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“The wicket was not offering anything for the fast bowlers but he was still moving the ball.”

Andrew Fidel Fernando20-Jan-202111 of Stuart Broad’s 17 overs in the second innings in Galle were maidens. Angelo Mathews, who faced 37 Broad deliveries in that innings, managed only one scoring shot against him. At times, Mathews said, it felt like he was facing Broad in England.On a pitch that has historically been unkind to quicks, Broad was not only phenomenally accurate, he also attacked the stumps more than he might at home, bowled leg-cutters that almost spat off the dusty Galle surface, and changed up his pace. He’d also taken three wickets for 20 in the first innings, sparking the collapse that essentially won England the match.Mathews went on to make 71 in the second innings, but thanks in part to Broad’s miserly bowling, Mathews’ strike rate was down at 32.”We all know what kind of a bowler Broad is – he’s taken over 500 Test wickets and he’s one of the best fast bowlers going around,” Mathews said. “On any kind of surface, the wicket was not offering anything for the fast bowlers, but he was moving the ball. One spell I felt like I was playing in England against him because he was moving the ball. That’s very difficult for a fast bowler to do in these conditions in Galle.”England spinners were not far behind on the accuracy front, according to Mathews. Dom Bess and Jack Leach bowled 74.5 overs between them in the second innings, going at less than three an over between them. Leach claimed a five-wicket haul, and Bess took three wickets. They took 14 of the 20 Sri Lanka wickets to fall in the match.”Even the spinners didn’t give anything away,” Mathews said. “They didn’t give loose deliveries at all. Even though the wicket was turning, and they were trying to take wickets. It was pure Test cricket where they held on to a line and length and we actually made a lot of mistakes by trying to go for too many shots too early off good balls, where we couldn’t score off.”Stuart Broad claimed the big wicket of Angelo Mathews•SLC

Despite the England attack’s accuracy, and although many Sri Lanka batsmen got out playing attacking shots, Mathews does not think a more conservative batting approach represents Sri Lanka’s best hope of levelling the series in the second Test. Generally, the thinking at Galle has been to score your runs briskly, before the inevitable unplayable delivery comes your way.”The way I play is different to a Dinesh Chandimal or a Kusal Perera or a Niroshan Dickwella,” Mathews said. “We’ve got to find our scoring options rather than try to copy some other batsman. Joe Root played a magnificent innings and we can learn a lot from the way he batted, but sometimes the shots he played, we can’t play. We need to be able to understand what we can and what we can’t do on these wickets against their bowlers.”It’s not about being conservative. You always have to look to score runs. But you need to understand how you can score runs off these bowlers and in these conditions.”

The fast bowler has paid a hefty price for diving in the field in an ODI against Pakistan in March, missing the World Cup and Ashes, but is now looking ahead

Alex Malcolm29-Jul-2019When Australia announced their six-strong fast bowling cartel for the Ashes series on Friday, Jhye Richardson’s absence slipped quietly by.One of the stars of Australia’s last Test series against Sri Lanka, and arguably the gold nugget find of their toughest home summer in decades, was instead sitting in a hotel room in Darwin preparing for a guest appearance in a club match for Nightcliff the following day, his first outing since dislocating his right shoulder against Pakistan in Sharjah in March.There was a small hope, after a careful build up, that he might be given the opportunity to be added to the Ashes squad for the back end of the Test series should his playing return go smoothly. But despite getting through Saturday’s match, where he took 1 for 67 from his 10 overs, the selectors had already told him two days earlier that they would settle with the pacemen they had in England.Richardson, 22, has every right to be bitter at the cricketing gods. A selfless act of desperation to save his team a boundary in Sharjah cost him the opportunity of a lifetime, appearing in a World Cup and an Ashes in the same English summer. But there was no bitterness, just a slow realisation and acceptance.”I think just progressively I got the understanding that I wasn’t quite ready to go,” Richardson told ESPNcricinfo on Saturday. “But I gave it my best shot. I had a lot of good people around me. I did everything I could. That was in the back of my mind. I said to myself you’ve done everything you can and it wasn’t meant to be.”When [the injury] first happened, initially I’d like to think I was pretty calm. Obviously your adrenaline is still going because a highly traumatic injury has just happened and you’re still buzzing around trying to figure out what’s going on. You probably don’t understand the true effect of what’s just happened at that moment. When I got home, the magnitude of the potential of having an extended time on the sideline probably sunk in a little bit more. But I think with that though, having the plan or the goal to get to the World Cup helped a lot. It gave me a lot of positivity. Whilst it was quite ambitious it sort of allowed me to keep track on something and really put my mind to something.””While it would be great to go over there it would be just as good to watch the guys go about their business over there and hopefully win an Ashes series. If something goes down, I’ll try and get over but if that doesn’t happen, we’ve still got a lot of cricket in Australia as well in the Australian summer. If the pace bowling stocks do get tested a little bit then I’m ready to go.”Getty Images

