He is the model T20 opener but the other two formats are a work in progress

Alagappan Muthu and Mohammad Isam24-Dec-2023Finn Allen hits the ball like an epiphany at 4 in the morning. So very hard.His strike rate at the end of his first full T20 season (2020-21) was 193.93. Even now, having added 86 matches to those initial 11, it’s up at 167.78.Allen and others like him can play like this only because they make a conscious effort to devalue their wicket. Their job, instead, is to make the most of every ball that comes at them. He was at the crease for a mere four overs in the opening match of the 2022 T20 World Cup and it was enough to derail the defending champions. Australia’s net run rate took such a big beating that the captain Aaron Finch admitted “their fate was out of their hands.”Related

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Days like those, however, come at a price.Allen has made only six scores of 30 or more for New Zealand in 26 innings since then. He also missed out on a place in the ODI World Cup. “It’s obviously tough,” he told ESPNcricinfo in September. “It’s something you work towards for a long time and to get that news was obviously a little bit devastating. But you just get on with it.”Looking for the most runs off every single ball became Allen’s instinct and instinct is hard to curb. It’s like trying not to laugh at a good joke. Before you know it, you’ve already done it. This is why all-format excellence is rare. You have to be three different people in one, like AB de Villiers was or Jasprit Bumrah is. Allen’s idol probably fits in that bracket as well.”I definitely looked up to Kevin Pietersen. The way it kind of started was, I moved to Wellington and I guess they just wanted me to go out there and express myself in the T20 competition and I had never really done anything like that before so I guess I surprised myself a little bit. Now its just about developing that and as I said trying to be more consistent at that for longer.”

“I’ve found it a lot tougher in ODI cricket. Bowlers bowl a bit more attackingly. If they get hurt early on, they can still come at you aggressively because they’ve got time later in the game to pull their figures back and pull it back in the team. So I guess it’s been more of a challenge of my method if anything. The mental challenge around sticking at it for longer and being able to stick to your processes for longer”Finn Allen

That will invariably involve restraint. But how much? Allen is desperate for higher honours. “For sure, you have your setbacks. People have had far tougher roads in their career so who knows. It’s almost fuel to the fire, you know [every time you aren’t picked in the team]. You take time to process it. Grieve a little bit and yeah, we’ve got a big summer coming up and hopefully I can still make some strides.”But he does not want to lose his X-factor. He is actually prepared to risk everything for it. “Something I’m working on at the moment is around consistency in my game. Trying to figure out my method to be consistent but still strike at a high strike rate, I guess. You have to be okay with failure at times and you have to I guess be thick-skinned in a way because there’s going to be peaks and troughs along the way. The highs are going to be really high and the lows can be really low.”At the end of the day, we’re entertainers, right? We’re here to put a show on for the crowd and get their money’s worth and that’s the way I want to play my cricket.”In some ways, Allen came to internationals too soon. The allure of him smashing fast bowlers at the lower levels, where he seemed proficient on both sides of the wicket and against any length on offer, was too great. New Zealand had to try him out but once he was there, he realised he had a pretty decent plan A but no real fallback; or at least none that worked the way he wanted.Finn Allen smashed 168 off 110 balls in his first game of this year’s Ford Trophy•James McCully/Auckland Cricket Association”It’s been interesting. Obviously, played a bit of List A cricket back home, figuring out my method there and then trying to replicate that on the international stage is obviously challenging.”Take just the powerplay. Allen dominates it in T20Is, because success here is measured in strike rate and since his debut, only Nicholas Pooran (160.52) has a better one than his 153.86 (min 20 innings). In ODIs, though, a batter’s worth is measured in the weight of runs he makes and the way it shapes the team’s fortunes. For that, he has to spend time at the crease. Allen has played 21 innings in ODIs so far and in 13 of them he has not been able to survive the powerplay.”I’ve found it a lot tougher in ODI cricket,” he said. “Bowlers bowl a bit more attackingly. If they get hurt early on, they can still come at you aggressively because they’ve got time later in the game to pull their figures back and pull it back in the team. So I guess it’s been more of a challenge of my method if anything. The mental challenge around sticking at it for longer and being able to stick to your processes for longer.”Allen’s entire New Zealand career – two years, nine months and five days on Christmas – has been about finding a tempo that satisfied both the game and himself. He is still searching for that balance, but once again there have been some good signs at the domestic level.Last month, in his first-ever appearance for his hometown team, Auckland, he very nearly broke their record for the highest 50-over score (174 by Colin Munro) and he did it in a match where only two others, having faced more than 10 deliveries, could keep a strike rate above 80. Eight days later, he raised another century. A career tally that was only 1421 when this season’s Ford Trophy began is already up at 1808 – a 30% increase. And here’s the cherry on top: the last three months of 2023 witnessed three of his five longest innings across formats.Say it softly but Finn Allen is hitting the ball like good coffee on a bad morning. Just the right kind of hard.

