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“He has looked very good at No. 4. He is a great stroke-maker, can play all shots and go through the gears”

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Feb-2024New Zealand have called all the shots so far in the Mount Maunganui Test, and go into day three with a lead of 431 to boot. However, Kane Williamson is not getting carried away just yet, and has called on his team to “maintain their discipline and play the long game” as they look to go 1-0 up against South Africa.Williamson himself contributed 118 to New Zealand’s cause, but it was his “outstanding” team-mate Rachin Ravindra who stole most of the headlines with a fluent 240. Speaking after the first day’s play, Ravindra did not hold back in his praise for his “idol” Williamson, and on Monday, the roles were reversed, as it was the New Zealand captain’s turn to laud the 24-year-old.”Ravindra is simply a class act to watch from the other end,” Williamson said. “One of his biggest strengths is being very calm. He’s clearly got the skills and the game as we’ve seen in ODIs, but to go through the gears here, in such a calm temperament, speaks volumes. Their bowlers weren’t giving much away, so we had to keep each other focused.Related

• Red-hot Williamson puts the stamp on NZ's day again

• Ravindra 240 and Jamieson's burst make it NZ's day

• 'Pure batting bliss' – Ravindra lauds his 'unbelievable' idol Williamson

“We did a lot of groundwork and South Africa were extremely disciplined with the ball. It was quite difficult to use the pace on the surface, so we just wanted to up the run rate from a position of strength. I wasn’t able to, which was frustrating, but other guys came in and went through the gears in the middle session.”Ravindra has looked very good at No. 4. He is a great stroke-maker, can play all shots and go through the gears. That’s his style. He made the most of the opportunity. He’s quite natural and is loving every moment. From a team’s perspective, we’re loving his attitude to move us forward.”It was an outstanding innings and a special moment for him, but the milestone alone wasn’t enough. You can see he also wanted to put the team in a strong position.”After amassing 511, New Zealand then made further inroads by rattling South Africa’s top order, reducing the visitors to 80 for 4. Williamson believes that with the pitch deteriorating and wind possibly coming into play later on, it is essential that his bowlers be “mindful” with their plans.”Throughout today, and the last part of yesterday, both teams were trying to just hang in there. There was little bit on offer which made it hard to hit through the line, so it was all about just trying to stay with your plans and not lose patience. We had our moments. We were trying to understand where we want to be as a team and took risks when needed to. We gave ourselves the opportunity. Now we need to be mindful with the ball, be disciplined and play the long game, and see how the game unfolds.”We’re in a relatively strong position, but it’ll be hard, South Africa bat deep, the pitch will deteriorate, so let’s see.”

Brand rues missed chances

South Africa, too, are not waving the white flag just yet. Their captain Neil Brand, who finished with six wickets, is confident that “one big partnership” is all that they need to get right back into the game.”It’s been a tough grind today, but we didn’t expect anything less,” he said. “New Zealand played well, but we also gave away a few chances which didn’t help. But we can still do something very much special here.”There wasn’t much of a chat on how we wanted to bat. I told everyone to play their natural games. There were a few strange dismissals, and ideally you don’t want to be two or three wickets down so soon. But these things happen. We have two great batters in David Bedingham and Keegan Petersen at the crease, and anything can happen.”

They need to win the two ODIs to give themselves the best chance of qualifying directly for the World Cup in India

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Mar-2023Anrich Nortje and Kagiso Rabada have been selected in a full-strength South Africa squad to play two crucial ODIs against Netherlands on March 31 in Benoni and April 1 in Johannesburg. Both fast bowlers were rested from the recent ODI series against West Indies, which was drawn 1-1 with one match washed out.This series will be the first time South Africa are facing Netherlands since they lost to them and were eliminated from the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia. If South Africa win both ODIs without over-rate penalties, they will qualify directly for the World Cup in India this year if Ireland lose at least one ODI against Bangladesh in a three-match series in May.South Africa’s captain Temba Bavuma will have a fitness test on Tuesday to make sure he has recovered from the hamstring niggle he picked up during his hundred in the second ODI against West Indies on March 18.”We have named our strongest possible squad for these games given the importance of these matches in the context of qualifying for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup,” South Africa’s white-ball coach Rob Walter said. “We have a job to do and I am confident that with this group of players we can get the job done.”With the second ODI on April 2, Quinton de Kock (Lucknow Super Giants), Marco Jansen (Sunrisers Hyderabad), Heinrich Klaasen (Sunrisers Hyderabad), Sisanda Magala (Chennai Super Kings), Aiden Markram (Sunrisers Hyderabad), David Miller (Gujarat Titans), Lungi Ngidi (Delhi Capitals), Anrich Nortje (Delhi Capitals), and Kagiso Rabada (Punjab Kings) will be able to join their IPL franchises only on April 3 at the earliest.South Africa squad for Netherlands ODIs: Temba Bavuma (capt), Quinton de Kock, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Sisanda Magala, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Wayne Parnell, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen

