Tag Futebol

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.

Charl Langeveldt said South Africa’s bowlers have to be “box smart” and more disciplined than they were on the second day in Dunedin

Firdose Moonda in Dunedin09-Mar-2017Charl Langeveldt, South Africa’s bowling coach, has asked for more discipline from his attack, who he admitted will have to “box smart” on a tricky Dunedin pitch. Although Langeveldt believes New Zealand probably got the best of the surface on the first morning, when there was variable bounce, he believes South Africa could still tighten up and take control of the match.”If you’re going to have attacking fields, you are going to leak runs. In hindsight, we went for too many fours,” Langeveldt said. “Kane (Williamson) put us under pressure, especially against the spinner. He didn’t let the spinner settle down. Just blocking up one end would have been ideal. But Kane was on fire. Jeetan put us under pressure as well.”Not only did Williamson score freely off Keshav Maharaj, but he also took runs off Kagiso Rabada, who struggled with a slight stomach bug. Rabada’s illness was not serious enough to prevent him from taking the field, and Langeveldt is confident he will return with more venom on the third morning, but has invested most of his hopes in the team’s ability to strike early and find reverse-swing.”This is like a Port Elizabeth wicket. At the end there was a hint of reverse, so hopefully that will work in our favour,” Langeveldt said. “We have to box smart and try and contain Kane Williamson. He’s the key. I’m not sure whether Ross Taylor is going to come back but he’s a good batsman and they’ve got a few allrounders coming in. So we still have to bowl well to get them out. Tomorrow morning I feel we’ll have that opportunity, and then we need to box smart after that.”Taylor left the field with a calf injury and had scans at the university hospital. There is no definitive call on his availability for the rest of the match. Whether or not he returns, South Africa still have some big hitters and quick run-scorers to contend with, including Jimmy Neesham. Langeveldt would like to see his bowlers emulate New Zealand and squeeze a first-innings lead. “They bowled brilliantly and built pressure from both ends,” he said.Almost a third (32%) of the 122.4 overs New Zealand bowled were maidens, and they kept South Africa’s scoring rate to 2.51, as part of a plan to frustrate the opposition’s powerful line-up. “We were just looking to grip the ball and ask tough questions and not let them get too far ahead,” Trent Boult explained. “Everyone applied pressure in different stages, so it was easy for Kane to move between bowlers and not let that foot up. Stepping up maidens and dot balls was a big part of our plan, but there’s still a lot of work to be done.”By comparison, South Africa’s maidens efficiency was only 23%, and allowed New Zealand to score at 3.21. Still, Langeveldt believes the bowlers can make something happen, especially because Morne Morkel, who made a return after 14 months on the sidelines nursing a back injury, seems to be making a strong comeback. “His pace was up, he bowled a good amount of overs, he bowled really well and he got the ball in good areas. But the key thing was that Morne Morkel’s pace was up and he was bowling at 100%,” Langeveldt said.

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.

Decision taken ahead of Hundred’s final retentions for 2025, and follows international retirement in September

Matt Roller24-Feb-2025Moeen Ali intends to retire from English domestic cricket after the T20 Blast and will skip the Hundred in 2025, ESPNcricinfo has learned.Moeen, 37, has remained active on the franchise circuit since announcing his international retirement in September. His decision to quit English cricket will enable him to take up further opportunities overseas as he heads into the final stages of his career, with the ECB’s policy on No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) otherwise limiting his movement during the English summer.Now in the third and final year of his contract with Warwickshire, Moeen will accelerate his move into coaching during the T20 Blast this year with a player-coach role at Birmingham Bears and has decided to skip the Hundred. It is understood that he will not be available to play in the knockout stages in September, should the Bears qualify.Moeen has captained Birmingham Phoenix across the first four seasons of the Hundred but will not play for them in 2025. The eight Hundred teams had until 1pm on Monday to finalise their retentions for 2025, keeping hold of up to 10 players in both the men’s and women’s competitions at a mutually-agreed salary band.Related

• Tim David signs with defending champions St Lucia Kings for CPL 2025

• Ben Stokes to miss Hundred ahead of legacy-defining Ashes winter

• Hales to miss Blast, Hundred after signing Knight Riders deal

• Vince: Why I quit red-ball cricket – and others will follow

• 'Felt the time was right' – Moeen retires from international cricket

Moeen joins his long-time England team-mate Alex Hales in skipping the Hundred this year as a result of the ECB’s hardline stance on NOCs, which is designed to stop players picking and choosing which leagues they play in during the English summer. James Vince, Hampshire’s captain, recently spoke out about the stance in an interview with ESPNcricinfo, after confirming his retirement from red-ball cricket ahead of this season.Hales confirmed last week that he will not play at Trent Bridge this year, and has instead signed with the Knight Riders franchises in Major League Cricket and the Caribbean Premier League. Moeen’s decision could see him return to Guyana Amazon Warriors in mid-August, having represented the franchise in the CPL and the inaugural Global Super League last year.Warwickshire confirmed ESPNcricinfo’s story on Monday afternoon. “This is a big decision for me and not one I’ve taken lightly,” Moeen said in a club statement. “But I’ve reached a decision in the last few days, taking into account what I feel is best for me and my family at this stage in my career.”I’m still passionate about the game and want to play as much as I can. I still love playing. I still have passion for the game and I love being in a team environment. “I also enjoy talking to players about cricket, the tactics, and I think that’ll help me move smoothly into coaching after my playing days are over.”I came back to Warwickshire with an aim of trying to help them win the Blast and I still want to play a role this year. I’ll be available to play throughout the Blast group games, and would love to be involved as a player-coach.”Moeen has stayed active on the franchise circuit since his international retirement•Getty Images

