Captain justifies Beaumont omission as England seek to cash in on fielding restrictions

Andrew Miller20-Jul-2022Sophia Dunkley could be rewarded for her explosive form in the ODIs against South Africa with a role as England’s T20I opener, after Heather Knight indicated that “ultra-aggression” in the powerplay was the means by which her team intended to target Gold in the forthcoming Commonwealth Games campaign in Birmingham.Dunkley, 24, thrived after being handed a promotion to No.3 for the ODI series, scoring 180 runs from 170 balls all told, including her maiden international hundred in the second match at Bristol. And, in the wake of the surprise omission of Tammy Beaumont from England’s CWG squad, she may well get the chance to partner the incumbent Danni Wyatt at the top of the T20I order, when the final leg of the multi-format series against South Africa gets underway in Chelmsford on Thursday.”In terms of T20, Sophia is definitely an option to open the batting,” Knight said. “She’s done it a little bit here and there, and been really impressive in how she goes about doing things. She’s naturally a very quick scorer and wants to hit boundaries and take things on, so she’s certainly an option for us at the top end.”Related

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It was Knight herself who made way at No. 3 to allow Dunkley to move up the order, and though the captain’s initial returns suffered in the opening two ODIs, an innings of 63 from 49 balls at the death in Leicester was evidence of what she hopes she can achieve as a designated finisher, as England racked up an imposing 371 for 7 – only seven runs shy of the team’s all-time record.”Two areas that we haven’t been as good at in ODI cricket is being super-aggressive in the powerplay and also being able to manage the innings towards the back end,” Knight said. “We felt like Sophia has the strength to be super-aggressive in the way she plays at No.3. And also my strengths are probably managing an innings, so we felt like it was the best move for the team to try and create a really strong, dynamic batting line-up.”Sophia has taken her opportunity massively, I’m really pleased,” Knight added. “I have got a really good relationship with Sophia, and I’ve really loved seeing her develop over the last few years. It’s been a bit strange, I guess, batting at five, getting a little bit of pad rash and waiting for a lot longer to go in, but it’s just something to get used to, I guess.”The mainstay of England’s innings at Leicester, however, was Beaumont, whose 119 from 107 balls was the perfect response to her T20I axing. But while Knight praised her team-mate’s tenacity and insisted the “door was not closed” for a 20-over comeback, she doubled down on the decision-making that had led England to make such a tough call.”Tammy’s ODI form is undisputable,” Knight said. “She’s one of the best players in the world and I knew she was going to get a hundred in one of those three games. Knowing Tammy’s character, she would have wanted to prove a point, and her ODI cricket is absolutely not in doubt.Alice Capsey impressed for Oval Invincibles in the maiden season of the Hundred•Getty Images

“We just felt like we wanted to be more aggressive in that powerplay in T20. And we feel we’ve brought in players that can add that fearlessness and aggressiveness to the squad. I’ve no doubt Tammy will go away and grow, and she’s certainly not out of the frame in the future. But at the moment, we’ve gone down that line of the ultra-aggressive players that can go in there and really take the game on the front end, when there’s only two fielders outside the circle.”To that end, Knight admitted that the team management already had an idea of their first-choice line-up for the T20I leg of the summer – one that could feature as many as eight games in 18 days if England make through to the Commonwealth Games final at Edgbaston on August 7. However, Knight added, the first priority was to ensure a new-look squad had a chance to get to know one another, given the addition of a number of fresh faces, most notably the teenage pairing of Alice Capsey and Freya Kemp.”Obviously we’ve added six players to the squad, and they only arrived yesterday,” Knight said. “But the main thing we want as a batting unit is to be really flexible and adaptable to situations, and to make sure we’re getting the right players in to maximise various stages of the innings. We want the players that come in to be really clear on their roles, and what we want from them.”Knight said that the next opportunity to mesh the squad’s blend of new and old players would come with Wednesday evening’s Women’s Euros clash, with England taking on Spain in a quarter-final in Brighton.”We’re going to have a bit of a team social tonight,” Knight said. “The Lionesses are obviously playing a big match, so we’re going to get everyone together and that’ll be quite nice to bring people together as a group. We’ll obviously be in it together at training today too, but I think just keeping it simple and trying to have those conversations is going to be key.”It’s a really exciting squad, it’s quite a bold squad,” Knight added. “Exciting not just in terms of their cricket skills, but in the way they’ve gone about it. The mentality of those younger players is exactly what we want to add to our squad, and you saw it in the ODI series too, with younger players bringing that rawness and freshness.”Few are fresher than Capsey, who turns 18 in August, but whose talents were felt first-hand by Knight during a remarkable innings of 59 from 41 balls for Oval Invincibles against London Spirit at Lord’s last summer.Tammy Beaumont responded to her T20I axing with a century at Leicester•Getty Images

