Category Uncategorized

Return of Ben Stokes means that two-spinner line-up could be maintained for Chennai Test

George Dobell26-Jan-2021England are confident of having Ollie Pope and Moeen Ali available for the first Test of the series against India.Both men missed the 2-0 series win in Sri Lanka due to injury and illness respectively. But, with the bulk of the squad flying to Chennai on Wednesday, the England management are confident they will be available for the Test starting at Chepauk on February 5.Pope and Moeen were both part of the tour party in Sri Lanka. However, Moeen was forced into extended quarantine after testing positive for Covid-19 upon arrival – he subsequently suffered mild symptoms and was obliged to sit out the entire series – while Pope was there to continue his rehabilitation having undergone a second bout of surgery on a shoulder injury. He was able to bat – and bat very well – in the warm-up game at the start of the tour, but has not been considered fit enough to field.”I’m hoping Ollie will be able to throw his hat in the ring for that first Test,” England head coach, Chris Silverwood, said from Galle on Tuesday. “The sooner we can get him back the better it is for us.”Moeen should be available for the first Test, too. He’s been through everything he needs to go through and is progressing nicely.”It is likely to be a much-changed England side that plays in that first Test. Rory Burns, who has been absent on paternity leave, has every chance of returning at the top of the order, while Ben Stokes will slot into the middle-order – probably in place of Dan Lawrence – and Jofra Archer may well replace Mark Wood in the fast bowling role. That would allow England to play an attack that included Stokes as one of three seamers and still retain two spinners. Moeen, who scored two Test centuries during England’s last tour to India, could replace Dom Bess as off-spinning all-rounder.Ollie Pope looks on in training•Gareth Copley/Getty Images

Zak Crawley and Dom Sibley could yet retain spots in the top three with Jonny Bairstow having been rested for the first couple of Tests. Although neither looked especially comfortable against Sri Lanka’s spinners, England will also be mindful that India have an outstanding array of fast bowlers. Sibley and Crawley might, therefore, he required to see off the new ball in relatively traditional fashion.Despite England proving surprisingly reliant upon their seamers in the victory over Sri Lanka, Silverwood has hinted they will resist the temptation to field a seam-dominant attack. Instead, he suggested England would probably continue to field two spinners.”We’ll have to look at the wicket when we get there, but history may suggest you’ll be looking at two spinners,” he said. “We have to have a look at how the rest of the bowling attack will look beyond that. I’m open to ideas all the time. We’ll look at the stats, what has been successful at that ground before and then take the lead from it.”England’s preparation for the India series is far from perfect. The players arriving from Sri Lanka will be obliged to spend six days in their hotel rooms serving a quarantine process, which only allows three full days of training ahead of the game.Related

• Jonny Bairstow, Mark Wood and Sam Curran rested for first two India Tests

• First two India-England Tests in Chennai set to be played behind closed doors

• India vs England: Three-day training for teams ahead of first Test in Chennai

• Ajinkya Rahane: 'Virat was and will always be the captain of the Test team, and I am his deputy'

Many of them will, at least, have played some cricket in Sri Lanka. The players arriving from the UK – which includes Stokes, Archer and Burns – have not had that advantage. But they have been in India for a couple of days already and will be able to train from Saturday. That allows them five days of practice ahead of the first Test. Both groups of players will be obliged to return three negative Covid-19 tests during their quarantine period. “If they’re fit and ready, if they look good, they’ll be available for selection,” Silverwood said.In a perfect world, Silverwood would have the likes of Bairstow (who misses the first two Tests), Jos Buttler (who will miss the last three) and Mark Wood (who also misses the first two) available to him for the full four-match campaign. But he has no complaints about the policy of rest and rotation and asks that England supporters also try to empathise.”We’ve got to look after our people,” Silverwood said. “We’re spending a lot of time looked in hotel rooms inside bio-secure bubbles and it’s not easy. It’s good that we’re being proactive and looking after people. I’m perfectly happy with the system we’re using.”So I’d just ask them [supporters] to understand why we do what we do, we’re resting in the best interests of that player and equally to get the best out of them long term.”

Kane Williamson made 51 but was the second wicket for Sam Curran as England took charge

The Report by Alan Gardner22-Nov-2019England’s bowlers struck telling blows during the afternoon and evening on day two in Mount Maunganui, as they strove to get the better of a New Zealand side that has been close to unbeatable on their own patch. Kane Williamson made a polished half-century but when he became the fourth wicket to fall, late in the evening session and with his side still more than 200 runs behind, England were in the ascendancy.Sam Curran was the bowler to strike, his second wicket of the day, and the closing stages saw New Zealand battling to avoid further losses as Jofra Archer tested the middle of the pitch in fading light. England’s total of 353, their highest in the first innings of an away Test since Melbourne 2017-18, was underpinned by Ben Stokes’ 91 but came accompanied by a sense of missed opportunities; however, their application in the field ensured it was New Zealand nervously casting around for a candidate to deliver a significant statement with the bat.While New Zealand’s bowlers deserved immense credit for dragging the tourists back after the slog of day one, they were aided by England reverting to type during a morning collapse of 4 for 18 in 21 balls. Tim Southee provided the spark, extracting Stokes when he seemed hell bent on a third century in his last five Tests – though even here, with the batsman advancing malevolently to try and flay through the off side, came the hint of an unforced error.

