If South Africa continue their recent trend of producing lively surfaces for Test cricket, England will believe they have a fighting chance

The Preview by Alan Gardner25-Dec-2019

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“Let’s get reeeeaaaaddddyyyyy…” Rumbles between South Africa and England have always had something of a seismic quality. Think Graeme Smith bringing down three successive England captains, the battle for the Test mace in 2012, or South Africa being Broadsided at the Wanderers in 2016. Two Test heavyweights who know how to tango.This time, however, both camps look a little battered and bruised before the series has even begun. South Africa have hastily picked through the rubble of their 2019 winter, appointed an entirely new management structure, and will be attempting to end a five-Test losing streak when they take the field in Centurion. England, meanwhile, are also being led by a new head coach, and arrive in South Africa looking to improve on a pretty awful touring record that has seen them lose five of their last six away series; and that, too, while dealing with a sickness bug that continues to deplete their resources.News of the illness affecting Ben Stokes’ father has cast an even darker pall over the tourists’ preparations. England have asked for privacy and it remains unclear whether the Test vice-captain will be available for selection; either way, his focus is bound to be on more important matters.If Faf du Plessis was in a more optimistic mood after spending some time at a training camp with Mark Boucher and his entourage of golden oldies, assembled in the last ten days by Smith (now South Africa’s director of cricket), then there are still issues to ponder. The 16-man squad picked for the first two Tests contained as many as six players uncapped in this format, and they have since lost Temba Bavuma to injury. In Bavuma’s absence, Rassie van der Dussen has been earmarked for a debut, while Zubayr Hamza, the man in possession at No. 3, is only two Tests into his career. Holes left by the retirements of Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers (for now) loom large.It was South Africa’s traditional bowling strength that underpinned a run of seven consecutive series wins at home, until they were unexpectedly upended by Sri Lanka at the start of the year. While Dale Steyn has also hung up his chainsaw, Kagiso Rabada and Vernon Philander remain to orchestrate the trial by seam – although in Philander’s case, only until the end of the series, when he too will be retiring. Du Plessis will be hoping that home comforts can help Anrich Nortje prove he is ready to step up.Jacques Kallis has joined up as South Africa’s batting coach•Getty Images

Similar problems abound for England, who are trying to bed in a new top order, will rely on a couple of all-time greats to lead the bowling, and have concerns around the balance of the XI. Illness confined Stuart Broad, Jofra Archer and Jack Leach to the team hotel for most of England’s two warm-up games in Benoni – though given Archer’s experience with the Kookaburra in New Zealand, he may not have missed the opportunity for another bowl all that much.With spinners averaging 64.77 over the last ten years in Centurion (compared to 26.46 for pace bowlers), England seem to be leaning towards playing an all-pace attack. Both Broad and Archer have been able to resume training and seem set to take their places alongside James Anderson, who at 37 is lining up for his 150th Test after five months out with a calf injury. If South Africa continue their recent trend of producing lively surfaces for Test cricket, England will believe they have a fighting chance.Rather than the slick build-up of a world-title bout, this series bears the hallmarks of a last-minute scramble to get everything ready in time for Christmas. South Africa are hoping to tear the wrapping off on a brand-new era, while for England the series represents a sizeable bauble as they plot an Ashes assault in 2021-22. And that’s before we’ve even mentioned the World Test Championship (England sit sixth, South Africa bottom).A decade ago, these teams played out a memorable drawn series that marked the start of their rivalry for the No. 1 ranking. Now they find themselves rubbing along in the chasing pack, looking to re-establish their credentials once again. It could be a messy old affair, but then isn’t that all part of the festive fun? Time to get stuck in once again.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)South Africa LLLLL
England DLWLW

