an ODI against Australia since 2019, but they know what they need to do. Resilience has been a buzzword for Chamari Athapaththu, and in that sense it’s clear that any lingering hang-ups from that opening defeat will be well behind them come Saturday. But execution might be the more pertinent declaration if they’re to show their best selves against the defending champions.With free entry being granted to the stadium, Sri Lanka will also be hoping for substantial home support. They’re also very familiar with the Khettarama surface, as the high-performance centre where the national players train is located there. So while Sri Lanka have never beaten Australia in an ODI, the conditions for an upset are nevertheless in place.

Form guide

Australia WWLWW (last five ODIs most recent first)
Sri Lanka LLLWWVishmi Gunaratne’s form is a concern for Sri Lanka•ACC

In the spotlight: Ashleigh Gardner and Vishmi Gunaratne

Like the surprise manifestation of a final boss’ second health bar after you think you’ve finally got them beat, Ashleigh Gardner sits spearheading Australia’s lower middle order. Her 115 off 83 against New Zealand served to highlight not just the resilience of this Australian outfit, but their entire aura. While her role is a challenging one, it’s invaluable in that it affords the licence for those above her to play with freedom, while allowing her to provide guidance to those below her. And it means that while she is at the crease, Australia are never beat.In August 2024, Vishmi Gunaratne struck her maiden ODI hundred against Ireland. Her three innings in the lead-up to that read 40, 50, 44. But in ten innings since then, she has not been able to cross 36. While Athapaththu would be the obvious pick for this section, if Sri Lanka are to challenge Australia, they need the rest of their batting to chip in in a big way. Gunaratne has been out of sorts, but Sri Lanka will be banking on her rediscovering her groove even though it’s her first ODI against Australia.

Team news: Brown or Schutt?

Australia are unlikely to make any changes to the batting, though it remains to be seen if Darcie Brown continues in place of Megan Schutt.Australia (probable): 1 Alyssa Healy (capt & wk), 2 Phoebe Litchfield, 3 Ellyse Perry, 4 Beth Mooney, 5 Annabel Sutherland, 6 Ashleigh Gardner, 7 Tahlia McGrath, 8 Sophie Molineux, 9 Kim Garth, 10 Alana King, 11 Darcie BrownSri Lanka played their first-choice XI against India, and it’s unlikely there will be any changes.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Hasini Perera, 2 Chamari Athapaththu (capt), 3 Harshitha Samarawickrama, 4 Vishmi Gunaratne, 5 Kavisha Dilhari, 6 Anushka Sanjeewani (wk), 7 Nilakshika Silva, 8 Sugandika Kumari, 9 Inoka Ranaweera, 10 Achini Kulasuriya, 11 Udeshika PrabodhaniAshleigh Gardner scored a brilliant hundred against New Zealand•Getty Images

Pitch and conditions: Rain could play spoilsport

The pitch at the R Premadasa Stadium has traditionally offered up an even contest between bat and ball. However, efforts have been made recently to make it more batting-friendly, so there may not be as much in it for the spinners as usual. As for the weather, there is a distinct chance of rain in Colombo throughout the afternoon.

Stats and trivia: Australia 11-0 Sri Lanka

• Sri Lanka have lost each of their 11 ODIs against Australia.
• Athapaththu is 80 runs away from 4000 ODI runs.
• Gardner’s 51 wickets are the most by an Australian since the 2022 World Cup. They are the joint-third-most in that period among all players.

Quotes

“The beauty of a World Cup is you play every different side and you have to prepare. You don’t really get time to learn. You’ve got to come out firing. But I think our group’s got some awesome heads on our shoulders and we are able to assess conditions and adapt to whatever’s thrown at us.”
“We’re playing against the best team. The world champions. But if we can execute the right plan at the right time, I know we can beat any team. But execution is the most important thing, rather than the skill and the mindset. So we’ll have to play our best game tomorrow.”

