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Fiery outing for Sussex shows progress in recovery from elbow and finger injuries

ESPNcricinfo staff13-May-2021Jofra Archer demonstrated that his return to fitness is firmly on track following a fiery performance for Sussex on the opening day of their LV= County Championship clash with Kent at Hove, and confirmed he would be ready to step back into the England bubble if selected for the two-Test series against New Zealand, at Lord’s and Edgbaston next month.Archer claimed 2 for 29 in 13 well-grooved overs, with both of his scalps coming in his opening four-over spell, including his England team-mate Zak Crawley, who was caught behind for 7. Kent were rolled aside for 145 inside 55 overs, with Archer’s fellow England prospect, Ollie Robinson, also starring with 3 for 29 in 18 overs.It was Archer’s first Championship appearance for Sussex since September 2018, and potentially his last of the season too, given that the county has no fixture in next week’s round of games – the last that England’s Test players will be able to play ahead of the first Test against New Zealand at Lord’s, beginning on June 2.But, after a low-key outing for Sussex’s second XI against Surrey last week, he assuaged many concerns about his recovery from both a long-term elbow injury, and an operation to remove a shard of glass from the middle finger of his right hand.”It’s great to play again with the [Sussex] lads who I’ve played with nearly all of my career,” Archer told the ECB Reporters’ Network afterwards.”My fitness is fine, I thought I bowled okay. I played in the second team last week and it’s good to get some confidence and I felt fine. I bowled in short spells for protection in case we had a long day but it was overcast, which helped a bit. There was a bit of management, but it all worked out.Related

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“With the [elbow] injury I have tried not to get too frustrated,” he added. “If I’m fit, I guess I will play in the Test series and I feel alright. I would ideally have another game next week but we’re off and then we play Northamptonshire. I don’t know what the plan is but I’d be happy to play again before the Test series. I’d be happy to go into the bubble again.”Archer is sure to be joined in the bubble by Crawley, who made a career-best 267 against Pakistan in last season’s England campaign, but he’s looking forward to heading to Lord’s with the bragging rights after getting the better of their short-lived duel.”I bowl to Zak Crawley in the [England] nets and I have done that quite a bit,” Archer said. “Obviously, you’re never out in the nets so it was good to get him out here, with umpires.”It remains to be seen whether Robinson, too, has done enough to earn a Test debut, but after claiming 28 wickets at 13.35 – and with England indicating that they will offer chances to some new faces – the signs are so far promising.”Hopefully Ollie Robinson will get his [England] chance this summer,” Archer said. “We all know what he can do, he’s a talented bowler and his stats prove that.”

Sri Lanka’s batsmen may have been scuppered by cluttered minds on day two of the first Test in Hobart, deems Sri Lanka’s coach Graham Ford, as they slumped to 87 for 4 by stumps

