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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

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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.”

ESPNcricinfo previews the opening round games in the South Group of the NatWest Blast

ESPNcricinfo staff15-May-2015Kent v Sussex

Luke Wright will be captaining Sussex for the first time, with Sri Lanka’s Mahela Jayawardene one of those under his charge. He is likely to be without four seamers, including Tymal Mills and Ajmal Shahzad, for their opener against Kent, as well as Sunday’s home game against Gloucestershire. But he will be able to tap into the considerable expertise of Jayawardene, who will be making his county debut with Sussex for the first half of the campaign before being replaced by George Bailey. Sam Northeast will lead Kent for the first time in the Blast after Rob Key’s decision to drop down to the 2nd XI in order to find some form and confidence. The hosts will also hope to include former Hampshire firebrand David Griffiths for the first time this season after a triceps injury.Gloucestershire v Middlesex

Captain James Franklin believes Middlesex can replicate their four-day form in Twenty20 and improve on a dismal recent record in the format. In the six tournaments since they won the competition in 2008, Middlesex are the only county not to reach the knockout stage at least once. Gloucestershire include Australian Big Bash centurion Peter Handscomb and powerful New Zealand allrounder Kieran Noema-Barnett and, after a couple of group games, will also be boosted by the return of Michael Klinger, the only other batsman apart from Handscomb to make a hundred in the 2014-15 BBL. Spinners Jack Taylor and Tom Smith could both play a part against Middlesex. Ian Cockbain will be captain in the absence of Klinger.Surrey v Glamorgan

Surrey have signed Wahab Riaz, who made such an impression for Pakistan in the World Cup, for a whirlwind 36-hour stint in which he will play in their first two group matches. Riaz will play in the opener at the Kia Oval followed by Saturday’s short trip to Essex, with Moises Henriques, the Australian allrounder, still on IPL duty with Sunrisers Hyderabad. “Wahab’s a quality bowler and we all saw how well he bowled for Pakistan at the World Cup, especially in that spell against Australia,” says their captain Gareth Batty. “It’s great to have him on board as our second overseas player alongside Kumar Sangakkara for these two opening games.” Glamorgan’s new overseas signing Wayne Parnell may not be fit to make his debut.Hampshire v Essex

Owais Shah will make his first appearance of the season for Hampshire against one of his former counties. Shah and Pakistan veteran Yasir Arafat provide a double boost after the Championship defeat by Yorkshire, where Fidel Edwards made his debut. Championship captain Jimmy Adams should be available after he missed the defeat by Yorkshire to attend the birth of his second child while former Essex wicketkeeper Adam Wheater, who was denied by injury from playing in the same match, is a doubt. Essex’s captain Ryan ten Doeschate is flying back from India to play in two games at the weekend, before returning to Kolkata, but they are missing Ravi Bopara, also at the IPL, as well as the injured Tom Westley. They have signed Shaun Tait as a second explosive overseas player alongside Jesse Ryder, and also have Reece Topley returning from injury.

England will stick with Michael Carberry as opener for the remainder of the NatWest series despite his poor returns from his first three ODIs.

