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A win for New South Wales would confirm the primacy of a team that embodies Australian cricket’s present. An upset by South Australia would make a similarly compelling statement about the nation’s future

Daniel Brettig24-Oct-20150:58

South Australia will be a big challenge – Steven Smith

It was easy to get an idea of where New South Wales and South Australia sit in cricketing esteem by listening to their captains being quizzed on the eve of the Matador Cup final.Steven Smith, leader of NSW and Australia, was peppered with questions about the looming Tests with New Zealand, the state of his sore knee, the problematic pink ball and only a couple of queries relating to the domestic limited-overs decider. Travis Head, by contrast, was asked largely about SA’s underdog status and how this unheralded team had emerged as the best development story of the Cup despite the inclusion of a youth-focused Cricket Australia XI.At 26, Smith is now an experienced customer on high profile occasions. At 21, Head has probably never seen more television cameras than he did this day. The Blues, led by Smith with the bat and the ravenous Mitchell Starc with the ball, are expected to swat the Redbacks aside at North Sydney Oval. But Head and his coach Jamie Siddons know their young collective have already made giant strides in the space of just two weeks.For one, they twice unseated a seasoned Victoria to earn qualification for the elimination final and then the decider itself. Given that the Bushrangers had themselves inflicted the Blues’ only defeat of this tournament, there is reason for SA to be optimistic. As Head put it, Smith’s XI are “only human” after all, and the Redbacks still have plenty of room for improvement.”It’s going to be a hard task tomorrow with the New South Wales team so strong,” Head said. “We probably came into the tournament keeping a pretty low profile and knowing the work we did in Adelaide was holding us in good stead for the tournament, we’ve played exactly how we wanted to play, we’ve been positive and taken the game on.”We probably haven’t put together the perfect game yet with bat or ball – the bowlers have been fantastic throughout, the batters probably have had their moments of really good stuff but been a little inconsistent, so we’re looking tomorrow to put the runs on the board or chase down whatever we can.”Critical to the outcome will be Head’s personal duel with Starc, which was short yet decisive when the two sides met, also at North Sydney, during the qualifying games. That day Starc found swing and speed to strike Head’s off stump, and after a similar early dismissal to James Pattinson at Bankstown, Head resolved to give himself a few more sighters before throwing himself at the opposition fast men.”He got the better of me the other day, yesterday facing Jimmy Pattinson I took my time a little bit and tried to keep it on the carpet,” Head said. “I’m still going to be positive and aggressive and still hunt the four ball but I’ll be watching him. I’m not going to change much, I’m trying to be positive at the top of the order, try to set the tone for the innings and hopefully get a big score – that’s what I’ll be trying to do.”Smith’s tournament has seen him lead the Blues with impressive clarity of purpose, and he shrugged off a pair of ducks to fashion a century against Queensland before resting his knee against the Bushrangers. All the time he has been talking with the national selectors about the composition of the Test team to face New Zealand, but for now he wants to help deliver a first domestic one day crown to NSW in a decade.”They’ve been looking pretty closely at the Matador over the past couple of weeks,” Smith said of the observational work put in by the chairman Rod Marsh and his panel. “It’s a different format but if you’re scoring runs you’re putting your name up there. There’s been some pretty good performances and we’ll wait and see what the selectors have for us in that first squad.”I feel good where everything’s at at the moment, I feel like I’m hitting the ball well. I’d like a big score tomorrow and a win for NSW. We haven’t won this tournament in 10 years, so it’s a big one for us and I’m really excited about getting out to North Sydney Oval tomorrow.”A win for NSW would confirm the primacy of a team that embodies Australian cricket’s present. An upset by the Redbacks would make a similarly compelling statement about the nation’s future.

JP Duminy has said that Delhi Daredevils need to find the “culture of winning” after another underwhelming season where they will end up one better than their wooden-spoon finish in the previous two editions of the IPL

