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The former Mumbai captain was pulled up for retweeting a tweet that questioned his exclusion from the recently concluded inter-state T20 tournament

Arun Venugopal22-Feb-2017Suryakumar Yadav has been added to Mumbai’s 14-member squad for the 50-overs Vijay Hazare Trophy after he tendered an apology to the Mumbai Cricket Association for retweeting a post on Twitter that questioned his exclusion from the team for the Inter-state T20 tournament.”The president has accepted his apology and he has been cleared to play in the Vijay Hazare tournament. Surya had sent a letter yesterday and met with the president [Ashish Shelar] today,” MCA joint-secretary Unmesh Khanvilkar told ESPNcricinfo. “Surya wrote in his letter that such things wouldn’t happen in the future. He also said that it was the agency [that manages him] that had retweeted the post.”The Mumbai batsman had earlier been asked to show cause and appear before the MCA’s managing committee. Consequently, Suryakumar’s selection for the Vijay Hazare Trophy inter-state one-day tournament had been withheld pending the committee’s decision.Khanvilkar said on Tuesday that players were not allowed to comment on selection decisions on social media. Suryakumar, 26, has been involved in a few controversies over the last few years. Last year, Suryakumar was let off with a warning for tweeting his displeasure at opener Jay Bista’s omission from the Mumbai side for their semi-final game against Madhya Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy. He had also quit as Mumbai captain midway through an underwhelming 2014-15 season. At that point he was reprimanded by MCA officials after some players complained against him for using abusive language on the field and in the dressing room.Mumbai will take on defending champions Gujarat in the opening match of the tournament on February 25.

Moeen four-for seals series as Southee thumb fracture leaves NZ with World Cup worry

Andrew Miller15-Sep-2023England 311 for 9 (Malan 127, Ravindra 4-60) beat New Zealand 211 (Ravindra 61, Nicholls 41, Moeen 4-50) by 100 runsDawid Malan completed the century that eluded him on Wednesday, and in the process surely confirmed that he will be the first name on England’s team-sheet for their World Cup opener in Ahmedabad in three weeks’ time, after underpinning his team’s emphatic 100-run victory with a display of unrelenting serenity at Lord’s.Moeen Ali duly sealed the match, and the series, with figures of 4 for 50, including two in two balls under the floodlights. But Malan’s innings – 127 from 114 balls all told – remained the stand-out performance on a night when only Rachin Ravindra, with some entertaining late blows to go alongside his own four-wicket haul, passed fifty.By the contest’s end, however, all thoughts were already turning to more pressing matters looming in India next month, and on a day when Jason Roy’s hopes of a World Cup berth were left in limbo as he missed out on selection once again, New Zealand were left with worries of their own after a string of injuries in the field, most devastatingly a blow to the right thumb for Tim Southee, which was later confirmed to be a potentially tournament-ending fracture.For Malan, however, this was just another opportunity to live in the present – and in a peculiar era for English ODI cricket since the 2019 World Cup, few players have done so with more gusto than he. His fifth 50-over century in 21 innings also took him past 1000 runs in the format, equalling the England record set by Kevin Pietersen and Jonathan Trott, while his haul of 14 fours and three sixes by far outshone the rest of his team-mates. It showcased a player flushed with form, focus and utter confidence.With 54 and 96 to his name in this series already, Malan displayed his compact power from the get-go, smoking a brace of fours through the covers and point in Southee’s opening over, to reaffirm the sense that the “shirt is his”, as Stuart Broad once put it when his Test place was under threat. Roy, who was not considered match-fit after a series of back spasms, may yet be given a chance to prove himself against Ireland next week, but already it feels he’s fighting for a back-up role.After England won the toss and chose to bat, Roy’s habitual partner, Jonny Bairstow, fell in Matt Henry’s third over, flinching outside off for Daryl Mitchell to scoop up the chance low at slip. Bairstow initially stood his ground, doubting whether the ball had carried, but though the third umpire confirmed he had to go, the chance had not been entirely cleanly taken – Mitchell quickly followed him off the pitch nursing a dislocated finger, though he did return to bowl a useful spell with the ball.Jos Buttler ran out Devon Conway with a direct hit•PA Photos/Getty Images

