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Hosts level series at 1-1 after ragged England slip to defeat

The Report by Andrew Miller03-Nov-2019New Zealand 176 for 8 (Neesham 42, Guptill 41, Jordan 3-23) beat England 155 (Malan 39, Santner 3-25) by 21 runs
On a day when sporting smiles were just beginning to flicker back across Kiwi faces, thanks to the schadenfreude being dished out by the Springboks in the Rugby World Cup final in Yokohama, New Zealand’s cricketers added their own pinch of salt to English wounds by squaring the T20I series at Wellington with a comprehensive 21-run win.The echoing confines of the Cake Tin told their own story about the lack of real jeopardy in this contest – for the average New Zealander, this result could barely atone for a bad journey to work, let alone the insults doled out in recent months by English sporting teams in their two national sports. But a win is a win is a win. And New Zealand won. And England didn’t. So there.Mitchell Santner starred with the ball for New Zealand, claiming three wickets with his left-arm spin on a day when his side held onto their chances in the deep, and England emphatically did not. And despite battling hard with the ball to keep their opponents to a taxing but not insurmountable 177 for victory, the loss of three wickets in the Powerplay left them with too much to do as they ran out of time and wickets.England won the toss and chose to bowl first, just as they had done in their emphatic win in Christchurch on Friday. But they encountered a New Zealand line-up in a more forceful mood than they had been in the first match, not least Martin Guptill, who greeted the debutant Saqib Mahmood with a monstrous second-ball wipe for six over long-on, before Colin Munro repeated the dose over square leg in the same over.To put it kindly, it was an uneven performance from England in the field. Two players excelled – namely Sam Curran, who was a waspish threat with the new ball before applying a tourniquet in the middle overs for figures of 1 for 22 in his four overs, and Chris Jordan, who would at one stage have claimed three wickets for two runs in nine perfectly mixed-up death-over deliveries, had Dawid Malan at deep midwicket not dropped England’s fourth and most clear-cut opportunity of a ropey catching display.Aside from those two, however, England struggled for control on an even-paced wicket that offered value for strokes and no place to hide for any bowler who missed his mark. Pat Brown, impressive on debut in Christchurch, was cannon-fodder on Wellington’s shorter square boundaries, as New Zealand’s batsmen feasted on his variations – his first over was dispatched for 17, including back-to-back fours for Guptill, a mown six for Tim Seifert and one of three dropped catches for the hapless James Vince. Brown returned for another foray in the ninth over, but this time Colin de Grandhomme sent him off to pasture for the remainder of the innings with consecutive hoicks for six over the leg side.And yet, in spite of England’s leakiness, they kept themselves in the contest, thanks in part to a series of New Zealand contributions that never quite developed from cameo status. Guptill, in particular, could be heard groaning audibly after top-edging an Adil Rashid long-hop to deep square leg just when it seemed he was rediscovering his long-lost mojo – even so, his 41 from 28 balls was still his best innings for New Zealand in 12 attempts dating back to the first week of the World Cup.De Grandhomme, likewise, had something more formidable in mind than his eventual 28 from 17, though he was undone by the ball of the innings from Christchurch’s forgotten debutant. Lewis Gregory had neither batted nor bowled on his actual England debut on Friday, but with Brown out of sorts, his zippy seamers were called upon for the first time in international cricket – and one delivery was all he needed to make his mark, a perfect wicket-to-wicket ball pegging back de Grandhomme’s off stump via a thin deflection off the pad. It was the 17th time that a player had claimed a wicket with his first ball in T20Is, and only the second Englishman … after Joe Denly, remarkably, in his first England incarnation in 2009.From a halfway scoreline of 96 for 3, New Zealand had designs on a total nearer to 200 than 180, but in the end they were indebted to a fine cameo of 42 from 22 balls from Jimmy Neesham, a man with unfinished business against England, after the agony of his near-heroic role in the World Cup Super Over, but who was playing his first T20I since 2017 after coming into the side in place of Scott Kuggeleijn.Neesham needed a stroke of early luck on 4 – though given the state of England’s outfielding, to call another Vince drop, this time at deep midwicket, unlucky would be a misrepresention. But, having found his range, Neesham started to find the boundary at will, four soaring sixes keeping the innings pumping in spite of Jordan’s best spoiling efforts.Chasing 177, England were rattled from the outset as Jonny Bairstow chipped Tim Southee’s first ball of the innings straight to mid-on for a golden duck, before James Vince – Friday’s batting star – flogged Lockie Ferguson’s second ball to deep point for 1. A scoreline of 3 for 2 after eight balls wasn’t quite the launchpad they had envisaged.True to their recent white-ball reputation, England refused to take a backward step in adversity – but despite a spray of aggression in his 17-ball 32, Eoin Morgan’s dismissal to a wild wipe down the ground against Mitchell Santner was a sign of things to come. Sam Billings, once again struggling to convert his talent into output, fell in identikit fashion off Ish Sodhi four overs later, before Santner again did for Sam Curran in the 11th over – de Grandhomme circling beneath the ball on each and every occasion.Dawid Malan briefly threatened to keep England’s fires burning with a brace of sixes in his 39 from 29 balls, but Sodhi’s slider induced a flat slash to Guptill at long-off, and with 83 needed from 48 balls and just four wickets in hand, the end was very much nigh.Chris Jordan hadn’t quite given up the ghost – a 24-run over off Sodhi, including three consecutive wipes for six – kept England just about in touch with that mounting run-rate. But another tossed-up delivery led to another catch down the ground, as Santner avenged his spin twin with Guptill once more the safe pair of hands.At 134 for 7, the game was now officially up. Lewis Gregory had time to smack his maiden international six, in the manner so beloved by the Taunton faithful, before holing out one ball later, and it looked for a time as though England could become the first T20 team to lose all ten of their wickets to catches before Adil Rashid had a hack at Daryl Mitchell to leave his stumps splattered with one ball of the innings unused.