Unlike Josh Hazlewood, who found it hard to watch the World Cup having also missed selection, Richardson’s only trouble was staying up late enough in Perth. “I watched a bit of it,” he said. “Most games on the TV. I didn’t quite make it through all of them.”He watched while the Ashes carrot was still dangling in front of him. Cricket Australia’s selectors and medical staff liaised with the WACA high performance team in Perth to put a program in place. He did join the Australia A squad for their training camp in Brisbane in early June and then returned to Perth to progress to eight to ten-over spells in the nets ahead of Saturday’s game in Darwin. CA even sent cameras and an analyst to Darwin to record data on his return.Despite already knowing he had missed his chance, he was upbeat about his performance in his comeback clocking the mid-130kph mark.”Obviously I was very, very rusty,” Richardson said. “It was the first game in three or four months so I couldn’t expect miracles. In terms of shoulder wise, I coped fine. The pace was okay. Probably a little bit better than I expected. From all reports here, the day’s gone well. After today, it gives me a little bit more confidence that I’m ready to go. Practice is always good, but just being able to play in a game over bowling in the nets with no batter, just gives myself a better idea of where I’m at, and where I’m at I’m pretty happy with.”Richardson will not stay in Darwin to play more cricket. Instead he will head back to WA to resume pre-season training with the Western Warriors. He has no shortage of inspiration within the WA squad. Nathan Coulter-Nile suffered a shoulder dislocation in a BBL game in December 2015, and returned to play international cricket in March the following year, while Ashton Turner is also currently recovering shoulder surgery after missing World Cup selection.Richardson’s durability is another source of confidence. Last Australian summer he played more days and bowled more overs than Pat Cummins in all formats. Five consecutive Shield games before Christmas, where he delivered 190 overs and took 27 wickets, propelled him to his Test debut.”Everyone speaks about needing to be in such a good rhythm to bowl well,” Richardson said. “And they say you bowl your fastest when you’re not trying to bowl your fastest. So bowling a lot of overs takes a bit of pressure off steaming in trying to bowl as fast as you can. It’s a big mental game. It’s trying to get on top of the batsman and figuring out what their weaknesses are. I think bowling a lot of overs does help get your body accustomed to bowling a lot so the more balls you bowl the better you’re going to get. It definitely helped in that respect.”The development of his fast bowling craft has been the most impressive feature of his meteoric rise. As a teenage tearaway his radar was not always on song, but he has learnt the value of control at the professional level.”It’s just been a thing over time,” Richardson said. “Obviously coaches are there to help you, but on a personal level, bowling to the best batsman in the world it doesn’t quite work trying to bowl as fast as you can because they still have the most time to hit the ball where they want to. You feel like bowling 145kph is still not quick enough. I kind of just, over time, gained an understanding that it’s not the be all and end all of fast bowling. There’s probably something else that you need to work out, whether that’s swinging the ball or seaming the ball or have a few variations.”

Sunday presents Scotland with an opportunity to show they are deserving of more fixtures against England, let alone other Full Members