Former cricketer feels he might be able to help the out-of-form Kohli “particularly with regards to that off-stump line”

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jul-2022Virat Kohli is desperately searching for big runs, and has developed an “anxiety to play at every delivery” as a result, Sunil Gavaskar feels.Kohli ended the white-ball leg of the England tour without a half-century. In the two ODIs, Kohli was out nicking behind off left-arm quicks Reece Topley and David Willey, and had scores of 16 and 17. In the two T20Is, he scored 1 and 11. In the Test match at Edgbaston earlier, Kohli chopped on in the first innings, and was out poking to the slip cordon in the second innings, returning scores of 11 and 20. Kohli’s century drought across formats has now extended to 79 innings.Related

• Ricky Ponting on Virat Kohli: 'If I was India, I would keep pushing with him because I know the upside'

• Ganguly says Kohli 'has to find his way' to score again

• Problem of plenty: How do India fit Kohli in their T20I XI?

“Having been an opening batter, having been troubled by that line, there are certain things that you try and do.” Gavaskar told . “It goes back to the fact that his first mistake turns out to be his last.”Again, just because he is not amongst the runs, there is this anxiety to play at every delivery because that is what batters feel, they have got to score. You look to play at deliveries that you otherwise won’t. But he has gotten out to good deliveries as well on this particular tour.”Gavaskar said he was open to helping Kohli work on his weakness.”If I had about 20 minutes with him, I would be able to tell him the things he might have to do,” Gavaskar said. “It might help him, I am not saying it will help him, but it could, particularly with regards to that off-stump line.”1:48

Does Kohli walk in to India’s full-strength T20I XI?

Kohli has been rested from India’s white-ball tour of the Caribbean. India’s next assignments after that is a short tour of Zimbabwe, followed by the Asia Cup T20s, possibly in the United Arab Emirates in August.Several former players, most notably Kapil Dev, have questioned Kohli’s place in the side, even as some younger players have stirred selection debates with their consistent performances. All through, the Indian think tank has backed Kohli, with Rohit Sharma, the captain, batting for him despite his form slump.”He [Kohli] has played so many matches. He is playing for so many years. He is such a great batsman, so he does not need reassurance,” Rohit said after the second ODI. “I pointed to this in my last press conference, too: form goes up and down, that is part and parcel of any cricketer’s career.”So, a player like him, who has played for so many years, who has made so many runs, who has won so many matches, he only needs one or two good innings [to bounce back]. That is my thinking, and I am sure all those who follow cricket will think similarly.”

Sunrisers and Royal Challengers are right in the thick of it as the battle for the top four spots continues

Sruthi Ravindranath07-May-20223:08

Do Sunrisers Hyderabad need to rejig their batting order?

Big PictureThe playoffs race has started heating up and these two teams are in the thick of it. Royal Challengers Bangalore found a way to bounce back after three losses with a win against Chennai Super Kings in their previous match. Sunrisers Hyderabad, who are coming into this game losing three in a row, will be looking for that win to get back in the top four.While the Virat Kohli-Kane Williamson bromance is one part of the narrative, both the stalwarts have been enduring a rough patch this season. Their scoring rates are also hurting their respective teams. Williamson’s form has been among the major concerns for Sunrisers – he has scored 199 runs in 10 games, and his strike rate of 96.13 is the worst for a batter who has faced a minimum of 150 balls this season. And Kohli is second on this list, with a strike rate of 111.9. He has not found a way out of his batting slump yet – he has scored 216 runs in 11 games at an average of 21.60 – and has continued to struggle against spin.

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If at all the previous encounter between these sides is a testament to what Sunrisers are capable of, Royal Challengers will want to capitalise on their winning momentum to seek the perfect revenge. But Marco Jansen, who was instrumental in bowling Royal Challengers out for 68 in that game has been dropped following expensive returns in the last few games. Royal Challengers have also found an able uncapped pair in Rajat Patidar and Mahipal Lomror who have spruced up the batting. Josh Hazlewood and Harshal Patel have shown great control at the death on more than one occasion. But, they will be expecting more from their captain Faf du Plessis, who has also been struggling to find consistency this season.Kane Williamson and Virat Kohli haven’t performed up to potential this IPL season•BCCI

Sunrisers have already shown how well they can bounce back. It looked like they were in for yet another dismal season when they lost their first two matches. Then they won five on the trot and became strong contenders to make the playoffs These three losses have pegged them back and it’s been largely down to their bowling unit – which has been their strength this season – not performing up to mark. Umran Malik, who was their trump card in the wins, has erred in his lengths and returned expensive figures in the last two games. They also missed the injured T Natarajan’s accuracy at the death. Among the bright spots have been Aiden Markram, who has continued to show his value in the middle order, while Nicholas Pooran hitting form has added to the positives.