Gloucestershire endured a poor day with the bat with only their lower order hauling them into three figures

ECB Reporters Network18-Sep-2018
ScorecardBrett Hutton played a starring role as Northamptonshire dominated Gloucestershire on the opening day at Bristol.He claimed 4 for 65 as the hosts were shot out for 125 inside 55 overs on a day in which 35 overs were lost to bad light or rain.Fellow new ball bowler Ben Sanderson weighed in with 2 for 16, while Nathan Buck took 3 for 32 to fully justify Alex Wakely’s decision to field on a green-tinged pitch beneath heavy cloud cover.Eight of those dismissed were caught behind the wicket on a wretched day for batting as tail-enders David Payne and Craig Miles emerged as Gloucestershire’s highest scorers.Pressed into service as a nightwatchman, Hutton fell lbw to Payne as Northants, required to negotiate two overs at the end of the day, reached the close on 4 for 1.A model of consistency since joining Northants from Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire-born Hutton made the most of bowler-friendly conditions, extracting movement off the pitch to rip the heart out of Gloucestershire’s top and middle-order batting.His initial intervention came in the second over of the day, left-handed opener Miles Hammond pushing tentatively at a ball outside off stump and edging behind to Adam Rossington without scoring to set the tone for what was to follow.Hutton returned to the attack from the Ashley Down Road End after lunch, taking three wickets in 22 balls in a devastating burst which further reduced the hosts to 68 for 8. Having negotiated best part of two hours and 78 balls, obdurate Chris Dent finally surrendered his wicket for 15, edging a length ball from Hutton to third slip.He then accounted for Ben Charlesworth and Ryan Higgins in rapid succession, having both caught behind, the latter via a top edge, to confirm East Midlands supremacy.Fellow Yorkshireman Sanderson was also rewarded for bowling a consistent line and length, the 29-year-old taking two wickets to further erode the top order. James Bracey was squared up in offering a catch behind, while Benny Howell could only edge a late in-swinger to Richard Levi at third slip.Ian Cockbain’s first Championship innings of the summer lasted just five balls, pinned lbw in the crease for a duck by Buck, while Levi again demonstrated safe hands when Ben Cotton located Jack Taylor’s outside edge as Gloucestershire limped to 57 for 5 at lunch.Ball continued to beat bat with alarming regularity and Miles decided attack was the best form of defence, the Warwickshire-bound bowler helping himself to five boundaries in staging a valuable stand of 33 for the ninth wicket with Payne.Buck wrapped up the innings, bowling Miles for 23 and then having last man Matt Taylor caught in the slips for nine, leaving Payne unbeaten on 23.

