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Round-up of the second day of the semi-final round of the Ranji Trophy Plate League

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Dec-2010Madhya Pradesh took the crucial first-innings lead against Andhra at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore, and are now favourites to make it to the Ranji Trophy quarter-finals. Andhra’s 230 had started to look a lot bigger when they reduced MP to 19 for 3. But captain Devendra Bundela and Harpreet Singh got the hosts out of trouble with a 178-run partnership for the fourth wicket. After Bundela was caught behind off seamer P Vijaykumar for 48, the 19-year-old Harpreet got his maiden first-class century. MP ended the day at 299 for 7, 69 ahead. Andhra’s opening bowlers had given them some hope in the morning. Vijaykumar dismissed Jalaj Saxena for a duck in the second over, and then Doddapaneni Kalyankrishna took two quick wickets. But Bundela and Harpreet took the game away from Andhra who will need to effect a turnaround and look for a win to qualify for the quarter-finals.
A double-century by Aakash Chopra took Rajasthan to a huge total against Maharashtra at the Golf Club Ground in Nasik. The visitors finished the second day at 551 for 6 with Chopra still unbeaten on 262 – his highest first-class score. Rajasthan had set the base on the first day, getting to 293 for 2 with Chopra batting on 145. They continued to torment Maharashtra on Thursday. Robin Bist got to 81, which was surprisingly only Rajasthan’s second half-century after Chopra’s massive score. Maharashtra’s bowlers had only themselves to blame as they gave away 74 runs in extras – 25 of those coming from no-balls. With a first-innings lead good enough to take either side in to the Ranji Trophy quarter-finals, Rajasthan may not be in a hurry to declare on Friday.

Plays of the day for the second day between Australia and Pakistan at the SCG

Peter English and Osman Samiuddin at the SCG04-Jan-2010Katich chases quick return

Australia remain hopeful Simon Katich will be available for the final Test in Hobart after scans showed bruising to the bone and tendon in his right elbow. Katich, who was hit by Mohammad Aamer in Melbourne, was ruled out shortly before the toss on Sunday and will see Alex Kountouris, the team physiotherapist, again on Tuesday. “We are hopeful he will be available for selection for the next Test,” Kountouris said.Lee eyes World Twenty20
Brett Lee is also on the comeback trail following elbow surgery and is aiming for the World Twenty20 in the West Indies in April. He had the operation in November and was at the SCG planning his way back, although he is still unsure how much more his body can take. “It has been a 16-week injury with ligament damage,” Lee told Nine. “There’s a couple of bone spurs in there which have been taken out. I’ve had 12 operations now. This has probably been the worst. It has probably been the most painful. I’m pretty positive. Let’s wait and see what happens.” At 33, Lee has played 76 Tests and taken 310 wickets, but if he decides he wants to continue playing his future will probably centre around the limited-overs contests.The new Hayden-Langer
Have Pakistan finally resolved their opening woes? Imran Farhat and Salman
Butt’s opening stand of 109 was their third century stand in nine Tests
and they have a couple of fifty partnerships to go with it. Why they’ve
only opened that many times over five years is anybody’s guess. In
Pakistan’s current opening landscape that is the stuff of Hayden and
Langer.Nervy start?
Come out, give the bowler the first half hour, settle down and make hay?
Not if you’re Umar Akmal. The very first ball he faced from Nathan Hauritz
he drove through the covers for four. Next ball was cut square for the
same result. He played out one ball before coolly depositing the next two through midwicket. For good measure he square drove his
next ball from Mitchell Johnson to end up with five fours from the first
seven balls he faced.Vice-captain under review

Michael Clarke briefly took over the captaincy in the middle session when Ricky Ponting was off the field and he quickly added a strange choice for a review. Shane Watson got one to cut back to Mohammad Yousuf on the way to Brad Haddin and the Australians appealed, both for the original decision and Asoka de Silva’s not out. Replays showed the ball hit the front pad flap and his sweater, but was not close to the bat or the glove. Ponting returned swiftly with only one review remaining.North heading south

After a boom start to his Test career, Marcus North is in a rut, owning five scores of 16 or less in his seven innings this summer. The confusion over his batting, and subsequent pressure on his place, has also spread to his fielding. Last year North had a couple of problems at first slip but was persevered with and developed into a comfortable choice in between Haddin and Ponting. However, he spilled Australia’s main chance of the first session when he missed Farhat in the fourth over of the morning. Farhat was 11 on the way to 53.More close calls

Haddin had a chance to run-out Farhat when the batsman had charged Watson and missed before ambling back to his crease. Had Haddin’s underarm been more accurate the batsman would have been gone for 40. Nothing was going the Australians’ way and Watson followed through to deliver a verbal blast to the relieved Farhat. He was fortunate again on 42 when called for a single from Butt, but Johnson was unable to force a direct hit at the striker’s end from cover. Two runs later Farhat played back to Nathan Hauritz, who offered a soft appeal that was turned down, but Hawkeye showed it hitting leg.Flying high

Shane Watson is the most athletic of the Australians and he showed his skills with an outstanding back-tracking catch at deep point to remove Faisal Iqbal. The hosts needed some inspiration and the fine take, which came with him off the ground and lunging backwards, gave them a lift. Haddin soon took off to his right to intercept Mohammad Yousuf’s edge on a tough day for the home side.

