James Hildreth’s guard of honour is only highlight for Taunton gathering

ECB Reporters Network19-Aug-2022Ali Orr smashed the first ever List A double century by a Sussex player as the Sharks maintained their impressive Royal London Cup form with a 201-run demolition of Somerset at the Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton.The 21-year-old left-hander hit a brutal 206, off 161 balls, with 11 sixes and 18 fours, to help his side post 397 for five after losing the loss. Cheteshwar Pujara contributed 66 and Delray Rawlings 54 not out off just 23 deliveries.Orr eclipsed the previous highest individual innings by a Sharks player, the 174 made by Pujara against Surrey at Hove just five days earlier, and earned a share of fifth place among the top scorers ever in List A cricket.”It was a very special day for me and one I certainly didn’t expect when I woke up this morning,” Orr said. “I took a blow in the face from a Kasey Aldridge delivery early on, but I felt fine. The physio came on and asked me a few questions, including where we were. I told him ‘lovely sunny Taunton’, so we had a smile and all was well.”In reply, shellshocked Somerset were bowled out for 196 in 38.2 overs as they fell to a seventh defeat in as many group matches and their heaviest ever in List A cricket by a margin of runs. Only Andrew Umeed, with 56, offered much resistance. Their captain, Matt Renshaw, said the lack of senior players because of Hundred absences was “demoralising for all of us”.Apart from a three-over opening burst from Jack Brooks, Somerset’s seamers lacked any semblance of control on a true pitch and Orr was in just the mood to capitalise.Related

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His first fifty occupied 45 balls, the second 61, the third 24 and the fourth 29 as he mercilessly punished anything off line, launching the vast majority of his sixes over mid-wicket and long-on with impressive bat speed.It was murderous display that required just one moment of luck. On 66, he edged Alfie Ogbourne through to wicketkeeper James Rew, who took a diving catch, only to see that a no-ball had been signalled.Other than that, Orr, whose previous best List A score in only 11 games was 108, produced a display of clean hitting rarely matched at ground renowned for fast scoring.From 61 for two, Danial Ibrahim having edged Brooks to Matt Renshaw at slip and Tom Clark been run out in a mix-up with Orr over a quick single, Sussex assumed total dominance.Pujara characteristically picked up ones and twos in a stand of 140 for the third wicket. The Indian maestro also hit 5 fours and a six before being caught and bowled by Kasey Aldridge off a leading edge.Fynn Hudson-Prentice supported Orr with a solid 36 in a partnership of 98. When he was caught at long to give slow left-armer Josh Thomas a maiden List A wicket, Rawlings strode out to inflict more heavy punishment.James Hildreth takes accolades at Taunton after confirming he had played his last Somerset match before retirement•Getty Images

Three sixes and 6 fours helped him to a 22-ball half-century, while at the other end Orr continued to plunder runs. When the opener was finally caught at long-off in the final over of the innings, spectators all around the ground stood to applaud.It took just eight deliveries of the Somerset reply for the Sharks bowlers to show what was possible with line and length, Bradley Currie swinging a ball away from Rew and having him caught at second slip.Lewis Goldsworthy, who had been given only seven overs despite being the pick of Somerset’s bowlers, dragged a ball from Currie onto his stumps and skipper Matt Renshaw edged a catch behind off Aristides Karvelas to leave the hosts 26 for three.Having been forced by injuries and Hundred call-ups to sign Gloucestershire all-rounder George Scott on a two-match loan, Somerset were facing humiliation.So it proved, as George Bartlett was caught at mid-off advancing down the pitch to Henry Crocombe, who then had Thomas caught at cover off a total mishit.Umeed moved steadily to a maiden List A fifty off 47 balls. But he was caught at slip off the first over from slow left-armer James Coles and when Rawlins had Aldridge caught behind it was 114 for seven.Scott, Brooks and Ogborne, who smacked Rawlins for a straight six, produced some belligerent tail-end blows to boost the meagre total. But for Somerset it was another disastrous day in a calamitous 50-over campaign.

Defeat will leave Rohit Sharma’s team dependent on other results going their way to make the final

Hemant Brar05-Sep-20226:15

Pujara: India need to play Axar, and an extra seamer

Big picture

One bad result is all it takes to leave a team staring at possible elimination from the Asia Cup. Pakistan faced – and overcame – that challenge after losing to India in the group stages. And now it’s India who are in a precarious position after losing to Pakistan in the Super 4 round.Rohit Sharma’s team cannot afford to lose to Sri Lanka in Dubai on Tuesday. If they do so, the defending champions will have to rely on other results going their way to have a chance of making the final. And Sri Lanka will become favourites for a place in the summit clash.Sri Lanka didn’t start the tournament well. They were dismissed for 105 in the opening game and then watched Afghanistan run down the target with 59 balls to spare. Since then, however, Sri Lanka have had two morale-boosting wins, chasing down 184 in a must-win group game against Bangladesh, and 176 in their first Super 4 match against Afghanistan.Sri Lanka’s batters aren’t globe-trotting T20 superstars but a big target seems to liberate them. Against Afghanistan, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Danushka Gunathilaka and Bhanuka Rajapaksa smashed quick 30s to overpower Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s 45-ball 84. They may follow the same plan in a chase against India as well.Though India lost off the penultimate ball against Pakistan, they had a couple of big positives in that game. After a first-ball duck and a 39-ball 36 in his first two innings, KL Rahul found fluency and played some gorgeous shots during his 20-ball 28. His straight whip for six off Naseem Shah was arguably the shot of the match. Virat Kohli also looked close to his best, making a “conscious effort” to score at a higher rate. While Kohli was at the crease, he scored 60 runs off 44 balls; batters at the other end scored 45 off 45.But as far as their campaign is concerned, it’s crunch time, and India must beat Sri Lanka to stay in control of their own fate at the Asia Cup. They will draw confidence from the fact that they whitewashed them at home in the three-match T20I series earlier this year.