Moeen is not the only England player set to leave the Phoenix, with Jamie Smith and Chris Woakes also departing. ESPNcricinfo understands that London Spirit have lined Smith up as their designated centrally-contracted player, while Welsh Fire are thought to be interested in bringing Woakes in.The Phoenix’s men narrowly missed out on the final last year and have retained a strong core. Jacob Bethell, Liam Livingstone, Ben Duckett, Dan Mousley, Will Smeed and Benny Howell are all staying put, while Dan Vettori’s side will field an all-New Zealand pace attack comprising Adam Milne, Tim Southee and new direct signing Trent Boult.At least two other Hundred teams are releasing their men’s captains. Lewis Gregory, who captained Trent Rockets to the 2022 title, is set to head back into March’s draft, as is Dan Lawrence, who captained London Spirit for the last two seasons but will be replaced in the role by new signing Kane Williamson.Moeen, who is studying for his ECB Level Three coaching qualifications, will form part of a new-look Warwickshire coaching staff during the Blast, with Ian Westwood replacing Mark Robinson as head coach and Matt Walker joining as batting coach after leaving Kent. The Blast starts on May 30, soon after Moeen returns from his IPL commitments with Kolkata Knight Riders.2.45pm GMT – This story was updated after confirmation from Warwickshire.

Extra seamer will play regardless as England balance the here-and-now with the upcoming Ashes

Andrew Miller14-Dec-2024England will make a late decision on Kate Cross’s fitness for the one-off Test against South Africa in Bloemfontein, but have opted to play an extra seamer either way, as thoughts begin to turn to their upcoming Ashes challenge in January.Cross, England’s senior seamer, bowled just five balls in Wednesday’s third ODI at Potchefstroom before leaving the field with a back spasm. She will attempt to bowl in the nets on Saturday, but if she’s not deemed fit enough to take part, Ryana MacDonald-Gay – who was drafted into the Test squad as cover – will make her Test debut, with Sophia Dunkley set to miss out among the batters.Speaking on the eve of the contest, captain Heather Knight admitted her team had to balance their desire to cap a successful tour of South Africa against the challenge that awaits in Australia. And Cross, who was instrumental in England’s Ashes Test win in Perth in 2013-14, remains a key part of that consideration.”We’ll have to wait and see,” Knight said. “Obviously, she went down in that first ODI, and it’s pretty rare to see Kate in that much pain. So we’ll have to see how that reacts. She’ll try and have a little bowl today, try and get a couple of spells in, and then we’ll make a call based on what we think is best for the team.”Obviously we’ve got a huge amount of cricket coming up as well, so that’s going be at the forefront [of our thoughts]. Kate’s such a key player for us in one-day cricket and Test cricket. We want to give her the biggest chance, because she’s so desperate to play Test cricket, but we feel like our seam bowlers are going to be so important over the next month, so we want to really look after them.”So, “I don’t know” is the honest answer, but if she doesn’t play, we’ll obviously miss her.”The upcoming Test will be South Africa’s first on home soil in 22 years, and Knight – who still considers the format to be her favourite despite the scarcity of opportunity – said her players were all excited at the prospect of “pulling the whites back on”. The challenge of switching mindsets from white-ball to red-ball cricket, however, would be the biggest factor for the coming four days.Related

• Red-ball fever catches on in South Africa

• Seren Smale, Ryana MacDonald-Gay called up to South Africa tour

• Heather Knight: Freya Kemp still in Ashes frame despite withdrawal from SA tour

• South Africa women pick Tumi Sekhukhune and retain strong core for England Test