Preview by Peter Della Penna09-Jun-2018

Big Picture

This week begins the start of a historic event, something everyone pouring through the stadium gates only gets to witness once every four years, an occasion the host country’s players and fans pour their heart and soul into because it might be their lone shot at capturing greatness on the world stage for a very long time.No, no, not Russia welcoming the FIFA World Cup. It’s when Scotland hosts England in an ODI. Initially intended to be a biennial affair, with England alternating benevolent visits to Ireland every other year, the Bannockburn bilaterals on Saltire soil have only achieved a completed result twice since the first ODI between the two sides was played north of the wall in 2008.After a no result in the maiden encounter at the Grange, England claimed a seven-wicket win in 2010 defeating their former team-mate Gavin Hamilton who had gone back home to captain his country. After 2012’s scheduled match was called off weeks in advance due to flooding issues at the Grange, the 2014 affair was a rain-marred contest in Aberdeen, with Scotland falling well short in a 20-over chase.Nothing was scheduled in 2016 to follow up their only ever encounter at an ICC tournament when England prevailed once again behind a Moeen Ali century in Christchurch at the 2015 World Cup.For Scotland, Sunday presents an opportunity to show they are deserving of more fixtures against England, let alone other Full Members. They’re also keen to show everyone their form at the World Cup Qualifier was not a one-off. After opening the tournament with a shock win over Afghanistan, they tied with Zimbabwe before running Ireland and West Indies tight in a pair of matches infamous for the lbw decisions given by Paul Wilson that didn’t go their way.The Grange is the scene of Scotland’s famous maiden ODI win over a Full Member almost a year ago to the day when they knocked off Zimbabwe. Coach Grant Bradburn, a man of many mottos including “playing with teeth” and “Kaizen”, has told those around the team this week that they are “hunting history” in their pursuit of a maiden win over England.Scotland’s coaching staff has called on reinforcements for some inspiration to visualize that happening. Former Scotland rugby international Duncan Hodge, who famously denied England the 2000 Grand Slam by singlehandedly outscoring the opposition 19-13 for Scotland’s first victory over England in a decade, has been on hand this week to provide just a little bit more motivation. As Calum MacLeod said “all it takes is one person” to stick their hand up, “to be bold and take that opportunity if it presents itself.”Making that happen will be a tall order. Scotland had enough difficulty taking on the middling limited-overs sides put out by England in years past. The outfit ready to step onto the field in Edinburgh on Sunday arrives with a No. 1 ranking in tow, their brand of one-day cricket unrecognizable to what most fans grew up with.Even without the injured Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes plus the rested Jos Buttler, England boast more than their fair share of established names forming an explosive batting line-up. Jason Roy, Alex Hales, Sam Billings and Moeen Ali all saw time during the IPL this spring though with mixed results and all four will be keen to find form heading into the start of the ODI series against Australia which begins midweek.The anticipation at the Grange has been immense. A quaint club ground hugging the River Leith has done its best Malahide impression, shapeshifting into a sold-out 4600 seat pop-up stadium. The city is hosting a Rolling Stones concert at Murrayfield Stadium on the eve of the cricket match and with Mick Jagger’s penchant for showing up at cricket in offbeat places – whether it be watching USA in the final of 2016 WCL Division Four at Los Angeles or the Ireland men’s maiden Test against Pakistan – locals are prepping for another cricket cameo from rock royalty to add a bit more prestige to the occasion.

Form guide

Scotland LLWTW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
England WLWWL

In the spotlight

Captain Kyle Coetzer is the only player in the Scotland squad who has appeared in every previous ODI encounter against England. After a six-ball duck in 2008, he’s fared quite well, top-scoring with 51 in the loss at the Grange in 2010 and producing another leading effort at the 2015 World Cup in Christchurch – 71 at the top of the order. He’s been in sensational form throughout the last year, and piloted Scotland’s famous win on the same ground last year over Zimbabwe with a sparkling century.Sam Billings will hope to make the most of a rare chance in England’s side•Getty Images

England’s shining star at the top of the order in white-ball cricket has been Jonny Bairstow. He demolished New Zealand in the series decider in Christchurch, in England’s most recent ODI tie-up in March, crunching 104 off 60 balls for his second century in a row to finish as England’s leading scorer with 302 runs.

Team news

No. 3 batsman Michael Jones was called up to Durham on Friday. Brad Wheal, who was sensational with the new ball in Zimbabwe at the World Cup Qualifiers, has been laid low with a back injury, leaving Chris Sole and Stuart Whittingham as options to join Safyaan Sharif in the seam attack. Dylan Budge, who played for Scotland in their Champions Trophy warm-up win over Sri Lanka last year, may get his full international debut ahead of George Munsey after entering the contest in sizzling domestic form.Scotland: (probable): 1 Kyle Coetzer (capt), 2 Matthew Cross (wk), 3 Calum MacLeod, 4 Richie Berrington, 5 Preston Mommsen, 6 Dylan Budge/George Munsey, 7 Michael Leask, 8 Safyaan Sharif, 9 Mark Watt, 10 Alasdair Evans, 11 Stuart WhittinghamChris Woakes was ruled out of this contest earlier in the week with Tom Curran called up as cover. Morgan revealed in the pre-match press conference that Alex Hales has been pencilled into the XI as Jos Buttler sits out ahead of the Australia series.England (probable): 1 Jonny Bairstow, 2 Jason Roy, 3 Alex Hales, 4 Joe Root, 5 Eoin Morgan (capt), 6 Sam Billings (wk), 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Adil Rashid, 9 David Willey/Tom Curran, 10 Liam Plunkett, 11 Mark Wood

Pitch and conditions

The Grange pitch is a belter, where 300-325 is par on a normal day. But with the boundaries brought in at the Pavilion End to make room for Sky Sports TV scaffolding and wiring, 350 or more would not be farfetched for Sunday.Saturday’s training session stayed dry until just after England departed; then, showers started to fall. However the ground is expected to remain mostly dry for game day; early morning rain is forecast but a clear afternoon with temperatures hovering around a mild 20C.

