If AB’s Tshwane Spartans and Gayle’s Jozi Stars won’t do it for you, Steyn’s Cape Town Blitz sure will

Liam Brickhill15-Nov-2018Tshwane SpartansWith a squad headlined by the returning AB de Villiers, Tshwane Spartans’ batting really packs a punch. They also have Eoin Morgan (strike rate 127.84), Theunis de Bruyn (127.34), Robbie Frylinck (148.22), Rory Kleinveldt (151.25), and Rilee Rossouw (131.21) in their squad.De Villiers will captain the team, who start their campaign with three games on the road before they make their SuperSport Park debut against Nelson Mandela Bay Giants on November 25. De Villiers has a reliable pace spearhead in Lungi Ngidi, and Tshwane Spartans also have great depth in their allrounders. Jeevan Mendis, Sikandar Raza and Sean Williams will contribute with the bat and as spinners, while Frylinck and Kleinveldt will back up Ngidi in the pace department.Cape Town BlitzCaptained by Farhaan Behardien, Cape Town Blitz might have the two fastest bowlers in the competition at their disposal. Dale Steyn has shown that he has lost none of his pace or bite since his return to white-ball cricket with South Africa, and he is likely to share the early bowling duties with Anrich Nortje. Nortje certainly impressed Dawid Malan, who said: “Just watching [Anrich] Nortje bowling, he bowled at the speed of lightning,that was pretty scary.”Malan will slot into the Blitz top order, as will Quinton de Kock. Cape Town Blitz have also enlisted the big-hitting Asif Ali, and while he is away at the Sharjah T10 tournament, allrounder Mohammad Nawaz will fill in. Most of the Blitz squad comes from the Cape Cobras franchise, so they will know their conditions well, while the presence of Andile Phehlukwayo means they will also have pace options at the death.The big names to watch out for in the inaugural edition of the Mzansi Super League•ESPNcricinfo LtdPaarl RocksThe Paarl Rocks squad will be built around Faf du Plessis and Dwayne Bravo. The two know each other’s games extremely well from their time together with Chennai Super Kings at the IPL, and are both match-winners in their own right. As captain, du Plessis will be able to call on Bravo when things get tight in the latter overs, while Tabraiz Shamsi and Dane Paterson add variety to the attack.Cameron Delport, another T20 journeyman, will bring a wealth of experience to their middle order, as will Michael Klinger. The Rocks will also have Aiden Markram coming in at the top of the order, and Mangaliso Mosehle with the gloves. While they will play their home games at the smallest ground in the tournament – Boland Park – Paarl Rocks should get good support from the local student population, with several universities close by. They could be the tournament’s dark horses.Nelson Mandela Bay GiantsSpin will play an important role for the coastal teams. The ball doesn’t fly quite as fast or as far down at the coast as it does in the Highveld, and pitches that can play a little on the slow side often help the spinners. As such, Nelson Mandela Bay Giants have enlisted both Imran Tahir and Aaron Phangiso, and they will probably both play in all of their home games.Aside from their strength in spin, Giants will have boundary-hitting ability at the top of the order in Jason Roy and the lower middle order with Chris Morris. Morris will also have a role to play with the ball, alongside Junior Dala. They will be captained by the homegrown Jon-Jon Smuts, who comes from the Eastern Cape and will know the conditions at St George’s Park intimately.Kagiso Rabada prepares to receive the ball•BCCIDurban HeatLike the Giants, Durban Heat made sure they had their spin options covered. Durban Heat landed up with the very first choice in the international marquee player draw, and quickly chose Rashid Khan. Rashid has never played T20 cricket in South Africa before, but as the world’s leading T20 bowler his reputation precedes him. The Heat also have young Zimbabwean legspinner Brandon Mavuta in their stable, as well as Keshav Maharaj, who may well look to use the Mzansi Super League as a springboard for his white-ball aspirations ahead of the 2019 World Cup.Durban Heat’s middle order is packed with international experience, with David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen, Temba Bavuma and Khaya Zondo all part of their squad, while they also have Kyle Abbott and Vernon Philander to call upon with the ball.Jozi StarsThe Wanderers’ ‘Bullring’ moniker is well earned, and if Jozi Stars can attract a capacity crowd of 34,000, their home support could play a big role. Jozi Stars certainly have firepower with the bat and ball to give them something to cheer about.Chris Gayle, the first man to 12,000 T20 runs, struck the first international T20 hundred at the Wanderers 11 years ago, ushering in the modern age of batting, and he will return to the ground where it all started to open the batting for Jozi Stars. He will open alongside Reeza Hendricks, while Rassie van der Dussen and Dan Christian will bring some dynamism to the middle order. Kagiso Rabada will lead their pace attack, which also includes the rapid Beuran Hendricks.

We assess the chances of all eight teams ahead of the opening round of the season in our Division One preview