“I was at the other end bowling and she whacked me over my head, so I certainly know what she can do,” Knight said. “She adds a little bit of all-round ability with the ball as another spin option, and she’s a 360-degree player that can score quite quickly.”The fact that Capsey was able to command such a big stage at the age of 16 is one of the reasons why England have felt able to trust their rookies in this format, to a degree that would not have been possible even two years ago. And while Knight admitted that Beaumont’s omission was bound to be a wake-up call to all the seniors within England’s ranks, she also acknowledged that it was a welcome problem to have to embrace.”It’s a huge positive,” she said. “It’s going to be really good for us as a group to have that competition. If you don’t perform, someone’s going to come in and take your place. That pressure is there for sure, but it will keep everyone on their toes, and enable us to push our standards further.”That’s what’s been very big for Australia,” Knight added. “Over the last three years or so, with young players coming through in the Big Bash, they seem to be able to slip in and perform and that means that their senior players have to perform and warrant their place too.”The Hundred and the professionalisation of the domestic game means those players are a lot more well-known when they do get the call-up. They’ve probably got a bit more experience of dealing with scrutiny, being on telly, playing in front of big crowds. It’s definitely a positive but it’s also something different to manage. So it’s important that we get to know those individuals, know what works for them, and how we can best help them to be at their best when they’re in an England shirt.”

Sri Lanka’s spinners made a mark in the ODIs, now can they do the same in the Tests?

Alex Malcolm28-Jun-2022

Big picture

Australia’s tour to Sri Lanka has already had an impact following the special scenes in Colombo of locals dressed in yellow to thank the visitors for touring during a desperate time in their country’s history.Sri Lanka winning the ODI series provided moments of joy for the home supporters, but there is a sense among Australia that the real stuff starts now. There were no ODI Super League points up for grabs and the visitors had injuries galore, although they were thoroughly outplayed by the hosts. But there are vital World Test Championship points at stake in the two Tests in Galle, as is Australia’s Asian reputation. They currently sit top of the WTC table while Sri Lanka occupy fourth with just 12 months remaining before the final. A 2-0 series sweep, either way, would have significant ramifications.Sri Lanka are a side on the rise having beaten Bangladesh away in their most recent series in May under new coach Chris Silverwood and their performance in the ODI series proves that the belief is building. But they were uncompetitive against India away in early March. They won three of the six home Tests in 2021 against West Indies and Bangladesh but lost 2-0 to England in back-to-back Tests at Galle.Related

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Australia proved their subcontinent bona fides in Pakistan with a 1-0 series win. However, it was a different type of challenge with spin being almost a non-factor in all three Tests save for Nathan Lyon’s five-wicket haul on the final day in Lahore. Australia haven’t been tested in true spinning conditions since touring Bangladesh in 2017 and the last time they faced Sri Lanka on their own turf they were humbled 3-0.But Sri Lanka’s spin options for the 2022 series of Lasith Embuldeniya (16 Tests), Praveen Jayawickrama (five Tests) Ramesh Mendis (six Tests) and potentially the uncapped Jeffrey Vandersay are not yet of the same quality as the 2016 destroyers Rangana Herath and Dilruwan Perera. Although Embuldeniya did take 15 wickets in two Tests against England in Galle last year.Steven Smith is the only Australia batter with a Test hundred in Sri Lanka, while Marnus Labuschagne, Travis Head, Cameron Green and Alex Carey have never played there. The series could well hinge on the battle between Sri Lanka’s inexperienced spinners and Australia’s inexperienced middle order. Australia will hope that one of their batters can emulate Joe Root’s sweeping masterclass in Galle last year, while Sri Lanka need Embuldeniya to channel Herath.Sri Lanka’s batting group have great memories of home series against Australia with four of the top six having all scored Test hundreds against them. Kusal Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva, and Dinesh Chandimal all made centuries in 2016 against an attack close to the one Australia might field. The only difference is Pat Cummins. The captain was the difference in Pakistan. He also took eight wickets in the last three ODIs including 4 for 35 in Pallekele. If the ball was to reverse in Galle, Cummins and Mitchell Starc will play a significant part in shaping the series.What role can Australia’s pace play?•AFP/Getty Images

Form guide

(Last five completed matches; most recent first)

