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Just days before his Test debut, Australia’s new opener tuned up for the challenge of facing Bumrah and co.

Tristan Lavalette18-Nov-20241:19

Ferguson: McSweeney sets a great example for everyone

After months of intrigue and innuendo, having come up trumps in a bat off to find Usman Khawaja’s opening partner, Nathan McSweeney endured an initiation in the middle of the WACA in his first session as an Australian Test cricketer.Just days before he makes his Test debut, McSweeney started preparing for the major challenge of fronting up to India’s frontline quicks led by talisman Jasprit Bumrah on an expected fast and bouncy Optus Stadium surface.In Australia’s first training session ahead of the series-opener starting on Friday, the focus was firmly on a wide-eyed McSweeney, who has suddenly had to deal with a lot of attention having mostly flown under the radar before this season.As McSweeney walked out to the middle of the WACA amid a warm sunny morning, with quicks Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc raring to go, some of his new team-mates decided to rib him.”Welcome to Test cricket,” they chirped.McSweeney, 25, was put through a thorough examination on the centre wicket as he took turns with Khawaja and Steven Smith in facing Cummins and Starc with the new ball.It was a baptism of fire and McSweeney looked rather uncomfortable as he played and missed repeatedly. But batting was made more difficult on the western side of the square which sloped away from the right-hander.Smith lamented the conditions, while McSweeney had a torrid time particularly against Cummins who consistently angled in and seamed away down the slope. He struggled to lay bat on ball, but there were some encouraging signs.McSweeney did not nick any of the deliveries, earning a nod of approval from his team-mates watching closely, and he didn’t follow the ball. He also did not get squared up, which had been an issue against the India A new ball quicks at the MCG when he opened for the first time in his first-class career.”It was a good challenge. I got through it unscathed,” McSweeney told reporters on Monday. “Didn’t put much pressure on them but they bowled really well and great preparation to face those guys who are quality bowlers.”McSweeney had a better time against offspinner Nathan Lyon, who he played comfortably, before undergoing more batting practice at the WACA nets. He finished his maiden session by bowling to Starc and Cummins. His handy offspin likely to be needed at some point during the Test series.”I think nothing but exceptional in my eyes,” Lyon said of McSweeney’s character. “I saw him up close and personal in that Shield game a couple of weeks ago [South Australia vs New South Wales] and I thought we had to run him out to get him out in the game.”I thought his tempo was nice. His timing of his movements were in sync. I’ve got nothing but praise for Nathan the way he’s gone about it. He’s a great guy, great kid and I only wish him the best.”Nathan McSweeney poses ahead of his Test debut•Getty Images

McSweeney will also play a role in shoring up Australia’s slip cordon after the retirement of David Warner, while Cameron Green’s absence also leaves a sizeable hole at gully.On Monday, McSweeney was stationed at third slip for catching practice with Smith on his left at second, Khawaja at first and Marnus Labuschagne in the gully. He also moved to a second gully for a few catches, standing on Labuschagne’s right in an indication that he might be used as a floater and rotate between third and the extra gully depending on where he’s needed.”Early days of my Shield career was at third and a little bit at gully,” McSweeney said. “Undecided exactly where I’m going to field but comfortable in both. It’s pretty cool standing in the slip cordon next to Steve Smith.”Even though he bats at No. 3 for South Australia, McSweeney’s excellent form to start the Sheffield Shield season on the back of a fine season last year and an unbeaten 88 – batting at No.4 – in the first India A fixture in Mackay lifted him over specialist openers Marcus Harris, Cameron Bancroft and Sam Konstas.But as he starts to experience the scrutiny that comes with being a Test cricketer, his selection did receive some backlash with former Test opener Ed Cowan particularly vocal.”I think everyone is going to have their opinion. I try and not read too much into it,” McSweeney said. “I have the guys in my corner. I really trust and value their opinion and I haven’t spent heaps of time with Ed.”I think for me I know what works and I feel very capable to go and do the job and I’m batting the best I ever have, I feel. Hopefully I can go out there and execute that on Friday.”2:20