In the newsWashington Sundar and Natarajan were forced to sit out with injuries in Sunrisers’ previous match against Delhi Capitals. Head coach Tom Moody said they will be reviewing Washington and “there’s a chance he will be available for the next [RCB] game”. Natarajan meanwhile is likely to be available only for Sunrisers’ match against Kolkata Knight Riders on May 14, Moody said.

Likely XIsRoyal Challengers Bangalore: 1 Faf du Plessis (capt), 2 Virat Kohli, 3 Rajat Patidar, 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Shahbaz Ahmed, 6 Mahipal Lomror, 7 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Harshal Patel, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Josh HazlewoodSunrisers Hyderabad: 1 Kane Williamson (capt), 2 Abhishek Sharma, 3 Rahul Tripathi, 4 Aiden Markram, 5 Nicholas Pooran (wk), 6 Shashank Singh, 7 Washington Sundar/Sean Abbott, 8 Shreyas Gopal 9. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10. Kartik Tyagi, 11 Umran Malik

Strategy PuntPooran unleashed some big hits and took Sunrisers close in the previous match against Capitals, scoring 62 off 37. While he took on the quicks, he was cautious against spinners – even in the match against Chennai Super Kings where he scored 64. Royal Challengers can unleash Wanindu Hasaranga to keep Pooran quiet. While Pooran has struggled more against balls that have been spinning away from him, legspinner Hasaranga could keep him in check with his googlies. In fact, Pooran has faced just four deliveries of Hasaranga in T20s – all of which have been googlies – and has been dismissed once.

Stats that matter

• Josh Hazlewood needs to strike thrice to tally 100 wickets in T20s
• Since 2020, Sunrisers have won four of their six games against Royal Challengers
• Mohammed Siraj needs to strike two more times to tally 50 wickets for Royal Challengers in the IPL

The hosts have their senior group back, while BPL experience should stand the visitors in good stead

Mohammad Isam22-Feb-2022

Big picture

ODI cricket is always welcomed with open arms in Bangladesh, and the three-match series against Afghanistan couldn’t have come at a better time. Super League points are at stake for both teams, but for the home side, there’s more: Bangladesh are trying to turn a corner after a difficult couple of years; the Miracle in Mount Maunganui was a huge respite, but it’s now in the past, and this ODI series could be the start of some course correction.Bangladesh’s series-winning run at home stretch back four years; they have lost just one bilateral series at home in eight years now. The Bangladesh selectors, already armed with all the senior players returning to the side, have also brought in a raft of recent (T20 and Test) performers, and the four uncapped players – Yasir Ali, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Ebadot Hossain and Nasum Ahmed – are likely to feature at different times in the series.Afghanistan, who have played only a single bilateral ODI series this year – against Netherlands, with the previous one coming in January 2021 against Ireland – have their task cut out. But they have a reputation in Bangladesh – especially after their breakthrough win against the home side in the 2014 Asia Cup, they are regarded as dangerous opponents in these shores. They played a three-match ODI series in Bangladesh in late 2016 too, but lost 2-1.Cricketers from Afghanistan are regulars in the BPL. During this season’s tournament, the Minister Group Dhaka team selected only Afghan players as their overseas picks.The visitors have Mohammad Nabi back in the ODI fold, and that will give them 30 overs of spin (with Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman). Mujeeb will feel good about himself too, having last week helped Fortune Barishal to the BPL final. Hashmatullah Shahidi, Rahmat Shah and Najibullah Zadran are there to marshal the middle-order, while Rahmanullah Gurbaz is expected to give them fast starts.Bangladesh have Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim back, which will give them middle-order firepower. Shakib and Mehidy Hasan Miraz should be a handful with the ball, while Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman will lead the pace attack.

Form guide

Bangladesh WWWLW
Afghanistan WWWWWAfghanistan will hope Rahmanullah Gurbaz gives them good starts•Abu Dhabi Cricket

In the spotlight

Afghanistan will hope that Rahmanullah Gurbaz, their hottest new T20 property, comes good at the top of the order. Gurbaz made a century against Netherlands in their last ODI series, and has been scoring heavily in the PSL. He has some experience of playing in Bangladesh, having played in the 2019-20 BPL.There is a lot of hope around Mahmudul Hasan Joy, and even Tamim Iqbal has backed the young man to be the next big thing, in both in the top and the middle-order. Mahmudul, who broke through with his 78 against New Zealand in the Mount Maunganui Test in January, is likely to bat at five or six in the ODIs. He has shown a bit of white-ball promise in the BPL too, so managing expectations could be one of his first tasks.

