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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.”

The fifth edition of the IPL, which began in tepid fashion, finally had a nail-biter as Rohit Sharma hit the last ball of the match for six to seal a thrilling finish for Mumbai Indians

The Report by Kanishkaa Balachandran09-Apr-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Rohit Sharma’s two sixes in the final over, including one off the last ball, sealed it for Mumbai Indians•AFP

The fifth edition of the IPL, which began in tepid fashion, finally had a nail-biter as Rohit Sharma hit the last ball of the match for six to seal a thrilling finish for Mumbai Indians against Deccan Chargers, who fought tooth and nail while defending 139. Daniel Christian, not the wisest choice for the final over, as very recent history tells us, dished out two full tosses to Rohit. One of them was off the final ball, which was dispatched over long-on to spark wild celebrations.The Chargers were still favourites with 18 to defend off the last over. Kumar Sangakkara had bowled out his best bowler, Dale Steyn, leaving the final task with Christian. The first ball was smashed by James Franklin past long-off for four; the second down the same region; the batsmen sneaked a bye off the third; the fourth was a high full toss slammed by Rohit Sharma over deep backward point. With five needed off two, the penultimate ball was forced to long-off and Rohit Sharma timed his dive just in time to survive a run-out appeal. Christian couldn’t come up with anything special, gifting Rohit Sharma the most hittable delivery of the over, breaking the hearts of the home fans who saw their side slip to a second straight defeat.Fortunes kept oscillating in the final overs, but for most periods in the chase, the Chargers were in control. Much of the credit should go to Steyn, who ran in with the same vigour as he does for South Africa. He defeated the best hitters in the Mumbai line-up with raw pace and fizzy bounce, nipping out three wickets for just 12 runs. He took 2 for 6 in his first spell, conceded just two off his next over and only five off his final over. In hindsight, Sangakkara will feel he should have kept him for the final over.Steyn gave the Chargers the early advantage by plucking a return catch in his follow-through to get rid of T Suman. The fourth over, a wicket-maiden from Steyn, was the spectacle of the evening. He ran in high on adrenaline and had his fellow countryman Richard Levi all at sea with raw pace. He targeted the stumps, forced Levi to stab at deliveries cramping him for room, foxed him with a slower one that sneaked past the outside edge and the stumps, bounced him, but saved his best delivery for the last. Levi played all around a fiery full ball that knocked back his middle stump.For a team with big hitters at the top, Mumbai were struggling at 15 for 2 after five overs. The run-rate touched the five mark only after 11 overs, indicative of how miserly the Chargers were. The ball spun, gripped and even kept low, meaning the batsmen had to concentrate harder. Rohit fetched two boundaries and a six – over extra cover – off Christian to keep Mumbai afloat.The arrival of Kieron Pollard, in the 12th over, perked up the run-rate. The spinners were always vulnerable against Pollard, who swung two sixes and a four to leave Mumbai a gettable 56 off the last six overs. Another spiteful over from Steyn, in which he hit the deck hard, softened up Pollard. He slammed Amit Mishra over long-off the following over, but perished trying the same against Christian, skying it to Shikhar Dhawan at long-off. Mumbai’s shoulders would have dropped after Pollard walked off, but not Rohit’s, as he walloped two more sixes off Mishra to restore hope for his side.Rohit’s hitting overshadowed Munaf Patel’s four-wicket haul, which was responsible for restricting the Chargers. It also masked an ugly incident involving Sangakkara’s dismissal, where some of the Mumbai players got confrontational with the umpires. Munaf bowled a low full toss which Sangakkara shaped to drive, but got an inside edge which shaved the off stump and knocked off the bails. The wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik was standing up close and the ball deflected back to the stumps off his pads, causing confusion as to whether he was legitimately bowled in the first place. The umpires initially gave Sangakkara the benefit of the doubt, choosing not to refer it to the third umpire. The Mumbai players were peeved, particularly Munaf, who flung the ball on the turf as he ambled back to his mark.A furious Harbhajan Singh marched to the square leg umpire Johan Cloete, who was soon enveloped by Munaf and Karthik. A clueless Sangakkara went across to have a word with the umpires but by then, it was as if the umpires were coerced into referring it. In theory, Sangakkara was legitimately out and the umpires should have had the presence of mind to consult. Mumbai’s road-rage, though, left a bad taste in the mouth and it makes one wonder how different it could have been had Sachin Tendulkar, Mumbai’s original captain, been in charge. Tendulkar, unfortunately, was at the dug out, and there was nobody around to defuse the situation.Cameron White and Christian added a quick 41 for the fifth wicket, smashing four sixes in their stand to boost the Chargers before the lower order was reined in. The target proved a challenging one, but the visitors were fortunate to run into a bowler who suffered another nightmare of conceding a six off the last ball in front of a global television audience.