Andrew Fernando in Hobart15-Dec-2012Sri Lanka’s batsmen may have been scuppered by cluttered minds on day two of the first Test in Hobart, deems Sri Lanka’s coach Graham Ford, as they slumped to 87 for 4 by stumps after Australia had scored 450 for 5. Sri Lanka could only remove Michael Clarke on the day, before Mike Hussey progressed to an unbeaten 19th Test century, putting on 146 with Matthew Wade.Though Sri Lanka’s bowlers had avoided being dominated for much of Australia’s innings, they were milked for more than six runs an over in the 11 overs preceding Australia’s declaration. Then, Sri Lanka’s batsmen were not confronted with alarming movement, but largely lost their wickets to indiscipline while facing testing deliveries.”Perhaps we weren’t quite up to it with the bat today.” Ford said. “I think the boys were busy thinking of what’s gone on so far; hopefully we can come out in the morning and put up a good fight. They put us under a lot of pressure, batted superbly and got a lot of runs on the board, then with the ball they put us under a lot of pressure as well.”Tillakaratne Dilshan made a positive fifty, finishing the day unbeaten. He will resume on day three alongside Angelo Mathews – the pair comprise the two in-form batsmen in the side. Mathews was by far the highest run-getter for Sri Lanka in the recent series against New Zealand, and has also made his only century against Australia. Dilshan, meanwhile, hit a hundred in the tour match in Canberra last week.”I don’t think there [are] any demons in the surface,” Ford said. “It’s a classy bowling unit. They have put the ball in the right place and there has been some movement here and there. Dilshan has shown that if you focus you can handle what comes in your way.”When the innings was in progress the batting coach was speaking to some of the batters who were due to come in and [about] one or two technical things that Dilshan was putting in place well.”Ford said Thilan Samaraweera’s dismissal off what became the final ball of the day was especially difficult to stomach, because Sri Lanka had only one more over to see out before stumps. Samaraweera was caught behind off Nathan Lyon, who surprised the batsman with the bounce he achieved with his top-spinner.”Losing the wicket at the end of the day is tough to handle. Disappointing. We almost thought that we got through with three down so it does hurt. I am sure if we can bat well when the match goes on Rangana [Herath] will come in and have an impact.”Left-arm spinner Herath went wicketless in the first innings, but is the second-highest wicket-taker for 2012 and has a superior average this year to Graeme Swann, who tops the list. There was little turn available for him, but Ford said his side had not expected their spearhead to be a force in Hobart.”The records suggest that it’s toughest for Herath to have an impact here. So probably at the other two venues he should come into the game a lot more, and that should give us a better chance. I am also very hopeful that our seamers are improving all the time. I thought Shaminda Eranga bowled well for a man who has three Tests under his belt. We have to try and see how he comes through. We got only five wickets, but he has given us something to be positive about. It will take an effort from the seam unit as well as the one bowler who is going to set it up. Hopefully everyone has learned from today, as it’s important that seamers from the other end support Rangana Herath.”Ford also lauded the longevity of Michael Hussey, who now averages 125.28 against Sri Lanka, and has hit five of his 19 hundreds against them. “Just looking at how fit and quick he is between the wickets, that’s really impressive for his age. At this stage he looks like he has a few good years ahead of him. He is a bloody good player.”

AB de Villiers has been ruled out of Titans’ Champions League semi-final against Sydney Sixers on Friday

Firdose Moonda25-Oct-2012AB de Villiers has been ruled out of Titans’ Champions League semi-final against Sydney Sixers on Friday. De Villiers has not played a match in the tournament as he recovers from a chronic lower-back condition and did not pass his fitness test on Thursday morning.”He is still getting a recurrence of lower-back pain,” Matthew Maynard, Titans coach, said. The Titans were prepared to go into the match without De Villiers though, and do not see the latest development as upsetting to their plans.What will be a concern, however, is whether De Villiers will be able to bat and keep wicket during South Africa’s three Test tour of Australia, which starts in just over two weeks’ time. De Villiers has been listed as the designated wicketkeeper and was instructed to take a three-week break after the World T20 to ensure he is able to fulfill that role.The time period comes to an end on Friday but he has not been passed match-fit and there is no exact determination of how much more recovery time he needs. National management is keeping a close eye on the situation and expects De Villiers to be able to assume all his duties in Australia. “He will definitely be able to travel to Australia but we will have to take it day by day on tour,” Mohammed Moosajee, team manager said.Moosajee has been monitoring De Villiers’ back condition since he took over the wicketkeeping role from Mark Boucher at the start of the tour of England. He does not expect De Villiers will be able to continue it permanently.”AB has had this back condition for a while and we knew about it. We knew that it would never resolve completely but that he would have times where he would be completely fine and then bouts when it would come back,” Moosajee said. “When his workload increases, it flares up. So in the long term, some strategic decision will have to be made.”The main decision is how long De Villiers will continue as wicketkeeper and who will be selected as the replacement. On the tour of Australia, Moosajee reminded that “we’ve got Thami Tsolekile as back-up so if something happens, he is there.”Tsolekile was nationally contracted in February, an indication that he would be part of the squad, and joined them when Boucher suffered a career-ending injury in England. He only played in the tour matches and De Villiers kept in all three Tests. It is believed that the national administration wants to re-introduce Tsolekile to international cricket at home, in what will be considered a less-challenging series against New Zealand in January rather than have him play against Australia first up.

