Imposing victory over Oman means routine win against Namibia should suffice for qualification

Andrew Miller14-Jun-20241:22

Wood: ‘Happy with how I’ve bowled apart from one stinking over’

Match details

England vs Namibia
June 15, Antigua, 1pm local time

Big picture: England breathe easier after statement win

Have the real England stood up at last? The jury, if truth be told, is probably still considering its verdict. For if one and a quarter matches was an insufficient sample size to assess their early-tournament woes against Scotland and Australia, then a 19-ball run-chase against an outclassed Oman can hardly count as proof that all is right once again with the defending world champions.But at least the speed and certainty of that Oman performance – conducted against the clock as much as their opponents – has placed England’s progress back in their own hands… sort of. By vaulting their net run rate up over that of the Scots’ (3.08 to 2.16), they can now breathe easier in the knowledge that another comfortable victory against Namibia should be enough to keep them on course for the Super Eight.Of course, there is – and will remain – a seed of uncertainty so long as Scotland still have a chance of landing the shock of the tournament by beating Australia in Group B’s final match on Sunday, but with Pat Cummins having officially declared that the Spirit of Cricket is at stake in that contest after a week of speculation about go-slows, it’s safe to assume that the Aussies will give their all, as they invariably do on the world stage.England put in a commanding performance against Oman to revive their qualification hopes•ICC via Getty Images

They certainly did just that in bowling Namibia out for 72 in Antigua on Tuesday. It was a performance of near-identical dominance to England’s crushing of Oman – it was all wrapped up in a 34-ball run-chase, to England’s 19, by nine wickets to England’s eight, and with their star legspinner Adam Zampa claiming 4 for 12 to Adil Rashid’s 4 for 11. The only real difference was in the resistance offered by Namibia’s captain, Gerhard Erasmus, in his doughty 36 from 43 balls.England have no room for complacency given their uncertainties of the past week, but if this team truly is forged in the image of its captain Buttler, then confidence surely begets confidence. They have restored a degree of agency to their tournament narrative. It would be one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history if they let that qualification chance slip now, before Scotland have had their shot at ruining the party on Sunday.

Form guide

England: WLWWL
Namibia: LLTWW

In the spotlight – Adil Rashid and David Wiese

He took a couple of matches in this tournament to get fully back up to speed – which isn’t entirely surprising seeing as his displays against Pakistan last month were his first competitive outings since February – but against Oman, Adil Rashid‘s game was in perfect working order. His analysis included a remarkable 20 dot-balls, as his command of flight and variation demanded guesswork from an inexperienced Oman middle-order, and if he can produce a similar four-over display against Namibia, that ought to be ample to expose the gulf between the teams. Looking ahead to the Super Eight (as England, tentatively, can now allow themselves to do), the sight of a settled Rashid, growing into his work, augurs extremely well for the defending champions’ prospects.Never say never, but at the age of 39, and with at least two years until Namibia’s next shot at an ICC world tournament, this could be a last hurrah on the big stage for the mighty David Wiese – a mainstay of Namibia’s fortunes since he transferred his allegiance back in 2021, having previously played 26 matches for South Africa, including a role at the 2016 World T20. He was integral to their only victory so far in this campaign, with three wickets against Oman allied to a stellar Super Over display, but he was less effective against Scotland and Australia. A reversion to his best could yet cause England a few jitters on Saturday.