Overseas star carries his bat in 144-ball 143 to give his side four wins from four

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay15-Aug-2025Gloucestershire 289 for 5 (Bancroft 143*) beat Glamorgan 288 for 9 (Byrom 94, Northeast 52, van Buuren 3-33) by five wicketsCameron Bancroft scored a superbly-judged unbeaten hundred to guide Gloucestershire to a convincing five-wicket victory over Glamorgan and extend their winning start to the Metro Bank One-Day Cup campaign to four games at Bristol’s Seat Unique Stadium.Set 290 to win and retain top spot in Group A, Gloucestershire were indebted to their overseas star, who carried his bat in posting 143 from 144 balls, striking 17 fours and two sixes and sharing in stands of 72 and 84 with Ben Charlesworth and Graeme van Buuren for the third and fifth wickets respectively as the home side reached their target with 20 balls to spare.Recalled to the team, allrounder van Buuren had earlier claimed 3 for 33 with the ball to ensure Eddie Byrom’s outstanding innings of 94 from 108 balls was made in a losing cause. Byrom staged a stand of 127 in 22.1 overs for the second wicket with Sam Northeast, who raised a 59-ball 52 after Gloucestershire had won the toss. Dan Douthwaite weighed in with a hard-hitting 43, but seamers Matt Taylor and Josh Shaw took three wickets apiece to restrict the Welsh county to 289 for 9.Gloucestershire remain the only side to boast a 100 percent record after four matches, but 2024 competition winners Glamorgan are still seeking their first victory and will have to win all of their remaining fixtures if they are to stand any chance of making the knockout stages.Gloucestershire inserted their neighbours on a flat surface and Matt Taylor struck an early blow, luring Asa Tribe into driving low to mid-off in the second over.Initially tied down by nagging line and length, Byrom and Northeast eventually broke the shackles, both heaving Taylor over the mid-wicket boundary rope as their alliance raised 50 in 49 balls.Gloucestershire engineered an opportunity with the advent of Ollie Price’s off-breaks, Northeast hitting to deep midwicket on 19. Although Zaman Akhter took the catch, his momentum carried him over the boundary and the batter enjoyed a fortuitous escape. There were no such issues for Byrom, who moved smoothly to a 46-ball half-century with his seventh four, a fluent straight drive off Craig Miles.The hundred partnership occupied 16.4 overs as Gloucestershire’s seamers struggled to contain the second-wicket pair, who were further aided by some uncharacteristically loose fielding from the Group A leaders. Making good his earlier escape, Northeast posted 50 from 57 balls, only to give van Buuren’s slow left arm the charge and be stumped by James Bracey immediately afterwards with the score 135 for 2.This was the breakthrough Gloucestershire had been wanting and experienced allrounder van Buuren then removed the in-form Kiran Carlson for nine in his next over, Glamorgan’s captain nicking behind as the visitors slipped to 151 for 3 at the halfway stage. Welsh ambition required Byrom to bat on and register a substantial score, but the Zimbabwe-born left-hander fell to a superb catch by Tommy Boorman on the deep square leg boundary as van Buuren struck another potentially crucial blow.Byrom had provided the innings with a solid platform but with the score 194 for 4 in the 35th, Gloucestershire felt they were back in the game, an impression confirmed when Will Smale edged a catch behind off the bowling of Matt Taylor and departed for 26.Just when Glamorgan looked as though they might fall short, Douthwaite launched a counter-attack, including four sixes and dominating a stand of 52 in 7.2 over for the sixth wicket with Zain-ul-Hassan before falling to the returning Shaw.Bracey afforded Gloucestershire’s chase a super-charged start, raising 34 from 25 balls in an opening stand of 43 in 5.3 overs with Bancroft. But Ned Leonard redressed the balance in his first over, taking two wickets in three balls to reduce the home side to 43 for 2. Bracey was caught at the wicket and then Price was out slashing at a delivery outside off stump, Northeast palming the ball into the air for Tribe to complete the dismissal at first slip.Bancroft and Charlesworth responded to adversity in positive fashion, finding the gaps and running hard between the wickets to add 50 in 10 overs and rebuild the innings without taking undue risk. Having contributed 37 to a stand of 72 for the third wicket, Charlesworth then lost concentration, lofting Carlson to wide long-off where Douthwaite took a superb catch on the run to reduce the home side to 115 for 3 in the 20th.Undeterred, Bancroft went to 50 from 59 balls and he and Jack Taylor advanced the score to 145 for 3 at halfway, at which point Gloucestershire were required to score a further 145 at 5.8 an over. The home side’s task was rendered more difficult when Taylor was deemed to have feathered a catch behind off the bowling of Harris in the 26th.Guiding the pursuit thereafter, Bancroft moved to his sixth career List-A hundred off 100 balls by lifting Andy Gorvin over the long-on boundary. He found an able ally in van Buuren, who proved especially strong off the back foot, scoring at a run a ball to ensure the rate stayed below six an over.Glamorgan lost wicketkeeper Alex Horton to a hand injury and he was replaced behind the stumps by Smale, but Gloucestershire’s fifth-wicket pair were already in control, combining deft placement with quick running to keep the scoreboard moving. Harris returned to pin van Buuren lbw for 36, but Boorman contributed a brisk 27 not out to an unbroken stand of 57 for the sixth wicket with Bancroft to calm any nerves and render the outcome a formality.