Sri Lanka WDLLW

Australia WDDWD

In the spotlight

Lasith Embuldeniya has a good record in Galle having taken 32 wickets at 26.15 including a 10-wicket haul against England. But he enters this series with the spotlight on him after a disappointing tour of Bangladesh. It might be unfair to compare a 25-year-old who has played 16 Tests to a bowler like Herath who took 433 Test wickets. But Australia’s record against left-arm spin since 2016 is damning as they average just 21.36 as a unit, the worst of all the major nations in that time. Jayawickrama is the other option in the squad, but the responsibility will fall on Embuldeniya’s shoulders to cause some chaos among Australia’s batters.Marnus Labuschagne was the No. 1 Test batter in the world at one stage earlier this year but it came with a large caveat. None of his six Test centuries had been scored away from home and he had played just six of his 23 Tests overseas, prior to the tour of Pakistan. He put pressure on himself in Pakistan to remove that qualifier from his record and nearly did in the first Test in Rawalpindi. But he had a disappointing tour thereafter, although it was Shaheen Shah Afridi more so than spin that brought about his undoing. He did battle against Sri Lanka’s spinners in the ODI series but the pressure of scoring at a rate saw him try to manoeuvre the ball square against the spin far more than ever would in Test cricket. He will be determined to make some significant scores in this series and Australia will need someone to go big if they are to be triumphant.Angelo Mathews will have a big part to play with the bat•AFP

Team news

Sri Lanka appeared to be heading towards a debut for legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay as one of three frontline spinners, leaving the pace bowling to Asitha Fernando. Pathum Nissanka, who impressed in the ODIs, will return at the top of the order after missing the Bangladesh series due to injurySri Lanka (possible): 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Dimuth Karunaratne (capt), 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Angelo Mathews, 5 Dhananjaya de Silva, 6 Dinesh Chandimal, 7 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 8 Ramesh Mendis, 9 Lasith Embuldeniya, 10 Asitha Fernando, 11 Kasun Rajitha/Jeffrey VandersayAustralia look set to pick the same side that won in Pakistan. There was a debate circling around the Australia camp about Mitchell Swepson’s place as the second spinner, with Victoria left-armer Jon Holland being heavily considered despite not playing a Test since 2018 and not being initially selected among six spinners named across Australia’s Test and Australia A squads. But Cummins confirmed on Tuesday that Swepson would play with Holland’s spinning finger not recovering from the A game following a limited preparation. Travis Head will be given time until the toss to prove his hamstring has recovered from the strain he suffered in the ODI series. If he doesn’t come up, Glenn Maxwell will play his first Test since 2017 and his first first-class match since 2019.Australia (possible): 1 Usman Khawaja, 2 David Warner, 3 Marnus Labuschagne, 4 Steven Smith, 5 Travis Head/Glenn Maxwell, 6 Cameron Green, 7 Alex Carey (wk), 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Mitchell Swepson

Pitch and conditions

There will be no surprises in Galle with spin likely to play a huge part. The practice pitches have spun sharply including the ones on the edge of the square. The playing strip has very little grass on it, but the pitches on either side of it have a solid covering of grass which could negate reverse swing if the ball doesn’t get roughed up on the square as quickly as it might do otherwise. It will be hot and humid and it wouldn’t be Sri Lanka in July without some rain around but it’s unlikely there will be many delays over the five days.

Stats and trivia

• In 21 Tests in Galle, teams have chosen to bat first 20 times after winning the toss and only three times have teams lost having won the toss and batted. Sri Lanka suffered two of those losses against England in Galle last year.
• In five Tests in Galle since 2018, the average first innings score has been 273, with batters averaging just 26.98 against spin. Spinners have taken 78% of the wickets and bowled 77% of the overs in those Tests.
• Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne has scored 848 runs at 65.23 from his last 14 innings in Galle, scoring three fifties and three centuries. Angelo Mathews is the only other player with more than 500 runs at Galle in that time.
• Mitchell Starc took 11 for 94 at Galle in 2016. He is the only fast bowler to have taken 10 wickets in a Test match at the venue.