Team news

England’s attack nailed its brief in the Oman rout, with Reece Topley’s inclusion for his first match of the tournament providing an awkward left-arm point of difference to complement the 90mph-plus pace of Jofra Archer and Mark Wood. It was all too hot to handle for Oman’s line-up, although there may well be a temptation to rest either or both of the latter given the two-day turnaround between matches, especially now that any old victory will keep England on track for qualification. Sam Curran, the star of England’s title win two years ago, is waiting in the wings for a first outing of the campaign, while Chris Jordan could slot back in too.England (possible): 1 Phil Salt, 2 Jos Buttler (capt & wk), 3 Will Jacks, 4 Jonny Bairstow, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Liam Livingstone, 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Jofra Archer/Sam Curran, 9 Mark Wood/Chris Jordan, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Reece TopleyNamibia mixed things up in their last outing against Australia, with Ben Shikongo and Jack Brassell making their first appearances of the campaign – and potentially last as well, after being launched for a combined tally of 33 runs in ten balls in a one-sided run-chase. Of Namibia’s 15-man squad, only the 20-year-old batter Dylan Leicher has yet to be given an outing. With their qualification hopes over, there may be a temptation to reconfigure once again.Namibia (possible): 1 JP Kotze, 2 Nikolaas Davin, 3 Jan Frylinck, 4 Gerhard Erasmus (capt), 5 Malan Kruger, 6 Zane Green (wk), 7 David Wiese, 8 Ruben Trumpelmann, 9 JJ Smit, 10 Bernard Scholtz, 11 Tangeni Lungameni

Pitch and conditions

England found themselves pleasantly surprised by both the carry in the surface for the Oman game, as well as the degree of spin that Rashid extracted. After damp conditions in Barbados, the Antigua leg has been conducted under clearer skies, so another full contest is in prospect.

Stats and trivia

• Namibia have faced England just once before in a full international contest – at Port Elizabeth during the 2003 World Cup, when Rudi van Vuuren and Jan-Berrie Burger starred in a spirited 55-run defeat.
• Moeen Ali needs one wicket to reach 50 in T20Is.
• Erasmus has the potential for twin milestones: he needs three wickets to reach 50 in T20Is, and 60 runs to reach 1500.

Quotes

“There were obviously a few negatives flying around and questions being asked, and I’m really pleased for the bowling unit that we came out and managed to put on a performance.”

Batters Jannillea Glasgow and Chedean Nation, who were with Royals in 2023, have now joined Knight Riders

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Jul-2024England wicketkeeper-batter Lauren Winfield-Hill has joined Guyana Amazon Warriors for the third edition of Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL).Amazon Warriors have also drafted in former West Indies Under-19 captain Ashmini Munisar, offspinner Sheneta Grimmond, uncapped allrounder Realeanna Grimmond, left-arm spinner Kaysia Schultz and Nyia Latchman along with Jamaican seamer Kate Wilmott.The three WCPL franchises had done most of their recruiting previously through retentions and pre-signings. Last week, Amazon Warriors had announced the signing of allrounders Chloe Tryon from South Africa and Erin Burns from Australia.Meanwhile, defending champions Barbados Royals drafted in wicketkeeper Rashada Williams and batter Trishan Holder from their squad of last year and added seam-bowling allrounder Shabika Gajnabi, seamer Cherry Ann Fraser and batter Djenaba Joseph – who were all with Amazon Warriors last year.Related

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• Royals add Chamari Athapaththu for Women's CPL 2024

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• Jemimah Rodrigues, Shikha Pandey sign up for Women's Caribbean Premier League

Trinbago Knight Riders drafted Kyshona Knight, Anisa Mohammed and young wicketkeeper Shunelle Sawh from their squad of last year. Batters Jannillea Glasgow and Chedean Nation, who were with Royals in WCPL 2023, moved to TKR for the upcoming season.This year’s WCPL will be held in Trinidad from August 21 to 29, with all seven matches to be played at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy.

Squads

Barbados Royals: Hayley Matthews, Chamari Athapaththu, Amanda-Jade Wellington, Laura Harris, Georgia Redmayne, Chinelle Henry, Afy Fletcher, Aaliyah Alleyne, Qiana Joseph, Rashada Williams (wk), Trishan Holder, Shabika Gajnabi, Cherry Ann Fraser and Djenaba Joseph.Guyana Amazon Warriors: Stafanie Taylor, Shabnim Ismail, Karishma Ramharack, Shemaine Campbelle (wk), Natasha McClean, Shakera Selman, Chloe Tryon and Erin Burns, Ashmini Munisar, Sheneta Grimmond, Realeanna Grimmond, Kaysia Schultz, Nyia Latchmann and Kate Wilmott.Trinbago Knight Riders: Deandra Dottin, Meg Lanning, Jess Jonassen, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shikha Pandey, Kycia Knight (wk), Shamila Connell, Zaida James, Samara Ramnath, Kyshona Knight, Anisa Mohammed, Shunelle Sawh, Jannillea Glasgow, Jahzara Claxton and Chedean Nation.

