Assistant coach says the team dynamic wasn’t healthy while they were going through a six-match losing streak this IPL

Ankur Dhawan in Mumbai05-May-20194:45

We fell badly in middle phase of tournament – Katich

There was an indication throughout the IPL that all wasn’t well in the Kolkata Knight Riders camp. Contradictory statements from the players and team management regarding Andre Russell’s batting position furthered that suspicion, before the situation escalated to the point where the allrounder questioned some of the decision making, besides adding that the atmosphere around the team hadn’t been the healthiest.Simon Katich, the KKR assistant coach, reiterated that the dynamic within the group had started to change during the course of their six-match losing streak and that’s something that they’ll have to work on as a group going forward.”Can’t hide from the fact that there was tension,” he said at the press conference. “That was pretty evident from the last few games after we got on a bit of a roll with losses. We’ve got to address that as a group. What is so important in the IPL is the dynamic if the group and I guess the unity. That’s something that KKR is very very proud of. It’s a very successful franchise and it’s something that everyone involved has worked very very hard to contribute to over a long period of time. That’s something we have to certainly work at to get better at it because there’s no doubt that throughout this campaign, the dynamic within our group has certainly changed.”Despite that, KKR came into this game against Mumbai Indians with a very good chance of making the playoffs. All they had to do was win.But the combination of Lasith Malinga, Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah were too difficult to handle. So much so that after being 49 for 0 at the end of the Powerplay, they finished 133 for 7.”It did go wrong, that’s for sure,” Katich said. “Today is obviously disappointing but it’s a tough ask coming to Mumbai, we don’t obviously have great record here [It was KKR’s sixth straight defeat at Wankhede]. Yes, it would have been great to win today and get through but to finish where we did is probably what we deserved given how our season went.”Dinesh Karthik and Andre Russell have a chat•BCCI

Looking back at a season that began brightly with four wins in five matches, Katich rued the home defeats against Royal Challengers Bangalore and Rajasthan Royals the most, which he felt came back to hurt them in the end, given that one more win would have secured a playoff spot.”We had a very good start but it fell away badly through that middle phase of the tournament,” he said.”If you look back on our season, the two missed opportunities we had were in the matches against Royal Challengers Bangalore and Rajasthan Royals. We hadn’t played well through the season but to lose those two games was always going to come back and hurt us in the end. When you look back in the end, that’s what probably catches up with you, when you don’t win at home, where that wicket suits our style of play, particularly our batsmen, given how flat it’s been.”Katich’s sentiments were echoed by the captain Dinesh Karthik, who conceded Knight Riders had a lot of work to do to get back to their best.”Through the whole tournament, we’ve been good a lot of times, bad at a lot of times, but this tournament is such that we had to play consistent cricket and we were not up to the mark,” he said at the post-match presentation. “It’s been decent. I don’t think it’s the best season that we’ve had. There’s definitely a lot of areas for us to improve and come back stronger next time.”

Ballance is the first Yorkshire batsman to have scored hundreds in five successive Yorkshire matches