India captain Mithali Raj pointed to Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana’s inputs on Australia players, courtesy their WBBL stints, as being key to plotting Australia’s downfall in the semi-final in Derby

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Jul-20174:04

‘Team has learned how to make a comeback’ – Raj

Mithali Raj hailed Harmanpreet Kaur’s unbeaten 171 as the “greatest knock by an India women player” and underlined her example as the “big performance” that was needed to oust a “champion side like Australia.” She pointed to Harmanpreet’s knowledge of Australia’s bowlers, courtesy her stint at the Women’s Big Bash League, for helping them plan for the semi-final.”I think the transformation [has come] after she played in the WBBL,” she said after India’s 36-run win in Derby. “That exposure she and Smriti (Mandhana) got by interacting with other players has been massive. As I mentioned in the last press meet, against Australia it was they who were giving us more inputs about these players.””If more players are a part of these leagues, where they exchange ideas and follow the routine of other players, being part of the meetings, it will only help improve the standard of women’s cricket, as well as it’s very beneficial for youngsters and players from Indian team.”Harmanpreet’s knock covered up for a sluggish start. Not for the first time in the tournament did the openers struggle. Mandhana, who opened the tournament with 90 and 106 not out, recorded her sixth straight failure. Even in victory, the holes India needed to plug ahead of the grand finale wasn’t lost on Raj.”Ideally, I would have wanted the openers to have more runs,” she said. “But I think it is okay as long as the team looks very confident, inspired by the performances in the last two games because I personally feel that this team has changed the momentum of coming back into games.”As I have said earlier, it is important to know how to comeback to beat good sides, which we have done here. Today, I can proudly say as a captain that this team has really made a comeback. We posted a total that we haven’t done in 50-over cricket. All of them – batsmen and fast bowlers – looked in sync.”Raj attributed Harmanpreet’s turnaround to her 90-ball 60 – her first half-century of the tournament – that was key in the middle overs against New Zealand in a must-win game. For a long time, it looked like India would huff and puff to 220 there, until Veda Krishnamurthy’s blitzkrieg – an unbeaten 45-ball 70 – lifted India to 265. Her partnership with Harmanpreet gave them the momentum.”The game against New Zealand, she had runs as well as Veda had runs. They backed themselves to make fifty and those runs gave them confidence,” Raj said. “Had they not scored those runs, it would have been a different picture today. All said and done, everything happens for a reason and good. It was needed, and this knock will give her confidence tomorrow when she is in a position to take more responsibility as a batter. She will be in better shape and experience to take along.”She was equally effusive in her praise for Jhulan Goswami, who, she felt, had improved steadily after a slow start to the campaign. On Thursday, she sent back Meg Lanning with a peach that left her late to hit top of off. She finished with 2 for 35. “Well she has definitely worked on her bowling. From the first game to the Sri Lanka game and New Zealand game she was getting better in the nets,” Raj said. “It was just a matter of time. You get a couple of good spells and you get the confidence.”Raj said the win against Australia also helped break barriers on how the team would approach finals going forward. “As a team we are very excited to be a part of the World Cup final,” she said. “We knew that this tournament will not be easy but again the way the girls have turned up at every situation when the team needed, whether it be batters or bowlers, has been brilliant.”In fact the fielding, in patches, has been exceptionally good. This win has definitely changed the scenario in terms of how the girls will look at World Cup finals. It won’t be easy [to beat England] but beating Australia has given the girls a high.”Today has been our day but England have also peaked after being beaten by us in the first game. They have performed well throughout the tournament in the run-up to the finals. Playing the hosts is going to be a challenge but, having said that, this unit is up for it.”Raj equated the team’s qualification to the final as a completion of a full circle that started in 2005, when the side last had a shot at cricket’s ultimate prize. Raj and Goswami are the only two members of the current squad who were part of the side that lost to Australia in the final in 2005.”I am speechless because for me and Jhulan it is very special because we are two players from 2005 who have been with the team,” she said. “It seems like it’s going back to 2005, and I am just too happy that the girls have given us an opportunity to be a part of World Cup finals again.”

Gloucestershire’s enterprising approach was rewarded on the final afternoon as century-makers Michael Klinger and Jack Taylor powered them to a five wicket win over Worcestershire in the Specsavers County Championship clash at New Road

ECB Reporters Network01-Jun-2016
ScorecardJack Taylor smashed a 71-ball hundred to help Gloucestershire to victory (file photo)•PA Photos