Arun Venugopal16-May-20153:54

‘We need to find the winning culture’ – Duminy

JP Duminy has said that Delhi Daredevils need to find the “culture of winning” after another underwhelming season where they will end up one better than their wooden-spoon finish in the previous two editions of the IPL.”It is going to take guys some time to find confidence – not in their own game – but in the team’s strategic plan, in closing out games,” Duminy told ESPNcricinfo. “If I can pinpoint one area where we’ve fallen short, it’s in closing out games with ball and bat.”Daredevils have won five of their 13 games thus far, recording double-digits on the points tally for the first time since 2012. They remained with an outside chance of making the playoffs until defeats to Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders ended their hopes.Duminy, however, maintained IPL 2015 wasn’t “all doom and gloom”, as Daredevils had competed well for the major part of the competition.”A few of them [matches] could have gone our way. First two games of the season [against Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals] were a great opportunity for us to win. If we had got over the line there, we would have gained a lot of confidence going into the tournament.”There’s a few things that we’re going to look at and I just see it as great opportunities and learning for us. There has been some good stuff that we have produced. Barring the win against Sunrisers, all our four other wins have been pretty convincing. That’s a big positive for us going forward.”He also said there wasn’t any pressure on him from the team owners to deliver instant results. “After the season we had, we knew we were up against it this year. We had a massive shift in terms of the players that we had from last season to this season.”We knew it was going to be a challenge because we are a new group of people trying to set up an environment that gives players opportunities to be successful. So, I think it is an ongoing process. I don’t think it is an overnight thing where you can set up something which is going to be sustainable for a long time. We are on the right track in terms of the processes we have put in place and I think the results would show.”Despite the presence of a strong South African contingent that includes, besides him, head coach Gary Kirsten, Imran Tahir, Albie Morkel and Quinton de Kock, Duminy insisted Daredevils didn’t necessarily follow the South African template.”It’s a South African structure as most of the management is South African. So, there’s going to be some South African way about it, but that does not mean that it is the only way of going forward.”Gary will be the first to admit that he is learning as well in T20 cricket. We are all learning as we go along. The game is changing every year. Guys are becoming more innovative in the way they’re going about it with bat and ball. So, no one closes themselves off to learning new things and finding out new information.”Duminy also admitted that while he was surprised to be named captain, he found the experience rewarding.”I had a fair idea before the start of the season that there was a possibility of that happening. [But] with my lack of captaincy experience, I was a little bit taken aback by it. I was overwhelmed that they were considering me,” Duminy, who has had an impressive season with both bat and ball, scoring 347 runs, including three fifties, and picking up eight wickets, said.”I looked at it as a great opportunity to see what I’m about as a leader. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the job though the results haven’t gone the way we would have liked. Just being able to connect with my team mates and the management in the best way possible has been great.”

The ICC is investigating claims of irregularities involving a Kenyan player during the match against Pakistan at Hambantota during the 2011 World Cup

Martin Williamson24-May-2012The ICC is investigating claims of irregularities involving a Kenyan player during the match against Pakistan at Hambantota during the 2011 World Cup. ESPNcricinfo has learned that the ICC has also advised the Kenyan board not to engage the player concerned in any official capacity.Pakistan won the match by 205 runs after bowling out Kenya for 112. During the Pakistan innings Kenya’s bowlers conceded 37 wides, equalling the world record.”Cricket Kenya has … been advised that at this stage the ICC cannot comment on any investigations,” Tom Sears, the board’s chief executive, told ESPNcricinfo. “We are happy to assist the ICC in any way to ensure that any corruption in the game is dealt with and if there has been any wrongdoing, any individuals involved are punished accordingly. The Kenyan Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs is aware of the allegations and has also pledged their support in eradicating any corruption.”Kenya’s performance during the tournament, which they ended without a win, was heavily criticised and resulted in a top-to-bottom review by Cricket Kenya. As a result, some senior players were not offered new contracts.The ICC were initially alerted to an incident involving the Kenyan player outside the World Cup with a report from another player that several approaches were made to spot-fix in international matches involving other Full Member countries. While that investigation by the ICC’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) remains open, it is believed it has not been pursued as it came down to one person’s word against another.Subsequently another allegation was made against the same cricketer concerning the World Cup match. Cricket Kenya is now in discussions with the ICC about the claim.An ICC spokesman said that it “has a standard policy of not making any comment on the ACSU’s activities”.

