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AB de Villiers used the build-up to South Africa’s game against Pakistan as an opportunity to state his admiration for Wasim Akram, the best bowler he has seen

Firdose Moonda in Birmingham06-Jun-2017South Africa have produced their fair share of world-class fast bowlers over the years, but AB de Villiers reckons no one matches up to Pakistan great Wasim Akram. He called Akram a one of a kind bowler whose swing skills are unmatched on the current global stage.De Villiers, who was watching coverage of the Australia-Bangladesh game on Monday, saw a television insert featuring Akram during a rain delay and
tweeted: “Amazing footage on Skysports2! @wasimakramlive was one seriously talented bowler. Crazy skill!”Asked before South Africa’s game against Pakistan at Edgbaston whether he thinks anyone in the current Pakistan squad could match Akram, de Villiers took his answer one step further and said no one in world cricket does.”I haven’t seen a bowler as good,” de Villiers said. “It was just nice to watch the programme, and I felt that I needed to just get it out there. I get along with him [Akram] well. He’s at Kolkata with the IPL every year, and we always have nice chats. And to actually get a bit of insight in the programme on how he used to bowl and what he was thinking while he was bowling is really nice. He has obviously shared all of that with a lot of players in the past, not only with Pakistan players but a lot of players at the IPL. But that’s something you’re born with. It’s a natural skill that he was born with.”Akram’s IPL influence may have extended to one of de Villiers’ men. Morne Morkel was a member of the Kolkata squad until the most recent season when he opted to sit out of the event, and has since shown an increased ability to bowl reverse-swing. In the absence of Dale Steyn, who has suffered from a shoulder injury for much of the last two years, Morkel has provided South Africa with a key skill, especially in Test cricket. Against India in Nagpur in 2015 and against New Zealand in Dunedin earlier this year, Morkel moved the ball significantly.The second of those performances was on Morkel’s comeback after nine months on the sidelines with a back problem. He has since also been recalled to
the ODI squad and played in South Africa’s opening match against Sri Lanka, where he bowled first change. His six overs cost 31 runs and came at a
time when Sri Lanka were batting well. Morkel did his bit to pull them back.Still, that does not guarantee Morkel will feature in the rest of the tournament, especially after coach Russell Domingo made it clear that South Africa might opt for an allrounder, depending on conditions and the balance of the XI. Which way they will go against Pakistan on Wednesday it not yet known. By 1pm on Tuesday, South Africa had not seen the pitch which remained under covers.Rather than be perturbed by the possibility of having to leave plans to the last minute, de Villiers was markedly unconcerned. He said he considers South Africa under “no pressure,” despite losing to Pakistan in the last global event – the World Cup in 2015. “We don’t feel any pressure. We are confident going into this game, without being arrogant or overconfident. We feel it’s an opportunity, once again in this tournament to shift the pressure onto all the opposition we might face.”This, carpe diem-like approach, has been the theme of the South African campaign. Both JP Duminy and Wayne Parnell have spoken of “staying in the moment,” something de Villiers admitted has become something of a mantra.”It’s just an awareness of not thinking of the past or the future, as simple as that. If we live in the past, there’s lots of scars that we can think of, lots of bad experiences. Some good ones, as well. The future, it’s something we can’t control as of yet. So it’s just wise to try and stay in the moment with what you’re confronted with,” he said. “It’s just a little saying that I feel is quite powerful for us to focus on the very next ball and not – well, not the very next ball, but
the one that you’re actually dealing with at that moment and not trying to think of how you’re going to finish your over or the few boundaries you just went for. Every bowler has the opportunity to influence the game, and that’s the idea behind it.”And none of them, according to de Villiers, have influenced it as much as Wasim Akram.