Alex Winter12-Sep-2013England will stick with Michael Carberry as opener for the remainder of the NatWest series despite poor returns from his first three ODIs.Carberry has scored only 15 runs in three innings in a disappointing start to his one-day international career, following a superb season for Hampshire. But, in the absence of regular openers, Alastair Cook and Ian Bell, he will have at least two more chances to stake his claim for a long-term spot at the top of the order.Having made 10 on debut against Ireland in Dublin, Carberry played a poor stroke to fall for just 4 against Australia at Old Trafford before being run out for 1 in the rain-ruined third ODI at Edgbaston.”He’s had a bit of a hard time of it to be honest.” England’s stand-in captain, Eoin Morgan, said. “But he’s experienced enough to know that it’s swings and roundabouts. We’ve 100 percent backing for ‘Carbs’ at the moment, because we’ve seen how hard he works and the success he’s had.”We’d like to see that over the next two games. But if not he’s always got his basics to fall back on – and go again.”If Carberry’s dismissal in Manchester was careless – slapping a well-timed cut stroke straight to Michael Clarke at backward point – there was an element of misfortune in his departure at Edgbaston, when he was run out in a mix-up with Kevin Pietersen.Morgan said it was the last thing Carberry needed. “I don’t think it’s anybody’s fault,” he said. “There’s always miscommunication in a run-out, and I think we can leave it up to those two to sort things out. They’re fine. They’ve known each for years and played at Hampshire together.”Carberry has returned to international cricket three years after his Test debut in Chittagong but has so far displayed none of the form that earned him a recall. Carberry enjoyed an outstanding domestic season in limited-overs cricket, with 502 Friends Life t20 runs at 55.77 and 471 at 47.10 in the Yorkshire Bank 40.”He’s fine,” Morgan said. “Obviously he’d have liked to get runs. He’s quite anxious to get stuck in, and prove the type of player he is. But you’re going to be disappointed with a couple of low scores.”Carberry is part of an experimental England squad selected with a view to developing younger players for the 2015 World Cup, as well as rest members of the Test set-up. The squad has come under criticism for short-changing supporters, criticism which gained credence after England were totally outplayed in an 88-run defeat in the second ODI – so far the only fixture to be completed. Nevertheless, Morgan insists winning the five-match series is England’s priority.”Obviously, it’s a good opportunity to blood young players, but we’re out to win,” he said. “For us, it’s now a semi-final and final – that’s the way we’re going to treat it. We need to come out and up our game and our intensity.”There’s not a lot of motivation the guys need. We haven’t played very much cricket, and the guys are keen to get on the park and do well. There is a lot of energy flowing around.”England appeared to be a bowler light in both Dublin, where they conceded 269, and Manchester, where Australia racked up 315 on what was considered a sluggish wicket. But given the lack of cricket so far in the NatWest series, England may well stick with their formula for the fourth ODI in Cardiff on Saturday.Morgan was satisfied with his side for Edgbaston, despite defeat three days before. “We felt it was our best XI. We picked it in the last game and we didn’t think there was anything drastic that needed changing. So we stuck with it. If we feel that a change needs to be made, either on conditions or performance, we’ll make it.”Of the changes England could make, only Luke Wright offers any experience. He could replace one of the batsmen but that appears unlikely, with England having completed only one innings so far in the series.A change to the bowling attack would see debuts for either Jamie Overton of Somerset or Sussex’s Chris Jordan.”Jamie is 19 years old, and has spent quite a lot of time around the group now over the last week or so. That’s hugely beneficial,” Morgan said. “I wish I’d had that opportunity when I was 19. He has bowled well in the nets. ‘Jords’ in particular – with his all-round skills – has surprised me massively. He’s a very athletic guy.”

The preview of the 1st Test between South Africa and New Zealand in Cape Town

The Preview by Kanishkaa Balachandran01-Jan-2013

Match facts

Vernon Philander has been passed fit to play•Gallo Images

January 2-6, 2013

Start time 1030 local (0830 GMT)