Form guide

Sri Lanka WWLWL (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
India LWWWWRelated

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In the spotlight

Pakistan’s Mohammad Nawaz and Shadab Khan stifled India on Sunday, and Sri Lanka will hope their spinners Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana can do the same. Both Hasaranga and Theekshana have impressive numbers in the UAE, and also have experience of bowling to the Indian batters at the IPL. On the flip side, India too will be aware of the tricks they have. All in all, it could be a contest that decides the game.2:00

Uthappa, Pujara on what’s gone wrong for Chahal at the Asia Cup

After going wicketless in India’s first two games of the Asia Cup, Yuzvendra Chahal had figures of 1 for 43 from his four overs in the Super 4 game against Pakistan. That performance was on a pitch where the other three spinners in the match had combined figures of 4 for 82 from 12 overs (economy 6.83). In the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, Harshal Patel and Ravindra Jadeja, India needed Chahal to up his game.

Pitch and conditions

The last three games in Dubai featured five innings with scores in excess of 180. However, it all depends on which pitch Tuesday’s match will be played on, and its location on the square will decide if there’s a shorter boundary for batters to exploit. Evening temperatures will be around 35°C and the night will not be much cooler, which reduces the chances of dew playing a role in the chase.

Team news

Expect Sri Lanka, searching for a hat-trick of wins, to stick with the same XI.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Kusal Mendis (wk), 3 Charith Asalanka, 4 Danushka Gunathilaka, 5 Bhanuka Rajapaksa, 6 Dasun Shanaka (capt), 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Chamika Karunaratne, 9 Maheesh Theekshana, 10 Asitha Fernando, 11 Dilshan Madushanka.With Avesh Khan available, India could return to their original combination of three specialist fast bowlers, one specialist spinner, and two allrounders. That could mean Ravi Bishnoi, despite doing well against Pakistan, making way for Axar Patel.With Axar being a left-hand batter, and Hasaranga the only spinner with a stock ball that turns away from right-handers, India could also replace Rishabh Pant with their designated finisher Dinesh Karthik.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 KL Rahul, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Dinesh Karthik/Rishabh Pant (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Avesh Khan, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal

Stats and trivia

• Apart from the two games involving Hong Kong, the other six matches have been won by the chasing team in this Asia Cup.
• Kohli now has the most 50-plus scores in T20 internationals. His innings of 60 against Pakistan on Sunday took him past Rohit’s tally of 31.
• Suryakumar Yadav (183.33) and Kusal Mendis (163.33) have the best strike rates for India and Sri Lanka at the 2022 Asia Cup.

Quotes

“When it comes to Asian cricket, everyone talks about India-Pakistan games. But I don’t mind the [lack of] big talk [around our team]. I would prefer to focus on the way we are playing.”
“When you are under pressure, anyone can make a mistake. It was a big match. The situation was also tight… but when the environment is good, you learn from those situations. And you look forward to the next opportunity. I give the credit to the captain and the team management for creating such an environment where everyone feels that the next time such an opportunity comes, we want to seize it.”

Gambhir will mentor the Lucknow (IPL) and Durban (SA20) franchises, both of which are part of the RPSG group

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Oct-2022After mentoring Lucknow Super Giants to a top-four finish in the IPL in their maiden outing, former India batter Gautam Gambhir has been elevated to the role of “global mentor” by the Sanjiv Goenka-led RPSG Group. That means Gambhir will also mentor the Durban Super Giants franchise in the new SA20 competition – a team that the RPSG Group acquired in July 2022 – in addition to his role with the Lucknow franchise.”He is one of the sharpest cricketing minds going around,” a statement from the RPSG Group read. “The group feels he can not only add value in Indian conditions but across the cricketing map as well.”Gambhir, a two-time IPL winning captain, was present in the dug out for all of Super Giants’ games in the IPL, and was a key member of the Lucknow franchise’s think-tank at the auction too. He was visible in the field during strategic time outs and regularly addressed the team in post-match dressing room debriefs as well.”In my ideology of a team sport, designations don’t play much role,” Gambhir was quoted as saying in the statement. “At best, they are there to facilitate a process to make a team win. As a global mentor of Super Giants I look forward to some added responsibility.”My intensity and passion to win have just got international wings. It will be a proud moment to see the Super Giants family leave a global imprint. I thank Super Giants family for showing that faith in me. Guess it’s time for some more sleepless nights.”Gambhir will now also be working closely with the Durban franchise’s head coach Lance Klusener. On Friday, Klusener stepped down as batting coach of the Zimbabwe men’s team to “pursue professional engagements around the globe.”The Durban franchise has a few other crossovers from the Lucknow team, with Quinton de Kock, Jason Holder and Kyle Mayers part of both teams. Those three were among five players signed up by the franchise ahead the SA20 auction, while the likes of Reece Topley, Dwaine Pretorius, Heinrich Klaasen, Keemo Paul, Keshav Maharaj, Kyle Abbott, Dilshan Madushanka and Wiaan Mulder were added during the auction.The inaugural edition of the SA20 competition starts on January 10 next year and will be a 33-match competition featuring sides representing Durban, Johannesburg, Paarl, Cape Town, Pretoria and Gqeberha. All six teams have been bought by owners of IPL teams.