Ben Stokes was elevated to vice-captain for the one-day series in Bangladesh and he took it upon himself to stir England into action when the first match was slipping away

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Oct-2016Ben Stokes can inspire with words and deeds. With the opening one-day international in Mirpur quickly running away from England, Stokes took advantage of a break in play to remind his team-mates that they had to fight to the end.That end was a Bangladesh collapse of 6 for 17 in 39 balls, started by Jake Ball’s two wickets in two deliveries, as England went from near defeat to a 21-run victory.Stokes, whose leadership qualities have been admired by Trevor Bayliss since he became coach, was named vice-captain for this series after Jos Buttler’s elevation to the captaincy in place of Eoin Morgan.He has been given the freedom to intervene on the field when he feels it is required, partly because of the workload on Buttler as a wicketkeeper-captain, and took it upon himself to rally the team when the Bangladesh batsmen needed treatment for cramp in brutal conditions.”It’s something I would always do. I felt like the situation needed it to happen,” Stokes said. “I said to Jos about two overs before, rather than hoping the result can go our way and waiting for our wicket before we can all get together, is it worth calling everyone in for a quick two-minute chat?

Stokes tries to lift Durham’s mood

Ben Stokes’ rallying calls are not restricted to on the field in Bangladesh. He has been a key figure in lifting the mood back at Durham after their relegation and points deduction following an ECB financial bail-out.
He said the ECB’s intervention had saved Durham from going under and though it’s the players who will suffer most they can also lead the revival.
“The best thing is that we are still a first-class county and it’s looking very unlikely that we will get back into Division One next year, but as soon as the news broke, Colly and myself were trying to be the driving points for everyone. This is what’s happened, let’s deal with it.
“The senior guys have been really good. They said, we’ve been for this long, we’ve grown up together, and obviously it’s a clean slate for Durham, so let’s try to get us back to where we belong.”

“The two guys were in and they were going to win it unless we got them out. A talk like that switches everyone back on rather than thinking ‘oh this game is going to go unless we get a wicket’. After that, everyone went away and thought, right, let’s get two and try to kill the game off.”Stokes is more than happy for the ‘big calls’ to stay with Buttler but believes he has the experience to help make a difference.”Jos is the one who makes the big calls, so you don’t want to be stepping too far out of your box, but if I feel the time is right and it’s needed then I will do it,” he said. “He’s the man in command, so I’m leaving the big calls down to him.””Farby [Paul Farbrace] mentioned to me how much Jos has on his plate as keeper and captain. He gave me the freedom, if I think of something, rather than going to Jos, if I think that it’s necessary then I’ll go and talk it through with the bowler, or if there are any field placings.”The first act of Stokes’ day was to inspire with the bat, compiling his maiden ODI century after striding to crease with England tottering on 63 for 3 in front of a crowd baying for more Bangladesh success. Alongside debutant Ben Duckett he added 153, moving to his century from 98 deliveries to tick off one of his major aims for the year.He has previously spoken about how he believed he had under-delivered with the bat in one-day cricket – although in his earlier days he was shunted around the order to his detriment – and his hundred meant it was twice in two ODIs he had improved his career-best and his last three ODI innings now read 69, 75 and 101.”It’s one of the things that I wanted to do when I got back from injury and was able to play the one-day series against Pakistan, was to put in some more consistent performances and it’s nice to back the words up by going out and doing it.”I said to myself I wanted to try to get this first ODI [century] before 2016 finished and I have managed to do it, but now I have done that I won’t just be happy with one, I want a couple more in the games we have coming up.”

Mohammad Asif is this week expected to become the second of three Pakistan cricketers jailed for spot fixing to be released

ESPNcricinfo staff01-May-2012Mohammad Asif is this week expected to become the second of the three Pakistan cricketers jailed for spot-fixing to be released. Asif will have completed half of his one-year sentence and becomes eligible for release from Canterbury Prison under British law.The disgraced Pakistan trio – Asif, his fellow fast bowler Mohammad Amir and captain Salman Butt – participated in a betting scam involving the deliberate bowling of no-balls for financial gain during a Lord’s Test match between England and Pakistan in 2010.Asif and Butt were found guilty at Southwark Crown Court in November 2011 of conspiracy to cheat and conspiracy to accept corrupt payments. All three lost an appeal that their sentences were “manifestly excessive” to the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge, who upheld the sentences later in November and said that widespread corruption could “destroy the game”.Amir, the youngest at 18, pleaded guilty before the trial and was released from a young offenders’ institution midway through his six-month sentence earlier this year. Butt will not become eligible for release until next February, when he has served half of his 30-month sentence. Mazhar Majeed, the agent who was accused of setting up the deal, received a 32-month jail term.Asif is 29 and his Pakistan career could be over unless he overturns a seven-year ban (the last two of which are suspended) imposed by an ICC tribunal in February last year. Butt was banned for 10 years (five of them suspended) and Amir for five years.Mohammad Haroon, who described himself as “a friend and cricketer” told the AFP news agency that Asif still intended to go through with his appeal against the ICC ban to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. “Asif has already appealed against the 12-month sentence and he will also appeal against the ICC ban,” Haroon said.Amir has no plans to appeal and has taken part in an anti-corruption video produced by the ICC.

