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The allrounder has pulled up with a stiff quad muscle after heavy workload in the second Test

George Dobell23-Jul-2020Ben Stokes could play the series decider against West Indies at Old Trafford as a specialist batsman due to injury.Stokes became the first seam-bowling allrounder since 2004 to deliver more than 20 overs and face more than 400 deliveries at Old Trafford. While his performance helped England secure victory, it also left him with a stiff quad muscle. As a result, England will delay naming their side until the morning of the game.Stokes pulled out of the attack midway through an over towards the end of the Test reporting stiffness. Although he said at the time it was a precaution, it would appear the quick turnaround between games hasn’t provided enough time for a full recovery.Having risen to No. 3 in the ICC’s Test rankings for batsmen, however, there is no question that he will retain his place in the side. It could also be that he bowls later in the game as required.”We’ll have to see where Ben is at because he’s still feeling it a little bit in his quad and we need to make sure he’s fit to bowl,” England captain, Joe Root, said on Thursday. “Ben pretty much spent the whole of the second Test on the field so it was a long old game for him.”He is definitely okay to play as a batsman. It’s just how much of an impact he can have with the ball throughout the whole game and in the second innings.”We talk about looking after everyone but this summer, with so many games in such a short space of time, when you are 150 percent every ball for six games on the bounce, it’s always going to take its toll at some point. We all want to make sure we get the most out of Ben and I’m sure he wants to ride the wave. We all want him to do that as well but it is important he’s looked after.”Root also had praise for Stokes in recognising the potential of the situation and pulling out of bowling when he did. It was, Root suggested, something that the younger, more impetuous Stokes may have struggled to do.”He’s matured so much and I think we saw that when he said he wasn’t quite right to finish the over,” Root said. “That’s a massive step forward for him. It shows his maturity with his cricket because we wouldn’t have seen that a few years ago. He would have kept going and might have done himself some serious damage. It does take a lot to keep him down and take him out of the action.”One option England are likely to consider is playing an all-seam attack. That would mean Dom Bess sits out with Root providing the spin as required. Another option would see England retain Bess, with the three main seamers required to carry a heavier workload.”We’ve got plenty of good options,” Root said. “Whatever combination we go with is definitely capable of taking 20 wickets.”

Three players named in the squad for Ireland series had trained with RCB and Mumbai

Matt Roller06-Jan-2021Ahmed Raza, UAE’s captain, is not concerned about his side’s fitness or preparation ahead of their four-match ODI series against Ireland, following a 10-month break from international cricket.UAE’s last game took place in February 2020, a 102-run win against Kuwait in the final of the ACC Western Region T20 competition, but players returned to training in June and have been playing domestic cricket over the past few months.Three players named in the squad for the series were also beneficiaries of the IPL’s change in venue for the postponed 2020 season. Raza and young wristspinner Karthik Meiyappan trained with Royal Challengers Bangalore, while seamer Zahoor Khan spent time with the Mumbai Indians squad.”We were one of the first associate teams to hit the ground running,” Raza said at a virtual press conference. “Having some cricket in the last few months has helped us. We haven’t played any international cricket for a long period, but [the pandemic] is something which is new to all of us. We’re really happy to be together as a squad and are just looking forward to playing some international cricket.”[The IPL] was massive. The experience you get over there training with the likes of Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, and bowling to them [is great]. We felt like we’d gained a lot when we left the IPL. It’s hard to put into words, but you start feeling different, and you’re different in your approach as well. I hope that whatever we learned in that period, we can showcase in our performances in this series.”UAE go into the series, which sees four games in Abu Dhabi squeezed into a seven-day window from January 8-14, as underdogs: they are six places below Ireland in the ICC’s ODI rankings, and have lost all six of their previous encounters against Ireland in the format.Related