Coach Simon Helmot confident she will be available for their third game in Adelaide despite busy schedule

Alex Malcolm15-Oct-2022India captain Harmanpreet Kaur will miss Melbourne Renegades opening two WBBL matches in Mackay but coach Simon Helmot is confident last year’s player of the tournament will be available for their third match in Adelaide despite a heavy workload at the Asia Cup.Harmanpreet will captain India in the women’s Asia Cup final on Saturday in Sylhet just 24 hours before Renegades open their WBBL campaign against Adelaide Strikers in north Queensland.Workloads have become a major issue for the elite female players this year with Smriti Mandhana withdrawing from the WBBL while Australia captain Meg Lanning is on an indefinite break from the game.Harmanpreet has played 16 T20Is and six ODIs for India since late June including tours to Sri Lanka, England, which included the Commonwealth Games, and the Asia Cup in Bangladesh. She also played in the ODI World Cup earlier this year in New Zealand during February and March.Helmot was confident she will be fine to join the Renegades after the Asia Cup final for the full WBBL but he said they would carefully monitor her workloads when she arrives in Australia.”Obviously, she’s heavy into the Asia Cup at the moment so hopefully as soon as that finishes she can jump on a plane and come and join us up in Mackay or in fact, in Adelaide,” Helmot told ESPNcricinfo. “So that’s when we expect her. I’m expecting her to miss the first two matches, and then we’ll have to check how she’s feeling and how she’s going.”She’s played a heck of a lot of cricket recently. But having had a few messages over WhatsApp with her in recent times she’s really excited about coming back. She had an awesome time [last season]. She was player of the series and she was such an important player, not just runs but 15 wickets as well, and her support and leadership for Soph [Molineux].”Related

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Workloads have become a major topic of conversation among the senior players in the women’s game with the rise of T20 domestic leagues on top of a burgeoning international schedule that is set to get busier over the coming years under the new women’s Future Tours Programme. A women’s IPL is also set to be launched next year.The WBBL runs over six weeks and is a full 14-game tournament plus finals. There is more travel involved for all the teams this season than the last two with Covid bubbles and hubs a thing of the past.Helmot is acutely aware of workload management having spent more than a decade travelling on the men’s international T20 circuit. He has coached in both the IPL and CPL this year alone. He is keen to have the Renegades’ female players take control of their own preparation to ensure they stay physically and mentally fresh.”I don’t know all the answers,” Helmot said. “But what I do know is that for the Melbourne Renegades, every single training from today onwards is optional. Most of these girls are still going to want to train. In fact, there’s times where I’ll need to suggest or recommend or enforce that they’re not training. And that’s hard.”Some have had a heavy workload coming into this competition. And so we will be careful in how much we train and what training looks like and the intensity because the most important thing is the 14 matches. I think now the players can make more decisions for themselves.”

Lead selector Desmond Haynes says Chase was chosen over Cornwall for Australia tour due to fitness reasons

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Nov-2022The West Indies selection panel chose Roston Chase over left-arm fingerspinner Gudakesh Motie in the Test squad for the upcoming tour of Australia because they wanted an “offspinner in Australia”, Desmond Haynes, the lead selector, said. Though Rakheem Cornwall, who is also an offspinning allrounder like Chase, was in contention, fitness was one of the reasons for his omission.Jimmy Adams, the director of cricket at CWI, also revealed that they are considering an interim coach until the tour of South Africa, which will run till the end of March, with the current head coach Phil Simmons set to part ways with the team in December.”The situation regarding Roston Chase and Motie is that we as a panel decided that we would go for an offspinner,” Haynes said during a virtual press conference. “That’s the reason why we didn’t include Moti and we decided that Chase was the best person to do the job and that’s what the panel decided.Related

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“When you look at someone like Roston Chase, his record in Test cricket has been pretty good. Although he did lose some form, he played a few games against Zimbabwe this year. The panel wanted to go with an offspinner and that’s what really ticked in Roston’s favour. Not just that he would help us in the batting department but also he would be a very good allrounder who can bowl offspin.”Chase is returning from an injury and is the only spin option in the squad which will play two Tests in November-December. He has not played international cricket since turning out for WICB XI against the touring Bangladesh side in a three-day fixture in June. However, he took part in CPL 2022, picking up six wickets in 11 matches for St Lucia Kings and scoring 100 runs in ten innings. Having debuted in 2016, Chase’ last Test came in December 2021 against Sri Lanka in Galle.Meanwhile, Adams, the director of cricket, mentioned that there were “quite a few things” that came into the picture for Cornwall’s selection, including “medical and physical” reasons which is why the CWI waited till Friday to announce the contingent. Cornwall finished as the highest wicket-taker in the four-day championship, with 23 strikes in five matches at an average of 21.47. He revealed that Dominic Drakes was also considered.”It [his selection criteria] included quite a few things – medical and physical, ” Adam said of Cornwall. “But this isn’t the forum to discuss issues of that nature, I can’t give you much information. But all of the information surrounding Rakheem needed to come in for selection.”There was a group of players under consideration for selection. From what I was told from the lead of the panel, [for] Rakheem and Dominic Drakes, we needed information on not just these two but on the group and we decided we wouldn’t make a decision on either players or any of the players until all information that was required came in. And it was not until we had all the information to make a decision, the team didn’t officially go out until Friday because the final selection happened on Friday morning. So we needed information on these players, Rakheem was one of them, and once the information came in, the panel was able to convene and select the squad.”One of the other main talking points from the squad selection is Tagenarine Chanderpaul, the son of former batter Shivnarine, earning his maiden call-up to West Indies’ senior side for the two-match Test series in Australia. Haynes heaped praise on Tagenarine, who he feels has the ability to rise to the challenge and backed him to open with Kraigg Brathwaite.”I believe [Kraigg and Tage can work well together]. I think what you have to take into consideration too is with Tage, a young man, he’s got a very good technique to the new ball which is good,” Haynes said.”He leaves alone very well. When you go to places like Australia, you don’t want to see the number three batsman coming in too early or the number four. So I think he and Kraigg would definitely complement each other because at least they would be looking at what openers should do for a team as well, which is build a foundation for the side so the guys coming in down the order would not get the new ball. I think it’s a good choice of picking the young man. [There is a] no better place to start your cricket career than Australia where a lot of people believe if you do well against Australia then you’re rated.”It’s always been considered a tough place to play cricket and I think he has the ability to do it.”Phil Simmons is set to leave West Indies in December after the tour of Australia•Associated Press