The RCB captain batted with a freedom she has seldom shown in the WPL to take down UP Warriorz

Shashank Kishore05-Mar-20242:29

Takeaways: Mandhana makes merry in final game of Bengaluru leg

It was the perfect end to the first leg of WPL 2024. A hugely partisan crowd in Bengaluru gave Royal Challengers Bangalore the perfect send-off after their third win in five matches.The official attendance was 26,483 but the endless noise and the cheer made it sound like 40,000 had crammed into the stadium on a Monday, vociferously rooting for a team whose chants of ‘RCB-RCB’ have become quite synonymous at venues across the country, even when the team isn’t playing.As if to match up this energy, RCB played the perfect high-intensity game. Along the way, they made a few tactical changes that went a long way in putting on a batting performance that demoralized the UP Warriorz.Related

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After scores of 1, 6, 23 and 9, RCB decided to drop Sophie Devine down the order. S Meghana was promoted to open with Smriti Mandhana with a simple message of maximising the powerplay without worrying about preserving her wicket.Right On cue, Meghana delivered a pulsating start, her agricultural heaves and bottom-handed power with the field in threw down an early gauntlet. It came with the knowledge that they bat deep.Mandhana took over from where Meghana left off, batting with the freedom she has seldom shown at RCB. All through WPL 2023, she went through a wretched run, where she was particularly vulnerable to spin, especially of the left-arm variety, to the point that teams brought one on as early as they possibly could.Alyssa Healy knew the crowd was against her. They were so loud that she didn’t even bother to chirp at Mandhana. It would only be drowned out. But she could do the next best thing. Bring on a spinner to play on Mandhana’s mind and she had a plethora to choose from: Deepti Sharma, Sophie Ecclestone, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Chamari Athapaththu and Grace Harris. Healy picked the left-armer Gayakwad and Mandhana greeted her with a glorious inside-out six over wide long-off.The footwork coming down the track, the precision of her movements, the backlift and the follow-through after hitting the ball – all poetry in motion. Then came Athapaththu, a part-timer with a penchant for breakthroughs with her offspin. Mandhana carted her across the line over long-on. She’d raced to 21 off 12.Luck was on Mandhana’s side by now. On 28, she skewed Ecclestone to long-off and Athapaththu made a mess of a straightforward chance. Ecclestone couldn’t bear looking on. Two balls after the reprieve, Athapaththu was the aggrieved one, as Healy missed a stumping chance off her bowling. You felt this was a moment that would fire Mandhana into orbit. She lap swept the next ball for four to get going again.ESPNcricinfo LtdThe Warriorz knew it was time to play some more mind games, but Mandhana seemed to welcome it. Deepti bailed out at release point, trying to take the premeditation away. Mandhana bailed out of her stance as Deepti attempted to re-bowl. The crowd went hysterical. Mandhana smiled, Healy, an excellent tactician herself, had a little chuckle.As the intensity kept you hooked on the pitch, away from it, the crowd was having a ball, like they usually do. Devine and Richa Ghosh decided to entertain them with a 50-metre dash from the pitch to the dugout. It was a photo finish and by far the most entertaining strategic time out ever.Mandhana had the perfect ally in Ellyse Perry, who walked in at No. 3, unlike earlier where she batted at four. And she quickly got into her groove to play support, only occasionally hitting the ball in the air, but effortlessly finding gaps to keep the scoreboard ticking.The gears truly changed in the 15th over when Athapaththu was taken for three fours by Mandhana. Anjali Sarvani came under attack too, taken for three more fours. Mandhana paddled her first up, tonked a slot-ball to long-off and then played a ferocious cut behind point. She had answers to everything thrown at her.The shot of the evening, though, was reserved for Gayakwad when she moved leg side of the ball in stepping out and then launched it inside-out, against the turn, over extra cover. It was special because the field was set for the slog across the line with three fielders patrolling the deep; Mandhana had not just superbly opened up the off side but also picked her spot with precision.A century loomed, the first in the WPL, but Mandhana fell looking to take the field on, caught at deep midwicket off Deepti’s bowling. The Chinnaswamy rose, the applause resonated around the ground. With Mandhana gone, Perry had the license to go full throttle, and she did, hitting a six that shattered the glass window of a sponsor car.When the innings ended, it felt like the crowd had lost their voice after all the hooting. Inside the insulated, air-conditioned hospitality box, phones buzzed with warnings about the decibel levels.This refreshing batting approach that nearly saw RCB ransack 200 was more in line with what the management expected from them. They aren’t a team that should be huffing and puffing to 131.The change in tactics was as much an exercise in understanding how much depth they have, but also unlocking their own potential. Ghosh being promoted ahead of Devine to power-hit was sign that things are moving in the right direction. It also told you how much Ghosh has come along in the past year. From being dropped for being “unfit” after last year’s WPL, her work on the sidelines is beginning to bear fruit. Along with her batting, Ghosh’s glove work has gone up a few notches. Her dismissal of Harris was ample proof of the anticipation and the athleticism she now has.You wondered if Bengaluru could match Mumbai’s intensity in terms of crowd support. By the end of the first leg, you could say without doubt they’d owned the stage. Mandhana and her team gave the crowd a lap of honour and the WPL’s experiment of the caravan model had passed the test in style. Over to you, Delhi.