Watch cricket on ESPN+

New Zealand v England is available in the US on ESPN+. Subscribe to ESPN+ and tune in to the T20I series.

England subsequently lost their last six wickets for the addition of 76 runs, Southee and Neil Wagner claiming five of them. New Zealand might have wrapped up the innings before lunch, only for Jos Buttler to counterpunch effectively during a ninth-wicket rearguard with Jack Leach.Still, with Stokes joining Joe Denly and Rory Burns in failing to convert half-centuries and England falling short of the 400-run mark that had been touted as par on a docile Bay Oval pitch, the stage was apparently set for New Zealand’s more-accomplished accumulators to show the visiting side how it’s done. That was not quite how things panned out, as two teams that have been impossible to separate in the white-ball formats this year found themselves in another gripping tussle.The key wicket, indisputably, was that of New Zealand’s captain, Williamson. Although England managed to remove both openers, and Ross Taylor eventually lost patience against a sustained bouncer attack from Archer and Stokes, the sight of Williamson ticking along to an 84-ball half-century would have reassured home supporters that all was well.However, the very next ball, delivered by Curran, sent a ripple around the ground and forced wholesale re-evaluations of what might be expected from the rest of this Test. Williamson was left reeling by unexpected bounce from a length – clear indication of some unforeseen variability in the surface – as the ball ballooned off his glove and Stokes plunged forward to gratefully take the catch at second slip.It was Curran, too, who made the opening incision after New Zealand had begun their reply midway through the afternoon session, winning an lbw decision against Tom Latham in his first over; replays suggested an inside edge but the batsman chose not to review.Latham’s opening partner, Jeet Raval, rarely looked convincing during his time at the crease, eventually falling to his fourth risky heavy at Leach after a 54-run stand with Williamson. Taylor then top-edged Stokes to deep midwicket before the demise of Williamson left New Zealand looking expectantly to Henry Nicholls, a man who has averaged more than 60 since the start of 2018. Nicholls was shaken by a hefty thump to the helmet from Archer in the penultimate over of the day, but was cleared to continue after an examination from the physio.Tim Southee bowled an incisive spell•AFP

Things had looked much brighter for New Zealand after a productive start to the day. Stokes and Ollie Pope extended their overnight partnership to 74 before Southee intervened with three wickets in 11 balls. Although initially held back, once Southee had pried an opening he harnessed the conditions expertly to rip through England’s middle order.Stokes picked up regular boundaries as he moved into the 90s, only for Taylor to brilliantly atone for dropping him on day one. With New Zealand having shifted their cordon wide, Taylor had to react instinctively to a chance flying through regulation first slip but clung on one-handed high to his right.Operating in the high 120s kph but showing just why New Zealand’s attack is so adept when there is a hint of swing on offer, Southee struck twice more in his next over. Pope, who successfully reviewed an lbw decision in the third over of the morning, played some eye-catching shots to move past his previous Test best of 28, made on debut against India in 2018, but was lured into flashing at a delivery that left him enough to clip the edge through to BJ Watling.Curran was then bamboozled by a full inswinger, opting to review despite ball-tracking showing that the delivery would have crashed into middle and leg stumps. Archer negotiated the hat-trick ball uncertainly, and then fell in the following over as Trent Boult found his outside edge. From the relative comfort of 277 for 4, England had stumbled into trouble.With Leach nearly running out Buttler off the first ball he faced, England were in serious danger of folding. But Buttler hinted at his destructive capabilities when casually lofting Southee back down the ground, then launching Boult high over long-off for six in the last over before lunch. His stand with Leach had yielded 52 valuable runs when Buttler picked out Mitchell Santner at deep point – perhaps partly deceived by the fact Santner had left the field to sign autographs and only hurdled the boundary boards to return to the field of play as Wagner ran in to deliver the ball.