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Apr-2019EssexAlastair Cook during Essex’s pre-season match against Cambridge MCCU•PA PhotosLast season: 3rd
Coach: Anthony McGrath
Captain: Ryan ten Doeschate
Overseas player: Peter Siddle
Ins:
Outs: James Foster, Matt Dixon, Ashar Zaidi, Callum TaylorIt was always going to be difficult to follow up their extraordinary 2017 title but, although Essex were soon trailing in Surrey’s wake, a season of consolidation was not the worst outcome for a county that had never before managed consecutive seasons in Division One. The defence was hobbled from the outset, when their opening fixture at Headingley was abandoned without a ball being bowled, and form remained patchy until the final third of the season, when Essex won four out of their last five fixtures – powered in part by the late signing of India opener M Vijay, who scored three fifties and a hundred in five innings.Anthony McGrath will be hoping the team can pick up where they left off, and he’ll have a new deputy to invigorate the dressing room after the appointment of Andre Nel, the former wild man of South African cricket. With Peter Siddle returning after a successful spell in 2018 when he claimed 37 wickets at 16.40 – Australia selection notwithstanding – an attack led by Jamie Porter and supported by Simon Harmer’s offspin should among the most challenging in the division. And with new knight of the realm (and England’s greatest run-scorer) Alastair Cook free to bat for as long as he wants, Essex ought to be in the running again.One to watch: Among the young talents in county cricket, few are as prodigiously gifted as Dan Lawrence. Scorer of six first-class hundreds before he turned 20 – including becoming the third-youngest centurion in the Championship – his fortunes suffered a dip last season, when he averaged 23.40, albeit while compiling career-bests in the short formats. Still only 21, big Championship runs could push him into the Test frame. Alan GardnerBet365: 10-3HampshireJames Vince pulls during his lengthy innings•Getty ImagesLast season: 5th
Coach: Adrian Birrell
Captain: James Vince
Overseas players: Aiden Markram (April-May)
Ins: Keith Barker, James Fuller, Harry Came, Oli Soames, Felix Organ
Outs: Reece Topley, Jimmy Adams, Sean Ervine, Chris Sole, Asher Hart
Hampshire will be looking to transfer their Royal London Cup winning ways to the red-ball game in 2019. They have at least two fringe England players keen to catch the eye of national selectors, with James Vince moving up the order to open, replacing the retired Jimmy Adams and hoping to break back into the Test set-up for the Ashes, and spinning allrounder Liam Dawson vying for a World Cup berth.The batting line-up was somewhat unsettled by the late withdrawal of Sri Lanka opener Dimuth Karunaratne, but their swift recruitment of Aiden Markram just a week before the season start is a boost after Markram forced his way back into the South African side for their recent limited-overs series against Sri Lanka with some prolific run-scoring at domestic level.Off-season recruits James Fuller, from Middlesex, and Keith Barker, who was a title-winner with Warwickshire, bolster a bowling attack which has lost Dale Steyn, but which includes Kyle Abbott and the vastly experienced Fidel Edwards. Often tipped to challenge only to then underwhelm, new coach, Adrian Birrell, will be looking to change that.One to watch: Mason Crane’s professional career began so brightly when he became England’s youngest-ever legspinner with a Test debut in Australia last year, but two back fractures meant a long stretch on the sidelines and he is bursting to make a comeback. Valkerie BaynesBet365: 7-1KentDarren Stevens celebrates with Joe Denly and Zak Crawley•Getty ImagesLast season: 2nd (Division Two)
Coach: Matt Walker
Captain: Sam Billings
Overseas players: Matt Renshaw (April-May)
Ins: Matt Milnes, Fred Klaassen, Jordan Cox
Outs: James Tredwell, Will Gidman, Matt Hunn
Kent won 10 matches last season, as many as any other team in the country and a number equalled only by Division One champions Surrey who, like Kent, never lost two in a row. It is this record that is fuelling a popular refrain around Canterbury that Kent could “do an Essex” by winning the title in their first season back up, as happened in 2017. With away games to Warwickshire and Somerset first up, their start will be crucial to cementing that belief.Kent bolstered their side, which will be missing key batsmen Sam Billings and Joe Denly to the IPL, by recruiting Australia opener Matt Renshaw for the first part of the season. They will then need to look for an overseas fast bowler to replace Matt Henry, their leading wicket-taker by a long shot for 2018 with 75 wickets at 15.48, who is expected to play a part in New Zealand’s World Cup campaign.Kent need to bat deeper and runs could well come from Zak Crawley, who established himself at the top of the order towards the end of last season, Sean Dickson and Heino Kuhn, whose 780 runs at 33.91 were second only to Denly. Bowling-wise, Harry Podmore, Nottinghamshire recruit Matt Milnes and 42-year-old veteran Darren Stevens may shoulder a considerable load.One to watch: Daniel Bell-Drummond’s growing standing was recognised when he was made interim vice-captain to Kuhn for the start of the season. He carries the club’s lofty expectations after a rare lean year in 2018 when he made just one fifty in 13 Championship matches, having demonstrated previously he can do so much more. VBBet365: 14-1NottinghamshirePeter Moores with his son Tom ahead of a Nottinghamshire match•Getty ImagesLast season: 6th
Coach: Peter Moores
Captain: Steven Mullaney
Overseas players: James Pattinson (April-July)
Ins: Ben Slater, Ben Duckett, Zak Chappell, Joe Clarke
Outs: Matt Milnes, Ben Kitt, Will Fraine, Riki Wessels, Billy RootNew signings Ben Duckett and Ben Slater suggested a solution to the conundrum of Nottinghamshire’s top order by putting on a first-wicket stand of 325 against Cambridge University in pre-season. Duckett’s 216 came off just 180 deliveries, while Slater hit 130, marking impressive starts to their first full seasons with Notts. With Joe Clarke also joining from Worcestershire and Tom Moores looking to build on a breakout 2018, the batting stocks suddenly look much healthier for a side which narrowly avoided relegation.With last year’s leading wicket-taker Harry Gurney signing a white-ball only contract for 2019, the arrival of Australia fast bowler James Pattinson is welcome in Stuart Broad’s testimonial year. The duo should be well supported by Jake Ball and Luke Fletcher, while Mark Footitt and Luke Wood look to press their claims with early season loans to Lancashire and Northants respectively. Can Peter Moores mould an unprecedented third title-winning team, following previous successes with Sussex and Lancashire?One to watch: Paul Coughlin is on the comeback trail after a serious shoulder injury and has his sights set on making himself the go-to allrounder, although ex-Leicestershire recruit Zak Chappell may have something to say about that. VBBet365: 15-2SomersetJamie Overton celebrates a breakthrough•Getty ImagesLast season: 2nd
Coach: Jason Kerr
Captain: Tom Abell
Overseas players: Azhar Ali
Ins: James Brooks
