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South Africa captain hints team might go with an extra allrounder in the XI for the first ODI

Firdose Moonda18-Jan-20221:54

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South Africa have welcomed Quinton de Kock back into the national squad with open arms and expect the wicketkeeper-batter to enter the India ODIs with a “point to prove,” according to captain Temba Bavuma. In December, de Kock had announced his retirement from Test cricket after the Boxing Day Test and has been on paternity leave over the last three weeks following the birth of his daughter, but remains available for the shorter formats. On Wednesday, he will take his spot at the top of the order against India.”It’s good to see Quinny again. We obviously miss him in the Test team, but he has made his decision and that’s a decision we respect. Having Quinny again with the team has been good; and knowing Quinny, he will have a point to prove,” Bavuma said. “I don’t want to put words in his mouth but he will have a point to prove, and I am sure he is as excited as we are to see him in the team.”Related

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Bavuma all but confirmed that de Kock and Janneman Malan will open the batting, with him slotting in at No.3 and feeling in good form.”The Test series went quite well for the team but for me personally, my feet seemed to move well and I was hitting the ball quite well. I’d like to carry on with that feeling,” Bavuma said. “People have asked me if there’s anything I’ve changed or done differently and to be honest no, I’ve been doing things the same. Maybe it’s just a period of good form.”The strength of the top three leaves South Africa with a conundrum of how to manage Aiden Markram, Rassie van der Dussen and David Miller, as Bavuma explained that there may only be room for two of them.”Quinton and Janneman have done fairly well so I don’t see that changing. I come back into the picture at No.3,” he said. “Then, it’s probably more the middle order, whether we want to go with an extra batter or an allrounder at 6. That’s the real conversation that needs to happen.”If it were up to Bavuma, the allrounder might be preferred to a specialist batter to ensure sufficient bowling stocks in the XI.”As a captain, you always like to have as many resources as you can from a bowling front. You accept that one bowler isn’t going to hit his straps on the day, so to be able to have an adequate replacement for him is a luxury,” he said. “It’s something we still need to settle on but I would like to have as many options as I can.”One of them could well be Marco Jansen, who could make his fifty-over debut this week after being picked in Anrich Nortje’s injury-enforced absence. “The world has seen what cricketing abilities he has and his x-factor ability. It was a no-brainer to get him into white ball squad,” Bavuma said.”He is a guy who will come strongly into contention when we speak about the team.”Temba Bavuma – “I am sure Quinton is as excited as we are to see him in the team”•AFP/Getty Images

Jansen’s ability to extract bounce from the slow Paarl wicket could see him edge ahead of some of the competition.”Considering Paarl and the conditions there – it’s a lot different to our Highveld wickets – it’s on the lower side; a bit skiddier. We’ll consider pace bowlers who can exploit that, like Lungi (Ngidi), (Sisanda) Magala and Marco Jansen,” Bavuma said. “And then Paarl is quite friendly to slower bowlers and spinners so (Tabraiz) Shamsi, (Keshav) Maharaj and (George) Linde all come into the picture.”Linde is a late inclusion to the ODI group and has been retained from the Test squad bubble in anticipation of the surfaces that will be used for this series.Though there are no World Cup Super League points at stake in this series, South Africa are still determined to use the matches to build on their progress over the last six months.”We’re not expecting this one-day series to be easy. We know it’s going to be tough, especially considering the Test series. We will prepare as well as we can to make sure we are ready for when the challenge comes our way.”

Visitors take 10 points to virtually confirm safety going into final round of Championship season

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay18-Sep-2025Essex 325 for 5 (Allison 98, Pepper 54*) drew with WarwickshireEssex virtually secured their Rothesay County Championship Division One status as their match with Warwickshire ended in a rain-ruined draw at Edgbaston. No play was possible due to rain on the final day, meaning that three of the four days were completely blank.Essex collected ten points from the draw, putting them pretty much safe from relegation as two of the teams below them – Yorkshire and Durham – meet in next week’s final round of games. It would now take an extraordinary combination of results and bonus points to drag Essex through the trapdoor with Worcestershire.It was a sodden and sorry scene at Edgbaston as Warwickshire’s home season came to an anti-climatic close. After high winds prevented play on the first day and rain did so on the third, persistent drizzle overnight and on the fourth morning again left conditions unplayable. Essex were denied the chance to resume from the 325 for 5 that they build on the second day.Tom Westley’s side at least took a solid ten points from the draw – a more productive return than from the drawn encounter between these teams in their inaugural Championship meeting at Edgbaston in 1895. After three days of hard work and effort, the points gained from that game, in which, incidentally 21 players made their Championship debuts, were Warwickshire 0 Essex 0.