Just as Kate Middleton would have been conspicuous by her absence had she not been at the Royal Wedding, Adrian Shankar was conspicuous by his absence at New Road

George Dobell at New Road29-May-2011
ScorecardJust as Kate Middleton would have been conspicuous by her absence had she not been at the Royal Wedding, Adrian Shankar was conspicuous by his absence at New Road.
It’s not that he was expected – he certainly was not – but the repercussions of Shankar-gate continue to be felt here. And throughout English cricket.In the latest development, the England and Wales Cricket Board will launch an internal investigation into the background and implications of the case. While it seems that Worcestershire will escape censure – no-one is claiming they have been anything other than naive – there is concern over how easy it was for a man to doctor a photocopy of his passport and talk his way into a two-year county contract. Worcestershire, at least, feel that the ECB failed to carry out all the usual checks with due diligence.Whether the club are completely beyond reproach is debatable. Shankar actually represented the county’s second XI in 2003 and, at the time, gave his date of birth as May 1982. When he reappeared this season, however, it had changed to May 1985. It seems no-one at New Road bothered to cross-check the information.Worcestershire might also reflect upon how they came to sign a player with such a modest record in second XI cricket. Yes, they were duped by records purporting to show Shankar’s success in Sri Lanka – similar fictitious records exist suggesting a prolific season in the Central Lancashire League – but he must have also impressed in the nets.That’s a bit of a surprise. As Mike Green, the President of Bedfordshire County Cricket Club, put it: “Frankly we were amazed when we found out he was signing for Worcestershire because he would have struggled to get into our side. He hasn’t been good enough to get into our first XI for a good six or seven years.”Either way, Worcestershire have confirmed that they have released Shankar without paying him a penny and that they would not have signed him had they known he was over 26. Quite what the ECB intend to do about the young player incentive payment due to the club for fielding Shankar in the Championship match against Durham remains unclear.Lancashire’s role is also unclear. Shankar first lied about his age during his time at Old Trafford, but exactly when the club became aware of that – and why they decided to remain silent – is something of a mystery.In an unlikely twist, Shankar has now claimed that he fears for his safety. Declining to speak on the phone after claiming his line might have been bugged – quite who by is hard to say – he sent a series of texts stating: “I have a family with young nephews and nieces and our safety is at risk here… I have already notified the police… I need to secure the safety of my family.”With the talented Mr Shankar, however, it’s sometimes hard to tell where the lies end and the truth starts.Meanwhile, 12 wickets fell on the first day of Worcestershire’s Championship match against Nottinghamshire. On a pitch offering substantial assistance and some variable bounce, ball dominated bat throughout and Nottinghamshire’s first innings score of 223 may not prove to be too far below par.Only two men rose above the surface to make batting look a pleasurable business. For Nottinghamshire, Rikki Wessels, the 25-year-old former Northants player who is making his Championship debut for the champions, made a pleasing 67 containing 10 crisply-hit fours and a short-arm pull for six off Alan Richardson.Generally, however, Worcestershire experienced seamers – Richardson, Damien Wright and, to a lesser extent, Gareth Andrew, exploited the conditions expertly. Maintaining a probing line on off stump, they lured Akhil Patel into a loose drive before Mark Wagh, Samit Patel and Adam Voges were also lured into edges off fine balls that left them sharply.Wessels and Paul Franks played across straight balls and when Chris Read’s spirited defiance was ended by another fine catch by the excellent Ben Scott – his fifth of the innings – Nottinghamshire’s tail fell away quickly.Vikram Solanki led Worcestershire reply with a sparkling half-century. Timing the ball superbly off front and back foot, Solanki produced some delightful drives as well as one powerful pull for six. In partnership with the stubborn Matt Pardoe (93 minutes for his 13 runs so far), Solanki added 65 for Worcestershire’s second wicket and was only undone by a horrid delivery that kept impossibly low. That it was easily the highest stand of the day speaks volumes: this pitch is decidedly lively and batting is likely to remain tricky.