The India captain also backed the batters to continue their high-intent approach despite their St Kitts slump

Deivarayan Muthu02-Aug-2022After 39 overs of the second T20I in St Kitts, West Indies needed 10 runs off six balls to complete a series-levelling victory, with five wickets in hand. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, India’s most experienced fast bowler, had only bowled two overs, and had only conceded 12 runs. He may have seemed the natural choice to bowl the final over, but India captain Rohit Sharma chose instead to toss the ball to Avesh Khan, who was playing only his 10th T20I. Avesh had taken an important wicket, yorking top-scorer Brandon King in the 16th over, but he had gone for 19 runs in his first two overs.On the day, the move didn’t come off, with Avesh overstepping off the first ball, and giving away a free-hit that Devon Thomas scythed for a six over extra-cover. Thomas applied the finishing touches with a four next ball, but Rohit wasn’t too perturbed by the result, and believed Avesh would learn from the experience.Related

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“It’s all about giving the opportunity to these guys,” Rohit said after India’s defeat. “We know what Bhuvneshwar Kumar brings to the table for us. He’s been doing it for so many years, but if you don’t give opportunity to guys like Avesh, Arshdeep [Singh] and all those guys, you will never find out what it is like to bowl in the death overs for India. They’ve been doing it well for the IPL franchises, but this is a different ball game. These are the games [where] you try and see how they respond to those [pressure] situations, but yeah it’s just one game.”I don’t think we need to… or those guys need to panic about stuff. They have the skills, they have the talent; it’s just about backing it and giving them the right opportunity.”Arshdeep, the left-arm seamer, was central to India dragging the game to the last over. He had also conceded a boundary via a free-hit, to Kyle Mayers, in the powerplay, but was outstanding at the death with his variations in pace, length and angles. He conceded just ten runs off the 17th and 19th overs, while Hardik Pandya and the spinners did their bit as well. Rohit was particularly impressed with India’s late rally with the ball.”That is something I’m really proud of the team [for],” he said. “When you are defending a target like that, it can get over in either 13-14 overs or you drag it till the last ball. I think that’s what we did today. We dragged it till the last over. The guys kept fighting and it was important for us to keep taking wickets at the same time as well. So you’ve got to plan and see how you’re going to take those wickets and I thought the planning we did – whatever we spoke of – the guys came and executed it.”Rishabh Pant scored a quickfire 24 off 12 balls•Associated Press

Rohit backs batters to maintain the ‘same intensity and same intent’
In the first T20I on a two-paced Tarouba surface , India racked up 190 for 6 despite the steady fall of wickets. In the second game, on a similarly challenging surface in Basseterre, India stayed true to their attacking batting approach, but it backfired this time as they were bowled out for 138 with two balls unused in their innings. Rohit insisted that Monday’s batting failure wasn’t a cause for concern and that India would not veer away from their gung-ho approach.”Really, really happy with how the bowlers bowled, but of course, there are certain things in our batting that we really need to look at,” Rohit said. “But again, I will say that as well: we will continue to bat in that kind of fashion because we want to achieve something. Unless you try and do it, you will not achieve.”So, I think, one odd result here and there, we shouldn’t panic. It’s just about giving those guys that clarity, and after one loss we are not trying to change anything. We will keep [up] the same intensity and same intent with the bat.”India lost three wickets in the powerplay after being sent into bat, but they still hit 56 runs during this phase. Soon after, Rishabh Pant dashed out of the crease against left-arm fingerspinner Akeal Hosein, only to be caught at deep midwicket. Hardik Pandya, then regularly sent the ball in the air and holed out as well when he dared to hit against the wind and clear the bigger leg-side boundary. Ravindra Jadeja and Dinesh Karthik, too, picked out the fielders while looking for boundaries. Rohit admitted that India’s total was below par and hoped the batters would fare better in the next game, which will also be played at the same venue, and possibly the same pitch, on Tuesday.”Firstly, there weren’t enough runs on the board for us,” he said. “We didn’t bat well, and I thought the pitch was playing quite nicely, but we didn’t apply ourselves. But that can happen. I’ve been mentioning it again and again that when you’re trying to achieve something or when you’re trying to do something as a batting group you’re not always going to succeed. So, [in] games like this you could understand what you could’ve done. So, we will try to learn from what mistakes we made today and try and see if we can correct those mistakes in the next game.”

