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South Africa went about trying to secure a 3-0 series whitewash by following up a first-innings score of 426 with four top-order wickets before the close of the second day

The Report by Alan Gardner13-Jan-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details0:41

Moonda: Ideal conditions for debutant Olivier

At least one Sri Lankan enjoyed himself at the Wanderers. The third Test followed a largely predictable path as South Africa went about trying to secure a 3-0 series whitewash by following up a first-innings score of 426 with four top-order wickets before the close of the second day but Nuwan Pradeep’s ferocious four-wicket burst at least gave Sri Lanka something for their tour diary as the Wanderers lived up to its billing as one of the premier arenas for fast bowling.South Africa maintained a grip on the match despite losing their last seven wickets for 88, with Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada picking up a brace apiece to take their combined tally in the series to 31 at 15.03. Bad light brought an early close to the evening session, with Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal having battled through several overs of insistent probing as the clouds closed in above the ground. Sri Lanka’s hopes of respectability will lie with their two senior batsmen.They needed their top order to show steady heads after Pradeep and his whirling limbs had brought Sri Lanka back into the contest by taking 4 for 1 in 18 balls before lunch but Philander reinforced South African conviction that they had established a match-defining position with his first over with the new ball. Dimuth Karunaratne survived a review for caught behind to his third delivery but made certain of his fate two balls later when some seam movement from Philander’s immaculate line drew a clearly discernible edge to Quinton de Kock.Kaushal Silva and Kusal Mendis survived the odd streaky moment to reach tea but both fell soon after to Rabada. Another thin edge behind did for Silva to end a 47-run stand before Mendis, who struck six fours and a six and also saw the debutant Duanne Olivier put down a straightforward caught-and-bowled chance during a lively knock, was chiselled out by Rabada’s bouncer, a simple catch lobbing off the gloves to gully. In the next over, Dhananjaya de Silva speared a drive point as Sri Lanka subsided to 70 for 4.

SA collapse and Pradeep’s four-fers

• 88-7 South Africa’s score on the second day. They began at 338 for 3 and were all out for 426. They scored those runs at rate of 2.57, compared to 3.75 on the first day

• 6 Number of four-wicket hauls for Nuwan Pradeep, without a five-for. Only Australia’s Wayne Clarke, with seven, has taken more such hauls in Tests.

• 68.54 Percentage of South Africa’s runs that came from the single partnership of Hashim Amla and JP Duminy, 292 out of 426 – the third-highest contribution from a partnership in an all-out innings for South Africa. The highest for them is 70.77%, when Alviro Peterson and Amla made 209 out of a total of 296 at Eden Gardens in 2009-10.

• 33 Wickets taken by Sri Lanka fast bowlers in this series – the second-most for them in any away series. Their highest is 41 wickets in New Zealand in 1990-91.

Success for the home quicks was not unexpected after Pradeep had gambolled in to cause havoc during the morning. South Africa’s position was already bulwarked by the 292-run stand between JP Duminy and Hashim Amla but any hopes they had of batting on at their leisure disappeared amid a clatter of wickets in the second hour.De Kock was the only South Africa batsman to make a notable contribution to the scorecard after the two first-day centurions and he was last man out as the persevering Lahiru Kumara also finished with four wickets. Following a slide of 4 for 14, with Pradeep on the rampage, De Kock’s 34 helped swell the total to still-daunting proportions: only once in home Tests have South Africa lost after making 400 in the first innings.The sight of the ball seaming, swinging and flying through with a hungry cordon awaiting was double-edged for Sri Lanka, foreshadowing as it did another searching examination for their batsmen. The first session was nevertheless one to savour for the tourists, arguably their best during a difficult series, as Pradeep’s interventions caused South Africa to tumble from 364 for 4 to 378 for 8 in a rambunctious 30-minute period of play.South Africa’s captain Faf du Plessis – who was hit several times during his stay at the crease – may have spent lunch reflecting with satisfaction on his decision to get runs on the board first. This surface looked like only getting more treacherous to bat on.Even if the odds were stacked against Sri Lanka, after a dispiriting first day in which South Africa made 338 for 3, Suranga Lakmal and Mathews began with just the sort of tight, probing spells needed if they were to wrest the match back their way. Amla and the debutant nightwatchman, Olivier, had added just eight to the total in as many overs, during which ball regularly beat bat, when Mathews finally made an incision, with the aid of DRS. Olivier pushed at a rising ball in the channel and tickled a fine edge to Chandimal.The first hour was a cagey affair, as Amla attempted to retrench himself after marking his 100th Test with a revivifying hundred. Only 26 runs came, Olivier went and it could have been even better for Sri Lanka but for Mendis making an awful hash of taking a thick edge from du Plessis that looped to second slip, only to squirm from his grasp inches above the ground.Lakmal was the unlucky bowler on that occasion and figures of 7-4-9-0 were scant reward for a spell of controlled away swing. Pradeep had no such complaints, however. In humid conditions and with the pitch having seemingly quickened up overnight, he proceeded to rip through South Africa’s middle order.Du Plessis, who had been worked over by several blows to the body, enjoyed a let-off on 1 but was taken at the second time of asking by Mendis when Pradeep had him fending at a back-of-a-length delivery. Two balls later, Temba Bavuma reached for an ill-advised drive only to see Silva snap up a sharp, overhead chance at third slip, extending a poor series for South Africa’s No. 6.There was more to come, too, as Pradeep feasted on the Bullring’s famed pace and bounce. Amla was squared up by a beauty and Chandimal threw himself bodily to his right to cling on one-handed in front of slip; then Philander, having successfully reviewed a caught-behind off Kumara when his glove came off the handle, was removed by an absolute snorter that leapt from a length to take his thumb before settling in Chandimal’s gauntlets once again.De Kock and Wayne Parnell chanced their arm to good effect in adding 46 for the ninth wicket to stave off a complete collapse and take South Africa past 400. Pradeep was denied a maiden Test five-for when Karunaratne, the lone slip, could not hold on to diving chance to his left with Parnell on 21 but he was dismissed in the following over when he carved a square drive off Kumara straight to deep point. De Kock then fell in similar fashion two overs later, slicing a cut with only Rabada for company.