A strong Australian contingent will head to the IPL with plenty to play for ahead of the T20 World Cup

Andrew McGlashan18-Mar-20245:25

Green? Williamson? Rabada? Who makes the cut?

T20 World Cup push for Cameron Green, Spencer Johnson

Twelve or perhaps 13 of Australia’s T20 World Cup squad are locked in. But national selector George Bailey has gone on record saying that IPL performances will be factored into the final decision-making of the spots up for grabs.Cameron Green and Spencer Johnson are at the top of the list with most to gain over the next few weeks. Green was deliberately allowed to focus on red-ball cricket ahead of the New Zealand Test series rather than playing the T20Is and the result was compelling with his 174 not out in Wellington. Part of the selectors’ thinking was they knew he would have a full IPL to work on his T20 game.Related

• The constant and universal appeal of Mitchell Starc

• World Cup hero Travis Head arrives in India for the IPL

• Delhi Capitals sign Fraser-McGurk as Ngidi's replacement

• Green-powered RCB short on legspin and death-bowling options

• No late Sheffield Shield final availability for IPL-bound Cameron Green and Mitchell Marsh

“It’s a constant conversation with multi-format players, working out the priority at any given time, and making sure they get what they need but he’s certainly one whose name I think, as we are finalising that 15 for the World Cup, will be firmly in the mix,” Bailey said.If Green hits his straps for Royal Challengers Bangalore (providing he can make the XI), having been traded from Mumbai Indians, his all-round skillset will make him a compelling option. The question could be whether he covers more bases than Steven Smith.Cameron Green has been traded from Mumbai Indians to RCB•BCCI

Meanwhile, Johnson currently sits behind Nathan Ellis in the pace pecking order should Australia take just the four specialist quicks. However, Johnson is doing all he can to force the selectors’ hands having had an impressive BBL before bowling with pace and hostility against West Indies and, briefly, New Zealand. If he lives up to his AU$1.78 million price tag with Gujarat Titans he could be a compelling option.”It’s going to be tight for those last few spots, I don’t envy George’s [Bailey] position,” Matthew Wade said after the recent series against New Zealand. “I wouldn’t want to be picking the 15, there’s going to be a couple of unlucky players. But…there’s always injury around. Guys that are outside the 15 may get opportunities as well so we’re happy we’ve got so much depth.”

The return of Mitchell Starc

It’s been a long time between IPL outings for Mitchell Starc. Through a combination of injury and prioritising Test cricket, his last appearance came in 2015 where he was part of an RCB side with a top three of Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers. Starc’s overall IPL record reads 34 wickets at 20.38 with an economy of 7.16 and in the 2015 season, he claimed 20 at 14.55 with an economy of just 6.76.This time Starc will be with Kolkata Knight Riders and returns to the competition having smashed the record for the highest price with an eye-watering AUD$4.43 million at the auction, shortly after team-mate Pat Cummins had set a new record himself.”No doubt there’ll be some pressure that comes with the territory, but having the extra experience I have from my last IPL hopefully helps,” Starc said shortly after the paddle came down.Given Australia’s focus on Tests and ODIs over the last 18 months, Starc’s recent two outings in the T20I series against New Zealand were his first in the format since the 2022 T20 World Cup.”There’s a T20 World Cup, it’s a nice lead-in to that with the IPL and the quality of cricket that tournament presents. In terms of the [Australia] schedule, it’s much more quiet,” he said after getting his IPL deal. “Instead of bowling in the nets in April and May – generally there’s no batter there – so it’s much more interesting to go and play in an IPL and test myself against the best.”0:45

New SRH captain Cummins banking on inputs from Head, Vettori

Weary bodies and minds

The schedule might be quieter internationally for Australia this winter, but the IPL is yet more cricket for some players who have had a packed couple of years. While there is a considerable gap after the T20 World Cup in June, there will be some fingers crossed that key names aren’t burnt out before that tournament finishes.Travis Head, who will appear for Sunrisers Hyderabad, is a player that comes to mind. After the highs of the ODI World Cup, where he raced against time to enter midway through due to his broken hand, his form tailed off significantly during the home summer with his century in Adelaide the only major contribution. He was given a break during the white-ball matches against West Indies but struggled in the Tests against New Zealand. He is pencilled in to have a key role at the top of the order in the T20 World Cup.”There’s a lot of stresses,” Australia coach Andrew McDonald said after the New Zealand Test series. “He was coming off a significant injury through that World Cup, and it takes a lot out of you mentally and physically. There’s no doubt we can learn some lessons on the back of Trav’s entry into all three formats and how to give him a bit of rest in the Australian summer.”Justin Langer returns to coaching in the IPL with Lucknow•CA/Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Justin Langer’s coaching comeback

Another interesting Australian angle at this year’s IPL is the return of Justin Langer to the coaching scene for the first time since his acrimonious exit from the national team. He will take charge of Lucknow Super Giants having replaced Andy Flower in the role.Langer will have a strong Western Australia flavour around him with Marcus Stoinis retained and WA and Perth Scorchers batter Ashton Turner picked up at the auction. However, Turner is coming off knee surgery that curtailed his domestic season. He has also brought WA and Perth Scorchers coach Adam Voges on as an assistant.Langer had outstanding success with Scorchers in the BBL and was in charge of Australia when they won the 2021 T20 World Cup. But it will be fascinating to see how he deals with the pressures of the IPL, particularly if LSG don’t make a good start.