Out came Joe Root – a lock in England’s World Cup plans, no doubt, but even a player of his indisputable class needs the reassurance of form ahead of such a marquee tournament. Instead, he arrived at the crease with scores of 6, 0 and 4 to his name, and proceeded to grind out his scratchiest display of the lot.Root has form for this lack of form on this ground. In the World Cup final four years ago, he was hounded by Colin de Grandhomme’s lack of pace and limited to 7 from 30 balls. Here, he was dropped twice in the gully before he had reached double figures, and incredibly on both occasions it was the offending fielder who left the field instead – first Finn Allen, nursing a cut finger, and then, more ominously, Southee, who looked in some pain after a hard blow to his thumb. NZC subsequently confirmed a dislocation and fracture, adding that he would undergo further assessment on Saturday. Ben Lister, himself a replacement in the party for Adam Milne, later hobbled off the field with a hamstring strain, and likewise did not return – although, unlike Southee, he did come out to bat in the contest’s final throes.As in the World Cup final, Root found his options limited by the presence of a deep third to deny him value for his deflections down through the cordon, let alone his trademark scoop shot, and it wasn’t until his 24th ball that he finally got his first boundary away, a cathartic pull through wide long-on off Ravindra. The drinks break seemed to have settled him down as he took Ravindra for two more boundaries through midwicket in his next over, the latter a flat six, only for the shot to let him down soon afterwards, as he mowed across the line to be bowled for an unconvincing 29 from 40.Root wasn’t alone in finding the going tough, however. Harry Brook, recalled at his preferred No. 4 berth with Ben Stokes understandably resting up after his record 182 on Wednesday, made a scratchy 10 from 15 – and 37 from 68 for the series, which is hardly the form he required to demand a rethink in England’s World Cup plans. His innings ended in grim fashion too, as he yanked a half-tracker from Ravindra straight to mid-on.Even Jos Buttler, with 36 from 31 including a trademark wristy thump for six over long-off, was arguably a notch below his fluent best, as he attempted to launch Mitchell’s medium-pace in a similar direction only to pick out the substitute Trent Boult at mid-off.Malan, by contrast, was unperturbed by the struggles around him. Having ignited England’s powerplay with three fours in a row off Southee, the best of them another crunching drive through the covers, he cruised through to his fifty from an even 50 balls, then reset his focus to complete the landmark that had eluded him twice before in the series.He accelerated into the 80s with a vicious burst of speed – three fours in a row, including the reverse-sweep that he reserves for his most composed knocks, then a massive flat six over midwicket off Kyle Jamieson to reach his 1000th ODI run. He had a moment of alarm with his century looming, edging Henry inches past the keeper to move to 99, but after permitting himself three dots to recompose himself, he tucked a brace off his pads, before peeling off his helmet to salute an appreciative Lord’s.Tom Latham was bowled swinging across the line•Getty Images

And, having matched one Viv Richards record, for a time it looked odds-on that Malan would surpass another – Richards’ 138 in the 1979 World Cup final, still the highest ODI score on this ground – and maybe even, with ten overs remaining, Stokes’ newly minted England record. Instead, on 127, he chased a wide one from Ravindra and slumped to the crease in self-admonishment after feathering a nick to Tom Latham.Not for the first time this series, however, Malan’s efforts were made to look even better once he’d left the field. Much as they had done in adversity at The Oval too, New Zealand turned the screw on England’s lower-order in the death overs. Moeen chased an even wider one from Ravindra to hole out for 3, while Liam Livingstone was repeatedly guilty of losing his shape on the big wind-up, as he drifted along to 28 from 38 with a solitary six, before being nailed lbw by Jamieson.Sam Curran connected lustily on three off-side boundaries in his 20 from 13, before Henry scrambled the seam to nip one down the slope, but not for the first time, David Willey applied some late humpty with 19 from 11, before Brydon Carse launched the final ball of the innings for a massive six over long-off, as England pushed their target well past 300.If New Zealand were to pose any threat, then Devon Conway – the star of their startlingly comprehensive win in the first ODI – was the obvious man on whom to anchor their chase. However, on 7 from 12, he called himself through for a sharp single off Will Young’s pad, but Buttler scooted round quickly behind the stumps, discarding his glove in the process to ping down the stumps with the batter a foot short.Young himself couldn’t hang around to pick up his partner’s mantle, nicking an excellent delivery in the channel from David Willey through to Buttler for 24, while Daryl Mitchell – still batting at No. 4 despite his finger injury – managed just 4 from 14 balls before the impressive Carse bowled him through the gate with the third delivery of his spell.And from that point onwards, there was little threat of a fightback, particularly once England’s spinners, Moeen and Livingstone had settled into a constrictive tandem spell.Moeen could have struck first-ball had he reviewed an lbw against Latham, but then got him two balls later anyway as Latham swung across the line to be bowled off his pads for 13, and though Henry Nicholls shored up New Zealand’s challenge with a doughty 41 from 48, he became Moeen’s second victim after Buttler this time decided to gamble on the review, and got three reds.When Glenn Phillips took on a rare full-toss from Livingstone, and launched it down Brook’s throat at deep midwicket, New Zealand knew it was not going to be their night. Ravindra resisted with a flurry of boundaries, including three in a row to ruffle Carse’s figures, but Curran yorked him for 61 to cement the 3-1 win.