The BPL franchises were supposed to pay the first installment of the players’ contracts before the start of the season

Mohammad Isam02-Jan-2025BCB president Faruque Ahmed has assured the BPL players will receive their payments after it was reported several franchises hadn’t paid the players their first installment on time. The franchises are scheduled to pay half of a player’s payment before the start of the tournament, 25% during the tournament, and the rest after the tournament ends. The seven-team competition began on December 30.Faruque, the former Bangladesh captain who was elected BCB president in August, said that he is in talks with the BPL franchises about the clearing of payment, but didn’t want to elaborate on why the franchises (except Fortune Barishal) haven’t provided the BCB with the prerequisite bank guarantee.The board keeps a bank guarantee from franchises, as per rules, to ensure that the players get paid by the BCB in the event of franchises failing to make the payments. The BCB has paid from the bank guarantee in the past. However, the lack of bank guarantee this time puts the players’ payment in uncertainty.”We have communicated with the BPL franchise owners since day one,” Faruque said. “I told them that they will have to pay the money. If you ask me to answer in black and white why (franchises didn’t pay guarantee money), I won’t be able to provide a clear answer. You have to see the overall situation from everyone’s perspective over the last four months.”It doesn’t however mean the players will not get their payments. We have taken different steps for the franchises. I have spoken directly with the franchise as board president so that they feel that we are partners. They are also spending money for Bangladesh cricket.”This issue emerged just days after a ticketing fiasco that saw irate fans break the main gate of the Shere Bangla National Stadium on opening day of the competition.

“When I took over as captain, that was one of my first mandates – to try our best to start winning series”

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jun-20243:50

Powell: ‘As players, we want to leave behind a legacy’

West Indies are one of two teams, England the other, to have won the men’s T20 World Cup twice, and being co-hosts, expectations for a record third title are high in the Caribbean for the latest edition. Rovman Powell, their captain, is aware of it, and is hoping to feed off that optimism because, as he says, winning the World Cup will mean more to cricket in the region that just one more trophy.”It’s very special, to be honest, not just for me but for the other players and for the people of the Caribbean – the possibility of winning a third World Cup title in front of our own people in the Caribbean is something very, very special,” he said at a press interaction ahead of West Indies’ tournament opener, against Papua New Guinea in Providence. “For us as players, it’s a legacy. It’s something that after we finish playing, we can sit down and tell our kids and grandkids, our family, and just replay those memories of 2024.”Also, from a financial standpoint, we know the standard of West Indies cricket, and it would be a massive boost for us to win the World Cup. So all that money that comes with winning the World Cup can be filtered down into our youth programme and to help benefit West Indies cricket.”Related

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It’s a thought Powell visited time and again during the conference. For example, when discussing the fact that West Indies have just risen two spots on the ICC T20I team rankings to No. 4 after beating South Africa 3-0 at home (in a series where both teams were missing first-choice players), Powell stressed on the importance of results like that to help the future of the game in the country.”It’s very, very good for the West Indies to be ranked No. 4 in the world,” he said. “When I started as captain, we were around eight or nine. I made an honest reflection and I realised that we haven’t won enough series. So when I took over as captain, that was one of my first mandates – to try our best to start winning series.”And once we start winning series, then our ranking will become much better in the ICC table. And then, from a financial standpoint, more sponsors for West Indian cricket. Because sponsors love to associate themselves with winners. That’s something I am proud of, to see under my captaincy West Indies has improved significantly in the ranking.”Powell was named West Indies T20I captain in February 2023, and in 16 games in charge, he has led West Indies to ten wins. Not the three against South Africa, though. He was away at IPL 2024 at the time, representing Rajasthan Royals, and Roston Chase filled in for him. The big ones under his leadership – the series wins he mentioned – were in December 2023 when West Indies beat England 3-2 at home and, earlier, when they beat India 3-2 in a series played across the Caribbean and the USA in August 2023.Home conditions do seem to bring out the best in Powell’s boys in T20I cricket, but it can be double-edged at times.”When you are playing in front of your own crowd, it can be good and it can be bad. We are trying to look at the positive side and hope the fans will come out anticipating and hoping that we will play good cricket and entertain them,” Powell said. “If you go over the duration of the last 12 months or so, we have played some good cricket right across the world. It’s a team that has confidence, it’s a team that knows how to play T20 cricket. So hopefully during the duration of this World Cup, we can show that.”