In the spotlight

Ten years ago, Rassie van der Dussen was “14th man” at the Centurion Test between South Africa and England. Now he is set to make his Test debut, at the age of 30 and on the back of a 113-match first-class career that has yielded more than 7000 runs. Van der Dussen eventually forced his way into South Africa’s limited-overs set-up last year, after his Mzansi Super League exploits, and currently averages 73.77 in ODIs; but, as he put it in the build-up to this match, “my next big challenge is to become a three-format player”.He is only two Tests into his career, but already Dom Sibley has been set a number of posing questions. How does he deal with the short ball? What are his off-side release shots? Can he convert undoubted obduracy into match-shaping scores? An opener who is difficult to knock over is precisely what most teams are after in this day and age, but Sibley’s tendency to become a sitting target allowed New Zealand to work him over at leisure and expose areas of weakness; South Africa’s quicks won’t need a second invite to do the same.

Team news

South Africa look set to name two Test debutants in their XI, with van der Dussen in line to replace Bavuma and Dwaine Pretorius favoured in the allrounder spot. In contrast with England’s thinking, the home side will probably include the spinner Keshav Maharaj, in order to lighten the workload on the quicks. Du Plessis indicated they would name a 12 beforehand, with Dane Paterson or Beuran Hendricks likely to be the seam-bowling back-up.South Africa (possible): 1 Dean Elgar, 2 Aiden Markram, 3 Zubayr Hamza, 4 Faf du Plessis (capt), 5 Rassie van der Dussen, 6 Quinton de Kock (wk), 7 Dwaine Pretorius, 8 Vernon Philander, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Anrich NortjeEngland need to make a decision about their attack, with Leach a major doubt – he missed training again on Wednesday, as did Ollie Pope and Chris Woakes, adding to the list of players who have come down ill. Sam Curran’s left-arm variation possibly edged him ahead of Woakes anyway, while Jonny Bairstow would be the prime candidate for a recall if Pope is ruled out. There is greater optimism about Stokes’ involvement, with his father’s condition improving.England (possible): 1 Rory Burns, 2 Dom Sibley, 3 Joe Denly, 4 Joe Root (capt), 5 Ben Stokes, 6 Ollie Pope/Jonny Bairstow, 7 Jos Buttler (wk), 8 Sam Curran, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 James Anderson, 11 Stuart Broad

Pitch and conditions

Chris Silverwood revealed in the build-up that England’s data analysis suggested “seam was the way forward” in Centurion, while du Plessis said the pitch had a reputation of going up and down as the game progressed – particularly if it gets hot. The forecast is for the temperature to be in the 30s C, but there will also be the humidity to deal with, and the potential for some thundery showers during the course of the game. A decent Boxing Day crowd is expected, with plenty of England fans making a festive trip up to the Highveldt.

Stats and trivia

• Centurion has the worst average for spin bowlers of any Test venue over the last ten years (minimum five Tests).
• The previous encounter between these two teams at SuperSport Park, in 2016, saw victory secured by a 13-wicket haul from Kagiso Rabada – the second-best match figures for South Africa.
• England’s last Test series defeat in South Africa came in 1999-2000. Since then, they have won twice and drawn once.
• Anderson is set to become only the ninth man to play 150 Tests.

Quotes

“They have got a batting line-up that is young, but also that has some experience. There is an opportunity for our bowlers there. I’m sure England will say the same thing, about our line-up and they will back their bowlers against us.”

Faf du Plessis “I’ve never played against a SA team that isn’t full of pride and passion and isn’t giving everything to try and win the game and do their best.”
Joe Root

KL Rahul’s fourth ODI century goes in vain as New Zealand romp home by five wickets

The Report by Sidharth Monga11-Feb-2020
New Zealand consigned India to their first bilateral ODI whitewash in more than 22 years*, riding on the efforts of a second-string attack missing Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson and Matt Henry. Hamish Bennett’s four-for and some tight bowling around him made sure India managed only 296 despite their biggest gain of the series: a middle-order core of KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer.The New Zealand players pose with the trophy•Getty Images