• Two UAE players test positive for Covid-19 ahead of Ireland ODIs

• Ireland could host Pakistan T20Is in England

• Afghanistan-Ireland series to be held in the UAE

They are also a team in transition. Robin Singh replaced Dougie Brown as director of cricket last year, and has managed to spend time with the group despite being stuck in India for several months due to a lockdown and working as Mumbai Indians’ batting coach during the IPL.Their squad is also still coming to terms with the suspensions of five players over the past 18 months due to corruption charges. As a result, the 17-man squad named on Wednesday has a youthful look to it, with Aryan Lakra, Alishan Sharafu, Kashif Daud and Adithya Shetty all winning their maiden call-ups. Chirag Suri and Khan are both fit after injury concerns.”You want to win every game you play, and this series is no different,” Raza said. “We want to win all the games and win the series. We’re playing in our own backyard and looking at the squad, there’s a good mix of youth and experience. We have to keep an eye on the 2023 World Cup down the line. Looking at the four or five youngsters in the squad, they all playing in the Under-19 World Cup and put in performances.”UAE squad to play Ireland: Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri, Rohan Mustafa, Muhammad Usman, Muhammad Boota, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmad, Zawar Farid, CP Rizwaan, Aryan Lakra, Karthik Meiyappan, Alishan Sharafu, Basil Hameed, Kashif Daud, Adithya Shetty, Vriitya Aravind

Nathan McCullum, 35, has said that he will retire from international cricket at the end of this New Zealand international season to spend more time with his family

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Oct-20151:02

Quick Facts: Nathan McCullum

Nathan McCullum, 35, has said that he will retire from international cricket at the end of this New Zealand season to spend more time with his family.”I don’t want to make a big song and dance about it, but it’s time to start thinking about the next phase of my life,” McCullum told the . “I’ve got the sense that the end of this season is the right time to call it quits in international cricket.”The offspinner had a meeting with New Zealand coach Mike Hesson and manager Mike Sandle, and will help mentor young spinners such as Ish Sodhi and Mitchell Santner over the remainder of his playing career. “We’ve got to get these guys up to speed and I’m looking forward to playing a mentoring role there.”He said he was also keen to be able to devote more attention to his wife and three young children. “It’s been hard work for Vanessa in the past five years,” McCullum said. “She’s spent a lot of it pregnant and has had to do it on her own most of the time. It’s time for me to start investing time in my family and being there for dinners and helping the boys with their homework.”McCullum made his T20I debut in 2007 against South Africa while his ODI debut came in 2009 against Sri Lanka. Till date, he has taken 63 wickets from 84 ODIs at an average of 46.92 and an economy-rate of 5.01. In T20Is, he has 55 wickets from 61 games at an economy of 6.9. He has also struck four fifties and has a batting average of 20.98 in ODIs.McCullum said the 2011 World Cup quarter-final win over South Africa was “special.” He took 3 for 24 from ten overs as New Zealand defended 221 by 49 runs. “To come back and win a match we shouldn’t have won was pretty special.”He had words of praise for his younger brother and captain Brendon. “Every now and then it’s hard case when your little brother is barking orders at you… but he deserves everything he gets in terms of praise. He’s worked his butt off and created this team along with Hess and Mike Sandle.”

Cummins and Pattinson struck early in New Zealand’s innings after Australia made 467

The Report by Andrew McGlashan27-Dec-2019The ball may be a different colour, and the playing hours back to normal, but the MCG Test was taking on alarmingly similar proportions to what happened in Perth for New Zealand as Australia exerted their control. First, it came through Travis Head, with his second Test hundred and a stand of 150 with captain Tim Paine, before the extra pace of the home attack removed two wickets before the close.In reply to 467 – and after more than five sessions in the field – it was the loss of Kane Williamson that will have hurt New Zealand the most. Having driven James Pattinson sweetly through the covers, he was lured into pulling a ball well wide of off stump which he skied behind square where Paine continued his fine day with a solid running catch. For Pattinson, it was his first Test wicket in Australia for nearly four years.James Pattinson struck the huge blow of removing Kane Williamson•Getty Images