Team news

Mahmudul seems in front of Yasir to win a middle-order place in the first ODI. Bangladesh are also likely to field a three-man pace attack, in which case Shoriful Islam may get the nod over Ebadot because of his left-arm angle.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Litton Das, 2 Tamim Iqbal (capt), 3 Shakib Al Hasan, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5 Mahmudul Hasan Joy/Yasir Ali, 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Afif Hossain, 8 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 9 Shoriful Islam, 10 Taskin Ahmed, 11 Mustafizur RahmanFor Afghanistan, Riaz Hassan is likely to hold on to his spot after the half-century in the third ODI against Netherlands. Nabi will be a shoo-in at No. 6, while Yamin Ahmadzai is likely to replace Qais Ahmad, pace for spin.Afghanistan (probable): 1 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 2 Riaz Hassan, 3 Rahmat Shah, 4 Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), 5 Najibullah Zadran, 6 Mohammad Nabi, 7 Rashid Khan, 8 Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 9 Yamin Ahmadzai, 10 Fareed Ahmad, 11 Fazalhaq Farooqi

Pitch and conditions

The 11am start time suggests that the Bangladesh team management didn’t want to take a chance with the famed dew at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram. The average first-innings score in the last five ODIs at this venue is 254. The weather should mostly be dry.

Stats and trivia

• Afghanistan have won each of their last six ODIs, making it their longest winning streak in the format.
• In the last ten years, Bangladesh have a win-loss record of 6-1 in ODIs in Chattogram. Their only defeat came against England in 2016.

Quotes

“We have always done well against them (Afghanistan) in ODIs. There’s no doubt that they are a good side. They have a good bowling attack, but we have done well against them. Those who will play tomorrow, everyone is in good form.”
“To be honest, we think about the whole team. We plan for everyone (in the Bangladesh team). We know their strength and weak points. We are working on it. (But I mainly) care about our strengths, our boys, my team. We have a good team here. I have confidence in all our departments.”

Pakistan need to regroup even as rain forecast swirls around second ODI

Matt Roller09-Jul-2021

Big Picture

It’s a week short of two years since England played an ODI at Lord’s, and barring a 500-plays-500 tie, it’s hard to see how Saturday will match their last outing there. The euphoria on London’s streets in the past two weeks as England’s footballers edge closer and closer to European Championship glory has rarely been matched in terms of scale, but the scene in Trafalgar Square on July 14, 2019 was as close as another sport has come to replicating it in recent memory – limbs flying and beer thrown when Jos Buttler ran Martin Guptill out three miles away as England won their first 50-over World Cup.Needless to say, Saturday’s cast will be much-changed from the group that lifted the trophy, with only two of the 15 World Cup winners involved in both squads. In the aftermath of that final, the idea of Ben Stokes captaining England in an ODI in 2021 would have involved Eoin Morgan retiring prematurely and an injury to Buttler as a bare minimum, but these are unprecedented circumstances. Stokes’ involvement in Thursday’s thrashing at Cardiff was minimal, bowling a single over and being unused as a batter, but he can expect a greater role on Saturday.The other survivor is James Vince, whose international career looked as good as over until sporadic namechecks from Morgan while he was scoring freely in the BBL over the winter and this week’s last-minute recall. Vince was on the field as a sub fielder for Mark Wood during the Super Over two years ago, but one intervention he made in the final is little-known. With two required off the last ball, Vince came out as 12th man with a towel and a drink. “‘I think we win if we get a single,’ Vincey told me,” Stokes recalled in his book – mercifully, he checked the details with Marais Erasmus, rather than clipping a single into the leg side and celebrating with open arms on reaching the non-striker’s end only to find out there was still work to do.Much as Lord’s holds fond memories for Stokes and Vince, England have not been hugely successful there over the last six years. Since the start of the 2015-19 World Cup cycle, Lord’s is the only home ground where they have lost as many games as they have won, including a heavy defeat to Australia in the tournament itself. In his book , England’s white-ball analyst Nathan Leamon puts this down to two things: there has been more lateral movement for seamers at Lord’s than any other ground in ODIs, and overall scoring rates have been the slowest of any venues. Neither of those suits their batting-heavy strategy.Pakistan, by contrast, have won four of their last five ODIs at Lord’s, including victories against South Africa and Bangladesh in the 2019 World Cup. They will have a returning home crowd to content with – an English cricket ground will be at 100% capacity for the first time since 2019 – but a significant proportion will be made up of the Pakistani diaspora from around the UK.There is plenty to be said for Shahid Afridi’s advice to Pakistan this week – “We should forget this match as soon as possible!” he tweeted – given their recent record in 50-over cricket. They had lost one (two including a Super Over against Zimbabwe) of their last dozen ODIs heading into this series, and while a heavy defeat against a second-string side was humbling, it seems unlikely that Imam-ul-Haq and Babar Azam will fail to score a run between them for the second game in a row. England have won four consecutive tosses in their home ODIs this summer – if their luck finally runs out, Pakistan will be keen to bowl first under dark skies.