ECB also confirms first women’s Test at Lord’s when India return in 2026 summer

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Aug-2024England have announced their home fixtures for next season, with the men’s and women’s teams taking on India during concurrent series in the middle of summer. The ECB has also confirmed that Lord’s will host its first women’s Test when India return for a one-off game in 2026.The 2025 season will see a joint visit by West Indies men’s and women’s teams, while England Men will face Zimbabwe in a one-off Test before finishing the summer by hosting South Africa for ODI and T20I series.The international season commences at the St Lawrence Ground in Canterbury on May 21, with England Women playing West Indies in the first of three T20Is, to be followed by three ODIs.The men will begin with a four-day Test against Zimbabwe – their first international meeting since the 2007 World T20 – to be staged at Trent Bridge from May 22-25, before the white-ball teams play three ODIs and three T20Is against West Indies.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

England Men’s five-Test series against India will kick off at Headingley on June 20, before back-to-back games at Edgbaston and Lord’s, followed by Old Trafford and The Oval.At the same time, England Women will take on India in five T20Is, the first of which will be at Trent Bridge on June 28, followed by a three-match ODI series that will also see the teams play at Lord’s.With the Hundred likely to take up much of August, England Men’s international programme will conclude with six white-ball games against South Africa before travelling to Ireland for a three-match ODI series.”Staging England Men’s and England Women’s series alongside each other has been popular with fans and supported the continued growth of the women’s game, with both the Ashes last year and the Pakistan series earlier this year proving successful,” Richard Gould, the ECB’s chief executive officer, said.”I’m excited we’ll be doing the same again for the West Indies and India series next year. Cricket fans are in for a real treat, and I hope they’ll be out in force to support both men’s and women’s sides.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“India touring is always a big draw and a highlight of any cricket summer. The last men’s Test series here was a nailbiter and I’m sure next year’s clash will be just as exciting, while our women’s series are always fiercely competitive. I’m delighted we’ll also be welcoming both West Indies teams back again for white-ball series, following this year’s men’s Test series.”To be welcoming Zimbabwe back for a men’s Test Match will be a historic moment, more than 20 years since their last visit. Test cricket is so beloved in this country, and we know that we have an important role to play in supporting developing Test-cricketing nations so that this format of the game thrives long into the future.”I’m also delighted we can confirm that India Women will return in 2026 to take on England Women in the first-ever women’s Test match at Lord’s. It will be a truly special occasion, and one of real significance.”

England home international fixtures 2025

England Women vs West Indies Women
1st Vitality T20I – May 21, Canterbury
2nd Vitality T20I – May 23, Hove
3rd Vitality T20I – May 26, Chelmsford1st Metro Bank ODI – May 30, Derby
2nd Metro Bank ODI – June 4, Leicester
3rd Metro Bank ODI – June 7, TauntonEngland Men vs Zimbabwe Men
Only Rothesay Men’s Test – May 22-25, Trent BridgeEngland Men vs West Indies Men
1st Metro Bank ODI – May 29, Edgbaston
2nd Metro Bank ODI – June 1, Cardiff
3rd Metro Bank ODI – June 3, The Kia Oval1st Vitality T20I – June 6, Chester-le-Street
2nd Vitality T20I – June 8, Bristol
3rd Vitality T20I – June 10, SouthamptonEngland Men vs India Men
1st Rothesay Test – June 20-24, Headingley
2nd Rothesay Test – July 1-6, Edgbaston
3rd Rothesay Test – July 10-14, Lord’s
4th Rothesay Test – July 23-27, Emirates Old Trafford
5th Rothesay Test – July 31- August 4, The Kia OvalEngland Women vs India Women
1st Vitality T20I – June 28, Trent Bridge
2nd Vitality T20I – July 1, Bristol
3rd Vitality T20I – July 4, The Kia Oval
4th Vitality T20I – July 9, Emirates Old Trafford
5th Vitality T20I – July 12, Edgbaston1st Metro Bank ODI – July 16, Southampton
2nd Metro Bank ODI – July 19, Lord’s
3rd Metro Bank ODI – July 22, Chester-le-StreetEngland Men vs South Africa Men
1st Metro Bank ODI – September 2, Headingley
2nd Metro Bank ODI – September 4, Lord’s
3rd Metro Bank ODI – September 7, Utilita Bowl1st Vitality T20I – September 10, Cardiff
2nd Vitality T20I – September 12, Emirates Old Trafford
3rd Vitality T20I – September 14, Trent Bridge