The incident could end up attracting the attention of match officials, already alert to such moments in a series that is not short of them

Firdose Moonda in Port Elizabeth09-Mar-20184:02

Holding: Rabada needs to control himself a little bit

Kagiso Rabada’s shoulder brush with and send-off of Steven Smith could end up attracting the attention of match officials, already alert to such moments in a series that is – even at just over one-Test old – not short of them. Nathan Lyon, David Warner and Quinton de Kock have all been sanctioned after the first Test, though potential consequences for Rabada could be graver. The match referee, Jeff Crowe, is expected to make a ruling on the incident on Saturday morning.Rabada found reverse swing shortly before tea and angled a length ball in at middle stump towards a shuffling Smith, who was struck on the back pad, in front of middle stump. Smith was given out on-field by Kumar Dharmasena and, in celebration, Rabada continued in his follow-through, shouting “Yes, yes,” in Smith’s direction. With Smith directly in his line of movement, Rabada’s shoulder made contact with that of the Australian captain.Smith reviewed but began walking as soon as replays showed where he had been hit. Rabada went on to take four more wickets, claiming five in the space of 18 balls, either side of the tea interval, to scythe through Australia’s middle order, and made considerable use of the reverse-swinging ball. He also had a small word with Mitchell Starc, the last of the five wickets to fall.Rabada came into this fixture already on notice – he currently has five demerit points to his name and another three will see him sit out two Tests; a tally of eight demerit points within a 24-month period attracts such a penalty as per ICC rules.Rabada’s rap sheet dates back to February last year when he picked up three demerit points and a 50% match fee fine after a shoulder shove to Sri Lanka’s Niroshan Dickwella in an ODI. He then earned a another demerit point in July, when he swore at Ben Stokes after dismissing him at Lord’s during the first Test between South Africa and England. Rabada missed the second Test at Trent Bridge as a result; four demerit points lead to a ban of one Test or two limited-overs games, whichever comes first, while eight demerit points result in double the penalty. Each demerit point stays on a player’s record for a period of 24 months, staying active even after the four-point threshold is broken.This year, Rabada added a fifth point to his name when he gave Shikhar Dhawan a send-off during an ODI at St George’s Park last month. Replays showed Rabada waving goodbye to Dhawan and then telling him to “f*** off”.While the punishment for both his verbal transgressions amounted to only one demerit point, physical contact, which is deemed inappropriate and deliberate, falls under a Level 2 offence. If found guilty of such a charge, a minimum of three demerit points are applied. That would take Rabada to eight, which would mean he misses the rest of the Australia series.This series has already been marred by three instances of players committing code of conduct offences. Lyon was fined 15% of his match fee and received one demerit point for dropping a ball close to AB de Villiers when he was run out in Durban, Warner was fined 75% of his match fee and earned three demerit points for his role in the stairwell saga that has dominated headlines between Tests, and de Kock was fined 25% of his match fee and earned one demerit point for his part in the same.

ESPNcricinfo previews the second T20I between England and South Africa at Taunton

The Preview by Andrew Miller22-Jun-2017

Match Facts

June 23, 2017
Start time 5pm local (1600 GMT)Jonny Bairstow seized his chance to start another England match with 60 not out from 35 balls•Getty Images

Big Picture

What are we to make of South Africa’s efforts on their tour of England so far? They arrived in the country as the world’s No.1 ODI side, but having impressed only in spurts in their 2-1 series defeat against England, they were dumped out in the group stages of the Champions Trophy after a pair of scatter-brained defeats to India and Pakistan. And now it’s hard to know which direction they think they are pointing after a puzzling loss in the opening T20I at the Ageas Bowl.There were signs of obvious life while AB de Villiers and Farhaan Behardien were adding 110 runs for South Africa’s fourth wicket to revive their side from a perilous 32 for 3. The trouble is, they gnawed through 95 balls in doing so, all the while giving off the vibe of two men combatting untold demons in the wicket. It was an approach that caused a few pundits to hedge their bets at the halfway mark – mindful, perhaps, of England’s most recent batting effort against South Africa – but no-one was fooled for long.A target of 143 was never remotely in doubt as soon as Jason Roy signalled a return to his hard-hitting best, and had it not been for his aberration of a reverse-sweep with a match-sealing innings at his mercy, England would have backed themselves to wrap up a ten-wicket victory for the third time in their T20 history. The state of South Africa’s fielding – for so many years one of the proudest aspects of their game – merely added to that sense of inevitability. Berhardien’s drop of Alex Hales on the long-on boundary was the most cataclysmic moment in a ragged display.But, T20 being what it is, few international sides can be written off for long – not least a side that possesses a true great such as de Villiers in their ranks. Only a player of his calibre could make an unbeaten 65 from 58 balls seem dour, but having enjoyed his extended net in the Southampton sunshine, who’s to say he won’t find the short boundaries at Taunton much more to his liking? After all, his fellow RCB superstar, Chris Gayle, took to this surface with alacrity two seasons ago, smashing 151 from 62 balls in a NatWest T20 Blast contest against Kent, including one of his 15 (fifteen!) sixes being retrieved by a soggy fan from the nearby River Tone.The trouble for South Africa is that England aren’t exactly shy about giving it a tonk in permissive situations either – Jonny Bairstow’s ballistic innings a case in point. England’s perennial stand-in batted with the brazen hostility of a man who is fed up of being made to wait for his opening, and his unbeaten 60 from 35 balls made even Alex Hales, the possessor of England’s highest limited-overs score, look pedestrian alongside him. Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler, Taunton’s second-favourite export after Scrumpy, weren’t even required to flex their muscles, let alone Sam Billings, who might at a pinch have touched the ball in the deep at some stage of the contest, but overall produced less activity than an office-based clock-watcher on a Friday afternoon.And on that note, if the events of the Ageas Bowl are anything to go by, the result matters little compared to the opportunity for a packed house to appreciate a rare international contest in their neck of the woods, while skiving from work early to soak up the English summer as it deigns to make an appearance. It promises to be fun while it lasts, even if there have been, and will continue to be, bigger prizes up for grabs this season.