Stats and trivia

• Despite being neighbours, eight Full Members played an ODI against Scotland – beginning with their maiden fixture against Australia at the 1999 World Cup – before England finally faced them for the first time in 2008. Only Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe took longer. England’s fifth ODI against Scotland on Sunday ties Australia for most number of ODIs played by a Full Member against Scotland.
• Coetzer, who will be playing his 50th ODI on Sunday, needs 89 runs to become the first Scotland player to reach 2000 runs in ODIs. Only Calum MacLeod, Richie Berrington and Majid Haq have played more ODIs for Scotland.
• Eoin Morgan needs 130 runs to pass Ian Bell as England’s all-time leading scorer in ODIs. Morgan currently has 5287 in 177 matches to Bell’s 5416 in 161.

Quotes

“Every occasion like tomorrow’s game is going to be a special occasion. It’s going to be one in which we always feel as if we have to put on a good show.”
“It should be a really good game. We watched them play in the qualifying tournament for the 50-over World Cup, which was an extremely competitive tournament. I don’t think there was a lot between the teams.”

Leeward’s ten-wicket win, however, had no bearing on the league standings, as Guyana had already sealed the title in the previous round

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Apr-2017Leeward Islands ended their Regional 4-Day tournament campaign with a ten-wicket win over Guyana, a result that had no impact on the teams’ standings at either end of the points table. While Guyana had sealed the title in the last round, with a game to spare, Leeward ended the tournament in last place with three wins in ten games.Rahkeem Cornwall led his side from the front, with a match haul of 9 for 136. His 6 for 68 in the first innings had skittled Guyana out for 187, with wickets falling in clusters. Leeward then overcame a slump – they went from 115 for 1 to 140 for 6 in 13 overs – to take a 119-run first-innings lead. Opener Montcin Hodge’s 70 anchored the early part of the innings before Jacques Taylor shepherded the lower order with a 160-ball 72. Raymon Reifer had triggered Leeward’s batting slump with the wickets of Keacy Carty and Hodge, and he finished with returns of 6 for 74.Guyana’s batting struggled for the second time in the game, and they ended up being dismissed for 143. The top score in their innings came from Chandrapaul Hemraj (29), even as Cornwall added three wickets to his match tally and fast bowler Gavin Tonge had returns of 3 for 33. Leeward then needed only 55 balls to achieve the target of 25.

Australian Andrew Tye joins a Gloucestershire squad which won the Royal London Cup last season

David Hopps31-Mar-2016Director of cricket: Richard Dawson
Captain: Gareth Roderick (Champ), Michael Klinger (T20, 50)
Last season
In: Chris Liddle (Sussex), Josh Shaw (Yorkshire, loan)
Out: James Fuller (Middlesex), Geraint Jones (retired), Cameron Herring, Robbie Montgomery (both released)
Overseas: Michael Klinger, Andrew Tye, Cameron Bancroft (April-May)2015 in a nutshell
Gloucestershire pepped up spirits during the first year of a new coaching team – Richard Dawson and Ian Harvey – to such an extent that they won the Royal London Cup final at Lord’s, reviving memories of the times, a decade and more earlier, when they dominated the limited-overs game. Michael Klinger was formidable with the bat and Geraint Jones wandered happily off into the sunset.2016 prospects
Gloucestershire’s squad lacks depth, especially in the bowling department, which suggests limited-overs cricket will again be their chief focus. Their Royal London triumph could be the catalyst for bigger T20 crowds at Bristol (they missed the quarter-finals by a point last season) and their intent is shown by the signing of a second overseas player, Andrew Tye, whose effectiveness for Perth Scorchers won him a place in Australia’s T20 squad. Cameron Bancroft, the WA keeper/batsman, deputises for Klinger in the Championship. Progress for Chris Dent and Roderick should help the runs tally, but James Fuller’s departure for Middlesex invites questions about their Championship attack. Bet365.com don’t fancy them for a 50-over repeat: they are out at 16/1.Key player
Wicketkeeper-captains always have it tough, but Gloucestershire have entrusted the role to Gareth Roderick in the Championship with Michael Klinger not back until late May. Roderick, born in South Africa, also bats top order, all of which means that Gloucestershire need him to shoulder a heavy burden if they are to maintain their progress.Bright young thing
George Hankins broke the record set by Kent’s Daniel Bell-Drummond for most runs in a season at Millfield School last season and continues their tradition of producing county cricketers by winning a two-year contract. Fresh back from the Darren Lehmann academy in Adelaide, he already had some sizeable 2nd XI scores to his name.ESPNcricinfo verdict
After winning the Royal London Cup, Gloucestershire will seek to spice up their T20 cricket which will make South Group stronger than ever.Bet365 odds: Specsavers Championship, Div 2: 10/1; NatWest Blast n/a; Royal London Cup 16/1