Pat Cummins, whose seven-over spell included barely a ball off target, had already done for Tom Blundell, who was opening in Tests for the first time, when he edged a drive having shown some initial promise. Tom Latham, battling through 57 balls for his 9, and Ross Taylor – saved by the DRS when he was given lbw to Pattinson on 1 – hung on until stumps.In the lead-up to the Boxing Day Test, Head did not appear fully secure of his place with Australia contemplating five bowlers. Two days into the match and, even if a rejig to the side is discussed, Head’s name will not be up for debate. He resumed on 25, did not find the going easy throughout the day – occasionally becoming more expansive when offered width – and only really freed himself up after passing three figures after tea, but he did not give it away, and that was the standout.He had been kept in the 90s for 45 minutes before the break, including a maiden against Trent Boult which meant he sat on 98 at the interval, and in total needed 41 balls to navigate his way to three figures, which was brought up with his tenth boundary, driven behind point from his 222nd delivery. During the innings, he passed 1000 runs and, with potentially one knock left for 2019, went to 714 runs for the year – moving back above David Warner as Australia’s third-highest scorer – a period that brought him a maiden Test hundred against Sri Lanka in Canberra and then saw him left out of the final Ashes Test, partly for sake of team balance, which appeared could happen again this week.However, while Head’s century was hugely significant both from a personal and team perspective, arguably the most important innings of the day came from Paine, whose positive intent ensured Australia moved the game forward after taking four sessions to secure their superiority.Tim Paine and Travis Head enjoyed an excellent partnership•AFP

Once again, Neil Wagner had produced the most compelling moment of the morning session when he bounced out Smith for the third time in three innings. Smith, who drove the first ball of the day for three, could only manage eight off 50 balls having resumed on 77 following his battle with the short ball on the opening day. It was a brute of a delivery that removed him, rising towards his throat which was gloved to gully where Henry Nicholls held a superb fingertip catch above his head.For a brief period after removing Smith, New Zealand sensed a chance to get back into the match, but that quickly vanished as Paine played a superbly-judged proactive hand either side of lunch. The Australia captain pulled and drove with confidence, one of his best strokes – a pull that bisected deep square-leg and long leg off Tim Southee – taking him to his half-century off 72 balls. He went to tea on 77 with a chance to push for a maiden Test hundred, more than nine years after his debut, but was pinned lbw by the herculean Wagner after New Zealand successfully reviewed.Paine’s dismissal sparked a late collapse of 5 for 33 as Australia’s lower order threw the bat – including Mitchell Starc picking out mid-off when Head was sat on 99 – which handed Wagner and Southee late reward for the toil. Few would have begrudged Wagner a five-wicket haul, but instead he took the catch to end the innings when Nathan Lyon top-edged a hook.Wagner (38 overs) and Southee (33.1) followed their Perth workloads with more hard yards, while Trent Boult (31) and Colin de Grandhomme (30) were not far behind. In the end, Mitchell Santner bowled 20 overs, but only after Australia had passed 400 was he entrusted with more than a three-over spell and he struggled to exert control. The sight of Blundell, a wicketkeeper by trade, bowling three overs of offspin straight after lunch did not speak volumes for the spin-bowling resources. It is something New Zealand will need to assess for Sydney, where the pitch is expected to aid spin, although before then their aim is to try and ensure the series is at least alive.

Michael Lumb, the Nottinghamshire and England batsman, has been forced to retire with immediate effect because of an ankle injury.

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Jul-2017
Michael Lumb, the Nottinghamshire and England batsman, has been forced to retire with immediate effect because of an ankle injury.Lumb, who made a century on his ODI debut, against West Indies in Antigua in 2014, is one of only 11 England players to have won a global ICC trophy, following his vital role in the World T20 campaign in the Caribbean in 2010.Lumb’s opening partnership with Craig Kieswetter, who was also forced to retire early due to injury in 2014, provided the foundation of a triumphant campaign for Paul Collingwood’s squad, who beat Australia by seven wickets in the final in Barbados.Born in South Africa, Lumb began his career at Yorkshire, the county club of his father, Richard, and moved to Hampshire before relocating to Trent Bridge in 2012, where he helped Nottinghamshire to victory in the Yorkshire Bank 40 and Royal London One-Day Cup trophies in 2013 and 2017 respectively.Until his record was surpassed by his fellow opener, Alex Hales, in this year’s final at Lord’s, Lumb held the Nottinghamshire record score in List A cricket, 184 against Northamptonshire at Trent Bridge in 2016. His prowess as a hard-hitting opening batsman also earned him stints in the IPL with Rajasthan Royals and Deccan Chargers, and Australia’s Big Bash League with Sydney Sixers.”I have had the best time at Trent Bridge, in my view the most productive years of my career, and Nottinghamshire is the club I have most enjoyed playing for,” he said.”I’m extremely disappointed I’ve had to retire from cricket, particularly in the middle of the season, but I have to respect medical opinion.”I would like to thank all my team-mates, the coaching staff and everyone else at the club for making my stay at Nottinghamshire such a memorable one. Those sentiments also go to everybody at both Yorkshire and Hampshire, who have made my career so enjoyable.”Last, but by no means least, I couldn’t have achieved what I have without the total support of my wife Lizzie and all the rest of my family.”Nottinghamshire’s director of cricket, Mick Newell, said: “It’s very sad news for Michael. He’s a hugely talented batsman that has entertained cricket followers all over the world. He’s a great role model to others and a superb professional.””Michael is an immensely popular senior player in the dressing room and highly respected for what he has achieved during his career. We wish him every success and thank him for all he has contributed to the club.”In first-class cricket, Lumb amassed more than 11,000 runs in 210 matches, with his career-best 221 not out coming for Nottinghamshire against Derbyshire at Trent Bridge in 2013.Lumb’s domestic one-day career included more than 11,500 runs, including in excess of 6,500 in List A games and almost 5,000 in T20.His retirement is Nottinghamshire’s second significant injury setback in the space of a week, following the blow to the head that Luke Fletcher sustained while bowling in the T20 Blast at Edgbaston, which has resulted in him sitting out the rest of the season.