Time is running out for Deccan Chargers, for another defeat, their sixth in a row, could all but end their hopes of reaching the semi-final

The Preview by Siddhartha Talya07-Apr-2010

Match facts

Thursday, April 8
Start time 2000 (1430GMT)Adam Gilchrist hasn’t converted starts into big scores•Associated Press

Big Picture

In the league phase comprising 56 games, the eight teams have had their chances to rectify declines, build on successful runs, reassess failing strategies and work out winning combinations. But time is running out for some, especially Deccan Chargers, for another defeat, their sixth in a row, could all but end their hopes of reaching the semi-final. They are currently seventh, and will remain there if they lose on Thursday to Royal Challengers Bangalore. Given their poor net run-rate, and the rush for a knockout berth among at least three other better-placed teams, their prospects remain bleak.Bangalore, currently ranked fourth, are strong contenders but have experienced a blip, losing three of their last four games. A win against Deccan, added to their superior net run-rate, will propel them to second place and distance them further from Rajasthan Royals, Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings, who, too, are competing for a spot in the final four. A loss will only make that scrap more intense.Ross Taylor’s arrival prompted a few changes in the Bangalore line-up – they left out Dale Steyn and Manish Pandey for their previous game, a strategy they might reconsider, given the margin of defeat against Delhi Daredevils. Aiming to recover from the recent downturn, Bangalore will want to have their best available team to surge forward with four games to play after Thursday.Deccan were on the verge of arresting their losing streak before panic set in against Rajasthan in the final over of the chase, costing them the game by two runs. None among their last seven batsmen reached double-figures, and another capitulation is something they can ill-afford in troubled times.

Form guide (most recent first)

Royal Challengers Bangalore: LWLLW

Deccan Chargers: LLLLL

Team talk

Cameron White may have to make way for Steyn, while Abhimanyu Mithun could step out for Pandey.Deccan have problems in the middle order, with meager contributions from the Indian players. Monish Mishra, Venugopal Rao, Anirudh Singh and Azhar Bilakhia have, largely, failed and there is little that Deccan, apart from shuffling them around, can do. If Herschelle Gibbs is called back, Deccan may have to leave out an all-round option in Dwayne Smith.

Head to head

Bangalore 3 Deccan 2
It’s the 40th match of the IPL but the two teams haven’t met yet this season. In the inaugural edition, Bangalore sneaked home by three wickets at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, and won more comfortably in Hyderabad.The teams shared honours in the league stages in South Africa, Deccan winning by 24 runs in Cape Town and Bangalore, thanks to Pandey’s century, by 12 runs in Centurion. Deccan, however, had the last laugh, beating Bangalore in the final by 6 runs at the Wanderers.

In the spotlight

Ross Taylor: In his 10-ball stay against Delhi, Taylor showed how valuable he is to the Bangalore outfit. He blazed three sixes to race to 22, and was one batsman who threatened to scale down Delhi’s strong total before being trapped in front. His power-packed strokeplay, and the ability to clear the boundary with ease, can be especially dispiriting to his opponents in the death overs.Adam Gilchrist: With just one half-century in nine games, and an average of 23.22, Gilchrist has confined himself to attractive cameos – five out of nine times has he scored above 20 – but failed to press on. With a struggling middle order, Deccan need a greater boost at the top and no one is better equipped to do that than their captain.

Prime Numbers

• Deccan’s run-rate in the last five overs this IPL has been the least among all teams. They have scored at 7.74 an over – Bangalore are second-highest with 10.38 – and have lost 28 wickets at an average of 11.75, the joint-lowest.
• Deccan have struck one six more than Bangalore so far – 48 to 47. Chennai lead the pack with 68, followed by Rajasthan at 66.

Quotes

“I think we could say that all of us in our team had a couple of glimpses of fantastic performances and probably too many glimpses of disappointing performances.”
Adam Gilchrist on his team’s inconsistency.”We played Mumbai Indians at DY Patil [one of Deccan’s designated ‘home venues’, in Mumbai] and not one spectator supported us. Sometimes the crowd factor plays a part. Your supporters give you that extra push in crunch matches.”

Rohit Sharma rues the lack of support for Deccan.

Tim May, the chief executive of the international players union FICA, has warned that Twenty20 cricket is ‘ripe for corruption’