Women’s team to face South Africa for the first time in a four-day Test; West Indies come visiting as well

ESPNcricinfo Staff and AAP14-May-2023Test cricket will return to the WACA in Perth, with the Australia women’s team set to face South Africa for the first time in the format as part of their multi-format series early in 2024.It will be one of three Tests Australia will play in nine months following the Ashes encounter in June and one on the multi-format tour of India set for December and January. However, unlike the five-day Ashes Test, the match against South Africa will be over four days.Cricket Australia (CA) announced the home fixtures for the 2023-24 season on Sunday, which sees Pakistan men visit for three Tests, including the traditional Melbourne and Sydney fixtures, while both West Indies men’s and women’s sides will feature.West Indies men are touring in consecutive seasons due to a quirk in the next FTP, with their Tests taking place in Adelaide, which will revert to a day game for one season, and then Brisbane which will host a day-night encounter.Australia men’s home summer schedule•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The men’s Test summer stretches deep into January next season due to the 2023 ODI World Cup then a five-match T20I series tacked on afterwards, meaning Australia won’t return home until early December. However, the T20 and Test teams are likely to look very different.Their summer begins with the first Test against Pakistan in Perth from December 14, before the teams meet in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne and the New Year’s Test at the SCG.Adelaide will host a red-ball Test against West Indies from January 17, before a day-night Test at the Gabba from January 25. It means all Tests will fall in the holiday period.White-ball players will be available for the entire men’s BBL, before they enter camp for three ODIs and three T20s against West Indies between February 2 and 13.But the opening of the international season risks being completely overshadowed by the National Rugby League (NRL), with the first match scheduled for Sydney on grand final day with Australia’s women playing West Indies in a T20I at North Sydney Oval on October 1.That game will finish only hours before the NRL grand final, asking fans to choose which event to attend and viewers to switch off rugby league’s grand final lead-up games.CA takes the view that in a cluttered schedule, a Sunday start in Sydney is the right way to go, hopeful they can benefit from Channel Seven promoting the match during the AFL grand final the previous day.They are also adamant October 1 should be the start of the cricket season, that scheduling clashes with other sports are inevitable and that their world champion women’s team can win out.But privately there are concerns from some over the significant challenges the sport will face promoting the T20 match in Sydney, with a second game to be played the day after the grand final.Australia women’s summer schedule•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Australia vice-captain Alyssa Healy was hopeful the situation would not impact crowds while acknowledging there could be some hurdles to overcome in drawing fans.”It could be [a problem], maybe we might get washed out a little bit in that,” Healy told AAP. “But in saying that, it’s the start of the cricket summer. So hopefully that is spoken about that week.”Yes, the headlines will be dominated by AFL and NRL, but they are anyway. Come and watch some world-class athletes do their thing at North Sydney if the NRL is not your thing. I don’t think we need to compete against the NRL grand final, we can work around it.”It is not the first time concerns have been raised around the scheduling of women’s fixtures.Players were unhappy when they were switched to play on January 26 last summer, with Indigenous woman Ashleigh Gardner vocalising her opposition to the decision.Another match in the same series, against Pakistan at North Sydney Oval, clashed with the Sydney Smash in the BBL.There is some good news for the women in the upcoming fixtures, however. After three T20Is and three ODIs against West Indies early in the summer, they host a multi-format series against South Africa in January and February.Included is a day-night ODI at a major venue, Adelaide Oval, on February 3, followed by the Test on the pacy WACA wicket from February 15.