Mystery bowler claims 6 for 34 after captain’s knock lays the foundation for win over Northern Diamonds

Graham Hardcastle27-Sep-2020Charlotte Taylor’s game-changing six-wicket haul ensured the Southern Vipers defended 232 to beat Northern Diamonds by 38 runs and claim the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy title at Edgbaston.An enthralling game which swung back and forth throughout saw the Diamonds well placed at 74 for 1 in the 15th over of their chase, only to slip to 96 for 6 in the 23rd as brilliant off-spinner Taylor struck the decisive blows.She had opener Hollie Armitage caught at backward point for 26, Alex MacDonald out hit wicket, Jenny Gunn trapped lbw and Bess Heath caught at deep mid-wicket.The Diamonds were later bowled out for 193 inside 43 overs, with 26-year-old Taylor also trapping Beth Langston lbw and having Netherlands international Sterre Kalis caught at mid-on for 55 on the way to a fabulous 6 for 34 from her 10 overs – the best return from any bowler in the competition. Kalis became her sixth wicket shortly after reaching 50 in the 37th over, and Taylor finished with a competition-high 15 wickets in five appearances.Taylor, who was drafted into the Vipers’ side after the competition had already started, was thrilled with her performance, and the result.”That’s the best I’ve ever bowled,” Taylor said. “I couldn’t have asked for anything better. I’m proving to myself week in and week out that I can play at this level.”Armitage, [Lauren] Winfield-Hill and Kalis got them off to a good start, but we took wickets at key times, and I’m so happy I was able to contribute. Lots of people wouldn’t have seen me play too much cricket, and I think that works to my advantage, especially with my bowling.”This team is so young. Myself, Georgia (Adams) and Carla (Rudd), we’re some of the oldest at 26. And some of these girls are 16, even 15. So for us to win seven games out of seven with such a young side, it’s really impressive and bodes well for the future.”Vipers’ captain Georgia Adams continued her stunning form with 80 off 102 balls, including eleven fours, at the top of the order as she underpinned 231 all out and moved to 500 competition runs in the process.She shared a century opening partnership with Ella McCaughan, who posted 35, having been inserted, only for the Diamonds to drag things back impressively as leg-spinners Katie Levick and Armitage shared five wickets.Georgia Adams lofts one over the leg side•PA Images via Getty Images