Cricinfo staff16-Feb-2010Tim May, the chief executive of the international players union FICA, has warned that Twenty20 cricket is ‘ripe for corruption’.May, a former Australian offspinner, told magazine “Lord Condon, who headed up the ICC’s Anti-corruption and Security Unit, said only last year that we can never think we have this cancer beaten. Twenty20 is just ripe for corruption – the shorter the game the more influence each particular incident can have. So I think it opens up a great deal of opportunities for the bookmakers to try and corrupt players into providing various different outcomes in the game, if not the result itself. Cricket needs to be very, very careful.”Cricket only recently emerged from a nasty episode of revelations about match-fixing when in 2000 Hansie Conje, then South Africa captain, admitted to taking money from bookmakers. It spiralled into a full enquiry headed by Condon’s team at the ICC. Since then the game has stayed clean but the rise of Twenty20 has created new vulnerable areas. In July last year Dave Richardson, the ICC general manager, said the ICC was ‘concerned’ and that the IPL will “inevitably attract the interest of match-fixers and people like that.”With Lalit Modi recently announcing that the second season of the Twenty20 Champions League will clash with the climax of the English domestic season, May also criticised the ‘arrogant’ decision making of the IPL executives.”The refusal to grant players the ability to review the security arrangements and the decision of the IPL and its franchises not to recognise or deal with any players’ managers or agents, is self-defeating. Its decision-making is very arrogant. The attitude is that they’re the only game in town, they’re the biggest game in town and, as long as they pay these huge amounts of money, they can do what they like. That may not always be the case.”Seeking avenues to protect the Test game, May said a Test championship would add much-needed context to the format but fears that political wrangling of the ICC members could prevent it from developing. “At the moment it’s just a mad scramble of bilateral series that mean nothing. A Test championship over a period of one or two years would increase the value of those contests and make it possible to play significantly less cricket but maintain or increase commercial revenues,” he said.”The political nature of the ICC board and its members means it’s going to be a difficult concept to sell. There is an over-riding need for boards to be absolutely in control of their destiny, and going with a Test championship would hand over a lot of power to the ICC. A lot of boards don’t want to do this – that selfish mind-set isn’t in the best interests of the game.”Ahead of England’s departure to the UAE for two Twenty20s against Pakistan, the England offspinner Graeme Swann said the squad was fully aware of the dangers of match-fixing. “There are guys from the [ICC] Anti-Corruption Unit who travel all year round with us and everyone is fully educated about the dangers. It probably does go on in some form with some teams and some players, but you never know who it is. I certainly don’t think any of this England team could be considered match-fixers.”We haven’t been given any warnings specifically for this trip. You’d have to be an absolute idiot to do it.”

Mohammedan bundled Gazi for 40, edged past Sheikh Jamal but were no match for Abahani

Mohammad Isam06-Apr-2024

Key takeaways</h2Abahani Limited romped to nine successive victories in the Dhaka Premier League after trouncing old rivals Mohammedan Sporting Club and Legends of Rupganj to top the points table after week three. Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club and Mohammedan remain second with seven wins each, while Gazi Tyres Cricket Academy suffered two massive losses.Bowling dominated play this week as only two teams crossed the 250-run mark while there were 12 hauls of four wickets or more. Left-arm quick Abu Hider took 7 for 20 – the second best List-A figures in Bangladesh history – to bundle Gazi Tyres for 40 in 12 overs. Mohammedan chased the total down in 6.2 overs with nine wickets to spare.

Best batters – Anamul tons up, Mohobbot shines on debut

Parvez Hossain Emon remained the top run-getter despite three low scores. Meanwhile, his Prime Bank team-mate Tamim Iqbal breached the 400-run mark this week. Sheikh Jamal’s Saif Hassan, Abahani’s Anamul Haque and Brothers Union’s Abdul Mazid struck hundreds.Anamul struck his 15th List A century, an unbeaten 107, with seven fours and four sixes, spanning 118 balls, to help Abhani beat Gazi Group Cricketers by seven wickets. Gazi Tyres’ opener Mohobbot Hossen Roman struck 63 off 47 balls on List A debut against Rupganj Tigers at a strike rate of 134.04.

Best bowlers – left-arm pacers rule

Left-arm quicks Hider, Maruf Mridha and Ruyel Miah are now the top three wicket-takers in the DPL. Hider overtook Maruf with his seven-wicket haul to climb to the top of the tally, while Ruyel’s second five-wicket haul, against Gazi Tyres, earned him a spot among the top three.

Best match – Saif’s resilience can’t take Sheikh Jamal over the line

Before a defeat against arch-rivals Abahani and a big win against Gazi Tyres, Mohammedan started the week by beating Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club by five runs in Fatullah.Defending 200 runs, Mohammedan’s bowlers didn’t allow Sheikh Jamal to settle. Saif kept them going with a half-century but retired hurt after 33 overs – 60* at the time – due to cramps. He returned in the 44th over and remained 84* off 120 balls but couldn’t finish the job. Kamrul Islam Rabbi was the bowler who kept him down and successfully defended 14 runs in the last over.

Points to ponder

There’s no stopping Abahani who crushed Mohammedan with 90 balls to spare. If they win the last two games of the first phase, it will be tough for the rest of the Super League teams to topple them.City Club finally won a game but there was no such luck for Rupganj Tigers who remain winless in eight games. After winning two games last week, Gazi Tyres got hammered this week: 84 all out against Gazi Group Cricketers and 40 all out against Mohammedan. The latter is the second lowest List-A total in Bangladesh.