Sri Lanka face off against South Africa in five ODIs and three T20Is, between July 20 and August 6

Andrew Fidel Fernando19-Jul-2013As Sri Lanka’s next ODI assignment in a year of Test avoidance rolls around, against South Africa, fans may be beginning to feel more than a touch of limited-overs fatigue. Neither team has played a Test since March and there have been no major triumphs for either team in ODIs either.The fact that this tour could have been so much better, had the Tests not been postponed to make way for a now kaput Twenty20 tournament, will make the bilateral series all the more tough to swallow. Moreover, with the battle royale unfolding in the UK, viewers are left with a very tempting alternative.However, this match-up does have a little about it that may help distinguish it from the glut of the modern-day limited-overs sludge.It’s not often that South Africa play Sri Lanka, particularly away from home. Their last ODI series here goes back as far as 2004, when a team featuring Lance Klusener, Shaun Pollock and Nicky Boje, lost 5 -0. A three-ODI series between the two sides was planned in 2006, but was cancelled due to bad weather. The touring captain AB de Villiers has not played a single ODI in Sri Lanka, in an international career spanning eight years.The sides are well matched on paper. Neither team is a world beater in the limited-overs format, but can be formidable when their moods and conditions align. In the Champions Trophy in June, both teams were beaten comprehensively in the semi-finals, which once again prompted everyone to believe that while the teams have the skill and determination to consistently find themselves at the sharp end of tournaments, they lack the mental steel to close out results in high-pressure encounters. In fact, had there been more riding on this series, it might have even been billed as a “choke-off.”There is also a mutual onus on developing young talent. South Africa have arrived without Jacques Kallis, Dale Steyn and Graeme Smith, in an effort to find the right combination and rhythm ahead of the 2015 World Cup. Men like Chris Morris and Aaron Phangiso have the chance to prove they should be part of South Africa’s long-term plans, and others like Rory Kleinveldt and David Miller must now add consistency to the qualities that has seen them emerge at the top level.For Sri Lanka, the series will provide another opportunity for the younger players to reassure their fans that the side will not slide into doldrums once Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and Tillakaratne Dilshan retire. All three seniors privately hope to play the next World Cup, but they cannot hope to end their careers with a major title unless the remaining batsmen become better than just adequate support players. The Champions Trophy might have been a disaster for Sri Lanka without the trio’s efforts in England, as none of the remaining batsmen could manage more than 74 runs during the tournament.Dinesh Chandimal and Lahiru Thirimanne, who have been made captain and vice-captain respectively for the first two games, will have the most to prove in this series. Their talent, particularly in Tests, is beyond doubt but neither is yet to repay the faith that has been afforded to them in the shorter formats. South Africa boast one of the world’s finest attacks but their inexperience in Sri Lankan conditions, and the absence of Steyn, will make them a slightly less intimidating prospect, and Sri Lanka’s middle order cannot complain that they are out of their depth.Sri Lanka and South Africa thrive in conditions that are almost diametrically opposite to the other’s favoured stomping grounds. South Africa may probably be slightly at ease, given the pace and bounce in the Sri Lankan pitches, but they must also be wary of the dustbowls at the Premadasa and in Pallekele.There has been some rain at both venues in the build-up to the series but in the past Sri Lanka’s groundsmen have always managed to maintain a turning track despite the weather. If they have done so again, South Africa will find it that much more difficult to turn around an abysmal ODI record on the island.There should be no pretensions that this series is anything other than yet another forgettable bilateral tie, robbed of much of its context because of the removal of the Tests. But for both sides, it will be another crucial step taken on their journey to Australia and New Zealand in 2015.

It was a relief for Scotland and Canada finally to get a cricket match, after their 4-day Inter Continental Cup match at Uddingston last week was completely washed out, and the two one-day internationals suffered a switch of venue.