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.

The Australia-England T20 marks a welcome return for the game after more than two years

Tristan Lavalette08-Oct-2022On a balmy Monday night three summers ago, Shafali Verma, the then 16-year-old prodigy, lit up the old warhorse of the WACA with an outrageous 39 off 17 balls during India’s victory over Bangladesh at the 2020 Women’s T20 World Cup.The 5000-strong crowd, mostly Indian fans cheering wildly for Shafali’s heroics, hopefully savoured the experience on that electric February 24, 2020 evening because it proved the last international in Perth until Sunday’s drought-breaking men’s T20 clash between Australia and England at Optus Stadium.Of course, just weeks later, right after Australia lifted the Women’s T20 World Cup trophy, the Covid-19 pandemic paralysed the world and closed borders as refuge was sought at home.Related

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With tough-talking premier Mark McGowan ruling with an iron fist, Western Australia tightly controlled its border longer than most. The strict measures mostly kept the virus at bay through to the end of 2021 but WA’s fortress meant a logistical nightmare for those entering the state, which involved 14 days of hotel quarantine.There were some exemptions for sports, but organising international cricket proved too difficult while only six BBL matches and last year’s WBBL final were played in Perth over the past two seasons.In perhaps the biggest blow to local coffers, the fifth Ashes Test last summer was supposed to be played in Perth before being shifted to Hobart after months of hostile debate between administrators, pundits and fans.It all totalled a loss of AU$18 million in revenue for the WACA, said chief executive Christina Matthews.”We had to adjust our operations to minimise the loss,” she told ESPNcricinfo. “It was disappointing that we couldn’t participate in elite cricket at home.”Effectively we were at the whim of the premier and the government that made decisions that meant cricket couldn’t be played here.”The timing proved particularly inopportune with Perth’s ODI against India in 2020-21 scrapped – after originally being overlooked to host an India Test – followed by losing the Ashes Test in January after McGowan refused to open WA’s borders in conjunction with the rest of the country in late 2021.”Losing India and England two years in a row… that’s the high point in our membership,” Matthews said. “When we moved matches to Optus Stadium we were building towards those Tests to maximise our returns, so we have to wait another four years to take advantage of the stadium.”It had a devastating impact on our forward planning and business model. Our financial model is built around BBL and international cricket. But we had relatively small losses compared to what we could have been facing.”With the heart of its home schedule ripped out, some WACA members were left disenchanted. “I know there were some members who renewed because of the Ashes Test, which we kept hearing was going to be played at Optus,” said long-time WACA member Chamara Seneviratne. “But then it was scrapped, so that left some resentment. It was all very frustrating.”The last international match in Perth was India’s T20 World Cup game against Bangladesh•Paul Kane/Getty Images

Matthews, who has had to deal with ongoing tumult amid a spate of WACA board resignations, acknowledged the frustration but said it had a “loyal” membership base. “The members were disappointed but 90 percent of our members kept rolling their fees over and there is now a sense of security with cricket coming back,” she said.Since WA finally reopened in March, Covid-19 pandemic restrictions gradually eased to the point where Perth’s airports are once again teeming, mask sightings are rare and the virus is barely part of the daily conversation.At domestic matches at the WACA to start the Australian season, fans have been allowed to interact with players, with selfies once again a familiar sight, to reinforce that the pandemic is very much in the rearview.Anticipation is now building over the return of international cricket in Perth with many locals particularly excited about the prospect of finally watching hometown hero Cameron Green in national colours. There is the expectation for a crowd of 30,000.”There is a much better feeling among members and fans so far this season,” Seneviratne said. “It’s particularly great for kids who finally can watch Green and their other heroes in person, which is important for the development of the game.”While this exasperating period caused major headaches and sleepless nights for those at the WACA, Matthews said there were silver linings.”One of the benefits was that we allowed community cricket to be played on the WACA, which was a dream come true for many,” Matthews said. “We became closer as an organisation. It was interesting to see how quickly our staff wanted to come back and work from the venue .”It gave us an opportunity to shine in difficult circumstances. But you wouldn’t want to go through it again.”