Dane Vilas made a career-best 224 before James Anderson ripped out three wickets on a steamy evening at Old Trafford to leave Lancashire in charge

Paul Edwards at Old Trafford21-Jun-2017
ScorecardThe signing of Dane Vilas was not greeted with general rejoicing in Lancashire. “What do we need another ruddy wicketkeeper for?” was probably nearer the mark, with the player’s South African origins also featuring in the opprobrium. Disapproval in a comparable vein also welcomed the recruitment of Ryan McLaren and Shivnarine Chanderpaul and it was expressed with predictable feeling.So one rather wonders what the critics thought as Vilas and McLaren shared a record-breaking sixth-wicket stand of 221 on the third day of this game; or as Vilas’ career-best 244 helped Lancashire build a first-innings lead of 198, the sort of advantage which should enable Steven Croft’s bowlers to complete what would be a remarkable victory as early as the final morning of this match.One of Vilas’s most significant achievements was that his 434-minute flogging of Hampshire’s knackered bowlers and fielders also sapped the mental strength of the visitors’ established batsmen, some of whom were already out of form in any case. James Anderson tends to fall on such weakness with the compassion of a ravenous wolf and the evening’s cricket proved that he had lost none of his effectiveness in steamy conditions against demoralised opponents who were searching for the ball rather than seeing it plain.Anderson began Lancashire’s evening fun by dismissing both Jimmy Adams and Rilee Rossouw for nought with successive deliveries in the third over of Hampshire’s second dig. Adams poked tentatively forward like a blindfolded man in a minefield and was leg before; Rossouw, whose 34 runs in seven innings has now included four noughts, fished sadly outside off stump and was caught at third slip by Croft. Four overs later Michael Carberry played no shot at Kyle Jarvis and had his off stump knocked back.Anderson’s best wicket was that of George Bailey, who was lbw for 10 to a ball which swung back into him. If Trevor Bayliss needed reassurance that England’s leading wicket-taker could still cut it, figures of 8-4-5-3 may do that job very nicely. And if Hampshire’s batsmen thought their despond was done with when Anderson was removed from the attack, they were rudely disabused of that notion as James Vince drove McLaren straight to Rob Jones at short extra-cover. It will now be a fair effort should Hampshire’s batsmen extend this game beyond lunch on Thursday.And yet when Anderson’s bowling has been duly praised, this was still Vilas’s day, one on which his commitment to the Red Rose was made abundantly clear during a 275-ball innings. No one could have played with more devotion to his team’s cause than Vilas, as storms and predictions of storms filled the weather charts and forecasts. Having been dropped off the second and third balls he faced this morning when Sean Ervine at slip and Carberry at mid-off grassed perfectly catchable opportunities he set himself to bat as long as he could. His 25 fours and quartet of sixes were only two measures by which his triumph could be gauged.Vilas’ stand with McLaren, who reached his first century for Lancashire with three successive boundaries off Kyle Abbott, set a new sixth-wicket record for the county against Hampshire. The pair added 129 runs in the morning session and they all but broke any vestige of resistance from Hampshire in the process. This was to be a desperate day for Bailey and his players.Still Vilas was not finished and a glance at his statistics would have made ominous reading for the Hampshire attack as they were broken on the wheel. Almost all batsmen talk about “going on” once they have reached three figures, yet few make the word flesh with quite Vilas’ ruthlessness. He has now made 13 centuries, in seven of which he had scored over 150 runs. Only twice has Vilas been dismissed between 100 and 150. These statistics indicate an approach to cricket and a level of fitness which young players like Alex Davies or Jones can learn.Vilas’ destruction of the Hampshire attack in the afternoon and evening session – the way he defended the good balls but also whacked three sixes of one Brad Taylor over – is evidence of a formidable talent, one whose influence may be felt over the coming months in the Old Trafford dressing room. By scoring the runs, he also helped Anderson take the wickets.Where does it leave the overseas players’ debate? Well some folk of firm principle will not have changed their views. Nowhere, apart from Yorkshire, perhaps, is the development of local talent more highly prized than in Lancashire. Those of such a persuasion might suggest that the ideal Lancashire cricketer was born on the banks of the Ribble, has been raised on hotpot and is capable of quoting Jack Iddon’s ten highest innings at the drop of a clog.Far more seriously, they would argue that organisations like the excellent Lancashire Cricket Board exist to develop home-grown talent and what is the use of not giving opportunities to the fine players produced by Lancashire age-group teams? The engagement of overseas players who arrive one week and clear off a fortnight later empowers that question. Yet Glen Chapple might respond that the development of the seven and often eight north-west based players in each of his teams is only assisted by the presence of players like Vilas, McLaren and Chanderpaul, all of whom are with Lancashire for the entire season. And perhaps we should let one of that trio explain his approach to the business of batting”When you get to a hundred, you want to go on and get a big hundred, that’s what the team needs,” Vilas said. “I know how frustrating it is to get a hundred and then get out, and we have said in the changing room that when it’s your day you need to dig deep and go as big as you can for the team.”All the hard work you put in, the sweat, the tears – when you bat like that, it’s what you work for, it’s a brilliant feeling. I’ve seen guys get hundreds and lose concentration and that makes it difficult for the next guy coming in. I don’t want to be the guy who puts pressure on the next man coming in.”Who would not want a cricketer like that in their team?