Form guide

England WLLWL (completed matches, most recent first)
South Africa LWLLW

In the spotlight

Jos Buttler has toured the world in his short but sharp stint as a limited-overs powerhouse – racking up international appearances at 52 venues to date, from Mirpur to Malahide, from Headingley to Hamilton. But on Friday, he’ll make his first England appearance in the town of his birth, and his kith and kin will be expecting a masterclass. Buttler upped sticks from Taunton back in 2013, a move prompted in part by the need to tone his wicketkeeping skills, with Craig Kieswetter then still a fixture behind the stumps, prior to the terrible facial injury that forced his early retirement. Buttler has played on the ground just once since his departure, for Lancashire against Somerset in the County Championship in June 2014. It wasn’t the most comfortable experience of his career, as he made 18 and 4 in a hard-fought draw. Friday ought to be a much more pleasurable homecoming.There were few positives for South Africa to take from their shellacking, but for JJ Smuts. At least, things can only get better. His nervy poke outside off to David Willey’s first delivery at the Ageas Bowl resulted in an inside-edge and a golden duck, which leaves his international tally at a precarious 36 runs from four matches to date. Still, Smuts does at least have a second string to his bow, and his perfectly serviceable left-arm spin was one of the few restrictive weapons that de Villiers was able to call upon in England’s run-chase. He took the new ball and kept things tight, and maybe the confidence gained from his three overs for 20 will rub off on his batting.

Team news

It’s hard to know what to expect from this match, and the series finale in Cardiff as well, on account of England’s stated commitment to pack-shuffling. Each of their five debutants has been guaranteed an outing at some stage, which means that, even though Mason Crane’s hugely composed debut should have earned him the right to give his legspin another rip, those short boundaries at the County Ground may prompt a change of tactic – and where better to blood Somerset’s Craig Overton than on his very own ground? One enforced change will be the omission of Mark Wood, who was only ever going to play the first match, as England wrap his race-horse-delicate body up in cotton wool before the Test series. Liam Plunkett is the obvious deck-hitting alternative. Among the batters, Dawid Malan and Liam Livingstone, Lancashire’s star in the making, are both itching to get a hit, though they are hardly alone after the Ageas Bowl mismatch. Surely they won’t dare rest Bairstow just as he becomes an automatic pick? The less volcanic option would be to blood Dawid Malan as an opener and give Hales a day off to top up his tan.England (possible): 1 Jason Roy, 2 Alex Hales/Dawid Malan, 3 Jonny Bairstow, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Sam Billings/Liam Livingstone, 6 Jos Buttler (wk), 7 Liam Dawson, 8 Chris Jordan, 9 David Willey 10 Liam Plunkett, 11 Craig OvertonFor South Africa, it’s hard to see how they can justify the exclusion of Chris Morris and his heavy artillery, but with quota issues to consider, there are always extra factors at play in their selection. Wayne Parnell was heavily criticised for another leaky day at the office – his 23-run over to Roy was effectively game over – but his ability to clear the ropes cannot be discounted for a team who clearly need more oomph in their batting.South Africa (possible): 1 JJ Smuts, 2 Reeza Hendricks, 3 AB de Villiers (capt), 4 David Miller, 5 Farhaan Berhardien, 6 Mangaliso Mosehle (wk), 7 Wayne Parnell, 8 Chris Morris, 9 Andile Phehlukwayo, 10 Imran Tahir, 11 Tabraiz Shamsi

Pitch and conditions

The weather has retreated from the white heat of the past few days, but a pleasantly cloudy afternoon is in prospect. Given Taunton’s reputation for limited-overs batting tracks, if England bat first, it’s hard to see them doing anything other than planting the front foot, and aiming for the Quantocks. The first-class pitches do tend to sit up for the spinners, however…

Stats and trivia

• England’s victory in the first T20I featured fewer wickets (four) than had ever before been taken in a completed T20I of 30 overs or more.
• If anyone doubted the potential for a run-feast on this surface, the recent Royal London show-down between Somerset and Nottinghamshire ought to set them straight. Nottinghamshire batted first and racked up 429 for 9; Somerset stayed in the hunt to the bitter end, making 405 all out with two overs left unused.
• As if Buttler needs any greater incentive to angle for a promotion up the order, he needs another 57 runs to complete 1000 runs in T20I cricket.