All the Australia players at the IPL

Cameron Green (RCB), Glenn Maxwell (RCB), Mitchell Starc (KKR), Nathan Ellis (PK), Mitchell Marsh (DC), David Warner (DC), Jake Fraser-McGurk (DC), Jhye Richardson (DC), Adam Zampa (RR), Tim David (MI), Pat Cummins (SRH), Travis Head (SRH), Marcus Stoinis (LSG), Ashton Turner (LSG), Spencer Johnson (GT), Matthew Wade (GT)*The story was amended after Jason Behrendorff’s withdrawal

Pat Cummins will captain his first one-day series against England while Australia’s Test squad remains stable

Andrew McGlashan08-Nov-2022Travis Head has returned to Australia’s ODI squad for the series against England and Marcus Harris has been included as the spare batter for the Test matches against West Indies.Following the early exit from the T20 World Cup, a full-strength squad has been named for the three games against England in Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne which will be Pat Cummins’ first series as ODI captain.Head fills the vacancy created by Aaron Finch’s one-day retirement having been unavailable for selection for the early-season series against Zimbabwe and New Zealand due to paternity leave. He has had an excellent 2022 in ODIs with 310 runs at 62 and a strike-rate of 112.72 when he faced Pakistan in Sri Lanka.In the Pakistan series, where he made 101 and 89 in consecutive matches, Head played in place of David Warner but now will open alongside him.Related

• 'All the skills are there' – Ashton Agar eyes Test recall for India tour

• Ashton Agar and Todd Murphy named in PM's XI with India tour in mind

• Hayden: 'Australian team has some thinking to do' after T20 World Cup exit

• How Starc's lack of IPL cricket has left him off the pace

• Australia's hometown exit: a campaign that started badly and never got going

“Our focus is to continue to build a squad with an eye to next year’s World Cup under Pat as the new ODI captain, so it’s an important series,” national selector George Bailey said.”Travis Head…has demonstrated flexibility in the types of roles he can play in our ODI line-up. Our next opportunity in the ODI format will be in India next year which will allow us to experience similar conditions as for the World Cup in October.”Sean Abbott misses out from earlier in the season despite a couple of impressive performances against New Zealand as does Josh Inglis. The multi-format quicks have all been included, along with Cameron Green, and they will then back up into the Test summer which begins in Perth on November 30.The squad for the two matches against West Indies is very stable with perhaps the only talking point the retention of Harris. After losing his place during the Ashes when Usman Khawaja’s prolific form led to a reshuffle of the order, Harris was the reserve batter in Pakistan then part of the Australia A squad in Sri Lanka either side of playing county cricket for Gloucestershire where he made 726 runs at 42.70.He has made a solid start to the domestic season with 287 runs in three Sheffield Shield matches although it is Victoria team-mate Peter Handscomb who is well ahead at the top with 518 runs.Scott Boland, who has not yet been able to add to his three Ashes Tests where he took 18 wickets at 9.55, is the extra quick in the squad behind Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood. None of that trio will play Shield cricket before the Tests, but that is a preparation that Australia have become comfortable with in recent seasons. Green’s inclusion in the ODI squad means he is unlikely to feature in any Shield cricket this year with the India Test tour due to start in early February.Australia ODI squad vs England Pat Cummins (capt), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam ZampaAustralia Test squad vs West Indies Pat Cummins (capt), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner

Arish Ali’s four-for on debut in vain for Quetta Gladiators, who finish season with only four points