Big Picture

In the last year, New Zealand have been practically living out of a suitcase, making trips to West Indies, India, Sri Lanka, and now South Africa. The most well-travelled team of 2012 has had more disappointment than joy. A sequence of five consecutive Test defeats started in the West Indies and ended in Colombo, where they recorded an odds-defying win. There were few positives to emerge from the clean sweeps suffered in the West Indies and India. The top order did not contribute enough and was criticised for irresponsibility. As a result, New Zealand’s impressive seam attack never had enough runs to work with. Another clean sweep loomed in Sri Lanka after they were vanquished in three days in Galle, but the captain Ross Taylor led by example in Colombo and it rubbed off on his team-mates as New Zealand proved they had the resilience to fight back.What New Zealand did not need was the internal turmoil that subsequently led to Taylor pulling out of the South Africa tour. With Daniel Vettori out injured, New Zealand are short on experienced hands against the world’s highest-ranked Test side, in home conditions. The teams are mismatched on paper, but if one of the seniors can show greater responsibility, the series could get competitive. Much will depend on whether New Zealand can bat for long periods and blunt South Africa’s seamers. Setting smaller targets, such as batting out an hour without losing a wicket, will help. They have had the benefit of a warm-up match, but only three batsmen – Brendon McCullum, Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson – made half-centuries.After lifting the Test championship mace at Lord’s, South Africa enhanced their reputation by beating Australia at home. They fought tooth and nail to save the Adelaide Test and then were clinical in victory in Perth. Unlike New Zealand, they have a full-strength side at their disposal. This will also be their first Test at home as the No. 1 team.

Form guide

(Most recent first)
New Zealand WLLLL
South Africa WDDWD

In the spotlight

Kane Williamson may be only 18 Tests old, but is already being identified as a future Test captain. Though not officially the vice-captain, he is perceived as an understudy to McCullum. His temperament has been praised and his 135 in Colombo and crucial partnership with Taylor was an example of that. He is one of New Zealand’s better players of spin, but he may not face too much of it in South Africa.Dean Elgar had a horrific start to his Test career in Perth, making ducks in both innings. Fortunately for him, the selectors have given him another chance. Elgar, a left-handed middle order batsman, will play instead of the under-performing Jacques Rudolph. While the first five positions are secure, of late the No. 6 position has not been. This is a chance for Elgar to nail it down, with the likes of JP Duminy also competing for it. Thami Tsolekile is also in the mix, but for the moment, AB de Villiers will continue to keep wicket.

Team news

With Vernon Philander passed fit, South Africa are likely to play the same XI from Perth.South Africa (likely): 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Alviro Petersen, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 Jacques Kallis, 5 AB de Villiers (wk), 6 Dean Elgar, 7 Faf du Plessis, 8 Robin Peterson, 9 Vernon Philander, 10 Dale Steyn, 11 Morne MorkelFor New Zealand, BJ Watling will keep wicket, relieving that responsibility from the captain McCullum. Dean Brownlie will be Taylor’s replacement in the middle order. McCullum hinted at playing an extra spinner for a seamer after seeing cracks on the pitch, meaning that the left-arm spinner Bruce Martin could be in for a debut.New Zealand (likely): 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Brendon McCullum (capt), 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Dean Brownlie, 5 Daniel Flynn, 6 BJ Watling (wk), 7 James Franklin, 8 Doug Bracewell, 9 Trent Boult, 10 Jeetan Patel, 11 Bruce Martin/Chris Martin

Pitch and conditions

The Newlands pitch appeared fairly dark in colour on the eve of the game. It is expected to flatten out from the second day and the spinners will come into play later on.

Stats and trivia

• New Zealand have won just one Test in South Africa, since their readmission, at the Wanderers in 1994-95. They went on to the lose the next two, and the series.
• Dale Steyn is one wicket away from 300 Test wickets.
• Jacques Kallis is 20 away from 13000 Test runs. Only Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting and Rahul Dravid are above him.

Quotes

“The team has taken big steps forward. We’ve travelled a lot in the last year. It was hostile, it was tough. Hopefully now we can play the same style of cricket in South Africa with home support.”
.”We pushed them quite hard in that series and put them under pressure at times. We’ve just got to make sure we get better and compete for longer in this series.”
.