Quotes

“Ever since Taunton was awarded the game it was one I have been desperate to try and be involved in.”
“It’s not done and dusted. We go to Taunton and like all South Africans we always fight our way back so I’m expecting a really good performance in the next one.”
AB de Villiers backs his side to force their way back into the series

Australia captain Steven Smith said he was “in the zone” in Pune and hopes to bring the same to Bengaluru during the second Test

Melinda Farrell in Bengaluru03-Mar-20171:34

Crucial to post big first innings total – Smith

A man possessed. Eyes glazed, moving in a trance, reaching the zen of batting enlightenment, if you will.On a crumbling pitch against the game’s best bowlers of spin, Steven Smith went to another level. Team-mates had never seen him quite like this. Sure, he’d made bigger scores, played innings with less chances, and bossed bowling attacks. But the focus, intensity and determination of Smith’s Pune century was something he’s rarely achieved. And, with a confidence that should sound a warning to India, he believes he can go there again.”I was, I guess, what they call ‘in the zone’ out there,” said Smith. “I was doing things that I probably haven’t done before. My eyes were sort of spinning and I was in a bit of a trance – I think I’ve been there a couple of times in that kind of mindset.”For me it was just such an important period of the game and I knew if we could get to 300 or over that, we’d be a real good chance to win. That afternoon I was very determined and focused on the job at hand to try and get as many as we could, and I guess if it calls for it again, hopefully, I can bring that next level out, and next gear out. It was pleasing to know I had that level in me.”It’s not the first time Smith has found another level in his evolution as a batsman. His overall batting average after 51 Tests of 60.34 is impressive enough but doesn’t reflect the way he successfully changed his technique in the Perth Test of the 2013-14 Ashes, and dramatically improved as a result.Pre-WACA, Smith averaged a modest 33.00, but heading into the third Test he made a key change in adopting his back-and-across trigger movement.It triggered plenty of runs. From the start of that Test, in which he made 111, he has averaged 72.55. Now that IS impressive.But Smith knows he and his teammates must aim much higher in batting-friendly Bangalore if they are to go two-nil up in the series. England passed 400 three times in their first innings in the five Tests they played here recently, posting 537 in the opening Test at Rajkot. Even that could only secure them a draw.”England batted reasonably well and got 400 pretty consistently but that wasn’t good enough,” said Smith. “You had to bat for longer and get your 550, 600 to be in the game. That’s what India did. That’s what we were expecting when we first came over here but that first wicket wasn’t one where you needed to score that many runs, so we had to reassess our plans, we thought 250 was a very good score.”That was that wicket. Now we have to sum it up again with this wicket. I think this one is more likely going to be one where we are going to have to go really big, but it could be totally different, it could play totally different to what we think at the moment. It’s about being able to sum it up and being adaptable and being able to communicate straight away what we think the wicket is like.”There has been a huge amount of scrutiny on the pitch preparation at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, sparked in part by the widespread criticism of the Pune surface, rated as “poor” by the match referee, Chris Broad.But for all the talk of cloak and dagger tactics and mystery substances, many of those who are accustomed to conditions here – including Virat Kohli – have described it as a typical Bangalore wicket. The square, which has been mowed in an unusual chequerboard pattern, is pristine and the wicket appears vastly different to what was offered at Pune.Smith doesn’t expect as much turn early in the match, something Australia’s batsmen coped with better than India in Pune, happy to play and miss at Ashwin and Jadeja balls that jagged too sharply to take an edge. For all the turn on offer it was often the straight delivery that took the wickets, and Smith believes that remains the danger ball for Australia.”I think it’s part of batting, you’ve got to be willing to sacrifice certain things and willing to get out certain ways,” said Smith. “In these conditions, I think that’s really important. We don’t want to get hit on the pads. That’s been an issue for a while with this group, where we’ve been getting hit on the pads. I think if we’re willing to edge it to the slips then we’ll live with that. We’re OK with that.”It’s hard to imagine Smith ever being “OK” with losing his wicket but even if he is out lbw, if Australia has a winning total on the board he probably won’t even mind.