Shabika Gajnabi and Rashada Williams return after having missed the cut for the T20 World Cup earlier this year

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Nov-2024West Indies will be without veteran allrounder Stafanie Taylor for their upcoming white-ball tour of India. The 33-year-old is currently rehabilitating from an injury, according to a CWI release, and will not be available for the three T20Is and three ODIs in India.Deandra Dottin, who returned to West Indies’ squad for the T20 World Cup earlier this year in the UAE, two years after announcing her international retirement, is set to make her ODI comeback during this tour.Dottin had last played an ODI in March 2022 but her recent white-ball form is encouraging. According to ESPNcricinfo’s Smart Stats, she was among the most impactful players in the 2024 T20 World Cup and in the WBBL earlier this month, she had smashed an unbeaten 46 off 18 balls at a strike rate of 255.55 to secure Melbourne Renegades’ win against Adelaide Strikers in Adelaide.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Seamer Shabika Gajnabi and wicketkeeper-batter Rashada Williams are back for both the ODI and T20Is after having missed out on the T20 World Cup squad. This is a chance for them and other players to impress the Women’s Premier League scouts.”We want to get more girls involved with franchise cricket moving forward and looking toward India, it’s always good to play in front of the Indian IPL teams,” Shane Deitz, the West Indies coach, said. “It is good for our ladies to start getting their names in front of those people, to hopefully open some opportunities in the future.” ​Deitz also drew confidence from the T20 World Cup where West Indies qualified for the semi-finals. “We want to take the good momentum we gained at the T20 World Cup into this series,” he said. “We showed that we can compete against the top teams, which was pleasing.” ​Mumbai will host the three T20Is before the series ends with three ODIs in Vadodara. West Indies will arrive early in India and will tune up with a ten-day acclimatisation camp. The ODI leg carries crucial points for the ICC Women’s Championship. ​West Indies last played a white-ball series in India in 2016. They won the T20Is 3-0 and lost the ODIs 0-3.

West Indies ODI and T20I squad

Hayley Matthews (capt), Shemaine Campbelle (vice-capt), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shamilia Connell, Nerissa Crafton, Deandra Dottin, Afy Fletcher, Shabika Gajnabi, Chinelle Henry, Zaida James, Qiana Joseph, Mandy Mangru, Ashmini Munisar, Karishma Ramharack, Rashada Williams

South Africa made inevitable progress towards the victory in Cape Town that would bring them a Test series win against a Sri Lanka side whose batting naivety has become more apparent as the series progresses

The Report by David Hopps04-Jan-2017
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details4:32

#PE: Should Herath be SL’s batting coach?