Players to watch – Saif Hassan

Saif’s all-round skills came to the fore this week. He made 115 and took 2 for 44 against Prime Bank, apart from his three-wicket haul against Legends of Rupganj, both in winning causes. Mahidul Islam Ankon is the only uncapped player among the top run-getters in this year’s DPL. The Mohammedan wicketkeeper-batter has struck six fifties in nine outings so far, and looks primed for some time in the Bangladesh A side in the coming months.

Glamorgan allrounder will serve until February 2025, having succeeded Daryl Mitchell in 2021

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Feb-2023James Harris, the Glamorgan allrounder, has been re-elected for a second term as chair of the Professional Cricketers’ Association.Harris, 32, took over from the previous incumbent Daryl Mitchell in 2021, and will remain in the post until February 2025 – the maximum four-year stint permitted by the PCA’s constitution.”Being re-elected is a huge honour,” Harris said. “I’ve really enjoyed the first two years. Having an extra two years will be brilliant and I’m really looking forward to pushing through some meaningful change in my second term.”Harris’ first term coincided with the sport’s recovery from the Covid pandemic, and in addition to representing the organisation in Parliament, at the DCMS Select Committee hearings, he has also overseen the PCA’s increased commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.iAs a Director of the Professional Cricketers’ Trust, he also helped raise funds for the PCA’s charitable arm by cycling over 1,000km to and from Cardiff, via Headingley and Lord’s.”The PCA has a huge role to play in the evolution of the game worldwide, we need to make sure that we’re moving forward with the game, keeping pace with the game, because there’s so many opportunities to play around the world in different tournaments which wasn’t available 10 years ago,” Harris said.”I think with the opportunity for players to travel and improve their game around the world, there really is no better time to be a professional cricketer than right now and I can only see that trending in one direction as we move forward.”PCA Chief Executive, Rob Lynch, said: “I’m really pleased that James has been elected by his peers to take on a second term as Chair of the Association.”A lot has happened in the world of cricket in the last two years and James has been as been at the forefront of the change in England and Wales.”I’m looking forward to continuing our strong working relationship and strategic planning for the next two years is already under way in this crucial point in the history of our game. With key priorities assessed to ensure we continue to champion the interests of professional cricketers in this country, we will be updating our members in the coming weeks through the AGM, Rookie Camp and pre-season meetings with all 26 domestic squads.”

The first standalone WBBL begins on Friday. Here are how the teams stack up

Alex Malcolm and Andrew McGlashan16-Oct-2019

Adelaide Strikers

Squad Darcie Brown, Tegan McPharlin, Alex Price, Annie O’Neil, Sarah Coyte, Katie Mack, Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates, Bridget Patterson, Ellie Falconer, Megan Schutt, Tahlia McGrath, Stafanie Taylor, Lauren Winfield, Amanda-Jade Wellington, Tabatha Saville2018-19 statsWhat happened last season?They began with victory against eventual champions the Brisbane Heat, but struggled for consistency until the backend if the group stage where they secured three victories in a row – including a Super Over win against the Hobart Hurricanes – but it was too late to make the knockouts. That was despite having two of the five highest run-scorers in Sophie Devine and Suzie BatesPlayer to watchAllrounder Tahlia McGrath was part of Australia’s Test and ODI side but has not featured since 2017 although is a current member of the national performance squad. Last season she was the Strikers’ third-highest run-scorer behind Devine and Bates and if she can increase her output from the 276 runs made in 2018-19 it will help take the pressure off the New Zealand pair.

Brisbane Heat

Brisbane Heat became the first non-Sydney team to win the WBBL•Getty Images

Squad Kirby Short (capt), Haidee Birkett, Maddy Green, Grace Harris, Laura Harris, Mikayla Hinkley, Sammy-Jo Johnson, Jess Jonassen, Amelia Kerr, Delissa Kimmince, Charli Knott, Lilly Mills, Beth Mooney, Georgia Prestwidge, Courtney Sippel2018-19 statsWhat happened last season?Ended the Sydney Sixers’ quest for a hat-trick of titles with a three-wicket win in the final where Beth Mooney battled the heat for a matchwinning 65 then they held their nerve amid a late wobble. Their semi-final win over the Sydney Thunder had been a thriller as well with Haidee Birkett holding a stunning catch to secure victory. Mooney had an excellent tournament with the bat, making 486 runs, while Delissa Kimmince was the leading wicket-taker with 22.Player to watchLast season Grace Harris smashed the fastest WBBL hundred off just 42 balls against the Melbourne Stars and overall she was the Heat’s second-highest scorer behind Mooney. Her strike-rate of 148.41 was the highest of the tournament. There were also 16 wickets at an economy rate of under six in a stellar tournament. And that’s before we even mention the times she is on the mic in the field.