The hosts will also be without a raft of familiar faces as they look to snap a 19-ODI losing streak against their visitors

Mohammad Isam04-Aug-2022

Big picture

Zimbabwe have enjoyed a month of rare success. After dominating the T20 World Cup qualification tournament, they registered a maiden T20I series win over Bangladesh. There was a lot of fun and partying at the Harare Sports Club. The focus though now has to quickly shift to the ODIs, a format in which there’s a massive gap between the two teams this year. Bangladesh also come in with a 19-match winning streak against Zimbabwe.This also includes the 3-0 win last year. That series was part of the ICC ODI Super League, but this series isn’t. Still, Tamim Iqbal has made it clear that Bangladesh can’t afford to take any series lightly these days.Related

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Zimbabwe will be without key players Craig Ervine (hamstring and knee injuries) and Sean Williams, who has been given a break due to personal matters. Regis Chakabva is the stand-in captain in Ervine’s absence.Also missing are established seamers Tendai Chatara and Blessing Muzarabani. The less experienced Bradley Evans and Victor Nyauchi, who bowled effectively in the third T20I couple of days ago, are in the new-look ODI squad. The pair will combine with Richard Ngarava and Luke Jongwe in the pace-bowling attack, while Wellington Masakadza is the lead spinner. Zimbabwe will have to rely heavily on Sikandar Raza, Wessly Madhevere and Ryan Burl in the batting department, which has a number of inexperienced players.Bangladesh meanwhile will hope that their Zimbabwe tour will improve with Tamim and Mushfiqur Rahim back in the batting line-up. They will expect the likes of Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mosaddek Hossain to shine with the bat, while Tamim may prefer three seamers for the early morning starts in Harare. It would mean Taskin Ahmed returns to the ODI line-up after missing two ODIs in the West Indies.Overall, Bangladesh will remain on high alert after Zimbabwe showed so much heart in the T20Is.

Form guide

Zimbabwe LLLLW (last five completed matches; most recent first)
Bangladesh WWWWL

In the spotlight

Ryan Burl became one of the most talked-about cricketers this week when he struck 34 runs in an over against Bangladesh. It was the joint-second highest runs in a single over in T20Is, as Burl helped Zimbabwe to a 2-1 series win. He doesn’t have great numbers in ODIs this year, but Zimbabwe will hope he carries some of this confidence into the longer format as they start a long ODI run against Bangladesh, India and Australia.Taskin Ahmed was Bangladesh’s Player of the Series against South Africa in March but a shoulder injury has taken the sting out of him. Taskin has been wicketless since the South Africa tour, having played just one ODI in the West Indies, and two T20Is in which he went for 88 runs in seven overs. Tamim Iqbal would expect a stronger showing from Taskin, as a three-man pace attack is warranted at the Harare Sports Club.

Team news

Zimbabwe have to make at least five changes to the side that played their last ODI against Afghanistan in June. Takudzwanashe Kaitano could bat in the top order while Luke Jongwe, Evans and Nyauchi may be the three seamers.Zimbabwe (probable): 1 Innocent Kaia, 2 Wessly Madhevere, 3 Takudzwanashe Kaitano, 4 Sikandar Raza, 5 Regis Chakabva (capt & wk), 6 Ryan Burl, 7 Milton Shumba, 8 Luke Jongwe, 9 Brad Evans, 10 Wellington Masakadza, 11 Victor NyauchiFor Bangladesh, Mushfiqur Rahim will slip back into the middle order after missing the West Indies tour, but the lack of allrounders means there is likely to be a long tail.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tamim Iqbal (capt), 2 Litton Das, 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5 Mahmudullah, 6 Mosaddek Hossain, 7 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 8 Taskin Ahmed, 9 Taijul Islam, 10 Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Shoriful Islam

Pitch and conditions

The pitches at the Harare Sports Club were quite batting-friendly during the T20I series earlier this week, but in ODIs over the last five years, teams batting first have averaged a lowly 225. Probably why 12 out of 21 teams have lost when batting first. The weather is supposed to be dry during the series.