New Zealand made the chase seem more difficult than it should have been after a 106-run opening stand between Henry Nicholls and Martin Guptill. Regular wickets, though, brought back memories of the T20I series debacle, but Tom Latham and a charmed Colin de Grandhomme saw them through from 220 for 5.India might have lost the ODI series, but in Rahul they have solidified a No. 5 to fill the hole left by Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni. Rahul had already shown he could hit hard, hit from ball one and hit for a long time, but on Tuesday, he rescued India from 62 for 3 to score his fourth ODI century. And he did so without eating up balls at the start of his 113-ball 112. Rahul stayed at the wicket for 34.3 overs during which time India scored 207 for 2. Around that stay, though, New Zealand – not great in the field, mind you – managed to cause enough damage to restrict India to 296 for 7 despite the score reading 269 for 4 in the 47th over.If the similarities were not enough already, Rahul joined Rahul Dravid as the only India wicketkeeper with an ODI century outside Asia. Both were naturalised wicketkeepers who batted below their preferred position to suit the team’s needs. Incidentally, the last time an India batsman scored a hundred from No. 5 or lower was when Dhoni and Yuvraj were batting together, in January 2017 against England. That Cuttack ODI was also the last time India had crossed 290 with the top three’s contribution being under 20%. Not just Rahul, Nos. 4 and 6 around him played their role: Iyer scored a near-run-a-ball 62, and Manish Pandey made sure the runs kept coming with his 42 off 48 from 162 for 4.The day, though belonged to the New Zealand bowlers. Kyle Jamieson continued his impressive beginning by bowling Mayank Agarwal early, beating the outside edge after having gone past the inside one in the previous game. Virat Kohli played an uncharacteristic innings, getting beaten by wide deliveries early before hitting out to only the seventh ball he faced. This was the earliest he had hit a six in India’s innings. Kohli’s innings didn’t continue for long, though, as he cut Bennett straight to third man. Prithvi Shaw, looking in great touch once again, gave it away by running himself out, bringing in Rahul to join Iyer.During their last partnership, in the first ODI of this series, Rahul had sort of carried Iyer, but here Iyer was in better touch. He still kept hitting the ball in the air but never fell too far behind the 100 strike rate. Rahul looked imperious from the time he walked in, square-driving the second ball he faced for four. New Zealand turned to de Grandhomme and James Neesham soon after the early exchanges just like they had done in the first ODI. Runs kept trickling with a Neesham short delivery stopped at Iyer, who could only pop up a catch to short midwicket. The two added 100 in 110 deliveries.Mitchell Santner missed a run-out of Rahul on 64, and Pandey on 35 but did a good job of keeping a lid on the scoring. From the 39th to the 46th over, India hit only one boundary. There was a slightly strange element of risk aversion for a side only four down.When Rahul took the risk in the 47th over, Jamieson dropped him at long-off. Bennett, though, got his due reward with a similar chance next ball, with Jamieson hanging on this time. Pandey chose the next ball to try to hit a six, and even he could go only as far as long-on. Bennett’s mix of wide lines, hard lengths and knuckle balls worked well and only 86 came in the last 12 overs.It took New Zealand a little over 12 overs at the start to score those 86. Guptill took apart Navdeep Saini and also took a ten-run over off Jasprit Bumrah, who went wicketless in the series. It was eventually the legspin of Yuzvednra Chahal that dragged India back into the contest. Guptill fell to a ripper, but Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor chipped up soft catches to give India a look-in. Nicholls, consistently impressive as a naturalised opener, failed to convert yet again and fell 20 short of a hundred. Neesham took a fair go at a half-volley from Chahal but found Kohli at midwicket. Against the run of play, it was 77 runs required with the last recognised pair in.With Latham rock solid at one end, de Grandhomme chanced his arm as soon as he came in. A mis-hit fell short of a deep fielder, two less-than-ideal hits just about cleared the fence, and New Zealand were off again. Latham remained unbeaten on a soothing 32 off 34.