CWI considering an interim coachAdams is hoping that the CWI will have some clarity by the end of this week on whether they will be appointing an interim coach for West Indies’ men’s senior team or multiple coaches for different formats, adding that “those discussions are actually ongoing.”The Australia tour will be Simmons’ last assignment as head coach of West Indies. After West Indies suffered an “unfathomable” first-round exit in the T20 World Cup in the country earlier this month, he had put in his resignation. West Indies’ important assignment next year commences with an all-format tour of South Africa, beginning on February 28 and concluding on March 28.”There are two issues to look at,” Adams said. “Obviously, given the schedule that we have, which is Test cricket in Zimbabwe and South Africa from the end of January right through until (March)…I think the white-ball games against South Africa will go into March. Do we first of all split the roles and how long are we going to give ourselves the time in which to recruit? By that I mean, is it that we are going to do an interim situation maybe until the end of the South Africa (tour) or do we actually start recruiting right away (for a full-time coach).”These are decisions that are before us now and I am hoping that by the end of this week coming that we will have some firm decisions to sort of guide the way forward…these are all the questions being considered right now as we speak.”

Made 29 in her first outing since August ahead of series against Pakistan

AAP05-Jan-2023Cricket legend Belinda Clark has tipped Meg Lanning to return to her brilliant best now that her five-month hiatus is over.Victoria’s 50-over clash with New South Wales at Junction Oval on Thursday marked national captain Lanning’s first match since she took a break to focus on herself after Australia’s Commonwealth Games gold medal success in August.She made a solid 29 runs from 33 deliveries, belting five fours, before being caught at midwicket off Lauren Smith in the 12th over.Related

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Her knock helped Victoria to a vital 88-run win over NSW, with Ellyse Perry scoring 147 off 125 balls against her former state.Lanning will face NSW again on Saturday for her final hit-out before Australia’s white-ball series against Pakistan begins on January 16.”It was brave from Meg to step away when she realised that she needed to step away,” Clark told reporters. “You can come back refreshed, and I’m hoping Meg’s got some great cricket in front of her.”Cricket’s a game that requires you to be switched on the whole time, so I think you’ll see some great Meg Lanning highlights in the next couple of years. She’ll be great. I’m really pleased she’s back.”Lanning’s return coincided with a bronze statue of Clark being unveiled at the SCG on Thursday.Considered one of Australia’s greatest ever, Clark is the first female player in the world to be immortalised with a statue at a professional cricket ground.”It has been quite a journey seeing it come to life over the months,” Clark said. “It’s an amazing day to be able to unveil it.”Hopefully young girls and young boys will enjoy their sport, and this is a way for them to see that sport is for everyone, and hopefully they’ll see that, as they walk past this statue and then the others, anything is possible.”

Starc has started training in Delhi, and if ready, might form Australia’s fast-bowling attack with Pat Cummins in the second Test

Alex Malcolm13-Feb-2023Scott Boland hopes he has put enough pressure on Australia’s selectors to keep his place for the second Test against India in Delhi despite Mitchell Starc’s imminent return from a finger injury.Starc missed the opening Test in Nagpur because of the finger injury he suffered in late December. He remained at home for the start of the tour but has flown into Delhi and will train today on his own. Australia’s physical performance coach Aaron Kellett has flown to Delhi to oversee Starc’s training while the rest of the team remained in Nagpur to train before travelling to Delhi on Tuesday.Boland wasn’t originally set to play in Nagpur, but Josh Hazlewood’s Achilles issue opened the door for him and he bowled 17 overs for just 34 runs in India’s innings of 400. He bowled one of the best fast-bowling spells of the match on the second morning, delivering three maidens in six overs and conceding just three runs while bowling to the in-form Rohit Sharma. It came after Australia had conceded 40 runs in the first 13 overs of the morning. His ability to slow the scoreboard down helped Todd Murphy pick up two wickets at the other end.Related

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While Starc looks like a lock to return, having played every Test on the tours of Pakistan and Sri Lanka last year as the second quick alongside Pat Cummins when Australia played two spinners, Boland was hopeful of slotting in.”I felt like I bowled well, but when you are bringing in someone like Mitchell Starc, who is a gun in these conditions and has bowled really well in Sri Lanka and Pakistan, hopefully I made the selectors job a little bit tougher than what it originally was,” Boland said. “In places like here, it is tough to judge [how you went] as a fast bowler but I think I contributed to our game plan and I played my role pretty well.”I think I had a pretty good spell in conjunction with Toddy a couple of times so I was happy with how the ball came out.”

Will Mitchell Starc be ready for Delhi Test?

“Obviously I want to play. I enjoyed the challenge of bowling in these different conditions. I’ve just got to make the selectors’ job as hard as I can to bring someone in,” Boland said. “We don’t know. I’m not sure. I haven’t seen Starcy bowl. I’m not sure if he’s going to be right to play. I assume he is if he’s over here. I don’t think we’re going to play three fast bowlers. There’s only going to be two spots up for grabs, I reckon.”4:36

Were Australia a tad too defensive with the ball?