Western Australia fast bowler Michael Hogan ripped through South Australia to skittle them for 93 at the WACA

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Dec-2011
ScorecardWestern Australia fast bowler Michael Hogan ripped through South Australia to skittle them for 93 at the WACA, after which the home side’s batsmen performed impressively to take a commanding grip on the game.South Australia had a terrible start after they chose to bat, losing Daniel Harris to Hogan before they had scored a run. That wicket was the start of a slide that did not stop, as only Tom Thornton, the other opener, made it past 20. South Africa were 4 for 71 at one stage and then they lost 4 for 6 and were eventually dismissed in 38 overs.Hogan claimed 5 for 24 in 11 overs, and was well supported by Nathan Rimminton and Jason Behrendorff, who took two wickets each. Wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi also had a terrific day, taking six catches.Western Australia made a solid start to their first innings with their openers adding 70 before Marcus Harris was dismissed for 46 off 60 balls. Wes Robinson, who ended the day unbeaten on 71, then put on 113 for the second wicket with Craig Simmons, who was not out on 52, to consolidate the advantage. It was Robinson’s sixth half-century in five games, while Simmons was playing his first first-class match since February 2009. Western Australia ended the day on 1 for 183, with a lead of 90 runs.

Kevin Pietersen injected England’s innings with some much-needed confidence following the early dismissal of both overnight batsmen

The Bulletin by Andrew Miller20-Dec-2009 England 356 (Swann 81, Harris 5-123) and 228 for 9 (Pietersen 81, Trott 69) drew with South Africa 418 (Kallis 120, Swann 5-110) and 301 for 6 dec (Amla 100)

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsJone done: Paul Collingwood and Graham Onions leave the field after the thrilling final 19 balls of England’s innings•PA Photos

Paul Collingwood completed the job he had begun at Cardiff in the opening Test of the Ashes, and the No. 11 Graham Onions repelled a fiery final over from Makhaya Ntini, as England survived a massive collapse against the second new ball to cling onto a draw and move onto the second Test in Durban with the series still level.In a sensational finale to the match, England had been coasting to the draw at 172 for 3 after tea, following a restorative 145-run stand between Jonathan Trott and Kevin Pietersen that spanned the entire second session, and settled England’s nerves after they had been dicily placed at 27 for 3 inside the first hour of an eventful day.But neither man was able to see out the job. Pietersen produced a total brain-freeze to run himself out for 81 in the second over of the final session, but it was the debutant seamer, Friedel de Wet, who transformed a meandering finale and set South Africa up for a sensational new-ball heist. In seven overs of unplayable intensity, he claimed 3 for 11 including the key scalp of Trott for 69, and after a collapse of 5 for 13 in 11.1 overs, only Collingwood’s determination and Onions’ unexpectedly watchful technique stood between England and the abyss.While Trott and Pietersen had been in situ throughout a docile afternoon, such a sensational denouement was seemingly out of the question. South Africa’s captain, Graeme Smith, was so bereft of ideas that even the injured Jacques Kallis was brought out of mothballs for an exploratory spell. But then, in the second over after the break and with a century there for the taking after four months out of the side following Achilles surgery, Pietersen launched into a suicidal quick single into the covers, and kept running straight into the dressing-room as his motionless partner, Trott, blinked incredulously from the non-striker’s end.Pietersen has a penchant for daft dismissals when well set, and given what had happened to England during three of his most memorable giveaways – at Edgbaston in 2008, and Sabina Park and Cardiff earlier this year – those of a superstitious disposition were advised to look away.At first, however, his rush of blood had little impact on the contest. Trott, with his feet rooted in his crease and with not even half an eye on his slowly mounting score, found in Collingwood the perfect partner to mimic such methods, and for 20 further overs they withstood all attempts at further breakthroughs. But all throughout the day, there had been one