Sammy as coach ‘should provide us with additional resources’

When West Indies won the T20 World Cup in 2012 and 2016, Daren Sammy was their captain, and Andre Russell was in the ranks as a player. Sammy has been the coach of the West Indies white-ball sides since May 2023, just over a year now, while Russell has over the years become one of the most powerful T20 allrounders in the world. That’s two men who know what it takes to win a T20 World Cup for Powell to lean on. And that’s something that gives him extra confidence.6:07

Bishop: There is focus on Pooran to dominate a World Cup

“Having Daren Sammy as our coach – two-time World Cup winner for the West Indies – that should provide us with additional resources that we need when things get tight, because he has been in that position before,” Powell said. “Hopefully his experience and knowledge can spread across the group and be very fruitful for us in this World Cup.”As for Russell, fresh from an IPL title-winning run with Kolkata Knight Riders, Powell said that there was no question he would slot right into the XI even though he hasn’t always been available for West Indies over the years – since the start of 2023, he has played just eight T20Is, spread over two series, against England at home in December 2023 and away against Australia in February 2024.”If Andre Russell rocks up for any international team, he would definitely slot in within the team,” Powell said. “So that is no surprise to see Andre automatically slot in to our team. He comes with a wealth of experience, and he comes with additional confidence on the back of good performances in the IPL.”So we are looking forward to Andre Russell being a significant part of our World Cup and hopefully we can be a three-time World Cup champion after this one.”

RCB awaits the report of the CID investigation that is in its final stages

Shashank Kishore17-Jul-2025The Karnataka government has held Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) accountable for the stampede that occurred outside M Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4, resulting in 11 deaths and injuries to more than 50 people.The findings were outlined in the government’s status report, which was made public on Thursday, two days after the Karnataka High Court rejected the government’s request to keep it confidential and ordered its release.In the status report, a copy of which has been accessed by ESPNcricinfo, the government said: “The RCB Management, in association with its event management partner, DNA Networks Private Limited, and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), unilaterally decided to hold the victory celebration without prior consultation with the police and without obtaining the necessary permissions or license for such celebration.”As per the report, KSCA CEO Subhendu Ghosh submitted an intimation on behalf of DNA Entertainment to the Cubbon Park police on June 3 around 6.30pm about RCB’s intention to organise a victory parade should they win the IPL final that was scheduled the same evening in Ahmedabad.Related

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However, the police denied the request due to “insufficient information regarding the expected gathering size, arrangements made as well as the proposal being made on very short notice.”The report, which largely details the sequence of events right from when the request was first made, further underlines how RCB went ahead and posted an invitation on their social media channels at 7.01am on June 4, announcing a victory parade from Vidhana Soudha to the Chinnaswamy Stadium.The report further said that the posts on RCB’ s official social media handles, including one that had Virat Kohli announcing plans to celebrate with the fans in Bengaluru, garnered immense engagement online.While citing Licensing and Controlling of Assemblies and Processions (Bangalore City) Order, 2009, to underscore RCB’s procedural violations for crowd gathering, the report stated, “It is pertinent to note that a mere intimation was given by the organisers.”There was no requisition for permissions in the prescribed format, nor was any necessary information provided to the concerned departments to anticipate the gathering and make adequate preparation.”Meanwhile, lawyers arguing for the government, challenged the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) order that revoked the suspension of IPS officer Vikash Kumar and four others, who were held responsible for the stampede and subsequently dismissed by chief minister Siddharamaiah. They argued that the tribunal had overstepped its jurisdiction.The government contended that managing such a large crowd at just 12 hours’ notice was an impossible task and questioned the officer’s [Vikash & team] handling of the situation. “What was the officer doing? Did he take any action? Instead of issuing prohibitory orders under the Police Act, they proceeded with arrangements for the celebration,” the government stated.RCB continues to await the report of the CID investigation that is in its final stages. Members of RCB’s top brass as well as those from DNA have all submitted their testimonies over the past month. A set date for the judgment is yet to be made public.