As back-to-back ODI tours of India and UAE loom, Finch is in a race against time to hit peak form ahead of the World Cup

Alex Malcolm in Melbourne17-Jan-20195:04

Improvements over last 8-10 months visible – Finch

Australia’s ODI captain Aaron Finch has spent the last few days reminding himself that he is “still a very good player” ahead of the series-decider against India at the MCG on Friday.Finch has struggled at international level over the past six months. Since scoring a stunning record 172 against Zimbabwe in a T20I in Harare in July, he has averaged just 18.48 in 26 innings across formats, with just two half-centuries, both in Tests. In the ongoing series, he has been bowled twice for 6, having faced 11 and 19 deliveries respectively in Sydney and Adelaide.”I’ve had a chance to go back and have a look at some footage and see what’s worked really well when I’ve got hundreds for Australia and felt like I’ve been playing really well,” Finch said. “It’s just about making sure that I give myself the best chance.”Maybe I’ve been too tentative in the last couple of games, letting a bit of pressure build up. It’s always a fine balance between attack and hanging in there and waiting for the right time to sort of be aggressive and take on the game. I still feel I’m a very good player. I think 13 international hundreds suggest that I do know what is required.”It’s just a case of getting through that initial part and probably looking to put a bit of pressure back on the bowler. I think at the moment I’ve just been a little bit tentative in my thought process and in my footwork at times. I think it’s just about going back to my natural game and just letting that flow and finding the right rhythm.”The schedule has been unrelenting. Since Finch was selected for the Test tour in the UAE, he has played 42 days of cricket out of 111, travelling to 15 cities across two different hemispheres, with seven format changes. He has also been captain for 14 of the 21 matches. Virat Kohli, who plays as much cricket as any international player, has played 16 matches and had five format changes in the same period. Finch is clearly in a need of a break and some respite is coming given he is not going to play in the IPL this season.”April is going to be some time off, which is a month off after the Dubai series (ODIs against Pakistan), before we head up to Brisbane for a camp before the World Cup,” Finch said. “So that’ll be the first real long break that I’ve had in a long time. That will be an opportunity to go on a quick holiday with my wife which hasn’t happened in the five-and-a-half years we’ve been together. It’ll be nice.”But in the meantime, he still needs to find some form in the final ODI on Friday, as back-to-back ODI tours to India and the UAE loom large as important preparation for Australia’s World Cup hopes. He will also have some BBL cricket ahead of the India tour.”India at home and then away followed by Pakistan in the UAE,” Finch said. “It doesn’t get much tougher than that in terms of conditions and opposition. After this series it’s just a bit of Big Bash. The Renegades schedule has a few breaks in it as well which will be really crucial. Just a time, like I said leading into this series, to recharge and just get back to getting out there and trying to slog a few around.”Aside from his own form, Finch was extremely positive about the way Australia played in the first two matches despite losing in Adelaide. Australia has made two changes for the series decider at the MCG. Jason Behrendorff has been rested to manage his ongoing back issues, with Billy Stanlake coming in, while Nathan Lyon has been replaced by legspinner Adam Zampa.

James Anderson has emerged as an injury doubt for the first Investec Test against Pakistan next month