The end of Warner’s Test career is only the beginning of another one – or five

Alan Gardner16-Jan-2024So, farewell then, David Warner. Although bringing down the curtain on a storied Test career is really only the start of the long goodbye for Australia’s best-loved bad-boy-turned-good, a man who seemed to epitomise what the country is really all about: looks cuddly, might kill you.There was, predictably, plenty of emotion swirling around the SCG as Warner doffed his baggy green for the final time (that after the cap had mysteriously resurfaced at the team hotel, presumably with the toerag who had pinched it having realised his grave mistake). Australians love a good send-off – and we’re not just talking about the Merv Hughes variety – so don’t be surprised if there’s plenty more lovey-Davey stuff to come between this international retirement and the next instalment or two.Warner himself has places to be and has never been afraid to take the aerial route – as evidenced by a transparent attempt to skip the speeches at his brother’s wedding. But what does the future hold, beyond T20 leagues and stints in the commentary box? The Light Roller looks at some likely options…Related

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Warner: I want to be remembered as exciting and entertaining

Head honcho at X/Twitter
Once known for playing fast and loose on social media, Warner has become something of a guru. He TikTok-ed his way into everyone’s good books during the first Covid lockdown and recently admitted that he lets his wife check over his tweets before he presses send – which sounds like the sort of wisdom Elon Musk could benefit from.The next James Bond
Why not upgrade that licence to thrill? There was a glimpse of Warner’s box-office appeal in the aforementioned helicopter dash to BBL duty – although, disappointingly, he missed the opportunity to parachute out of the chopper and into the stadium Daniel Craig-style. Can probably already handle a Walther PPK, not so sure about a British accent. Famously used to instruct players mixing the drinks during Test matches that he liked his shaken, not stirred.Social Justice Warner
The Aussies are all about being woke these days, but we should have realised back when he was taking Joe Root to task in a Birmingham Walkabout for mocking people with beards that Warner has long been on the side of the righteous. His chequered past – Usman Khawaja’s mum calls him “Shaitan”, and he has been reformed more times than a pack of supermarket ham – arguably makes him uniquely qualified to lecture us on where we’re going wrong.Bluey x Davey
Once the attack dog in Australia’s attempts to ruffle their opponents in the field, Warner is now perfectly placed to join ‘s cast of family-friendly cartoon canines. Loves his daughters? Check. Adept at coming up with wacky and heartwarming ways to pass the time? Check. Good for a game of backyard cricket? Check. The guy who does the voice of Bandit should start getting worried.Opens chain of hardware stores
Seriously, if he’s going to get sledged about sandpaper for the rest of his career he might as well try to earn a crust from it. The marketing material practically writes itself: “Warner’s Premium Grade – erases even the most regrettable errors.”

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After math: Smith crunches the numbers on the FTP and it’s not looking good•Getty ImagesTalking of Australia openers, Steven Smith has taken his first-in-the-nets-last-out approach to its logical conclusion by successfully petitioning to be Warner’s replacement. Smith, it seems, was bored of sitting around talking to his team-mates and pretending to like crosswords before a couple of wickets fell and he could fidget his way out to the middle, so decided to seek a new challenge. For a man whose problem-solving approach to batting has long had a touch of Zack Galifianakis math about it, this makes sense – but we can’t help but wonder if Smith’s not-inconsiderable cricketing acumen might be put to better use. Never mind dealing with new-ball swing and fullish lengths, couldn’t Smith challenge himself by trying to fix the international calendar or discover the true meaning of Matthew Hayden?