Form Guide

England WWWLW
Pakistan LWLWT

In the spotlight

Cardiff’s short straight boundaries are unforgiving for spinners, not least when bowling from the River Taff End when the risk of being chipped into the drink is all too real. As a result, Matt Parkinson‘s returns – 2 for 28 from seven overs – in the first ODI were pleasing for England. That said, while conditions were not conducive to legspin, the game situation meant he was not put under pressure by any recognised batters, and Saturday will probably be a bigger test. Discussion around Parkinson revolves around his pace (or lack thereof) and his struggles to left-handers, given his googly is still a work in progress; a strong series against a good batting line-up would help him answer both questions.Babar Azam‘s superlative record in England – 1006 ODI runs at 47.90 in 24 innings – was dented by his second-ball duck on Thursday, playing away from his body as he searched for bat on ball against the fiery Saqib Mahmood, but it is rare for him to fail twice in a row. His three ODI innings at Lord’s to date have brought scores of 30, 69 and 96, and he will be keen to consolidate his position as the ICC’s No. 1-ranked batter in the format, too.

Pitch and conditions

Saturday’s forecast for NW8 is not ideal, with dark clouds and persistent rain due throughout the morning, but the suggestion is that it should clear up in time for long enough to avoid a no-result. Lord’s has been relatively high-scoring in this year’s T20 Blast, with the three teams batting first posting 223, 183 and 166, but with the current batch of white balls swinging for prolonged periods at the start of an innings, conditions are likely to suit seamers early on.

Team news

It would be harsh for England to discard any of the side that routed Pakistan so comprehensively in Cardiff, though with three matches scheduled in six days, they may opt to give one of the seamers a rest, with Tom Helm, Jake Ball and David Payne the candidates to come in. With the bat, they will surely want to give Ben Duckett an opportunity at some stage in the series, but John Simpson can expect to keep the gloves on his home ground.England: (possible) 1 Phil Salt, 2 Dawid Malan, 3 Zak Crawley, 4 James Vince, 5 Ben Stokes (capt), 6 John Simpson (wk), 7 Lewis Gregory, 8 Craig Overton/Jake Ball, 9 Brydon Carse/Tom Helm, 10 Saqib Mahmood, 11 Matt ParkinsonPakistan were blown away so quickly that it was difficult to evaluate any individual performers on Thursday, and they are likely to stick with the same core and balance. Debutant Saud Shakeel was one of Mahmood’s four victims and it would be harsh to dispense with him after a single game, while the recalled Sohaib Maqsood showed a glimpse of his power-hitting when flogging Carse over cover for six. Haris Rauf bowled with good pace but was relatively expensive, and Mohammad Hasnain is waiting in the wings for an opportunity.Pakistan: (possible) 1 Fakhar Zaman, 2 Imam-ul-Haq, 3 Babar Azam (capt), 4 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 5 Saud Shakeel, 6 Sohaib Maqsood, 7 Shadab Khan, 8 Faheem Ashraf, 9 Hasan Ali, 10 Shaheen Shah Afridi, 11 Haris Rauf/Mohammad Hasnain.

Stats and trivia

• Ben Stokes will become the 25th England player to reach 100 caps in men’s ODIs, drawing level with Nick Knight. Eoin Morgan, the man he is standing in for, has the most, with 223 (and a further 23 for Ireland).
• Fakhar Zaman is the third-highest run-scorer in men’s ODIs this calendar year, with 349 runs in four innings. Mushfiqur Rahim (407 in nine) and Paul Stirling (546 in eight) are the two men ahead of him.
• Dawid Malan has made two fifties in his first four ODIs. If he can continue his run-scoring form, he is in with a chance of becoming the second England player to score an international hundred in all three formats, after Heather Knight.
• A comfortable win would see Pakistan leapfrog Australia and Bangladesh (on net run-rate) to go second in the World Cup Super League table.
• Zak Crawley has scored 378 runs in three innings against Pakistan in all formats, compared to 384 runs in 22 innings against all other international opponents.
  

  Quotes

  “Within sport we’re slightly in a different place to the public and having to be pretty careful with regards to Covid and not picking it up. It is slightly strange being stuffed in your hotel rooms when a lot of people are roaming around free but equally, it allows us to play in front of full houses and have this opportunity.”
  
  “It wasn’t a shocker but one bad day. Every day isn’t the same so I have a full confidence and belief on my boys and I will still tell them not to worry. There are ups and downs but you have to learn quickly from your mistakes. We will try our best to bounce back and not repeat our mistakes.”