Varun Shetty19-Jun-2021Karachi Kings completed the win they needed to make it to the qualifiers, edging Lahore Qalandars on net run-rate after they swept Quetta Gladiators aside by 14 runs on the last day of the group stage. After putting up 176, the Kings needed to defend 32 off the last over with Jack Wildermuth on strike; a delicious bit of symmetry after Danish Aziz had smoked 32 off the bowler during their batting innings – in a 33-run over – to completely change the course of the game. That blitz, a 13-ball 45, propelled the Kings to a total that was too much for the Gladiators, who finished the season with only two wins in ten games.Naseem goes off, Danish goes boom
After taking the ball to start the 19th over, the Gladiators’ Naseem Shah began hobbling immediately. He could barely get a few steps into his run-up, possibly because of cramp on a hot day, and the ball eventually went to Wildermuth, who had struggled early on and struggled once again.Danish, who got an inside edge for four first ball, took complete control – hitting the next four balls for six. The last of them came off a slower-ball-turned-beamer as Danish managed to hoick it over the long leg boundary. It was 29 off four balls at the point, and suddenly there was a very real possibility of six sixes in a row, not to mention an over going for 41 runs. Wildermuth might have been pleased those deliveries ended up going for only four. But the match had swung – 136 for 5 in 18 overs became 176 for 6 in 20.A chase that never took offThe Kings began their defence with captain Imad Wasim and Mohammad Amir, who went for a combined seven runs. That seemed to set the tone right at the start, as the Gladiators never looked like challenging the bowling till the very end. Sarfraz Ahmed’s unbeaten 51 off 33 was a good knock, but neither he nor anyone else in the middle order looked capable of breaking the shackles through the middle overs. The Kings’ spinners didn’t extract as much turn or gain as much control as the Gladiators’ spinners had done. Instead, the win was rooted mostly in the performances of their frontline pacers – Amir, with his economy and a second consecutive slog-overs performance of high quality; Mohammad Ilyas, who picked wickets almost every time he came on; and Arshad Iqbal, whose skiddy, back-of-a-length plan that looked unplayable in the early stages of the innings.The wickets always seemed to be around the corner, despite a rather safe approach to the chase. The one instance of a batter being fearless came late, with Hassan Khan swinging his bat around for a 15-ball 24; but even after that injection of momentum, the score was 123 for 5 in 16.5 overs when he fell. That was indicative of the Gladiators pretty much always being behind the rate in chase.All spin and a dream debut for Arish AliA lot of the Kings’ early runs and momentum came with sixes from Sharjeel Khan, even though both he and Babae Azam struggled for fluency during their 71-run stand. The pitch wasn’t one for free-flowing shots, and Sarfraz brought offspinner Abdul Nasir on in the sixth over. Until the 17th over it was only spin, with left-arm spinners Hassan and Arish Ali filling bowling out their overs. Only 83 came in those 12 overs.The Gladiators came into this game with nothing to play for, which allowed them to play a second emerging player in the XI alongside Khurram Shahzad. Arish hadn’t played at senior level before, but went away with an impressive haul and a statement before the next season.Arish came on in the 11th over, after Abdul Nasir had strangled the Kings and dismissed Azam the previous over. Martin Guptill gave him a wicket off his very first ball, lofting a full one straight to long-off. Sharjeel was already in at this point, and was looking to push on against the left-arm spinner. But he only managed a chopped four past short third before playing on attempting the same shot again, the result of a simple plan from Arish – spin it in from outside off against the left-handers on a pitch that was offering grip and turn.With the Kings trying to rebuild, Arish was in his element. In the end, Najibullah Zadran chopped him on trying the late cut as well. With the way he was going, Sarfraz even asked him to come on in the 17th for his last over – and that resulted in the wicket of Imad, caught at long-on. That made it three left-handers dismissed on his first day in senior cricket.

CA is in the process of drawing up guidelines for how training will operate

Andrew McGlashan15-May-2020Over the next week or so, professional cricketers around Australia will dig out their kit bags and embark on a lengthy pre-season, which will likely have a very different feel from the usual as sport adapts to the new normal following the Covid-19 pandemic.The centrally contracted Australia players come off annual leave on Monday, a period where like the majority of the population they have been confined to homes, garages, gardens and the local parks for exercise.State squads are due to start filtering back into training and while the winter football codes – NRL and AFL – are preparing to return to action cricket training, at least to start with, will likely take the form of smaller groups.However, while those with Cricket Australia deals have some certainty over their position, state contracting lists remain to be confirmed.A couple of weeks ago, the Australian Institute of Sport issued a framework for the return of sport – CA’s Dr John Orchard was part of the team that put the document together – which included details such as the ban on using saliva and sweat on the ball at training. Since then, CA, led by head of science and medicine Alex Kountouris, has been working on overall guidelines for the states and national set-up.In normal circumstances, a number of players would have been at the IPL or taking up county contracts in England, while members of the men’s Test squad who were based at home would have been gearing up for a two-Test tour of Bangladesh.All of that, of course, was scuppered as the pandemic swept the world. There remains significant doubt as to when the international game will resume, although there are some positive steps being taken in the UK as England players will shortly return to individual training.While Australia’s men’s ODI and T20I sides may yet play their series against England in September, it is quite possible that there will be no international travel for any of the country’s cricketers this winter.International players are likely to be with their states through the build-up to the 2020-21 season, which is due to start in late September with the Marsh Cup and a women’s series against New Zealand. Given the positive progress against Covid-19 in Australia and across the Tasman, that timeline has a reasonable chance of happening.”We’ve got pre-season starting in a couple of weeks’ time. So fingers crossed, we can get back to that,” Travis Head said. “We’ve been fortunate enough in Adelaide with the restrictions starting to ease over the last couple of days. Hopefully it looks like we’ll be able to train in small groups.”For me and for all of us it’s about coming back as fit as we can. I’ve got some goals that I need to tick off going into pre-season, which will then lead me into having a really good baseline to go into pre-season. I’m excited and a bit nervous about the pre-season. I haven’t done one in a few years.”Looking back at the ones I have done, I’ll be hopefully able to come back very, very fit and ready to go. Hopefully I can excel during the pre-season and that will get me in good stead for the season. Being a leader within South Australia, having the whole squad home, myself, Alex Carey, Kane Richardson, those sort of guys home is going to be a really exciting pre-season and important giving the state of where we’re at.”

While Australia are overseas playing ODIs there is much at stake for a number of domestic players in the final month of the season

Alex Malcolm22-Feb-20192:26

Siddle sees positives in lack of recent cricket

Batsmen

(Stats: leading run scorers)Marcus HarrisThe left-hander looked a lock for the Ashes series at the end of the Sydney Test having been the best performer against a top-quality India attack. But his failure to convert starts in that series came back to bite him in the two Tests against Sri Lanka and with the return of David Warner he may yet be forced out. There is no doubt the talent is there, he reached 20 in seven of his 11 Test innings, but only twice did he reach 50. He is the equal second leading run-scorer in the Shield this season with 501 runs having played four fewer innings than the leader Matthew Wade, who has made 572.Joe BurnsAfter being left out for the UAE tour and the India series Burns was finally recalled against Sri Lanka and made the most of the opportunity posting 180 in the second Test in Canberra. He now has four Test hundreds in 16 Test matches yet, somehow, he’s still not a certainty for England. His Shield record overall is what propelled him back into the Test side and he should score runs in the back half of the season. Significant scores in any of the games will carry extra weight and further reinforce his Ashes credentials.Marnus LabuschagneCompared to some others it might be harder for Labuschagne to miss the Ashes tour than to make it based on the positive reviews he has received following his performances in the last three Tests of the summer. He was a Test incumbent at the start of the Shield but a lean start meant he missed out until being somewhat surprisingly recalled for the fourth Test against India and he then made 81 at against Sri Lanka at the Gabba to shore up his place. His record against the Dukes ball in Shield cricket is solid with 707 runs at 39.30.