Greg Chappell has criticised Virender Sehwag’s work ethic, calling him one of the great frustrations of his time as India coach

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Sep-2012Greg Chappell has criticised Virender Sehwag’s work ethic, calling him one of the great frustrations of his time as India coach. Sehwag’s lackadaisical attitude threatens to squander his great god-given gift, Chappell wrote in the . Chappell coached India from 2005 to 2007, a controversial stint just after which Sehwag was dropped from the national side.Sehwag made a stirring comeback from that low, but is currently in an extended lean patch. His last Test century came in November 2010, but outside the subcontinent that date extends back to January 2008. His fitness and fielding have been a worry for the team management, and he has played only 13 ODIs since the World Cup, with only two innings of note – the double-century and a 96 against Sri Lanka.Sehwag was “rested” for India’s second league game in World Twenty20, one of India’s more complete T20 performances. That has brought Sehwag’s form into focus once again. “To say that Viru was one of the great frustrations of my time with the team is an understatement,” Chappell wrote. “Sadly, he continues to disappoint and is in danger of squandering his God-given talent. The person who is least likely to be fazed by all of this is Virender himself.”What I soon learned about him was that Viru did not want to dedicate himself to taking his talent to its zenith. He was happy to turn up and play and accept what came his way. No amount of cajoling from me could shift him from his insouciant way.”Only lack of runs, according to Chappell, could make Sehwag work hard, but that wouldn’t last. “This often happens to those with the greatest gift,” Chappell wrote. “Because he had never had to work hard at developing such a skill, Viru did not know how to dedicate himself to disciplined training. It was only during periods of relative poor form that he was prepared to spend time getting things back on track. As soon as he made some runs he slipped back into old habits and appeared content to practise in the same old profligate way; until his form evaporated again.”Chappell also spoke of a lack of responsibility and fitness. “The other area of frustration for me was that he did not keep himself in good shape and would often be troubled by a back ailment that restricted him in the field and made him even less likely to want to put time into expanding his ability. Apart from his batting skills, he is a very talented offspin bowler and he should have been the best slip fielder in the team, but he eschewed the responsibility at every opportunity.”Chappell said not much has changed on that front. “Seven years on, nothing much has changed,” he wrote. “He has worked on his fitness and appears to be in better condition, but on the evidence of his training in Australia early this year, he still practises the way he has always done and the results, unsurprisingly, are similar.Chappell also had a dig at Sehwag’s reported captaincy aspirations. “Strangely, for someone who only wants to play the game on his terms, he harbours a desire to captain his country,” he wrote. “I have no doubt that he could do it for he understands the game well, but what he fails to grasp is that with the honour comes responsibility. In fact, the responsibility to show personal leadership has to come before one can earn the higher honour. He wants the prize, but has been unwilling to pay the price.”More damningly, Chappell suggested that his selfish attitude towards batting cost India matches. “The surprising thing was that when Viru got runs in 50-over cricket, India often lost,” Chappell wrote. “For one thing, he seemed more concerned with his strike rate than the bigger picture. He would play shots from the first ball and not stop until he got out, which was often just when the team needed him to go on to a big score.”Usually, if he got a start, he would get away to such a flier it would get everyone at the ground excited, including his team-mates who would then think that they should score 300 plus. Once Virender got out, the good start was often squandered by the loss of multiple wickets as others tried to maintain the frenetic run-rate and generally the game would slip away.”However, like the rest of the world, Chappell admired Sehwag’s talent, and also said that the opposition will only be relieved if he plays no part in the upcoming matches. “Despite my frustrations with him during my tenure as Indian coach, I could not help but love him,” Chappell wrote. “He is, after all, a loveable rogue. And he can bat better than most. In fact, he is the most gifted ball striker that I have seen…”It is unlikely that Sehwag will ever change. It is probably too late now. But if Dhoni and the selectors have decided that enough is enough and that they have a better chance of winning the World Twenty20 without him, I reckon the Australian bowlers will breathe a little easier on Friday.”