Top-order batters both score 92 after Tash Farrant’s four-wicket haul sets Stars up

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Jun-2021Alice Davidson-Richards’ highest ever List A score helped South East Stars trounce Western Storm by six wickets at the Kia Oval.The Kent-born opener plundered 92 with a six and nine fours as the hosts made light work of chasing down a victory target of 246.Davidson-Richards shared a second-wicket stand of 154 with fellow England hopeful Sophia Dunkley, who also fell for 92 shortly before victory was secured with 41 balls to spare.Related

• Early-season form poses tricky Test selection task – Heather Knight

• Katherine Brunt, Jenny Gunn bowl Northern Diamonds to nine-wicket victory over Sunrisers

• Emily Arlott's four-wicket over wipes out Vipers' winning start

Earlier, England skipper Heather Knight top scored for Storm with 73, skipper Sophie Luff making 55 in their 245 for 8, Tash Farrant claiming 4 for 58.Fi Morris’ promotion to opener backfired when Farrant nipped one between bat and pad to pluck out her off-stump.Knight survived a scare when inside edging another Farrant delivery over the stumps, but that aside looked in imperious form. A gorgeous on-drive off Freya Davies and two delicate late cuts stood out as she moved to 50 from 63 balls with nine fours.Luff provided excellent support in a stand of 91, playing two glorious inside-out off drives for four through extra cover.At 124 for 1 Storm looked in command, but Davies returned to trap Knight lbw. Luff completed her half-century in 80 balls before being castled by Dani Gregory, and despite a belligerent 27, including two sixes from Anya Shrubsole, Storm’s total looked a little light.Smith began the run-chase with a flurry of boundaries only to tickle a wide one from Lauren Filer straight to leg-slip.Davidson-Richards was given a life on 17 when wicketkeeper Natasha Wraith failed to cling on to a catch down the leg side off Shrubsole. It proved a costly miss as the right-hander, helped by six fours, raced to 50 in 62 balls.Dunkley kept pace from the other end, her backfoot drive through extra cover arguably the shot of the day as the 100 partnership was raised in 122 balls.Dunkley’s own 50 came in 63 balls before Davidson-Richards thumped a Knight delivery for six over cow corner and then brought up the 150 partnership with a sumptuous cover boundary.Sadly, there would be no century as she edged behind off Nicole Harvey with 60 needed. Harvey also claimed Alice Capsey cheaply and Georgia Hennessey bowled Dunkley with the scores level, before Stars coasted home.

England will include debutant spinner Dom Bess and Jos Buttler at No. 7, while Pakistan face a decision over their third seamer

The Preview by Andrew McGlashan23-May-20182:58

Should Bairstow drop the gloves?

Big Picture

The teams were jostling for the No. 1 Test ranking. Now they are battling mid-table mediocrity. Alastair Cook and Misbah-ul-Haq were the captains. Now it’s Joe Root and Sarfraz Ahmed. Younis Khan was jumping around the crease (and scoring a double century). Now Pakistan are trying to build a new middle order.It’s been less than two years since England and Pakistan last met for a Test series and much has changed. The latest series, which starts at Lord’s before continuing to Headingley, is a meeting of teams in various states of flux. England are still trying to find solutions to a number of familiar problem areas while Pakistan have lost three of their five series since taking the No. 1 spot shortly after the 2016 contest concluded with their series-levelling victory at The Oval.Pakistan are missing three men who were vital to that 2-2 scoreline – Misbah, Younis and the injured Yasir Shah – and another, Wahab Riaz, who could have added experience if not always direction with the ball. Their batting looks on the callow side and they almost came a cropper against Ireland, with much resting on Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq finding their touch quickly in a short series.With the ball, however, they will, as so often, remain a threat. Quite how much Test cricket Mohammad Amir will play remains to be seen but he bowled beautifully in Ireland and if his team-mates can catch he could run through a line-up. Mohammad Abbas will be a handful if there is any nibble on offer while Shadab Khan has immense promise and also the advantage of being new to England.For England there are subplots aplenty at the beginning of a second season in charge for Root. His own position (in the batting order, not the captaincy) is one talking point – can he settle at No. 3? – which is part of a larger reshuffle of the order. Will the punt on Jos Buttler at No. 7 pay dividends or just muddy the water more? Can Dom Bess take the most of an unexpected chance? Is Mark Stoneman facing his last chance? Can Alastair Cook go again as a Test batsman? Is there life beyond James Anderson and Stuart Broad?That’s a lot of questions. Of late, England’s Test side haven’t provided a whole lot of new answers. This season needs to change that.