Malcolm: ‘McSweeney could be a future captain if he finds his feet’

Adding to his set of challenges, McSweeney has never played red-ball cricket at the 60,000-seat Optus Stadium. Isaac McDonald, the ground’s curator, is hoping to replicate the spicy conditions of last year’s Test between Australia and Pakistan where numerous batters copped blows to their bodies.The advice from his senior team-mates? “Try and make sure you spend some time in the nets and get used to the bounce,” McSweeney said. “That’s one thing that’s spoken about a little bit.”The other thing is own your space in terms of what I’ve done for South Australia. Execute the same thing and the same process, same routine.”Ultimately it’s the game of cricket and I know my game.”While he learns to cope with the whirlwind of being a Test cricketer, McSweeney will lean on the support from loved ones descending to Perth in large numbers.”A lot of friends will be there, and mum, dad, my sister, grandad, my partner and a lot of guys I played club cricket with back in Brisbane,” McSweeney said.”Got a great supporter base and great family that’s looked after me and sacrificed a lot. Just looking forward to taking it all in and being able to share the moment with them.”

Moeen Ali added another reprieve to his list of escapes with the bat in the Chittagong Test

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Oct-2016Moeen Ali has had his fair share of fortune in the first Test in Chittagong. His opening-day 68 involved five DRS interventions – three in a period of six balls when he was given out by Kumar Dharmasena either side of lunch – but in the second innings a reprieve came from a different route.Facing Shakib Al Hasan, on 6, he flicked the ball off his hip straight a short leg who, at first glance from a front-on angle, had appeared to grasp the catch close to his chest. However, Moeen was well aware of the Laws and had noticed that the ball had made contact with the grille of Mominul Haque’s helmet before settling in his hands.Mominul, himself, also appeared to know the outcome as he barely celebrated the catch amid the initial excitement from the bowler. After a quick check with the third umpire, it was confirmed as not out.This is the Law (32.3) in question: “The act of making the catch shall start from the time when the ball in flight comes into contact with some part of a fielder’s person other than a protective helmet, and shall end when a fielder obtains complete control both over the ball and over his own movement… it is not a fair catch if the ball has previously touched a protective helmet worn by a fielder. The ball will then remain in play.”In the dressing room, Jonny Bairstow may have had a wry smile. He has twice fallen foul of being caught off a fielder’s helmet. It first happened in Mumbai, during the 2012 series, when he prodded a catch to silly point which was held by Gautam Gambhir. Initially all looked normal with the dismissal, but the wicket also brought lunch and as replays continued to be scanned it became clear Gambhir’s helmet had been involved. There were attempts by England to have the decision overturned but Bairstow was not reprieved.Three years later, during the 2015 Ashes, it happened to Bairstow again. In the second innings at The Oval he inside-edged Nathan Lyon to short leg where, with a juggle, Adam Voges held the catch. Again, he walked off without much fuss only for subsequent replays to show it had come off Voges’ helmet.More recently, during the India-New Zealand Test series in Kanpur, there was another example when Tom Latham was given a life when he swept Ravi Jadeja off his boot to KL Rahul at short leg but the ball struck the chin-strap of the helmet before the catch was completed. The umpires had already sent the catch to the third umpire, to check for a bump ball, so the deflection was picked up and Latham survived.

“If the shoe was on the other foot, I would have a deep think about the whole spirit of the game”

Osman Samiuddin02-Jul-20231:50

Cummins and Stokes respond to controversial Bairstow dismissal

Ben Stokes says he would have withdrawn the appeal if his side had dismissed a player in the manner that Alex Carey stumped Jonny Bairstow on the final day of a thrilling Test at Lord’s. Australia won a see-sawing Test by 43 runs, surviving a Stokes scare along the way, but a pivotal moment came when Bairstow was dismissed shortly before lunch.England were settled, having only lost Ben Duckett in the morning session when Bairstow ducked a Cameron Green bouncer, the last ball of the 52nd over. He walked out of the crease, without having checked with either umpire whether the over had been called, as Carey collected the ball and without pause, under-armed a throw to the stumps. He hit and though Chris Gaffaney at square leg called for a TV review, Bairstow was well out of his crease at impact.Related