Outs: Johann Myburgh, Fin TrenouthEver the bridesmaid, never the bride. Somerset have been Championship runners-up twice in the last three seasons – and four times since 2010 – but they remain one of only three counties never to have won the title. But, if there was a sense in 2017 that a golden generation might be running out of time to break that longest of ducks, that notion was scotched by their resurgence last season. They proved to be the best of the rest behind an outstanding Surrey side, and have retained the core of the squad that revived those fortunes.Certainly Marcus Trescothick, who turned 43 in the off-season, rumbles ever onwards, while the acquisition of Pakistan’s Azhar Ali for the entire season is an eye-catching addition. Factor in the evergreen (and ever-ignored) James Hildreth, fresh from yet another 1000-run season, and Tom Abell, whose runs returned in 2018 as he came to terms with the club captaincy, and there’s an admirable spine to Somerset’s batting.As for the bowling, well, the vagaries of a spin-dominant surface at “Ciderabad” will continue to raise eyebrows in some quarters, but there’s little quibbling with the entertainment that can be on offer – witness the remarkable tie against Lancashire last season, after a fourth-innings collapse to 77 all out. Jack Leach has clearly benefitted from plying his trade on receptive decks and even if he may need to be factored in for an Ashes call-up at the sharp end of the season, Somerset retain quality spin back-up in Dominic Bess and Roelof van der Merwe – and Bess in particular will need to be given some opportunities in the wake of his England baptism last season, to persuade him not to seek a new county.Their seam attack, meanwhile, has been considerably boosted by the arrival of Yorkshire’s Jack Brooks, a proven matchwinner and a man who knows what it takes to finish top of the table. There will be strength in depth at Taunton, to allow for inevitable injuries and – who knows? – England call-ups as the summer wears on.One to watch: Jamie Overton came excruciatingly close to an England call-up this winter – Ed Smith opted instead for Olly Stone but the message was clear after the bowling shortcomings that undermined the Australia tour last year: 90mph bowlers make a difference, a fact underlined by Mark Wood’s success in West Indies. There’s a long lead-up to the Ashes in August, and lots of time for Overton to make his case for pace. Andrew MillerBet365: 8-1SurreySurrey captain Rory Burns was on the end of a dousing•Getty ImagesLast season: 1st
Coach: Michael Di Venuto
Captain: Rory Burns
Overseas players: Dean Elgar
Ins: Liam Plunkett, Jordan Clark
Outs: Mathew PillansSurrey are not a club that do things by halves. After nigh on two decades in the Championship wilderness, everything fell into place in a stellar 2018 campaign. They romped to the title by a 46-point margin, making light of a plethora of England call-ups along the way, and just as was the case in the 1890s, the 1950s and the early 2000s, the feeling around The Oval is that one title is set to bring several.Typical Surrey hubris, you might be tempted to say. But, it’s hard to quibble with the depth, breadth and variety of their squad. It’s not inconceivable, for instance, that Mark Stoneman, Rory Burns and Jason Roy could be England’s one, two and three come the start of the Ashes in August, and elsewhere, Dean Elgar, Ollie Pope and Ben Foakes have all represented their respective countries within the last eight months.The club’s youth policy is coming up trumps at every turn, with Will Jacks and Jamie Smith among the latest starlets to hit the ground running, while the bowling is an enviable mix of youth and experience, with Liam Plunkett’s arrival from Yorkshire providing another toweringly authoritative dressing-room figure to go alongside last year’s marquee signing of Morne Morkel, as well as the old sweats in Rikki Clarke, Jade Dernbach and Stuart Meaker.Jordan Clark, fresh from Lancashire, adds welcome all-round quality too, particularly valuable as and when the Curran brothers are away on IPL and international duty. Nothing can ever be taken for granted in the County Championship, which is why it remains such a coveted title to win, but you can’t accuse Alec Stewart and Michael di Venuto of leaving anything to chance in preparing their defence.One to watch: Ollie Pope’s precocious arrival in professional cricket seemed to hit the buffers over the winter – due largely to the fact that England’s only batting vacancies are at Nos. 1-3, and he is very much a 4-6 in this early stage of his career. But undaunted by his Test omission, he’s got on with the crucial business of making runs. His season-opening 251 against MCC was quite the statement of intent. AMBet365: 5-2WarwickshireWarwickshire claimed the Division Two title•Getty ImagesLast season: 1st
Coach: Jim Troughton
Captain: Jeetan Patel
Overseas players: Jeetan Patel
Ins: Liam Norwell, Craig Miles, Rob Yates
Outs: Jonathan Trott, Grant Elliott, Chris Wright, Josh Poysden, Keith Barker, Andy Umeed, Sunny Singh, Boyd RankinIt’s a big year for Edgbaston, with their central role in hosting the World Cup swiftly followed by the Ashes opener in August. And those ambitions have been matched in their domestic preparations, with Paul Farbrace’s arrival as the new director of sport signalling their intent to get back to their rightful berth in Division One, after the trauma of their relegation two seasons ago.It’s a much-changed squad who will embark on Warwickshire’s campaign. A raft of veterans have been moved along in one way or another. Jonathan Trott called time on his illustrious career last season, while nothing screams the start of a new era louder than the departure of the two quick bowlers on whom their last Championship-winning campaign in 2012 was built, Chris Wright and Keith Barker. Their absences may be felt in the early season in particular, given that Olly Stone will be missing due to the back injury he suffered while on England duty in the Caribbean. New signings Liam Norwell and Craig Miles can expect a rigorous work-out.For a while in 2017, it seemed Ian Bell might be drifting towards retirement too. But he found the post-England bloom that he always knew was lurking within him to produce a renaissance 2018, and his enduring quality – along with that of the skipper Jeetan Patel – will be crucial in helping to ensure a smooth transition to a brighter new era.Farbrace will not hold the squad’s day-to-day reigns – Jim Troughton remains the first-team coach – but his cheery outlook on life will doubtless permeate the club. And with little wonder. On the field and off it, it looks like a good year to be a Bear.One to watch: A curtain-raiser in Dubai is nothing much to be going on, but the manner in which Dom Sibley took on his former team, Surrey, for MCC in the Champion County match last week augurs well for the summer. He and Will Rhodes struck up a formidable opening partnership in Warwickshire’s promotion campaign and will hope to replicate that in Division One. AMBet365: 8-1YorkshireSteve Patterson claims another•Getty ImagesLast season: 4th
Coach: Andrew Gale
Captain: Steve Patterson
Overseas players:
Ins: Duanne Olivier, Josh Poysden, Mat Pillans, Will Fraine
Outs: Liam Plunkett, Alex Lees, Jack Brooks, Andy Hodd, Azeem Rafiq, James WainmanThe time had come for an overhaul in the Broad Acres. It is only four years since the second of Yorkshire’s back-to-back Championships but standards had slipped. With three games of the 2018 season to go, Yorkshire found themselves in a scrap to avoid relegation (pretty much the same scenario as the year before), before two wins and a draw saw them finish fourth, just as in 2017. Nevertheless, Martyn Moxon, the director of cricket, recognised the signs of stagnation and had already begun the clear out: Alex Lees departed early for Durham, Liam Plunkett was allowed to join Surrey, while Somerset came in for Jack Brooks.With several new signings competing for places alongside the usual stock of homegrown talent, there is a sense that the Andrew Gale era starts here. Gale, a title-winning captain, has been in the coach’s role for two years without enjoying the same level of success. While some of his old muckers in the dressing room remain – Tim Bresnan, Adam Lyth, Steven Patterson – the team’s fortunes are as likely to be driven by 20-year-old Harry Brook or South African Kolpak signing Duanne Olivier. And with the indefatigable Patterson taking up the captaincy full time, a quietly effective campaign could be in order.One to watch: Following an impressive southern summer in South Africa’s Test side, Olivier could have been preparing to play in his first World Cup. But having been offered the security of a three-year contract with Yorkshire, he chose to turn his back on international cricket (for now, at least). Had a productive spell at Derbyshire last year and should be a potent force. AGBet365: 15-2