If the batting can back up the bowling, the visitors can make this a fabulously exciting series

Danyal Rasool25-Dec-2020

Big picture

This isn’t the Boxing Day Test that’ll fill the most column inches, generate the greatest number of app notifications or create the most viral hashtags on Twitter. Mount Maunganui, sadly, is no match for Melbourne as New Zealand and Pakistan don’t quite stack up against their giant neighbours, Australia and India, who also face each other on the same day. But for those interested in more niche contests, more arcane storylines, and arguably equally absorbing cricket, tuning into this Test instead of that one promises to leave you equally satiated.

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Set aside the financial might of Australia and India, and you’ll find New Zealand vs Pakistan stacks up well against it on cricketing merit. New Zealand, for one, don’t intend to play dark horses to anyone these days, as they look to clinch two further Test wins to complement their 2-0 series win against West Indies and get one foot in the World Test Championship final. Pakistan, though heavy underdogs, will be buoyed by an impressive performance against England despite losing the series 1-0; the scoreline doesn’t quite reflect how close they were to a memorable series win. If they can bring that same fight, and, more importantly, bowling quality, to these two Tests, New Zealand will find these Tests won’t be the cakewalk the ones against Jason Holder’s men ended up being.New Zealand, though, are a fearfully well-oiled machine who relentlessly stack up the series wins at home. Only South Africa and Australia have beaten New Zealand in a Test series at home since January 2011. For much of this time, the core of this side has contained arguably two batsmen and two bowlers who rank among the greatest ever New Zealand cricketers: Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Tim Southee and Trent Boult. The presence of Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls and Neil Wagner ensures the home side is neither unbalanced nor overly reliant on a handful of individuals.Related

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Pakistan, meanwhile, have been left reeling by the absence of Babar Azam, who was due to make his debut as Test captain. It not only leaves a big hole in the heart of the batting line-up but also means Mohammad Rizwan needs to take on even greater responsibility – as stand-in captain, batsman and wicketkeeper, while the openers, who didn’t quite manage much against New Zealand A last week, will need to step up. The trio of Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah and Mohammad Abbas with the ball are by far Pakistan’s biggest hopes of discomfiting New Zealand over the next fortnight, with a helping hand from the batsmen carrying the potential to make this a fabulously exciting series.

Form guide

Pakistan DDLWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
New Zealand WWWWLHenry Nicholls has fought his way to become one of New Zealand’s first-choice picks•Getty Images

In the spotlight

Henry Nicholls might have been thought of as a utility squad player when he made his Test debut four years ago, and didn’t look up to much when Pakistan last visited in 2016, managing just 69 runs all series. It was a different story in the UAE two years later, where he demonstrated the sort of unflashy grit that has made him a mainstay in the New Zealand middle order. Managing two steely fifties, and a history-making, series-winning hundred in the third Test, he was among the unsung heroes for New Zealand as Williamson swept the awards, and his value to this New Zealand Test side has only increased since. With an average on the right side of 40, and 174 in his last Test innings against West Indies, Nicholls is in the sort of form to set the record straight.Mohammad Abbas‘s eyes might light up at how green the New Zealand surface will invariably look, much as West Indies’ did when they opted to bowl after winning the toss twice. New Zealand first innings scores of 519 and 460, however, suggested the colour of the surface doesn’t mean a whole lot without quality bowlers. Abbas, who butters his bread thanks to his accuracy and seam movement, would do well to remember that. If he manages to keep his focus on what his strengths are: line, length and subtle seam movement, rather than getting greedy and throwing the ball up in search of unrealistic swing movement, he may well be unplayable.