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. No, that is not the latest Pakistani rip-off of the Indiana Jones franchise – although there were some epic feelgood lolz about their recent tour down under. Pakistan played good cricket, Pakistan played bad cricket, Pakistan gave gifts to their hosts at Christmas (and that’s before we get to dropping all those catches or resting their star bowler). But it was Hafeez, the new team director, who veered back into more traditional territory by blaming “inconsistent umpiring and technology curse” for his side’s defeat in the second Test, at the MCG. That and the dropped catches, of course. He went on to conclude: “When you factor in all the booby traps, implacable supernatural forces and time-travelling Nazis, it’s fair to say we never stood a chance.”

Only once before has more runs been scored in a women’s ODI, while this is the first instance of four women scoring centuries in an ODI

Sampath Bandarupalli19-Jun-2024325 for 3 – India made their first 300-plus total in women’s ODIs at home. Their previous best was 298 for 2 against West Indies in 2004.2 – Number of times India have scored more than their 325 for 3 in ODIs. Their highest is 358 for 2 against Ireland in 2017, and the 333 for 5 against England in 2022 is the second-highest.It is also the fifth-highest ODI total against South Africa, with the top four scores all recorded by England.Related

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4 – Number of batters to score a hundred in the Bengaluru ODI – Mandhana, Harmanpreet, Kapp and Wolvaardt, in that order. This is the first instance of four batters scoring centuries in a women’s ODI – it’s happened thrice in men’s ODIs.There has been only one instance of three centurions in a women’s ODI previously – a game between England and South Africa in 2018 in Hove – Tammy Beaumont, Sarah Taylor and Lizelle Lee got to the milestones then.15 – Number of sixes hit on Wednesday – eight by India and seven by South Africa. These are the most sixes hit in a women’s ODI, surpassing the 14 between Australia and New Zealand in 2012 at North Sydney Oval.646 – Runs scored in the game, the second-highest in a women’s ODI. The highest aggregate is 678 runs between England and South Africa in Bristol during the 2017 World Cup.321 for 6 – South Africa’s total is the highest by any team in a chase in women’s ODIs. The previous highest was South Africa’s 305 for 9 in an unsuccessful chase against England in 2017 and 305 for 4 by Sri Lanka while chasing South Africa’s 302 earlier this year.Marizanne Kapp and Laura Wolvaardt put on an 184-run stand•Getty ImagesThe total of 321 is also the third-highest for South Africa in women’s ODIs and the third-highest by any team against India.87 – Number of balls Harmanpreet needed to bring up her century. It is the fastest recorded hundred by an Indian in women’s ODIs, bettering her own 90-ball effort against Australia in the 2017 World Cup semi-final.1 – Mandhana became the first India batter to score hundreds in successive innings in women’s ODIs. She joined nine other women in achieving this feat with only Amy Satterthwaite scoring more than two in succession – she made four in a row in 2016-2017. Beaumont is the only batter with successive centuries on separate occasions.7 – Number hundreds for Mandhana in ODI cricket, the joint-highest for India alongside Mithali Raj. Harmanpreet is next on the list with six, all while batting at No. 4 or lower.ESPNcricinfo Ltd8 – Sixes hit by India in this game, their highest in a women’s ODI. Their previous highest was seven.These are also the most sixes any team has hit against South Africa in a women’s ODI, surpassing the six by New Zealand in the 2013 World Cup.136 – Mandhana’s score, the highest for India in a women’s ODI at home. Her 117-run knock on Sunday in the first ODI was the previous highest.2 – Partnerships of 150-plus runs between Mandhana and Harmanpreet in ODIs. They are only the third pair with multiple 150-plus partnerships for the third wicket or lower in women’s ODIs.118 – Runs scored by India in their last ten overs in Bengaluru with 14 fours and five sixes. India started on a slow note, scoring only 47 runs in their first 15 overs, with just five fours. They faced 72 dot balls in that period.A total of 15 sixes were hit in the game•BCCI2 – Mandhana and Harmanpreet are only the second pair to score hundreds twice in the same women’s ODI innings. The two hit hundreds against West Indies in the 2022 World Cup.Beaumont and Taylor are the other such pair. They both scored hundreds against South Africa at the 2017 World Cup and in 2018 at Hove.85 – Balls Kapp needed for her hundred, the quickest for South Africa in women’s ODIs, bettering Lee’s 86-ball effort against Australia in 2016.2 – Kapp has hit three ODI hundreds, and two have come while batting at No. 5 or lower. Kapp is the first batter to score multiple hundreds from No. 5 or lower in women’s ODIs.Her 114 against India is also the first century scored by a batter from No. 5 or lower in a women’s ODI chase.