Form guide

England DLLDL
Pakistan WLLWL

In the spotlight

A quick look at those who have batted at No. 7 for any significant amount of Tests (in this case at least 10 matches) and who haven’t taken the keeping gloves shows one thing: precious few specialist batmen. Yet that is, in effect, what Jos Buttler has been selected as on his return to Test cricket. Almost a wildcard pick. There was a spare slot and this is how Ed Smith and Joe Root think it’s best filled. In a perfect world, Buttler will be able to exploit tired attacks at 350 for 5 and counter-attack thrillingly at 150 for 5. In reality, it’s unlikely to be quite so simple.Two years ago Yasir Shah took 10 wickets in the match as Pakistan secured a famous win which led to celebratory push-ups on the outfield. Currently the only push-ups he’s doing are in the gym as he recovers from a hip injury. The legspin role is now with Shadab Khan who has shown terrific skills in white-ball cricket but is only just starting out in Tests. Yasir’s haul also came later in the year when the pitches were drier, but the recent warm weather in London could bring Shadab firmly into contest. And we all know about England and legspin.

Team news

England’s one decision is between Chris Woakes and Mark Wood for the final pace-bowling slot. Wood was recalled in Christchurch at the end of March and provides extra pace. Woakes provides more with the bat. There will be a debut for 20-year-old offspinner Dom Bess.England 1 Alastair Cook, 2 Mark Stoneman, 3 Joe Root (capt), 4 Dawid Malan, 5 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 6 Ben Stokes, 7 Jos Buttler, 8 Mark Wood/Chris Woakes, 9 Dom Bess, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 James AndersonPakistan also have just a single spot to decide on: whether Rahat Ali retains his place after a wicketless outing against Ireland or he’s replaced by the skiddy pace – and extra batting ability – of Hasan Ali. Judging by nets on Wednesday, Hasan was favourite to play. Babar Azam took a blow on the finger on Tuesday but was expected to be okay.Pakistan 1 Azhar Ali, 2 Imam-ul-Haq, 3 Haris Sohail, 4 Asad Shafiq, 5 Babar Azam, 6 Sarfraz Ahmed (capt & wk), 7 Shadab Khan, 8 Faheem Ashraf, 9 Mohammad Amir, 10 Rahat Ali/Hasan Ali, 11 Mohammad Abbas

Pitch and conditions

The pitch had a distinct tinge of green the day before the Test, but a fair amount of that grass was likely to be removed before play starts. Last year, the surface for the South Africa Test took considerable turn although that was in July. In September there was plenty of help for the quicks when West Indies visited. The forecast for this match is for a warm few days with the chance of showers – some thundery – at various stages but also plenty of dry weather.

Stats and Trivia

• Cook will equal Allan Border’s record of 153 consecutive Test appearances. The only match Cook has missed since his debut was what would have been his third Test, in Mumbai, when he was struck down by illness.
• If Rahat Ali is dropped, Pakistan will have just four survivors (Azhar, Shafiq, Sarfraz and Amir) from the side that won at Lord’s in 2016

Quotes

“Jos at seven can be an exciting and integral part of our batting unit, to take the game to the opposition from a position of strength and make it even stronger. The way he approaches his white-ball cricket, I think a lot of that can cross over.”
“Yes, the senior players in the team have to show responsibility. Amir and I have played here before so has Azhar and Shafiq, so we are seniors and the rest of seven players will play here for the first time. We have to lead from the front, we have more responsibility to give a good platform so that new players take from there”
Sarfraz Ahmed

Mashrafe Mortaza set up the win with a six in the last over of the chase as Rangpur consolidated their position at fourth place in the table

The Report by Mohammad Isam28-Nov-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Raton Gomes/BCB

Rangpur Riders once again left it late in a chase, as they beat Sylhet Sixers by four wickets with two balls to spare. Mashrafe Mortaza was their slog-overs hero this time, hammering a six off the second ball of the final over with his team needing eight to win. The win was set up by Brendon McCullum’s 43 at No. 3, and his 59-run partnership off 30 balls with opener Ziaur Rahman (36). Allrounder Ravi Bopara chipped in with 33 at No. 5 as Rangpur overcame the impact of Sylhet’s near-ten-runs-per-over carnage in the last 12 overs of their innings after after being put in. Sylhet’s sixth defeat more or less puts them out of the competition.Nazmul Islam, the left-arm spinner with the quirky celebration routine, removed Nurul Hasan, Nasir Hossain and Andre Fletcher by the eighth over. Nurul was adjudged lbw when he missed a sweep, while Nasir was stumped when he needlessly hoicked at one. Fletcher was caught in the deep for a 17-ball 26. Babar Azam and Sabbir Rahman then added 74 runs for the fourth wicket, with Azam reaching his first BPL fifty. He made 54 off 37 balls with four fours and a six, while Sabbir struck five fours in his 44 off 37 balls. Ross Whiteley and Tim Bresnan struck one six each in the last five overs as Sylhet posted a competitive total.After Chris Gayle’s early departure, Ziaur and McCullum, batting at No. 3 for the first time in the tournament, added 59 runs in just five overs. Ziaur hit five fours and two sixes in his 18-ball 36, while McCullum batted till the 15th over for his 43 off 38 balls.Sylhet took regular wickets after that stand, removing Mohammad Mithun, McCullum, Samiullah Shenwari and Ravi Bopara, to reduce Rangpur to 146 for 6 in the 18th over. Bopara – who was dropped twice – and Shenwari were both run out.Nahidul Islam struck two fours in his unbeaten 14 off seven balls, while Mashrafe kept his cool at the other end as the two combined to make the last 31 runs in only 2.2 overs.