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Jun-2016James Anderson has emerged as an injury doubt for the first Investec Test against Pakistan next month due to a stress fracture in his right shoulder blade.The ECB confirmed he will miss Lancashire’s County Championship matches against Middlesex and Nottinghamshire and that his availability will be confirmed nearer the opening Test at Lord’s on July 14.Anderson picked up the injury during the third Test against Sri Lanka earlier this month although it is understood not to be as serious as other types of stress fractures.”Due to the nature of the injury, Jimmy’s availability for the Pakistan Test series, commencing on July 14, will be determined following ongoing management and review by both the ECB and Lancashire’s medical teams,” an ECB statement said.Anderson, England’s leading Test wicket-taker, claimed 21 wickets at 10.80 in the three Tests against Sri Lanka, and despite the strength of England’s pace-bowling stocks, it would be a significant blow to lose him. In 10 Tests against Pakistan, Anderson has taken 45 wickets at 17.06 – his lowest average against any team.Anderson has had a slightly chequered injury record over the last year. He missed the final two Tests of last year’s Ashes series with a side strain and then the first Test against South Africa, in Durban, due to a calf injury.Should Anderson be forced to miss the opening Test against Pakistan, he could be replaced by Ben Stokes, who made his return for Durham in a T20 on Friday night, following knee surgery. However, Stokes is not yet ready to return to bowling duties, and England will be reluctant to rush back such a precious asset.Jake Ball, the uncapped Nottinghamshire seamer, was part of England’s squad throughout the series against Sri Lanka and would be another likely candidate to step in.

Webster posted his fifth century in his last 22 Shield innings to put his name up in lights

Alex Malcolm10-Oct-2024The Sheffield Shield’s leading allrounder Beau Webster has produced a timely century while Brad Hope posted his second Shield ton as Tasmania batted the entire third day against Victoria at the Junction Oval.Tasmania piled up 527 for 9 on a turgid surface to take a 99-run lead into the final day with Jordan Silk making 84 and No. 9 Kieran Elliott also making his highest first-class score of 63. But the surface is offering very little for the bowlers and it will be difficult for either side to produce a result.On a day when news emerged that Australia’s Test allrounder Cameron Green is facing a grim diagnosis on his injured back, Webster put his name up in lights scoring 113 to start the new Shield season as he finished the last. It was his 12th first-class century and his fifth in his last 22 Shield innings. He has averaged 69.94 in that time and made six other half-centuries including an unbeaten 97. Last summer he became only the second player behind Garry Sobers to score more than 900 runs and take more than 30 wickets in a single Shield season.But these runs came in a game where both sides have piled up more than 428 in their first innings and only 18 wickets have fallen in three days. Webster wasn’t getting too carried away given how placid the pitch is.”It’s a nice one to cash in on,” Webster said post play. “I’m batting well. I feel like I’ve been batting really well for 18 months now, and I’ve got a routine down pat. Whatever the conditions offer, I feel like I’ve got a game plan that can have some success.”He did note, however, that the media speculation surrounding Green was hard to shut out.”It’s hard to ignore,” Webster said. “It sits everywhere, all through the media, whether he’s going to bowl or not, or bat or not, or surgery and things like that. But there’s a lot of other good allrounders around the country, and lot of allrounders that have had good performances in the last 12 months. Hopefully I can just keep doing what I’m doing and if they see something they like, and I get an opportunity, I’ll jump at it and grab it with both hands hopefully. But not reading too much into it though.”Silk played with typical class and composure in a 149-run stand with Webster before Hope then cashed in.Hope made an unbeaten century as Victoria tried everything to find a wicket. Having removed Silk and Webster with two excellent deliveries from Sam Elliott and Fergus O’Neill respectively there was precious little support from the surface otherwise. At one stage late in the day, O’Neill bowled with the keeper up and eight catchers in front of square on either side of the pitch with a sole fine leg.Hope and Tasmania No. 9 Kieran Elliott shared a 127-run stand in the afternoon to take the score beyond 500 as Victoria took a third new ball. The partnership was finally broken by the new ball as Hope edged behind for 111. Elliott fell shortly after for 63.

Playing his first Shield match since April 2021, Marsh helped lift WA to a first innings total of 336 and a lead of 157