David Hopps at Headingley06-Jun-2019Gary Ballance’s chances of a century in six successive Yorkshire matches came to grief just before tea on the final day at Emerald Headingley with an unexpected cloudburst that prematurely ended a stalemate that had long since lost all other significance.That at least consigned one of Yorkshire’s more confusing statistics to history. Ballance is the first Yorkshire batsman to have scored hundreds in five successive Yorkshire matches, although Len Hutton did it on seven successive occasions in Yorkshire matches in 1947 and 1948.Such distinctions will not remotely concern Ballance, who was 51 not out when the deluge brought an early tea. His only ambition will be to extend a prolific Championship season, which has brought 668 runs at 83.5, to force his way into consideration for the Ashes series. If happenstance means James Vince gets an opportunity with England in the World Cup, and he makes runs, Ballance’s chances of adding to his 23 Tests, the last of them against South Africa in Nottingham, will further recede.One senses in any case that Ballance is out of vogue, to be ranked alongside avocado bathroom suites, lava lamps and hipster beards. He will have to play doubly well to get noticed.(Incidentally, the suggestion that hipster beards are out of fashion was a cruel misrepresentation and if any hipsters happened to have been drawn to a piece about an ultimately pointless county cricket match, one can assume they have already left in search of reassurance).From the moment on the third evening that Peter Siddle rose, half asleep, from a bench in the Essex dressing room, where he had been vaguely watching India’s World Cup match against South Africa, and roused himself to save the follow-on, this contest needed enterprise from both captains to salvage a worthwhile finish.But Siddle and Sam Cook blithely extended their last-wicket stand for a further 70 minutes, and those who had hoped for better began to stare staunchly into mid-distance. Championship spectators no longer religiously turn to the newspaper crossword to help them through the game’s longeurs (a shame because it was always an interesting clue to their political affiliations) and many remain allergic to mobile phones, especially during hours of play.In all, Siddle and Cook put on 86 in 25 overs, every run making the slim chance of a positive declaration increasingly starved of possibility. Siddle finished with 60 off 119 balls, his best score in his second season as Essex’s overseas player, at which point he fell leg-before to Steve Patterson, while Cook’s career-best unbeaten 37 off 74 included a pulled six off Ben Coad.When Yorkshire started their second innings, they led by 81 with 76 overs remaining in the day. Many sides have contrived finishes from such positions, but not often on such a sound surface, and not often Yorkshire.Andrew Gale, the coach, said with justification that the pitch had flattened out. Yorkshire remain unbeaten, and stable, but have yet to pull off the sort of thrilling result that identifies them as definite title contenders. Now 25 points behind leaders Somerset, they face Surrey at Guildford on Monday; the defending champions are yet to win in five matches.Yorkshire lost their debutant opener, Will Fraine, for a duck, but were on 107 for 1 from 42.5 overs when the rain tumbled from the sky. Essex’s main concern will surround the fitness of their seam bowler Jamie Porter, who is the catalyst for so many of their better moments, and who limped off during his 10th over.

Nightwatchman helps Durham into commanding position before taking first Leicestershire wicket to fall

ECB Reporters Network09-Jul-2019Durham made an early breakthrough after captain Cameron Bancroft set Leicestershire a formidable 393 to win the Specsavers County Championship match at the Fischer County Ground.Foxes captain Paul Horton was caught behind by Ned Eckersley, a fine low catch diving to his right by the former Leicestershire player, off the bowling of Nathan Rimmington shortly before the close. It completed an excellent day’s work for Rimmington, who after coming in as nightwatchman the previous evening, went on to make 92 as Durham piled on the runs in their second inningsResuming at the start of play on 191 for 1, Rimmington and Alex Lees extended their partnership to 71 before Lees, within sight of what would have been a third Championship century of the season, was unfortunate to glove a leg-side delivery from Gavin Griffiths through to wicketkeeper Lewis Hill.Rimmington continued to thrive however, reaching his half-century off 71 balls, including six fours and a six, and with Gareth Harte playing himself in solidly, the visitors passed 300 shortly before the lunch.Having toiled away all morning with just one success, Leicestershire did manage to pick up four more wickets in the afternoon session, three of which came as Durham added just one run to their score. Rimmington, on 92, went leg before to a Mohammad Abbas delivery which seamed back in, Jack Burnham was bowled by a Neil Dexter outswinger for a single, and then Harte also went leg before to Abbas, reducing Durham from 349 for 2 to 350 for 5.Graham Clark and Liam Trevaskis repaired some of the damage with a stand of 34 before Clark, responding to his partner’s call, was run out by Colin Ackermann’s direct hit from backward point, but Trevaskis and Eckersley then compiled an impressive century partnership off just 19.3 overs to enable Bancroft to declare after Trevaskis had holed out to long-on off Griffiths.

England set a target of 398 in 97 after a day of leather-chasing at Edgbaston as bowling attack runs out of steam

