Marnus Labuschagne made a century following the suspension of play on the first day due to the pitch

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Nov-2021The pitch behaved itself on the second day at Karen Rolton Oval, although was far from easy, and Marnus Labuschagne made his second hundred of the season, but the contest for the No. 5 spot in the Ashes side fell flat with failures for both Usman Khawaja and Travis Head.After play was suspended 50 overs into the opening due to concerns over damp patches on a length the game resumed on time. Although Queensland fell away from 1 for 179 they were in control at stumps having reduced the home side to 8 for 93 on a surface that remained challenging.Head was caught at leg slip off the left-arm spin of Matt Kuhnemann to continue a relatively lean run of scores since the opening weeks of the season.Earlier, Khawaja, who is competing with Head for a return to the Test side, was caught behind off an inside edge against Dan Worrall. Both batters will hope to make a mark in the second innings of this contest before the Australia-Australia A fixture at the start of December, although speaking when the squad was announced national selector George Bailey said the selectors had their preferred candidate.It was the blows Labuschagne took on the opening day that prompted the suspension of play but there were no such alarms as he moved towards three figures.He and Bryce Street, who is part of the Australia A squad, added 124 for the second wicket but from there South Australia fought back. At one stage Queensland lost four wickets for five runs which included Labuschagne dragging on a sweep against Head’s part-time offspin. It took Kuhnemann at No. 11 to lift them over 300.The early stages of South Australia’s reply were promising but once Henry Hunt fell to James Bazley they went into a nosedive. After Head’s departure their situation was compounded when Alex Carey slog-swept to deep square leg before Jake Weatherald was bounced out by Mark Stekette.Kuhnemann, who has been excellent this season filling in for Mitchell Swepson, had time to claim two more wickets before the close to leave South Australia starring at a follow-on.

He became just the third bowler to claim six wickets in a BBL innings as Brisbane Heat lost 8 for 28

Andrew McGlashan12-Jan-2022Rashid Khan signed off from his BBL stint with career-best figures of 6 for 17 to lift Adelaide Strikers off the bottom of the table with a thumping win at the Gabba as Brisbane Heat produced another of their eye-watering collapses.Rashid’s figures, coming in his 300th T20 game, were the third best ever in the BBL behind Lasith Malinga’s 6 for 7 and Ish Sodhi’s 6 for 11. He will now depart for international duty with Afghanistan in a major loss for Strikers, but on his last night sparkled briefly with the bat then halted a promising Heat position with two wickets in two balls as part of a team hat-trick.From 2 for 62 Heat, welcoming back a host of their players who had been hit by Covid, lost for 8 for 28 in seven overs with five batters collecting ducks – equaling the most in a BBL innings – as they fell out of the fifth finals position with three games to play.Strikers had laboured with the bat after Matt Short fell for a brisk 27 but a late cameo from Thomas Kelly (24 off 16) balls lifted them over the 160 mark.Thornton’s BBL restartAnother player given an unexpected opportunity in the tournament, pace bowler Henry Thornton made his second BBL appearance four years after a debut for Sydney Sixers. With his second legal ball, clocked at 143kph, he removed Chris Lynn from a bottom edge into the stumps. There was also some eye-catching late movement as he pitched the ball with an interesting, slingy action. Overall he went for just 12 in his three overs including eight dot balls.Run out, Rashid derail HeatFrom 2 for 17, Heat had recovered nicely through Lachlan Pfeffer and Ben Duckett before the wheels came off. Out of nowhere, Pfeffer set off for a non-existent single to midwicket and had no chance of getting back. Next ball, Sam Heazlett edged a Rashid googly to the keeper and then Jake Lehmann went for a big sweep off his opening delivery and was cleaned up. Xavier Bartlett survived the hat-trick but the damage had been done leaving Rashid to slice through the lower order. If Strikers are to make a run to the finals, they have a big hole to fill.Do Strikers have enough power?They got the win they desperately needed, but it was not a batting performance to inspire confidence. Short was promising after copping a painful blow to the arm from a wild throw by Nathan McSweeney to dominate the powerplay worth 1 for 33. However, the trio of Henry Hunt – who only faced seven balls in the first five overs – Jake Weatherald and Jonathan Wells had a combined tally of 83 off 81 balls. Overs 11-14 brought just 22 runs when Weatherald briefly broke the shackles with a hooked six before finding deep square leg next ball.Mujeeb vs RashidIt is often a surprise that the various T20 sides Rashid plays for don’t make more use of him up the order. At last Strikers made that move, Rashid walking out at No. 5 – just the 12th time in 170 T20 innings he had batted so high – to try and give the innings some impetus. He couldn’t have started much better, top edging his first ball off Bartlett for six before depositing him straight down the ground for another. However, the stay came to end in unfortunate fashion against his Afghanistan team-mate Mujeeb ur Rahman when, moving well outside leg, the ball cannoned off the pads into leg stump. Mujeeb knew he had got lucky and directed a little smile Rashid’s way. However, when Mujeeb later became Rashid’s fifth wicket the smiles had swapped.