Preview of the first Test of the series between England and South Africa at The Oval

The Preview by Alan Gardner18-Jul-2012

Match facts

Thursday, July 19
Start time 1100 (1000 GMT)
Andrew Strauss and Graeme Smith will lead their sides in contesting the Basil D’Oliveira Trophy•Getty Images

Big Picture

This series could be all about cart-wheeling stumps, bonce-bothering bouncers and catches in the cordon, as the world’s two best bowling attacks go head to head in conditions favourable to pace and swing. It could also be overshadowed by the weather and the Olympics, with its attendant bureaucratic bungling, amid grumbles about the inadequacies of a three-Test encounter. For now, we can savour the prospect of a potentially thrilling clash between the two best sides in Test cricket – even if the rankings would perversely deny the fact.Despite the ICC’s annual recalculation dropping South Africa to third, victory in the series would lift them above England to No. 1 – a position they last occupied, briefly, in 2009. Graeme Smith was the last touring captain to secure victory in England, going back to the historic series success of 2008, and South Africa are also unbeaten away from home since losing a two-Test rubber to Sri Lanka in 2006. With four batsmen – AB de Villiers, Jacques Kallis, Hashim Amla and Smith – in the top ten, they have a top-order on which to build a successful campaign; in Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander, the bowlers to torment England in a manner they are more used to dishing out.South Africa’s last two tours have resulted in the end of an England captain’s tenure but, fortified by back-to-back Test hundreds against West Indies, Andrew Strauss will fancy his chances of ending the hoodoo. Under Strauss and Andy Flower, England have become ruthless bullies in their own conditions, winning seven home series in a row. The quicks are programmed to bowl an relentless line and length – something which South Africa’s attack are still adjusting to here – and in Graeme Swann, England may hold the trump spin card. His fitness after a twinge in his troublesome right elbow, as well as The Oval’s receptiveness to spin, could be a determining factor in the first Test.Posturing aside, there will be a touch of sadness when the teams take the field, at the absence of Mark Boucher, who was set to reach 150 caps and more than 1,000 dismissals in international cricket during the series. Both teams have plenty of motivation but neither is confident enough to mutter “you guys are history” just yet.

Form guide

England DWWWL (most recent first)
South Africa DWDWL

Watch out for

England’s No. 6 is just about the only area of long-standing uncertainty in the side and, after Jonny Bairstow’s difficult introduction to Test cricket against West Indies, Ravi Bopara has been given another chance to establish himself in the middle order. He enjoyed a successful ODI series against Australia and seems more comfortable about meriting his place, though he is often a slow starter and South Africa’s bowlers won’t give him any help in getting going.AB de Villiers is one of South Africa’s most accomplished batsmen but he will have to perform both in front of and behind the stumps, in the wake of Boucher’s enforced retirement. De Villiers said he is looking forward to a rest whilst wearing the wicketkeeper’s gloves, rather than running around at point, but there will be greater demands on his concentration, not to mention his back. His record as ODI keeper suggests he may be up to the challenge.

Pitch and conditions

This will be the first Test pitch produced by The Oval’s new head groundsman, Lee Fortis. Spinners have often prospered here, though more often at the back end of the season, and given the damp summer thus far the surface could be lower and more seam friendly than before. The forecast is grey and rain-spattered, which will probably have both sets of bowlers sniffing around the toss.

Team news

After a month away from international cricket, Kevin Pietersen returns to the England fold, while Bopara finally gets his opportunity at No. 6 – barring a stubbed toe or ricked neck between now and 11am tomorrow. With Graham Onions nursing a tight hamstring, England’s only decision is likely to be between Tim Bresnan and Steven Finn for the third fast bowler’s spot.England (possible) 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Alastair Cook, 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Kevin Pietersen, 5 Ian Bell, 6 Ravi Bopara, 7 Matt Prior (wk), 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 James AndersonThe shock departure of Boucher from the touring party aside, South Africa are a settled team. De Villiers is expected to take the gloves, with JP Duminy, who scored a century on his last outing, coming in to add depth to the batting as well as a back-up spin option. Alviro Petersen has recovered from a foot problem, so Jacques Rudolph remains at No. 6.South Africa (possible) 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Alviro Petersen, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 Jacques Kallis, 5 AB de Villiers (wk), 6 Jacques Rudolph, 7 JP Duminy, 8 Vernon Philander, 9 Dale Steyn, 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Imran Tahir