The Report by Andrew McGlashan04-Aug-2019For the second time in four days Steven Smith wrote himself a place in Ashes folklore, while Matthew Wade completed a comeback story of his own as Australia enjoyed utter dominance with the bat to leave them as the only team with a chance of victory at Edgbaston.Smith became just the fifth Australian to hit twin centuries in an Ashes Test as his match took on even greater proportions of greatness. Wade then cantered to a career-best 110, his third Test hundred and first for six-and-a-half-years, to set up Australia’s declaration late in the evening session, after some fun from James Pattinson and Pat Cummins, leaving England needing a notional 398 in 97 overs.Rory Burns and Jason Roy made it through seven demanding overs under gloomy skies with Nathan Lyon given the new ball on a responsive surface. There was more than enough to put a smile on his face at the potential of what’s on offer. Meanwhile, by surviving to resume in the morning, Burns put himself on the list of players who will have batted on all five days of a Test barring a washout. England would probably take that, but the forecast was largely fine.Well before the openers emerged a draw was England’s best hope before heading to Lord’s, which was a quite remarkable change of fortune from midway through the opening day when Australia were 122 for 8 and starring at another Edgbaston horror show. It was Smith, with help from the tail, who turned the tables then and on Sunday it was Smith who pulled Australia into a strong position before Wade made it impregnable.Smith did the groundwork alongside Travis Head, who made a compact half-century, in a stand of 130 for the fourth wicket which took Australia from 15 behind to 115 in front. However, when Head edged Ben Stokes, England having waited 23 overs for a breakthrough on the fourth morning, there was still plenty of work to do. The stand of 126 between Smith and Wade deflated England’s depleted attack. Stuart Broad had started promisingly, but Moeen Ali had a day to forget, which gave Joe Root a massive problem as he lacked control and wicket-taking threat on a surface aiding spin.Moeen had been handed the first over of the day and it included the opening delivery grubbing at Smith as well as a full toss that flew over his head that he tried to swat away and seemed annoyed that he hadn’t. There was the occasional promising sign, such as when one spun sharply to beat Head, but Moeen couldn’t string together consistent overs.Root and Joe Denly bowled 26 overs between them, with Denly’s legspin at times looking the most threatening of England’s options and he should have had Head stumped on 46 but Jonny Bairstow couldn’t stay low in his stance to gather the ball. That was not overly costly in terms of runs, but with the ball not swinging and the pitch slow England lacked inspiration.Chris Woakes only bowled seven overs in the day but was the man to finally dislodge Smith for 142, driving at the second new ball to leave his match tally 286 runs – just the fourth time a batsman has made two scores over 140 in a Test. Having started the day on 46 the half-century arrived early and any thought England would have found a magical formula overnight went out the window. He went to lunch on 98 and in the second over after the break drove Broad imperiously through the covers. This time the celebrations were a touch more subdued: he was just back doing what he loves.When Smith fell Australia’s lead was 241 and England might have had one final hope if the new ball had scuttled the lower order, but there was not enough left in the tank of the seamers. Root was back on with the ball six overs old, which allowed Wade and Tim Paine to pretty much do as they pleased.Where Smith had been methodical in everything he did, Wade was more attacking from the outset – the method which has served him so well during prolific domestic and Australia A form. He took advantage of some friendly half-volleys from Denly to get his innings going and did not have to contend with the swing that troubled him on the first day. Early in his innings he was bringing out the reverse sweep although Root did beat him on occasion, which rather went to highlight Moeen’s problems.On 69, Wade was saved by the DRS when given lbw to Broad, another poor decision from Joel Wilson given it was the hard new ball and had struck Wade above the pad. It was fitting that such an enterprising century was reached with a reverse sweep and Wade embraced his captain, and Tasmania team-mate, Paine in a moment of significance for both men who find themselves in positions they could scarcely have imagined.The pair added 76 in 13 overs as England largely abandoned hope of bowling Australia out. Stokes hurled himself into a big-hearted seven-over spell and eventually had Wade caught at deep backward square leg, then Paine fell in the next over to a ripping offbreak from Moeen that spun through the gate. While that was a boost for Moeen, it probably did more good for the Australian dressing room.The leather-chasing wasn’t over either as Pattinson avoided a pair and enjoyed the freedom to play his shots. One, in particular, will have given him great satisfaction when he launched Nottinghamshire team-mate Broad high over long-on and he also clobbered the last ball of the innings into the stands. It was a chastening day for England, but what happens on Monday could have an even greater bearing on the series.

Australia will hope to attack down the Headingley hill and keep things tight going up it as they continue their attempts to ‘win boring’

Daniel Brettig in Leeds21-Aug-2019″Take back control” has been a pretty loaded phrase in this part of the world ever since its co-option by Dominic Cummings and the Vote Leave campaign that successfully won Britain’s EU referendum in 2016.It is also a highly relevant one to Australia’s Ashes campaign, which began so brilliantly at Edgbaston but was stifled somewhat at Lord’s, not only by Jofra Archer and the concussion inflicted on Steven Smith, but also the inroads England made on the touring team’s clear plan to cut down the flow of runs, build pressure and reap wickets from a home batting lineup always eager to impose themselves.Pat Cummins will continue as the “ironman” in an attack that has otherwise required careful workload management•Getty Images