Tristan Lavalette03-Mar-2023Captain Mitchell Marsh smashed a belligerent century in his first Sheffield Shield match in almost two years to power Western Australia into a commanding position over Tasmania at the WACA.Marsh, playing as a specialist batter, returned to his best with an unbeaten 108 from 111 balls to lift WA to a first innings total of 336 and a lead of 157.Tasmania reached stumps on day two at 1 for 27 with Caleb Jewell on 21 and Jake Doran on 1.Opener Tim Ward, who top-scored with 44 in the first innings, fell lbw to left-arm quick Joel Paris for five to leave Tasmania facing an uphill battle to keep their final’s hopes alive.Having recently returned from a three-month layoff after ankle surgery, Marsh was in commanding form and hit nine fours and four sixes. He combined with Charlie Stobo in a last-wicket partnership of 113 to thwart Tasmania’s attempts at a comeback.After a subpar opening day, where they were bowled out for 179 in their first innings, Tasmania had clawed back into the contest with regular wickets through the opening two sessions.Offspinner Jarrod Freeman, who had claimed in-form Cameron Bancroft late on day one, dismissed opener Sam Whiteman for 64 to leave WA wobbling at 4 for 132 at lunch.Freeman added another after the long break when allrounder Aaron Hardie smashed a long-hop straight to midwicket with WA still 25 runs behind.Marsh, playing his first Shield match since April 2021, came to the crease looking to step up his preparations ahead of the upcoming ODI series in India.He was run out for a duck in his return against Tasmania in the 50-over Marsh Cup, but Marsh showed little rust as he navigated a short-pitched assault from speedster Riley Meredith who is arguably the fastest quick in the country.After a searing Meredith bouncer sailed over his head for byes, Marsh then counterattacked with a beautiful drive to the boundary followed by a six over midwicket.But Marsh was running out of partners with WA slumping to 9 for 223 with a lead of only 44 runs. He was on 38 when Stobo joined him and then hogged the strike by resisting singles.Marsh quickly sped past his half-century as he targeted Freeman straight down the ground while taking on Meredith’s sustained short-ball line.Tasmania had taken the extra 30 minutes before tea in a bid to claim the final wicket but their flagging attack was left frustrated as Marsh closed in on his century.He smashed a six off Freeman to move to 94 before reaching his ton moments later much to the delight of the smattering of fans in the terraces.Marsh received strong support from Stobo, who made a first-class career-best score of 38 off 84 balls to prove his worth having batted in the top-order for his local club in Perth grade cricket.Stobo finally fell as the shadows crept onto the WACA turf as WA moved closer to securing a home Shield final.

Delhi Daredevils and Sunrisers Hyderabad will face each other for the first time this season, and though they are in the top four of the IPL points table, a loss at this stage of the tournament will not be ideal

The Preview by Alagappan Muthu11-May-2016

Match facts

Thursday, May 12, 2016
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)

Big picture

Tell me if you’ve heard this one before. A Daredevil and a Sunriser lock horns… Oh, you have? Well, you probably didn’t hear it this season because Delhi Daredevils and Sunrisers Hyderabad have yet to play each other this IPL. Now, after 41 matches, with some teams even bracing against elimination, David Warner will finally have to ask himself, “How do I stop Quinton de Kock?”, and Zaheer Khan, “How can we tackle Mustafizur Rahman?”Fortunately, both have handled tricky questions quite well. Sunrisers are the only team that has opted to bat and defended a total in IPL 2016. That is about the best praise a bowling attack can hope for, especially in light of the chasing teams’ success this year. Bhuvneshwar Kumar has found swing again. Ashish Nehra’s resurgence has gone from strength to strength and Mustafizur’s cutter-yorker combination has mystified batsmen.Meanwhile, Daredevils had begun their season with a 98 all out and Zaheer laughed it off saying that their “one bad day is out of the way”. As a young player – and this team has many – hearing your captain say that brings a feeling of safety. They won the next five out of six games, but arrived in Hyderabad with two losses tied to their neck. Another at this stage of the tournament would not be ideal, even if the two teams meet again in a week’s time.

Form guide

Sunrisers Hyderabad WWWWL (Last five matches, most recent first)
Delhi Daredevils LLWWL

Watch out for

The openers. Warner and de Kock have been powerful influences at the top of their respective teams’ batting orders. Warner’s first boundary against Rising Pune Supergiants on Tuesday was a flat six over cover that gained elevation the longer it travelled. He has combined that innate striking ability with a thirst to bat long. De Kock has pretty much matched him, a mildly surprising fact if one remembers he is a bit like the little brother in the South African team. Little brothers aren’t supposed to smack the ball as hard as he does (with due respect to the younger McCullum.)The other openers. Zaheer and Nehra have had uncomfortably close relationships with injury. Both fast bowlers are in their late thirties, and it becomes quite apparent when they are fielding, but at the top of their run-up, with a batsman in front of them, they are excellent. Their spells with the new ball and at the back-end of the innings will be crucial.