After such a build-up, the behaviour of the MCG track on the opening day was a disappointment, and while the ground staff and management may be looking at long-term development, the clock is ticking for the venue

Daniel Brettig in Melbourne26-Dec-20181:40

Hodge: Cummins made batsmen question their technique

As he did in Perth, Nathan Lyon drags Virat Kohli wide of the off stump with his drift and his drop, leaving India’s captain feeling for a ball of which ball he is not quite to the pitch. Rather than skidding on and taking the edge, however, this ball grips a little, turning past the groping bat and hitting Kohli on the front pad outside the line of the off stump.In usual circumstances, this would have been cause for an “oooh”, a speculative appeal, and maybe a cursory chat about referring Marais Erasmus’ not out verdict. But this was the MCG on Boxing Day, on a pitch that, for all the work of the curator Matt Page and the Melbourne Cricket Club over the past 12 months, showed little sign of improvement in terms of the life on offer for wicket-taking or fast scoring.So instead the Australians saw the mirage of a genuine chance for a wicket, appealing desperately, then consulting thoroughly in the limited time available before the captain Tim Paine gave Erasmus the “T” signal for a review.The fact of the mirage was revealed from the moment of the very first replay, showing that the ball had struck Kohli so far outside the line of the off stump that by the time ball-tracking was ready the Australians had already resumed their in-out fielding positions. A Melbourne crowd of 73,516 that had momentarily stirred, collectively chuckled then returned to thoughts of home and an early night after all the holiday revelry.After such a large build-up, and plenty of optimism from Page and his ground staff about the experimental work they had done throughout the winter, the behaviour of the surface on the biggest day of the Australian cricket calendar had to be regarded as something of a disappointment. Little more than half an hour of pace was required before Paine resorted to the spin of Lyon, only the second time he had bowled inside eight overs in a first innings in a Test in Australia over eight summers.Within the next 10 minutes, Paine dispensed with third and then second slips, deciding that ring fields and searching for a mistake was the order of the day rather than the more predatory hunt for outside edges that he and his pacemen prefer. While the pitch did begin to quicken after the first hour, aiding the exemplary Pat Cummins in conjuring a short ball to pin Hanuma Vihari on the gloves and end his stay in the 19th over of the match, the process was stunted.”Yeah tough going. There wasn’t much on offer,” Cummins told Fox Cricket afterwards. “Especially this morning. There wasn’t really any sideways or bounce or pace. It got a little bit quicker towards the end of the day but not a lot in it for us bowlers and they batted pretty well.”I think the key on this kind of wicket is you’re not going to blast them out so you’ve just got to be really disciplined. We bowled a couple of good spells, a couple of maidens, I think it’s about trying to bowl five or six maidens in a row and hopefully they crack. But they’re batting pretty well at the moment.”4:39