Sheffield Shield squads

New South Wales Peter Nevill (capt), Sean Abbott, Harry Conway, Trent Copeland, Jack Edwards, Moises Henriques, Daniel Hughes, Nick Larkin, Stephen O’Keefe, Kurtis Patterson, Jason Sangha, Greg West
Western Australia Hilton Cartwright (capt), Cameron Bancroft, William Bosisto, Liam Guthrie, Aaron Hardie, Bradley Hope, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kelly, Lance Morris, Liam O’Connor, Joel Paris, Josh Philippe, Sam Whiteman
Victoria Travis Dean (capt), Scott Boland, Andrew Fekete, Seb Gotch, Marcus Harris, Jon Holland, Nic Maddinson, Will Pucovski, Matt Short, Peter Siddle, Chris Tremain, Cameron White
Queensland James Peirson (capt), Joe Burns, Luke Feldman, Cameron Gannon, Sam Heazlett, Charlie Hemphrey, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan McSweeney, Michael Neser,Matthew Renshaw, Mark Steketee, Mitch Swepson
South Australia Travis Head (capt), Tom Cooper, Callum Ferguson, Jake Lehmann, Conor McInerney, Joe Mennie, Harry Nielsen, Lloyd Pope, Chadd Sayers, Cameron Valente, Jake Weatherald, Nick Winter
Tasmania Matthew Wade (capt), Gabe Bell, Jackson Bird, Alex Doolan, Jake Doran, Jarrod Freeman, Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Tim Paine, Alex Pyecroft, Tom Rogers, Jordan Silk, Charlie Wakim

Kurtis PattersonAn unbeaten century in his last Test innings against Sri Lanka will be hard to ignore. He will at the very least go on the Australia A tour. The last four Shield games are a chance to really bed down an Ashes berth. Steve Smith’s return means one of the incumbents in Australia’s Test middle order is likely to miss out in the first Ashes Test plus the ever-present need for an allrounder always means the sixth batsman is vulnerable. Patterson can alleviate any doubts with a stack of runs.Matt RenshawHe finds himself on the outside looking in after being in the squad for the Sri Lanka series but missing out on selection. He found some good form in the closing stages of the BBL tournament and he played well at the end of the last Shield season scoring three centuries post-BBL. Like Burns, he has the challenge of two games at the Gabba and one at the WACA as well one against Victoria.Will PucovskiAll eyes will be on Pucovski in the last four games of the season. He has yet to play two games in a row this season at domestic level and only played two Shield games out of six before the BBL-break due to mental health issues. He has only had four innings in matches since Christmas, two for his club side in Melbourne and two for the Cricket Australia XI. How Pucovski handles four straight games and maybe a final, could determine whether he heads on the Australia A tour.Matthew WadeChairman of selectors Trevor Hohns explained Wade’s omission from the Test squad was partly due to him batting too low in the order for Tasmania. He will get a chance higher up the order, likely at No. 4, with Tim Paine back as wicketkeeper batsman and George Bailey injured. He has an opportunity to do something no player has done in Sheffield Shield cricket for four years: score 1000 runs. Not since Adam Voges and Michael Klinger both did it in 2014-15 has the mark been crossed. It was enough to earn Voges an Australia call-up aged 35. If it’s not enough to get Wade to England then the chorus of criticism from the public and media will reach an unprecedented level.Mitchell MarshHe started the summer as Australia’s new vice-captain and now he finds himself in no man’s land, out of favour for all three formats and unsure of his place in Australian cricket. To make matters worse he will miss WA’s first Shield game following the BBL break after suffering a nasty groin injury. He may need more runs and wickets than most to be recalled after failing to capitalise on his opportunities over the last 12 months.Daniel Worrall celebrates a wicket•Getty Images