India were 168 for 5 at one stage in their innings in Nagpur, but Boland bowled just eight overs after that point. He found the outside edge of both Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel early in their innings but neither ball went to hand.Coach Andrew McDonald did not think Boland was underbowled in the innings despite appearing to be Australia’s second-best bowler behind Murphy. “I think it was about right,” McDonald said. “I think we wanted to come in with the quicks and use reverse swing. We probably didn’t get as much reverse as we thought and nor did they. There wasn’t as much reverse on offer but definitely Scott did the role we expected him to do.”He allowed the spinners to be well-placed, and we knew that we were going to have combinations where Scotty would bowl with the spinner down the other end and there was going to be other periods where the spinners would bowl together. The question for us, was it too similar with two [off] spinners operating in tandem spinning the ball in?”Starc’s reverse swing threat would be a major temptation for the selectors in Delhi as would his ability to create rough outside the right-hander’s off stump when bowling over the wicket, which will significantly aid Murphy and Nathan Lyon, although it would also help R Ashwin.Boland got a hint of reverse in Nagpur but conceded the ball did not stay hard for long enough for it to be effective. “I felt like we had a little bit of reverse swing but the ball was so soft and the wicket was so slow through the middle, it was hard to beat the inside edge with the bat,” he said. “Maybe if we can get reverse swing a little bit earlier we might be able to beat the inside edge, but with the wicket being so slow it was hard work.”He also noted how difficult it was for Australia’s slip fielders. Alex Carey stood up to the stumps to Boland for periods, while the edges off Jadeja and Axar did not carry to a regulation slip. Steven Smith was standing unusually close at first slip for the Jadeja edge but could not grasp the near-impossible chance.”I felt running in that they looked real close,” Boland said. “I think I bowled a couple of overs from the other end with the second new ball and I asked Pete [Handscomb] to come as close as he could and I was running in and I was like ‘he’s too close’, even if they nick it he’s not going to catch it. He was happy to do that and I just said stand where you’re comfortable. If you do get an edge you want him to have a chance to catch it.”

After a pink-ball bruising last week, the hosts will hope their Basin Reserve familiarity will help them level the series

Andrew Miller22-Feb-2023

Big picture: Back to the Basin

If ever there was a venue for this rebooted England team to come full circle, it would have to be the Basin Reserve in Wellington. It was here, back on their 2007-08 tour, that James Anderson – the newly reinstated No.1 Test bowler in the world – began his now-1009-wicket partnership with Stuart Broad, claiming a first-innings five-for no less, to establish England’s foothold in a memorable 2-1 series turnaround.It was at the Basin Reserve too, six years after that feat, that Brendon McCullum – England’s Test coach and former New Zealand great – laid down the most imposing monument of his Test career: his national-record 302 against India in 2014 that, over and above everything else he achieved on the field, was probably the innings that confirmed he was truly qualified to oversee this startling rebirth of England’s Test fortunes.And Wellington, the city, has been an important staging post in England’s wider journey too. Ben Stokes, the captain, called it home for two years from 2001 to 2003, before his father Ged’s rugby league career brought the family to Cumbria, and the rest to history. And though it’s hardly likely to be worthy of any pilgrimages during the team’s stay, it could be argued that the city’s other cricket venue, the infamous Cake Tin in the Docklands, deserves its own footnote. Had it not been for the gruesomely total crushing that McCullum (and New Zealand’s current skipper Tim Southee) inflicted on Eoin Morgan’s men at the 2015 World Cup, it’s debatable whether any of England’s recent story – white or red – could possibly have come to pass.So it’s hello again to those white picket-fences, and the William Wakefield Monument, and the buffeting winds that get funnelled directly up through the Cook Strait to wreak havoc with the bowlers’ run-ups. Thanks to Covid, it’s been a long old while since New Zealand last played a Test here – two-and-a-bit years in fact, the longest hiatus at the venue since 1981 – and as Southee intimated after his team’s rather bruising defeat under Mount Maunganui’s floodlights last week, their familiarity with both the venue and the traditional red ball may yet help the regrouping process.Related

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• Anderson reclaims No. 1 spot in Test bowling rankings; Hasaranga at top in T20Is

• Cyclone Gabrielle prevents NZ squad members from reaching Mount Maunganui

New Zealand do, after all, boast an impressive recent record at the Basin Reserve – in five visits since December 2017, they’ve emerged with three innings wins, a further ten-wicket trouncing of India, and one draw that got away – thanks to a combination of rain and a rather epic Sri Lanka rearguard, all of which formed part of that inexorable rise to the World Test Championship title, sealed at the Ageas Bowl in June 2021.Two years on, however, New Zealand are a team on the other side of the slope. Southee, at the age of 34, soldiers on with much the same magnificence as his new-ball counterparts Broad and Anderson, but he’s lost his fellow spearhead Trent Boult to the contractual complications of the T20 franchise era, not to mention other stalwarts of a generational team, such as Ross Taylor, Colin de Grandhomme and – in the short term at least – Kyle Jamieson. And, with England in a mood to wreck the record-books in Mount Maunganui, the flaying of New Zealand’s most indomitable competitor, Neil Wagner, told a story of its own. With a brazen disregard for precedent, England eviscerated Wagner’s short-ball methods to the tune of 13-2-110-2 in the second innings. On the eve of his 37th birthday, it’s hard to see how even he can come back from such disparaging treatment.Nevertheless, England’s win last week was only their first in the country for seven Tests, spanning three tours and 15 years since the Broad-Anderson origin story of 2008 – and though New Zealand have failed to win any of their six series since the new WTC cycle began, they still haven’t lost a home rubber since South Africa’s visit in 2017, 12 campaigns ago. Even if England’s current form implies that that is about to change, it’s not been in the Black Caps’ recent nature to go down without a fight.