Current CAC chief says he can’t understand why people want Kohli to mellow down

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Mar-2020Virat Kohli’s demeanour on the field has pleased and upset people equally, with some welcoming his in-your-face pumped-up aggression, and others calling for a more restrained approach. As far as Madan Lal, the new head of the BCCI’s cricket advisory committee, is concerned, asking Kohli to “mellow down” makes no sense, and India “need a captain like him”.During India’s tour of New Zealand, Kohli gave his opposite number Kane Williamson a fiery send-off during the second and final Test. The act came as a surprise because Kohli and Williamson have spoken about sharing a close equation.”I don’t understand why people in India are asking him to mellow down,” Lal, the former India allrounder, was quoted as saying by the . “First everyone wanted a very aggressive captain and now you want Kohli to stop his aggressive streak. I love the way he is on the field. Earlier, people used to say that Indians are not aggressive; now that we’ve become aggressive people question that and ask why we are so aggressive. I enjoy Kohli’s aggression; we need a captain like him.”India eventually lost the second Test to be swept 2-0 in the series. After the match, Kohli bristled at the press conference over a question about his send-off and asked reporters to not create controversies.Kohli’s send-off to Williamson also came at the end of a tour that had not been rewarding personally for Kohli, with just 38 runs in four innings in the two Tests, and a solitary half-century in the whole tour across the T20Is, ODIs and Tests.”He was out of form,” Lal said. “You can say it was a loss of confidence. That (the New Zealand tour) doesn’t take anything away from him. He is still the world’s best player. At times, technical flaws come in and you then try harder and harder but still you don’t come out of it. It happens to the best of players.”Lal, alongwith RP Singh and Sulakshana Naik, form the new CAC, and the three recently finalised two new members of the senior men’s selection committee, appointing Sunil Joshi and Harvinder Singh to take the spots vacated by MSK Prasad and Gagan Khoda. Joshi is also the new chairman of selectors.Lal said the decision to pick two candidates out of the 40 who had applied was difficult, but unanimous. “It was a difficult decision. There were 40 candidates and we had to pick only two. Since MSK Prasad, the outgoing selector, was from the south region, we picked Sunil Joshi, and Harvinder Singh from the central region. It was a unanimous decision by the committee. Out of all the candidates, he (Joshi) was best for the chief selector’s role.”

ECB makes things right after ICC downgraded series, which replaced scheduled one against South Africa

George Dobell17-Jun-2020The ECB have moved to right one of the great injustices of the game by presenting Alan Jones with a Test cap.Jones, the former Glamorgan opening batsman, appeared for England against the Rest of the World side in 1970. At the time the games were considered by all involved as authentic Tests and the Rest of the World side contained many of the finest players of the age: Sir Gary Sobers, Rohan Kanhai, Graeme Pollock, Mike Procter, Barry Richards et al.But the series, which replaced the scheduled one against South Africa, was subsequently downgraded in status by the ICC. As a result, Jones, who never played for England again, lost his standing as a Test player. While the story that he was asked to return his England cap, blazer and jumper is not true – “I have them at home,” he said, “they look as good as new; I’ve hardly worn them!” – he admitted the decision to rid the match of Test status was a “huge disappointment”.So, on the 50th anniversary of the Test that wasn’t, the ECB decided to surprise him. Jones, now 81, was presented with a new England Test cap – No. 696; the next available after Zak Crawley was awarded No. 695 in November – in a virtual ceremony attended by, among others, ECB chair Colin Graves, England Test captain Joe Root, former England captain and Glamorgan teammate Tony Lewis, and Glamorgan CEO Hugh Morris.”While the record books may not show Alan as a capped international cricketer, the ECB wanted to recognise his England appearance and celebrate his remarkable career as a player, coach and administrator by awarding him England cap number 696,” Graves said. “My congratulations go to Alan, as well as my thanks and respect for all he has done for the game of cricket in the last six decades, especially in his native Wales.”Alan Jones played for England against the Rest of the World XI•PA Photos