Team news

New Zealand have a full-strength, well-rested squad available to them, with Williamson back, having missed the second Test against West Indies for the birth of his daughter. That could edge out Will Young, with the rest of the line-up likely unchangedNew Zealand (probable): 1 Tom Latham, 2 Tom Blundell, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Henry Nicholls, 6 BJ Watling (wk), 7 Daryl Mitchell, 8 Kyle Jamieson, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Neil Wagner, 11 Trent BoultBalance is the problem for Pakistan, with the absence of a genuine allrounder in the squad. Shadab Khan might have been tasked with that job, but with him ruled out, Pakistan look set to play potentially a batsman light.Pakistan (probable): 1 Shan Masood, 2 Abid Ali, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Fawad Alam, 5 Haris Sohail, 6 Mohammad Rizwan (capt & wk), 7 Faheem Ashraf, 8 Yasir Shah/Sohail Khan, 9 Shaheen Afridi, 10 Mohammad Abbas, 11 Naseem Shah

Pitch and conditions

Mount Maunganui has hosted only one Test till date – against England last year. It was something of a turgid surface, albeit one that led to a New Zealand innings victory. The toss, and early wickets with the new ball, will be vital. The weather is fine for four out of five days, with rain expected for much of Sunday.

Stats and trivia

• Before New Zealand commenced their current unbeaten home run against all sides barring Australia and South Africa, Pakistan were the last side to beat them in a series, 1-0 in 2010-11.
• New Zealand’s fast bowling attack is significantly more seasoned than their Pakistani counterparts. Pakistan’s entire fast bowling contingent in New Zealand – Abbas, Afridi, Shah, Sohail Khan, Ashraf – have a combined 169 Test wickets. Each of Southee (296), Boult (272) and Wagner (215) have more wickets on their own.

Fast bowler wants to set an example to kids from varying backgrounds

Barny Read03-Feb-2021England bowler Chris Jordan says he hopes that by being a positive presence at the highest level the game can serve as inspiration for young people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities.Cricket, especially in England, is increasingly under-fire for its lack of diversity, with former England batsman Michael Carberry saying last summer that “cricket is rife with racism” and that “the people running the game don’t care about black people”.Carberry’s comments forced the ECB to admit that “barriers to enjoying our sport exists”, while Azeem Rafiq’s litigation against Yorkshire over claims of discrimination and racial abuse led to the club issuing a statement that lifetime bans for anyone involved in “vile” threats on social media aimed at Rafiq, his family and his legal team.Under-representation is a major aspect of cricket’s issues in dealing with and precenting discrimination, and Jordan wants both his performances and professionalism to be something that leads the way for others to follow.”So many different eyes are on you but the kind of eyes that I’m more concerned about are especially those younger kids from different backgrounds and varying backgrounds that might be looking up to me, who knows, for some inspiration. You try to set an example as much as possible,” Jordan told ESPNcricinfo.”Bearing that in mind, when I do step onto the field and you do find yourself in certain settings, you know that some of your actions and everything that you do, those kids might be looking towards you for that inspiration. So if they see me trying to continue to improve my game and continue to reach new heights and doing all these things and that inspires them then that’s good enough for me.”The England bowler is so often the go-to guy for teammates looking for advice; the man able to not only lead his team but also unite it. Tom Banton this week explained how he would ask Jordan for an introduction to Nicholas Pooran, while Qalandars captain Sohail Akhtar described him as his team’s “leader”.”[He’s an] excellent human being, very supportive character,” said Sohail after Jordan’s 1-11 – including a wicket and just two runs from the ninth over of Bangla Tigers’ chase that came up seven runs short – ensured the Qalandars maintained their perfect T10 League record in Abu Dhabi.Speaking prior to that decisive performance with the ball for Qalandars, Jordan explained that the mentoring role is something he relishes and could be an avenue he explores whenever he hangs up his spikes.”I do enjoy really working with younger players, I do enjoy encouraging them,” Jordan said. “I’m always willing to share, I’m always trying to help just because I’m trying to live good with people in general and any bit of knowledge I can share or impart on anyone then I’m more than willing to do that.”If that allows me to transition into a coaching role or mentorship role eventually then when that time comes, I think that I’ll have enough information to make that decision but I stay in the movement as much as possible. I’m enjoying playing my cricket, I’m enjoying continuing to travel the world and continue to improve my skills as well so I’m putting all my energy into that.”