final opportunity lying in wait for South Africa, and when Smith called for the new ball with 16 overs of the day remaining, de Wet and his fielders responded with pure inspiration.Ntini was given first use, and he served notice of the jitters to follow when he called for a third-ball review as Collingwood padded up to a ball that was just skimming past off stump. It was de Wet’s skiddy bounce, however, that opened the floodgates, as he speared a vicious lifter into Trott’s right thumb, for AB de Villiers at third slip to pull off an outrageous one-handed take as he dived full-length to his left.Trott was gone for 69 from 212 balls of grit and guts stretched across more than five hours, but de Villiers’ brilliance sent a jolt of adrenalin through his team-mates. Of all the pressure situations into which he could have been pitched, the scenario facing Ian Bell was the last thing he needed after his first-innings humiliation. De Wet sensed his unease and tormented his outside edge, and Mark Boucher behind the stumps pulled off South Africa’s second blinder in the space of four overs – this time low to his right.The sight of Matt Prior at No. 8 was far more reassuring to England’s anxious fans on Centurion’s grassy banks, but de Wet by now was unstoppable. With low bounce presumed to be the deadliest weapon on this surface, the debutant instead startled Prior with a fizzing lifter off the seam to hand Boucher his second catch of the spell, and de Wet his third scalp in 20 balls. Stuart Broad was the next to go, caught behind for a fifth-ball duck as Paul Harris was cannily introduced to mix up the pace, and not even the last of England’s reviews could save Graeme Swann as Morne Morkel slid another unplayable grubber into his front pad.At 218 for 9, the runs on the board were utterly irrelevant – all that mattered were the 19 deliveries that remained to be negotiated in the match. That tally was 50 fewer than England’s last pair had negotiated at Cardiff, but Onions, with a career average of 6.33 in five Tests, inspired barely any more confidence than Monty Panesar had done on that incredible final day in July.And yet, Onions did what he had to do – he got determinedly behind the line of the ball after Collingwood flicked a four through midwicket when all he’d been seeking was a single to keep the strike, and he even jammed his bat down on another grubber from Ntini this time, who was handed the final over of the match on a whim from his captain, Graeme Smith, but could not produce the killer delivery to wrap up his 100th Test in style. The final delivery of the game was blocked solidly outside off stump, as Onions pumped his fist in quiet celebration and Collingwood – almost forgotten at the other end despite an invaluable 26 not out from 99 balls – permitted himself a wry grin of satisfaction.At Cardiff, Collingwood had been the tortured soul in the changing room, unable to influence the closing stages of the game having battled so hard to set up the rearguard with his doggedly brilliant 74. Today, that role belonged to Trott, who had arrived at the crease in the third over of the day following the extraction of the nightwatchman, James Anderson, and launched his innings with such introspection that he took 63 deliveries to reach double figures.Trott’s initial cageyness was understandable, given that the first hour of each innings had been the business period for wicket-taking, and when Alastair Cook was caught at leg slip from the first delivery he faced from the spin of Harris, England were 27 for 3 and reeling. With his nerves more apparent than had been the case at any stage of his Ashes debut last August, Trott struggled to stamp his authority on the proceedings, and showed a particular reluctance to commit to the front foot, a tactic he had used to such good effect during his century on debut.Instead, it was Pietersen who took the initiative and injected some urgency to England’s innings. He had one big let-off on 39 when de Wet overstepped for a plumb lbw appeal, but by taking on the drive, he released the pressure of the close-catchers at his end, and enabled Trott to focus on his more gritty approach to survival, which rarely involved fewer than five men round the bat. For three hours and 43 overs, their blend of passivity and aggression drew the sting clean out of the contest. But then came Pietersen’s Red Bull run, and suddenly a meandering finale mutated into a thriller for the ages.