Kevin Pietersen has been given a gentle reminder over his on-pitch behaviour following the obvious disappointment he exhibited after his dismissal in the third ODI in Ranchi.

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Jan-2013Kevin Pietersen has been given a gentle reminder over his on-pitch behaviour following the obvious disappointment he exhibited after his dismissal in the third ODI in Ranchi.Pietersen was adjudged by umpire S Ravi to have been caught behind off Ishant Sharma for 17 but lingered in the crease for several seconds in apparent disbelief at the decision.While Pietersen may well have been unfortunate with the dismissal, replays suggesting that the ball brushed only his thigh, England’s limited-overs coach, Ashley Giles, supported the action of the match referee, Andy Pycroft, to have an informal chat with Pietersen.Giles was particularly keen to remind Pietersen how difficult umpiring could be in conditions as noisy as the ODI in Ranchi where umpires have little hope of distinguishing between the noise of the bat clipping the pad or the ball clipping the edge of the bat.”Andy was right to speak to Kev,” Giles admitted, “but I think common sense prevailed. It was just a little word. I didn’t think it was a reaction, more disappointment from Kev.”But we’ve got to be careful with reactions to decisions. It’s tough for the umpires here, it’s so loud that decision making is tough. We understand that.”Pycroft also had a brief conversation with Giles, taking the chance to talk with the England coach after bumping into him in the toilet at Ranchi airport. “It was in the gents,” Giles said. “So that was a nice scene for my first meeting with the match referee.”

Sam Northeast’s marathon run without dismissal comes to an end as Derbyshire edge opening day

ECB Reporters Network12-Apr-2024A career-best bowling performance from Alex Thomson led the way for Derbyshire on the first day of the Vitality County Championship match against Glamorgan in Cardiff. Glamorgan managed 237 all out as Thomson claimed seven wickets to justify Derbyshire’s decision to put Glamorgan into bat on a sunny day.Glamorgan’s top scorer was Kiran Carlson who made 74 but regular wickets throughout the day meant that the highest partnership that the home side managed was 60.Derbyshire faced 16 overs before the close to finish on 46 for 1 with Luis Reece the one man to go. It will be Derbyshire who are the happier of the two sides but there is enough in this pitch to suggest that this could be a tight contest.Having been put into bat by Derbyshire, Glamorgan looked reasonably settled in the opening overs. That changed when New Zealand international Blair Tickner entered the attack. He got appreciable movement through the air and off the seam and he had Billy Root caught behind for 23 with his fourth delivery.That brought Sam Northeast to the crease. As a man who had scored 521 runs in first class cricket since his last dismissal, and fresh from his record-breaking 355 not out at Lord’s last week, he was the wicket Derbyshire would have most prized. It was Tickner who delivered once again, with a ball that seamed back into Northeast and crashed into his stumps when he was on just 11.A 60-run partnership between Kiran Carlson and Zain-ul-Hassan brought Glamorgan back into the game post the lunch interval. Zain had played some lovely drives straight down the ground on his way to 35 and was looking increasingly comfortable against the aging Kookaburra ball, but a nicely flighted delivery from Thomson saw him advance down the pitch past the ball and he was well stumped by Brooke Guest.Carlson was the fourth man to go, squared up by a ball from Thomson that trapped him lbw for his second score in the seventies in as many innings this season.As the Glamorgan innings progressed spin became more of a threat with Thomson bowling with real intelligence to both keep things tight and claim wickets. He induced a flashy drive from Colin Ingram that was caught in the covers and had Chris Cooke brilliantly taken at leg slip by David Lloyd who was captaining Derbyshire against his former county.Thomson continued to cause issues for the Glamorgan batting line-up, dismissing the hard-hitting Dan Douthwaite for 23 when he claimed a low catch off his own bowling. He then made it past the attempted sweep shot of James Harris to bowl him for just 4.It was Thomson who finished off the Glamorgan innings when Mason Crane missed an attempted hoick over long-on and was bowled for 13. Thomson bowled unchanged for 25 overs from the River Taff End with his bowling contributing to a Glamorgan collapse of five wickets for 36 runs.Thomson’s 7 for 65 goes past his previous career best of 6 for 138 which he secured against Hampshire for Cardiff MCCU in 2016. It was also the best return for a Derbyshire spinner since Geoff Miller’s 8 for 70 against Leicestershire in 1982.