Allrounder is back to bowling in the nets after recovering from the side strain he suffered in the BBL

Alex Malcolm13-Feb-2021Australia allrounder Mitchell Marsh is hoping to be fit to bowl if selected for the opening T20I against New Zealand in Christchurch, as he bids to make yet another return to international cricket.Marsh injured his side while bowling for the Perth Scorchers in a match against against the Hobart Hurricanes in early January. It was only the fifth game he had bowled in after recovering from a serious ankle injury that he suffered during the IPL.He played as a batsman only in the last six BBL matches of the season. In the games he did bowl in for the Scorchers, he was very effective, taking four wickets at an economy rate of just 6.52, and the Scorchers won all those five matches.Related

• Australia seek middle-order answers during T20 mission in New Zealand

Marsh has returned to bowling in the nets at training in the last couple of days and is hopeful he would be available to bowl if selected in the first game on February 22. “Yeah, hoping that I’ll available to bowl in the first couple of games if all goes to plan,” he said. “I pushed back, sort of, almost to the full run two days ago. So I’ll progress over the next week and hopefully in the first few games to bowl. I think it’s great that we’ve got so many options with the ball so I’m not under a whole heap of pressure to get back for the first game.”Marsh made his T20I debut in 2011, but has played just 15 games in the format for his country in that time, while he has played 32 Tests and 60 ODIs. He played in the 2016 T20 World Cup but managed just two games in the next four years before returning to the side on the tour of South Africa last year where he played all three matches.He was not selected for the first two T20Is on the following tour of England but returned for the third and was Player of the Match in Southampton.But he suffered a serious ankle injury in his first game in last year’s IPL for the Sunrisers Hyderabad and was ruled out of the tournament. He also missed Australia’s ODI and T20I series against India.An excellent BBL campaign, where he made 315 runs, including three half-centuries, at a strike rate of 147.88 has put him back in the frame for Australian selection. He is one of the players in the mix to fill the vital middle-order role that would be critical to Australia’s success both against New Zealand and in the T20 World Cup later in the year.”Five and six is somewhere that I’ve batted for basically all of my career,” Marsh said. “I absolutely love that role and I really enjoyed playing it for the Scorchers, the way we lined up this year, and with the Power Surge, it was great for our team with a stacked top order. If I’m playing at five or six for Australia I’ll be really looking forward to playing alongside Stoin (Marcus Stoinis) and Maxy (Glenn Maxwell) and those guys and hopefully forming some good partnerships.”Marsh’s power-hitting is a trademark but Australia’s stand-in coach Andrew McDonald made particular mention of Marsh’s improved hitting against wide yorkers and wide-line bowling. Marsh made just 44 runs from 38 balls on the three-match tour of South Africa where the bowlers tied him down with wide bowling, with Marsh scoring just 21 runs from 25 balls including 12 dots and just one boundary against deliveries aimed wide of off stump.”It probably stems from the tour to South Africa where they bowled really wide to me,” Marsh said. “It’s not something that I’ve struggled with in the past but I did on that tour. So it was noted for me to go away and make sure I got better at that. I worked really hard over the winter to make sure that I added that to my game and added that to my power game. It was really nice to see that come to fruition in the Big Bash. I’m feeling really comfortable with that part of my game now. It just adds another string to my bow and hopefully, I can keep doing the same over here.”Probably the only thing that has changed is not trying to hit the ball for six every ball. Picking my balls and making sure I’m trying to manipulate the field to the best of my ability, certainly through the off side.”

Danish Kaneria, the Pakistan legspinner, has been barred from playing any official cricket in Pakistan until the outcome of his appeal against a lifetime ban

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jul-2012Danish Kaneria, the Pakistan legspinner, has been barred from playing any official cricket in Pakistan pending the outcome of his appeal against a lifetime ban handed by the ECB last month for corruption. The decision was taken after a meeting of the Pakistan board’s integrity committee on Monday.Kaneria, Pakistan’s fourth-highest wicket-taker in Tests, was handed the life ban by an ECB disciplinary panel hearing the spot-fixing case involving former Essex fast bowler Mervyn Westfield. Kaneria had been found guilty of inducing Westfield to under-perform and of bringing the game into disrepute. He has indicated that he would contest the verdict, though he is yet to formally lodge an appeal.The PCB’s integrity committee, headed by board chairman Zaka Ashraf, said that any final decision on Kaneria would be taken only after the appeal was dealt with. Kaneria had already been barred from playing for the Pakistan national side in 2010, and the PCB has said that it would in principle stand by the sanctions imposed by the England board.So far, he had been allowed to participate in Pakistan domestic cricket, and he was among the highest wicket-takers in last season’s Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, the first-class tournament. He represented Habib Bank Limited, who have written a letter to the PCB asking for clarity on his cricketing status. HBL are set to suspend ties with Kaneria, and are waiting for a formal response from the PCB before taking a call on his job status. Kaneria’s last domestic match was a Twenty20 for Karachi Zebras in March.Although his punishment was handed out by the ECB, the ICC’s anti-corruption code states that decisions based on a domestic board’s regulations should be upheld by boards around the world, including the PCB.