Stats and trivia

• Bangladesh are on a 19-match winning streak in the format against Zimbabwe, dating back to 2014.
• Zimbabwe have won just one bilateral ODI series – against UAE – in the last five years.
• Bangladesh will be playing their 400th ODI during this series.

Fast bowler in form and fitness of his life after playing starring role in England’s series win

Vithushan Ehantharajah15-Dec-2022Two Tests against Pakistan down with one to go, with a series win secured and history made, Ollie Robinson is in a good place.He might “only” have eight wickets in his four innings to date, but they have come at an average of 18.37, to reduce his overall Test figure to 19.61 after 13 appearances, and have showcased his impressive dexterity. He has dabbled in bouncers and reverse-swing, along with his usual unerring accuracy with the new ball, and in the second Test at Multan, he became the first seamer to bowl Pakistan’s captain and batting phenomenon Babar Azam twice in a match. Most heartening of all, his 62.1 overs have been of a base level intensity that has not let batters off the hook.Heartening because Robinson has revealed he considered retirement in the summer, after constant bumps in the road on a long journey to his return to action.After having his conditioning called into question at the end of a humbling tour of Australia last winter, back issues meant that Robinson was unable to play any part in the three-Test tour of the Caribbean that followed. Complications followed at the start of the 2022 summer: further back troubles and a dental issue saw him miss a chunk of cricket with Sussex, as well as the first four Tests under the new leadership duo of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum.In light of the comments about his lack of fitness, Robinson’s subsequent setbacks triggered something of a pile-on from those who assumed that a lack of work ethic was the reason for his continued absences. In reality, Robinson believes that those ailments were nothing more than unfortunate timing for a cricketer still only 28, and attempting to return fitter than ever before. Speaking on Thursday in Karachi ahead of the third Test which begins on Saturday, Robinson opened up about a dark time which had him wondering about leaving the game altogether, with a vague idea of moving into property.Related

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“There were points when I didn’t think I was going to play for England again, or play cricket again,” Robinson told BBC Sport. “I kept coming back to full fitness, then getting an injury or illness, then another injury. There was a point in June time when I thought ‘I might have to look at what else I can do here, I don’t think I’m going to be able to carry on playing cricket’. It’s been tough and there has been some dark days, but tours and series wins like this make it all worthwhile.””It’s a massive confidence-booster for myself,” he said of the Pakistan series, on pitches that have seemed unhelpful to quick bowlers, and yet England’s have taken 23 of the 40 wickets available so far. “Twelve months ago I was struggling to even get on the park. It’s a really proud tour for me, in the fact my body has got through it, I’ve bowled well and I’ve proved to the world, almost, I can do it in any conditions. Not just for the team, but for myself. It’s been a really good tour so far and hopefully we can win 3-0 this week.”The nature of Robinson’s back issues were particularly grating, and for a time they showed no signs of abating even while he was focussing on the rehabilitation and reinforcement of his body. The root of the problem proved hard to establish, in part because the spasms would come and go, ultimately at random but frustratingly just when it seemed he was on the verge of making a return to competitive action.”I had different types of scans. MRIs, X-rays. It was just a bit of wear and tear,” he said. “Because there was so much inflammation, every time I got back to full fitness, the inflammation was there. It was jarring again and giving me another back spasm. I ended up having five injections, which took the inflammation away and allowed me to train a bit harder. Then it settled down. It was a strange one, because I felt it was career-ending, the way it felt.”Things can change so quickly. When you’re in those dark spaces it’s hard to see through that. When you get to this time, and if it ever happens again in the future, I know I can come out the other sides of it, still fighting, still bowling well.”He feels he is lucky to get out the other end. And so are England. Robinson returned to the Test side for the second match of the series against South Africa at Emirates Old Trafford and, not only has the team won all four matches since, but Robinson has contributed 20 dismissals at 16.35. He went past 50 Test wickets in his 11th Test – the joint-fastest by an England bowler since Ian Botham in 1978 – and, at the age of 29, there is a very real sense he is in it for the long haul as a new-ball bowler for his country.In the absence of Stuart Broad, who sat out the trip following the birth of his first child, the manner in which Robinson has dovetailed with Anderson has been vital to England’s approach. His skills have not been dulled with an older ball in hand, and he has been able to work to unconventional plans, including hitting the pitch on a slightly shorter length, and utilising the skid available from the surfaces to hit the top of off stump.It should be said, none of that application of fine-tuned skill is a coincidence. it is merely the reward for a change of lifestyle based on those around him.”I’ve changed my gym sessions, I’ve changed my training. I’ve upped the intensity of my training,” he said. “You only have to look at Stokesy, when he trains, to look at how intense some people train. I’ve tried to get as near that as possible. Jimmy has played for 20 years now. He’s a great role-model for me and someone I look up to.”Test cricket has thrown up a myriad of challenges for Robinson, even if his on-field exploits have been impressive. His debut against New Zealand was tumultuous when historic offensive tweets emerged hours after he was presented with his maiden cap at Lord’s at the start of the 2021 season.Now, his focus is on closing out 2022 with another win to seal England’s second clean sweep in Asia, after beating Sri Lanka 3-0 in 2018.”It’s an exciting time for English cricket. We’ve done 2-0 and if we can do 3-0 it will be an amazing effort. The boys are prepared for one, last big push to get the 3-0 whitewash.”