Root said: “It’s a privilege to do this. Your contribution to cricket has been fantastic and it’s only right that we recognise it today.”Hearing and reading about Alan’s achievements has been inspiring. The cap makes you part of a very special family and I hope it’s not too long before we can welcome Alan to an England match to congratulate him in person.”While the ECB’s gesture does not mean the games are now officially recognised as Tests – the ICC would have to sanction such a decision – it will be widely celebrated by the Welsh cricket-loving community who have long fought for such a move. As Morris put it: “The whole of Wales will be thrilled.”Cap or no cap, Jones enjoyed an outstanding career. His 36,049 first class runs are a record for a player uncapped at Test level and for 23 consecutive years, between 1961 and 1983, he registered 1,000 first class runs in a season. He was a member of the Glamorgan side that won the 1969 County Championship, coach of the Glamorgan side that won the 1993 Sunday League and director of cricket when they won the Championship again in 1997. Only one man, John Langridge, has scored more than Jones’ 56 first class centuries without winning a Test cap.”It was a big disappointment when the Rest of the World games were disregarded,” Jones said. “I didn’t feel as if I was a full England player.”Even Sobers said he would never have played if it hadn’t been considered proper cricket. The Rest of the World side was magnificent and everyone took the series very seriously. Walking out to open the batting at Lord’s was very special. It absolutely felt like a Test.”But I knew I had to succeed. I knew in my heart as I drove into Lord’s that if I didn’t get runs in that match that would be the end. That’s pressure! I was very annoyed but life goes on.”Summing up his experience as a nearly-man, Jones recalled another story which underlined his misfortune.”I came close [to Test selection] in 1968, I think,” he said. “We were playing against Lancashire in Cardiff. Ken Higgs walked into our dressing room and said, ‘Alec Bedser, the chairman of selectors, has come to watch you play.'”Well, it rained for the next two days. But, on the Tuesday, we had a one-innings game and Lancashire set us about 170 to win. I scored 95 not out. But when I got back to the dressing room, Higgs walked back in and said ‘Well played, but Alec went back to London yesterday.'”Life goes on.”

An IPL team, led by the COO, will be in UAE next week to inspect the three venues

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Aug-2020The Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed that it has received official clearance from the BCCI to host IPL 2020. The development comes a day after the BCCI had got permission from the Indian government to host the league in the UAE.”We feel extremely privileged to host what could be considered the pinnacle-event of our favourite sport. The magnitude of being in a position to bring the IPL to the vast cricket-loving global community, during current events which have greatly impacted our daily lives, is one we take with extreme importance,” Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan,  the chairman of the UAE board, said in a statement.ALSO READ: BCCI gets government go-ahead to conduct tournament in the UAEESPNcricinfo understands that an IPL team, led by its chief operating officer Hemang Amin, will be in the UAE next week to conduct an inspection of the venues as well as finalise the standard operating procedures for all stakeholders.Although the IPL has sent franchises a set of draft SOPs recently, the final version will also need to be approved by the UAE government.The IPL will be played between September 19 and November 10, with 60 matches at three venues: Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. Although the tournament schedule has not yet been finalised, the eight teams are already planning their travel to the UAE.This, however, isn’t the first time that the UAE is hosting the IPL. The first 20 games of the 2014 edition were held in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah because of India’s general elections.

BCCI pencils window between September 26 and November 7, subject to ICC postponing men’s T20 World Cup