Former West Indies offspinner Ryan Austin and former Leeward Islands captain Steve Liburd will be his assistants

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jun-2023Former West Indies batter Robert Samuels has been appointed interim head coach of the West Indies women’s side for their upcoming limited-overs series against Ireland at home. Samuels had been assistant coach to Courtney Walsh until April, when Cricket West Indies (CWI) had decided not to renew their contracts as well as that of the other assistant coach Corey Collymore.Samuels played six Tests and eight ODIs for West Indies in 1996 and 1997, and played 106 first-class and 77 List A games.”Robert brings continuity and stability to get the team through this period,” CWI High Performance Manager Graeme West said of Samuels’ appointment. “He has great knowledge of the players and the women’s game in general – and strong knowledge of the support staff – so it’s almost a seamless transition with Robert coming in as Interim Head Coach.”He has his own ideas, and is trying to implement them now as Interim Head Coach as opposed to assistant coach. He has made a good impact and start over the last few days, and I’m sure it will continue throughout the series.”Samuels will have interim assistant coaches in former West Indies offspinner Ryan Austin and former Leeward Islands captain Steve Liburd, who is head coach of the West Indies Women’s Under-19 Rising Stars.The trio’s first assignment begins with West Indies Women’s three-match ODI series against Ireland from June 26 to July 2. The series will be part of the Women’s Championship, at the end of which the top five sides will directly qualify for the World Cup in 2025. West Indies are currently second from bottom on the 10-team table, with five defeats in six games.The ODI series will be followed by three T20Is from July 5 to 9. All six white-ball matches will be held at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in St Lucia, where an 18-member West Indies squad is currently training ahead of the series.

The hosts will be comfortable favourites, but events recently at the MCG have shown that can matter for very little

Andrew McGlashan30-Oct-20222:32

Moody: Australia playing at a venue where everything’s in their favour

Big picture

While not yet certain, it feels as though this group is becoming a race for the second semi-final spot after New Zealand made a further statement with their big win over Sri Lanka. If that is indeed the case, then Australia and Ireland are firmly in that tussle. It may have felt unlikely that these two sides would have been equal on points ahead of this meeting but Ireland’s victory over England is one of the reasons things are so tight – Ireland go into this match marginally ahead of the hosts on net run-rate.It will be just the second time the two sides have met in T20 after a World Cup clash in 2012 where Australia came out winners by seven wickets. Although it was 10 years ago, Australia will likely have five players from that game. Despite the England result, Australia will start as comfortable favourites at the Gabba but there remains enough uncertainty around their form that nothing can be taken for granted. Marcus Stoinis hauled them over the line against Sri Lanka, but the washout against England left unanswered questions.Related

• Ireland's new 'golden generation' comes of age at the biggest stage of all

• Finch acing verbal volleys but needs his bat to do the talking

• T20 World Cup scenarios: England, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan cannot afford washouts

The main one remains whether Steven Smith will find a spot to return to the side having been pushed out heading into this tournament. Australia have gone with a power-heavy line-up – captain Aaron Finch said on Sunday that the team had batters who can be adaptable – but in a tournament where the ball is holding sway, there is an argument for the skills that Smith brings.Ireland will probably feel more frustrated by the double-header washout at the MCG because, on a high after beating England, they would have been confident of pushing hard for another two points against Afghanistan. Captain Andy Balbirnie thought they may have been one ball away from defeat the way Moeen Ali was playing, but they were full value for the win. However, they will want to improve the middle-order batting after they lost 9 for 54.Given Australia close their group matches with games against Ireland and Afghanistan there has been a lot of talk about net run rate which could yet decide qualification, but Finch followed Glenn Maxwell’s comments from the previous day by saying such a focus can be dangerous and a position of strength has to be earned before taking advantage of it. In a group of narrow margins, though, it could be vital.

Recent form

Australia WLLLW (last five matches, most recent first)
Ireland WLWWLDavid Warner has started with two low scores, but things can change in an instant•AFP

In the spotlight

David Warner hasn’t quite got going yet in the tournament with scores of 5 of 11, but he has had a magnificent run in T20Is dating right back to 2019 since when he has averaged 56.52 with a strike-rate of 144.35. He played a crucial role in Australia’s progression in last year’s World Cup where his rapid 89 off 56 balls against West Indies helped lift their net run rate. Don’t rule out a similar impact this time.Josh Little had a big impact against England – coming out as ESPNcricinfo’s MVP – as he removed Jos Buttler and Alex Hales inside the powerplay. His left-arm angle could be vital again against Australia with the line of attack having often troubled Finch and also being a good option against Warner, whose lowest average against a style of bowling in T20Is comes against left-arm pace. And since 2020, the difference is even more stark with an average of just 14 against them and four dismissals, one every 13 deliveries faced.