A new T20I captain is in place at the start of a new World Cup cycle, while the ODI squad begins its preparations for next year’s Champions Trophy

Shashank Kishore24-Jul-20246:05

The start of Gill’s captaincy internship, and a fresh take on Rohit-Kohli’s workload

A sense of anticipation surrounds India’s tour of Sri Lanka, which might have otherwise been fairly low-key, with Gautam Gambhir beginning his stint as the head coach, and with India beginning a new era in white-ball cricket following their T20 World Cup triumph. The make-up of India’s T20I squad in the aftermath of the three big retirements following the World Cup win and the composition of the ODI squad in the run-up to next year’s Champions Trophy will be keenly looked at.

How will Suryakumar handle the captaincy challenge?

In 2015, Suryakumar Yadav’s first brush with captaincy ended controversially when he gave up the leadership of his domestic side after being reprimanded by the Mumbai Cricket Association following complaints from his team-mates that he used abusive language on the field and in the dressing room. Nearly a decade on, Suryakumar is a far more mellow character, and a hugely evolved cricketer, one of the greats of the T20 format. The timing of his elevation to India’s T20I captaincy could not feel more apt.Related

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Suryakumar’s calmness and maturity, and his body of work as a batter, have won him several admirers, most notably the Ajit-Agarkar-led selection committee. Gambhir too was impressed by what he saw of Suryakumar during his later years at Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), when he was elevated to vice-captaincy.Within three years of his international debut, Suryakumar is set to take over full-time, with the team management eyeing a two-year runway leading into India’s defence of their T20 crown at home and in Sri Lanka in 2026.6:24

Newsroom: What can we expect from SKY the captain?

So far, Suryakumar has captained India seven times in an interim capacity, when the job was entrusted upon him late last year with Rohit Sharma rested and Hardik Pandya out injured. Suryakumar was India’s second-highest run-getter in their 4-1 series win over Australia soon after the ODI World Cup last November, and he then led the T20I squad to a 1-1 scoreline in South Africa, where he scored 56 and 100 in two innings.The sample size is small, then, but the signs are promising. However, Suryakumar may need to tide over the potential undercurrents set in motion by his appointment, considering he will be leading Hardik, who captains him at Mumbai Indians, and who not long ago was viewed as India’s T20I captain-in-waiting.

Who is India’s T20I finisher?

With Shubman Gill vice-captain of both white-ball squads, it’s fairly certain he and Yashasvi Jaiswal will take the places of the recently retired Rohit and Virat Kohli at the top of the order in the T20Is, with Rishabh Pant at No. 3, and Suryakumar and Hardik certainties in the middle order.This leaves Sanju Samson, Riyan Parag, Rinku Singh and Shivam Dube potentially tussling for one spot. In the past, Gambhir has shown a liking for allrounders in a T20 set-up. When he assembled the squad at Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Deepak Hooda, Marcus Stoinis and Krunal Pandya were all regulars. That Dube and Parag can chip in with the ball could work in their favour, but Rinku’s temperament and the numbers he has put up over his short career will be hard to look past.KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer could be in a fight to hold on to their spots in the ODI middle order•Associated Press

Which two out of KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant?

It would have seemed inconceivable after last year’s ODI World Cup that Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul would be fighting for their places in the ODI middle order ahead of the 2025 Champions Trophy. But it’s a reality they may have to contend with if the selectors deem Pant to be the first-choice keeper, which Rahul was when Pant was recovering from the injuries he sustained in a car crash.Rohit, Gill and Kohli pick themselves at the top of the order. Assuming Hardik, who has opted for a break from the Sri Lanka ODIs, is a certainty if fully fit, there’s room for only two of Pant, Iyer and Rahul in the middle order, which means they could all be auditioning for these two spots during the ODIs in Sri Lanka.It’s possible only two may play in this series too, if India want a batting allrounder such as Parag or Dube in the top six.The scrutiny is likely to be a lot less for Axar Patel, for whom this is a chance to show the selectors he can be an able alternative to the rested Ravindra Jadeja, while Ravi Bishnoi and Washington Sundar have opportunities to build on their gains from Zimbabwe.