We restricted India well in trying conditions – Head

Kohli was to offer a more genuine chance when Paine took the second new ball, tempted wide of the stumps by Mitchell Starc and edging, but Paine’s dive from close to the stumps was unable to achieve a clean interception. If the Australians, half expecting such conditions, had trained for being closer than they had stood in Adelaide and Perth, they undoubtedly would prefer to be standing further back for clearer sights of the ball.For India’s debutant Mayank Agarwal, there was vindication of his sound mental approach before opening the batting in Melbourne. He had chosen to keep his mind clear of preconceived notions about the pitch until he could actually play on it and adapt accordingly. “I won’t complain about the pitch, I thought it was good to bat on. It did do a bit early on and then it was a bit slow. As the day progressed and we batted on it more, it got a little quicker,” Agarwal said.”I didn’t think too much of the wicket and didn’t put too much thought into the wicket before the game. I wanted to try to stay blank and take it as it comes and just let me assess the wicket and see how I would go about it. I thought they bowled extremely well, they didn’t give us any loose balls, they kept it tight, and they were attacking.”A Test-match pitch should offer evolution over hours, sessions and days, affording assistance to various disciplines of the game across its lengthy journey towards a conclusion. It may be too early to make a definitive judgment of this surface, particularly given the far hotter temperatures expected in Melbourne over the next two days, but the vast body of evidence about the MCG’s drop-in pitches and the concrete slab underneath them is that if the turf does not afford early assistance to bowlers and reap wickets as a result, there will be little deterioration later in the game to counterbalance it.In the words of Page to ESPNcricinfo before the Test: “We’re finding if we leave the grass on them, not too thatchy, more leaf grass, but if we leave the grass on and more moisture in, then we actually get a better result in terms of pace, bounce, ability for the spinners to be able to spin the ball off the surface, than if we go in drier and harder.”According to all of the ground staff’s research and preparatory work, this surface should have done more than it has. But at the same time the ground’s custodians are aware that more must be done urgently to ensure that there is more for Page and company to work with, namely by adopting a more up-to-date system for drop-in pitches that will mean less concrete and more natural variation provided by Melbourne’s mixture of clay, turf, gravel and sand.Certainly for Cummins, his reminder earlier this week that he would like to discuss with Cricket Australia the prospect of longer-term central contracts for the fast bowlers only gained in relevance as he and his fellow pacemen slogged their way through what should have been the best day to bowl in this match. “As fast bowlers, we put ourselves through a lot,” Cummins told AAP before the match. “I guess every sport has long-term contracts so I just asked the question of seeing if I could do something longer term.”Longer term is exactly how the MCG’s management and staff are thinking in terms of creating better pitches, but the clock is ticking. Afforded the luck of the calendar by the ICC’s move to a more punitive pitch rating and penalty system a matter of days after the conclusion of last year’s dirge of a draw, they need to see improvement, and soon. Otherwise the mirage Lyon and Australia’s fielders saw when Kohli was struck outside the line will be followed by genuine questions about a fitting location for Boxing Day.

De Silva was the standout player, scoring 89 and taking three wickets, while Jayasuriya produced the only century of the round

Andrew Fidel Fernando06-Apr-2019Dhananjaya de Silva, Angelo Perera and fringe allrounder Shehan Jayasuriya all strengthened their cases for being picked for the World Cup squad with strong performances in the second round of the Super Four Provincial Limited-Over Tournament.Angelo Mathews played himself into some form too, and fast bowler Dhammika Prasad also put in a good show, raising the possibility – for the first time – that he could be a World Cup option.De Silva was clearly the standout player of the round. Coming in at No. 3 for Galle, he struck 89 off 76 balls against a Dambulla attack featuring Isuru Udana, Vishwa Fernando, Jeevan Mendis and Lakshan Sandakan, helping propel his team to 345 for 8, in Dambulla. Lahiru Thirimanne (82 off 96 as opener), Milinda Siriwardana (65 off 44) and Minod Bhanuka (44 off 36) also made substantial contributions to that total.As had been the case in the recent tour of South Africa, de Silva was also effective with the ball, taking 3 for 57, even though he conceded runs at 6.33 in his nine overs. Only Mathews could muster a half-century for Dambulla, making 78 off 84, as his team fell short by 76 runs.It was offspinning allrounder Jayasuriya, however, who produced the only century of the round, making 115 off 133 for Colombo in what turned out to be a nail-biter against Kandy. That Jayasuriya innings was supported by Angelo Perera’s 84 off 82 balls – the pair putting on a 138-run fourth-wicket stand to lead Colombo to 289 for 6 batting first in Pallekele.No World Cup hopeful put in an eye-catching performance for the Kandy side. Dimuth Karunaratne, who is being talked about as a captaincy option despite not having played an ODI in years, made 44 off 58 balls. The only batsman to cross fifty for Kandy was 24-year-old Sangeeth Cooray, who hit 82 off 100.Galle captain Lasith Malinga also extended his good run with the ball. Two days after taking 7 for 49 against Kandy, he took 1 for 32 off eight overs.

They took a few balls to settle down, and for the most part, tried hitting with the turn. Sounds simple, doesn’t it?

Alagappan Muthu07-May-2019The importance of the othersA great strength of Mumbai Indians is how their local players turn into match-winners. Think Jasprit Bumrah or Hardik Pandya. And keeping with that trend, Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav both stepped up on Tuesday.They had to deal with a lot of spin, and while the Chennai Super Kings batting wasn’t sensible enough in the face of that threat, these two took a few balls to settle down, and for the most part, tried hitting with the turn. Suryakumar got to his fifty with a beautiful late cut off Imran Tahir, practically stealing the legbreak out of the wicketkeeper’s gloves.That didn’t mean he – or Kishan – were shy of hitting against the turn. Suryakumar took Tahir for two fours over mid-on, but they were off a full toss and an overpitched delivery. #ShotSelectionForTheWinThey came together with Mumbai needing 111 in 16.4 overs and put on an 80-run partnership. That’s simply game-breaking.It must have helped, though, that CSK’s spinners just couldn’t hit the right length. That’s not just our analysis. MS Dhoni himself said so: “I think we could have still bowled slightly better. I think it was a wicket where you need to bowl away from the batsman[‘s front foot], close to the off stump or middle stump and let the ball do the talking. I feel we were slightly more up [full in length] than that which means as a batsman you can negate the spin.”Why didn’t Malinga bowl out?He is among the best T20 bowlers ever… and he only bowled three of his four overs in a crunch game? What’s up with that? Well, we think it’s because of his record against Dhoni.ESPNcricinfo LtdMumbai did give him in the 19th over, backing his experience to come good, but Dhoni whacked him for two mighty sixes.There was another reason why Malinga wasn’t given his full quota. The pitch. It was a proper turner. Rohit Sharma took that on board and went with Rahul Chahar and Krunal Pandya to bowl the 15th and 16th overs. They yielded only eight runs.Most captains with Bumrah and Malinga in their line-up would be tempted to save their overs for the death. But Rohit was flexible.A turning point?Chepauk has been a spinner’s paradise this IPL. Mumbai probably had a hunch about the conditions and dropped fast bowler Mitchell McClenaghan to bring in offspinner Jayant Yadav. It meant they were going in with only three overseas players, but that was an easy price to pay.ESPNcricinfo LtdThe spinners bowled four of the six Powerplay overs. There were 16 dot balls in that, and far more importantly, three wickets – Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina (both of them had scored fifties in the last game) and Shane Watson.That said, CSK could have done better. Both Raina and Watson fell trying to hit the ball too hard and against the turn; shots that didn’t please their captain one bit.