South Africa made inevitable progress towards the victory in Cape Town that would bring them a Test series win against a Sri Lanka side whose batting naivety has become more apparent as the series progresses. Four down at stumps, with their victory target merely a dot on the horizon, Sri Lanka can be expected to lose heavily on the fourth day and go to Johannesburg 2-0 down with one to play.As Sri Lanka’s batsmen floundered for a second time, there was reason to conclude that South Africa’s first-innings lead of 282 would have been ample for an innings win. As it was, they had eschewed the follow-on on the previous day and instead the declaration came at 224 for 7, 75 minutes into the afternoon session.A lead of 506 was impregnable. Well, not quite impregnable. There was always the slight possibility that a Russian cyberattack could send cricket scoring systems across the world haywire and Sri Lanka could emerge, somewhat sheepishly, with a win with two sessions to spare. The reality was somewhat more prosaic: 130 for 4 by the close of the third day, with the captain Angelo Mathews and his deputy Dinesh Chandimal hoping to save face on the morrow.While South Africa’s bowlers picked off Sri Lanka a second time, Board representatives were arranging a meeting with Kyle Abbott’s agent, hoping to arrest his planned international retirement to join Hampshire, thereby making it one of the few occasions when it could be fairly observed that the administrators had a tougher job than the players. As for Abbott, the fates have playfully decreed (so far at least) that he remains wicketless.

Consistent SA openers and SL pace success

• 3 Consecutive Tests at home in which South Africa’s openers have scored two 50-plus scores. There have been only ten such instances since readmission from 121 home Tests.

• 23 Number of wickets taken by the fast bowlers of Sri Lanka in this Test series – the most in any series for Sri Lanka against South Africa.

• 410 The highest score by Sri Lanka in the fourth innings of a Test, made against Australia in Hobart in 2007.

There was a recognisable quality to Sri Lanka’s dismissals, their limitations skilfully exposed, which emphasised South Africa’s authority all the more. An inexperienced top order must learn the hard way while seasoned batsmen such as Chandimal and Upul Tharanga plug gaps lower down. The demands are high, perhaps unfairly so for some.Dimuth Karunaratne had departed by tea, shrewdly set up by Vernon Philander before an inswinger drew an airy drive and rattled into his stumps through bat and pad.Kusal Mendis is just as likely to end up as Sri Lanka’s wicketkeeper-batsman as a Test No. 3 (although Kumar Sangakkara managed both). He replaced Kusal Perera at first-wicket down here, but he has batted skittishly and failed twice. After a top-edged sweep against the left-arm spin of Keshav Maharaj in the first innings, he succumbed to a catch at third slip as he drove on the up in Philander’s fifth over. On this pitch, so early in the innings, it was a liberty.Kaushal Silva has a stubborn streak, but the short ball looks capable of unsettling him and when Kagiso Rabada upped his pace in his second spell, a venomous rising delivery was fended to short leg. Dhananjaya de Silva is only in his seventh Test, so could be forgiven perhaps for walking off for a debatable lbw decision in Rabada’s next over, but had his captain, Mathews, at the non-striker’s end, thought to suggest a review, the ball would have been shown to be sailing past leg stump.It was not all delight for South Africa. Hashim Amla would have liked to have walked out to bat for his 100th Test at the Wanderers next week with his reputation reasserted. Instead he will take guard with continued chatter about his form after a duck before lunch.Amla’s sequence without a half-century now stretches to 10 innings, his latest failure coming with a fifth-ball nought in an otherwise dreary phase of the Test of little consequence in which South Africa, resuming with a lead of 317 and all wickets remaining, engaged in some cricketing arithmetic for more than three hours as they totted enough runs for a fail-safe declaration. And then some.Presumably Amla might now join those malcontents who thought, with good reason, that South Africa should have enforced the follow-on and sought to wrap the game up in three days. After all, only three sides have ever lost a Test after putting the opposition back in and, having dismissed Sri Lanka in 43 overs, South Africa’s bowlers were hardly in need of recuperation.At least it would have spared Amla that sinking feeling when he pushed routinely forward to an excellent delivery, seaming away around off stump, from Suranga Lakmal and felt the nick that was heading inexorably to the wicketkeeperAs ducks go, it was a highly respectable one. But it was still a duck. It will not quieten the discussions about how Amla tends to get caught on the crease, his graceful footwork no longer quite decisive enough. Only big runs will do that, and everybody presumes they will come. The only time he has had a sequence of failures as long as this was a year ago – and then he shot back with a double hundred against England in Cape Town. Jo’burg, on a historic personal achievement, might relight his fire.Lakmal has had a good series and he matched the admirable standards that had brought him five wickets in Port Elizabeth, finishing with 4 for 69. He brightened Sri Lanka’s morning with a double-wicket maiden. Five balls before he dismissed Amla, he accounted for Stephen Cook, a regulation slip catch for Karunaratne. JP Duminy and Faf du Plessis followed. Nuwan Pradeep reappeared after his thigh strain but was out of luck.Dean Elgar, in trim after his first-innings hundred, seemed suited to such a morning. A measured tread with little pressure to talk of was right up his alley and another half-century was bagged. But the appearance of Rangana Herath’s left-arm slows drew from Elgar an unexpected friskiness. He advanced down the pitch to a guileful third delivery which beat him in the flight. If he had not been caught at slip, he would have been stumped. Even on the most inconsequential mornings, satisfaction can be found and Herath, who looks capable of coping contentedly with mornings when nothing much happens, had drawn as much pleasure from it as anyone.