After Adams and McCaughan shared 100 inside 24 overs, their side’s fourth century opening stand in seven games, the South Coast side were in a dominant position at 150 for 1 in the 32nd over. Adams was particularly strong square of the wicket, reaching 50 for the fourth time in this competition off 68 balls.Maia Bouchier, however, looked more fluent at the crease and was punishing through the covers and over the top on the way to 28. Together with Adams – they shared 50 inside eight overs after McCaughan had feathered left-arm spinner Linsey Smith behind – a total nearing 300 was not unrealistic on a pacy and true surface with a fast outfield.But things changed in a flash. Diamonds captain Lauren Winfield-Hill, back from England’s T20 bubble, brought Armitage into the attack, and she struck first ball with a long hop which Bouchier pulled head high to mid-on, leaving the score at 150 for 2 in the 32nd.Almost 12 overs later, the Vipers were 191 for 8, with Armitage striking again plus three wickets for Levick, who trapped Charlie Dean and Carla Rudd lbw and removed Adams, caught at deep mid-wicket. Levick’s first two overs had cost her 19 and she finished with 3 for 49 from eight.Miserly former England seamers Langston and Gunn both contributed significantly in dragging things back and finished with a wicket apiece.However, there was to be a late twist as the Vipers were boosted by an industrious 37 off 48 balls from Emily Windsor to ensure they went beyond 230.Winfield-Hill rued a number of what she called “soft dismissals” for her side.”A lot of people got themselves out rather than being got out,” she said. “But we’ll learn from that. We just need to be playing in these finals and find a way to win.”They started well with that big partnership up top before we clawed it back in the middle and kept them to a score. At one stage we thought it was a 260 pitch, but in the end they probably got 20 or 30 too many with people down the order chipping in. That proved to be the difference.”

Spinner admits he thought he would be watching series at home – but now keen to prove his worth as a bowler

Matt Roller26-Aug-2019Vishwa Fernando’s 6, Monty Panesar’s 7, Clive Eksteen’s 4… and now Jack Leach’s 1.The list of the greatest unbeaten single-figure innings in Test history is not a prestigious one, but its members all share cult-hero status. In no other sport are players so prominently exposed for their inability in one facet of the game – Neymar wouldn’t make much of a centre-back, but he doesn’t ever have to spend 30 minutes trying to rescue a point there – and while those who fail are mocked, success as a tailender can turn an unremarkable player into a legend.ALSO READ: From Vishwa to Panesar – six great single-figure inningsLeach’s 60-minute, 17-ball epic in a remarkable last-wicket stand of 76 with Ben Stokes to haul England across the line at Headingley could so easily have been forgotten. Stokes offered a difficult catch to Marcus Harris at third man, repeatedly cleared fielders on the rope by the finest of margins, and would have been lbw but for the absence of DRS; if any of those had turned out differently, Leach’s efforts would have been an irrelevance.Instead, he found himself exalted.”I don’t know what it is,” he said. “It’s probably because I look like a village cricketer out there in my glasses, the bald head – maybe people think ‘that could be me!’ All the others look pretty professional.”The support’s been amazing, the support today for all of us was incredible. The noise was insane, and I’m just enjoying playing for England.”While wiping his glasses before facing each ball made him a subject of amusement, Somerset’s former strength and conditioning coach Daz Veness paid tribute to his “outstanding mental strength”.”Bat down, gloves off, helmet off, glasses off, glasses cleaned, everything back on in reverse order,” he tweeted. “You’ll bowl when I’m ready and my mate has caught his breath. And not before.” In the manner that county team-mate Marcus Trescothick has done in the final years of his career, Leach – who cannot wear contact lenses because he suffers from astigmatism – managed to dictate the pace of the game throughout his stay at the crease.”I just have to make sure they are clean every time they were facing up because I would really regret it if it had been smudged,” he said, “and then they zoom in on the glasses and say ‘he didn’t clean his glasses’.”I just had to stay calm and do the job at hand. I felt good out there, I was really focused on what I needed to do.”Generally left to face a ball or two at the end of an over, Leach left, ducked, weaved and defended his way out of trouble. “I got on with it,” he said, “and it [the target] quite quickly seemed to go down. Suddenly it’s eight to win, and you’re like ‘oh my God’.”It is all a bit of a blur to be honest. I didn’t want to get in Stokesy’s bubble when he was doing really well, hitting those sixes. I didn’t want to say too much but I also wanted him to just focus on the next ball, especially when we got close.”He said in the changing room that he got nervous when it was down to eight. It seemed so close but the way we were playing it was still quite far away. I just wanted him to focus on every ball, and if it was there he would hit it for six.”Jack Leach wipes the sweat from his glasses during his innings of one not out•Getty Images