He will miss Strikers’ first game due to the final Test of England’s tour of New Zealand

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Aug-2024England’s current stand-in Test captain Ollie Pope has signed with Adelaide Strikers and West Indies left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein has joined Sydney Sixers to complete the pre-draft names in the BBL.Pope, who is leading England against Sri Lanka due to Ben Stokes’ hamstring injury, will be available for Strikers after the Test tour of New Zealand which finishes on December 18 which means he will miss at least their first match.Related

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Pope will be looking to build on a T20 record of 1295 runs at 28.77 and a strike-rate of 132.82. He had a lean time in the recent Hundred for London Spirit where he made 35 runs in five innings.He will have a chance to team up with Ashes adversaries Travis Head and Alex Carey, the latter who has signed a new four-year deal, when they are available for the BBL for a short window after the India Test series.”Ollie Pope is an exceptional talent with a proven track record at the highest level,” Tim Paine, Strikers’ new head coach, said. “His dynamic batting style and wicket-keeping abilities are a fantastic addition to our squad.”It was confirmed earlier in the week that Strikers had not taken allrounder Jamie Overton as their pre-draft signing but they will be able to use their retention option if needed during the draft itself if they wish to bring back the England allrounder who had a huge impact last season.AAP reported that Rashid Khan has not nominated for the draft meaning he will miss the BBL for the second consecutive season after being ruled out by injury last year. Afghanistan have international cricket scheduled during the first part of the BBL then Rashid has signed for the SA20.

Akeal Hosein fills Steve O’Keefe’s shoes

Meanwhile, Sydney Sixers have identified Hosein to fill the gap created by Steve O’Keefe’s retirement although he is only due to be available for the first seven games of the season due to an ILT20 deal with MI Emirates.From 2025-26 players signed under pre-draft agreements have to commit to the full BBL season but that is not the case for this season. Hosein took 13 wickets in nine matches for Melbourne Renegades in 2022-23 and played one further game for them last season as a late replacement.”With the retirement of Steve O’Keefe last season, we identified a gap for us to fill and Akeal is going to play a key role for us in that position,” Sixers general manager Rachael Haynes said. “We expect him to bowl some really important overs for us, but we also know he’s a talented fielder and a capable tail-end batter who’ll be able to provide crucial runs in the back end of an innings if required.The BBL draft will take place on September 1.

BBL pre-draft signings

Adelaide Strikers: Ollie Pope
Brisbane Heat: Colin Munro
Hobart Hurricanes: Chris Jordan
Melbourne Renegades: Tim Seifert
Melbourne Stars: Tom Curran
Perth Scorchers: Finn Allen
Sydney Sixers: Akeal Hosein
Sydney Thunder: Sam Billings