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The dismissal riled up the Lord’s crowd – leading to a brief fracas between Australian players and members in the Long Room – and turned up the heat on the field, with the incoming batter Stuart Broad immediately getting involved in ongoing chatter with a number of Australian players.After the game, Stokes pointed to the grey area between the time the ball went to Carey and both the umpires motioning as if to end the over, though not calling it.”When is it justified that the umpires have called over?” he said on BBC’s TMS. “Is the on-field umpires making movement, is that signifying over? I’m not sure. Jonny was in his crease then out of his crease. I am not disputing the fact it is out because it is out.”If the shoe was on the other foot I would have put more pressure on the umpires and asked whether they had called over and had a deep think about the whole spirit of the game and would I want to do something like that. For Australia it was the match-winning moment. Would I want to win a game in that manner? The answer for me is no.”Asked whether he would have withdrawn the appeal, Stokes said, “Yeah.”Pat Cummins – “I thought it was totally fair play. That’s how the rule is. Some people might disagree. That’s how I saw it”•Associated Press

Pat Cummins, the Australian captain, said the attempt was pre-meditated, as Carey had noticed Bairstow walk out of his crease and up the pitch several times during the over.”I think Carey saw it happen a few balls previously, three or four balls previously, and there’s no pause, catch it, straightaway and throw at the stumps,” Cummins told Sky TV during the post-match presentation, comments that prompted more boos from the remaining crowd. “I thought it was totally fair play. That’s how the rule is. Some people might disagree. That’s how I saw it.”Cummins also suggested in his post-match press conference that Bairstow had attempted the same move when keeping himself.”You see Jonny do it all the time,” Cummins said. “He did it on day one to Davey Warner. He did it in 2019 to Steve [Smith]. It’s a really common thing for keepers to do if they see about a batter keep leaving their crease. So Kez [Carey], full credit to him. He saw the opportunity. I think Jonny did it a few balls beforehand. Rolled it at the stumps. Jonny left his crease. You leave the rest to the umpires.”Brendon McCullum, England’s coach, was not happy with the dismissal either, arguing that it goes against the spirit of the game. McCullum is no stranger to such dismissals, straddling the line between the laws of the game and its spirit. He was, famously, the wicketkeeper who whipped off the bails as Muttiah Muralidaran completed a run and wandered off to celebrate Kumar Sangakkara’s hundred in a Test in Christchurch in December 2006.A year before that he had done something similar in a Test against Zimbabwe, when running out Chris Mpofu to end a comfortable victory in Bulawayo. McCullum publicly apologised to Sangakkara and Muralidaran while addressing the MCC’s Spirit of Cricket lecture in 2016, saying that while he recognised the dismissal was within the laws of the game, it was against the spirt and he regretted effecting it.Reacting to Bairstow’s dismissal, he again called for players to protect the spirit of the game. “I think firstly, it was probably more of a thing in terms of spirit of the game that developed as you become a little bit mature and you’ve been around the game for a long period of time, and you realise that the game itself is something you need to protect, and the spirit is such an important part of that,” he said on BBC’s Test Match Special.”You’ve got to make decisions in the moment. They’re not easy to make and sometimes they can have pretty big effects on not just games but also on people’s characters as well.”It’s a tough one. To the letter of the law it was out. From our point of view, Jonny felt he was certainly not trying to take a run and he felt that as far as the umpires were concerned, they had effectively called over so therefore they thought the ball was dead.”It’s one of those really difficult ones to swallow. And when you look at a small margin at the end of the day, and you think of a player like Jonny Bairstow so many times in chases, has stood up. It’s incredibly disappointing, but in the end, lots of people will have their opinion on it. They’ll sit on both sides of the fence and then probably the most disappointing aspect is probably going to be the most talked about part of what was a great Test match, and that’s pretty disappointing to have two teams who have played in front of full houses and millions around the world and it would have been great if it was for the cricket.”Asked if the incident could impact relations between the two teams, McCullum said: “I can’t imagine we’ll be having a beer anytime soon, if that’s what you’re asking. From our point of view, we’ve got three Test matches to try and land some blows and try and win the Ashes and that’s where our focus will be.”