The Australian blueprint to maintain control over the scoring rates of the hosts, block off the boundaries and prosper through patience has been adhered to so rigorously as to rule out Mitchell Starc from selection so far. The coach Justin Langer’s words two days out from the Headingley Test, about not getting caught up into a bouncer war begun by Archer, seemed to strongly indicate that this pattern of selection would continue. “What we’re not going to do is get caught up in an emotional battle of who’s going to bowl the quickest bouncers,” Langer had said. “We’re here to win the Test match, not to see how many helmets we can hit.”ALSO READ: Here to win Ashes, not engage in bouncer war – LangerBut this plan, of course, has two sides to it. England were not only better able to find scoring avenues off the likes of Peter Siddle and Nathan Lyon at Lord’s (both were taken for more than 3.5 runs per over), they also succeeded in keeping things exceedingly tight when Archer and Jack Leach had the ball. Where Australia’s batting at Edgbaston had taken on an air of freedom, at Lord’s it was always a slog, even without accounting for the short-pitched stuff from Archer that claimed most of the headlines.”You look back at that period before the second new ball, Jack Leach bowled 10 overs for 12 runs at the other end to Jofra,” England’s captain Joe Root said. “It’s important that you dovetail well as a bowling group and that you continue to keep applying pressure from one end if you’re attacking at the other. I thought we got the balance of that exceptionally well and right last week.”Lyon’s inability to put the clamp on England’s scoring made for quite a contrast. In fact, in all the 20 Ashes matches he has played, Lyon has never been more expensive than the 3.76 an over he conceded at Lord’s when bowling more than 25 overs in a Test. Root, certainly, was happy to see Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow find their ways into the series.”The most pleasing thing from my part was seeing Ben, Jos and Jonny sending good time at the crease,” Root said. “I feel like they really got themselves into the series in that Test match, and it’s a big engine room for us that middle order, they’re some high quality players who can go up and down the gears and really change the momentum of a game. To see them starting to hit some form at what seems like a really poignant time in the series is a really impressive thing for us and a huge confidence boost for the whole batting group.”Australia’s captain Tim Paine, too, acknowledged the shift. “I think Ben Stokes played a pretty good innings as well, I think you’ve got to give him credit there,” he said. “But Lord’s can be a fast scoring ground and so can this one and it just happened to be that the rain pushed the game forward really quickly and almost turned day five into a one-day game, and we know that England are the best in the world at that game, so we thought that really suited them.”We thought we could have handled things a little bit better, but at the same time we had them 6 for 130 in the first innings and 4 for 60 in the second so we still thought we had some opportunities there to break the game open. But as the game played out, we know when they’re in that sort of mood particularly Stokes, Buttler and Bairstow, they’re hard for anyone to stop. If we get in that situation again we’ll do some things slightly differently.”So what must Australia do to improve on their control of proceedings at Headingley? Precise lines and lengths are a given, but so too is awareness that the ground an allow for quick scoring if bowlers are too attack-minded. Darren Lehmann’s wildly successful stint as Yorkshire’s overseas professional in the late 1990s and early 2000s was epitomised by how he often turned favourable bowling conditions on their head by going after the opposition, taking advantage of the quick, short square boundaries not a million miles removed from his Adelaide Oval home.Nathan Lyon leaked more runs than usual at Lord’s•Getty Images

Additionally, the slope across the ground at Lord’s has now been replaced by a gradient from the Kirkstall Lane End down to the Rugby Stand End. Plenty of rapid-fire spells have been delivered down that hill, from Bob Willis in 1981 to Jason Gillespie in 1997. A serviceable, accurate and uncomplaining seam and swing merchant pushing up the hill can also enjoy success: Peter Siddle claimed 5 for 21 here on the first day in 2009 when the Australians set the game up by rolling England for just 102.”We’ve had a couple of days here now for the bowlers to come in and have a bit of a bowl,” Paine said. “Granted it’s not on the centre wicket, but out on the wicket block. You get guys playing in different conditions with different run ups and different surfaces all the time, that’s part and parcel of being a professional cricketer and whatever lineup we pick, we expect that guys will be able to handle it or adapt to it really quickly.”Most capable and flexible for the Australians is Pat Cummins, who can be expected to turn out for the second of back-to-back Tests as the “ironman” of a bowling attack that is otherwise rested and rotated carefully. There will be times during this Test where Cummins may be asked to do either job, attacking down the hill or pushing tightly up it, and it will be critical that the Austrlaians are able to prevent England’s middle order from getting as comfortable as they did at Lord’s.”He’s pretty good. No complaints from him so far,” Paine said. “I think in the last 12-18 months his body’s really matured and he can handle a really big workload and not only do you see a high level of skill from Pat all the time but he’s highly competitive as well. So he’s a great weapon for us, and someone we certainly need to look after, but at this stage he’s handling the workload really well, he’s a super professional in the way he prepares himself, the way he looks after his body. So at the moment he’s going really well.”As a county, by the way, Yorkshire voted to leave in 2016, though the city of Leeds was a remain hold-out, both by narrow margins. Taking back control has proven more complicated than the slogan suggested: Australia will hope their task at Headingley is a little more straightforward.