The offspinner took a five-wicket haul to end India Green’s innings swiftly, but for a tournament that has largely lost context, where will this performance rank?

Shashank Kishore in Bengaluru07-Sep-2019″I don’t have an IPL contract, so I benefit monetarily from these games, but you get it right?” Faiz Fazal laughed as he spoke about the relevance of the Duleep Trophy. He was honest in admitting the current format didn’t help develop an “emotional connect” simply because the tournament has become an assortment of players coming together 24 hours before a game. The zonal system used to “invoke pride and a sense of accomplishment.”In its current form, team-mates from the Ranji Trophy winning team are pitted against each other – like Akshay Wakhare and Fazal were – and players who featured for India A in a one-day game three days ago are flown to a different city. Some who feel their performances in the season gone by merit reward are left ruing missed opportunities, and a few take a step further and let their frustrations known, as Manoj Tiwary and Sheldon Jackson did.”Gelling with players can get difficult,” Fazal weighed in on the format. “You can’t force things on everyone. Say I’m playing for Vidarbha, I can tell my players ‘this is the plan, you have to do this.’ Here, it gets difficult, people say ‘no, we’ll try this.’ Because the game is on TV, if you perform here, you could get to the next level so everyone wants to play individually. Whereas for the state team at the Ranji Trophy level, you’re chasing wins. So it is different. India Red may have the same opinion too, even though they’ve won now.”For Wakhare, who has been knocking on the doors of the India A team for a while, life hasn’t changed a great deal even though he has been at the forefront of Vidarbha’s rise as a serious force in Indian domestic cricket. At 33, there may be the argument that age isn’t on his side but try telling him that.On Saturday, he picked up his 19th first-class five-for, a classic exhibition of guile and craft on a surface that didn’t offer much, against a batting line-up that played as if they were in a rush to board the next flight home. India Red had already taken a 157-run lead in the first innings, and with Green shot out for 119 in 39.5 overs, Red won by an innings and 38 runs. Wakhare’s figures were an impressive 5 for 13 in just 5.5 overs.”I couldn’t quite believe how quickly they folded up,” Wakhare laughed afterwards. “The pitch wasn’t helping much, but they kept playing shots. For me, the basic plan was to attack. Anyway they were looking to play the big shots, so it was just a matter of time. My bowling plans have always been very simple, depending on how the wickets are playing, and for that, I have to thank Narendra Hirwani. We’ve been associated for more than 10 years now, and my mindset as a bowler has never been clearer, he has played a big part.”Wakhare’s biggest triumph has been to remove perceptions of being able to pick wickets only on rank turners. He has a clean action, gets the ball to drift gently, imparts plenty of revolutions, and relies largely on his stock ball while mixing it up with an excellent slider to left-hand batsmen. He doesn’t have the carom ball or the doosra, but those haven’t hindered his returns.He was on a hat-trick when he dismissed Tanveer Ul-Haq and Ankit Rajpoot, and though he didn’t get three in three, he had his five-for when Siddhesh Lad chopped on, attempting a flashy cut to one that skid back to cramp him for room. Wakhare had come on after drinks and polished off the tail with little fuss. Mayank Markande, who top-scored with 76 in the first innings to be one of the few bright spots for Green in defeat, didn’t walk out to bat due to a glute strain that also kept him off the field for Red’s innings.

Cos a boundaries count sucks

Asad Hashim and Erum Haider 16-Jul-2019A World Cup final ended with two ties and now the whole world is trying to come up with ways of how it could have been decided better than by virtue of boundaries scored. Some have suggested the trophy should have been shared, and there are other serious suggestions here that you should check out. This list falls in neither of those categories, although we kind of like ’em. Tell us which of these is your favourite!

If India do so, it will give them an option to play a fifth bowler and make them a better rounded side