Callum Stewart12-Jul-2012
ScorecardAlasdair Evans was the pick of the opening bowlers•ICC/Ian Jacobs

Calum MacLeod missed the chance of a hundred in bizarre circumstances but found joy all the same in his unbeaten 99 as Scotland took a step closer to World Cup qualification with a four-wicket defeat of Canada in Ayr.Scotland chased them a target of 177 in 42.1 overs, and took a step closer to the World Cup by overtaking UAE and moving into the second qualification spot.MacLeod would have had a chance for his century, was it not for an errant overthrow from a Canadian fieldsman, when the wicket keeper thought the game was already over.He said afterwards: “I was delighted with the team performance out there, and I’ve been fortunate to contribute in both ODIs, T20s and CB40s. Qualifying for the World Cup is the main goal, and it’s been a terrific job by the Ayr groundstaff this week to get the pitch playable.”This was no ordinary praise for the groundstaff. It was a relief for both teams to finally to get a cricket match underway after the four-day Inter Continental Cup match at Uddingston last week was completely washed out, and the two one-day internationals suffered a switch of venue and cancellation on three occasions.On the last possible day of play the sun was shining at Cambusdoon in Ayr. The ground staff had been working full time here for over a week just to make this game possible. Understandably, Scotland chose to field in the sunny, but damp conditions.Canada staggered to 177 all out in the last over, with Ruvindu Gunasekera providing the only real resistance with 53 before cheaply giving his wicket away.Canada’s opener Hiral Patel was trapped lbw early on by Alisdair Evans who was the pick of the opening bowlers. The gangly figure of Gunasekera produced some big if unorthodox shots and was the only Canadian batsmen to reach fifty, making 53 from 75 balls before he was stumped off the off-break bowler Majid Haq.It was a youthful Canada batting line-up. Nitish Kumar, 18, in at No 3, failed to live up to his reputation and was caught behind off the bowling of Josh Davey for just 9. Zeeshan Siddiqi steadied the ship, but was in danger of grinding Canada to a halt, as he stole most of the bowling at a strike rate of less than 50.Along with Damodar Deasrath he stopped the flow of wickets but allowed the Scottish bowlers to take control. Canada struggled to rotate the strike with the arrival of spinners Haq and Preston Mommsen who managed to pin down the run rate.Canada’s frustration eventually told. Siddiqi played a handful of erratic shots before trying to make room to cut the ball and chopping on, to the delight of the Scottish fielders. This was followed by a succession of three run outs, each due to miscommunication from the batsmen who could not decide whether they wanted a single or two, and then found themselves stranded in the middle.It all led to Scotland’s wicketkeeper Craig Wallace being involved in five wickets, with Haq bowling his allocated 10 overs for just 19 runs and taking two wickets.Scotland’s chase did not get off to an ideal start. They lost Northants’ batsman Kyle Coetzer in the second over when he played a flashing cut to a short ball, only to be taken by a great catch from Usman Limbada at backward point. This brought Davey to the crease at No 3 and he nudged and pushed the singles and rotated the strike along with MacLeod who despatched the ball to all corners from an early stage.MacLeod was the anchor of the Scottish innings as his team-mates came and went around him. It really was a solo performance as no other Scottish batsmen managed to get over 25.The pace bowling of Durand Soraine was expensive but yielded two key wickets. But Canada’s batting performance did not give their bowlers much to defend, and as such they were chasing wickets from an early stage. Scotland were always ahead of the run rate.

Greg Chappell has said Nathan Lyon and Trent Copeland were among those who showed during the A-side’s tour of Zimbabwe that they could perform at a higher level

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Jul-2011Greg Chappell, Australia’s selector and national talent manager, has said Nathan Lyon and Trent Copeland were among those that showed they could perform at a higher level during the A side’s tour of Zimbabwe. Fast bowler Copeland and offspinner Lyon – who was the leading wicket-taker in the tri-series in Zimbabwe that also included South Africa A – have since been picked in Australia’s Test squad for the Sri Lanka series that begins on August 31.”They are very exciting cricketers,” Chappell told Australia’s . “The Australia A tour to Zimbabwe was a huge success. Those guys were two of a number who showed that what has worked for them in Australia can work at a higher level. They bring with them some form and confidence and freshness.”The fast bowlers who missed out on Sri Lanka, Doug Bollinger and Ben Hilfenhaus, need to work on their fitness, Chappell said. “The message to both of them is quite clear. Doug’s fitness levels were not where they are needed to be. He knows what he has to do. The same with Ben. He struggled technically last summer [during the Ashes].”A big talking point about the Test squad was the omission of legspinner Steven Smith, but according to Chappell, this is all part of his maturing process. “He is in the same position that most players are in early in their careers when they get an opportunity. They get to have a look at it. Very few players are ready to go.”Most of us have been dropped. Even Bradman was dropped. You go away and rethink it. That’s where Steve’s at. I think he has the ability to be a very fine player for Australia, but this is only part of his development.”Australia are yet to find a long-term replacement for Shane Warne, and if spinners are to do well, Chappell said, the environment in which they are nurtured has to change. “The environment in which young spinners are growing up is very different from before. I just don’t see them getting the encouragement from captains and coaches, who see them as bowlers who leak runs rather than one who have the opportunities to take wickets.””They are a last resort option in junior cricket, club and first-class cricket at times. If we are going to produce champions [in the spin department], we have to encourage environments where spinners get the opportunities.”