Mark Wood enjoyed a successful return for England in the first ODI against Ireland but he admitted his uncertainty after coming back from a third ankle operation

Andrew McGlashan06-May-2017On Friday in Bristol, Mark Wood did what fast bowlers like to do: zipped one through a batsman at close to 90mph, shattering the stumps. But there was added significance for Wood when he removed Paul Stirling because he feared he may never get the chance to do it again.A third ankle operation within a year followed by a rehabilitation that was slow and, at times, lonely allowed his mind to wander. “I thought the dream was gone at times,” he said after a successful comeback outing against Ireland.It was a million miles away from the joy of claiming the Ashes-clinching wicket at Trent Bridge in 2015. That was, of course, “Stuart Broad’s Test” but Wood will always be the man who claimed the final scalp of Nathan Lyon to spark celebrations. Since then, though, joy at international level has been fleeting for him: three more Tests – the same number as surgeries he has had – and a handful of one-day internationals spread over two English seasons.The first of his operations came at the end of 2015 when he left the Test series against Pakistan in the UAE, the second early in the 2016 season and the third at the end of the summer after, gallingly, putting his body on the line to earn Durham a Championship victory that appeared to secure their Division One status only for ECB sanctions to mean otherwise.Three operations on the same part of the body, especially one so crucial to a fast bowler who relies on an explosive delivery stride at the crease, led to a player outwardly so cheerful and upbeat as Wood to have doubts. It was not helped when two possible comeback dates – the one-day series in the West Indies and a Lions tour of Sri Lanka – came and went.”I had questioned at times whether I would actually ever play for England again,” he said. “After the first two operations, I always believed I would get back but then this one, because it [the recovery] didn’t happen at the same rate as it did previously, I was a little bit unsure if I would ever get back to the standard I wanted to set and the pace I wanted to bowl at. It just took a little bit longer than I expected, but it’s good to finally get there.”Wood said he did not feel any pain in Bristol because the adrenalin was surging through his body, but the concerns over his ankle had remained as recently as last month when finishing pre-season with Durham. They manifested themselves more so when he was bowling on his own at a set of stumps and he spent time with the England psychologist, although it wasn’t until he had got through a few spells at the start of the Championship season that his worries were eased.In the most recent of those four-day matches, against Gloucestershire, he tweaked his groin, but he called that “a blessing” because it stopped him thinking about the ankle.”The physios were telling us ‘it’s normal to feel pain, you’re sensitive in that area’. When I am going to nets by myself and having to bowl at cones and stuff, you’re not in the game scenario, the adrenaline’s not pumping. I’m looking for my ankle, ‘is that niggling, is that hurting?’ If I feel anything I could bowl five overs but if I felt one ball, I’d be thinking ‘why is this still hurting?'”Now it’s sort of changed. I spoke with the England psychologist and it was to change my mindset. Rather than looking for pain, [it is] can I still perform with a small amount of pain there? So now, if it doesn’t affect my performance then I am happy. If it was ever to affect my front leg position, if it’s not braced, then I’d be a little bit unhappy but now I deal with it a lot better.”Wood accepts he will probably never be pain free and the ankle will trouble him from time to time. He has had special bowling boots designed to try to stop his front ankle rolling when it slams down in the delivery stride and has also worked with Kevin Shine, the ECB’s lead fast bowling coach, to try and to ensure the leg and foot come through straight rather that splaying to the left and putting pressure on the ankle.He also acknowledges that he probably can’t play every game, but just a short time on from wondering if he would bowl for England again now believes he can withstand the demanding schedule ahead to play a part in Test cricket – including the Ashes – once more.”If you ask me now, I am confident. If you’d asked me before the Durham Championship games, I might have been not sure about how it was going to go. I’m pretty confident now I could get through any sort of international cricket be it Test, one-day or Twenty20.”I wouldn’t say it’s honestly ever going to be totally pain free, I think that’s just the trouble I’ve had – three operations and the way that I bowl, it’s just going to flare up from time to time. Hopefully, that’s the end of the major pain. I haven’t got any bones left in there that are sticking out or anything like that. I’m held together with a bit of tape pretty well.”