Gloucestershire’s enterprising approach was rewarded on the final afternoon as century-makers Michael Klinger and Jack Taylor powered them to a five-wicket win over Worcestershire in the County Championship clash at New Road.The Gloucestershire captain Gareth Roderick had thrown open a game heading towards stalemate on the third day by declaring his side’s first innings 75 runs in arrears. Gloucestershire then proceeded to bowl out Worcestershire for 239 and were left a target of 315 in 70 overs which they reached with more than 10 overs to spare.With the pitch playing true and a short off-side boundary for the right-handers to target, a see-saw game finally tipped in Gloucestershire’s favour as they climbed to third spot in the Division Two table.Klinger, a former Worcestershire player, and Taylor came together in the first over after tea at 141 for 5 and proceeded to flay the home attack.Taylor reached a brilliant hundred off 71 balls with five sixes and 11 fours and finished unbeaten on 107. Klinger completed his ton with the match-winning six off Brett D’Oliveira; he faced 141 balls and hit two sixes and 11 fours. Their stand was worth an unbroken 179 in just 24 overs.Klinger and Taylor’s main concern was the light and play was halted briefly but the players returned and the sixth-wicket pair completed their task.Gloucestershire set out in pursuit of their target immediately after lunch and Worcestershire vice-captain Joe Leach had made the first breakthrough when Chris Dent edged to first slip. Fellow opener Roderick fell to a superb full-length catch by Alexei Kervezee at mid-off off Ed Barnard after he had ran back 20 yards from extra cover.First innings century-maker Graeme van Buuren again looked in good touch before he was undone by a ball of extra bounce from Charlie Morris and was caught behind for 42. Then in the final over before tea, Hamish Marshall took on occasional spinner Kervezee and was caught at mid-on to leave Gloucestershire on 139 for 4 at the interval.Worcestershire’s victory hopes increased in the first over after tea when George Hankins aimed a heave across the line at Leach and was lbw. But Taylor decided counterattacking was the best option and he reached his half century off 38 balls with four sixes and five fours. He also dominated a century stand with Klinger, which came up in just 17 overs.Heavy morning rain delayed the start but play was able to get underway at 11.30am with only the loss of eight overs. Worcestershire resumed on 151 for 5 in their second innings – a lead of 226 – and Ross Whiteley scored a typically robust 53-ball half-century but wickets fell at regular intervals at the other end to Liam Norwell and Craig Miles.Ben Cox was caught behind off Norwell and then Leach perished at deep midwicket off Miles. Miles struck twice in an over as Ed Barnard was caught at cover before a superb leg-side catch by keeper Roderick accounted for first-innings centurion Jack Shantry.Whiteley was last out for 71 from 88 balls with four sixes and seven fours. Miles finished with 5 for 54 – his 10th five wicket haul in first class cricket – and Norwell 4 for 70.

Northamptonshire’s bowlers did their job as the county aim to secure promotion, but the batsmen still have work to do

George Dobell at New Road24-Sep-2013
ScorecardAndrew Hall took advantage of some brittle Worcestershire batting•Getty Images