Former Pakistan captain Mohammad Yousuf has said he is willing to come out of retirement sooner rather than laterand has no issues playing under any captain

Cricinfo staff19-Jul-2010Former Pakistan captain Mohammad Yousuf is ready to come out of retirement sooner rather than later, further broadening the possibility of an appearance at some point for Pakistan in the summer.Yousuf, who announced his sudden retirement after a win-less tour of Australia, had said recently he was targeting the tour of UAE later this year to make a return, but the team’s struggles in the first Test against Australia at Lord’s may have prompted him to change his mind.”I am available any time for my national team,” Yousuf said in Karachi. “If the team doesn’t need me I stand retired. But if I’m needed, I am ready and available to serve my country. If PCB invites me with respect I will definitely go and join the team.”Ijaz Ahmed, Pakistan’s assistant coach, hinted at Yousuf’s possible return. “He can replace Afridi but the management haven’t decided yet who will come. It could come out in a couple of days. Maybe later, somebody will come but not at the moment.Pakistan made scores of 148 and 289 with only one batsman, Salman Butt, managing to pass fifty. They lost 11 of their wickets to Shane Watson and the part-time spinner Marcus North.Though their bowlers competed well, the batsmen fell short mainly due to the lack of experience in the middle order, which was missing the pedigree of Yousuf and Younis Khan for differing reasons.In the immediate aftermath of the Lord’s loss speculation centred on the PCB sending out an SOS to Yousuf, but Ijaz Butt denied that was the case. The matter of Yousuf and Younis’s return was considered at a meeting the chairman held with team management to appoint a new captain, but was deferred until after the second Test against Australia, officials insisting they were happy with the performances of debutantes Azhar Ali and Umar Amin.”These are the only two players we are talking about, Younus Khan and Yousuf,” Ijaz Ahmed added. “Let’s see, it might be decided about Yousuf. Yousuf might be coming here.”Salman, 25, was appointed captain after Shahid Afridi announced another unexpected retirement from Tests. Afridi was named captain for the entire tour of England but quit after the Lord’s defeat saying he wasn’t enjoying Test cricket after all.”He was the vice-captain as well. I hope he can manage this,” Ijaz Ahmed said of Salman’s promotion. “We have done a lot of talking to him and he has played really well and is shaping up well. I think he is getting mature and now he has got the responsibility as well. I think he will come good for that.”Yousuf has had problems in the past with Shoaib Malik when he was captain but said he was willing to play under Salman. “It’s a PCB decision (appointing Salman) and everybody should respect it,” Yousuf said. “I can play under any captain and have never felt degraded playing under anyone.”Yousuf added that he was in touch with the PCB chairman, who was kept aware of his plans to return.Yousuf was the captain during Pakistan’s shambolic tour of Australia, where the team came under fire for their performances. The PCB responded by penalising seven players it believed were responsible for the defeats, Yousuf among them. He and Younis were banned indefinitely, and as a mark of protest, Yousuf announced he was quitting the game “for now.”He was the only one among the seven punished players not to appeal against the sanctions, despite the PCB leaving the door open for him to return. However, since Yousuf didn’t respond to those messages from the board the national selectors could not consider him for the tour of England.