Hobart Hurricanes

Heather Knight will be a key figure in the Hobart Hurricanes’ batting•Getty Images

Squad Nicola Carey, Stefanie Daffara, Erin Fazackerley, Katelyn Fryett, Maisy Gibson, Corinne Hall (capt), Brooke Hepburn, Heather Knight, Hayley Matthews, Sasha Moloney, Meg Phillips, Emily Smith, Chloe Tryon, Belinda Vakarewa, Tayla Vlaeminck, Fran Wilson2018-19 statsWhat happened last season?The Hurricanes made the semi-finals in the first two seasons of the WBBL but have been the competition anchors in the last two years. Last season they won just two matches and also lost two Super Overs. West Indies star Hayley Matthews only managed two games before being injured and India’s Smriti Mandhana managed just two half-centuries in 13 games. The Hurricanes did score more runs than any other team but they conceded more runs than any other side as well. They had real trouble containing opposition sides and they have made a concerted effort in the off-season to bolster the bowling stocks.Player to watch Tayla Vlaeminck has made the move to Tasmania alongside fellow Australia player Nicola Carey. Vlaeminck hasn’t shown her best form at WBBL level yet due to a multitude of injury issues but her performances for Australia recently suggest she could have a huge tournament. She has taken wickets in each of her last five international matches and has conceded under six runs an over. She will be the fastest bowler in the tournament and will give the Hurricanes some real strike-power upfront.

Melbourne Renegades

Sophie Molineux celebrates a wicket•Getty Images

Squad Tammy Beaumont, Makinley Blows, Maitlan Brown, Josie Dooley, Jess Duffin (capt), Erica Kershaw, Claire Koski, Carly Leeson, Sophie Molineux, Courtney Neale, Molly Strano, Lea Tahuhu, Georgia Wareham, Courtney Webb, Danni Wyatt2018-19 statsWhat happened last season?The Renegades fell agonisingly short of the final. Sophie Molineux firstly went within millimetres of finding the match-winning boundary off the last ball of the semi-final and then she was inches short of the winning third run after her full stretch dive was just beaten by Alyssa Healy’s direct hit. The Renegades did only just scrape into the semis, though, winning seven games for the season. Their attack was their biggest weapon last year with the spin trio of Molly Strano, Georgia Wareham, and Molineux complemented by the speed of Lea Tahuhu and the consistency of Maitlan Brown. But their batting was too heavily reliant on Molineux, who scored three of the Renegades’ six half-centuries for the season, including her brilliant innings in the semi-final.Player to watchAllrounder Sophie Molineux is again the Renegades key player and with the absence of Amy Satterthwaite her runs will be even more important. She will get more support at the top of the order with the signing of senior England batter Tammy Beaumont. Molineux will be pushing to be part of Australia’s T20 World Cup squad and runs and wickets will put her right in the frame.

Melbourne Stars

Lizelle Lee waits to swat one away on a way to a hundred•Getty Images

Squad Kristen Beams, Lucy Cripps, Mignon du Preez, Nicole Faltum, Holly Ferling, Tess Flintoff, Nicola Hancock, Emma Inglis, Alana King, Lizelle Lee, Katey Martin, Erin Osborne, Angela Reakes, Annabel Sutherland, Elyse Villani (capt)2018-19 statsWhat happened last season?The Stars started the season with a bang thanks to Lizelle Lee’s stunning century on the opening day, and they won their first two matches, but their batting really fell away badly as they struggled to make winning scores. The South African pair of Lee and Mignon du Preez reached 50 just once each which meant their relatively inexperienced attack didn’t have much to work with. Legspinner Kristen Beams, who has announced she will retire after this season, was only available for six games which made their task even harder and they only managed five wins for the season.Player to watchElyse Villani returning home to Melbourne after a stint in Perth is a huge boost for the Stars. She takes over as captain and is very highly regarded as a leader but her batting will be where she can make the biggest impact. She was the sixth leading runscorer in the WBBL last season and only played 11 games. She has also been out of favour at international level and will be looking to push her case for the T20 World Cup having not played a T20I since the 2018 World Cup final in the West Indies.

Perth Scorchers

Perth Scorchers will be able to call on Australia captain Meg Lanning•Getty Images

Squad Jemma Barsby, Samantha Betts, Nicole Bolton, Mathilda Carmichael, Piepa Cleary, Kim Garth, Heather Graham, Kath Hempenstall, Amy Jones, Emma King, Meg Lanning (capt), Taneale Peschel, Chloe Piparo, Georgia Redmayne, Nat Sciver2018-19 statsWhat happened last season?The much-vaunted Scorchers were arguably the biggest disappointments of WBBL04. Despite the star power in the top-order, they were unable to make the finals for the first time. Meg Lanning, Elyse Villani and Nicole Bolton missed 13 games between them which did test the Scorchers’ depth from a batting perspective, but they really struggled with the ball. Heather Graham took 22 wickets in a season where she was named domestic player of the year but Bolton’s 12 wickets from 11 games with her part-time offspin was the next best contributor, and she was the only bowler with an economy rate under seven.Player to watchNicole Bolton will be important for the Scorchers. She has taken a step back from international cricket for the time being to focus on her mental health and she has enjoyed the domestic environment with Western Australia, scoring two WNCL half-centuries to start the season. Lanning will be the key wicket for opposition teams and that may allow Bolton to play with some freedom. Her offspin will be useful again, as she is particularly adept at bowling in the powerplay.