Team news

Daredevils may prefer to have both Amit Mishra and Imran Tahir in the XI considering Hyderabad’s pitches are often fairly dry. De Kock is their wicketkeeper and perhaps their best batsman. That leaves two overseas spots for Carlos Brathwaite, Chris Morris, Sam Billings and JP Duminy, who has not played since last Thursday.Delhi Daredevils (probable): 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Rishabh Pant, 3 Sanju Samson, 4 Karun Nair, 5 Sam Billings, 6 JP Duminy/Carlos Brathwaite, 7 Pawan Negi/Shahbaz Nadeem/Jayant Yadav, 8 Zaheer Khan (capt), 9 Mohammed Shami, 10 Amit Mishra, 11 Imran Tahir/Chris MorrisSunrisers have found their strongest XI and are unlikely to make any changes. Kane Williamson, though, might be under the scanner considering he has 90 runs off 89 balls from three matches. He is a good bridge between the big-hitters at the top and the finishers below, but would want to up his strike-rate.Sunrisers Hyderabad (probable): 1 David Warner (capt), 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 Moises Henriques, 6 Deepak Hooda, 7 Naman Ojha (wk), 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Barinder Sran, 10 Ashish Nehra, 11 Mustafizur Rahman

Pitch and conditions

Brief afternoon showers are forecast in Hyderabad, but the match shouldn’t be affected. With a slow pitch and the large square boundaries at the Rajiv Gandhi International stadium, spin may play a substantial role.

Stats and trivia

• Warner’s strike-rate of 160.06 is the best for a batsman who has faced at least 250 balls. He has faced 293 balls this season – same as Shikhar Dhawan.
• Daredevils’ openers had added a mere 58 runs in their first six matches. In their last three games, they have added 198.

West Indies captain Jason Holder has said he is a fan of the concept of day-night Test cricket, urging players to give the format a chance on the eve of his team’s maiden pink-ball Test

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Oct-2016West Indies captain Jason Holder has said he is a fan of the concept of day-night Test cricket, urging players to give the format a chance on the eve of his team’s maiden pink-ball Test against Pakistan in Dubai. Holder said he felt the day-night format would give Test cricket the push it needs to sustain itself in the modern cricket market.”I like the concept and I think it is one that should be there to stay,” he said. “We have to give a chance to something new. Obviously, teams might first take time to adjust to it. Test cricket needs that bit of impetus, needs a bit of a push, and I think, possibly, day and night cricket could be it.”The day-night concept has had its share of support from various corners, including Holder’s counterpart, Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq, who recently stated that the “future belongs to night Tests.” Various concerns remain, nonetheless, on the durability and visibility of the ball. “It is a new thing with the pink ball, everybody is just trying to get accustomed to it,” Holder said. “I personally did not have big problems with the sighting.”Few of the players from the slip cordon said it was bit difficult to pick up, and also fielding square of the wicket, probably looking into the sun, it was difficult to sight. Having said that, it is what it is. Tomorrow starts the pink-ball Test, so we have got to adjust to it, we have got to just go there and just try to be as professional as we probably can.”Holder did have his doubts about the ball’s durability, though. “Personally, it does do a bit with the new ball. Five-six overs and after that it just stops a bit, and what I am basically concerned is just the condition of the ball, whether it will hold up,” he said. “Obviously, we had the experience of playing the warm-up game, and I reckon that around 30 to 40 overs, the ball starts to deteriorate and got really soft as well. It is interesting to see how it goes in this Test match, different conditions here in Dubai, and, hopefully, I just think the most important thing to do is keep it as simple as possible, just assess what the ball is doing, try your possible best and make it swing and move.”West Indies have struggled in the longer formats of late. Their previous Test assignment, against India at home, ended in a 2-0 defeat, with one match being affected by rain.”Obviously, it is a young team and we obviously went down in our last series. But it is a fresh series here and we had a pretty good lead-up to this Test series. We have been here quite a while, and most of the guys had a good camp in the Caribbean for the Test players alone, and they came here early and had a two-day game prior to the three-day game. I feel preparation, we have covered. It is just a matter of executing now. From the talks in the dressing room, everybody seems pretty confident, everybody is in good spirit, and so we can transfer on to the field of play.”West Indies did have some positives in that India series, however, most notably in the second Test where they salvaged what had seemed an improbable draw. Reduced to 48 for 4 and still trailing India by 256 runs in the second innings, Roston Chase led a stoic resistance as West Indies batted out 88.1 overs on the final day, scoring 340 runs while losing just two wickets.Holder said the talent was there in the team, it was just a matter of execution. “We have got some quality players. If you look down our line-up, Kraigg Brathwaite has been around for a little while and he has got a few centuries, Shane Dowrich came back into the squad in the last series and did well for himself. We have got the talent there, it is a matter of execution. We need to play some aggressive cricket.”