James Rew’s 46 and younger brother Thomas’ 40* make light work of Gloucestershire

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay 28-Aug-2025Somerset romped through to the Metro Bank One-Day Cup semi-finals with a comprehensive six-wicket victory over arch-rivals Gloucestershire at the Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton.The visitors were bowled out for a disappointing 155 in 40.5 overs after winning the toss, skipper Jack Taylor top-scoring with 43. There were three wickets each for Jake Ball and Tom Lammonby, while Jack Leach sent down ten overs of left-arm spin for miserly figures of 2 for 23.Two rain-interruptions left Somerset facing a revised target of 149 in 45 overs. They reached it with more than 13 overs to spare, skipper James Rew leading the way with 46, and now face a trip to meet Worcestershire in the semi-finals on Sunday.Gloucestershire never recovered from losing James Bracey, so prolific in the competition this season, to the second ball of the match, bowled by Ball pushing forward defensively. The decision to bat first had come as a surprise as play began under heavily overcast skies, with the floodlights on, and a threat of rain later in the day.Cameron Bancroft looked in good touch, striking two big sixes in a half-century stand for the second wicket with Ollie Price. It was 56 for 2 in the 14th over when the Australian, on 34, played a checked drive to Kasey Aldridge and saw the bowler take a juggling return catch.Price had made 25 when judged lbw to a ball from Lammonby angled into his pads and 97 for 4 as Ben Charlesworth was caught at mid-on aiming a back-foot forcing shot off the left-arm seamer. Lammonby had figures of three for 20 when Graeme van Buuren popped up a soft return catch and departed for a duck looking suspiciously at the pitch.At 97 for 5, Gloucestershire were in disarray. With 29 runs added, Tommy Boorman fell leg-before sweeping a ball from Leach, who followed up by having Daaryoush Ahmed brilliantly caught by Aldridge racing towards the long-on boundary from mid-off and taking the ball just inside the rope as it dropped over his shoulder.Jack Taylor drove a catch to mid-off give Ben Green a wicket, having faced 59 balls and hit six fours. With his departure at 140 for 8 went Gloucestershire’s last hope of a meaningful total and Ball wrapped up the innings as Matt Taylor and Craig Miles edged through to wicketkeeper James Rew.Somerset’s reply had reached 16 without loss when the forecast rain arrived at 2.25pm. Play resumed at 3.50pm, with no initial reduction in overs or the victory target, and with just five runs added Archie Vaughan was superbly caught by wicketkeeper Bracey diving low to his right off Matt Taylor.Lewis Goldsworthy pulled a six off Taylor before Lammonby, on 18, played a loose drive at Craig Miles’ second delivery of the game, well wide off off stump, and gave a routine catch to Bracey with the total on 47 in the 12th over.At 53 for 2, rain forced a further 25 minute break and the overs and target were reduced. James Rew quickly settled in, lofting a ball from van Buuren over long-off for six as he and Goldsworthy added 39 for the third wicket before the latter fell for 27, caught and bowled off a leading edge in Ahmed’s first over.Having survived a loud appeal for a catch behind off Josh Shaw, the Somerset captain prospered in tandem with younger brother Thomas Rew, who took a six and four off an Ahmed over before pulling Jack Taylor’s first ball of the match over deep square for another maximum.Taylor had Rew senior stumped by Bracey having faced 53 balls, but by then the outcome was beyond doubt and his precocious sibling saw Somerset home, ending unbeaten on 40 off just 39 deliveries.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz set to play for the Warriors as well, replacing Heinrich Klaasen

Deivarayan Muthu18-Sep-2022Shakib Al Hasan has joined Guyana Amazon Warriors for the remainder of CPL 2022. He replaces Tabraiz Shamsi, who worked particularly well with his idol Imran Tahir but now has to leave for South Africa duty. The Amazon Warriors’ attack has revolved around their wristspinners’ exploits this season, and though they now lose a bit of that X-factor, in Shakib, they get a player with vast experience and proven pedigree. He is the fifth-highest wicket-taker (419) in the history of T20 cricket.Shakib’s work in the CPL is also impressive: in 2016, he had won the title with Jamaica Tallawahs and three years later he repeated the feat with the Barbados Tridents (now Royals). He also holds the record for best bowling figures in CPL history, having bagged 6 for 6 in 2013.Shamsi was always meant to leave Amazon Warriors midway through the season and Shakib was always meant to join them, which is why he had obtained a No-Objection Certificate from the Bangladesh Cricket Board prior to the start of the CPL. But the league will now clash with a T20 World Cup preparatory camp in Dubai and BCB chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury said the team management will decide if Shakib will be called back from the CPL to attend the camp.Amazon Warriors captain Shimron Hetmyer had said that spin would play a huge part in the last leg of the tournament in Guyana.”It [spin] will be a big factor, especially going down to the end because all the pitches in the Caribbean are quite slow and they get lower and lower as we progress longer in the tournament,” Hetmyer said. “They will play a massive part for us in restricting teams for us and bowling teams out and just making sure if we’re bowling second to cross the line.”Amazon Warriors are currently at the bottom of the points table with just one win so far in five games.