It is remarkable how much can change in a year. Twelve months ago, Northamptonshire finished the season with fewer wins across the three competitions than any side in the land and their lowest Championship finish – eighth in Division Two – since 1978.Now they are the FLt20 champions and about 150 runs short of promotion. They have, despite a modest budget and a far from glorious history, emerged as the most improved side in the county game and, like Durham, have proved that the cheque book is not the answer when trying to improve results.Promotion is not yet guaranteed. They came into this game requiring five points to ensure they could not be overhauled by Essex. Now, with three bowling bonus points secure, they require a total of 250 – and the resultant two batting bonus points that will bring – to be certain of elevation. They have not played in Division One since 2004 and, before the FLt20 success, had not won a trophy since 1992.They were not made to work too hard for their bowling points. Winning an important toss against a weak batting unit on a helpful wicket, they allowed only three men to reach double figures and only two to pass 12. David Willey, with a fine new ball spell, made the vital inroads, but Worcestershire will be disappointed at the lack of opposition they provided.Northamptonshire were made to work harder with the bat. Though Stephen Peters and Alex Wakely both played some pleasing strokes, the former was beaten by one that nipped back and the latter by one that turned sharply to leave Northamptonshire reliant on their middle and lower order once again. Still 60 behind and 147 from a second batting point, there is plenty of work ahead for them on day two.These are two clubs of contrasting fortunes. They are similarly financially challenged – Worcestershire actually have a larger cricket budget than Northamptonshire – yet while one club has vibrancy and ambition about it, the other seems prepared to drift into gentle irrelevance. While there is plenty of disgruntled chuntering among the Worcestershire membership, so long as tea is served on time in the Ladies Pavilion, it seems most will put up with the slide.The continuing excellence of Alan Richardson – who with the wicket of Peters claimed his 250th first-class victim for the club in his fourth season – has masked problems at New Road for some time, but the failure of talented young players to develop as was anticipated suggests danger ahead. The likes of Alexei Kervezee, who cannot get in the first team at present, Richard Jones, who is on loan at Warwickshire, and Aneesh Kapil, who has been released, were, not so long ago, thought to be the future of the club. And while the failure of one such player might be put down to individual problems, the failure of all three suggests deeper rooted issues.There is mixed news off the pitch, too. While the new facilities – conferencing and the like – built as part of the hotel development will provide additional revenue for the club, it is anticipated that Worcestershire will declare a financial loss of over £100,000 for the year. Bearing in mind they had the benefit of a tourist game against Australia this season and that is serious cause for concern.Here Worcestershire batted – a ninth-wicket stand of 72 aside – with a fragility that explained their mid-table position in the Division Two table. While negating the new ball was tricky on a misty morning – Willey, nipping the ball around sharply, claimed two wickets in the opening over – it speaks volumes that three batsmen – Thilan Samaraweera, Tom Fell and Shaaiq Choudhry – were bowled leaving straight deliveries. While Daryl Mitchell could console himself in the knowledge he received a beauty, Ross Whiteley simply missed a straight one and Ben Cox was punished for playing slightly across the line.The chief beneficiary of the weak batting was Andrew Hall, who claimed the 17th five-wicket haul of his career and passed 600 career victims on the way. His pace may be reduced but, he hits the seam, gains some movement and maintains a tight line and length. He will rarely have taken a softer five-wicket haul, though.It could have been much worse for Worcestershire. From 76 for 7, they recovered somewhat through the efforts of Matt Pardoe and Jack Shantry. With Pardoe, an old-school obdurate opener, making one end safe, Shantry chanced his arm at the other and breezed to a 62-ball half-century with seven fours and one straight six against the offspin of James Middlebrook. It was not all text book, but the pair demonstrated admirable application, nous and fight.Eventually Pardoe dragged his back foot and was stumped – a fine piece of work by the deeply impressive David Murphy – and the tailenders were blown away, leaving Shantry with a career-best effort with the bat.There are some clouds on Northamptonshire’s horizon, however. It appears they are unable to gain work permits for either Trent Copeland, the Australian seamer who made such an impact this season, or Cameron White, who was so influential in the T20 success. Neither will return in 2014.It remains to be seen whether David Sales will be back. His dismissal here, slicing to point, leaves him 98 runs short of the 1,000 Championship run landmark that would automatically invoke a clause in his contract ensuring he will be offered a new deal. The smart money suggests he will be back whether he reaches the landmark or not and, for the first time in a decade, playing in Division One.

Australia’s plummeting Twenty20 ranking has become a source of mirth for many but George Bailey’s side shouldn’t be written off

Brydon Coverdale18-Sep-2012

Overview

Will the punt on George Bailey pay off?•AFP

A month ago, Australia’s Twenty20 captain George Bailey said that he believed there were about nine teams that could win the World Twenty20 title. Three weeks later, Australia slipped to tenth on the ICC rankings. For a few days they were, as far as the ICC was concerned, a worse T20 side than Ireland. It is easy to write Australia off as a Twenty20 team. They have one of the least settled sides in the tournament. Their captain hadn’t even played an international match nine months ago. Since the last World T20, when they reached the final, they have had the worst win-loss ratio of any sides except Zimbabwe, Canada and Kenya. Not since Six & Out released has Australian cricket been responsible for such an abysmal record.But opponents will disregard Australia at their peril. John Inverarity’s selection panel made some changes when they chose their first T20 squad earlier this year, not the least of which was installing Bailey as captain instead of the incumbent Cameron White. It was a bold decision, for Bailey’s T20 form did not warrant selection, but the panel believed a quick-thinking captain was more important in T20 than in any other format, and after leading Tasmania for several years Bailey was viewed as an intelligent leader and tactician. Under his command, Australia have won three matches, lost three and tied another that they eventually lost in a Super Over. Their 94-run thrashing of Pakistan in Dubai just over a week ago is testament to what this Australian line-up can achieve when all goes to plan and barring a disaster against Ireland on Wednesday, Bailey’s men have the potential to cause some trouble in the Super Eights.The squad features a mixture of experience and youth. The oldest player in the tournament is the 41-year-old spinner Brad Hogg, whose selection was just as brave a move as making Bailey captain. He is likely to share the spin duties with Glenn Maxwell, 23, a power-hitting allrounder who was uncapped when chosen in the squad. David Warner and Shane Watson have the potential to be one of the most frightening opening combinations in the tournament, and only Brendon McCullum has hit more sixes in Twenty20 internationals than Watson’s 47 and Warner’s 46. Michael Hussey remains one of the game’s best finishers. Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins are two of Twenty20 cricket’s most exciting young fast bowlers. And the man with more T20 runs than anyone else in the world, David Hussey, is also in the squad, even if he appears to have slipped out of the starting line-up. The sum of the parts should be considerable, but whether they will add up to a cohesive whole is the great unanswered question.