Sussex coasting to title after rain-ruined contest at Hove

ECB Reporters Network29-Sep-2024Tom Haines and James Coles both scored centuries as Sussex clinched the second division title on a day of celebrations at Hove.Haines made 105 – his third hundred of the season – and Coles hit an unbeaten 132 as Sussex finished the season undefeated at the 1st Central County Ground after drawing with Middlesex.They began the final day on 112 for two, needing to reach 250 and a fourth bonus point to ensure promotion as champions.There was a slight sense of anti-climax shortly after lunch when Luke Hollman overstepped and the two no-balls took Sussex to 250, but the celebrations out in the middle, where Coles and skipper John Simpson embraced warmly, and on the pavilion balcony showed what it meant as Sussex returned to Division One after a nine-year absence.Sussex finished 20 points clear of Yorkshire, having won eight of their 14 games.There had still been a bit of work to do at the start before the celebrations could begin and Haines and Tom Alsop settled any nerves by putting on 123 in 35 overs for the third wicket with few alarms. Alsop passed fifty for the eighth time this season and must have fancied his chances of converting it into a first hundred, only to mistime a pull off Josh De Caires to deep midwicket.Haines reached a chanceless hundred – the 12th of his career – with a cut through backward point off Hollman for his 13th boundary only to fall just before lunch when he bottom-edged into his stumps to reward Hollman’s perseverance.Once Sussex had achieved their objective the cricket not surprisingly lost any intensity. Ryan Higgins bowled off breaks instead of his usual medium-fast seamers, Luis du Plooy gave his left-arm tweakers an airing as Middlesex employed nine bowlers including Mark Stoneman, who sent down seven overs in his final game for the county, and wicketkeeper Jack Davies.Not that Coles or Simpson were complaining too much as they built a fifth-wicket stand of 226 in 46 overs, beating the previous best against Middlesex set of 223 by Simpson and Cheteshwar Pujara when the teams drew at Lord’s earlier in the season.Coles played aggressively, hitting six sixes and nine boundaries, clipping Hollman into the leg side to bring up his first hundred of the season. His unbeaten 132 came from just 150 balls while Simpson took his aggregate to 1197 runs at 74.81 with an undefeated 87.It was fitting that Simpson, whose five centuries as well as his leadership has been so crucial to Sussex’s success, was there when the players shook hands at 4.20pm with Sussex on 459 for 4.A few minutes later the celebrations could begin in earnest when the trophy was presented to him by another former Sussex captain Clare Connor, the managing director of England Womens Cricket.

The home side had made a strong start before Joel Paris hit back for Western Australia

AAP01-Nov-2024Half centuries from Caleb Jewell and Mitchell Owen have kept Tasmania’s first innings on track in their Sheffield Shield match against Western Australia.Tasmania, who lost to WA just a fortnight ago by six wickets in a Shield final rematch in Perth, ended day one 302 for 7 at Bellerive Oval. A run-a-ball 83 from No. 7 Owen helped lift the hosts from a precarious 153 for 4.The Shield champions travelled to Hobart on top of the standings, but missing numerous key personnel.Among the absentees were opener Cameron Bancroft, Cooper Connolly and rising spinner Corey Rocchiccioli on Australia A duty; Aaron Hardie and Josh Inglis preparing for upcoming one-day internationals, as well as Mitch Marsh (paternity leave) and Charlie Stobo (omitted).Tasmania lined up without key middle-order batter Beau Webster who led their run-scoring tally last season, while the bowling line-up was boosted by the return of Gabe Bell and Lawrence Neil-Smith.The home side survived the opening session without loss after being sent in to bat by opposition skipper Ashton Turner.Tasmania posted a century stand before rookie medium-pacer Brody Couch had Jake Weatherald caught down the leg side for 49.The ever-reliable Joel Paris then did the damage midway through the second session as Tasmania lost 3 for 18.Jewell was trapped lbw for 61 after surviving an earlier let-off, before Charlie Wakim and captain Jordan Silk were both soon sent back to the pavillion.Owen fell in the final hour having struck 13 boundaries and two sixes in a career-best knock, only for Paris to end the dangerous innings.Brad Hope was then dismissed for 25 off Cameron Gannon having shared a 102-run stand with Owen.

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.”