Sri Lanka’s limited attack stood exposed in Mohali

Sidharth Monga04-Mar-2022Sri Lanka managed to deny Virat Kohli even a fifty in his 100th Test. They didn’t let Hanuma Vihari convert his fifty into a hundred in his 100th first-class match. By the end of the day, though, they might have regretted getting them out because it brought Rishabh Pant to the middle, who went from 50 to 96 in 19 delightful balls and ended up dismissed in the 90s for the fifth time in his career. India racked up 357 for 6 in just 85 overs.Sri Lanka’s limited attack stood exposed on a day-one Mohali pitch, which offered turn from full lengths and promised more in the coming days. Their lack of resources were apparent at the toss when they announced they were playing three fast bowlers on a track that the hosts picked three spinners.One of them, Lahiru Kumara, broke down in 10.5 overs. The others hardly drew any uncertainty: India batted with 89.4% control. When this is happening and the pitch is not offering you much, you expect your bowlers to keep the scoring under check, but India could hit boundaries without taking risks. They managed 44 of them on the day; Sri Lanka could string together just six maidens.. The lone specialist spinner, Lasith Embuldeniya, started off well, but lost control of his lengths as the game wore on.In a way, Sri Lanka were lucky they got the first five wickets with just 41 mistakes induced in the first 61.1 overs of the day. Rohit Sharma looked ominous, charging to 29 off 28, but found long leg with a third attempted pull to the boundary in the same Kumara over. He clearly fancies himself against the short ball, but since April 2018 he has been out to the pull or the hook seven times at an average of 27.4.Embuldeniya then managed to get past the inside edge of Mayank Agarwal, another heavy scorer in Indian conditions when he gets in. And he had got in with 33 off 49. What Embuldeniya did presented a sense of threat on a pitch that had a clear, differently-watered dry area on a spinners’ full length. He got some drift, pitched right at the start of that full area, and the ball would either turn or go straight on because of the rougher surface.In the same over, Emduldeniya drew a leading edge from Kohli too. This, though, would be the last time in a while that Sri Lanka would see a mistake from the batters. Vihari, replacing Cheteshwar Pujara at No. 3, had already got himself set. Vihari and Kohli added 90 from 25.5 overs for the third wicket without having to strain themselves. They did nothing more than keep the good balls out and score off the bad ones. That they could score at 3.6 an over tells you the proportion of good balls was low.Virat Kohli made 45 off 76 in his 100th Test•BCCI