Bowlers

(Stats: leading wicket-takers)Peter SiddleSiddle has been a victim of his own success in that his trustworthiness and return to form led to him being included in all Australian squads across the summer but he ended up carrying drinks more than playing. Now he gets the chance to settle in for Victoria and bowl a lot of overs with the Dukes balls which will suit him perfectly. He was superb for Essex in England last year taking 37 wickets at 16.40 in just seven matches and he remains likely to be part of the Ashes touring squad.Chris TremainMuch like Wade, there’s nothing he can do other than pile up wickets in the hope of forcing the selectors hand through sheer volume of performances. He has dominated the Sheffield Shield over the last two seasons and is dueling teammate Scott Boland to be the leading wicket-taker once again.Scott BolandHe has been in tremendous form this season leading the Shield wicket-takers with 36 at 17.41. He didn’t get to play much in the back-end of the BBL season for Melbourne Stars and it will be interesting to see whether that affects his rhythm on return. He and Tremain might be in a straight shoot-out for a spot on the Australia A tour and the Ashes.Daniel WorrallThere has been a lot of discussion about Worrall’s chances for the Ashes tour. Injury will be the biggest issue. He is being rested from the first Shield game after the BBL due to concerns over his troubled back. If he can get up and going and play the last three games without interruption, and bowl well, he will almost certainly be part of the Australia A tour.Chadd SayersSayers has quickly become a forgotten man after making his Test debut in South Africa the match after the ball-tampering scandal and claiming the prized scalp of AB de Villiers. Since then he has played only three JLT Cup games and three Shield games earlier this season before needing minor surgery to fix a knee issue. He gets a chance to re-establish himself as one of Australia’s premier swing bowlers over the last four rounds to stake a claim for an Australia A berth.Jon Holland gives the ball a twirl•Getty Images

James PattinsonThe potential of having Pattinson join Australia’s already rapid attack has got tongues wagging. He made a cautious return to the Shield earlier this season after back problems before a side strain injury curtailed his BBL. He won’t be back until next month and remains a long-shot for the Ashes, but that is unlikely to stop the chatter if he gets among the wickets. Durability rather than wickets could be the deciding factor.Jon HollandHe was Australia’s second spinner in the UAE but has scarcely played in this home summer with three Shield games for Victoria out of six before the BBL and an outing for the CA XI where he claimed 4 for 28. How much bowling he gets between now and then might depend on the dominance of Victoria’s quicks, although they are playing on four flat pitches where his services will be needed in the third and fourth innings especially.Steve O’KeefeHe candidly admitted ahead of the BBL semi-final that his prospects of playing for Australia again are very unlikely. But Ashton Agar’s serious finger injury means that experienced spin options beyond Nathan Lyon and Holland are thin on the ground. O’Keefe’s record is exceptional and he can never be discounted.

From allowing Jason Holder and Shane Dowrich to put on 212 for the eighth wicket to the soft dismissals of Solomon Mire and Craig Ervine, day four in Bulawayo didn’t go to plan for the hosts

Liam Brickhill in Bulawayo01-Nov-2017Zimbabwe coach Heath Streak admitted it would be tough for his side to bat themselves back into the match after conceding a 122-run first innings lead against West Indies in Bulawayo.”There’s still a long way to go, 92 overs,” he said. “And it’s slow going out there, not an easy wicket to score quickly on. So we’ve got to get through a session and get ourselves into a position where we can maybe consider giving them a target. But it’s very tough, especially with the deficit we’ve had to make up, and the pitch being so slow.”Zimbabwe found themselves 23 for 3 in their second innings before a half-century from Sikandar Raza – his second of the Test – took them to 140 for 4 at stumps.”There’s still a lot of cricket to be played tomorrow,” Streak said. “A hard fighting day and a hard fighting first session. It’s not too far until the new ball, and we’ve got to get through that and see if we get some sort of total to defend.”He added that, after several missed chances in the field, Zimbabwe had only themselves to blame for allowing Jason Holder and Shane Dowrich put on a record 212-run partnership. “They put us under pressure, and we didn’t help ourselves with a few dropped catches,” Streak said. “We’ve got ourselves to blame for giving them that lead, but we’ve just got to deal with where we’re at now.”He lamented the soft dismissals that heaped pressure on Zimbabwe’s middle order once again, suggesting that wickets in hand could have helped Zimbabwe push for more of a lead heading into the fifth day.”Hamilton [Masakadza] got out to a good ball that hooped back quite a bit, but then Solomon [Mire] got out to a soft dismissal even by his own standards,” Streak said, describing Mire’s swipe across the line at a ball from Kemar Roach that trapped him lbw. “He does play aggressively, but on that wicket and with that length, it’s very difficult to play that type of shot, especially on a fourth-day wicket when you’ve had a lot of evidence of balls keeping low. So those are the sorts of dismissals we want to get rid of. Even Craig Ervine, if he’s honest with himself, got out to a pretty soft dismissal. It wasn’t like the ball did a heck of a lot.”If we had taken maybe two wickets off there, Mire and Ervine’s wickets, then it’s 140 for 2 and that’s a pretty good score. We’d have wickets in hand if we want to push on and try and get some sort of lead and put them in.”One bright point for Streak was the batting of Raza and Peter Moor, who reined in his attacking instincts to finish on 39 not out from 152 balls at the close. ” PJ [Moor] is a very determined guy first of all, and he’s a very intelligent guy who has worked out watching the other guys,” Streak said. “It’s not easy to just go out there and play shots, so he’s adjusted his game accordingly to the wicket. His batting in the first innings has also given him some insight into how to do it. Anyone who has gone out there and batted for a period of time, you can see there haven’t been easy or free flowing innings from anyone.”Apart from being slow, the pitch also fell short of Zimbabwe’s expectations in terms of help for the spinners. “Having a bit of cool weather around, has meant that the wicket hasn’t dried and dusted up as much as we would have liked,” Streak said. “So it’s been a little more placid than what we’d hoped. We wanted a wicket that would spin and break up, but the weather conditions on day one and two made the deterioration of the wicket much slower than it ought to be. Normally in October you get hot, dry days and then that deterioration happens a lot quicker.”