James Taylor, the Nottinghamshire batsman, will captain England Lions on their tour of Bangladesh in January

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Dec-2011James Taylor, the Nottinghamshire batsman, will captain England Lions on their tour of Bangladesh in January and Tymal Mills, the Essex pace bowler, has earned his first Lions call up.The 16-man squad includes a number of players, including Taylor, who have already played for the full England side. Jonny Bairstow, Scott Brothwick, Stuart Meaker, Jos Buttler and Alex Hales were all part of the one-day series against India during October.Mills, 19, is a left-arm quick who has been fast-tracked into the Lions set up after just four first-class matches for Essex but has already caught the attention of the selectors with his natural pace.

England Lions squad

• James Taylor (capt), Jonathan Bairstow, Scott Borthwick, Danny Briggs, Jack Brooks, Nathan Buck, Jos Buttler, Alex Hales, Simon Kerrigan, Tom Maynard, Stuart Meaker, Tymal Mills, Boyd Rankin, Joe Root, Jason Roy, James Vince

The tour, which includes five one-day games and two Twenty20s against Bangladesh A, is geared towards equipping England’s young players with the skills to succeed on the subcontinent; both in terms of playing and bowling spin. Alongside Borthwick, the Durham legspinner, Simon Kerrigan from Lancashire and Hampshire’s Danny Briggs are included. Last season Kerrigan took 9 for 51 against Hampshire in the County Championship.Jason Roy and Tom Maynard, the Surrey pair, are among the batsman making the trip as is Yorkshire’s Joe Root. All the players selected are currently involved in the performance programme squad, with the batsmen and spinners at a training camp in India while the quick bowlers are in South Africa. Boyd Rankin, the Ireland and Warwickshire fast bowler, will join the Lions tour after playing for the ICC Associates and Affiliates team against England in Dubai.David Parsons, the performance director, said: “We have selected a young squad for this tour which is in line with our strategy of looking ahead to the 2015 World Cup and identifying and working with players who may be able to go on and play a role for England in the future.”These players have worked extremely hard over the last couple of months with a strong focus on limited-overs cricket,” he added. “This tour presents a good opportunity for these players to continue to develop their skills in subcontinent conditions on what will no doubt be a challenging tour of Bangladesh as well as push for selection for future England squads.”

Graeme Smith paid tribute to his team for a “dominant performance” after their innings-and-25-run win over India in the first Test in Centurion