Key players

Nobody carries the hopes of the Australian public in Twenty20 quite as much as David Warner. Ever since he burst on to the scene with 89 from 43 balls in his international debut against South Africa three and a half years ago, Warner has been the personification of T20 in Australia. If he gives the side a quick start, and sustains it for more than a few overs, Australia will be tough to beat. But on the slow Sri Lankan pitches he will come up against plenty of quality spin, which is his weakness, and finding a way to not only survive that but score briskly against it looms as his biggest challenge.

Surprise package

Few men have surprised the Australian public quite like Brad Hogg has over the past year. Hogg retired from international cricket in early 2008 and quickly disappeared from the spotlight, other than the occasional appearance as an overly exuberant commentator. Even when he was lured back to play the Big Bash League, the attention was on his fellow spinners Shane Warne and Stuart MacGill more than Hogg. But his canny bowling and hard-to-pick wrong’un made him a serious weapon for the Perth Scorchers, who reached the final, and in January the national selectors approached him about making a comeback with the World T20 in mind. So here he is. At 41, Hogg is old enough to be the father of some of his team-mates, but has the potential to be one of Australia’s key weapons on spinning pitches.

Weakness

The Australians enjoy the ball coming on to the bat and are less keen on facing spin, when they are forced to create the pace themselves. So-called “mystery spinners” can be especially baffling to them, as Saeed Ajmal showed during the recent series in the UAE. Maintaining momentum through the middle order can also be a problem, for men like Bailey, White and Matthew Wade can sometimes take a few too many deliveries to get in.

World T20 history

Such has been the gloom around Australia’s T20 prospects that it’s easy to forget they made the final of the most recent tournament, losing to England in the Caribbean in 2010. They reached the semi-finals in 2007 but the 2009 tournament was their nadir, when they were bundled out in the group stages after losing to Sri Lanka and West Indies.

Recent form

The most relevant form-line starts when Bailey took over as captain and the new selectors assembled a squad with the World T20 in mind. Since that time Australia have won three, lost three and tied another that they went on to lose in a Super Over. Under Bailey they have had wins over Pakistan, India and West Indies, and in 2012 their record is superior to that of India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Pakistan allrounders Shahid Afridi and Abdul Razzaq have signed to play for the Lions franchise in the domestic twenty-over competition in 2012

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Oct-2011Pakistan allrounders Shahid Afridi and Abdul Razzaq have signed to play for the Lions franchise in the domestic twenty-over competition in 2012. Both Afridi and Razzaq said they had received interest from more than one South African franchise but chose the Johannesburg-based team.”My manager received several offers to play in South Africa,” Razzaq said. “We made a decision on the Lions due to the fact that I have many friends in Johannesburg and have always enjoyed my time there.” Razzaq plays for the Lahore Lions in Pakistan and has a proud domestic Twenty20 record across continents, with 1815 runs at a strike-rate of 142 and 102 wickets at an average of 20.73.Afridi had played a vital role in Pakistan winning the World Twenty20 title in England in 2009. He retired from international cricket earlier this year but expressed interest in continuing his career and, with Razzaq, signed for the Melbourne Rebels in Australia’s Big Bash League. “I am looking forward to my time in South Africa and helping the Lions qualify for next year’s Champions league,” Afridi said.The Lions were equally thrilled to have secured the pair as they look to challenge for a domestic title. “I have no doubt that they are a perfect fit for the Lions’ style of play – plus they definitely match our team chemistry,” Dave Nosworthy, Lions coach said. Chief executive Cassim Docrat said their inclusion was an “investment” and he hoped it will bring long-lasting benefits. “Adding these players to the team will also benefit the exciting mix of youngsters that our squad is boasting this season.”Lions are a rebuilding franchise, after many seasons of underperformance, but they feel this is their season to excel, especially in shorter formats of the game. The only trophy Lions have won is the domestic twenty-over title in the 2006-07 season. They finished as runners-up in last season’s tournament and participated in the Champions League at home, but did not qualify for the knockout stages.Although South African franchises seldom recruited international players for this competition, that trend has changed this season. Dolphins announced the signing of Australian fast bowler Shaun Tait and West Indies batsman Chris Gayle. The competition is scheduled to start on February 15, with Lions’ first match on February 17.