There was, of course, the run-out-that-wasn’t. If Nathan Lyon had managed to gather the ball as Leach found himself stranded halfway down the pitch, the narrative around his innings would be starkly different.”That was not a nice moment,” Leach said. “There were two balls left so I thought [Stokes] might squeeze a single so that I could face one and he’d have the next over. But it’s all good. I don’t want to focus on that moment – I want to focus on running down to Stokes when he hit the winning runs.”And so he might. If his team-mates’ hardships rarely seem to extend beyond a bad run of form, it is worth reflecting on the multiple setbacks that Leach has overcome on his ascent to the Test side.He suffers from Crohn’s disease, a bowel condition that is often triggered by stress. In 2015, he fractured his skull after fainting on his way to the toilet in the middle of the night. The next summer, his hopes of an international call-up were twice set back; first by comments from his county captain Chris Rogers that he was not “emotionally” ready, then by the news that routine tests at Loughborough had revealed an illegal kink in his bowling action.Last summer, he found out he had broken his thumb the day before he was set to be announced in the Test squad to play Pakistan. A concussion suffered after being hit by a Morne Morkel bouncer then cost him the chance to prove his form ahead of the India series, and he was again left out.Perhaps it is no surprise, then, that Leach revealed he thought he would “be watching at home” during this series.Childhood friends Jos Buttler and Jack Leach celebrate England’s win•Getty Images

“I wanted to be ready to play and not presume anything,” he said. “It’s been a tough lead-in because obviously the county cricket has been all T20 stuff, my last long bowl was the Australia A game [for the England Lions in July] which was quite a while ago. That’s been a challenge but I’ve tried to stay ready through training, and my opportunity has come about so I’m trying to make the most of it.”If those comments are damning on the suitability of the county fixture list, they also serve to add to Leach’s status as a normal bloke. To stay match-fit between the Ireland Test and his Ashes debut at Lord’s, he went home to play for his club side, Taunton Deane. Once part of the Cardiff MCCU production line under Mark O’Leary, he is an example to every club, university, and county cricketer as to what can be achieved with sheer dedication.It is important, too, to remember that Leach has bowled well in his two opportunities this series. Since Graeme Swann’s retirement, England have longed for a spinner who can tie down an end at home; for all Moeen Ali’s mercurial talents, he has generally been a wicket-taker rather than a defensive option.So Leach’s economy rate of 2.64 in this series has been just as important as his five wickets. Moving into the final two Tests, at the traditionally more spin-friendly venues in the country, he will be expected to play a role of increasing importance.”I think I have more to offer with the ball,” he said, “and hopefully I’m able to show that over the next couple of games. Obviously the last couple of times I’ve been doing media stuff at the end of games it’s been for my batting, which is mad! I want to be helping the team out with the ball primarily, and I’m looking to bring my best to Old Trafford.”

He didn’t return to bat after tea on the fourth day with Sri Lanka facing a fight to save the Test and the series

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Christchurch29-Dec-2018Sri Lanka’s chances of saving the Christchurch Test was dealt a major blow after Angelo Mathews pulled up lame late in the second session on day four, with apparent hamstring trouble.Although not out, he did not take the field after tea, and will undergo scans at some point in the day before it is decided whether he can bat again in the match. At first glance, however, the injury appeared fairly serious.Mathews was batting on 14 off 38 balls when he drove Trent Boult through mid-off and called partner Dinesh Chandimal through for two runs. Halfway through jogging the second run however, Mathews pulled up and began to hobble on his right leg, then clutched the back of his left thigh as soon as he had crossed the popping crease.He was treated on the field and continued to bat, but was seemingly unable to put much weight on his left leg through final overs of the second session. He literally hopped a single – using his right leg exclusively – before hobbling off the field at tea.Sri Lanka manager Jeryl Woutersz confirmed that a “hammy” was suspected, and that he would be “sent for scans” before a further prognosis was made.Mathews has had recurring injuries in his hamstrings and calves over the past two years, and had missed entire tours because of them. He had only just returned to the bowling crease for the first time since January 2017, delivering four overs in the first Test in Wellington, as well as in the ongoing Test.A hamstring tear now, would not only keep him out of the forthcoming limited-overs series against New Zealand, they could also put him in doubt for the Tests against Australia, which begin in late January.Sri Lanka’s World Cup plans could be affected as well, after team management had hoped he could start bowling a few overs in one-day cricket before ramping up the workload in the months approaching next year’s global tournament, in June.Mathews has been Sri Lanka’s best batsman in New Zealand, and had made 120 not out off 323 balls in Wellington to help save that first Test. For now, it seems unlikely that he will have the chance to repeat those heroics in Christchurch.