Yorkshire blown away for 103 before Tom Abell and James Hildreth fifties pile up big Somerset lead

Paul Edwards at Taunton11-Sep-2019
Steve Patterson, Yorkshire’s captain, played forward to the first ball of this morning’s cricket at Taunton but missed it completely. “Bowling, Dom B!” roared “Tractor” from his perch below the scoreboard at the Pavilion End. It is a voice of the ages, a voice of deeply pledged faith; a similarly rich timbre probably greeted the achievements of Sammy Woods and Horace Hazell in the eras of the cattle market and the tweed suits. Every cricket ground is a palimpsest of former glories, former sadness.But one impression not remotely apparent at this richest of grounds is that of Somerset’s supporters saluting their team as county champions. In little more than a fortnight, that may change. These are momentous days in the West Country.In the next over of our cricket that same Dom Bess chased down a ball in front of the Marcus Trescothick Stand and again received rich applause for his effort. Such incidents, tiny in themselves, of course, foreshadowed a wonderful day for Somerset, one that may go far towards determining the destination of the County Championship. For while Warwickshire were spending the first two sessions piling up the runs against Essex at Edgbaston, Somerset’s bowlers dismissed Yorkshire for 103 before lunch and then watched gleefully as their batsmen built up a lead which stood at 365 by the close. It was difficult to see how things could have gone much better for Tom Abell’s side, although “Tractor” might make one or two suggestions.Yorkshire’s first innings crumbled away quicker than fresh Worthy Cheddar on this second morning. Some attributed the decline to the cloudy conditions but the more persuasive argument is that Abell’s seamers stuck to tight lines that demanded strokes and his slow left-armer, Roelof van der Merwe, seized his rare opportunity against a succession of right handers.And so, in little more than half an hour’s cricket Yorkshire collapsed from 86 for 3 to 103 all out. Tom Kohler-Cadmore was the first to go when he failed to cover Lewis Gregory’s movement off the pitch and edged a catch to Jamie Overton at slip. Almost immediately Patterson played on to van der Merwe, who also deceived Jonny Tattersall into nicking a catch to James Hildreth.The tone of the session was set. Ben Coad was absent due to illness and Yorkshire supporters were left to ponder the loss of six wickets in 44 balls. Josh Davey and van der Merwe finished the innings with three apiece. A lead of 96 appeared significant and perhaps it still is but by close of play it had been dwarfed by the enterprise of Somerset’s batsmen, most of whom were barely recognisable from the hesitant bunch bamboozled by Keshav Maharaj on the first afternoon.True, Maharaj had M Vijay leg before wicket for a duck just before lunch but nothing encapsulated Somerset’s sudden domination of the game more clearly than their batsmen’s mastery of the slow left-armer who 24 hours previously had only to mark out his run-up to cause general panic. Patterson tried Maharaj at both ends of the County Ground but he was greeted by sweeps on length from Abell or straight driven for six by Hildreth, a shot which caused billows in the huge white sheet which doubles as a sightscreen at the River End.The wicket of Hildreth, caught at short leg off Lyth for 58, punctuated the afternoon’s cricket; it did not disturb the flow of its prose. The stylish right-hander’s 117-run stand with Abell had charted a course which other batsmen could follow. Tom Banton arrived and began to bat with unnerving confidence, first by driving Duanne Olivier to the cover boundary and then by on-driving Tim Bresnan to the rope which once lay in front of the Stragglers’ Bar and below the old and long-demolished press box. That was where Alan Gibson and David Foot once celebrated the glory days and did as much as they could with the disappointments. Suddenly one wished they could be at their posts over the next two weeks.Abell might have enjoyed chatting with Alan and Footy. Somerset’s captain made his second half-century of the match on this cloudy Wednesday afternoon and in truth it was little different from his first. There was a little more aggression, perhaps – he reached fifty in 23 fewer balls – but the technique remained tight and one realised that here was a senior batsman, one upon whom Somerset cricket can be founded for the next decade. Certainly no one of his age could be more aware of what the title might mean in these parts.Banton, meanwhile, reverse-swept Maharaj for six and was almost immediately caught at slip by Lyth for 43. Abell fell leg before wicket for 62 when playing around a fine ball from Bresnan but by now Yorkshire’s attack was missing the stability invariably provided by the absent Coad. Gregory and George Bartlett helped themselves to some easier runs in the evening session and Somerset ended the day with the prospect of batting again on the third morning before setting Yorkshire a fearsome target.And while all this was happening, Warwickshire batted on and on. They scarcely credited their luck as this news filtered though at Taunton and one understands their reluctance to take even a point for granted. But the neutrals can see that the balance of the battle between Essex and Somerset has changed and it will be odd if it is not Ryan ten Doeschate’s side that needs to make up ground come Friday evening.