Team news

It feels likely Australia will retain the same batting order, not least because of the net run rate factor, although Smith will be considered. Adam Zampa would have returned against England after Covid and Matthew Wade, who would have played with it, has now tested negative. Finch did not rule out a reshuffle with Cameron Green coming in as he largely kept every option open.Australia (probable) 1 David Warner, 2 Aaron Finch (capt), 3 Mitchell Marsh, 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Marcus Stoinis, 6 Tim David, 7 Matthew Wade (wk), 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Josh HazlewoodIt would be a surprise if Ireland changed the winning side from the England game, unless they wanted to strengthen the spin attack.Ireland (probable) 1 Paul Stirling, 2 Andy Balbirnie (capt), 3 Lorcan Tucker (wk), 4 Harry Tector, 5 Curtis Campher, 6 George Dockrell, 7 Gareth Delany, 8 Mark Adair, 9 Fionn Hand, 10 Barry McCarthy, 11 Josh Little

Pitch and conditions

You’ll get good pace and carry at the Gabba, but the bounce should be true and it can be a terrific place to bat although Bangladesh and Zimbabwe made it seem tricky. There is a small chance of a shower very late in the day.

Stats and trivia

• Ireland’s one previous international at the Gabba was at the 2015 ODI World Cup where they beat UAE by two wickets. From that game, Paul Stirling, Andy Balbirine and George Dockrell will likely be in this Ireland side.
• There is an argument to be made for Kane Richardson replacing Pat Cummins, particularly with a focus on the death: this year, Richardson has 11 wickets at economy of 7.84 in the last five overs compare to Cummins’ three wickets at an economy of 11.66
• Since moving to No. 3, Lorcan Tucker has been a revelation for Ireland. He averages 37.92 with a strike-rate of 135.06 compared to 11.46 and 104.19 in other positions

Quotes

“We have seen how damaging Ireland can be if you give them a sniff in a game. They have got some seriously talented players and some experience, especially at the top of the order. They are never a team you can take lightly. If the wicket has got anything in it they have got very good bowlers to maximise that as well.”
“I think we know if we play pretty much near our best that we’re going to be able to compete with anybody here.”

Teenagers named in 15-woman squad for three-match series starting on Sunday

Valkerie Baynes16-Sep-2022Alice Capsey and fellow teenager Freya Kemp are in line to make their ODI debuts during the upcoming three-match series with India after impressive showings over the summer, including England’s T20I series victory.Both were named in a 15-strong squad ahead of the first ODI at Hove on Sunday, as was opening batter Tammy Beaumont, who was boldly left out of England’s T20I squad earlier in the summer, missing the series with South Africa and India as well as the Commonwealth Games.Sunday’s match will be followed by fixtures in Canterbury on Wednesday and at Lord’s on September 24.Allrounder Capsey’s unbeaten 38 off 24 balls saw England through a stumble in which they went from 70 without loss to 79 for 3 to chase down a target of 123 in Thursday’s third T20I in Bristol and seal the series 2-1.In the previous match, which India won by eight wickets in Derby, left-arm seamer Kemp became the youngest England player, female or male, to score fifty in a T20I, at 17 years and 145 days, and the second-youngest to reach the milestone for England in international cricket after Sarah Taylor.Capsey hasn’t just cemented her reputation as a formidable cricketer in her maiden international season, she’s proven herself to be a pretty good actress too.On the outside, her innings to steady England and ultimately carry them over the line in Bristol looked nerveless. But the 18-year-old admitted afterwards that she is human after all.”I felt nervous today,” Capsey said after the match. “I didn’t know whether to play the reverse sweep or not. I was like, ‘this is the series decider.’ But I’m really enjoying it at the moment and I think that’s showing in my cricket, which is brilliant.”ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Amy Jones will continue to captain side in the absence of the injured Heather Knight and Nat Sciver, who is taking a mental health break. Sophie Ecclestone, who was Player of the Match on Thursday with 3 for 25 to limit India’s total, will remain vice-captain.”We’ve all taken it upon ourselves to do our bit and really own our role,” Capsey continued when asked about the absence of Knight, Sciver and the resting Katherine Brunt during India’s tour.”To have them around is amazing because it brings experience and it brings clarity to the team, so it’s given us a little bit more responsibility earlier in our careers and as a younger player that’s what I thrive off.”It’s really nice to be given that responsibility and Kempy has been outstanding when she’s come into the international team. Her fifty in the second T20 and just her overall confidence when she goes on to the pitch is brilliant.”The series will be Lisa Keightley’s last as England’s head coach after she decided not to extend her contract beyond the summer.”I was so proud of how the team came together to win the Vitality T20I series,” Keightley said. “Sometimes when you’re missing big-name players, other players step up and take their chance and I felt we really did that.”It’s a young group but they worked tremendously hard and showed their skill and resilience to get over the line. Amy did a great job as captain and she was ably supported by Sophie so we want them to carry on what they’ve been doing.”England ODI squad: Amy Jones (capt), Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross, Freya Davies, Alice Davidson-Richards, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Freya Kemp, Emma Lamb, Issy Wong, Danni Wyatt