Stats and trivia

• South Africa have not won in 13 visits to The Oval, losing their last three
• This is the earliest an Oval Test has been held since 1983, when New Zealand began a four-match series in south London on July 14
• Andrew Strauss needs 70 runs to reach 7,000 in Tests and one century to equal the England record of 22, jointly held by Wally Hammond, Colin Cowdrey and Geoffrey Boycott
• Graeme Smith is set to play his 100th Test but it will only be his 99th for South Africa, as he captained the ICC World XI against Australia in 2005
  

  Quotes

  “The rankings say we are number one but we’ve got to go out there and prove it.”
  “There’s a real feeling of contentment and clarity. We’re at the point where we want to be and just want this series to start now.”

Kumar Sangakkara believes New Zealand are tough opponents because of their discipline, which he said was an attribute other teams should pick up from Ross Taylor’s side

Siddarth Ravindran in Dambulla12-Aug-2010Kumar Sangakkara believes New Zealand are tough opponents because of their discipline, which he said was an attribute other teams should pick up from Ross Taylor’s side. New Zealand lack the big names of the other two teams in the tournament but started off with a crushing victory over India, serving notice to anyone under-estimating them.”The great thing about New Zealand is they are very competitive,” Sangakkara said before the start of his team’s practice session under lights. “They play very orthodox, very structured cricket. Strategies are set and they always try to execute those strategies. That’s the discipline that I think we can all learn from New Zealand.”It’s very important in Twenty20 and one-day cricket now that you have applied executable strategies out in the middle that everyone understands and everyone can execute according to their own abilities. New Zealand does that probably the best in the world, so that makes them a very tough side.”The discipline and strategy are particularly important when batting second in the challenging conditions in Dambulla, where the team batting first has had a distinct advantage in recent matches. “It’s not mostly skill, it’s about being mentally attuned to what’s happening there and being ready with not just one but two or three plans,” he said.The tournament is seen as a part of the team’s fine-tuning ahead of the World Cup but the pitches in Dambulla aren’t the traditional subcontinental flat tracks. “Playing in conditions like this is very good for us because when it is a challenge, you got to relish it,” Sangakkara said. “The harder the things you have to do out in the middle, the improvement becomes faster. For us, that is how we are going to look at this tournament.”One aspect of Sri Lanka’s cricket which will be closely watched is the spin bowling. With no Muttiah Muralitharan around, it’s a chance for any of Suraj Randiv, Ajantha Mendis and Rangana Herath to establish themselves in the side. “It depends on the opposition we are playing,” Sangakkara said when asked about the first-choice spinner. “Depending on that, we will pick one or the other [Randiv or Mendis]. We got Rangana Herath in the wings as well. So each time we will make sure that we play the right combination for the opposition unless there is a huge difference in form between the bowlers.”New Zealand had gone in without a spinner in the first match, but that could change in case Jacob Oram fails to recover from his hamstring problem. “We have a little bit of a niggle with Jacob Oram, just a tight hamstring, hopefully he can recover well tonight, we’ll see how he goes tomorrow,” the captain Ross Taylor said. “He’s an outstanding bowler for us, top-10 in the one-day rankings, if we were to lose him, it will be a huge loss but it will be an opportunity for whoever comes in.”A win on Friday will virtually put New Zealand in the final, but Taylor was not looking that far ahead. “I don’t want to get carried away, it was one victory and the team played well. Sri Lanka are a difficult opponent in their home conditions and we have to come out with the same attitude and the same intent in the next game, we know if we do that we give ourselves a good chance.”