Firdose Moonda at SuperSport Park20-Dec-2010Graeme Smith, South Africa’s captain, paid tribute to his team for a “dominant performance” after their innings-and-25-run win over India in the first Test in Centurion. “We controlled the game throughout the five days,” he said. “We were ahead of the game the whole time.”South Africa put in a superior performance and there was only one passage of play in the Test where they felt under threat – during Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni’s 172-run seventh-wicket stand on day four. “That was the one time that we really put in the yards. The wicket flattened out a lot, it was hot and windy and the guys showed a lot of character in that situation, especially Dale’s spell at the end,” Smith said. Steyn clocked close to 145kph to remove Dhoni late in the afternoon and swing the advantage firmly in South Africa’s direction, a position they held from the first session of the first day.MS Dhoni, India’s captain, placed a lot of importance on the toss and the way the pitch played during the first two sessions on day one but Smith thought it was a case of too much hype. “I don’t think the wicket actually did that much. For a wicket that was under covers for four days, I thought it would do a bit more.” He added that the expectation of a bouncy wicket, and not the wicket itself, may have been what undid India. “In my mind, I think India expected more from the wicket than what actually happened. They were tentative and were on the back foot a lot of the time.”Although the pitch was thought to have played a big role on first day, with India losing nine wickets in 38 overs, Smith said most of the credit belonged to his bowlers. “Our bowlers bowled well. When you bowl on a wicket that you think is going to do a bit, you’ve got to get the ball in the right place. We were very controlled.” Lonwabo Tsotsobe was the only bowler that India could pick on but Smith did not label the left-armer the weak link. “He’s inexperienced, he has to grow as a cricketer and we have to give him the tools to do that.”The main battle of this No. 1 versus No.2 ranked Test teams has centred on South Africa’s bowling against India’s batting and after the first match, it’s clear that South Africa won the tussle by some stretch. South Africa have not forgotten about the lesser clash, between their batsmen and India’s bowlers and Smith said it’s important that the line-up doesn’t take for granted that India did not manage to bowl them out once.”Who knows how the wicket will play in Durban? There’s been a lot of rain there around this period also. We’ve got to be realistic,” Smith said. Kallis talked up the Kingsmead pitch as the one that offers “the most bounce in South Africa” and it’s also become known for its swing. With Zaheer Khan likely to spearhead the line-up, South Africa will face a different threat to the one they had in this match. Smith thinks they have done a good job at adapting to bowlers on various pitches over the years. “We’d like to think we are a strong, powerful batting unit and we can cope with conditions wherever we go.”India will look to prove they too have a similar batting unit after a match in which everyone except Tendulkar and Dhoni underperformed. Dhoni said the focus will be on levelling the series in Durban, before entertaining any thoughts of how they are going to win it from this position. Smith had said India were under pressure from before the first Test, now he thinks they face even more strain. “When you go 1-0 down in a three match series, there’s always extra pressure. The build-up to the next Test becomes crucial – the decisions you make, how you train, the selection, how the squad moves to the next Test. I know the Indian team always plays under pressure, and there are high expectations on them.”

South Australia were already assured of a spot in the final and clinched hosting rights as the game was ongoing

AAP23-Feb-2025
Mitch Owen produced another heroic batting display, crushing 149 off 69 balls in Tasmania’s thrilling two-wicket One-Day Cup win over South Australia.Ladder leaders South Australia posted a formidable 329 for 9 at Adelaide Oval courtesy of a century from Mackenzie Harvey and Daniel Drew’s 63.Related

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Owen went into overdrive in Tasmania’s run chase, cracking 14 fours and 10 sixes in a blistering knock that helped lift the visitors to 197 for 3 by the 20th over.He reached his century in just 48 balls. It was a near mirror image to his heroics in the BBL final, when his 108 off 42 balls lifted the Hobart Hurricanes to victory over the Sydney Thunder.Owen’s innings on Sunday finally came to an end when he was bowled between his legs by Wes Agar, with Tasmania slipping to 291 for 8 in the 39th over.With Tasmania still requiring 39 runs to win, Will Prestwidge (26 not out) and Tom Rogers (16 not out) dug in to see their team over the line with six balls to spare.

Dean Jones Cup Final

South Australia vs Victoria, Adelaide Oval, March 1

South Australia entered Sunday’s match knowing they had already secured a spot in the March 1 final, and they were then guaranteed hosting rights when Victoria beat New South Wales.That result catapulted Victoria from fourth to second, securing them a spot in next Saturday’s final against at Adelaide Oval. Tasmania finished the season in fifth spot with three wins, three losses and a no-result from their seven games.South Australia made a hot start on Sunday, reaching 207 for 1 by the 33rd over as Harvey and Drew took control.Allrounder Beau Webster helped limit the damage, ensuring South Australia’s total didn’t become insurmountable.Although Tasmania lost wickets at regular intervals, Owen’s explosiveness ensured they had plenty of runs on the scoreboard.The 23-year-old cracked South Australia’s attack to all parts of the ground, with Jordan Buckingham (1-79 off eight overs) and Wes Agar (2-91 off 10 overs) suffering the bulk of the punishment. Spinner Lloyd Pope was South Australia’s best bowler and found himself on a hat-trick as he nearly turned the game around for the home side.