Varun Shetty in Indore18-Nov-2019One of the inevitable threads during discussions about India’s home dominance is about how easy it is for Indian players to rack up runs on pitches they are so used to. Surfaces that are friendly to the extent that India’s No. 8 batsman has regularly been someone with three domestic triple-hundreds.That man, of course, is Ravindra Jadeja. His domestic record juxtaposed with his batting at international level is a natural argument whenever the quality of bowling in India’s domestic cricket or even the quality of pitches is discussed. But a sustained dominance in bowling, both abroad and at home over the last few years, has weakened that argument somewhat. With that considered, it could also be a hint that Jadeja’s relatively modest average as a Test batsman till the start of last year might have been due to more than a gulf in skill.Calling it modest, though, might be holding him to unreasonable standards. Most teams would give anything to have a batsman so low down in the order with a batting average around 30, and a bowling average around 25. But consider this: since the start of 2018, Jadeja has lifted that batting average from 29.40 to 35.92 in the span of just 16 innings, batting between Nos. 4 and 9. Fifteen of those innings have come when he’s batted between six and nine, and that makes him the best batsman in the world for that range since the start of 2018, with an average of 61.60, 15 runs more than the next-best player. He now has three fifties in a row, and they have all come from No. 6.In the absence of Hardik Pandya, India’s lower-middle order composition has fluctuated. When they play abroad, the dominance of their pace attack has given them the option to play four bowlers, with Hanuma Vihari slotting in successfully as the extra batsman. When Wriddhiman Saha is the wicketkeeper, India have tended to play both R Ashwin and Jadeja. In the last big home season, Ashwin had routinely batted at No. 6 ahead of Saha. That spot is now firmly Jadeja’s. But will India consider him as a serious No. 6 option in overseas Tests as well?It’s a show of confidence from the Indian team that has brought to the fore a more relaxed version of Jadeja the Test batsman. For all the wickets that he has taken in Test cricket, Jadeja’s popularity – and he is popular everywhere in the country – owes a lot to his sword-swishing celebrations on getting to a batting landmark, often in the frenzy of an afternoon session where India is close to declaring. If swashbuckling energy is Jadeja’s persona, then his batting in Tests has conformed to it.ESPNcricinfo LtdExcept in the last year or so. Against England at The Oval last year, Jadeja played a crucial innings – 86 not out from No. 8 when India had fallen to 160 for 6 in the first innings in response to England’s 332. India made 292 and went on to lose the game in an improbable chase, but it was something of an anomaly for Jadeja. The 156 balls he faced in that innings, and the 204 minutes he was at the crease, made it his second-longest innings in Tests. In difficult conditions, Jadeja’s innings was one you would expect from a specialist batsman. Then, in his other substantial innings abroad in the last 12 months, he made 81 in Sydney in a double-century partnership with Rishabh Pant that put the series beyond Australia in a rain-curtailed match.Sanjay Bangar, who was India’s batting coach in both those series, said after Jadeja’s fifty in the first Test against Bangladesh, that the management had spoken to Jadeja about his approach to batting at the international level, and how different it needed to be from the domestic batsman who had scored multiple triple-hundreds.”I remember we had a chat about what was the difference between him walking in to bat for Saurashtra where he has got three triple-hundreds, and what he used to feel, or what he expected out of himself when he went out to bat for India,” Bangar said during broadcast for after Jadeja’s fifty on the second day of the first Test. “He felt that – going into bat at No. 8 or 9 – he always felt that he batted or thought like a tailender, wherein he never expected runs of himself.”But what’s happening now is, since he’s going in at No. 6, with a clear intention that the team management has given him a greater responsibility, I think because of those things and because of the contributions he made in the Oval Test match against England, in the Sydney Test match against Australia, and a couple of other innings that he played, I think those are big confidence-boosters for a player like him.”While it’s unclear when exactly that chat happened, there is a visible change in Jadeja’s approach. He leaves the ball more often and has generally been patient at the start his innings. The most recent example came against Bangladesh, where he was 15 off 44 balls before he hit his first six, eventually finishing on an unbeaten 60 off 76. Six of his seven innings lasting more than 100 balls have come since the start of 2018. And, according to ESPNcricinfo’s data, his control percentage in that period is 85%, as opposed to 82% till that point.In West Indies, he was picked as the sole spinner ahead of Ashwin but didn’t have the ideal series with the ball. With a New Zealand tour next on the schedule, will India consider playing two spinners? Jadeja’s bowling numbers when Ashwin is also playing are decidedly better – both home and away.With Jadeja’s batting continually on the rise, and the chance to further fortify the bowling with him at No. 6, India could open up quite a few options in Tests abroad. Two spinners or a fourth seamer – any combination that gives India their preferred five-man attack – has been made to look more feasible than ever. It has been just over a year since Jadeja burst back into the ODI team and made a move towards being the complete all-format allrounder. One successful series abroad as a No. 6 could elevate him, and the team, much higher.

A Test debutant at 30, the opener is enjoying the belated fruits of grinding out runs in provincial cricket, year after year

Firdose Moonda in Cape Town09-Jan-2020Pressure, to (mis)quote Keith Miller, is not what Pieter Malan experienced at the crease on the fifth day of the Newlands Test. Faced with the task of batting out the day to save the Test against one of the most vaunted attacks in world cricket, debutant Malan showed nerves of steel.”That’s not pressure, that’s privilege,” he said after the match. “Pressure is playing out there in the semi-pro game, nobody watching, fighting for your career. Being out there, with the Barmy Army, Jimmy Anderson running in, it felt like a video game at some stage. It was unbelievable. I felt very privileged to be in a position to fight for the team and try and bat long and just be there for as long as I can.”Malan has played his fair share of semi-professional cricket (the provincial tier below franchise cricket in South Africa’s domestic scene). Ninety-five matches to be exact, most recently in November. While his younger brother Janneman was blitzing through the Mzansi Super League, Pieter was grafting hard in the backwaters of East London and Kimberley for Western Province. That’s pressure. ALSO READ: ‘Cricket can teach you lessons if you take it too easy’Trying to stay motivated when the cameras and the big bucks are elsewhere. Trying to catch (at that stage, non-existent) selectors’ eyes through performances. Trying to justify your career choice when you could be part of a fourth of the country’s domestic cricketers unemployed because of a possible restructure. That’s pressure. It could’ve become too much for Malan to handle, but it didn’t.He didn’t blame the structure nor the competition, but recognised that the fault was with his own commitment. “I don’t think I did myself any favours when I was younger. I took a lot of stuff for granted and didn’t put in the hard work that, in hindsight, I needed to put in,” Malan said. “It was also a matter of opportunities being limited and me not taking them.”In 2013, Malan moved to the Cape and was fourth on the provincial run charts the 2014-15 season. In 2015-16, he was third on the charts, and hit the high notes in 2016-17, finishing on top of the list with 1069 runs at an average of 118.77.This allowed him to graduate to the Cape Cobras franchise, and even nail a spot. He literally barged the selectors’ door by finishing third on the run charts in 2017-18 and 2018-19, but the national call-up remained elusive.AFP / Getty ImagesAt the time, Aiden Markram had just taken over the opener’s mantle from Stephen Cook. Malan, like Cook, was nearing the 30s and had begun to accept that an international call-up may have bypassed him. “I thought it was never going to happen.”Malan continued to churn out runs for Cobras and credits former international Ashwell Prince for keeping him in good space. “He has been massive in my career,” Malan said. “He played 60-odd Tests, averaged over 40 and scored hundreds so when he tells you something, you listen. We work on small technical stuff that we just keep refining.”It’s a bit of a cat-and-mouse game, where you improve something, then the bowler spots another weakness, and you end up going back and forth. He is very good with that. And then also from the mental side, he pushes all the time and I enjoy that.”Specifically, the pair worked on Malan leaving the ball. “In the last three or four years, that (leaving) has been a massive part of my game, leaving the ball well and eliminating dismissals that I felt were soft. As a new-ball player, you want to make the bowlers bowl at you.”In South Africa, it’s tough opening against the new ball, there’s a lot of things happening, there’s nip, there’s bounce, so the less you can give the bowlers, the better. In their third and fourth spells, that’s where the real runs are.”At Cape Town, that showed. Malan’s intricate knowledge of his off stump was underlined by his emphatic way of shouldering arms. Malan’s biceps caused a social-media stir, even though he maintains they are not the body parts he puts the most work into. “I’ve seen that photograph. I don’t do a lot of arms actually,” he quipped. “They should have taken a shot of my legs, that’s where I spend most of my time.”