Sydney Sixers

Alyssa Healy’s maiden T20I century landed her a world record•Getty Images

Squad Sarah Aley, Alisha Bates, Erin Burns, Stella Campbell, Lauren Cheatle, Maddy Darke, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Jodie Hicks, Emma Hughes, Marizanne Kapp, Ellyse Perry, Hayley Silver-Holmes, Dane van Niekerk, Lauren Smith2018-19 statsWhat happened last season?Pipped in the final by the Heat after the semi-final for the ages against the Renegades when the relay run out between Erin Burns, Sarah Aley and Alyssa Healy became one of the moments of the season. A stellar top order produced three individuals hundreds – two from Ellyse Perry and one for Healy – supplemented by further international class in Ashleigh Gardner, Erin Burns and Dane van Niekerk. Perry’s tally of 777 runs was a new WBBL record.Player to watchIt may seem obvious to pick out Ellyse Perry, but the strength of Australia’s top order means she hasn’t been needed much with the bat in recent times. Back on the domestic scene she can expect to be at the top of the order with the chance to set the tone for the innings. The Sixers aren’t short on bowling options, either, but Perry will be looking to increase on her return of 10 wickets in 16 matches at last year’s tournament.

Sydney Thunder

Nida Dar bowls•IDI/Getty Images

Squad Rachael Haynes, Sam Bates, Alex Blackwell, Nida Dar, Hannah Darlington, Rene Farrell, Lisa Griffith, Saskia Horley, Shabnim Ismail, Phoebe Litchfield, Rachel Priest, Kate Peterson, Naomi Stalenberg, Rachel Trenaman, Tahlia Wilson2018-19 statsWhat happened last season?Finished second in the league stage and when Nicole Carey connected with her swing into the leg side off the final ball of the semi-final against the Heat it looked as though they were destined for the final, only for Haidee Birkett to grab the brilliant catch on the boundary. Rachael Haynes led the batting impressively with 376 runs with Stafanie Taylor, who this season will play for the Strikers, taking 19 wickets and contributing 212 runs.Player to watchIt remains to be seen how often she makes the startling XI, but 16-year-old Phoebe Litchfield is an undoubted star of the future. Earlier this year a video posted by the NSW Breakers of her batting in the nets gained considerable attention and over the last 12 months she has scored her maiden first grade century, made her debut for the Breakers and been selected for Australia Under-19s and the Governor General’s XI.

Spin-bowling allrounder becomes fifth Pakistan international to sign up for tournament

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jul-2019Imad Wasim, the Pakistan spin-bowling allrounder, has signed for Nottinghamshire as an overseas player for their Vitality Blast campaign. He will be available immediately, going into the squad for Friday night’s game against Derbyshire.Ranked second among T20I bowlers by the ICC, Wasim has been an integral figure in Pakistan’s rise to the top of the team rankings in the format, and has an economy rate of just 6.28 in T20 cricket over the course of his career.”With the nature of the international schedule, it’s a very difficult market in which to sign overseas players – far more difficult than it used to be,” Nottinghamshire director of cricket, Mick Newell, said. “With Imad becoming available on the back of the World Cup, we acted as quickly as possible to secure him.”The paperwork and clearances have taken a little bit of extra time, meaning we’ve had to start the tournament without him. But it’s good to now be welcoming him into the squad ahead of the next fixture against Derbyshire.”He brings an additional spin-bowling option that we think we can benefit from and he’ll strengthen our middle-order batting as well. With the venue we’ve got here at Trent Bridge and with the level of support we get here now, we are an attractive proposition to overseas cricketers.”Imad joins compatriots Faheem Ashraf, Babar Azam, Mohammad Amir and Fakhar Zaman to become the fifth Pakistan international with a contract for the Blast this season, though Zaman’s Glamorgan debut was delayed by visa issues and Amir has still to feature for Essex due to a similar issue.Nottinghamshire, who won the competition in 2017, were the favourites for the title this season, but started their campaign with a defeat against holders Worcestershire and a washout against Yorkshire before getting back on track with victory over Northamptonshire.Imad will fill the club’s second overseas slot, alongside captain Dan Christian. Notts had previously suggested Christian would be their only overseas signing for the Blast, but a serious knee injury to allrounder Steven Mullaney meant they swooped for reinforcement.”I can’t wait to represent the Outlaws in T20 cricket,” Imad said. “Trent Bridge is a wonderful ground with fans who are passionate and knowledgeable.”They were a generous audience during the One-Day International earlier this year and Trent Bridge under floodlights looked amazing.”My aim is to contribute to the Outlaws going all the way. They did it in 2017 and we have an exciting squad with lots of international talent that’s capable of doing it again.”This will be Imad’s first stint in the county game, though he has previously played club cricket for several different teams in England, including Papplewick, Burnley and Bradshaw. He will be available for the whole of the Blast, barring a two-game break at the end of August for his upcoming wedding.He was only picked in six of Pakistan’s eight World Cup games, but ended the tournament with 162 runs at a strike rate of 118.24, and was his team’s most economical bowler.