ESPNcricinfo previews the fifth one-day international between England and Pakistan at the Rose Bowl

The Preview by Liam Brickhill21-Sep-2010

Match facts

September 22, 2010, Southampton
Start time 2.30pm (1.30pm GMT)England coach Andy Flower and an informally dressed Andrew Strauss inspect the Rose Bowl pitch ahead of the final ODI•Getty Images

Big picture

Were it not for all the scandal and controversy that has rocked cricket this summer, Wednesday’s Rose Bowl decider between England and Pakistan would surely be seen as a fitting finale to a classic series. It is a testament to the pedigree of these two teams in one-day cricket that, despite the continuing rumblings, rumours, allegations and counter-allegations, they have managed to produce four watchable and absorbing contests and while there may well be further addition to the ongoing off-field saga ahead of the fifth and final match, the cricket itself will surely be of the highest standard.England were on the brink of pulling out of the series before the fourth match at Lord’s and the ECB announced that it would be taking legal action against Ijaz Butt, the chairman of the PCB, after his allegations that England’s players accepted a bribe to lose the third ODI at The Oval. But the tour has continued and after coming back from 2-0 down it seems increasingly apparent that Pakistan’s cricketers have been better able than England’s to maintain their focus amid a couple of hard-fought encounters.Admittedly, Pakistan have relied largely on the personal brilliance of Umar Gul, who took 10 wickets in the two victories, to put them in this position. But Gul’s performances have also had a noticeable effect on the rest of the team and amid the controversy Pakistan have rallied to seize the momentum. Kamran Akmal appears a changed man after his horrific form in Tests this summer, the batting order as a whole has grown in confidence and Shoaib Akhtar has defied age and injury with a string of consistent performances. Add to that Abdul Razzaq and Shahid Afridi’s destructive batting and allround ability and Saeed Ajmal’s guile, and Pakistan look like formidable opponents.England, on the other hand, seem jaded at the end of a long and arduous summer and it will surely be a relief to get this final match out of the way, whatever the result. England have dominated five series across three formats this season but a chaotic and controversial end would hardly be the best preparation ahead of a challenging winter in Australia. England will want to end on a positive note, but will be even more desperate to move on as quickly as possible once it is all over.

Form guide (last five completed matches)

England LLWWW

Pakistan WWLLW

Watch out for…

Andrew Strauss has led England from the front all summer, appearing an assured, attacking captain and a batsman of increasing authority in all formats. Strauss will recognise the importance of a series win despite the overwhelming clamour of off-field distractions in recent days and his sparkling form makes him a vital component at the top of the order.Umar Gul is currently without equal with an old, reverse-swinging ball in his hands in one-day cricket, and his potency was further increased under lights in the two London encounters. Perhaps crucially, the decider will also be a day/night affair and if Pakistan bat first once again – and the batsmen can scrap their way to a competitive total – Gul could well be Pakistan’s hero once more.

Team news

Paul Collingwood has endured droughts and lean runs in the past, but he has appeared so woefully out of nick in recent games that he is a strong candidate for a rest with more important challenges ahead in the coming months. Luke Wright and Ravi Bopara are both primed to push for his spot in the middle order, but England are otherwise a settled unit.England (possible) 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Steve Davies (wk), 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Ian Bell, 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Ravi Bopara, 7 Michael Yardy, 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 James AndersonPakistan have struck a winning combination and, barring injury, are likely to stick with the same starting XI. Shoaib Akhtar appeared to be struggling with a side strain towards the end of his spell at Lord’s, but the word from the Pakistan camp is that he is fit to play in Wednesday’s decider.Pakistan (probable) 1 Kamran Akmal (wk), 2 Mohammad Hafeez, 3 Asad Shafiq, 4 Mohammad Yousuf, 5 Fawad Alam, 6 Umar Akmal, 7 Shahid Afridi, 8 Abdul Razzaq, 9 Umar Gul, 10 Saeed Ajmal, 11 Shoaib Akhtar

Pitch and conditions

The Rose Bowl had a reputation as a seamer’s paradise in its early years, but the pitch has settled down considerably since then. The last ODI at the ground, between England and Australia in June, was a reasonably high-scoring affair featuring an Eoin Morgan ton and some tap for the spinners on both sides. With fine weather in prospect, the challenge of batting under lights will be less daunting than it might otherwise have been, although – it being late September and all – temperatures are likely to be on the low side once again.