A prolonged dip in form has meant Bangladesh’s most capped T20I player can no longer be assured of his place

Mohammad Isam12-Sep-2022The biggest question going around in Dhaka right now is whether Mahmudullah will make it into Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup team. The selectors are expected to announce the 15-member squad on September 15, shortly after the BCB president Nazmul Hassan gives his approval. Before the announcement, the board has arranged a three-day training camp for the new technical consultant, S Sriram, to look at the talent at his disposal.On Monday, the first day of the camp, team director Khaled Mahmud said they are yet to take a call on Mahmudullah. He made 52 runs at 106.12 strike rate in the Asia Cup, having made just 99 runs in six T20s earlier this year. Gone are the days of Mahmudullah being the designated hitter for Bangladesh in the death overs. He has looked a shadow of the player he once was between 2016 to 2018.”(Mahmudullah) Riyad is an important part of our white-ball cricket,” Mahmud said. “There has been no decision on him. We will take a decision when we sit down to do the team, whether we need him in the squad or not. I can say that Riyad is still important for us. It is good to have discussions on whether Riyad will get the chance or not. We also can’t say that Riyad isn’t an automatic choice. We have to take everything into consideration.”Mahmud suggested that Mahmudullah’s experience – he is Bangladesh’s most capped T20I player – will not give him an advantage at the selection table. Mushfiqur Rahim, a senior player similarly under pressure to score regularly in T20Is, retired shortly after the Asia Cup, citing his need to give more time to Tests and ODIs. But it was quite clear that Mushfiqur knew his time was up in T20Is.Mahmud, considered Mahmudullah’s mentor from his early days, said that they were not getting the best out of him right now. “At the end of the day, we will consider the best interest of the Bangladesh team. We are not going to see someone differently just because he is more experienced. We definitely value his service, like the other experienced players. Riyad is trying hard, but we are not getting what we expect from him. He is scoring a run-a-ball 27, for instance.”But Riyad has been our match-winner,” Mahmud said. “He made centuries in the 2015 World Cup. He had a big partnership with Shakib [Al Hasan] in the 2017 Champions Trophy. He has won matches single-handedly too. We can’t say no to him all of a sudden, but the team is bigger than the individual. We have called up a lot of players [to the camp], but not all are called up for selection.”Bangladesh’s thinking of a side without Mushfiqur and probably Mahmudullah comes from their confidence in the return of Litton Das, Nurul Hasan and Yasir Ali from various injuries. It is reportedly hoped that the return of this trio could solve their middle and top order problems that have plagued them for more than 12 months.

ECB dismisses ‘speculation’ about 12-team Premier League but Division Two counties in dark

Matt Roller31-Mar-2022It seemed a long way off when Nottinghamshire’s squad photograph was interrupted by a snowstorm at Trent Bridge on Thursday morning, but the English season starts next week with a round of eight County Championship fixtures with the competition under more scrutiny than ever.After two years in which the structure of the domestic first-class game was altered by the pandemic, the Championship reverts to two uneven divisions in 2022, with ten teams in Division One and eight in Division Two. This format was originally planned to be introduced in 2020, and finishing positions for 2019 have been honoured, much to the relief of top-tier counties who have struggled in the last two years and the irritation of second-flight teams who have punched above their weight.Notts have more right to feel aggrieved than most. They were relegated in 2019 after a winless season, but made significant strides in 2021 as they finished third, four points behind champions Warwickshire in a six-team Division One after topping their early-season conference.

England must bring back selector role – Newell

England’s “red-ball reset” must include the appointment of an independent selector, according to Mick Newell, Notts’ director of cricket who spent four years in the role from 2014-18.
Ashley Giles, the ECB’s managing director of men’s cricket, handed selectorial responsibilities to head coach Chris Silverwood last year when Ed Smith was made redundant but both men have since left their roles.
“There has to be a selector, absolutely,” Newell told ESPNcricinfo. “I think it was the wrong decision. There has to be somebody making the phone calls, watching cricket, putting the time in explaining decisions to players, and doing things that the head coach shouldn’t have to do because they should be concentrating on the performance of the team.”
Newell, who was beaten to the role of managing director by Giles in 2018, said he had not applied for the vacancy this time, with Marcus North and Rob Key among the leading candidates.
Peter Moores, Notts’ head coach, said he would not categorically rule out the prospect of a third stint as England coach but that he was “pretty confident that they might not be looking my way.”