“But for us, it’s not really about looking at how many runs he makes. It’s about the contributions”

Shashank Kishore03-Sep-2022Hear it loud and clear. Rahul Dravid is not concerned over Virat Kohli’s form and while people on the outside may be “a bit obsessed with his statistics and numbers”, the people on the inside know their former captain is worth much more than the fifties and hundreds he can score.”He played very well in the last match [against Hong Kong], and we are happy with his performance,” Dravid said. “He is also coming back after a gap of almost a month. It’s nice to the see that he has come back fresh and that he is looking forward to playing every game. Not that he wasn’t looking forward to playing every game earlier.”Related

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In a chat with prior to the Asia Cup, Kohli had touched upon the reasons for his lack of runs. He was point blank when he said, he had been “trying to fake intensity a bit” in his determination to keep playing. At the time, Kohli also opened up about how the demands of his schedule had affected his love for training, something that “disturbed” him and made him realise he needed “to step away” for some time.It appears to have worked. India captain Rohit Sharma saw a freshness to Kohli when the team first got together for this tournament in the UAE and Dravid agreed with that assessment.”Sometimes with Virat, he is just one of those guys who is always on,” Dravid said. “It’s not that earlier he was not. It’s nice, I’m glad he has had that opportunity to take a break, come back refreshed and relaxed. He’s got a chance to be out in the middle, spend some time in the middle. Hopefully from here he can kick on have a really good tournament.”Kohli has made scores of 35 and 59* in two knocks so far. His innings against Pakistan had all the Kohli elements. He didn’t seem rusty, but he wasn’t entirely in control either. There were shots that left you in awe and shots that had you clenching your teeth. Against Hong Kong, he overcame a slow start and played the perfect foil to Suryakumar Yadav as both batters hit contrasting half-centuries.Dravid emphasised on how, for the team management, it was about looking at Kohli’s performances through a prism that doesn’t always lay all the emphasis on big scores. “For us, it’s not really about looking at how many runs he makes. I know that especially with Virat people get a bit obsessed with his statistics and his numbers.”For us, it’s about the contributions he can make in different phases in the game and what the contribution is. It doesn’t have to be in fifties or hundreds or a stat. Even small contributions mean a lot in T20 cricket, what is the role of a player and what the team needs. Virat is very keen in putting in big performances. Hopefully he can keep doing that in the tournament.”

Roy makes international comeback too as England stretch player pool to be able to have a squad in place for the Tests in Pakistan

Matt Roller25-Oct-2022James Vince and Sam Billings have won recalls to England’s ODI squad for a three-match series in Australia, which takes place immediately after the men’s T20 World Cup.As revealed by ESPNcricinfo earlier, Jason Roy will make his return to international cricket after a lean English summer led to him losing his spot in the T20I side and his ECB central contract, while there is no place for Alex Hales who is now seen as a T20 specialist.

Fixtures

November 17 – 1st ODI, Adelaide
November 19 – 2nd ODI, Sydney
November 22 – 3rd ODI, Melbourne

Neither Vince nor Billings has played an ODI since July 2021, but both have impressed in their recent 50-over opportunities. Vince’s last ODI innings brought his first England hundred to complete a clean sweep over Pakistan, while Billings has been unfortunate to miss out on recent selection after averaging 56.00 in his eight ODI innings since 2020.Olly Stone also won a recall, having last played an ODI in October 2018, and will fly out to Australia along with Billings, Vince and Roy in the coming weeks. Chris Jordan will stay with the set-up after the World Cup and will come into contention to win his first ODI cap since February 2020.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Luke Wood is the only uncapped player in the squad. He went on the tour to the Netherlands in June but did not play, and is due to travel to Australia this week as a reserve after Tymal Mills replaced Reece Topley in the full squad for the World Cup.Dawid Malan, Wood’s team-mate in the Hundred, has been recalled after being left out of England’s home ODIs this summer. Liam Dawson, a regular feature in England squads because of his versatility, could win only his fourth ODI cap and his first since 2018.The series, which does not form part of the World Cup Super League, will stretch England’s player pool considerably. By November 17, the day of the first ODI in Adelaide, the squad for their Tests in Pakistan in December will be in Abu Dhabi, along with a 15-man Lions training group and three fast bowlers who are recovering from long-term injuries.As a result, several leading white-ball players are not involved in the ODI series. Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone and Mark Wood will travel to the UAE straight after the World Cup – along with Ben Stokes, who has retired from the ODI format – while Ben Duckett, Will Jacks and Joe Root were not considered for selection because of their involvement in the Test squad.