Rookie batsman seizes opportunity at top of order with brilliant innings-turning century

George Dobell08-Sep-2020Tom Lammonby’s unbeaten century has given Somerset an excellent chance of making the final of the Bob Willis Trophy.Lammonby, a 20-year-old who made his first-class debut in August, became the youngest man in Somerset’s first-class history* to carry his bat in making 107 of Somerset’s 193. Nobody else managed more than 21.It was the first time a Somerset opener had carried their bat since Dean Elgar did so in Manchester in 2017. Lammonby also becomes just the second man who might be considered locally developed – he was born, to an Australian father, in Exeter – to do it for Somerset this century; his captain, Tom Abell, has done so twice. It was Lammonby’s second century in successive first-class matches.More importantly, Lammonby’s chanceless innings shored up Somerset’s position just as it appeared to be crumbling. There were times on the third morning when it appeared Worcestershire had clawed their way back into this game. At 82 for 6, for example, Somerset were just 133 ahead and in danger of letting their advantage slip.But Lammonby’s impressively calm head, his ability to play to the situation and go through the gears when required, his ability to concentrate for five hours and wear down Worcestershire’s deserving attack left the hosts needing 245 to win. Against a Somerset attack which has not conceded more than 200 in the competition and on a surface that remains helpful to seamers, that is likely to prove a tall order.In normal circumstances, Lammonby may have struggled to win an opportunity this year. Somerset were due to welcome Matthew Wade as their overseas player at the start of the season and Vernon Philander as a Kolpak registration. James Hildreth and Tom Banton might also be considered first-choice options, while Lammonby, a former England U19 player, has very little experience at the top of the order. Instead, he sees himself as a middle-order batsman who can contribute with the ball as a left-arm medium-pacer. He reckons he has opened, at club level, just three or four times previously.But, the absence of most overseas and Kolpak players has provided opportunities for the likes of Lammonby. And in recording successive centuries, he may have gone some way towards filling the Marcus Trescothick-shaped void that has existed at the top of the Somerset order for a while.As a left-handed Somerset opener, the comparisons with Trescothick are probably inevitable. But Lammonby perhaps has more in common with the likes of Alastair Cook or even Peter Roebuck (a right-hander, but a Somerset opener) than Trescothick. He is patient, compact and well-organised. He was, in general, happy to accumulate rather than dominate. And while there were few of the booming drives or dismissive cuts and pulls that characterised a typical Trescothick century, there were arguably fewer nervous moments outside off stump, too. In carrying his bat in a first-class game, he has already achieved something for Somerset that Trescothick did not.Initially, he concentrated on survival. There were just four singles in the opening 45 minutes of the day and, after 104 balls of his innings, he had scored 23. But he had played straight, he had left well and he had still been able to put away anything overpitched or on his legs.He seized on the introduction of Brett D’Oliveira’s leg-spin as an opportunity for easier runs. The first two balls were taken for 10 – a sweep for four followed by a lofted drive over long-on for six – while an over in his second spell was plundered for 20. Lammonby brought up his century with his third six off D’Oliveira. In the context of this low-scoring match, it was agonisingly expensive for Worcestershire.Batting looked a far more tricky proposition at the other end. Abell fell in the first over of the day, a perfect outswinger taking his the edge of his forward defensive prod, before George Bartlett and Eddie Byrom were both punished for playing across straight balls. Steve Davies’ attempt to emulate Lammonby’s aggression against D’Oliveira saw him miss a bit of a heave while Craig Overton, back when he should have been forward, was beaten by a googly.But in Lewis Gregory and Josh Davey, Lammonby found some support. And with Josh Tongue only able to operate off a short run and at half pace due to a back injury, Worcestershire’s support bowlers, notably D’Oliveira and the rapid but raw Dillon Pennington, proved expensive. The hosts’ grip on the situation began to weaken as Lammonby’s final 84 runs occupied only 116 balls and Somerset’s last four wickets added 111 crucial runs. In the context of the match, it felt decisive.Worcestershire’s task looked no easier after the loss of both openers. Daryl Mitchell and Jake Libby are their side’s highest run-scorers in the competition but were both bowled by Lewis Gregory: Mitchell punished for leaving a gap between bat and pad by one that drifted into him; Libby playing on via the inside edge after a somewhat footless drive at one which left him a little. The mountain they have to climb on the final day looms above the Malverns.Lammonby has only visited Lord’s once before – as a spectator at Somerset’s Royal London Cup success last year – and has never played there. It will be a surprise if he is not making his maiden appearance there in a couple of weeks’ time.*The previous youngest was ADE ‘Dudley’ Rippon, in 1914.