Stats and Trivia

• Andrew Strauss has been in top form this summer, with 1,122 international runs since Bangladesh visited in May. While his Test form has been reasonable, Strauss’s transformation into an attacking limited-overs opener has been remarkable, and he’s scored 781 runs in 13 games, including two hundreds and a top score of 154. He’s also hit 12 of his 30 international sixes this summer.
• If Pakistan bowl under lights, Umar Gul will surely be their most potent weapon. He has 45 wickets in the second innings of day/night ODIs at 21.20 as compared to his career average of 26.32. He now averages 17.92 in ODIs against England.
• Despite Gul’s night-time prowess, Pakistan will have to overcome a statistical trend if they are to win bowling second at the Rose Bowl. Three of the four day/night ODIs played there have been won by the side batting second, including Pakistan on their last visit in 2006.

Quotes

“I’ve got to give a lot of credit to my players for the professional manner they went about their business, and ultimately I’m very proud of them from that point of view. I’ve got to give a lot of credit to the players from both sides for doing that.”

“The boys really performed to the best of their ability, and this is what Pakistan is really all about. We are here to play good cricket.”

Nair, who smashed 112, set a new record of 542 runs without being dismissed, going past former New Zealand allrounder James Franklin

PTI03-Jan-2025Karun Nair on Friday broke the world record for most List A runs without being dismissed, while guiding Vidarbha to an eight-wicket victory over Uttar Pradesh in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.Nair, who smashed 112, set a new record of 542 runs without being dismissed, going past former New Zealand allrounder James Franklin, who in 2010 had managed a streak of 527 runs without getting out. Other prominent names in the list are: Joshua van Heerden (512), Fakhar Zaman (455) and Taufeeq Umar (422).The knock was his fourth hundred of the season – and third on the trot – as he helped Vidarbha overhaul UP’s 307 for 8 in just 47.2 overs. Nair’s unbeaten streak began on December 23, when he first blasted 112 off 108 balls against Jammu & Kashmir. He followed it up with an unbeaten 44 in a small chase against Chhattisgarh. He then made a season-high 168 not out against Chandigarh, helping Vidarbha chase down 316 in 48 overs, before finishing 2024 with another unbeaten ton – 111* against Tamil Nadu.On Friday, Vidarbha ended at 313 for 2 as Yash Rathod also made an unbeaten 138 off 140 balls. He and Karun shared a massive 228-run stand for the second wicket.The victory also enabled Vidarbha to position themselves comfortably as the top team in Group D with 20 points from five games ahead of second placed Tamil Nadu (14) and UP (14), who are on third.

Andile Phehlukwayo and Lizaad Williams have been included as replacements in South Africa’s 15-man squad

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Sep-2023Fast bowlers Anrich Nortje and Sisanda Magala have been ruled out of the 2023 ODI World Cup with injuries. They have been replaced by Andile Phehlukwayo and Lizaad Williams in South Africa’s 15-man squad for the tournament that begins in India on October 5.Nortje has a suspected stress fracture of the back after experiencing spasms during the second ODI against Australia earlier this month. Magala, who played only the third ODI against Australia and went for 1 for 46 in four overs, has a left-knee injury.”It’s hugely disappointing for Anrich and Sisanda to be missing out on the 50-over World Cup,” South Africa’s coach Rob Walter said. “We sympathize in their omission and will continue to provide all the necessary support as they work towards their return to competitive action.”This provides an opportunity for Andile and Lizaad on the global stage. Both players have been part of our winter programs as well as having represented South Africa in the recent white-ball tour against Australia. They offer great skill sets and we’re excited to have them complete the 15-player squad for this year’s World Cup.”Phehlukwayo played in the second and fifth ODIs against Australia. While he did not make much of an impression in the first game, he scored 38 off 19 balls to finish the innings strongly in the series finale and then took 1 for 44. Williams played three of the five matches, taking 3 for 44, 1 for 17 and 0 for 24.Nortje’s absence is a major blow for South Africa as he is their quickest bowler with substantial experience in India, where he plays for Delhi Capitals in the IPL. He played in the Major League Cricket tournament in the USA over the South African winter and was rested for the T20Is against Australia. He was then ruled out of the first ODI but played the second, bowling only five overs before leaving the field. He missed the third game after he was sent for scans and was then ruled out of the series.Magala had not played any cricket since splitting the webbing in his hand at the IPL in early April and was subsequently ruled out of the T20Is against Australia with infrapatellar tendinopathy – pain in the tendon that connects the kneecap to the shin bone. He experienced discomfort in the knee again after playing one ODI against Australia.South Africa leave for India on September 23, and play their warm-up games against Afghanistan on September 29 and New Zealand on October 2. Their first game of the tournament is against Sri Lanka on October 7.

South Africa’s ODI World Cup squad

Temba Bavuma (capt), Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen, Lizaad Williams