The batter says he wasn’t fussed about being left out of the XI in India after making a terrific hundred in the WTC final

Andrew McGlashan07-Jun-20231:51

Haddin breaks down Head’s high-risk game

This World Test Championship final is Australia’s 20th Test match in the two-year cycle. Four of their players have appeared in all the games. Travis Head has been part of 18 of them. One of his absences was due to Covid in Sydney during the 2021-22 Ashes, but the other was when he was dropped.Head, unbeaten on 146 off 156 balls after the first day against India, has now scored 1354 runs in this WTC at an average of 58.86 and strike rate of 81.91, and he can eye a double-century on Thursday. However, earlier this year, he was not deemed worthy of a place in the first Test against India in Nagpur.Whichever way the argument is spun with statistics, it will go down as one of the stranger selection calls in recent times, even when Head’s previous struggles in Pakistan and Sri Lanka in 2022 are factored in, but he insisted there is no lingering resentment.Related

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“It honestly doesn’t faze me,” he said at The Oval. “Very privileged to be where I am and do what I do. We’ve got a very strong squad of guys, selection isn’t always going to go your way, it hasn’t in the past, that’s out of my control. All I can do is be as consistent as I can be on the field, [and] off the field enjoy myself.”Yes, I’d love to play every Test but that won’t always be the case. That gives good perspective to moments like this. Hopefully I don’t get dropped too much in the future but it will definitely happen … it doesn’t give me extra fuel.”I know certain decisions haven’t gone my way in the past but I feel like I [have] got a fair bit to contribute to this team and [am] valued within the team. I’ve got the backing of the staff and the captain and the players so it’s nice.”Like Nagpur, The Oval is also a ground where Head has been on the rough end of a selection call when he was omitted from the final Test of the 2019 Ashes. This time his sixth Test century, and the fourth in this edition of the World Test Championship, three of which have come at decisive stages of an innings, powered Australia to 327 for 3 at the close.The unbroken stand with Steven Smith was worth 251 to suggest few gremlins in the surface. However, batting was far from easy for considerable portions of the day, with some deliveries jumping from a length and others scuttling low. Australia, too, would have bowled first had they won the toss, but it appears to have worked out perfectly for them if the unevenness develops further over the game.”If you get it in the right area there’s plenty there,” Head said. “As the game goes on, hopefully it gets a little quicker for us and we can find the right lengths, and I feel if you do that for long periods of time it can be a challenging wicket.”That good length at the top of the stumps was hard work. And as we [saw] when they went to that short-pitched plan it wasn’t the most consistent wicket, and the Dukes swings a little so it made for some awkward moments.”

“I’m happy, I’m excited and having fun playing cricket again, which was the most important thing for me”