“Being out there, with the Barmy Army, Jimmy Anderson running in, it felt like a video-game at some stage.”Malan’s reflection of his Test debut

Perhaps that will change now, and Malan will actually end up spending most of his time with the national side. One Test is never enough to tell, but he has already demonstrated the temperament to play at the highest level.Though Malan missed out on a century, he spent six hours at the crease standing up to the England attack. He was challenged by unpredictable bounce and movement off cracks on the pitch that occasionally saw the ball leap up. He was hit on the chest by Ben Stokes, and he saw his team-mates, most of them senior in terms of international experience, unable to show the same resilience.Most of all, he embraced being in the cauldron as it reminded him of the rewards that come from withstanding pressure. “When I walk down the stairs [at Newlands], I always take a second or two looking at the mountain, appreciating where we play, because then we end up playing in Kimberley and there’s nothing to look at.”It’s been a long road but its a road that I am glad I’ve been on because I am a better cricketer, I am a better person and its made me appreciate playing for the Proteas. It’s been tough but it has been been worth it.”

Four tons in five matches, including six fifties in seven innings…and counting. The 25-year-old Australia No. 3 reflects on his terrific run of form after his century in Sydney

Andrew McGlashan in Sydney03-Jan-2020There has been plenty of reflection lately on where Australian cricket has come in the last 12 months. In many ways, the story can be told through Marnus Labuschagne. A year ago, there was shock when he was recalled to bat No. 3 in the final Test against India at the SCG. Now it’s a shock if he doesn’t score runs there.David Warner may have been the headline figure from Australia’s batting summer with his unbeaten 335 in Adelaide, but Labuschagne has been, without doubt, the batting star. When he tucked Colin de Grandhomme off his pads for his eighth four it brought up his fourth century of the season.It has been a performance to put him in rare company. He joined a collection of Australia batsmen who have four hundreds in a season with only Ricky Ponting’s five in 2005-06 ahead of him.ALSO READ: Labuschagne ton, Smith fifty dent depleted New Zealand’s moraleWhile Labuschagne always had confidence in his ability, he admitted the success – which has really come in the last five months since the Ashes – would have been hard to take for real if put to him a year ago. “I probably wouldn’t have believed you, it has been a real amazing year and I definitely don’t take it for granted,” he said. “For me it’s about trying to ride the wave as long as I can, keep things quite level. It’s easy to get real up when you are going well, so it’s about making it an even keel.””I haven’t really had time to sit down and think about how the whole year has unfolded; it’s been pretty special. Last time this year, yes I was sitting here, and there were a lot of questions. I’m thankful for the opportunity, and scoring runs is always nice; I never take it for granted, though, because it can turn very quickly.”Rewind a year and for all the surprise at Labuschagne being at first drop he shaped up promisingly as he made 38 in the face of India’s mammoth total. He moved back down the order in the next Test, against Sri Lanka at the Gabba, and scored a maiden Test half-century, with his 81 helping secure a comfortable victory.Marnus Labuschagne celebrates his century•Getty ImagesWhat happened after that, which has led to this point in his career, has been well-documented with the stint at Glamorgan in county cricket helping hone his technique and then a dramatic jettisoning into the Test side when Steven Smith was concussed at Lord’s. When Smith returned, Labuschagne had already made himself a fixture but the only spot available became No. 3. He has now made it his own.When Australia Test captain Tim Paine was asked on the eve of the Test whether he believed things would pan out this way, he had said, “probably not this quickly.”Australia never found a stable batting order in the year-long absence of Smith and David Warner, then it took a while to get things right when they returned, but some of the foundations were put in place during that difficult period.ALSO READ: Smith earns his runs in Labuschagne’s summer“The reason he was picked, Greg Chappell in particular saw he had some talent in him,” Paine recalled. “JL (Justin Langer) has always been really big on character and the people we have in the team. While Marnus wasn’t scoring the runs, we thought he could in Shield cricket, he ticked every other box. There was an opportunity there over that year to blood some young players who we thought could be the future.”Marnus in particular, to go and play county cricket last year, pile on some runs, again he has worked his backside off. He deserves everything he is getting at the moment. The more time he spends with Smithy and Davey he seems to be getting better.”Labuschagne was unaware of the high-level support behind him, which initially helped him get a place on the trip to face Pakistan in the UAE. “Those conversations must be going on in the background because I didn’t know any of these, but you do need people in your corner as you push and try to come through,” he said. “It’s great to hear someone of that calibre had my back. At the end of the day there’s no other currency than runs. You can have a good technique but unless you are putting big scores on the board, eventually it doesn’t matter.”By stumps on the opening day in Sydney, Labuschagne’s Test average stood at 62.61. Smith’s was 62.84 as he hit his career mark in a hard-working innings. “I don’t think it’s even a comparison,” Labuschagne said. “For a person to perform over a summer – or a year – to comparing that to a guy who has been at the top of his game for eight years – that’s something that I aspire to.”