• ICC rankings: Wolvaardt replaces Sciver-Brunt as No. 1 batter

“From my own experiences, I absolutely love playing red-ball cricket,” Knight said. “It’s such a test, such a challenge, and something that I love doing … the mental challenge, the repetition of skills, adapting to so many different situations that you might face. I absolutely love it.”But honestly, in the build-up to the Test, everyone was like, ‘right, what do I do, how do I learn? How to develop?’ Picking a team is pretty hard, just because you’re going on minimal information, from white-ball cricket or from a Test match that was maybe a year ago.”So it’s quite hard thing to prepare for. Mentally, it’s about getting clarity around how you’re going to play. I don’t think that should differ hugely from your one-day mindset, it’s just doing things for a little bit longer and managing situations that change in a game a little bit better.”You have to be okay sometimes with not scoring, and having to soak up pressure for a little bit longer. But also I want the girls have that mindset that, when we get a chance to really put the pressure back on the opposition, can we move the game forward at a rate of knots?”The two teams last faced each other in a Test match at Taunton in 2022, where Marizanne Kapp made a brilliant 150 to set her team up for a hard-fought draw.”She’s certainly high-class, she’s a key player for them,” Knight said. “We have our plans to try and get her out. Laura [Wolvaardt]’s got potential to bat long and score some big runs as well, so she’s another key player. We want real clarity about how we want to go about it, then it’s about adapting to how they’re playing the game in the moment as well.”Despite the proximity of the Ashes, where the Test will be held for the first time at the vast MCG, Knight insisted England’s focus was all in the “here-and-now”.”We’re totally focused on this Test match. It’s been in the calendar, and it’s something that the girls have highlighted that they really want to play in and really want to do well. Any chance to play a Test match is really cool.”We’ve had one eye on the Ashes throughout this series and trying to prep for that, whilst also not looking too far ahead and doing what we need to do to have some success. And obviously we’ve had huge success on this tour. It’s been a brilliant trip for us, a really successful tour. We’ve had loads of learnings as well, and things we can fine tune before we go into the Ashes.”

Birmingham Bears condemned to 55-run defeat after stellar allround display

ECB Reporters Network12-Jul-2024Worcestershire Rapids turned the Vitality Blast North Group table upside-down by beating leaders Birmingham Bears by 55 runs in a rain-reduced 17-overs-per-side match at Edgbaston.Rapids piled up 187 for 6 thanks to star contributions at either end of their innings. Kashif Ali launched it with a sparkling 46 from 30 balls and Matthew Waite concluded it in spectacular fashion by whacking 34 from the last over by George Garton. Waite, who took 5 for 21 against Leicestershire Foxes the previous evening, blasted 36 not out from eight balls.The Bears’ reply never recovered from losing both openers for ducks and closed on 132 all out from 15.2 overs. Only Dan Mousley (68 off 44) threatened for long against a well-focused attack led by Waite (four for 29) and Tom Taylor (3 for 27).Back-to-back wins have retained the Rapids’ sliver of hope of qualification for the knockout stage. The Bears remain very strongly placed but a third defeat in 11 games leaves them with plenty still to do to seal a home quarter-final.The Rapids chose to bat but lost Ed Pollock to the third ball when he pulled Zak Foulkes to mid-on where Sam Hain dived low to take his 71st T20 catch. Kashif got the innings going with an audacious six over mid-wicket off Garton and added 56 in 32 balls with Josh Cobb before the latter chipped Moeen Ali to extra cover. Kashif collected 30 of his 46 runs in fours and sixes but departed furious at himself for nicking a wide long hop from Moeen to the wicketkeeper.Former Bears batter Adam Hose has a lot of happy history at Edgbaston, having scored over 1000 T20 runs there, but added only eight before hammering Danny Briggs to extra cover. When Briggs struck again three balls later, Gareth Roderick top-edging a sweep, the Rapids had lost three wickets in ten balls at a time when they needed to accelerate.The acceleration then came, first from Nathan Smith who socked 33 off 16 balls in a stand of 52 in 28 balls with Brookes (30 not out, 19) and then Waite who left Garton head-in-hands after peppering the leg side boundary with 6-4-6-6-6-6 in the final over.The Rapids’ attack was deprived of Smith, who ended his innings with a runner after damaging a hamstring, but the Bears’ reply started shabbily as both openers bagged blobs. Taylor’s first ball was a wide, then his second was a searing inswinger which bowled Alex Davies. Rob Yates spooned a return catch to Cobb. When Hain chopped Waite on to his stumps, the Bears were 18 for 3.Mousley batted with aplomb on his way to a 34-ball half-century but support for him was fleeting. Moeen was bowled, swishing across the line, by Waite and Chris Benjamin’s counter-attack (21 in eight balls) was ended by an excellent catch on the long off rope by Taylor. Jake Bethell sliced Taylor to deep cover and 56 from the last two overs proved slightly too tall an order for the lower order as Waite rounded off his great day with wickets from successive balls to end the game.

He is facing 19 charges in total relating to alleged offences perpetrated between December 5, 2023 and April 12, 2024

AAP15-Apr-2024Former Australia Test cricketer Michael Slater has been remanded in police custody after being charged with more than a dozen offences.Slater, 54, had his case mentioned in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Monday.He is facing 19 charges relating to alleged offences perpetrated on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast on various dates between December 5, 2023 and April 12, 2024.The charges include domestic violence offences of unlawful stalking or intimidation, breaking into a dwelling with intent at night, common assault, assault occasioning bodily harm and choking or suffocation.The former opening batter and TV commentator was also charged with breaching bail and ten counts of contravening a domestic violence order.Police confirmed they arrested a 54-year-old Noosa Heads man at a Sunshine Coast address on Friday following alleged domestic violence incidents over several days.Slater has been remanded in custody with the case due to be mentioned in the same court on Tuesday.After making his debut during the 1993 Ashes tour, Slater played 74 Tests for Australia, amassing 5312 runs at an average of 42.83 with 14 centuries. He also played 42 ODIs.Slater retired from cricket in 2004, and embarking on a successful TV commentary career.