David Payne chimes in with two wickets as Gloucestershire beat Middlesex

ECB Reporters Network04-Jun-2023Oliver Price produced a telling performance with both bat and ball to guide Gloucestershire to an emphatic seven-wicket victory over Middlesex in an ultimately one-sided Vitality Blast contest at Bristol’s Seat Unique Stadium.The Oxford-born allrounder top-scored with 46 and shared in crucial partnerships of 60 with Miles Hammond and 52 with Zafar Gohar for the second and third wickets respectively as the home side chased down a target of 140 with 10 balls to spare to register their second win in three days.Middlesex have struggled to post big totals in the short format this season and this match was no exception, the visitors struggling to build meaningful partnerships and coming up short on 139 for 9 after being put into bat. Jack Davies hit a defiant unbeaten 46 and Max Holden contributed a valuable 34, but veteran left-arm seamer David Payne claimed 2 for 21 and off spinner Price 2 for 18 as Gloucestershire took wickets at regular intervals to keep a lid on things.Victorious in three of their last four outings, improving Gloucestershire kept alive their hopes of progressing to the knock-out stages, but Middlesex are already down and out, consigned to the foot of the South Group after losing their opening six games.Just as they did against Surrey on Friday night, Gloucestershire restricted their opponents to a below-par total and then managed the chase in a controlled fashion.Promoted to open the innings on the back of his record-breaking 19-ball 50 against Essex last week, Ben Charlesworth has yet to spark at the top of the order, and he was stumped off the bowling of Josh de Caires for 12 as Gloucestershire lost their first wicket with 24 on the board in the fourth over.Also pushed up the order, Hammond made a better fist of things, twice cover driving Blake Cullen to the boundary and then stepping down the track and hitting Thilan Walallawita straight down the ground as the home side advanced their score to 43 for 1 while the fielding restrictions were in place.Cautious beginnings gave way to adventure on the part of Price, the 21-year-old tucking into spinners de Caires and Walallawita to provide Gloucestershire with crucial momentum. The 21-year-old plundered a brace of fours off de Caires in the sixth over and then repeated the feat against Walallawita in the ninth, Gloucestershire reaching the halfway stage of their innings well-placed at 73 for 1.Requiring a further 67 runs at 6.70 an over with nine wickets in hand, Gloucestershire were well served by their second-wicket pair, who accumulated in a controlled fashion to lay the foundations for a successful chase. By the time Hammond squirted a catch to extra cover off the bowling of Luke Hollman, the partnership was worth 60, the Cheltenham-born left-hander having contributed 34 of those from 38 balls with four fours, and the rate remained at just over a run a ball.Within four runs of a maiden T20 50, Price attempted to reach that landmark and win the game with a single blow in the 18th over, only to over-balance and fall to a sharp stumping by Davies. Left to finish things off, Zafar remained unbeaten on 37 from 22 balls, with a six and three fours, while skipper Jack Taylor hit the winning run.Gloucestershire performed at the top of their game to reduce Surrey to 29 for 4 in the powerplay at Bristol 48 hours earlier, but were unable to emulate that feat on this occasion. They began well enough, Payne having Stephen Eskinazi caught at the wicket in the act of driving recklessly and Joe Cracknell hoisting Danny Lamb to square leg as Middlesex lurched to 20-2 in the third over.But the home side then blotted their copybook when Holden, still to get off the mark, was put down at point by Matt Taylor off the bowling of Zafar with the score on 26. He and Pieter Malan advanced the score to a respectable 45 for 2 at the end of the powerplay as the visitors sought to make the most of their good fortune.But Gloucestershire continued to press hard and Price had Malan caught at long-on for a 19-ball 21 and Zafar bowled former team-mate Ryan Higgins for one as Middlesex, struggling to contend with spin from both ends, were reduced to 52-4 in the eighth over.Fortunate to still be at large and determined to make good his escape, Holden led a Middlesex fightback of sorts, partially rebuilding the innings with a restorative fifth-wicket stand of 24 with de Caires. Gloucestershire were already regretting dropping the left-hander when he hoisted Matt Taylor for the first six of the match, and he went on to add a quartet of fours in a progressive innings that yielded 34 from 22 balls.Veteran slow left armer Tom Smith eventually put paid to Holden’s antics, luring him into a trap that saw him hit straight to Price at deep mid-wicket as Middlesex slipped to 76 for 5 in the eleventh.A good deal of responsibility resting on their shoulders, de Caires and Davies ran hard between the wickets and scored at slightly better than a run-a-ball in adding 29 for the sixth wicket. But Gloucestershire stuck to their task and de Caires, having made 18 from 20 balls, hoisted Price to substitute fielder Zaman Akhter at long-on and perished going for the big hit with the score on 105, while Luke Hollman was run out for one by Smith’s throw from deep backward square as Middlesex slumped to 114 for 7 in the sixteenth.Worse followed for the visitors, Tom Helm falling cheaply to the returning Payne, who applied concerted pressure at the death, keeping things tight to further frustrate Middlesex.In danger of running out of partners and forced to take matters into his own hands, Davies batted with real purpose to finish just four runs short of a half century, his 33-ball innings containing 3 fours and a six. Blake Cullen stayed with him long enough to stage a ninth-wicket alliance of 22 in 20 balls, but there was no escaping the strong suspicion that the Londoners had fallen short.