Nabi and Gurbaz get CPL deals too

Jamaica Tallawahs have signed up Afghanistan T20I captain Mohammad Nabi for the final leg of CPL 2022 in Guyana. Nabi will bolster Tallawahs’ spin attack after they had released Nepal legspinner Sandeep Lamichhane from the tournament earlier this month.Lamichhane’s exit from the league came in the wake of his suspension by Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) after an arrest warrant was issued against him in Kathmandu over an alleged case of coercion of another person. Lamichhane maintains his innocence though and said he was ready to face the “baseless allegations”.Nabi, meanwhile, will also lend middle-order muscle to a fairly top-heavy Tallawahs line-up. He, like most of the other Afghanistan senior players, didn’t feature in CPL 2021 owing to national commitments. In his most recent stint, with St Lucia Kings, he was a vital part of then-coach Andy Flower’s all-rounder heavy side, picking up 12 wickets in 12 games and scoring 156 runs at a strike rate of 124.80. Nabi has also turned out for St Kitts & Nevis Patriots in 2017.Nabi’s Afghanistan team-mate Rahmanullah Gurbaz has also earned a CPL deal this season, as a replacement player for Amazon Warriors. He is set to slot in for South Africa wicketkeeper-batter Heinrich Klaasen who will return home to prepare for the six-match white-ball series in India, which begins with the first T20I in Thiruvananthapuram on September 28.Gurbaz is only 20 and is yet to make his CPL debut, but is a well-travelled cricketer, having had stints at Pakistan Super League (Islamabad United and Multan Sultans), Bangladesh Premier League (Khulna Tigers), Indian Premier League (Gujarat Titans) and Lanka Premier League (Jaffna Kings and Kandy Tuskers). In all, Gurbaz has played 90 T20s, boasting a strike rate of 154.

The India Test captain is back to reclaim his spot in the XI for the Mumbai Test, but who will sit out? He isn’t telling just yet

Sidharth Monga02-Dec-20215:11

Kohli: ‘We are not playing in normal times’

Virat Kohli is back in international cricket after a break, during which he skipped the T20I series against New Zealand completely and then essentially chose to step off the treadmill and spend time working on his game rather than jump right back into Test cricket. While India played the Kanpur Test, Kohli worked with former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar in Mumbai, which is where he lives.

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Kohli is now back refreshed and recharged, and emphasised on the need to look after one’s mental well-being in this bio-bubbles era of cricket. “It is very important to understand that it is crucial to refresh yourself mentally,” Kohli said a day before the Mumbai Test. “When you play so much cricket at a certain level for so long, it gets taken for granted that you will keep turning up series after series and perform with the same intensity in every match.”Since the situation has changed [with bio-bubbles being introduced as a response to the Covid-19 pandemic], a lot of people have spoken about how difficult it is in bubble life. Our players’ understanding and management’s communication is good, we have spoken a lot about how to manage the workload. More than workload, giving them mental space.Related

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“From my personal experience, I can tell you that practising in an environment where you were not in a structured environment and there weren’t 50 cameras trained at you… we could do that previously, we would have windows where you could step aside and individually work on your game or take some time off where you are not doing the same thing every day. That makes a lot of difference.”To maintain the quality of cricket, to maximise the ability of the cricketers, to keep them in a good space, it is very important to consider this. Not just our team, but across the world, players are in the mindset to manage the workload, more from the mental point of view rather than physical.””When you play so much cricket at a certain level for so long, it gets taken for granted that you will keep turning up series after series and perform with the same intensity in every match”•AFP/Getty Images

Kohli has now gone two years of international cricket without a century. This period has included the break because of the pandemic and his paternity leave, but 12 Tests and 15 ODIs is the longest he has had to wait for a century. Was there anything specific he felt he needed to work on during this week spent away from the spotlight? No, said Kohli.”It was just to stay in the rhythm of playing red-ball cricket,” he said. “The idea was to get repetition and volume, which is important in Test cricket. It is just about getting into the mould of switching in-between formats, something that I have always tried to do. Whenever I get the opportunity to get some time to work on setting up for different formats. It is more so mentally than doing anything technique-wise. The more cricket you play, you understand your game more. It is just about getting into that headspace that you want to play in a certain way in a certain format. It was purely based on that.”There is no soft landing for Kohli. Straight off the bat, he has to make a tricky call on who should make way for him in the XI. Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara have had low returns for a while now, and Shreyas Iyer has amplified that with a century and a half-century on debut. Kohli didn’t give any information on what changes to expect, but spoke on dealing with such tough calls on a human level, mainly handling the person who is left out.2:12

Agarwal or Rahane: Who will sit out when Kohli is back?