How will the fast-bowling bench perform?Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj are India’s top three fast bowlers across formats. But with the focus likely to shift to Test cricket after this tour – India play five home Tests and five in Australia from September to January – Gambhir is keen to ensure that workloads are managed carefully. It’s in line with this principle that Bumrah has been rested for the Sri Lanka tour, while Shami is building his way back to full fitness after a long injury break.Siraj is likely to spearhead the attack across both formats in Sri Lanka, and while Arshdeep Singh has established himself as a first-choice pick in T20Is, he’ll have a chance to make a case in the 50-overs format too. Khaleel Ahmed and the bristling Harshit Rana (picked for T20Is and ODIs respectively) will also be looked at closely.Then there are the likes of Mukesh Kumar, Avesh Khan (both not picked) and Mayank Yadav (who is on the mend from multiple injuries), who will have the upcoming domestic season beginning with the Duleep Trophy on September 5 to make their cases.

All the key numbers from Tarouba, where Uganda recorded the lowest ever powerplay score at the T20 World Cup

Sampath Bandarupalli15-Jun-202440 Uganda’s total against New Zealand is now the third lowest by any team at the men’s T20 World Cup. Uganda got bundled out for 39 runs against West Indies last week, equaling the record for the lowest total set by the Netherlands against Sri Lanka in 2014.1 Uganda’s 40 all out is also the lowest total by any team against New Zealand in men’s T20Is, as the previous lowest was 70 all out by Bangladesh in the 2016 T20 World Cup.88 Balls remaining when New Zealand completed their chase of 41 runs is now the third-biggest in terms of balls to spare at the men’s T20 World Cup. Three of the top four biggest wins in the competition’s history have come in the ongoing edition.2.14 Uganda’s run rate during their 40 all out in 18.2 overs is the third lowest in a men’s T20I innings of 100-plus balls. The 2.12 by Mali is the lowest when they were bowled out for 39 in 18.2 overs against Kenya in 2023, while Panama scored at 2.13 during their 37 all out in 17.2 overs against Canada in 2021.Related

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No team before Uganda had a run rate of less than four runs in an innings of 100-plus balls at the men’s T20 World Cup.1 New Zealand’s win margin of 88 balls is their largest win by balls to spare in men’s T20Is. Their previous biggest was by 74 balls against Kenya while chasing 74 in the 2007 T20 World Cup.9 for 3 Uganda’s powerplay total against New Zealand is now the lowest by any team at the men’s T20 World Cup. The previous lowest was 13 for 4 by Pakistan against West Indies in the 2014 edition.Uganda’s total is also the second-lowest by any team in the powerplay in men’s T20Is, where ball-by-ball data is available, behind 8 for 2 by Sierra Leone against Nigeria in 2021.4 Runs conceded by Tim Southee in his four overs are the joint-fewest by any bowler in a men’s T20 World Cup game while bowling their full quota. Frank Nsubuga did concede only four runs in his four overs against Papua New Guinea earlier in this tournament.The four runs conceded by Southee are also the fewest by a New Zealand bowler in a men’s T20I, bettering Daniel Vettori’s six runs against Bangladesh in a T20I in 2010.1 New Zealand became the first team to have three bowlers conceding less than ten runs while bowling their full quota of four overs in a men’s T20I innings. Southee conceded four runs, while Boult and Lockie Ferguson conceded seven and nine respectively.

Batters have looked to hit with the breeze while bowlers try to utilise it in their defence

Matt Roller21-Jun-2024At each of the five T20 World Cup games staged in St Lucia over the past week, there have been two matches going on: one team against the other, and both teams against the wind.Walk up to Daren Sammy Cricket Ground into the Beausejour Hills and the stiff breeze blowing in from the east is the first thing you notice. It is confirmed by the billowing flags hoisted next to the Party Stand, while players and umpires have their shirts buffeted throughout games. It is not far from the sea and the surrounding hills help to create strong winds with gusts of up to 20mph.Throughout this leg of the tournament, the breeze has blown diagonally across the ground, from behind the Party Stand on the north-eastern side – which is low and open – and towards the grandstand on the south-western side. Balls hit hard and flat can avoid it but any shot played in the air is liable to be blown one way or the other, and it has played on almost every player’s mind.Related

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South Africa hold nerve against England to continue unbeaten march