Shashank Kishore05-Sep-20224:13

Kohli on answering his critics: I’ve never paid attention to these things

Virat Kohli is “excited” and “having fun” playing cricket, he said, but not long ago, he wasn’t getting any joy from the game. As he said recently, he was “faking his intensity a bit” and the fatigue and everything else added up and took a toll on him mentally. After top-scoring for India in the defeat to Pakistan on Sunday night at the Asia Cup, he also said that MS Dhoni aside, no one actually made the effort to reach out to him when he was going through a low phase.That phase came on the back of a somewhat tumultuous period in his career. He had given up the IPL and T20I captaincy, and lost his ODI captaincy – something he hadn’t expected – hours before a selection meeting. Then came his shock announcement of quitting Test captaincy earlier this year. All along, the runs weren’t coming quite as smoothly as he was used to.How did he deal with it? In Dubai, Kohli tried to provide answers, and stressed that he was in a good place.”Let me tell you one thing: when I left Test captaincy, I got a message from only one person, with whom I had played previously; that was MS Dhoni,” Kohli said. “Many people have my number. On TV, people give lots of suggestions, people have a lot to say. But none of the people who had my number sent me a message.”That respect [with Dhoni], that connection you have with someone, when it is genuine, it shows like this, because there is no insecurity with either of us. Neither does he [Dhoni] need anything from me, nor do I need anything from him. Neither of us suffers from insecurity. I can only say: if I want to say something to someone, I reach out to that person individually if I want to help.”I mean, if you give the suggestions in front of the world, it has no value for me. If it is for my improvement, you can talk with me one-on-one, (tell me) that I genuinely want you to do well. I live life with a lot of honesty, so I can see through such things. I am not saying that it doesn’t matter to me, but you see the real thing. I can only say that. When you play for such a long time, when you play with honesty, the only one who looks out for you is the almighty. Until I play, until I am worthy of playing, I will play this way.”Prior to the Asia Cup, in an interview with Star Sports, Kohli elaborated about his struggles. He touched upon how an obsession over his professional identity had led to him losing perspective as a human being. He subsequently took time off, during which he switched off completely from the game, not even doing something as spontaneous as lifting a cricket bat.2:56

Uthappa: Kohli looked ominous from the first boundary he hit

At the Asia Cup, Kohli has found a semblance of form, scoring 35, 59* and 60 at an overall strike rate of 126.22. But, more importantly, there has been an air of calm around him, both at training and at the games. He said that came from the realisation that taking a break wasn’t a bad thing sometimes.”I didn’t think I’d go a month without touching my bat, but the situation became such that I had to take a break,” he said. “More mentally than physically. Then you realise when you bat again after a month why you started playing the game. That [realisation] is lost at times, the way people look at you, cheer for you when you’re at the ground, at such times you can lose that realisation.”That drive and purity for the game, that joy dissipates. It was important to rediscover that again for me. When I’m happy in my space, then I know what I can do for the team. Me being in a bad space is neither good for the team nor for me. I think no one should run away from this, if someone is feeling negative or low, taking a break isn’t a bad thing.”And I hope people will derive strength from that and address whatever they are feeling. We’re all human, everyone can feel this way. But to recognise that and care about it is important. If you ignore it, you will get more frustrated. This is something I realised and I got a lot of help. I’m happy, I’m excited and having fun playing cricket again, which was the most important thing for me.”

Ireland batsman Andy Balbirnie and allrounder Stuart Thompson have been ruled out of the Desert T20 Challenge in the UAE after sustaining injuries while training

Peter Della Penna in Abu Dhabi15-Jan-2017Ireland batsman Andy Balbirnie and allrounder Stuart Thompson have been ruled out of the Desert T20 Challenge in the UAE after sustaining injuries at Ireland’s final training session on the eve of the tournament.Balbirnie suffered a strained glute muscle and will be out of action for one to two weeks, according to Ireland team manager Chris Siddell, while Thompson strained ligaments in his right ankle when he landed awkwardly on the thick boundary rope at Sheikh Zayed Stadium during a catching and six-saving drill. Thompson was seen on crutches wearing a cast after Ireland’s five-wicket loss to Afghanistan on Saturday and is expected to be out of action for at least a month.”It was just devastating for them for the hard work that they’ve put in to recover from their various illnesses and injuries,” Ireland coach John Bracewell after the Afghanistan loss. Balbirnie had been out for most of 2016 after hip surgery – which contributed to the loss of his Middlesex contract – while Thompson was attempting to make his Ireland return in this tournament after taking indefinite leave in June to get treatment for performance anxiety.Stuart Poynter and Lorcan Tucker are the two replacement players who were drafted into the Ireland squad for this tournament in place of Balbirnie and Thompson. Despite arriving at 2 am, about 17 hours before the first ball was bowled, Poynter was slotted in to open the Ireland batting and made 18 off 20 balls.Ireland captain William Porterfield revealed after the match that Thompson had been set to open the batting with Paul Stirling and the team felt inserting Poynter in that vacated slot was the best option to avoid further disrupting their batting plans. Tucker arrived in the country while the match was in progress, leaving Ireland 13 fit players to choose from against Afghanistan but should be available for their next match against Namibia on Tuesday.