The South Africans were given a taste of the toil that awaits them as they spent all but 20 minutes of the day on the field before losing two wickets against the Board President’s XI in Mumbai

The Report by Firdose Moonda in Mumbai30-Oct-2015
Scorecard1:30

Moonda: SA will be concerned by the form of their spinners

The South Africans were given a taste of the toil that awaits them in the upcoming Test series after they spent all but 20 minutes of the day on the field before losing two wickets against the Indian Board President’s XI in their only warm-up fixture at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai.But the visitors learnt two valuable things from their prolonged stay in the sun: that Imran Tahir may be ready for a Test return ahead of Dane Piedt and Kagiso Rabada can be introduced at some stage in the series.Tahir, who carried drinks in the morning, was only introduced into the attack 10 minutes before tea. He bowled six overs and was the most effective of the three spinners in operation. Although the wicket he claimed – that of Sheldon Jackson who tried to launch him down the ground – was more a result of Dale Steyn’s athletic catching than his own ingenuity, Tahir asked more questions than the offspinners.Piedt, making a return to the highest level after a shoulder injury, was expensive and struggled for control. Simon Harmer was better and bowled cleverly at the end of the innings but neither would have inspired the confidence Tahir did. Piedt bowled like a man who understood he was competing for a place and delivered a succinct reason for why that place should be his.Rabada ran in the same way. He bowled three spells in the first two sessions, when the other seamers had only bowled two each, and showed an understanding of the areas and the lengths needed at this level. With only 14 first-class matches to his name, Rabada’s longer-form match awareness was impressive.Both Tahir and Rabada were only in action after Steyn and Vernon Philander had done what they do best as a new-ball pair, clinically carving through the President’s XI top order.The first wicket fell on the fifth ball of the morning when Unmukt Chand edged Steyn to Hashim Amla at first slip. It was the kind of dismissal Philander has made a career out of and five overs later, he showed why. After flirting with Chesteshwar Pujara’s outside edge, Philander finally found it to end a disappointing outing for the opposition captain.Shreyas Iyer was the next victim, edging to wicketkeeper Dane Vilas, who had a solid outing in his first experience on this tour. Vilas caught all three chances that came his way and like all good wicketkeepers, went relatively unnoticed otherwise.At 35 for 3, the South Africans may have hoped to bat quickly, but KL Rahul and Karun Nair denied them. Rahul, who watched wickets fall from the other end, tightened his own game to avoid falling into the off-stump trap even when the South Africans’ second wave of seamers arrived.Morne Morkel bowled an opening spell of three overs and followed that up with a one of two overs upon his return from a quad injury, even as Rabada constantly threatened. Some relief came in the form of the medium-pacers and the spinners, which may concern the South Africans as Harmer and Piedt could not find a way though.Rahul was strong on the drive and found runs behind square. He brought up 50 off 92 balls, with 80% of those runs scored in boundaries. Nair also found gaps in the field more easily than singles and it took the reintroduction of Philander to stabilise the visitors. He had Nair caught behind after lunch and continued to beat the bat until late in the day to begin answering some of the questions about his ability on subcontinental surfaces.Rahul looked well set, but perished while trying to accelerate, as a flick off Harmer found Faf du Plessis at short fine leg. With the two set men out, the South Africans may have fancied running through the President’s XI but Naman Ojha and Jackson were stubborn in their defence.While the heat and humidity began to take its toll on the visitors, Ojha milked them and brought up a half-century off 76 balls. Again, one of the front-liners had to be called, as Steyn came back after tea to dismiss Ojha in the slips off his first ball. But the President’s XI tail remained resolute and thwarted the South Africans, who put their seamers away as they day grew long, leaving Piedt and Hamer to finish off, which they did.Hardik Pandya made them work for his wicket, and enjoyed flaying the spinners about before falling to Piedt, who was rewarded with a wicket right at the end.South Africa’s day got longer when Shardul Thakur demanded the full attention of their batsmen, who were flagging. Dean Elgar played and missed several times but it was Stiaan van Zyl who was out first. The nightwatchman Harmer was bowled off the last ball of the day, leaving South Africa’s specialist batsmen with a full day to turn the tide tomorrow.