Australia prevailed amid a flurry of DLS calculations in Canberra and can now set their sites on a whitewash

Andrew McGlashan24-Jan-2025After retaining the Ashes in Sydney, Beth Mooney didn’t want to get drawn into talk of a whitewash before the series was won but with that box ticked team-mate Grace Harris now wants to “embarrass” England with a 16-0 scoreline.Australia prevailed in Canberra amid a flurry of DLS calculations – England were ahead when the game was stopped for the first time – and latterly Heather Knight played a defiant hand before rain returned with 18 needed off five balls.Australia have been hugely motivated by the draw in the 2023 Ashes which left them with muted celebrations when they lifted the trophy at the end of the series having seen England fight back from 6-0 down. Now, with the final T20I to come in Adelaide followed by the day-night Test at the MCG, the focus turns to not allowing the visitors to get anything on the board.Related

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“Of course, I have thought about 16-0,” Harris told after the win. “A whitewash would be outstanding. England got the better of us in the last series.”To me, it’s a loss, a draw is boring. But 16-0, that would be very, very good if we could embarrass this England team because they’re actually a very competitive outfit and they’ve got some really good players among them.”Stand-in captain Tahlia McGrath, who has taken over from the injured Alyssa Healy since the start of the T20I series, admitted relief was one of the initial emotions after the Ashes were secured outright having been behind the DLS when play was first suspended.”It hasn’t quite sunk in yet, there’s just so much drama in that game and so much mental capacity taken up watching DLS, watching run rates, radars, so it was a weird way to wrap up and win them outright,” she said. “Relieved, happy to win it this early, it would be nice when we get a chance as a group to properly celebrate together but job not done, still two really big games to go.””[A whitewash] would be pretty special to us. The Ashes last year, retaining them in England didn’t quite sit well with us and we’ve been hungry for a while and looking forward to these Ashes for a very long time. We’ve been playing some really good cricket but still feel like there’s areas to improve.”Tahlia McGrath has been in resounding form in recent games•Cricket Australia via Getty Images

McGrath herself has played a key role with the bat in the last three games after a lean start to the series which, amid Australia’s abundant batting talent, put her under scrutiny. But she has responded with a 38-ball ODI fifty, 26 off nine balls at the SCG and an unbeaten 48 off 35 in Canberra having come in when Australia had lost 3 for 9.”I was really disappointed with my batting in the first two games,” she said. “I went away from my natural game a little bit. I like to take the game on, I like to move around the crease and I sort of went away from that.”I went into my shell a little bit the first two games so I went back to a blueprint that has worked for me in the past and just trying to be a bit braver, a bit more fearless and lucky enough that it’s come off for the last couple of games.”But Grace was huge for me because I was scratching around a little bit and struggling and she came out and took the pressure off me and just freed me up a little bit at the back end as well.”

“It was pretty cool to tick off,” she said after becoming just the second woman to score an ODI century from No. 6 or lower

Andrew McGlashan17-Jan-2025Ashleigh Gardner was relieved to not be stuck in the 90s for too long on the way to an “emotional” maiden international century which put Australia on the brink of retaining the Ashes.Gardner’s previous highest score for Australia was 93, made in a T20I against India in 2020, and in Hobart she became just the second women’s batter to score an ODI century from No. 6 or lower in the order.In the 45th over, Gardner was on 90 and facing Nat Sciver-Brunt when the England allrounder pushed consecutive balls down the leg side which Gardner was able to take advantage of, with a single off the final delivery of the over leaving her on 99 against Lauren Bell. One dot followed before she pulled Bell through square leg.Related

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• Gardner's century and King's five-for give Australia ODI series sweep

• Stats – Gardner's rescue act, King's fruitful series, Ecclestone's poor show against Australia