“We’ve accepted it,” Peter Moores, Notts’ head coach, told ESPNcricinfo. “We’d have liked the decision to have taken the two years after 2019 into account, but we also accept that we got relegated in 2019. Everyone’s got their head around it now and we’ve all decided that we have a job to do, which is to win that division.””We’re all disappointed that we’re in Division Two but those were the rules that they came up with, and that was the vote that was carried out,” Mick Newell, their director of cricket, added. “There’s no point blaming the ECB. It wasn’t their vote; the counties voted for this system. We feel that last year we were the third best team in the country, but we’ve got to prove it again. If we play as well as we did last year, I think we’ll be okay.”What comes next is anyone’s guess. Andrew Strauss, the ECB’s interim managing director of men’s cricket, announced earlier this month the launch of a “high-performance review” into the English game at all levels, due to be published in September so that recommendations can be implemented in time for the 2023 season, but it remains at a nascent stage.The ECB issued a statement on Thursday morning dismissing as “speculation” and “not true” newspaper reports that the Championship could be split into a 12-team ‘Premier League’ and a six-team second division. County chief executives were told the same thing in a meeting on Wednesday.Related

• Haseeb Hameed's Nottinghamshire form gives hope that dark days are behind him

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“The terms of reference for the Strauss report are not out yet,” Rob Andrew, Sussex’s chief executive, said on Thursday. “There’ll be a game-wide consultation – coaches, players, media, PCA, fans. This is going to be a massive piece of work. I understand why you want to ask questions on this but it’s all speculation.”Anybody that is writing anything in newspapers at the moment is making it up. Until this process starts and the consultation is worked through to whatever the end result is, you’re all speculating.”But for second-division counties, the lack of clarity is a frustration. Their finishing positions in 2022 will determine which division teams play in next year, but it may not become apparent until the final weeks of the season whether teams need to finish in the top one, two or three to get promoted. In the event of a radical restructure – three divisions of six, for example – it may be that no teams in this season’s Division Two are promoted at all.”Everyone will be thinking a little bit about 2023 without really knowing what they’re playing for,,” Newell said. “I’m not sure we’re going to get [clarity] very soon. But clearly, there will be that realisation that if you’re not in the top two, you will definitely not be in a Division One in 2023.”Division Two is going to be interesting. Durham are obviously coming back well; Sussex have strengthened their batting which had been a problem; Middlesex I think will be good with their new coach. Nobody is saying it’s a foregone conclusion that Notts will be in the top two, but it should be a good, competitive division.””If we won the division this year and then didn’t go into Division One, after getting more points than anyone else last year [across both phases of the season], then you’d think the system is wrong,” Moores added. “The whole idea of divisional cricket is to get the best teams in it but we’ve got to keep it really simple: we’ve got to try and win Division Two. What happens outside of that will be dictated by other people and then we’ll take it from there.”

The group stage of the Vitality Blast has been completed (with some Covid-19 disruption) and here’s a round-up of how the Australian contingent went

Andrew McGlashan19-Jul-2021

Josh Inglis (Leicestershire)

A magnificent tournament for Inglis who finished as the leading run-scorer in the group stage and struck two centuries – 103 off 62 balls against Northamptonshire and 118 off 61 against Worcestershire. At a time when the Australia T20 side has continued to struggle it was another strong nudge towards the selectors who have already taken notice of him, although he played as an opener throughout this campaign which isn’t where the vacancies really lie.

Marnus Labuschagne (Glamorgan)

One of the main reasons Labuschagne was not taken to West Indies was so he could have a sustained period of T20 cricket. A forced spell of isolation after being a Covid close contact interrupted things, but either side of that he made full use of his opportunities although as a team Glamorgan had a pretty miserable tournament with just three wins in 14 matches. Labuschagne struck four half-centuries in his eight innings having had none in the format before the competition started and was also Glamorgan’s second-highest wicket-taker.