Form guide: England on a roll

New Zealand LDDLL
England WWWWW

In the spotlight: James Anderson and Kane Williamson

Every new day seems to provide another reason to marvel at James Anderson’s freakish defiance of the laws of nature, but this week of all weeks, it seems only right to place him on the pedestal. Not only is he back where his career truly began, 15 long years ago, but he does so as the ICC’s newly-restored No.1 Test bowler, a ranking he last attained back in 2018. His seven wickets at Mount Maunganui perfectly encapsulated the performer he has long since become – phenomenally skilled, unswervingly accurate, and possessing the wisdom to adapt his method to suit the subtleties of each new scenario – but it was a very different brand of bowler who seized that 2008 comeback Test to the tune of 5 for 73 in the first innings. He’d started life as a tearaway outswinger, capable of 90mph speeds but liable to lose his radar in the process; now he’d found the means to channel those attributes into a more rounded, permanent threat, even if other key tools of his trade – not least the wobble-seam delivery – would be a few more years in the making. Nevertheless, it’s instructive to recall his comments at the end of that performance … an early sign, it seems, of a player whose ambition was more burning than his diffident demeanour had previously let on. “I want to be the bowler that the captain can throw the ball to when we need a wicket,” he said. “I want to stake a claim and be here for a long time.” And so it has proven.Kane Williamson’s first Test back in the ranks on home soil was a chastening affair. Anderson pinned him with a nipbacker under the lights on the first evening; Broad repeated the dose in the same circumstances on the third, this time bowling him through a half-closed gate precisely because of his reluctance to commit to the front foot in such conditions. Even in light of his ongoing elbow issues, it’s hardly enough reason to panic about Williamson’s returns – he only went and made the fifth double-century of his Test career in Karachi two months ago – but such are the frailties elsewhere in New Zealand’s line-up, the onus is on one of their most decorated campaigners to find some traction against the Bazball juggernaut. In his last home Test campaign, in 2020-21, Williamson stepped forward with consecutive scores of 251, 129 and 238. What his team would give for something similar this week.Matt Henry could be back with his new-ball partner Tim Southee•Getty Images

Team news: Henry returns, England name unchanged XI

In Boult’s absence at Mount Maunganui, England missed the new-ball knowhow of Matt Henry more than they might have imagined. He’s back in the set-up after missing that Test for the birth of his child, and will shore up a callow bowling unit in which Southee was too easily exposed by the frailties around him. Nevertheless, the debutants Blair Tickner and Scott Kuggeleijn showed spirit in adversity, not least with the bat, and might conceivably have done enough to retain their places – albeit it would be a huge call not to give an aggrieved Wagner one last chance to prove his methods can still match up to England’s aggression. Southee confirmed that decision would be made after assessing the pitch.New Zealand: 1 Tom Latham, 2 Devon Conway, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Henry Nicholls, 5 Daryl Mitchell, 6 Tom Blundell (wk), 7 Michael Bracewell, 8 Scott Kuggeleijn, 9 Tim Southee (capt), 10 Matt Henry, 11 Blair Tickner / Neil WagnerEngland have named an unchanged XI, despite a few doubts about England’s senior seamers. Ollie Robinson reported a slight knee niggle two days out from the Test, while Anderson and Broad both reported soreness after their Mount Maunganui exertions. None of them turned up for training on match eve, but as Stokes put it: “I just texted all three of them, asking if they were good for the game, and they said yeah”. The decision means more time on the sidelines for Matthew Potts, the bustling seamer whom Robinson replaced during last summer’s South Africa series, and Olly Stone, whose fiery displays in the ODIs in South Africa were a decent indication of his new-found robustness after recent back issues.England: 1 Zak Crawley, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Ollie Pope, 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Ben Stokes (capt), 7 Ben Foakes (wk), 8 Ollie Robinson, 9 Jack Leach, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 James Anderson

Pitch and conditions

The Wellington pitch had a thick covering of grass two days out from the Test, but is sure to undergo a haircut before the contest gets underway. “It’s usually a pretty good surface,” Southee said on the eve of the match. “I know it looks green… but there have been a number of hundreds scored here. So it’s a good cricket wicket.” The one factor that may prove less surmountable is the weather. Showers are forecast throughout the week, with delays a probability.

Stats and trivia

• England have an impressive overall record at the Basin Reserve, with four wins and one defeat in 11 previous Tests at the venue, dating back to 1930. That one setback, courtesy of Richard Hadlee in 1978, was also New Zealand’s first victory over England, at the 48th attempt.
• Harry Brook comes into the Test off the back of three consecutive Player-of-the-Match awards. The last time he didn’t win the accolade, at Rawalpindi in December, he still contributed scores of 153 and 87.
• Stokes has now overseen ten Test wins in the space of 12 matches in charge (including a one-off role as stand-in in 2020), the equal joint-fastest to double figures, alongside Australia’s Lindsay Hassett. One more win will draw him level with Len Hutton’s haul of 11 wins in 23 Tests.
• Another England win would make it seven in a row for Stokes’ men, one shy of the record run of success that Michael Vaughan oversaw in 2004, spanning three wins against New Zealand, four against West Indies and one in South Africa.
• After scores of 6 and 0 in the first Test, Williamson – in his 92st Test – still needs another 33 runs to overhaul Ross Taylor’s mark of 7683 runs to become New Zealand’s leading run-scorer in Test cricket.
• Stokes is six wickets away from reaching 200 in Test cricket. At Mount Maunganui he overhauled his coach McCullum to become the leading six-hitter in the format.