Live report – England vs South Africa: Group 2 pace-setters clash

With the wind blowing diagonally rather than straight across the ground, and three different strips used, there have been a number of subplots in these five games. In the first two, the breeze went towards the shorter boundary: bowlers tried to get hit towards the bigger side, and batters used their feet to create an angle that would allow them to hit with the wind.In the next two, the wind blew towards the bigger side, but the ends seemed to have more of an impact: in England’s win over West Indies, Phil Salt scored 27 off 22 balls at one end, while the breeze was coming towards him, and 60 off 25 at the other when it seemed to help straight shots carry over the rope.And on Friday, the first 10.30am start of the St Lucia leg, the wind seemed to be even stronger. On a fresh, central strip, the dimensions were relatively even – one square boundary measured 66 metres, the other 69 metres – and both South Africa and England made their plans accordingly: with the bat, use the breeze to attack; with the ball, use it as a defensive weapon.It has even influenced England’s team selection: they have changed the balance of their side since the start of the tournament, with Sam Curran replacing Will Jacks to provide both an extra seam-bowling option and another left-handed batter. “It gives us another option for the left-hand/right-hand combination, to try and have somebody hitting with the wind,” Jos Buttler said.It was clear in England’s bowling innings that they were trying to use it to their advantage, often bowling straight to a batter at one end and then hanging the ball wide at the other. “The wind’s been playing a big part in all the games,” Buttler said. “It was just a simple plan to try and get people to hit into the wind as opposed to with it.”The game’s costliest overs – which went for 21 runs each – were both influenced heavily by it. In South Africa’s powerplay, England posted two leg-side boundary-riders when Jofra Archer bowled to Quinton de Kock and he used the breeze to flick a ball at his hip over Reece Topley’s head at long leg and pull another over midwicket. It brought an over-correction to a shorter length, which de Kock was alert enough to uppercut for four.2:36

How big a factor is wind in St Lucia?

“Wind’s definitely a big factor, especially opening the batting when you’ve only got two guys out,” de Kock said. “You’ve got to use that wind as much as you can: don’t fight it, just try and use it. But I think it’s going to be like that [for] the whole of the rest of the World Cup when wind definitely plays a big factor.”When South Africa bowled at the death, Ottneil Baartman’s plan to bowl in the blockhole seemingly failed to account for the wind blowing behind him: he attempted five yorkers, and the breeze helped ensure that all five were full tosses. Three of them were hit for four and another for six.Some batters have used it much better than others. David Miller went with the wind to hit two short-side boundaries off Mark Wood in the 16th over, and to swing Archer over square leg for six. Moeen Ali, by contrast, picked out a leg-side boundary-rider while hitting into the breeze for the second match in succession.Fittingly, the game’s decisive moment was elevated by the wind. With 14 required off the last over and Harry Brook on strike, England were well placed as he tried to loft Anrich Nortje over mid-off. It was a percentage option to a slot ball, his poor connection flying away with the breeze and out of Aiden Markram’s reach.But Markram back-pedalled and took a superb diving effort, correctly judging the ball’s trajectory after spending 19 overs in the field working out just how vital the wind was. “I don’t think the TV does it justice,” de Kock said. “There was a massive left-to-right wind from my direction – maybe like 40-50kph.”It’s not that the ball’s just getting pushed, but also getting moved that way and he actually turned on the inside, so the ball’s always moving towards the boundary. Credit to Aiden. Everybody takes high catches but he practises those catches all the time… he won us a moment in the game today.”Ahead of the final game on this beautiful island on Monday, Australia and India should take note. There is nothing they can do to change the winds: it is a question of how they should adjust their sails to reach their destination.

England batter’s stamina and endurance to the fore during record-breaking triple-hundred

Matt Roller10-Oct-20240:57

England rewrite the record books vs. Pakistan

It was like watching Eliud Kipchoge run: the pace was remarkable enough in itself, but the ability to sustain it across such a long period of time defied logic. Harry Brook batted for seven hours, spending 97.4 overs in the stifling heat and facing 322 balls – all while scoring at a run a ball. This was Brook’s Multan marathon, an epic feat of endurance and stamina.Brook is 25 years old, and this was the first time in his lifetime that an England batter had scored a triple-century; his 317 was the fifth-highest score in England’s Test history. This pitch was desperately flat, offering nothing to Pakistan’s weary bowlers, but Brook put on a batting clinic which laid bare both his singular focus and his hunger for runs.This was not an innings that Brook could have played 12 months ago. He missed England’s tour to India at the start of the year to be with his grandmother, who was on her deathbed, and spent the time away from cricket “trying to lose a bit of weight and trying to get leaner”. It has reaped rewards, allowing him to withstand the physical challenge of batting in these conditions.Related