He endured a disappointing 2022 season after the franchise spent INR 14 crore to retain him

Nagraj Gollapudi15-Nov-2022Sunrisers Hyderabad have released Kane Williamson, their captain and most expensive player during the 2022 IPL campaign. The New Zealand captain spent eight years at the franchise, scoring 2101 runs at an average of 36.22 and a strike rate of 126.03. He played 76 matches for Sunrisers and captained them 46 times.Letting go of Williamson will free up a significant chunk of Sunrisers’ purse ahead of the 2023 auction as they look to rebuild after a disappointing 2022 campaign where they finished eighth on the points table on the 10-team table with only six wins in 14 games. ESPNcricinfo has learned that Sunrirsers will keep their options open about buying back Williamson at the auction.Related

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Williamson was one of three players retained by the franchise ahead of the 2022 auction: Sunrisers spent INR 14 crore – the highest price paid to retain an overseas player in the IPL – to keep hold of him, and INR 4 crore each to retain Abdul Samad and Umran Malik.Sunrisers’ move to make Williamson their first retained player was a contentious one. It meant the franchise let go of the Afghanistan legspinner Rashid Khan, who it is learned wanted to be the first retention pick having been a serial match-winner for them.But Sunrisers prized Williamson’s skills as top-order anchor and captain. In the absence of David Warner – who was serving a one-year ban imposed by Cricket Australia for his role in the Newlands ball-tampering episode – Williamson had led Sunrisers to the IPL final in 2018, a season when he finished as the IPL’s most prolific batter with 735 runs at an average of 52.50 and a strike rate of 142.44. When Sunrisers’ long relationship with Warner soured midway through the 2021 season, they made Williamson their full-time captain.As things turned out, the 2022 season was a struggle for Williamson with the bat. Nursing a troublesome elbow condition, he scored 216 runs in 13 innings at an average of 19.63 and a strike rate of 93.50. Of all batters who faced at least 100 balls in the tournament, his strike rate was the worst. His performance had a bearing on Sunrisers’ overall season as well.

Rebecca Burns replaces the batter in New Zealand’s T20I squad, with Georgia Plimmer retained as cover for ODIs

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Dec-2022Batter Brooke Halliday has been ruled out of the remainder of the limited-overs series against Bangladesh due to a hand injury. Opener Rebecca Burns has been called into the squad for the remaining two T20Is. Georgia Plimmer, who was originally selected for the T20Is only, will remain with the squad as batting cover for the three ODIs that follow.Halliday was struck on the hand during Northern Districts’ Hallyburton Johnstone Shield loss to Canterbury Magicians last weekend, and a scan this week revealed a fracture that will require four to six weeks of rehabilitation.New Zealand head coach Ben Sawyers said they had initially thought her knock was a “minor one”, and that the team was hoping for her return for the third T20I and the ODIs. However, the scan on Friday “showed up worse than first expected”.”We’re clearly disappointed for Brooke,” Sawyer said. “She’s a big part of this team – and the batting group in particular – but we know she’ll be applying her hard-working attitude to her rehabilitation, and will be available as soon as possible. There’s a lot of cricket coming up over the next few months – most notably the T20 World Cup next year – and we’re confident she’ll be back in time.”With the replacement Burns’ reputation being of an aggressive opener in domestic cricket, and with the T20 World Cup scheduled for February 2023, Sawyer said that Burns is someone “they want to have a look at” in the lead-up to the global event.”Rebecca possesses strength and power at the top of the order, and we want to see if she can work within our plans leading into the World Cup,” he said. “She’s shown over the past few seasons that she has the ability to score runs quickly in the powerplay, and can swing momentum rapidly in her team’s favour.”Meanwhile, wicketkeeper Jess McFadyen, who was unable to take part in New Zealand’s thumping of Bangladesh in the first T20I due to illness, is still being assessed.The second T20I takes place in Dunedin on Sunday, with the final game scheduled for Queenstown for Wednesday.

South Africa captain admits he is “highly irritated” by his repeated soft dismissals in the Australia series

Firdose Moonda08-Jan-2023Dean Elgar insists he has the “hunger and the drive” to continue as South Africa’s Test captain after a second, successive series defeat and despite his own poor form.Since taking over the captaincy mid-2021, Elgar has not scored a hundred and averages 28.40, with no scores over 36 in his last 10 innings. While he admitted he needs some time off, Elgar has committed to leading South Africa in their final assignment of this World Test Championship – a two-Test series against West Indies in February-March – and beyond.”We’ve got two [Tests] and then potentially a lot of time off for myself for some gully cricket. Then the pressure is off a little bit. But, I enjoy the pressure. If [I was] scoring runs now, it would have been a lot easier to say yes [I want to continue] but obviously you’ve got to go into it and ask yourself those questions and I have. I still have the hunger and drive, no doubt,” Elgar said, after South Africa saved the Sydney Test.Related