Fast bowler seeks sustained run of match fitness ahead of England’s five-match ODI series in Sri Lanka

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Oct-2018Mark Wood hopes that a new lengthened run-up could be the secret to a sustained run of match fitness, as he prepares for the start of England’s five-match ODI series in Sri Lanka on Wednesday.Wood’s ability to generate sharp pace from a short and explosive run-up has been a key reason why he has been considered a point-of-difference bowler in recent seasons, but it has also contributed to a spate of injuries, not least in his troublesome left heel, on which he has undergone numerous bouts of surgery.And now, with the World Cup looming next year, and his fitness restored after another interrupted summer, Wood hopes that a longer, smoother run-up could lead to a longer and smoother run in the England team.”It’s something I’ve worked on in the second half of the season in England and brought it here,” Wood told . “It’s a trial, something I can go back to if I want to do the step-back run-up.”I spoke to Kevin Shine, the head bowling coach, and Chris Silverwood, who’s out here, and said that off my short run-up I felt I was having to force it all the time. That meant I was putting more stress on than I needed to, having to ramp it up to get my top speed.”So pushed my run-up back, so that it felt like I could cruise into it a little more and look for more rhythm, rather than trying to be at the top end all the time, and putting more stress on my body.”Wood hasn’t had much of a chance to put any stress on his body just yet, however. England have faced monsoonal conditions since their arrival in Sri Lanka, and their planned two days of practice in Colombo was reduced to a single contest against a Board XI. It did at least give the bowlers an inkling of how the pitches might behave come the start of the series.”We’ve had a lot of rain so far. Some days are red hot, sweaty humid conditions, and quite nice to bowl in and there are some days when it’s rained a lot and it’s coming from the ground up. It’s different conditions to deal with.”The pitch didn’t feel as subcontinental like as you might think,” he added. “It’s subtropical here in Sri Lanka, not like India or the UAE. It’s more humid and a lot greener than you might expect. The one-day wickets have had a bit of tennis-ball bounce and have swung a bit for England for three or four overs, so we have to use that to our advantage.”Thanks to their plethora of allrounders, England’s one-day squad is packed with seam-bowling options, which means that Wood envisages being used in short, sharp bursts to conserve energy and mix up the modes of attack.”It is ridiculously hot, so coming from a seam bowling point of view, it’ll be two or three overs, smash it as hard as you can, then get off. The spinners are the ones who are going to attack here, but that new ball is key for us. If we can get wickets up front when it’s doing a bit, that’ll be brilliant, but if not, we’ll sit in, try to dot up and make it hard, then let the spinners attack from the other end.”Reverse swing is a traditional factor in Asian conditions, but Wood said that England may need to adapt their methods to obtain the contrast between the rough and smooth sides of the ball to unlock that particular weapon.”Being quick through air will be key with reverse swing, but this ground at Dambulla looks lush and green, so I’m not sure how much reverse there’ll be. But the Sri Lankans tend to wet one side of the ball, and keep it smooth. They know better than anyone in their own conditions, so maybe we can take a leaf out of their book.”

Chennai Super Kings cruised to their second victory in as many games – even if it did go down to the final over