South Africa’s young captain says he is richer for the experience gained in this series, and thinks the lopsided result will spur his team on and make future victories that much sweeter

Sidharth Monga in Centurion17-Feb-2018Over the last two weeks, South Africa’s young ODI captain Aiden Markram has wished that he had a normal introduction to ODI cricket, as opposed to sitting in the spotlight, trying to arrest a seemingly never-ending slide after being thrust into the captaincy role only two matches into his career. However, he is also glad that he has had this experience, learning important lessons.”, that sort of thought will always come, especially seeing how the last two weeks have gone,” Markram said, when asked if there were periods during the last two weeks when he had wished he had had time to fly under the radar and learn from some of the senior members of the side. “But, to be brutally honest with you, I’m happy it’s happened this way; not just for me, but for us as a squad.”It really gives us some points to learn on, and it’s going to make victories in the future much much sweeter. It’s going to make us work a lot harder. There’s a reason it’s worked out the way it has. We’re learning, and we’re growing. It’s going to get to a stage where we really know our games and who needs to do what for the side. It’s going to be an exciting 18 months coming up. The guys will be very hungry.”Asked about the biggest lesson he had personally learnt, Markram spoke of the importance of not letting captaincy affect his batting. “As a player, you still need to look after your performance,” Markram, who has experience of leading South Africa Under-19s, South Africa A and domestic franchise Titans, said. “As a captain, you can only control so much. At the end of the day, I’m still a batsman and I need to score runs. When I get into the middle, I need to be in that comfort zone and not let thoughts of captaincy get into my mind at that time.”Markram has seemed like a batsman going out of his way to impose himself on the game, possibly to tell himself that he deserves the mantle he has been given. After the defeat in Port Elizabeth, coach Ottis Gibson had said Markram wasn’t batting the way he had seen him bat before the captaincy.”I wasn’t playing the usual game I do play, and whether that be due to various pressures… or not being in the zone or in the moment is probably the reason,” Markram said. “He [Gibson] is spot on with what he says. We did chat about it, and today, when I was batting, I felt in a more comfortable space. I felt I was structuring my innings how I would if I was batting in a franchise game. It’s very late in the series, but it’s a positive that I was able to overcome that obstacle.”Markram admitted to there being extra pressure. “There’s a lot of pressure,” he said. “As an individual, I set high standards for myself, and not having done well this series, there was that form of pressure as well. So there are various forms of pressure; captaincy is just one of them. But, like I mentioned, it is pressure I enjoy, and I’d like to enjoy it more in the future.”When Markram was handed the captaincy, there were obvious comparisons with Graeme Smith, who became captain at a similarly young age. Smith had a wealth of experience to fall back on when he became captain, whereas it will be fair to say that Markram has been let down by the performance of the seniors he was left with. However, Markram said they had been helpful to him with their experience.”Plenty help to be fair,” Markram said. “I’m constantly checking in with them. They also understand the space I’m in as a young captain. It’s very nice to fall on them when I need to. Off the field as well. I know it might not reflect in our performances on the field, but in terms of getting me in a calmer space, a lot of credit must go to them.”Markram didn’t expect it to be all rosy, especially given the circumstances under which the captaincy came to him in. He can’t be sure that he will be in the next ODI side; if that doesn’t happen, it will be unfair on the youngster, who said that despite all the challenges and adverse results, he was richer for the experience. “It was always going to be tough,” Markram said. “It was something I was looking forward to, and a challenge that I enjoy. I can still say that sitting here having lost a series 5-1. It was a responsibility that I enjoy. I learned a lot, and at this stage of my career that’s not a bad thing. Going forward, I’m going to take the lessons I did learn. The experience of dealing with other pressures grows me as a player.”