Players unavailable due to scheduling and workload management ahead of India’s tour of Australia in January 2020

Annesha Ghosh27-Sep-2019India’s T20I captain Harmanpreet Kaur, vice-captain Smriti Mandhana and 19-year-old Jemimah Rodrigues, who has been on the radar of at least two teams, are unlikely to feature in the first standalone Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) – set to start much earlier than usual – from October 18 to December 8.The tournament is likely to clash with India’s month-long tour of the Caribbean, leaving the players with a very limited window towards the end of what will be the fifth season of the WBBL. ESPNcricinfo understands that the Indian team, currently playing a T20I series at home against South Africa, is tentatively slated to depart for the Caribbean on October 23. India will also play three ODIs against South Africa, with the last match on October 14.Scheduling aside, it is understood that the players were keen to be fresh for India’s tour of Australia next year which will feature a tri-series involving England – from January 31 to February 12 – ahead of the Women’s T20 World Cup to be held there in February-March. India will take on hosts and defending champions Australia in the tournament opener on February 21.The scheduling meant Sydney Thunder did not offer a contract extension to Harmanpreet, a key player in their line-up since 2016-17. Harmanpreet, however, was approached by the Melbourne Stars. Mandhana, who was contracted with the Hobart Hurricanes, was set to continue for a second consecutive edition. She had earlier been part of the Brisbane Heat in 2016-17.Rodrigues’ wait for a WBBL contract is set to continue. She enjoyed a breakthrough KSL season for Yorkshire Diamonds, finishing the season as the second-highest run-scorer. Her fearless approach in limited-overs formats has impressed many – including Australia captain Meg Lanning – since her international debut in February last year.Rodrigues’ high-scoring exploits on foreign soil – in South Africa (February 2018), New Zealand (earlier this year) and in the KSL, coupled with her chart-topping tally at the Women’s T20 Challenge at home in May, made her a sought-after player among two WBBL franchises.”The BCCI doesn’t discourage any of our women’s players from taking part in overseas leagues as long as their participation [in those tournaments] doesn’t clash with their national duties,” BCCI’s general manager (cricket operations) Saba Karim told ESPNcricinfo. “In this case, there’s an international series to be played, so that will automatically be on top of their list of priorities.”The standalone WBBL marks a departure from its preceding four seasons. With the exception of the women’s final last season which was accorded a standalone slot, on Australia Day, the women’s competition had traditionally run parallel to the men’s tournament.

The match was abandoned 11 balls before the second innings constituted a game, with Australia well ahead in the chase

Andrew McGlashan03-Nov-2019Australia captain Aaron Finch has questioned the need for a 20-minute interval during the rain-ruined T20I against Pakistan at the SCG. The match was abandoned 11 balls before the second innings constituted a game, with Australia well ahead in the chase.Australia were 0 for 41 after 3.1 overs when rain returned and there was no chance for the match to resume before the cut-off time. Pakistan’s innings had been interrupted by a lengthy stoppage after 12.4 overs and then resumed for 14 deliveries before the standard break between innings was taken.”If you’re cutting overs off the game and you still have a 20-minute break, it doesn’t make much sense to me,” Finch said in his post-match TV interview. “When you lose a few overs and then you still have a 20-minute break… I thought that was really interesting. But it’s part of the rules and you can’t do much about it.”Getty Images