Nagraj Gollapudi18-Jul-2020The 2020 edition of the IPL being played entirely in the UAE is now a distinct possibility, and ESPNcricinfo understands that the BCCI has earmarked a tentative window between September 26 and November 7 for it.A final decision will be taken by the BCCI once the ICC announces the likely postponement of the men’s T20 World Cup, scheduled between October 18 and November 15 in Australia. The ICC Board is scheduled to have a call on July 20 to discuss the matter, and a final decision on the World Cup is likely to be taken then. It is understood that the BCCI has written to the Indian government seeking permission for the tournament to be shifted to UAE and also get the necessary travel permission for the players and officials of the teams.On Friday, the BCCI’s Apex Council discussed the possibility of the IPL being played in the UAE in its entirety. It is understood that the BCCI would still prefer conducting the tournament in India, but the Covid-19 situation – the number of infections in the country are on the rise – has meant that the UAE has been identified as the next-best option.In April, the BCCI deferred the IPL indefinitely because of the pandemic. With over a million cases at the moment, India is third on the list of countries in terms of infections and has officially recorded over 26,000 deaths.The BCCI had originally wanted to conduct the IPL behind closed doors in limited venues and singled out Mumbai as the hub, but India’s commercial capital has a huge number of Covid-19 infections in the country, making it unfeasible.In June, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly wrote to the state associations, stating the board was “optimistic” about the IPL taking place this year and “all possible options” were being worked out including playing in “empty stadiums”.If the tournament does shift to the UAE, it would be the second time for the IPL there, after the first 20 matches of the tournament were staged in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah in 2014 because of the general elections in India.In April, the Emirates Cricket Board had written to BCCI, offering UAE as an alternative venue for the tournament. And the board is ready to play host now, if the BCCI green-lights the switch. “We are ready to fully support the IPL if it chooses to come and play in the UAE,” Mubashshir Usmani, ECB secretary, told ESPNcricinfo. “We will provide all the support concerning the protocol and government permission required to host the IPL. We are waiting for written confirmation from BCCI.”The tournament is expected to be played at the three main grounds in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, while it is not clear whether the oval at the ICC Academy in Dubai, too, could be used as one of the venues with the tournament likely to be played behind closed doors.As far as the franchises are concerned, they discussed playing in the UAE during an owners’ call on July 13. With most of the global pool of players homebound due to the pandemic, the franchises are primarily concerned about the players getting enough training ahead of the tournament, which could go on for at least six weeks. If the tournament does move to UAE, it is understood that franchises are likely to set up their bases a month in advance, for training and also to cater to any quarantine measures imposed by the UAE government.It is understood that the main reason for marking November 7 as the date for the IPL final was to ensure Indian players get enough time to travel to Australia for the four-match Test series, set to begin in December.

“From humble beginnings you burst onto the national scene, made a name for yourself and made India proud”

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Aug-2020MS Dhoni was an important illustration of the spirit of new India and a “phenomenon”, prime minister Narendra Modi has said in a letter of appreciation to the cricketer.Dhoni, who retired from international cricket on August 15, responded on Twitter by saying: “An Artist, Soldier and Sportsperson what they crave for is appreciation, that their hard work and sacrifice is getting noticed and appreciated by everyone.””Where we come from does not matter as long as we know where we are headed,” the prime minister said in his letter. “This is the spirit that you have exuded and inspired many youngsters with.””Rising from humble beginnings in a small town, you burst onto the national scene, made a name for yourself and most importantly, made India proud,” he wrote.He said Dhoni’s rise and conduct “gives strength and inspiration to crores of youngsters who like you haven’t been to cushy schools or colleges, neither do they belong to illustrious families but they have the talent to distinguish themselves at the highest level.”Many of your on-field moments exemplify a particular generation of Indians … [that] does not hesitate to take risks and back each other’s abilities even in the toughest situations … [This was] seen in the way you took risks many a time in backing little-known youngsters to deliver in high-pressure situations,” the letter said, referencing the 2007 World T20 final.”This generation does not lose their nerve in decisive situations,” the letter added.Calling him one of the greatest captains and one of the best wicketkeepers the game has seen, the letter said: “Your dependability in tough situations and your style of finishing matches, particularly the 2011 World Cup final will forever be etched in the public memory for generations.”The correct way to assess your impact is as phenomenon.”On August 15, India’s Independence Day, Suresh Raina joined Dhoni in announcing his retirement, and his contributions to Indian cricket were also acknowledged by the prime minister in a separate letter. Praising Raina for being a “fine batsman”, “very useful bowler” and “exemplary and inspiring” fielder, the letter said, “Suresh Raina will always be synonymous with team spirit […] you played not for personal glory but the glory of your team and the glory of India”.