“You have to obviously understand the situation of where the team is placed,” Kohli said. “You have to understand where individuals stand at certain stages during the course of a long season. So you have to obviously communicate well. You have to speak to the individuals, and approach them in a way where you explain things to them properly. Mostly it has been combination-based whenever we have done changes in the past.”We have explained it to the individuals, and they have understood the mindset behind going in with a certain combination. It is not a difficult thing to do when there is collective trust and belief in the group that we are working towards the same vision. Along the line, there are ups and downs, and we understand that as cricketers and sportspeople in general.”It is never a thing that you say that I am absolutely okay or happy about being told that the combination doesn’t allow me to play. That is the dynamic of team sport, and we prioritise the team first, and making sure we take care of individuals along the way. That’s something we have done consistently as a Test team.”We have backed the set of players that have done the job for the Indian team the last five-six years. We maintain and continue to maintain they are the integral part of the larger scheme of things, of the core group of the Indian Test team. They have always been players we have relied upon on many occasions. And they have done the job. It is upon realising and being aware of what’s happening, and then we find the right space and the right way to approach people. Obviously with the management, the coaching staff, discussions happen in a rounded manner.”

Pair put on 129 before falling short of well-deserved centuries in 81-run victory

ECB Reporters Network08-Aug-2021A dominant Northamptonshire batting display underpinned by an excellent, enterprising century partnership from Ben Curran and Ricardo Vasconcelos provided the foundation for a comprehensive 81-run win over Somerset.The pair put on 129 in 20 overs before both falling short of well-deserved centuries after facing 93 balls. Curran made 94, his highest List A score, while Vasconcelos contributed 88 to set the hosts on course for a big total.With the middle order upping the momentum with some aggressive hitting, Northamptonshire posted a formidable 305 for 6 in a match reduced to 46 overs a side due to rain.Somerset’s top order got bogged down against some disciplined bowling in reply and fell rapidly behind the run rate as they lost four wickets in seven overs. Lewis Goldsworthy though, with an aggressive 80 from just 61 balls, threatened an unlikely revival. He followed a career-best 96 at the Oval on Thursday with a series of cleanly struck blows in a partnership of 120 with skipper Josh Davey (53). Ultimately though, when Goldsworthy was out hit wicket after standing on his stumps, the visitors were left with too much to do.The result topped a special day for Northamptonshire players, fans and past players who gathered to celebrate the life of legendary allrounder David Capel who died last year. In a ceremony the Wantage Road End was renamed the David Capel End in his memory.Northamptonshire’s batters gave little hint of the carnage to come with just five runs coming from their first five overs. Although Sonny Baker made the early breakthrough by removing Emilio Gay, Vasconcelos broke the shackles by taking three boundaries off an over from the same bowler.Curran announced himself with a couple of powerful cut shots before rain forced the players off the field. He picked up where he left off after the resumption with three boundaries from Kasey Aldridge’s first over.Vasconcelos and Curran kept busy, taking quick singles and keeping the pressure on the fielders. Both showed excellent timing with some delicate late dabs and cuts. Vasconcelos took on the short ball too, pulling Marchant de Lange over midwicket before punching him down the ground for four more. The Northamptonshire skipper also reverse swept effectively against the spin of Goldsworthy.Ricardo Vasconcelos swats a pull•Getty Images

When Vascancelos was bowled, Rob Keogh maintained the momentum, taking four boundaries off one Goldsworthy over. Eventually he attempted one big shot too many and was bowled by de Lange for 35.There was to be no let up for Somerset’s bowlers though as Saif Zaib joined Curran in a stand of 56 in just 5.2 overs. Zaib punched powerfully down the ground and pulled another ball over fine leg for six. The boundaries kept coming with a maximum over square leg from Curran before Zaib hit an even bigger six.Zaib was castled by Baker soon afterwards for 29 from just 17 balls but Tom Taylor hit a few more boundaries at the end to underline his all-round potential.A miserly spell from Ben Sanderson set the tone for Northamptonshire with the ball as he conceded just five runs from his initial five-over spell.Somerset could only register 16 runs and a single boundary from the first 10 overs and lost Steve Davies early when he clipped a Jack White delivery to deep square leg.Eddie Byrom looked to regain the initiative before top edging one from Taylor. Sam Young swung Simon Kerrigan for two sixes over long-on but the spinner soon got his revenge by trapping him lbw.Luke Procter, who finished with 3 for 40, seemed to remove any remaining hopes of a Somerset fightback with two wickets in one over. First danger man James Hildreth holed out to deep midwicket before George Bartlett was adjudged lbw to leave Somerset 89 for 5. But that brought Goldsworthy and Davey together and they started to hit the ball cleanly and find the boundary regularly. Once Goldsworthy departed, Simon Kerrigan mopped up the tail to finish with figures of 4 for 48.