“Because I haven’t made many hundreds throughout my whole cricketing life I had a feeling that I would get really nervous in the 90s,” Gardner said. “Thankfully for me, Nat bowled a couple down the leg and I was able to get those away to the boundary and race through the 90s.”The rest just fell in place and I was able to get to that milestone. It’s certainly something that I can be really proud of. I’ve played a lot of international games and haven’t quite made that mark…to be able to reach that was pretty emotional, but it was pretty cool to tick off.”Gardner had walked in with Australia tottering on 59 for 4 but was able to stitch together partnerships of 95 with Beth Mooney and a defining 103 from 83 balls with Tahlia McGrath before the innings was capped off by George Wareham’s 12-ball 38.Gardner made a conscious effort to try and put pressure on England’s leading spinner, Sophie Ecclestone, who she scored 24 off 29 balls against in what became Ecclestone second-most expensive return in ODIs.”For me and Moons, it was just to build a partnership and to ease the nerves a little bit and calm people down,” Gardner said. “The conversations just kept being around putting pressure back on them. I know for me, batting in those types of situations, you can go back in your shell.”For me that doesn’t really work because then I go too far the other way, so I still try to be really proactive. I tried to put pressure back on Ecclestone, which sometimes worked and sometimes didn’t. I guess it made her change something, and that was what I was trying to do.”The messages were kind of the same with T-Mac [McGrath]. That was probably the best I’ve seen T-Mac bat in a very long time. She just took a lot of pressure off me. I didn’t feel like because I was the one in that I had to keep going as hard.”Gardner put an exclamation mark on her performance with a spectacular parried boundary catch late in England’s innings to remove Ecclestone.Ash Gardner took a spectacular juggling catch on the rope•Getty Images

“I was probably off the rope too many steps, knowing that she hits the ball pretty hard and far,” she said. “After the initial catch, it was [about] trying to get my momentum to basically not fall over the rope. It was just one of those things where instinct kicks in and you throw the ball back and hope that you can catch it on the rebound.”I made a bit of a meal of it in the end, and I’m sure people will probably say that I put a bit of mayo on it. I didn’t mean for it to be caught that way, but I’ll take it.”Winning the ODI series has ticked plenty of early boxes for Australia and leaves them needing just two more points to retain the Ashes but with the memories of 2023, when 6-0 became an 8-8 draw, there is a determination not to be in that position again.”I know there was sort of redemption after the white-ball series that we played last time in the [last] Ashes. We weren’t up to it,” Gardner said. “I think the standard that we’ve shown throughout today was probably the most clinical batting performance that we’ve put out there. We’ve played on some tricky wickets, so it’s really exposed us at different times and being able to overcome that.”Knowing that we’re going into the T20s, which I think probably is England’s best format, being able to take confidence in what we’ve done in these last three ODIs into that first T20, I’d imagine England probably don’t have as much confidence as what we do, so we should really relish in that.”Having seen 59 for 4 turn into over 300, England still had a chance at 200 for 4, needing 109 from 80 balls, but when Danni Wyatt-Hodge was superbly caught Phoebe Litchfield, they lost 6 for 22.”You looked at the worms and they were bang on,” captain Heather Knight said of the chase. “I think we were ahead actually, for most of it. We felt like on the bench we could probably chase 10, 11 an over for the last ten. So being in that position, we felt pretty good. We just didn’t have that set batter to go on and go really big”Those key moments, when the game’s on the line, they [Australia] seem to be able to cope with them really well. We haven’t been able to seize the moment a little bit and really hammer down any advantage that we have got. It’s something that we need to do a little bit better, realising when we’re in a key moment of the match, can we go after this? Let’s go and win this. So hopefully we can show some progress in that in the T20s.”

Their run-scoring methods haven’t worked on this tour and part of that is due to the variety in the Indian bowling attack