In the middle of the second session, though, Embuldeniya did Kohli in with his trajectory. It was a flatter delivery, which made Kohli go back, but it still pitched full, about a foot inside the dry patch. It now had the time to turn past Kohli’s bat but not past the off stump. A remarkable crowd that turned up on two days’ notice was left as stunned as Kohli walked off, along with unfulfilled hopes of a 28th Test hundred.Vihari effortlessly made his way to 50 in 93 balls, but in the one period of credit to Sri Lanka’s bowling as a unit, they pushed him into a spell where he could score just eight off the next 35 balls. So for the first time they forced batters to take risks to score. On the first occasion, a catch was dropped off what turned out to be a no-ball. On the second, Vishwa Fernando managed to get a chop-on, making it 175 for 4.Pant came out to bat ahead of Shreyas Iyer, Ajinkya Rahane’s replacement. Iyer, too, managed a start but fell to Dhananjaya de Silva’s part-time offspin. Now check Pant’s presence: a team that had just taken two wickets for five runs had three men on the leg-side fence. If you can scare oppositions into having defensive fields as soon as you walk in, there are quite a few easy runs to be taken. That’s what Pant did in the early parts of his innings, never mind the one huge six and one lofted cover drive off Suranga Lakmal early on. They were happy to give him singles, he was happy to pick up singles.Pant was on an even 50 with five overs to go to the second new ball when he launched an all-out assault on the spinners. Embuldeniya was the first to cop it: six over midwicket, six over wide long-on, punch through the covers, late cut, and he had taken 22 off the 76th over. de Silva is supposed to turn it away but it didn’t matter as he took 10 off three balls in the 77th over.Within 10 minutes, Sri Lanka had gone from “hang on, what if we get a couple of quick wickets” to looking completely listless. The idea seemed for Pant to get to his hundred before the new ball, but he didn’t get enough strike to be able to do so. When the new ball did arrive, though, Lakmal kissed the top of his off stump from over the wicket.Pant went down on his haunches, and took an age to get back. He is now behind only Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar as Indians with dismissals in his 90s, and this one would have hurt the most because he got out trying to defend. There is always solace if he gets out in the 90s trying to hit a six for that is the facet of his game he backs more.Immediately at the other end, Ravindra Jadeja consoled him and applauded him: it was the 96 that he scored that mattered more than the four he didn’t.

They gave away 61 runs and took no wickets in the powerplay in conditions that were offering swing

ESPNcricinfo staff17-May-20231:05

Bishop: Arshdeep will find his way again

Shikhar Dhawan, the Punjab Kings captain now left hoping for other results to go their way to make the playoffs of IPL 2023, rued the lack of execution from his bowlers as they were bested by Delhi Capitals in Dharamsala on Wednesday.In conditions that offered help for the quick bowlers, the Kings were unable to close out the powerplay properly. Sam Curran, Kagiso Rabada, Arshdeep Singh and Nathan Ellis were hit for seven fours and three sixes between the third and sixth overs. Capitals benefited from that period of profligacy, going from 11 for 0 to 61 for 0 in just 20 balls.”We didn’t bowl really well in the first six overs,” Dhawan said at the presentation. “We should’ve taken some wickets out there, the way the pitch was offering the swing.”Capitals posted 213 for 2 and won a tight game by 15 runs.Kings have had a particularly difficult time bowling in the first six overs this season. They have taken a mere 14 wickets in this phase of play – the second worst in the league behind Lucknow Super Giants – while also conceding 9.20 an over – again the second worst behind Kolkata Knight Riders.”Our bowlers didn’t pitch the ball up, whereas they should have been,” Dhawan said. “That was the plan. Unfortunately they couldn’t implement it. Whether we take wickets or not, that’s a different thing. But we should bowl in the right areas, which we have not been doing for quite a long time and that’s hurting us because in powerplay we are always giving 50-60 runs. And that’s fine but we should be taking wickets as well.”Dhawan’s concern over his quick bowlers’ performance forced him to take a big call at the death. He brought left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar into the attack in the 16th over and had him bowl the 18th and the 20th as well. This was a time when the Capitals had a well-set left-hander at the crease as well and with many of the balls spinning into him, Rilee Rossouw took full toll, especially in the final over, which yielded 23 runs and pushed Capitals’ total above 200.”Even my decision of bowling the spinner in the last over backfired,” Dhawan said. “I feel the momentum went there. Before that also, my fast bowler [Ellis] also got hit for 18 runs [in the 19th over]. Those two overs cost us the game.”Kings are only barely hanging on in the IPL. They have 12 points and a game in hand, which means they can get to a maximum of 14. But their rivals – Chennai Super Kings, Lucknow Super Giants and Mumbai Indians – are already on 14 points or more with a game in hand. And, Royal Challengers Bangalore have 12 points and two games in hand along with a healthy net run-rate. Dhawan’s men will need several results to go their way to make it to the final four.