Nottinghamshire and Middlesex go into the final day of this match with everything at stake

George Dobell at Trent Bridge08-Sep-2016
ScorecardJake Ball took out the top three•Getty Images

There was a time, not so long ago, when these late season Championship encounters held little significance. Sure, one team might be challenging for a title but, as recently as 20 years ago, such matches very often lacked relevance or competitive edge. The season drifted off to sleep with the same gentle familiarity as “Sailing By” and the Shipping Forecast.Not any more. Here we are in the second week of September and Nottinghamshire and Middlesex go into the final day of this match with everything at stake. The side that loses will be relegated or see their hopes of a Championship title severely dented. Both have to win. Both can win. We are all set for a classic at Trent Bridge.So, as county cricket tears itself apart in the quest for a few dollars more – or a few million dollars more – it is worth reflecting on one of the great success stories of recent years: promotion and relegation works. It has improved county cricket markedly. It has made it tougher, more interesting. And, partially as a result of the increased edge to the competition, England’s players go into the fierce environment of Test cricket better prepared for the rigours they will face.It is no coincidence that England have won five of the last seven Ashes series; no coincidence that the side that reached No. 1 in 2011 contained four men in the top seven (Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott and Matt Prior) who made centuries on Test debut – two others, Kevin Pietersen and Ian Bell, made half-centuries – and a bowler (James Anderson) who started with a five-wicket haul. We risk diluting the success of the Test team when we meddle with its foundations.That Nottinghamshire’s hopes of survival remain just about alive is largely due to some decent batting from Steven Mullaney and Brett Hutton and another incisive new-ball spell from Jake Ball. Ball’s fitness levels might need to improve if he is to enjoy a long Test career – unlike Chris Woakes, for example, it is noticeable that his fourth spell is significantly less hostile than his first, irrespective of the softening of the ball – but with the new ball he is, already, a terrific bowler.After taking a hat-trick in the first over of Middlesex’s first innings, he struck first ball in their second. And if Nick Gubbins, so compact and calm around, might regret being drawn into pushing at one he could have left well alone, the delivery that accounted for Sam Robson – nipping in sharply and taking the off stump as Robson tried to leave it – was a gem.There was a revealing irony in that dismissal. As Nick Compton went out to bat in the first innings, Robson warned him to watch out for the booming outswing that had just dismissed him. Moments later Compton was walking off having been trapped in front by one that cut back. Here Robson had been undone by the same trick. It bodes well for Ball, and England, that he has such skills. If Nottinghamshire do go down, second division batsmen face quite a challenge next year.Dawid Malan, also beaten by one that nipped back, but this time to the left-hander from round the wicket, also departed before the close. Middlesex bat pretty deep – Toby Roland-Jones is a No. 9 who could be a No. 6 – but Notts will know the allrounders will be padded up in the morning.At his best, this is the sort of situation Compton would have relished. But now? He has had looked a defeated man at times this summer, beset by the doubts and scars that torture nearly all batsmen in the end. But perhaps this challenge – and it is a hell of a challenge – might be yet the thing to reinvigorate him, entwine him to the heart of this team’s title challenge and prove to himself what most of those watching will know: at this level, at least, he remains a class act with much more to give.Batting on the fourth day is unlikely to prove easy. Samit Patel, again looking as solid as anyone (technically rather than physically), was undone by one that cut back and kept horribly low while, in the final over of the day, Compton was beaten by a legbreak from Imran Tahir that turned so sharply you imagine Don Bradman, at his best, might just have been good enough to edge it.Middlesex did not bowl especially well earlier in the day. While Steven Finn finished with three wickets, he gained two with balls that might uncharitably be described as long-hops – certainly the one that Michael Lumb edged as he tried to cut would have to be described that way – and the other with a leg-before decision that seemed to be heading down the leg side. They may yet regret allowing Notts to score 50 or so more than might have been the case.But the fragility of Nottinghamshire’s batting has let them down all campaign. Here, they fought for a while, but like addicts slipping back into bad habits, they couldn’t resist for long. A waft here; a poke there: at least three of the top four will reflect that they played a huge part in their own downfall.Jake Libby, poking at one without moving his feet, was first to go, before Tom Moores slashed to point and Lumb tried to hit his cut too hard. None of them averages 30 in the campaign. And while that can be tolerated for a couple of youngsters learning their trade at this level, it requires compensation from senior players. There has been none of that compensation this year, with nobody in this team averaging even 38 and only Mullaney averaging more than 35.He batted nicely here. He plays the cover drive as nicely as anyone in the county game and has an efficient cut that was well fed by a diet of Finn long hops. Hutton, too, attacked selectively and eked out 40 runs for the last two wickets that might yet save his county from the drop.But the sense that Notts had failed to take advantage of a slightly off-colour display from Middlesex was underlined by the manner in which they lost their last three wickets: Ball missed an attempted whip into the leg side; Imran slogged one to cow corner – where Roland-Jones clung on to an outstanding catch leaning backwards having originally misjudged his run and lost sight of the ball in the sun – and Harry Gurney was run-out. Each one of them was unnecessary and, in a match – a season, even – where another 10 runs might yet prove crucial, just a bit sloppy. Ollie Rayner finished with four wickets without ever looking particularly dangerous on a surface offering him some assistance.Still, it all leaves this match beautifully poised. Triumph and disaster loom. It will be painful for some but it’s meant to matter. And the fact that it still does, at this late stage of the season, is something to savour.