Quotes

“I think they’ve shown they want to play result cricket. I think it’s a great way to look at things. It’s our job to get things right and hopefully we’re in for a good Test match.”
“It’s good for everyone seeing that effect we could be having. We’ll take that as another win and I’ll say we get sold-out crowds because of the way we play.”

Coming off a big defeat and potentially missing key players, Giants are already facing an uphill task against Alyssa Healy’s side

Abhimanyu Bose05-Mar-2023

UP Warriorz vs Gujarat Giants

Gujarat Giants will return to the DY Patil Stadium a day after the big defeat they suffered at the hands of Mumbai Indians, hoping for a turn of fortunes when they take on UP Warriorz, who will be playing their first game of the Women’s Premier League. But unfortunately for Giants, the problems extend beyond the pitch.Giants replaced West Indies’ Deandra Dottin with Australia’s Kim Garth in the days leading up to the WPL. The team said Dottin was “recovering from a medical situation” but she took to social media to suggest that she is fine. Then, in the first over of their chase of 208 against Mumbai Indians, Giants’ captain Beth Mooney suffered a knee injury while running between the wickets and was helped off the field.Related

• WPL – the start of something unusually usual for women's cricket in India

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• Deandra Dottin out of WPL, Giants name Kim Garth as replacement

• Harmanpreet lights up WPL Day for Mumbai in 143-run win

Warriorz, led by Alyssa Healy, will look to get off to a strong start. They have plenty of firepower in their line-up, such as the big-hitting Grace Harris and Kiran Navgire, while their bowling attack features Shabnim Ismail and Deepti Sharma.

Players to watch

For the Warriorz, Healy, Navgire and Harris are the ones who are expected to provide the fireworks with the bat, with able support from Tahlia McGrath, Deepti and Devika Vaidya. They also have Shweta Sehrawat, who was part of India’s U-19 World cup winning team.In the bowling department, Ismail, Lauren Bell and Anjali Sarvani are the pace options, while Sophie Ecclestone and Rajeshwari Gayakwad shore up the spin department on top of the allrounders.For Giants, 25-year-old left-arm spinner Tanuja Kanwar was among the few bright spots against Mumbai Indians, conceding just 12 runs from her two overs.Dayalan Hemalatha was another, with an unbeaten 29 off 23 deliveries that included two sixes and a four. With Mooney’s availability being uncertain, there will be more of an onus on her to shore up their batting.Ashleigh Gardner, the player of the tournament in the recent Women’s T20 World Cup, picked a wicket but went for 38 and was dismissed for a golden duck against Mumbai, but will be in the spotlight.

Playing XIs

UP Warriorz (possible): 1 Alyssa Healy, 2 Shweta Sehrawat, 3 Kiran Navgire, 4 Tahlia McGrath, 5 Grace Harris, 6 Devika Vaidya, 7 Deepti Sharma, 8 Simran Shaikh, 9 Shabnim Ismail, 10 Rajeshwari Gayakwad, 11 Anjali SarvaniGujarat Giants (possible): 1 Sophia Dunkley/Beth Mooney, 2 S Meghana, 3 Harleen Deol, 4 Ashleigh Gardner, 5 Sushma Verma, 6 Annabel Sutherland, 7 Dayalan Hemalatha, 8 Georgia Wareham, 9 Sneh Rana, 10 Tanuja Kanwar, 11 Mansi Joshi

Stats and trivia

• Shweta Sehrawat was the top scorer at the inaugural Women’s Under-19 T20 World Cup
• Only two players – Hemalatha and Monica Patel – reached double figures against Mumbai Indians for Gujarat Giants

Quotes

“It is an opportunity sure but what I’ll want is that the team does not repeat their mistakes. I will tell the girls to keep their heads high and to learn from today. Definitely we will perform good.””We have a good mix of experience and youth along with ability and look forward to putting on a show for our fans. We are here to win and be ruthless in our brand of cricket.”

Champions of 2017 and 2019 – and Bob Willis Trophy winners in 2020 – as ruthless as ever

Vithushan Ehantharajah09-Apr-2023Essex 266 (Lawrence 105, Roland-Jones 7-61) and 211 (Critchley 53, Murtagh 4-44) beat Middlesex 170 (Higgins 70, Simpson 63, Porter 6-35) and 210 (Hollman 63*, S Cook 3-31, Porter 3-34) by 97 runsAs far as statements of intent go, Essex’s 97-run victory over Middlesex in the first match of the 2023 season is loud and clear. The County Champions of 2017 and 2019 – and inaugural winners of the Bob Willis Trophy in 2020 – are as ruthless as ever.Despite losing the toss and “only” scoring 266 in their first innings, Essex’s control of game was never in doubt. Perhaps their only frustration came on this final day when they were made to wait until 2:45pm for the last of the five wickets required.The final dismissal was Jamie Porter’s ninth of the match, with 3 for 34 supplementing 6 for 35 in the first innings. Sam Cook, who took Sunday’s first wicket, settled for 3 for 31 (4 for 73 overall, from 33 overs). The opening pair used Dan Lawrence’s expertly crafted 105 to dismantle Middlesex’s top-order twice – 4 for 4 on day two; 15 for 3 on day three – meaning we arrived here on Easter Sunday under bright skies expecting little beyond an Essex victory.The last stanza was very much a team effort from the bowlers, with Shane Snater’s 2 for 34 and a wicket apiece for Simon Harmer and Matt Critchley last night. But Porter and Cook were the headliners overall and, in this form, rival other new-ball duos in Division One. Skipper Tom Westley was told as much on day four.”I bumped into Sam Robson at lunchtime, and he was like, ‘How easy is it for you with these seamers, and then you’ve got Simon Harmer?'” said Westley. “It does make it easier, in terms of the personnel you can turn to. The challenging bit is telling them they’re not bowling!”Related