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In the post-match television interviews, Elgar was a little more bullish and said he believed he would “be back” among the runs after a disappointing 2022. Later, in the press conference, Elgar conceded that he was unhappy with the ways in which he has been dismissed in this series: strangled down leg three times in six visits to the crease.”I can accept once, maybe twice, but the third time is something that highly irritates me,” he said. “And it’s something different for me. Generally you have a way of going out and bowlers target that. This is obviously something new and 10 years into a Test career, it’s foreign territory for me. It’s something to potentially reflect on and you can either say it’s s*** luck or not. I’m going to have an open mind around it and have a look. It’s just a bit frustrating that I could never get going through the series and when I did get going I managed to run myself out, which is also a massive no-no in Test cricket. All round, it’s extremely frustrating. I have actually been batting well, my build-up has been good. There’s been times where I have batted worse and I’ve actually got the performances, which is the ironic thing about this game.”But he will not be dissecting his technique just yet. With no SA20 contract to his name, Elgar intends to put his feet up through January and is targeting the second-half of the domestic four-day competition, which starts on February 12, to make a comeback. “I am taking as much time off as I want. That’s what I need at the moment,” he said. “There’s been a few conversations with me and the batting coaches to potentially do extra work but for now, I just want to get on a plane, and go home, chill out a bit, have a braai and maybe go to the bush and play some golf. Those are the small things that South Africans are deprived of when you go on a tour. I am just going to go home and clutch out a bit.”He will be joined on the sidelines by his vice-captain Temba Bavuma, who also does not have an SA20 gig, and middle-order batter Khaya Zondo while the rest of the Test squad will be part of the new T20 tournament. Both groups of players will have an opportunity to lick their wounds after what Elgar described as a chastening tour that has left some scars.”We’re hurt and embarrassed,” he said. “Those things work hand in hand at the moment.”However, South Africa’s batting effort on the final day of the series, where they scored 255 in their first innings – their highest in nine innings – and were 106 for 2 when the stumps were called has given Elgar some hope that things are not quite as bad as they seem.”Maybe I feel a little less [hurt and embarrassed] now,” he said. “After the second game those two words would have been a lot stronger but after showing a hell of a lot of fight and some really positive signs in this game, it is sitting a lot better with me. Maybe I have had a week to get over the hurt and embarrassment and maybe that’s why it’s a little bit easier to speak about now.”Still, South Africa cannot get away from the fact that they were totally outplayed across the series. Interim coach Malibongwe Maketa described it as losing “to a better team, more skilled and more experienced,” and called for South Africa to reassess. That includes everything from the composition of the top six to Maketa’s position, which will be filled permanently in the next few weeks.There’s a strong feeling that South Africa may be forced to do a complete clean-out and reorganise their red-ball structure. At home, there is the sense an overhaul is in the air, and Elgar seems to know it’s coming, especially on the back of this tour. While he wants to be part of South Africa’s Test future, for now, he just wants to process what’s happened.”I think you just have to be honest. Emotion is also part of our DNA. We are also human beings and we are allowed to show that,” he said. “We are an immensely proud nation and we play to win. When things don’t go your way, those kinds of things flow through your veins.”

Sylhet Strikers will now face Rangpur Riders in Qualifier 2 on Tuesday

Mohammad Isam12-Feb-2023Defending champions Comilla Victorians made it to their fourth BPL final after trouncing Sylhet Strikers by four wickets in Qualifier 1 in Mirpur. Strikers will now face Rangpur Riders, who beat Fortune Barishal in the afternoon’s Eliminator, in Qualifier 2 on Tuesday.Sylhet would rue missing three chances during Comilla’s chase. Mushfiqur Rahim was involved in all three – dropping two skiers and missing a stumping. It could have made a difference.It was Comilla’s varied and experienced bowling attack that set up the victory. Andre Russell, Mustafizur Rahman and Tanvir Islam took two wickets apiece, and Sunil Narine, Moeen Ali and Mukidul Islam picked up one each. They combined great lengths with a wicket-taking approach that left Sylhet with no respite.Shafiqullah Ghafari, the 21-year-old uncapped Afghan, fell to Russell in the second over, before Tanvir ran out the in-form Towhid Hridoy with a direct hit. When Moeen’s extra bounce took out Zakir Hasan in the following over, Comilla had Sylhet on the ropes at 16 for 3.Their recovery came through the surprise appearance of the veteran Mashrafe Mortaza who promoted himself to No 5. He cracked two sixes and as many fours in his 17-ball 26, and lent a helping hand to Najmul Hossain Shanto who was batting calmly at the other end.But the pair fell within eight balls of each other when Mashrafe skied Russell and Shanto was bowled by Tanvir. Tanvir dented them further by removing Ryan Burl on the next ball to make it 78 for 6 in the 11th over. Mushfiqur tried to resuscitate the innings but to no avail, as Strikers were bowled out for a paltry 125 in the 18th over.Narine gave Comilla a rollicking start, hitting four sixes and three fours in his 18-ball 39. He fell in the fifth over, but it had a lasting impact despite Comilla floundering in their chase. Litton Das had earlier fallen in the fourth over, while Johnson Charles and Imrul Kayes couldn’t get going.Moeen Ali, though, struck a 13-ball 21, and Mosaddek Hossain played the anchor’s role with an unbeaten run-a-ball 27.There was another wobble when Moeen and Jakir Ali fell in the same over but by then the target was just 19 runs away. Russell, who was the beneficiary of one of Mushfiqur’s dropped catches, smashed a couple of sixes to complete the win in the 17th over.