The allrounder was hopeful of playing a part in the ongoing home series against New Zealand

Daniel Brettig29-Sep-2020Ellyse Perry, who has been aiming to return from major hamstring surgery, has been ruled out of the remainder of Australia’s limited overs series against New Zealand – not that the team’s performances in the opening two T20Is indicated she would be needed anyway.The world’s best allrounder, Perry suffered from hamstring tightness after running drills as she reached the final stages of her return from an injury that kept her out of the closing stages of the T20 World Cup back in March.She will now aim to make her return to playing for the Sydney Sixers in the WBBL next month. Australia’ captain Meg Lanning said that Perry would remain with the squad to continue her rehab work, ahead of the third T20I in Brisbane on Wednesday, which will be followed by three ODI fixtures.”Unfortunately she had some hamstring awareness and has got a low grade strain, so she won’t be available for the rest of this series,” Lanning said. “She’ll remain with the team to continue her rehab and training in the hope of being available at some point during the WBBL. So she won’t be playing any part in this series. It’s the same hamstring but a different muscle within the hamstring. It’s on the minor end, so hopefully doesn’t delay it too much.”It was just during a running session at training that she was doing, she was progressing through her plan, so unfortunate that it’s happened but it’s on the minor end and she’s doing everything she can to be able to make herself available.”I think she’s doing everything she can to be available as soon as possible, it’s a very complex injury, and hard to get the timing on when certain things will happen. So hopefully at some point, she’s doing the best she can and it’s really important to get it right and take the time before we do put her out on the field. Hopefully it’s sooner rather than later, but we’ll just have to see how it pans out.”In beating New Zealand comfortably in both the opening two matches on Saturday and Sunday, Lanning’s team showcased impressive depth, not only to cover Perry but also to find bowling and batting options from beyond the likes of Megan Schutt, Jess Jonassen, Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney. Sophie Molineux, Georgia Wareham, Delissa Kimmince and Nicola Carey have all shone at various times, adapting nicely to the slow and sometimes spinning Allan Border Field.”I think we’ve developed that over a period of time, we don’t rely on one or two players and as we saw in the first game, Ash Gardner was able to step up and make a winning contribution, so that gives us a lot of confidence that if your top order with the bat for example doesn’t fire, that we’ve still got real depth to be able to get us over the line,” Lanning said. “Even when things don’t go our way the whole game, we’re able to fight through and I think it’s a really important quality to have.”At different times throughout the first two games, people have stepped up and contributed but we don’t feel like we’ve played our best game yet, still a fair bit to work on with both bat and ball, which is really exciting for this group. New Zealand are going to come back hard at us, they’ve got some real match winners within their side, so we do need to step it up again and hopefully we see that tomorrow.”With the bat we don’t rely on one or two players and I think with the ball as well we’ve developed that real depth. Delissa Kimmince has been great for us over the last few years, and Sophie Molineux, a young player coming through, is very calm under pressure and certainly for me it’s nice to be able to go to her at different points. The other one who hasn’t bowled a lot of overs in the series, Nic Carey has really bowled some important overs and it’s not easy sometimes to come on and bowl one or two overs at critical points, but I think she’s done an excellent job.”Australia’s cricketers have exhibited plenty of drive to improve and over the next 12 to 18 months have a clear goal in terms of regaining the ODI World Cup after falling short in England in 2017 when eliminated by India in the semi-finals.”As a group what we have spoken about is continuing to improve and get better, because if we don’t do that, teams will catch up pretty quick and there’s a lot of really good teams out there who are trying to push the boundaries and become better as well,” Lanning said. “We can’t stand still and expect to keep performing and dominating, we need to keep improving our side.”I think we’ve done that by bringing people in, but also those players who’ve been in for a period of time who improved their games – Alyssa Healy speaking about some shots she’s introduced to her game. The drive for us to get better is still there, which is great to see, especially given the success we’ve had over the last few years. So we need to keep getting better and we’ve got a year now to continue to do that before we get to 2022, which is going to be massive for us. So it’s really exciting that’s ahead of us.”