Jammu was supposed to host the game, but the rain there has been a major disruptive influence

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Feb-2020Gujarat, Odisha, and Andhra will host their respective quarter-final fixtures in the Ranji Trophy next week but the venue for the fourth match, between Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) and Karnataka is up for deliberation after the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) wrote to BCCI and JKCA, requesting to host the match in Bengaluru.

Ranji Trophy quarter-finals

Gujarat (H) v Goa (A)
Odisha(H) v Bengal (A)
Andhra (H) v Saurashtra (A)
Karnataka v Jammu&Kashmir

Tournament rules stipulate that, since Karnataka hosted the last fixture between the two teams, J&K should host this one. However, the KSCA has asked for a change of venue “considering various aspects and the logistics.”Two out of the three matches played in Jammu this season were severely affected due to rain – the teams could only finish one innings each both times. The other game was the recently concluded last-round tie which Haryana won by two wickets. That J&K still made it to the knockouts is on the back of their excellent away form and it is for that reason the JKCA is also understood to be in favour of moving the quarter-final.The BCCI has directed all host associations to pick grounds that can provide broadcast facilities, with all four matches set to be streamed either digitally or on TV. This could also be a factor in taking the game away from Jammu.Gujarat topped the Elite Group cross pool and will take on Goa, who finished with 50 points to top the Plate Group and will be playing their first Ranji quarter-final ever. Odisha, who were eliminated from their only previous quarter-final appearance by Gujarat in 2016, are hosting Bengal, who made it to the semi-final round in 2017. That was also the last time they reached the knockout stages. Andhra will likely host Saurashtra in Ongole, for their first quarter-final fixture since 2015. J&K will be playing their first quarter-final since 2014.All four matches will be five-day fixtures and will not feature the use of the Decision Review System (DRS). It is understood the DRS will only come into effect in the semi-final round and will be “limited DRS with existing technology.”

Pakistan seamer unable to take up deal due to overlap with Pakistan Super League

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jun-2021Kent have signed Adam Milne, the New Zealand pace bowler, as a replacement for Mohammad Amir, whose Pakistan Super League commitments will prevent him from appearing in the Vitality Blast.Amir had been due to play for Kent in the second half of the Blast, after the completion of the PSL – but the shifting dates for the rearranged competition, which begins on Wednesday, and quarantine restrictions for arriving in the UK from Pakistan mean he won’t be taking up his deal.Instead, Milne will arrive for his fourth spell at Kent, having taken 38 wickets in 28 appearances between 2017 and 2019. He is expected to be available for Kent’s ninth group game, against Somerset at Canterbury on June 28, onwards.”We’re delighted that Adam will be coming back to be a Kent Spitfire once more,” Kent’s director of cricket, Paul Downton, said. “He is a world-class T20 bowler who has made a significant difference to our side every time he has played for the Spitfires. I am sure our Members and supporters will be excited to welcome him back for the later stages of the Vitality Blast.”Milne was part of the Kent side that reached the quarter-finals of the Vitality Blast in 2018, and narrowly missed out on reaching the knockouts a year later. He has also featured at the IPL and the Big Bash, as well as being capped 23 times in T20Is by New Zealand.Milne said: “I love being a Spitfire and I’m really excited that the opportunity has arisen for me to come back to Kent for a fourth time. It’ll be great to see familiar faces in the dressing room but I’m also looking forward to working with the new talent that has joined since my last stint in 2019.”Kent’s other overseas options include South African batter Heino Kuhn and the Afghanistan legspinner Qais Ahmed, who is expected to be available after quarantine from June 13, when the club face Gloucestershire at Canterbury.