Matt Henry is available for the second Test against England; Ish Sodhi and Jacob Duffy have been released from the squad

Vithushan Ehantharajah20-Feb-2023Kyle Jamieson is set to be out for at least “three to four months” after undergoing back surgery this week.Jamieson was originally on a comeback from a stress fracture of the back, sustained in England last June, and was primed for a return to action in New Zealand’s first Test against the same opponents in Mount Maunganui. However, a suspected recurrence of the injury ruled him out of the series, before subsequent MRI scans and consultations with a back surgeon confirmed the need for surgery.No specific timeline has been put on 27-year-old Jamieson’s recovery. Blackcaps head coach Gary Stead hoped the operation and necessary rehabilitation would serve him well in the long term.Related

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“It’s been a challenging and difficult time for Kyle and a big loss for us,” Stead said. “He’s been fantastic around all of our sides when he’s been part of them. We just wish him well and hope we’ll know more in three to four months of what that end prognosis looks for him as well.”A number of world-class players have had surgery in the back and it’s different periods of time they recover. We just want Kyle [to get] the best chance of recovery because we know what a star he’s been for us.”Surgery provides a quicker return to play and that’s the encouraging thing for him.”The loss of the tall and fast Jamieson, who has taken 72 wickets at 19.45 in his 16 Tests so far, was felt profoundly at Bay Oval, where New Zealand suffered their biggest runs loss to England in the first Test. England’s victory by 267 was completed on the morning of day four in the day-night opener, putting them 1-0 up in the two-match series. It was Tim Southee’s first defeat as captain.Southee, however, would be boosted by the return of Matt Henry, availability for the second Test in Wellington. Henry, the 31-year-old, would be rejoining the squad following the birth of his second child. With 55 dismissals at 41.09 in 18 caps, Henry would almost certainly come into the XI for the match, which begins on Friday at Basin Reserve. Jacob Duffy and Ish Sodhi have been released from the squad to play Plunket Shield cricket later this week.Without Jamieson or Henry, the Blackcaps went into the pink-ball Test with an inexperienced attack, featuring debutants Blair Tickner and Scott Kuggeleijn, and found themselves chasing the match from the start despite winning the toss.Though England only posted scores of 325 for 9 and 306, the manner of their scoring – at 5.57 and 5.06, respectively – allowed them to dictate the flow of the match. That in turn gave them two opportunities to bowl at New Zealand’s top order under lights, reducing them to 31 for 3 and 28 for 5 on nights one and three.Matt Henry is likely to slot into the playing XI for the second Test•Getty Images

Reeling England in is easier said than done. This was victory number ten out of 11 under the watch of Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes, carried out in a manner that underlined their ability to overawe their opponents by moving matches along at will. But Stead acknowledged that the focus ahead of the final match of the series was on using cues from the past weeks to somehow apply the brakes on their opponents.”I think there’s a couple of things that stood out to me during the Test. The way England are playing isn’t a surprise to us at all, but they are playing very, very well,” Stead said. “And I guess for us it’s finding ways we can counter that and I guess slow them down and the pace at which they’re playing the game.”Look, they play at a pace that allows them to take key moments of that last match, as well. When I look at the positives, we bowled them out [nine wickets fell] in 58 overs in the first innings, and we bowled them out in the second innings. It’s just how do you slow them down from the run rate they’re going at. They were 230 for 6 in that second innings, so if you take four wickets for the next 40 runs you’re batting for that period in the daylight as well and it could have been very different then as well. But they are the small margins that we work with.”As I said, we don’t try and get too high or too low around our wins or our losses, we just try and keep getting better and keep tuning up our performance.”