The players can now train and attend gym sessions inside the bubble

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Nov-2020All members of the West Indies team and support staff, who are currently on tour in New Zealand, have cleared the second of their three Covid-19 tests on Friday. They will undergo their final test next week, just before their two-week quarantine ends.The players and support staff have been lodged at the NZC’s High-Performance Centre at Lincoln University, on the outskirts of Christchurch.The contingent can train, attend gym sessions and socialise within three bubbles comprising a maximum of 15 members until Saturday. From Sunday till the end of their 14-day quarantine next week, the camp can split into two bubbles comprising a maximum of 20 members each.Seven members of West Indies’ 35-strong playing contingent – T20I captain Kieron Pollard, Test captain Jason Holder, Fabian Allen, Shimron Hetmyer, Keemo Paul, Nicholas Pooran and Oshane Thomas – will only arrive in New Zealand after the conclusion of the IPL, which ends on November 10 in the UAE.Out of them, Pollard, Holder, Allen, Hetmyer and Paul are part of the teams that have made the IPL playoffs. These seven players – of whom six are part of the T20I squad – will only end their quarantine on the eve of the first T20I in Auckland, which is to take place on November 27.The rest of the tour party arrived after a 54-hour journey, including transit, from the CaribbeanWest Indies will play three T20Is in all, followed by two Test matches in Hamilton (December 3-7) and Wellington (December 11-15).West Indies are the only international team to have embarked on two overseas tours since the Covid-19 pandemic brought a worldwide pause in global cricket. Before this tour of New Zealand, they played three Tests in England in July.

Left-arm spinner played a key role in county’s 2015 T20 Blast triumph

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Nov-2020Stephen Parry has left Lancashire after 16 years at the county, and will take up a coaching position at the Thunder, the Manchester-based women’s regional hub, over the winter.Parry, the left-arm spinner, is Lancashire’s all-time leading wicket-taker in T20 cricket, and won seven England white-ball caps between 2014 and 2015 after years of consistent performances in the county game. Most notably, he finished joint-top of the wicket charts in the 2015 T20 Blast alongside team-mate James Faulkner, with the pair leading Lancashire to their only T20 title.His opportunities in the County Championship were limited by the presence of two other left-arm spinners – Gary Keedy and Simon Kerrigan – in the first team, though he did play 13 games in the 2017 season, taking 25 wickets.After signing a one-year extension with the club ahead of the 2020 season, Parry was awarded a testimonial year in recognition of his service. While that was blighted by the Covid-19 pandemic, the club has agreed to extend it into next summer instead.ALSO READ: County ins and outs, 2020-21Parry made only one first-team appearance in the shortened 2020 summer, taking 1 for 17 in four overs against Derbyshire in the Vitality Blast. He has not officially retired from playing, and will play as a professional for Lowerhouse CC in the Lancashire Leagues next season.”It has been an honour to represent this great club for such a long period of time,” Parry said. “I am truly grateful to everybody at Emirates Old Trafford for their support since I very first walked through the doors. I started representing Lancashire at U-10 level so to graduate through the academy and play for the red rose for 16 years has been a dream come true.”I feel extremely lucky to have not only represented my boyhood to county but to have also tested myself on the international stage, which would not have been possible without the platform given to me by Lancashire. I am sad to be leaving behind a great dressing room – many who are now friends for life – and I wish nothing but the best for the Club as they move forward with an exciting, young squad.”Paul Allott, Lancashire’s director of cricket, said: “His work ethic and love for the club consistently shone through and he has been part of some huge moments, none more so than the 2015 Blast win.”In recent seasons, Stephen has seen first XI opportunities limited. However, he took on a senior role in the club’s Second XI passing on his invaluable experience to our next generation of up and coming players. I know how much he’s looking forward to getting involved in a coaching capacity with Thunder and we all agreed that it was important to support him with his extended testimonial year.”