Warwickshire ended their first innings on 415 after their last three wickets added a further 43 runs

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay30-Jun-2025Sussex 278 for 3 (Hughes 151, Coles 56*) trail Warwickshire 415 (Yates 93, Hain 87, Barnard 66, Crocombe 3-82) by 137 runsDaniel Hughes made a season’s best 151 before departing to the last ball of the second day as Sussex made a strong response to Warwickshire’s 415 in the Rothesay County Championship.The 36-year-old Australian left-hander was lbw to off-spinner Corey Rocchiccioli off the penultimate delivery of the last over as Sussex reached 278 for 3.Hughes had shared an opening partnership of 98 with Tom Haines and then added 142 with James Coles as the combination of a flat pitch, a Kookaburra ball doing little off the straight and the pitiless Hove heat made it a tough day for Warwickshire’s attack.Rocchiccioli toiled away manfully, bowling unchanged for two sessions apart from a solitary over, from the sea end to pick up all three Sussex wickets for 94 from 35 overs.Both Hughes and Coles’ scoring options were limited after tea when Warwickshire skipper Alex Davies employed as many as eight leg-side fielders as he rotated his seamers while Rocchiccioli wheeled away at the other end. It looked like being a fruitless session for the Bears until Rocchiccioli, armed with the new ball, skidded a quicker delivery onto Hughes’ pads for a belated but deserved reward. Hughes’ 151 came off 260 deliveries with 26 fours.Hughes had only previously passed fifty three times this season, although 60 against Durham last week hinted at a return to form. Here, the majority of his boundaries came through his strong areas between extra cover and mid-off. It was an impressive physical effort too, given the scorching temperatures.Warwickshire wicketkeeper Kai Smith was convinced Haines had edged a ball from Rocchiccioli in his fourth over but the umpire was unmoved and in his next over Haines lofted Rocchiccioli for six, necessitating a ball change. It did the trick as Rocchiccioli got enough grip to knock back Haines’ off stump and end an opening stand of 98 in 22 overs.Rocchiccioli had a second wicket in the 32nd over when the out of form Tom Clark, who’d faced 28 balls for his five, was held low down at slip pushing forward by Tom Latham. Clark made 140 when the teams met at Edgbaston in April but his last 11 Championship innings have yielded a meagre 79 runs.Sussex scored 140 in the afternoon session with Hughes reaching his tenth first-class hundred by taking two boundaries in three balls off Ethan Bamber.The runs dried up after tea, though, as Warwickshire went on the defensive and Rocchiccioli plugged away trying to force a mistake. Even Coles, who likes to get on with it, was becalmed for long spells as 78 were scored in the final session. Coles was still there at the close, though, having passed fifty for the fifth time this season just before stumps.Earlier, Warwickshire’s last three wickets added a further 43 runs in just under an hour.Ollie Robinson struck in the second over of the day when he found Smith’s inside edge and Gurinder Sandhu also claimed his third wicket of the innings when he had Chris Rushworth caught behind. Jack Carson trapped Bamber in front with a ball which kept a shade low to end the innings.

Chris Adams, the Surrey coach, believes Rory Hamilton Brown, the 22-year-old Sussex allrounder, has the ‘charisma and intelligence’ to lead Surrey to the top of English cricket