The ICC playing conditions give the match referee – in this case Javagal Srinath – the discretion to reduce the interval to 10 minutes but that was not exercised.Clause 11.4.2 of the playing conditions states: “… following a lengthy delay or interruption prior to the completion of the innings of the team batting first, the Match Referee may, at his discretion, reduce the interval between innings from 20 minutes to not less than 10 minutes.”Vice-captain Alex Carey said that Australia had approached the match officials about what the length of the interval would be and were told that standard break would remain.”We asked the question, what the changeover would have been, and it remains the same so we were aware of that and can’t change it,” Carey said. “The boys did a great job getting the start, just a shame it was probably five minutes too late.”It’s disappointing to be so close, but it’s part of the game. It’s one of things we can’t change. The spectators would have liked a result, but we understand it. Good or bad, it’s part of it.”Had there been time to resume the game for 11 more deliveries to make it a match, the five-over target would have been 39 so Australia were already ahead of that mark. Had the rain not arrived, Pakistan could have fought back with wickets but this was certainly a case of them escaping what was shaping up as a defeat following Finch’s onslaught against Mohammad Irfan – his second over cost 26.Other than captain Babar Azam they couldn’t find much impetus with the bat, although the stoppage after 12.4 overs worked against them as they had to restart for just 14 more deliveries.”If the match had continued for 20 overs, we should have come up with 160-170. It really effected our team plan,” Mohammad Rizwan said. “We lost early wickets but we had wickets in hand for the last few overs, then the rain came.”

This is what Test cricket used to be like, and probably the best approach they could take

George Dobell in Mount Maunganui21-Nov-2019It took 2,000 years to build the Great Wall of China and 1,600 years to build Stonehenge. The Sagrada Familia – started in 1882 – is still not complete. And let’s not even mention Brexit.The point? Sometimes it takes time to build something worthwhile (which is very much not a political statement about Brexit). And sometimes, during that process, you have to be patient.Certainly spectators at the Bay Oval were obliged to be patient on the first day of the series between New Zealand and England. While there were moments during the tenure of Trevor Bayliss when England were accused of reacting to every adversity by playing ever more aggressively – like speeding through fog to get past it – there were moments here when their caution was like deciding to park the car and walk. Joe Root and Joe Denly took 21 balls to get off the mark. Ben Stokes took 15.England spectators, in particular, have probably been spoiled in recent times. Many of their Test wins have been almost impossibly unlikely and, as a consequence, entertaining. Take the victory against Ireland that was achieved despite being bowled out by lunch on the first day. Or the victory against Australia at Leeds that came despite having been bowled out for 67 in their first innings. Even when they are bad – and they were pretty bad in Barbados – they are entertaining. And all those games were just this year.But this is what Test cricket used to be like. And, on a slow wicket, against a disciplined attack this was probably the best approach they could take. So while there were moments – and by moments, think of several hours – with bowlers aiming wide of off stump in the hope of tempting the batsmen and England simply letting the ball sail through, when it seemed the game was in something approaching stalemate, England eventually started to pull away from New Zealand in a final session that realised 120 runs. There had only been 121 in the first two combined.You do wonder what Bayliss, no doubt keeping an eye on scores from his hotel room in the UAE, would have made of it, though. He used to reason that the dangers of such a cautious approach were that it only took a couple of wicket-taking balls and all that work was wasted with little to show for it. And maybe, had Stokes been held at slip on 63, or Rory Burns taken in the slips on 37, Bayliss would have been proved right. But they weren’t and, with Stokes starting to wrestle the initiative away from New Zealand, the day finished with England perhaps slightly the better placed of the two teams.That’s not just a reflection of the scores, either. It’s a reflection of the amount of work invested by both sides. The New Zealand bowlers, despite their obvious stamina, are human. And there is a quick turnaround – just three days – between games. The miles put in their legs here could yet turn out to be crucial in the coming days. There is every chance they will be pulling their boots on for a fifth session here.Maybe there were times on day one when we witnessed an over-correction from England. Times when it became apparent that they were learning a new approach and times when they got it slightly wrong. Take Root’s innings: he is masterful at rotating the strike; as adept at anyone of nudging and deflecting and picking up singles. Yet here, perhaps wanting to provide an example to his team, he became almost stroke-less and was eventually persuaded into a loose shot.Such moments are inevitable. It doesn’t mean the approach is wrong. It just means England have to get better at the way they execute such plans. Because despite all their patience, three of the wickets that did fall in the day – Burns’, Root’s and Joe Denly’s – all owed a little to frustration. But it’s worth remembering that England tried the Bayliss approach for the best part of five years. It gave them great days and some decent success. But they are the No. 3 side in the Test rankings and, if they want to rise higher, they probably have to show a more sophisticated approach. What we saw here was the start of a new era for England cricket. Nobody should mistake them for the finished article.Several batsmen can feel satisfied with their day’s work. Denly, in particular, may well have done enough to secure his trip to South Africa. This was his fourth half-century in six Test innings and was, perhaps, as assured as any of them. His six off Mitchell Santner, a bit of a luxury player at this stage, was the shot of the day: a perfectly timed lofted drive that he bore plenty of beauty and no brawn.And while Denly and Burns, in particular, may feel they failed to capitalise on the foundations they had built, they can console themselves with the knowledge that they resisted a fine attack and built a strong platform for their team. There’s a lot of work left to do – 400 might be considered par in such conditions – but with Stokes set and more batting to come, England could be quietly satisfied with their first day of Test cricket under Chris Silverwood.