David Warner’s sixth century in 2016 coupled with bruising half-centuries of varying degree from Steven Smith, Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh helped Australia seal the series

The Report by Daniel Brettig06-Dec-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsFourteen years and one month after Nasser Hussain infamously offered Australia first use of a Gabba pitch that proved brimful of Ashes runs, Kane Williamson gambled similarly and was left with an equally bitter taste of defeat, surrendering the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy in the process.Now, as then, there were mitigating circumstances: the pitch looked to have something in it after rain, and humid, overcast weather suggested apt conditions for swing. But after a couple of useful early deliveries things cleared for Australia’s batsmen; so much so that they accelerated to the team’s second highest total on home soil.David Warner and Steven Smith set a platform that a supercharged Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh took full advantage of, leaving Williamson’s visitors to chase in hope rather than expectation. Granted so many runs to defend, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc all put in strong stints, while Head’s part-time off spin was frugal.After the toss was delayed by more than half an hour due to light drizzle in Canberra, the hosts were given an ideal start by Warner and a noticeably tighter Aaron Finch, getting through an early period of new ball movement to ease the pathway for the rest.Warner’s hundred combined judicious shot selection with plenty of hustle between the wickets and power off the bat, his sixth in ODIs this year. Most notable were his muscular, punched drives down the ground that gave New Zealand’s seamers very little margin for error.Smith, following up from his ground record 164 at the SCG on Sunday, produced another innings of substance and style in Warner’s wake, as the pair combined for a stand worth 145 at better than a run a ball. Head was promoted above Marsh when Warner exited, and vindicated the decision by clattering 57 from 32 balls, before Marsh himself followed up with a bullying 76 from 39 – the swap appeared to suit both players.Needing to win to keep the series alive, New Zealand dropped Lockie Ferguson after his Sydney debut for the more experienced swing bowler Tim Southee. Australia dropped Adam Zampa from the side that won handsomely at the SCG, replacing him with the allround skills of James Faulkner.Having gambled on overcast skies and the potential for a slightly tacky pitch, Williamson needed early wickets but did himself no favours when placing only two slips for Warner. In his first over, Trent Boult found enough swing and bounce to draw an edge from Warner, but it flew past Jimmy Neesham’s outstretched left hand at slip rather than straight into the lap of where third slip might have been.Finch, meanwhile, showed he had worked on his first ball dismissal at the SCG, getting forward and across to cover the moving ball, and ensured that Williamson resorted to the spin of Mitchell Santner in only the 11th over of the innings. By the time Finch was bowled behind his pads trying to sweep Santner, there were 68 runs on the board and a platform had been laid.Smith wasted little time picking up the thread left by his Sydney innings, while Warner played shots all round the ground without ever losing control of his tempo. Through strong running and the occasional boundary, he pushed on to three figures, doing so with near enough to 20 overs of the innings still remaining.It took a fine low catch from Williamson at cover to account for Warner, before Smith skied an attempt to loft over cover and so missed out on consecutive hundreds. Head was rapidly into stride, pinging boundaries with relish, in contrast with a more halting effort from Marsh.These two had traded places in the batting order, and it was not hard to imagine Head keeping his new-found place at No. 5 in the future, even if Marsh gradually found his rhythm to strike the ball with the sort of power associated with his best batting days. He put an exclamation point on the innings with a trio of straight sixes in the final over from a humbled Matt Henry.Of the New Zealand bowlers, only Santner avoided considerable punishment; a trio of no-balls and the resultant free hits did not help either. They commenced their pursuit with a brazen Martin Guptill, following up from his SCG hundred. But Guptill was robbed of his opening partner Tom Latham via a return catch from Josh Hazlewood, before the ball of the night from Pat Cummins found his outside edge.From there the visitors were always facing a dreadfully difficult task. Williamson put together a typically organised innings, and had staunch support from Neesham – even after he was struck a stinging blow to the right arm by Mitchell Starc. But their efforts did little to prevent the asking rate blowing out, and the consequent pressure delivered a steady stream of skied catches to Smith’s infielders.After a horrid start to summer, the Australians have found a little of their former strut – Hazlewood and Starc can expect to be given a breather from the third match at the MCG on Friday. Williamson’s men, meanwhile, have some thinking to do, starting with the coin toss.