Australia coach Justin Langer has hinted that the allrounder could get the nod ahead of Peter Handscomb on a slow MCG pitch

Melinda Farrell at the MCG24-Dec-20184:46

Langer hints at Mitchell Marsh’s inclusion for MCG Test

Australia’s Christmas Eve training shaped up as a No. 6 nets shootout between Mitchell Marsh and Peter Handscomb, with Marsh firming as the most likely option for the Boxing Day Test.The nature of the MCG pitch has been a huge talking point ahead of the third Test, nearly a year after the ICC had rated it “poor” for the Ashes Test draw, and the suggestion it may once again be slow over the five days could tip the scales in favour of the support Marsh’s bowling could provide to Australia’s quicks.”In a perfectly balanced side you have someone who can bowl some overs, so Mitch becomes an attractive commodity on a wicket, unlike Adelaide and Perth where we knew it would be an even contest, that although there’s some grass and moisture we also know the history of it,” coach Justin Langer said after Australia’s training session. “Our fast bowlers have been lucky, they have bowled less overs than the Indians at the moment, particularly [Jasprit] Bumrah, and the more we can look after those guys the better. It will come down to that decision.”Handscomb was given a tough audition in the nets facing Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins in quick succession but, while his strength batting against spin has often been a factor in his selection, Langer was quick to point out Marsh’s batting qualities. It’s an either-or situation that is overshadowing all thoughts of Christmas cheer.”We weigh up all those things,” Langer said. “Pete’s a very good player of spin bowling, Mitch is a pretty good player of spin too.”They are the hard decisions. You generally talk about one position and they are the ones that give you the most headaches. You have to tell someone they’re not playing which is tough and tell someone they are, it’s a nice Christmas present.”I spend my life thinking about all those things, it’s a bit sad, not what Christmas presents I buy for my kids but who plays spin better, whether we play the extra bowler.”Langer also acknowledged how difficult it can be for players like Handscomb and Marsh, who have both been the subject of widespread criticism, whether due to technique or form.He’s behind you: Peter Handscomb has taken Mitchell Marsh’s place•Getty Images

“We talked about that in our team meeting this morning,” Langer said. “There’s so much noise, so much opinion, but we have to keep trusting the path we are on whether it’s the individual players or the group.”We know there’s lots of criticism, that’s okay, it’s hard but it’s part of the business. Takes great strength and courage to eliminate it and perform.”Langer confirmed if Marsh plays he will definitely bat in the top six above Tim Paine, a decision made easier by the strength of Australia’s lower order. While Australia’s tail has made instrumental contributions with the bat and was particularly incisive with the ball in Perth, the coach believes they are yet to hit their straps with the ball.”All of them would admit they haven’t quite nailed it this series, so that’s exciting,” Langer said. “We saw it in the Ashes last year that there were times they were all over England.”Nathan Lyon is literally world class, he’s been so good. The other three, we’ve seen great signs, and there were times when they bowled worse and got more wickets but I’m really excited when those guys bowl as that unit – I can’t wait to see that.”

The league clashes with the English summer but players on white-ball-only county deals might be given permission to play

Matt Roller21-Mar-2023Alex Hales remains hopeful of featuring in the inaugural season of Major League Cricket (MLC) despite concerns that English cricketers might not be given No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) to play in the new US league.ESPNcricinfo understands that Hales has been in talks with MLC franchises about his availability for the tournament, but several teams are worried that the ECB could block NOCs since the new league takes place during the English summer.While centrally contracted England players appear unlikely to be granted NOCs, players on white-ball-only deals with their respective counties – like Hales – are expected to be given permission to play in the US if they sign contracts.Related