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For Porter, this fixture was a welcome return to form. Along with a first five-wicket haul since 2020, the overall 9 for 69 were his best match figures since 11 for 98 against Worcestershire back in September 2018. While urging a degree of caution on an outright return to the 2017-to-2019 vintage, which saw Porter on the cusp of England honours with 199 first-class dismissals across three summers, Westley is pleased by the 29-year-old’s re-emergence after a tough couple of seasons.”I’m so happy for Ports. He’s an integral part of our team: when we’re doing well, it’s coincided with when he’s taken wickets. I think he’s worked really hard with Mick Lewis, the bowling coach. I think he’s made a couple of technical adjustments, but nothing too drastic.”He’s got a little bit wider on the crease, like how he used to be. He’s always very awkward to face because of his angles. I also think, for Ports, someone that led the attack for a number of years, with the likes of Sam Cook and Shane Snater coming through, it’s going to be a bit challenging going from the main man to one of the bowling unit.”There’s obviously a little bit of the England stuff from a few years ago,” said Westley, referencing Porter’s elusive Test cap and missing out on the enlarged 55-man training squad during 2020’s Covid-19 summer. “When you get so close and don’t quite get the chance that sometimes plays on your mind. You want it too much or you chase it too much.”I think what he’s done fantastically well is he’s gone back to basics – what made him so successful in those years leading up to 2017 and 2019 – and he’s looking to repeat that.”If Middlesex are chastened by such a heavy defeat in their first outing in the top-flight since 2017, they could at least wonder how different things could have been. Luke Hollman’s 63 not out, along with Ryan Higgins’ 41 and Stevie Eskinazi’s 114-ball 37 spoke of the application within the batting. Alas, when your top three only manage a combined 7 for 6 in the match, there is only so much you can do.The first of the final five wickets came within the 10 minutes of the morning, Cook needing just four deliveries to send the nightwatcher Tom Helm back via an edge to second slip.In walked allrounder Higgins and combined with best mate Eskinanzi to offer resistance. The ask when they came together was 231, the same as it was overnight, but there was no real intention to score those runs.The first boundary of the day – a six, no less – came 9.3 overs in when Higgins skipped down the track to lift Harmer over the mid on boundary. But even that was a retaliation to the loss of Eskinazi the over before. Porter, in the midst of a fine opening from the Pavilion End, eventually found a way past Eskinazi’s bat and into his pad.The breaching of the former Middlesex captain’s defence was all part of the inevitability of Essex in these situations. As Harmer set his stall out at the Nursery End, and Cook took over from the Pavilion End after Porter’s six-over burst of 1 for 9, it felt like the walls were closing in.Higgins and Hollman pushed back, going beyond frustrating Harmer and Cook to score freely, particularly Hollman, who relished the battle with the South African offspinner. A perfect reverse sweep for four followed by a cut for a couple took the 22-year-old to 27, bringing up a 50-stand from just 79 deliveries.By lunchtime, Snater and Ben Allison had taken over from Harmer and Cook respectively, and Middlesex’s second-highest stand of the match had grown to 67. Now 146 behind, thoughts returned of where the hosts might have been had their top order not capitulated twice in 24 hours across days two and three.The availability of a second new ball 11 overs into the afternoon session carried looming sense of dread from Middlesex’s perspective. It manifested earlier than anticipated when, in the 77th over, Snater finally got the better of Higgins for the sixth lbw of the innings.With the very next delivery, Middlesex skipper Toby Roland-Jones was squared up, edging sharply to first slip where Alastair Cook took a brilliant catch. Snater had two-in-two but had to wait until the next over to deliver the hat-trick ball.He almost did not get the chance when No.11 Tim Murtagh plopped forward at the end of the first over of a new Harmer spell. Dan Lawrence missed a straightforward catch at silly point meaning Snater got his shot at three-in-three at Lord’s. Hollman kept it out, then guided the next delivery over the slips for his sixth boundary of what was soon to become a fifth first-class century.When the new ball was given to Snater, Hollman carved the first delivery through extra cover for four, then squirted out the fourth over cover to take Middlesex to 200. By that point, the final pair had already opted for the cavalier version of defiance, very much of the mind if they were going to go down, they would do so swinging. Murtagh tried to clear the Pavilion and ended up losing his off stump to the returning Porter.It’s worth noting Essex’s impressive squad got stronger on Saturday with New Zealand seamer Doug Bracewell touching down in the UK. He comes in as a 10-game replacement for Australian Will Sutherland, who was ruled out with a lower back stress fracture.Westley was unequivocal in his belief this is the strongest squad he has had at his disposal. Considering they finished fourth in 2022 and could have finished second had they beaten Lancashire in a Chelmsford crapshoot in the penultimate round, it is a stark warning to the rest.”It was a massive disappointment,” said Westley of the previous campaign. “That was my team talk to the guys in Northampton last year (after the last match of the season) and this is where we are as a club.”And really, if we win that Lancs game, we finish second. And that’s still a disappointment. We had times last year – at The Oval last year against Surrey – positions to go on and win the game. For whatever reason, we couldn’t repeat what we did in the past.”Fingers crossed, and it is one game, but if can play this brand and standard of cricket, I don’t see why we can’t go on right the way through.”