Cricinfo staff15-Dec-2009Chris Adams, the Surrey coach, believes Rory Hamilton-Brown, the 22-year-old Sussex allrounder, has the ‘charisma and intelligence’ to lead Surrey to the top of English cricket.Hamilton-Brown, who is currently with England’s Performance Programme squad in South Africa, moved to Sussex from the Oval in 2008 but Adams, who joined Surrey after the 2008 season, is hoping to attract Hamilton-Brown back to London when they talk on Wednesday.”We’ve got sell him the vision,” said Adams to Surrey TV. “The journey that we have begun here which we hope will be a very special one. I want Surrey to go back to the top of English cricket, that’s what I’m doing here.”After a difficult first year in charge in which Surrey won just one of their 16 Division Two Championship matches and culminated in captain Mark Butcher’s retirement, Adams said the club needs a leader who can inspire and galvanise the squad as the club moves forward and claims that ‘Surrey lad’ Hamilton-Brown is the man to do so.”We need a new captain who really brings the players together and if you look at the guys out there currently, there’s not a massive list. Rory’s name came right at the very top. I know the lad, he’s a super talented cricketer and he’s a Surrey lad first and foremost.”He’s had 85% of his cricket through the Surrey system and a couple of years at Sussex, he’s developed exceptionally well and the time is right for me and him to come together and formulate a partnership which will take Surrey back to where it needs to be – the top of English cricket.”Hamilton-Brown would become the youngest captain on the county circuit and would have to manage the famously volatile temperament of star-batsman Mark Ramprakash. Yet Adams believes the English game can be too conservative and points to the example of Graeme Smith, who got the South African captaincy at the age of 22, to show what can be achieved.”Captains are born. You need charisma and intelligence and the ability to get people to follow you and Rory has that,” said Adams.”One of the problems of English cricket is that we’re too steeped in tradition, When we’re presented with an opportunity like this we tend to rule it out. But look at Graeme Smith – he captained South Africa at 22, look at Cameron White, now in Australia’s one-day team – captained Victoria at 20.”

18-year-old Kwena Maphaka is the only uncapped player in the squad that will play Pakistan in three ODIs

Firdose Moonda12-Dec-2024South Africa have selected their strongest available squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Pakistan in order to make full use of their last opportunity to play together ahead of next year’s Champions Trophy.Though South Africa will play a tri-series in Pakistan, which also includes New Zealand, in February next year, those matches will take place too close to the conclusion of the SA20 on February 8 for a first-choice squad to be available.There are nine additions to the squad that last played the format, against Ireland in the UAE, including the return of Kagiso Rabada, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi, who last played an ODI almost a year ago.

South Africa vs Pakistan ODI series

Dec 17 – 1st ODI, Paarl
Dec 19 – 2nd ODI, Cape Town
Dec 22 – 3rd ODI, Johannesburg

Eighteen-year-old quick Kwena Maphaka is the only uncapped player in the squad, Maphaka was the leading wicket-take at this year’s Under-19 World Cup, which is played in the 50-over format, and has impressed with speeds of up to 152kph in the T20I series against Pakistan. He also gets an opportunity thanks to the absence of several injured quicks. None of Anrich Nortje (broken toe), Lungi Ngidi (hip injury), Gerald Coetzee (groin injury), Wiaan Mulder (broken finger) and Nandre Burger (lower back stress fracture) could be considered for selection.The squad will be led by regular captain Temba Bavuma, who was injured when playing an ODI against Ireland in October but has since returned to form in the Test arena. It is likely he will be partnered by Ryan Rickelton at the top of the order with Reeza Hendricks, who did not cross 20 in his last five ODIS, dropped. Tony de Zorzi is another top-order option. Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Tristan Stubbs, Klaasen and Miller all give South Africa an experienced and strong batting line-up.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Two seam-bowling allrounders in Andile Phehlukwayo and Marco Jansen have been selected, while one other specialist seamer, Ottneil Baartman, and two frontline spinners – Maharaj and Shamsi – have come in at the expense of Bjorn Fortuin and Nqaba Peter. Shamsi’s return is significant because he opted out of a national contract in October in order to have flexibility for league performances and was not included in the T20I series to play India last month. He has since been recalled for the Pakistan matches.”The bowling line-up features one of the fastest in the game in KG, and this series offers another great opportunity for a young talent like Kwena to come in and learn first-hand from the best,” Rob Walter, South Africa’s white-ball coach, said. “In the batting department, we are thrilled to welcome back David and Heinrich, two of the most destructive players in the game. Overall, we are very pleased with this squad.”Bavuma, de Zorzi, Jansen, Maharaj, Markram, Rabada, Stubbs and Rickelton will have a four-day turnaround between the end of the ODI series and the start of the Boxing Day Test against Pakistan. South Africa need one more Test win to guarantee themselves a place at next year’s World Test Championship final.