D’Arcy Short (Hampshire)

A slightly underwhelming group stage for Short who made a lot of starts without quite converting although he was part of a Hampshire side that squeezed into the quarter-finals when a whole range of scenarios played out in their favour. Short saved his best for last as well with his one half-century coming in the final match against Glamorgan with 69 off 30 balls as they surged to a target of 186 in 13 overs.Related

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Cameron Bancroft (Durham)

Bancroft’s form faded towards the end of the group stage, with a top score of 20 in his last five innings, after a productive period in the middle of the competition where he made two half-centuries in five innings, both against Birmingham Bears at healthy strike-rates. They contributed to two of the five victories Durham managed as they missed a quarter-final berth. The majority of Bancroft’s innings were at No. 4.

Travis Head (Sussex)

It has not been the season Head would have hoped for with a lean T20 Blast following on from his County Championship struggles. He passed 20 in half of his innings but could not go beyond 27 and did not play the final two group matches although Sussex were able to secure a quarter-final slot.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Ben Dwarshuis (Worcestershire)

A solid haul for Dwarshuis, the Sydney Sixers left-armer, as he finished as Worcestershire’s second-highest wicket-taker. They probably came at a slightly higher cost than he would have liked but as is the case in the BBL he bowled a lot in tough periods – he sent down the third-most deliveries in the death overs (16-20) for the group stage behind Naveen-ul-Haq and Matty Potts. His overall numbers were also dented by the final two games where he went for 90 in seven overs.

Chris Green (Middlesex)

Sydney Thunder allrounder Green was a late call-up after Mujeeb Ur Rahman’s arrival at Middlesex was delayed. He had a memorable personal day against Kent where he claimed a career-best 5 for 32 which included a final-over hat-trick but it came in one of Middlesex’s nine defeats. Made some handy contributions with the bat including an unbeaten 26 off 13 balls in a successful chase of 217 against Hampshire.

Daniel Worrall (Gloucestershire)

Not much for Worrall to remember fondly from the tournament as he went wicketless in six consecutive innings and finished with an eye-watering average close to 100.

Tim David (Surrey)

A hurried late call-up for the Singaporean batter, who is a BBL regular and eligible for Australia, when Surrey were hit by an injury and illness crisis late in the competition. Only had two matches but gave another example of his finishing skills with 25 off 13 balls against Gloucestershire.

The opener will make his return in the one-day match against South Australia

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Mar-2021David Warner will make his Sheffield Shield comeback against South Australia after returning to New South Wales colours in the Marsh Cup match in Adelaide on Thursday.Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood are also back for the four-day match but Pat Cummins, who will captain the one-day side, has been rested.Warner played the last two Tests against India while still significantly hampered by the groin injury he sustained in the ODIs at the end of November which ruled him out of the rest of the white-ball matches and first two Tests.Speaking on commentary of the New Zealand-Australia T20I series last week, Warner said how he expected to feel the effects of the injury for up to nine months but he is hopeful that it can be managed.Related

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• \Warner expects to live with pain of groin injury for most of the year

• Swepson set to miss the rest of season with stress fracture

Warner comes into the New South Wales one-day squad as a replacement for Daniel Hughes who has a shoulder injury although the opener is available for the Shield. Steven Smith remains sidelined by the elbow problem which he first felt at the end of the series against India and has since flared up during his return to domestic cricket.”We all know Davey’s quality as a player in all formats and it’s great to see him back for the Blues for this game,” New South Wales coach Phil Jaques said.”He has worked really hard on his rehab and has been great around the group when he’s been at training. It will be fantastic to have his experience around the team over the coming weeks.”Starc missed the last Sheffield Shield match against Victoria following the death if his father while Hazlewood was rotated as part of the management of New South Wales’ fast bowlers.New South Wales one-day squad Pat Cummins (capt), Sean Abbott, Harry Conway, Oliver Davies, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Liam Hatcher, Matthew Gilkes, Moises Henriques, Nick Larkin, Nathan Lyon, Kurtis Patterson, David WarnerNew South Wales Sheffield Shield squad Peter Nevill (capt), Sean Abbott, Harry Conway, Trent Copeland, Josh Hazlewood, Moises Henriques, Daniel Hughes, Nick Larkin, Nathan Lyon, Kurtis Patterson, Daniel Solway, Mitchell Starc, David Warner