The wider sporting world has allowed athletes to play with the virus, but the league is adopting more stringent protocols

Nagraj Gollapudi18-Mar-2023Even as sporting authorities worldwide are permitting athletes to participate in events despite testing positive for Covid-19 over the last year, the IPL has decided to stick to its 2022 policy of asking players with the virus to go through a week-long isolation period before rejoining their teams.While the season will no longer need to operate out of a bio-secure bubble, which had been mandatory for the three years since the pandemic, the IPL has said it wants to be “careful” and players testing positive will not be allowed to participate in a match or in training until they return consecutive negative tests, the earliest of which can be taken on day five of recovery.”While there has been a decline in the number of Covid-19 cases in India we still have to be careful of the emerging strains which are becoming a concern at regular intervals,” the IPL’s medical guidelines, which were distributed to franchises this week, say. “Positive cases must be isolated for maximum seven days. Positive cases will not be allowed to participate in any match or any form of activity/event during the period of isolation.”From day five, they can undergo a RT-PCR, provided they must be must be asymptomatic without any medication for 24 hours. Once the first result is negative the 2nd test must be done 24 hours apart. Only after obtaining two negative RT-PCR tests 24 hours apart i.e. day five and day six, can they rejoin the group.”The IPL pointed out that testing will be carried out only for those actually showing signs of Covid-19, not for those who are asymptomatic. Any participant continuing to test positive even after day seven would need to present two negative tests 12 hours apart before rejoining the group.This is in contrast to the loosening of restrictions in dealing with Covid-19 cases in global sport including international cricket. Last August, Australian allrounder Tahlia McGrath became the first cricketer to play a match despite testing positive for Covid-19 in the Commonwealth Games T20 final against India.A few months later, at the men’s T20 World Cup, Mathew Wade, who had tested positive, was named part of the Australian team in the league match against England which was eventually washed out. In January, Australian opener Matt Renshwaw reported Covid-19 symptoms on the first morning of the New Year’s Test against South Africa in Sydney, tested positive before toss, but went on to play the match.The ICC has allowed players to participate in matches at global events including the CWG in England and the T20 World Cup in Australia last year. It remains to be seen, though, whether it will retain the same process during the ODI World Cup in India later this year.

There is a 90% chance of rain in Sydney which may put a damper on the opening match of the Super 12s

Deivarayan Muthu21-Oct-20223:23

Will Guptill find a spot in the NZ XI? Do both Milne and Ferguson play?

Big picture

Less than one year after New Zealand were blown away by Australia in the 2021 T20 World Cup final in Dubai , the two teams come together once again, this time to launch the main draw of the 2022 T20 World Cup at what will be a packed SCG. However, with the La Niña weather event in play there is a 90% chance of rain in Sydney, which could potentially play spoilsport.New Zealand’s warm-up fixture against India was also washed out though it was in Brisbane earlier this week. They will also have to contend with the injury-enforced absence of Daryl Mitchell – one of their heroes from the 2021 T20 World Cup – who is racing against time to be fit for the game against Afghanistan on October 26 at the MCG.Fast bowlers Lockie Ferguson and Adam Milne are also working their way back from injuries and were hence managed carefully in the most recent T20I tri-series at home in Christchurch. Then, there’s New Zealand’s record against Australia in Australia, which hangs like Coleridge’s albatross around their necks. Zero wins in any format since 2011.Related

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In their quest to remedy that and maximise the powerplay, in particular, New Zealand have made the tough call of relegating Martin Guptill to the bench and bumping Finn Allen up to the top along with Devon Conway. Allen is one of the most exciting short-format players currently, boasting a powerplay strike rate of 156.48 – the best among all batters who have played at least ten innings during this phase since his T20I debut in March 2021.1:31

Williamson: Both Ferguson and Milne bring something different

The selection headaches don’t end there. New Zealand will have to choose between Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi and Michael Bracewell, the Wellington Firebirds batting allrounder who has shown that he can do the job as a bowling allrounder too. It is very unlikely that all three can find a place in the same XI.Australia have also had their fair share of issues in the build-up to the World Cup, but their appear in much healthier shape, despite losing spare wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis to a golf injury. Matthew Wade, Josh Hazlewood and Adam Zampa have all excelled in T20 cricket over the past 12 months. Throw in the finishing skills of Tim David and the pedigree of David Warner at the top, and you have the ingredients of another title-winning side.If it comes down to a truncated shootout on Saturday, Australia arguably have more depth and explosive power than New Zealand. However, one can never count New Zealand out at a global tournament.