South Africa squad for ODI series against Pakistan

Temba Bavuma (capt), Ottneil Baartman, Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Tristan Stubbs, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen

Former England opener racks up big hundred to put seal on Durham’s campaign

ECB Reporters Network28-Sep-2024Kent 96 for 3 (Finch 34, Ackermann 1-1) trail Durham 360 (Lees 144, Bedingham 66, Parkins 6-109)A sparkling century from Alex Lees gave Durham the upper hand in their Vitality County Championship clash with Kent despite a six-wicket haul from Matt Parkinson.Play was abandoned without a ball bowled on days one and two after heavy downpours at the Seat Unique Riverside, so Lees was on a mission to get quick runs with so much time lost in the game. Lees (144 off 180) was well backed up by Emilio Gay, who made 52, and David Bedingham, who made a swashbuckling 66, as the hosts made 360 in their first innings.Matt Parkinson led a Kent fightback after tea as he picked up figures of 6 for 109 to give the visitors some hope.Kent’s reply didn’t get off to the best start as they lost early wickets but Harry Finch and Jack Leaning combined for a partnership worth 72 to stall the hosts but they closed on 96 for 3, still 264 behind Durham.Kent captain Leaning won the toss and elected to bowl, with Ben McKinney and stand-in skipper Lees opening for the hosts. Lees found his groove early on with a lovely cover drive off the bowling of Grant Stewart.McKinney joined the party as he crunched a glorious shot to the boundary and Lees then reached his run-a-ball fifty with eight boundaries in the Durham skipper’s knock. Kent struck back, with Nathan Gilchrist removing McKinney for 23 after he was caught in the covers.Gay, who is on loan from Northamptonshire ahead of his permanent move to the North East next year, came in and elegantly flicked one off his pads for four. Lees continued to motor, combining well with Gay, and he carved a Stewart delivery for four to third man.After lunch, Lees resumed unbeaten on 95 and reached his fourth century of the season from 115 balls just minutes later. Gay impressed on his home debut looking calm at the crease and he manipulated the field well with the number three reaching his fifty from 92 balls. However, he didn’t last much longer as he feathered a Jas Singh delivery down the legside and it was caught well by Harry Finch behind the stumps.Bedingham wasted no time getting into the groove as Division One’s leading run scorer hit back-to-back sixes over the legside boundary off the bowling of Singh. Bedingham continued to hit the Kent attack around the park with the South African international reaching fifty from 30 balls, which included three fours and four sixes.Bedingham then smashed a Stewart full toss over the ropes, but he went for one maximum too many as he was caught off the bowling of Matt Parkinson for a 38-ball 66. Kent then got a second wicket in quick succession as Lees fell for an excellent 144 after he was caught at mid-wicket off the bowling of Stewart.Ollie Robinson then holed out for five, giving Matt Parkinson his second of the afternoon, and Bas de Leede quickly followed for a duck. Durham resumed after tea and 16-year-old James Minto, who is making his home debut, hit his first six in first class cricket as he smashed a Matt Parkinson delivery down the ground for six. However, the teenager’s joy did not last as the leg spinner bowled him for 25.Matt Parkinson then got his fourth as Daniel Hogg edged to slip and he then got his twin brother Callum out caught and bowled to wrap up his five wicket haul. The former Lancashire man then got his sixth as Durham were bowled out for 360.Kent’s reply got off to the worst possible start with Tawanda Muyeye caught behind off the bowling of Daniel Hogg for five. Kent then lost a second wicket as de Leede sent Jaydn Denly’s off-stump flying for 12.Finch and Leaning then came together and combined well with some lovely shots, but Colin Ackermann bowled Finch for 34 just before the close to leave Kent three down at stumps.