Alagappan Muthu11-Feb-2025

Big picture: Variety the spice of both life and ODI bowling attacks

Jos Buttler, all though this ODI series, has been conscious of doing well for longer but also of playing watchable cricket. He picked up Rohit Sharma’s 72-ball hundred as an example of how that is a virtue worth striving for; that being “dynamic” and “aggressive” is how the game needs to be played in the modern day.Rohit, having suffered months where nothing went right – maybe a ball rolling off his forward defensive and onto his stumps at the start of the season should’ve been a clue – looked up and saw four fast bowlers coming at him on a slow and low pitch and all four of them were virtually the same. Mark Wood had a little more pace. Saqib Mahmood swings it a bit but essentially they were all tall guys operating in the 130-140 kph in conditions that were never going to help them.England, meanwhile, had to score their runs against a mystery spinner who had already run through them in the T20I leg of the tour. Varun Chakravarthy, on ODI debut, picked up a wicket in his second over. They had to navigate two very different left-arm spinners. Axar Patel doesn’t rely on turn. He round-arms it in looking for lbw and bowled. Ravindra Jadeja doesn’t distinguish between edges of the bat like that. He hunts both of them. Variety like that matters in ODI cricket. India have it, to the extent that Rohit doesn’t really see too much wrong with where his team is at.Everyone feels the need to play attacking cricket, and that’s not just now. One of the greatest ODIs ever played – the 438 game – took place even as the world had barely realised T20 was a thing and reiterated just the unmitigated thrill of run-scoring. Three-hundred playing three-hundred is boring but four-hundred playing four-hundred is edge of the seat. England made 500 seem gettable – twice – and that’s the dream they’re still chasing. Maybe they could put just as much attention into finding a bowling attack that isn’t so samey.

Form guide

India WWLLT (last five completed ODIs, most recent first)
England LLLWL

In the spotlight: Harshit Rana and Jos Buttler

Harshit Rana hated missing out on an international cap. He needed to be consoled when that kept happening, by his father, by his coach. Now though he’s an all-format player – Test, ODI and T20I debuts happening all in the space of four months – and with the Champions Trophy on the horizon his star might rise even higher. India are valuing his knack of picking up wickets over his tendency to leak runs and that is a trade-off worth pursuing, especially if it gives them a leg up in the middle overs.Harshit Rana, on ODI debut, picked up some big wickets•AFP/Getty Images

In Cuttack, at 219 for 3 in the 39th over, England were actually doing well, until their captain’s attempt to clear mid-off didn’t happen. Buttler could well have been playing that sequence in his mind when he said, “we are making steps again in the right direction but not the perfect, complete performance with the bat.” Had that shot gone for four, which it has hundreds of times before, things could’ve been different. Buttler needs for them to be different. The last 50-over ICC event that took place in the subcontinent didn’t go so well for him or England.

Team news: India to bring back Kuldeep?

When they named their squad for these ODIs, India had hoped to see if Jasprit Bumrah might be able to play this third one, following his back injury in the New Year’s Test against Australia in Sydney. That has turned out to be wishful thinking and it appears the way they front up now might be the way they front up in the Champions Trophy too, without their premier fast bowler. A different, but perhaps just as important member of their bowling attack, might be making his way back to the XI though. It was strange that Kuldeep Yadav was rested in the first place when he had played just two competitive matches since the middle of October 2024India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 KL Rahul (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Harshit Rana, 11 Mohammed ShamiIt is a dead rubber so England might not push to bring back some of the players they rested in the last game, unless they are fit and able, in which case they could really use them considering Paul Collingwood and Marcus Trescothick had to volunteer for sub fielder duties. Tom Banton might be in line for an ODI recall, but given he usually does his best work at the top of the order, what does it mean for the rest of the line-up?England: 1 Ben Duckett, 2 Phil Salt (wk), 3 Tom Banton, 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Jos Buttler (capt), 7 Liam Livingstone, 8 Brydon Carse, 9 Saqib Mahmood/Jofra Archer, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Mark Wood

Pitch and conditions: Win toss, win match?

A hot, humid day is forecast for the game in Ahmedabad. Both England and India are painfully aware that the best chance of winning a white-ball game there is to chase.

Stats and trivia: Twin peaks waiting for India’s stars

• Rohit needs 13 runs to score 11,000 in ODIs. On Sunday, he went past Rahul Dravid into the top 10 run-getters in the format’s history
• Virat Kohli needs 89 runs to get to 14,000 in ODIs. Only Kumar Sangakkara and Sachin Tendulkar have ever got to that peak.
• England and India have both won the same number of matches since the end of the last ODI World Cup – 4 – just that England have also lost as many matches (9) as India have played in that same time.

Quotes

“We want to keep getting better as well. Nothing specific we want to work on but overall we want to keep getting better as a player and team. That is what we want to do. As long as guys are clear about what they are supposed to do, if they keep doing that not much to think about.”