Form guide

Australia LLWWL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
New ZealandLWWWL

In the spotlight

The boundaries in Australia are bigger than the those in many other parts of the word. But they still might not be big enough for Tim David who has a bit of Kieron Pollard about his six-hitting. In addition to muscling the ball over midwicket, David is particularly good at hitting in the ‘V’ like his Mumbai Indians senior. His duel with Ferguson/Milne could set the pulses racing.John Cena’s Glenn Phillips‘ time is now. He only had a peripheral role to play in the last T20 World Cup but with Mitchell injured, he will be one of those asked to pick up the slack. Phillips is quite capable, his 360 degree game attracting the attention of T20 franchise owners all around the world. He is also a live wire on the field, can keep wicket and bowl some fastish offspin, if required.Everyone’s coming for the trophy in Australia’s hands•Getty Images

Team news

The sensational Cameron Green has found a way into Australia’s squad, but may not be able to make the XI, especially now that it looks like Marsh might just be available to bowl a few overs, if needed.Australia (probable): 1 Aaron Finch (capt), 2 David Warner, 3 Mitchell Marsh, 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Marcus Stoinis, 6 Tim David, 7 Matthew Wade (wk), 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Josh HazlewoodKane Williamson didn’t rule out the possibility of both Ferguson and Milne featuring in New Zealand’s XI. Bracewell emerged as the Player-of-the-(Tri)Series against Bangladesh and Pakistan earlier this month but might miss out if New Zealand opt for the experience of Santner and Sodhi and the batting insurance offered by Mark Chapman.New Zealand (probable): 1 Devon Conway (wk), 2 Finn Allen/Martin Guptill, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Glenn Phillips, 5 Michael Bracewell/Mark Chapman, 6 Jimmy Neesham, 7 Mitchell Santner, 8 Tim Southee, 9 Trent Boult, 10 Lockie Ferguson/Adam Milne, 11 Ish Sodhi

Pitch and conditions

The pitch was under cover for most of Friday so Finch only got a brief look at it. He said it was on the drier side. Though the forecast is grim, the SCG recovers quickly from rain, which the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, says is likely to come in the afternoon and the evening.

Stats and trivia

• Williamson’s form has been iffy since the last T20 World Cup and his niggly elbow hasn’t helped him either. Since the final against Australia in November last year, he has managed only 420 runs in 20 T20 innings at a strike rate of 105.26.
• Boult could be New Zealand’s best bet to tackle Wade. The left-arm seamer has dismissed Wade three times in 23 balls in T20Is.
• No seamer has taken more wickets than Hazlewood (23) in the powerplay in T20 cricket in the past year. He has picked up 23 wickets in 32 innings at an economy rate of 6.20. Among all bowlers, only Sri Lanka’s Maheesh Theekshana is ahead of Hazlewood with 24 strikes, but he has had the benefit of 40 innings.

Quotes

“We haven’t thought too much about that. Nice to play against Australia first up, and it should be a good game.”

England opener says he took inspiration from team-mate Dawid Malan to score a match-winning century