The Report by Liam Brickhill26-Mar-20193:16

Why Lamichhane would have been a threat in Delhi

This encounter was billed as one between the youthful exuberance of Delhi Capitals and the vast experience of Chennai Super Kings, and the result added substance to the suggestion that T20 is not necessarily a young man’s game. Shikhar Dhawan’s fifty kept Delhi ticking after they opted to bat in their first home match of the season, but they unraveled to Dwayne Bravo at the death and their 147 for 6 never looked like it was enough despite the slowness of the track at the Feroz Shah Kotla. Shane Watson’s rapid 44 put Super Kings well ahead of the asking rate, and by the time the paterfamilias himself, MS Dhoni, walked in, they needed under five an over. Dhoni took it deep – at one point calmly patting away five dots in a row – and let the game go into the final over before Bravo sealed Super Kings’ second win in two, and sixth victory out of eight matches at this venue. Chahar reins them in On a pitch that historically favours spinners even more strongly than even the MA Chidambaram Stadium, the scene of the season opener, Delhi might have been looking to get after Deepak Chahar and Shardul Thakur as the potential weak links in an otherwise impregnable attack. A spring-loaded Prithvi Shaw spanked three fours in a row in Thakur’s first over, but by the end of his opening spell, Chahar had more than repaired the damage.As he had done on Saturday night, Chahar bowled all four up front and maintained control throughout, sending down 12 dot balls and striking the vital blow when he cramped Shaw for room and a spliced pull was caught at midwicket. By the time Chahar was done at the end of the seventh over, Delhi’s run-rate was a modest 6.85, and with Harbhajan Singh, Imran Tahir, Ravindra Jadeja and Bravo to come, any attempt to up the rate would not be an easy one. Dhawan anchors On a slow, slightly variegated pitch that made fluent strokeplay difficult, Delhi needed someone in the top three to dig in and bat through if they were to set a defendable total. Dhawan got the job two-thirds done with a 47-ball 51 – his 33rd IPL fifty – that set up the innings before Delhi were reined in by Bravo and co. at the death. Sensing the need to bat deep after Shaw fell early, Dhawan used the crease well, going deep or making room to change the angles and open up scoring options in the field. He also picked his moments to attack, swiping back-to-back boundaries off Tahir and then repeating the treatment in Bravo’s first over.But Dhawan’s dismissal was the fourth in eight balls as Delhi misfired at the death. He then missed a tough chance at slip off Ambati Rayudu’s edge in the very first over of the chase, bowled by Ishant Sharma, and then let a pull from Kedar Jadhav burst through his hands as Super Kings marched inexorably to victory later in the evening.Shane Watson pulls with power•BCCI

Bravo’s comeback While Chahar had bowled his four on the trot up front, Dhoni chose to use Bravo’s overs all in one go at the other end of the innings. No one has taken more T20 wickets than Bravo’s 483, and 84 of these dismissals have now come during the last five overs in the IPL – second only to Lasith Malinga’s 96. He is a master tactician during this period, and his 3 for 33 held Delhi back after they had ended the 15th over with a platform set at 118 for 2.On a pitch Bravo called “two-paced” during the mid-match interview, his changes of pace and variations in line and length brought the dismissals of Rishabh Pant, Colin Ingram and a set Dhawan in the midst of Delhi’s collapse to 127 for 5 in the space of one-and-a-half overs. Bravo’s eventual returns were all the more impressive given the way he had started his spell, having leaked 17 runs in his first over. Watto wins the war With the first innings having demonstrated the need for top-order solidity, Watson v Rabada was set up as a key battle as Delhi desperately hunted an inroad into an experienced line-up. The spark between the two was lit in Rabada’s first over, when Watson backed away into a bouncer as the South African quick focused on two lengths: at the boot or at the head. Watson glanced a 150km/h yorker for four and top-edged a bouncer to further rile Rabada up, and at one point the two engaged in what looked like a heated exchange. As much as he tried to force the issue, Rabada’s pace was defanged by the slow track and he just couldn’t break through.It’s the middle overs that Watson dominated last season, striking the ball at over 200 after the Powerplay in overs 7 to 15, but this time around he did the damage in the Powerplay. By the time he fell, stumped off an Amit Mishra ripper, the required rate was well under a run a ball and with the resources at Super Kings’ disposal, it looked like the rest of the chase would be a doddle. Dhoni time The questions about Dhoni’s starting against spin might have grown a little louder had he edged his first ball to slip, rather than over him and away for four. Super Kings needed 50 from 58 when Dhoni entered, numbers which seemed almost too easy for a player of Dhoni’s legendary vintage in white-ball chases. When no further boundaries had been hit seven overs later, Dhoni might have been the only person at the Kotla who wasn’t starting to get a little edgy, but just as things were starting to get tight again, Dhoni did as Dhoni does, slashing Keemo Paul through cover and shellacking Mishra over wide long on as though he’d had planned it all this way. Graciously, he left it to Bravo to hit the winning runs, but remained not out at the end for the 39th time in a successful IPL chase.