Callum Ferguson’s half-century and good spells from Daniel Sams and Tanveer Sangha go in vain for Sydney Thunder

Alex Malcolm12-Dec-2020Marcus Stoinis returned to his best with a blistering half-century and Adam Zampa returned remarkable figures of 2 for 10 from four overs as the Melbourne Stars announced themselves as one of the favourites for the BBL title with a second convincing win in two days, this time against the Sydney Thunder in Canberra.Stoinis, coming off three ducks in his four previous innings, clubbed 61 from 37 balls to help set up a winning total on a slow, used, spinning pitch. Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell threatened to pile up a massive total but Maxwell’s dismissal for 39 sparked a collapse, with the Stars losing 5 for 34. Australian Under-19 legspinner Tanveer Sangha took 2 for 26 on debut and held his nerve as Maxwell tried every trick in his arsenal. Daniel Sams closed out the innings taking 2 for 24.The Thunder were always behind the rate in the chase despite a classy half-century from skipper Callum Ferguson. But with Zampa producing a mesmerising spell of legspin and Liam Hatcher claiming 3 for 28 in his first appearance for the Stars, the Thunder were always behind, even though Dilbar Hussain limped off with a hamstring injury.Stoinis surges
Stoinis was the leading run-scorer in last year’s BBL but his form leading into this game had been startling. In his last four innings across the IPL, ODI, T20I and BBL cricket, he had scored two golden ducks and a second-ball duck. But he made amends against the Thunder. Predictably, they attacked him with spin in the powerplay, and he answered with two fours and two sixes, launching Chris Green over mid-off twice. Stoinis hit the ball with extraordinary power throughout. He got Green again with a sublime flick through midwicket to bring up his 50 from just 29 balls. With the help of Maxwell, Stoinis pushed the Stars to 1 for 92 off the first ten overs.Marcus Stoinis celebrates his half-century•Getty Images

Three new rules but no DRS
The implementation of the new rules in the BBL has caused much debate but there is no debate about the dire need for the DRS. The Stars fell victim to two critical lbw decisions that would have been overturned had the DRS been in place and it potentially cost them a score in excess of 180. Firstly, Andre Fletcher was given out lbw to 19-year-old debutant Tanveer Sangha in the fifth over, but the ball was clearly missing leg and Fletcher wanted to review before realising the DRS wasn’t in place. Sangha bowled superbly taking 2 for 26 from his first four overs in the BBL. The second decision cost the Stars more dearly. Stoinis holed out in the 11th over for 61 but Maxwell held the key to the last ten overs and he took the Power Surge in the 14th over on a surface that was slowing by the minute. They lost Hilton Cartwright in the first over of the Power Surge but Maxwell’s dismissal in the 15th saw the Stars’ run rate hit a brick wall. He was given out lbw to Green, who was bowling around the wicket. There was no doubt it was hitting middle but it pitched just outside leg. The Stars lost 5 for 34 in the last 33 balls of the innings, with Ben Dunk the only player to find the boundary. Sams took two wickets in the final over but oddly only bowled three overs coming off his international debut for Australia.Bad things come in threes
The Thunder’s rub of the green with the ball was nullified with the bat as Usman Khawaja fell victim to another decision that would have been overturned had the DRS been in place. Khawaja tried to lap Hussain and was given out caught behind. The ball appeared to have come off the pad. It stalled the Thunder’s momentum after Alex Hales had made a fast start. He and Ferguson faced 17 dot balls between them in the next 7.3 overs and the Thunder fell 24 runs short of the Power Boost point.Ferguson fifty in vain
Hussain’s injury left Maxwell with two overs to fill and Ferguson and Hales took advantage. They hammered 24 runs off Cartwright’s first two overs, including two huge sixes. Hales holed out off Clint Hinchliffe for a laboured 46 off 41 but Ferguson kept rolling, reaching 50 from 33 balls with the Thunder needing a manageable 61 from 35 to win the game. But Ferguson holed out off Hatcher shortly after. Hatcher held his nerve in the critical overs that Hussain would have bowled. Maxwell turned to him in the first over of the Power Surge. He had two catches dropped off the first two balls of the 17th over but the substitute Tom O’Connell held on to the third to remove the dangerous Ben Cutting. Sams was caught at cover next ball to end Thunder hopes. Zampa, meanwhile, showed why he remains Australia’s best T20 spinner, delivering 15 dot balls and not conceding a boundary.