Mohammad Isam03-Mar-2023A set plan to tackle the spinners with sweeps and reverse sweeps in addition to overlooking the “smoke” around his batting form allowed Jason Roy to make 132 off 124 balls in a series-winning effort in the second ODI against Bangladesh.Roy’s ton was big enough to end the hosts’ proud home record of seven unbeaten ODI series wins in seven years. Bangladesh were bundled out for 194 in pursuit of 327, and it was Roy’s innings that mainly put them out of the contest.Roy got four boundaries with reverse hits off the left-arm spinners, apart from playing the conventional sweep to milk the slow bowlers.”It was a plan [to sweep and reverse sweep] with the amount of turn,” Roy said. “To go over point was the safest option for me. I tried to go over cover a couple of times, it was just too slow and too much spin. I tried to put that to bed quickly. Once Shakib [Al Hasan] gets that undercutter, I should have hit it to the sightscreen, but I tried to sweep him [and got out]. It was a slightly poor decision but apart from that, I think you had to keep your boundary options very simple. You can hit it wherever you want when you get a lot of runs. Out there, [hitting the sweeps and reverse sweeps] was one of the only boundary options for me today.”Roy said that the Dhaka pitch played to the batters’ advantage. It was slow, but the spin was to a consistent degree, which allowed for easier strokeplay compared to the first ODI where the pitch offered uneven bounce.”I only faced four balls the other day, it was clearly a lot easier today,” he said. “But there was a bit more spin, but it was consistent. The other day it was slightly inconsistent bounce as well as turn. It was far lower scoring whereas today there was slow bounce. I think the boys showed a high amount of skill to give us that total.”Roy spoke about the relief of getting runs on this Bangladesh tour, particularly after getting out early in the first game.”Every single time [scoring a hundred] means the world. I worked hard to right my wrongs from the first match. I made a silly mistake then, and I was hungry to make some runs. There are some hundreds in the past when you get to 40, and you feel really free-flowing when you get to the hundred. Every boundary was a scrap. I built a great partnership with Jos [Buttler]. We ticked over nicely.”Every place poses completely different skillsets. None more so somewhere like here. I have scored runs in India. As far as skillset for batsmen, to score runs in these sort of conditions is as rewarding as it can get. I am very happy to score. The amount we scored today on that wicket in a series-defining match was awesome.”Roy said that he took a leaf out of Dawid Malan’s book from the first ODI when the left-hander struck his fourth ODI hundred. It saved England from defeat essentially, as Malan mastered the conditions to take the visitors home.”I have realised that very quickly once I stuck that one up in the air in the first game,” Roy said. “The way Malan went about his innings, I quickly realised to switch on, put my head in and bat some time.”It was just time at the crease. I can score a lot of runs if I batted that amount of time. As simple as that. I reduced the risk in boundary options. The one I got out to, was the highest risk for a boundary option I took. I got out stupidly.”

Acting BCCI president doesn’t want the careers of both players to be put in a limbo

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jan-2019CK Khanna, BCCI’s acting president, doesn’t want the careers of KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya to be “kept in a limbo” and has urged the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) to lift their suspension until the court issues a directive.”I suggest that pending inquiry we reinstate both the cricketers in the Indian squad immediately and allow them to join the team in New Zealand at the earliest,” he wrote in an email, as reported by ‘They made a mistake, and they have already been suspended and called back from the series against Australia. They have also submitted an unconditional apology. We must not keep their careers in a limbo.”Hardik and Rahul were recalled from the tour of Australia after the Test series for their comments on a TV chat show that was aired on January 6. Since then, both players have pleaded guilty to the charge of indiscipline and misconduct imposed on them by the CoA.ALSO READ: Hardik Pandya and the man in the mirrorHaving missed the ODIs in Australia, their hopes of an imminent return were dashed when the Supreme Court on Thursday adjourned the hearing pertaining to Lodha reforms. The fate of Hardik and Rahul is one of several issues that are due to be resolved, but can only be done after the appointment of an amicus curiae to replace Gopal Subramanium, who left that post recently after holding it for several years.The disciplinary issue of the two players is tied to the appointment of a BCCI ombudsman, the board’s final adjudicating authority under its new constitution. The post has been vacant since Justice AP Shah finished his term in late 2016 and the Committee of Administrators has asked the court for directions on a new appointment.

Queensland have named former television executive Max Walters as the state’s new chief executive, replacing the interim CEO, Michael Kasprowicz

Daniel Brettig29-Sep-2016Queensland have named former television executive Max Walters as the state’s new chief executive, replacing the interim CEO, Michael Kasprowicz.Walters, who has served as managing director of Channel Seven in Brisbane for the past 12 years, also played 13 Sheffield Shield matches for Queensland between 1975 and 1979, making one century.The Bulls had been left searching for a new CEO earlier this year following the sudden departure of Geoff Cockerill, well before his contract was due to expire. Kasprowicz stepped away temporarily from his Cricket Australia board directorship to do the job till a permanent replacement was found.”I thoroughly enjoyed my career with Seven and in the television industry, but I am very enthused about joining Queensland Cricket in this role,” Walters said. “Cricket is in an enviable position at the moment and there are many opportunities and ventures that lie ahead which will be exciting to be a part of. Queensland Cricket has transformed over the years into a dynamic business, but it still retains many of the qualities that I recall fondly.”The game has played an important role in my life, both professionally and personally, and so being able to focus on it again will be both challenging and rewarding.”Largely due to difficulties created by its diffuse population spread across many mid-sized communities spanning a wide geographical area, Queensland has been a focus of pointed funding and development work at Cricket Australia, particularly after the move to an independent board of directors and more sophisticated financial distribution model in 2012.Targeted CA funding has been aimed at better identifying and supporting cricket talent across the state, with the current chairman David Peever, a Queenslander, emphasising the importance of grass roots investment. Queensland Cricket was able to announce a modest operating profit at the association’s AGM in Brisbane on Tuesday evening.