Fast bowler Pat Cummins has been named in the Australia squad for the one-day matches against Ireland and England scheduled for June this year

ESPNcricinfo staff10-May-2012Fast bowler Pat Cummins has been named in the Australia squad for the one-day matches against Ireland and England scheduled for June this year. Allrounder Steven Smith and quick Mitchell Johnson have also made a return.Cummins had been sidelined by a bone stress injury in his foot since Australia’s tour to South Africa in October-November 2011. He then missed the series against New Zealand, India and West Indies, and made a return to competitive cricket for Australia Under-19s in a quadrangular series in April. Johnson too has been out of action with an injured foot – he had done severe damage to his ligaments after being struck on the foot while batting in the Wanderers Test last November, resulting in a condition commonly referred to as ‘turf toe’.Smith, who had also last played for Australia during that tour to South Africa, is being rewarded for the fine form he showed late in the domestic season, according to national selector John Inverarity.”He [Smith] has come into strong contention for the Australian ICC World Twenty20 squad to be named in August and the national selection panel is keen to have him in the set-up in England as the reserve batsman, noting that his legspinners would provide good variation to our attack,” Inverarity said. “He [Johnson], also, is in strong contention for the ICC World Twenty20 and needs to be in the set-up and have some quality competitive cricket leading into this.

Australia’s 15-man squad

Michael Clarke (capt), Shane Watson, George Bailey, Pat Cummins, Xavier Doherty, Ben Hilfenhaus, Michael Hussey, David Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Clint McKay, James Pattinson, Steve Smith, Matthew Wade (wk), David Warner
In: Pat Cummins, Mitchell Johnson, Steven Smith
Out: Daniel Christian, Peter Forrest, Nathan Lyon, Peter Nevill

“We are also excited about the return of Pat Cummins and we are looking to ease him back into the team. He will not be expected to play in all of the eight scheduled games.” Australia are scheduled to play one one-dayer against Ireland, followed by five against England, interspersed with two tour games.The players to miss out from the squad that played the limited-overs games in the West Indies are Daniel Christian, Peter Forrest, Nathan Lyon and Peter Nevill. Mitchell Starc, who featured in the Commonwealth Bank Series against India and Sri Lanka, also missed out. However, Inverarity said, Christian remained in the mix for the World Twenty20.”Dan Christian has shown what a useful allrounder he is, and is making some strong contributions. He has been omitted to make way for Mitchell Johnson, but remains very much in our plans for the ICC World Twenty20, and a distinct possibility for the ODIs and Twenty20s against Pakistan in August-September.”Nathan Lyon and Peter Nevill have not been included as Xavier Doherty has been preferred as the only spinner and Matthew Wade is the only keeper. It is a great deal easier getting replacements to England than to the West Indies, and both Nathan and Peter will be on standby should they be required.”