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MLC is due to be played from July 13 to 30 and mainly clashes with the County Championship. The Vitality Blast’s Finals Day – which involves only four counties – takes place on July 15, and players involved would miss the start of the competition.For players without central contracts, NOCs are granted by counties in the first instance, with ECB providing formal sign-off. These have previously been granted to white-ball specialists looking to play overseas leagues during the English season, for both the IPL and the CPL.The Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) believes MLC should be treated in the same manner as other leagues that take place during the English summer, “via the principle established in county and ECB central contracts,” a spokesperson said. “Ultimately, it is up to the employers’ discretion in-season, unless the player is on a specific white-ball version of the standard contract.”Hales’ contract with his county, Nottinghamshire, runs until the end of their season in this year’s T20 Blast. His only other existing contract within the English game is with Trent Rockets in the Hundred, which starts on August 1 – two days after the MLC final – and if signed, he would return to the UK the day before the Rockets’ opening fixture.Other English white-ball specialists without central contracts who could make themselves available for MLC include Richard Gleeson, Tymal Mills and Will Smeed. At this stage, it appears unlikely that players on all-format deals would request to miss County Championship fixtures in order to play in the US.Some players are waiting to see whether their counties reach the knockout stages of the Blast, and will only make themselves available for MLC – potentially as replacement signings – if they are not involved in Finals Day.If the length of MLC seasons expands in future years, as anticipated, some players could make themselves unavailable for some or all of the Blast season in order to sign more lucrative contracts in the US than counties can offer.Overseas players are signed directly by MLC franchises, rather than through a draft system, and top salaries are believed to be in the region of $150,000 (USD). Quinton de Kock, Aaron Finch, Wanindu Hasaranga, Mitchell Marsh, Anrich Nortje and Marcus Stoinis have all been announced as direct signings.And MLC has already had a direct impact on the Hundred. ESPNcricinfo understands that Nortje has pulled out of Thursday’s draft since his contract in the US is worth more, pro rata, than the most lucrative £125,000 (GBP) deals on offer in the Hundred.

Twelve wickets tumbled on the third day of the four-day clash between Australia A and India A, with both teams in with a chance when the Brisbane rains called for an early stumps at the tea interval

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Sep-2016
ScorecardTwelve wickets fell on a rain-hit third day of the four-day match between Australia A and India A but both teams will consider themselves in with a chance when play resumes on Sunday in Brisbane. Australia A need 100 runs more in their chase of 159, while India A need six wickets.Having eked out a two-run first-innings lead, India A resumed on 2 for 44 on the third day and collapsed to 156 all out. They managed to reach that score due to a late 46 from Jayant Yadav at No. 8. Australia A ended the day precariously placed at 4 for 59, after Shardul Thakur’s two wickets in consecutive balls resulted in an early wobble for the hosts.Batting under overcast conditions at the Allan Border Field, India lost overnight batsman Manish Pandey in the ninth ball of the day. Pandey was caught brilliantly at slip off new-ball bowler Daniel Worrall. Shreyas Iyer, India A captain Naman Ojha and Karun Nair all followed suit in quick succession, before Jayant strode out with the score at 90 for 6. He then single-handedly tried to lift India A to a respectable score, striking 46 of the next 66 runs they scored. Jayant was the last man dismissed, caught off medium-pacer Chadd Sayers in the last ball of the 48th over. He faced 75 balls for his 46 and struck eight fours.Australia A’s pace attack did the bulk of the damage, with Worrall, David Moody and Sayers taking three wickets each, while legspinner Mitchell Swepson accounted for Thakur.Thakur then rocked Australia A with twin strikes in the seventh over, sending back opener Joe Burns and Travis Dean. Captain Peter Handscomb negotiated the hat-trick ball and raced away to 24 off 18 balls with help of five fours. However, Handscomb was dismissed by Hardik Pandya, before Varun Aaron trapped Marcus Stoinis lbw to send him back for an 11-ball duck.Opening batsman Cameron Bancroft resisted for 74 balls and was unbeaten on 16. Giving him company at stumps was Beau Webster, who had faced 11 balls for his unbeaten 6.Thakur ended the day with figures of 2 for 14 in six overs. Aaron and Pandya had a wicket each.