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“That three-month period I had at the start of the year was massive for me,” Brook said. “I obviously lost a bit of weight, and tried to get as fit as possible by eating well, running and gymming. If I hadn’t done that, I’d have probably got to 150 and just slogged one up in the air. It’s made a difference, for sure.”Brook ran and ran and ran. During Brook’s time in the middle, the vast majority spent alongside Joe Root in a mammoth 454-run partnership, England scored 199 singles, 55 twos and 11 threes: he covered more than four miles running between the wickets alone. He looked utterly exhausted when celebrating his double-hundred, after batting through the first session.Yet after a nutrition shake, some food and plenty of fluids at the interval, Brook found another gear after lunch. He scored 99 runs off 65 balls in the afternoon session as he laid into the occasional spin of Salman Agha and Saim Ayub, whom he swatted disdainfully down the ground to reach 300. It was outrageous batting, and his scoring rate enabled a declaration before tea.Until he miscued a sweep to backward square leg on 317, Brook looked as though he had a realistic opportunity not only to break England’s record score, Len Hutton’s 364, but to overtake Brian Lara’s world-record 401 not out too. He did not offer a genuine chance at any stage in his innings, or even have a review to worry about.ESPNcricinfo LtdHis one scare came on the third evening. On 75, Brook defended a ball from Aamer Jamal into the crease, only for it to bounce up and hit him on the chin. It dribbled past his attempt to kick it away and into the stumps, but was moving so slowly that it did not dislodge the bails. Having seen both Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett give hundreds away, Brook resolved not to.It was only a month ago that Brook was bored out by Sri Lanka’s seamers at The Oval, letting his frustrations get the better of him as they hung the ball wide outside his off stump. His character and mentality were called into question: this innings was an unequivocal response to that criticism.Perhaps Pakistan should have borrowed the same template. “Our plan was to bowl pretty straight – and when we did that, we did quite well,” Jason Gillespie, their coach, said on the third evening. “But on reflection I would’ve just liked us to just sit in a bit longer, be a little bit more patient and just a little bit more disciplined.”They occasionally tested out the perception that Brook has a weakness against the short ball, and proved that the theory is not watertight. When Shaheen Shah Afridi slammed the ball in halfway down, Brook simply ran down the pitch, gave himself room and flat-batted him away for four.Brook at his best reduces batting to its first principles, hitting the ball where the fielders aren’t. It was the theme of how he played on the fourth day: charging down to launch Jamal over cover; standing dead-still to uppercut Naseem Shah’s short ball over third man, and falling over to the off side to scoop over his left shoulder.Harry Brook became the first England batter in 34 years to score a triple-century•Getty ImagesThis innings also extended Brook’s scarcely believable record in Pakistan, the country where he has felt “at home” since playing for Lahore Qalandars in the PSL two-and-a-half years ago. In fact, he has been significantly better there than when actually playing at home: Brook has now scored more Test runs in Pakistan (785 in six innings) than in England (761 in 21).Root was on 82 when Brook came in at No. 5 on the third afternoon; by the time he was dismissed for 262 on the fourth, Brook had 260. Their partnership was the biggest in England’s history and a combination between the two Yorkshiremen who fuse the past and the future of their Test team with the present.After overtaking Alastair Cook on Wednesday, Root will likely put the England record for Test runs out of reach in the next few years. If there is anyone who can catch him from their current batch of young batters, it is surely Brook: this was his first double-hundred in first-class cricket, let alone triple, but he has a rare blend of talent and temperament.Brook will face new challenges next year: his first full series against India, whom he has only played once, and his first tour to Australia. It remains to be seen how he will fare against two of the world’s best attacks on pitches that will pose more issues than this one, but the evidence of his career so far suggests that he should be up to the task.

Our reporters get together in Dubai to discuss all the happenings from the first round of games, plus, conversations with Mlaba and Wyatt-Hodge

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Oct-2024Now that everyone has played at least one game in the UAE, Valkerie Baynes and Firdose Moonda get together in Dubai to discuss who and what has impressed them. Plus, interviews with South Africa’s Nonkululeko Mlaba and England’s Danni Wyatt-Hodge on the show to discuss their side’s respective opening game wins.