The allrounder was also named ODI player of the year, while Alyssa Healy took home the T20I award for 2019

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Dec-2019Ellyse Perry, the premier allrounder in women’s cricket, has won two of the three top annual ICC awards for 2019: the Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Award for women’s cricketer of the year and the ODI Cricketer of the Year award. Alyssa Healy, meanwhile, has taken home the Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Year award for the second year in a row. In a sweep by Australian cricketers, Meg Lanning was named captain of the ODI and T20I teams of the year, which included five and four players from the country respectively.It has been an outstanding year for 29-year-old Perry across formats. She has hit three centuries – one in the Ashes Test and two in ODIs – and averaged 73.50 in 12 50-over games and 150.00 in nine T20Is. With the ball, there have been 21 wickets in ODIs, including a national record 7 for 22 (the fourth-best overall), and six in T20Is. During the course of the year, she also became the first player – man or woman – to complete the milestone of 1000 runs and 100 wickets in T20I cricket.ALSO READ: Perry the ‘greatest female player we’re ever going to see’ – Charlotte EdwardsFor Perry, it was the second Heyhoe-Flint award in three years, after she won in in 2017, the inaugural year. She is ranked No. 4 and No. 3 among batters and bowlers in ODIs respectively, and is just outside the top ten in the corresponding charts for T20Is.”It’s an amazing honour and I’m a little bit shocked, given how many amazing performances there have been across the year,” Perry said in an ICC statement. “It’s amazing to be acknowledged and I do truly appreciate it. It’s a really nice way to finish the year on a personal note.”It’s been nice to have a chance to tour so consistently with the Australian team. It’s been an amazing year, I’ve really enjoyed all of it and it’s just been nice to be a part of it. It’s so exciting that the T20 World Cup is here at home early next year and with the target of the final at the MCG it could be a really special moment in the game’s history.”Healy, meanwhile, made the record books when she scored a world record 148 not-out in just 61 balls in October against Sri Lanka, the highest individual score in women’s T20Is. Her century came off 46 balls, the quickest by an Australian man or woman.Alyssa Healy has been named T20I Cricketer of the Year for the second year running•Getty Images

“I’m really pumped to be awarded the T20I Cricketer of the Year,” Healy said. “The Australian women’s team had a fantastic 12-month period and we played some really consistent T20 cricket. Whilst the individual award is really nice for me personally, I think it was great to see our team play so well throughout that 12-month period, especially leading into a home World Cup in 2020.”Perry and Healy featured in both the ODI and T20I teams of the year, too. In the ODI team, the trio – Lanning, the third – was joined by compatriots Jess Jonassen and Megan Schutt, who also figured in the T20I line-up.Australia are the top-ranked side in ODIs and T20Is, and have a chance to retain the women’s T20 World Cup at home next year. “A home T20 World Cup is an opportunity that doesn’t come along often, but we are looking forward to and embracing the challenge of performing well in front of our home crowd,” Lanning said.Thailand will be making their debut at a global event, men’s or women’s, at that World Cup, and in a boost for them, Chanida Sutthiruang, their star medium pacer, was named the Women’s Emerging Player of the Year.India was the next best represented country in the teams of the year, with four players – Smriti Mandhana, Shikha Pandey, Jhulan Goswami and Poonam Yadav – figuring in the ODI XI and three – Mandhana, Deepti Sharma and Radha Yadav – named in the T20I team.ODI team of the year: Meg Lanning (capt), Alyssa Healy (wk), Smriti Mandhana, Tammy Beaumont, Stafanie Taylor, Ellyse Perry, Jess Jonassen, Shikha Pandey, Jhulan Goswami, Megan Schutt, Poonam YadavT20I team of the year: Meg Lanning (capt), Alyssa Healy (wk), Danielle Wyatt, Smriti Mandhana, Lizelle Lee, Ellyse Perry, Deepti Sharma, Nida Dar, Megan Schutt, Shabnim Ismail, Radha Yadav