New Zealand’s spinners had restricted India to 227, but the visitors couldn’t get any momentum going in the chase

S Sudarshanan24-Oct-2024New Zealand were on the high of a maiden Women’s T20 World Cup win and their spinners combined to take seven of the ten Indian wickets to restrict them to 227. But India’s ODI debutants, Tejal Hasabnis and Saima Thakor, shone in crucial moments to help them make a winning start to the three-match series against New Zealand in Ahmedabad.Hasabnis, the Maharashtra middle-order batter, played a steady innings at No. 6 walking in after India were in a spot of bother. She made 42 off 64 balls and was involved in a 61-run partnership. Then Thakor, Mumbai’s bowling allrounder who played for UP Warriorz in WPL 2024, delivered telling blows with the ball to help dismiss New Zealand for 168 and help India go 1-0.Amelia Kerr and Eden Carson continued their superb form from the T20 World Cup. Amelia, the Player of the Tournament, returned 4 for 42 while Carson, who headed into the title-clash on the back of two Player-of-the-Match performances, picked up two of her own. With Suzie Bates also bowling five overs and returning a wicket, it seemed as if India had left a few runs on a surface that looked good for batting.That looked to be case even more when Georgia Plimmer got off to a flier. She hit a flurry of boundaries off Thakor and Renuka Singh, both of whom erred by bowling on her pads. The idea was not all wrong – Thakor was getting the ball to shape away, and hence was trying for the magic ball. There was merit in her bowling plan after it paid dividends on her third ball in internationals. She got one to nip away ever-so slightly to entice a poke from Bates and feather an edge behind.Renuka used the width of the bowling crease to bowl the in-anglers but it played into the hands of Plimmer and Lauren Down, batting at No. 3 after Amelia was seen limping towards the end of the bowling innings. But Deepti Sharma then used her experience to prise out Plimmer. She slowed the flighted ball down and made the batter force the issue, only for her to chip a return catch back.Deepti’s street-smartness then helped India see the back of New Zealand captain Sophie Devine. Devine, who stepped down from T20I captaincy after the T20 World Cup, pushed one towards Deepti but stood out of her crease. Deepti threw the ball back at wicketkeeper Yastika Bhatia even as Devine took a few steps back, but no part of her foot was inside the crease.Radha then managed to have Down miscue one to mid-off an over after a leading edge landed short of the same region. Which is when the real domination came from New Zealand with the bat. Brooke Halliday and Maddy Green combined to play a clinical game. They used the crease to manufacture boundaries regularly, most of them behind square on either side.Green first scooped one fine down leg, cut one fiercely past backward point and then sliced one over the same region. Halliday even used the reverse sweep early. They added 49 off 63 balls for the fifth wicket. Smriti Mandhana, captaining India after Harmanpreet Kaur missed out due to a niggle, brought in Shafali Verma in a bid to change a few things but she was hit for a couple of fours in an over.Thakor then broke through, in the third over of her second spell. She got one to stop on Halliday and managed to catch hold of the caught and bowled chance. Three balls later, Mandhana nailed a direct hit at the striker’s end to send Green back. And there was no looking back from there for India. They struck regularly, with only Amelia’s 55-ball stand with Isabella Gaze for the eighth wicket delaying the inevitable.Tejal Hasabnis was solid in the middle order•BCCI

It was not the perfect start for Mandhana, who was leading India in an ODI for the first time. She fell cheaply, cutting one straight to backward point. But Shafali looked to bring a gear that we hardly saw at the T20 World Cup, particularly targeting Jess Kerr. She used the pull shot to good effect and then dispatched a length ball over the sightscreen. But she pulled Carson’s first ball straight to square leg to fall cheaply.A couple of 20-something partnerships followed – first between Bhatia and Dayalan Hemalatha, who batted at No. 4 in Harmanpreet’s absence, and then between Bhatia and Jemimah Rodrigues. It was only when Rodrigues combined with Hasabnis that there came a sense of stability in the Indian batting.The pair looked particularly at ease against spin, maneuvering the ball in the outfield to keep the scorecard ticking. Hasabnis showed her prowess against spin specifically when she went deep in the crease against Amelia’s legspin to slice it past backward point. The pair increased the pace as they went along in their 61-run partnership of just 70 balls.But Rodrigues missed a clip off Bates and was adjudged lbw, the review returning an umpire’s call on impact. Then on 42, Hasabnis could not resist charging at a tossed-up delivery from Amelia and was stumped. Deepti, who walked in at No. 7, showed a lot of intent from the start. She hit a couple of fours and a six in her 41, her best score in ODIs since September 2022. Her innings capsulated the theme of India’s innings – that of batters getting starts but not carrying on. Five India batters made more than 30 but none crossed 42.India faced 125 dots in the 44.3 overs they batted; New Zealand faced 141 in their 40.4. But eventually, it came down to the team that made fewer mistakes and India, despite finishing on what can at best be termed a par score, took the honours that mattered in the series-opener, winning just their second ODI in the last eight outings against New Zealand.