While acknowledging areas of improvement still needed after the India series win, coach Boucher also said the players are “growing as cricketers and human beings”

Firdose Moonda24-Jan-2022South Africa were playing more than just the opposition over the last few summers with matters coming to a head this season after their coach, Mark Boucher, was charged with gross misconduct by Cricket South Africa (CSA). Boucher received his charge sheet – which confirmed CSA will seek his dismissal – on Monday, two days ahead of the ODI series against India that South Africa swept 3-nil.Boucher’s charges relate to historic and current handlings of race issues, which have always been part of South African cricket’s narrative but became even more topical since the Black Lives Matter movement’s resurgence in sport in 2020. Since then, South Africa have appointed their first black African ODI captain, Temba Bavuma, who now outlined the difficulties of being in charge of a team that continues to face issues off the field.Related

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“I don’t think it’s easy (captaining the team). There are a lot of dynamics that you need to manage. For me, the biggest thing is trying to keep cricket the main focus amongst the guys,” Bavuma said. “I hate to bring this up but it’s been a challenging period for the team, for the players, for particular members of management. There’s been a lot of scrutiny surrounding the team and surrounding the organisation, so to manage the conversations happening around the change-room and to ensure our energy is 100% geared towards performing out there, for me, has been the biggest challenge. It has been a big responsibility but has also been a privilege. But it’s not easy.”Bavuma did not name Boucher specifically and when the man himself was asked about the difficulties of coaching a team that is constantly facing off-field pressures, Boucher said: “I can’t answer that. Not now in any case.”ESPNcricinfo understands that Boucher has been advised not to discuss matters related to his disciplinary hearing as it is part of the ongoing investigation. Boucher and his legal team will meet with CSA on Wednesday to outline a timeframe for the hearing, but it is unlikely to begin before South Africa return from their two-Test tour of New Zealand, which starts on February 17. Afrikaans newspaper reported on Sunday that Boucher’s defence will be bankrolled by a group of wealthy businessmen, and though it did not name any of them, billionaire Johann Rupert, an entrepreneur, issued a tweet in support of Boucher earlier in the week.Despite what could be a rocky few months ahead for Boucher personally, he was positive about the development the team has made under his watch to beat India in both the Test and ODI series this season. “The progression has been great,” Boucher said. “We turned the corner a while ago, from a team perspective. We tried a few things in Covid times when we had to get a deeper squad and we gave a lot of opportunities to a lot of players. We are starting to reap the rewards now. It’s all falling into place, which is nice.”While acknowledging areas for improvement, such as the fielding in particular, Boucher said the ingredients in the squad could make a recipe for future success, especially because internally there’s a sense of harmony. “There are always places we can improve. I don’t think our fielding was great. But I like the look of this batting team. I like the balance. We are getting hundreds, and that’s with one or two of those guys out of form. I believe we’ve got a classy top six,” Boucher said. “And now with allrounders, we’ve got a couple that we can look at. We have an environment which is very good. The change-room is a happy change-room and the players are growing as cricketers and human beings.”South Africa will celebrate their twin successes against India, but Boucher said their feet remain “firmly on the ground”, and Bavuma, speaking from both a captaincy and batting perspective, echoed that. “It means a lot as a player. Knowing I contributed to the winning cause makes it better,” he said. “You will always be judged on your record and to convincingly beat an Indian side speaks a lot to my captaincy. But things are still early from a leadership point of view. I will take the positives but I will try very hard not to get ahead of myself.”

Boucher will still face a disciplinary hearing in May over charges of gross misconduct

Firdose Moonda08-Feb-2022Cricket South Africa are unlikely to take further action on the manner in which Director of Cricket (DOC) Graeme Smith and men’s head coach Mark Boucher were appointed despite the Social Justice and Nation-Building report citing irregularities in their hiring. Speaking to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Sports, Arts and Culture, CSA board chair Lawson Naidoo explained that because Smith and Boucher’s appointments were rubber-stamped by the previous board, no further investigation will be undertaken.Boucher will still face a disciplinary hearing in May over charges of gross misconduct, while Smith is in arbitration with CSA over other matters raised at the SJN.”The DOC and head coach were appointed in December 2019 under the previous board. It is clear from the (SJN) report that there were irregularities in those processes. Those appointments were subsequently endorsed and ratified by the then board. Our hands are tied in terms of those processes,” Naidoo said.Smith was approached for the job of DOC in August 2019, by former CSA CEO Thabang Moroe, who has since been dismissed. He was interviewed in November that year but withdrew his interest in the job five days later, citing lack of confidence in CSA’s administration. When Moroe was suspended in December 2019, Smith was appointed in interim capacity for three months before signing on as an independent contractor over the last two years. His contract expires at the end of March. The SJN found that the process of headhunting Smith despite other candidates being interviewed was flawed, but CSA’s previous board approved this process so no further action can be taken.Part of Smith’s remit was to appoint South Africa’s head coach and support staff. All the candidates were headhunted with Boucher contracted until 2023 alongside Charl Langeveldt (bowling coach) and Justin Ontong (fielding coach). Enoch Nkwe, who was interim team director at the time, was named assistant coach and resigned last year. CSA’s previous board approved all these appointments. The SJN report has found fault with Boucher being preferred to Nkwe and called it unfair discrimination, but no mention was made of Langeveldt or Ontong. It appears that none of these processes will be further investigated.Key men: [L to R] Graeme Smith, Enoch Nkwe, Mark Boucher and Linda Zondi•AFP via Getty Images

However, CSA will continue with the disciplinary action against Boucher, whose dismissal they are seeking over current and historical handling of issues of race. Boucher faces charges over his role in singing a song with the words “brown s***” in fines’ meetings to team-mate Paul Adams in the late 1990s and early 2000s, his handling of the Black Lives Matter movement with the current squad in 2020 and 2021 and his relationship with Nkwe. Boucher’s hearing will take place from May 16 to 20 and he intends to call players involved in the national set-up to testify on his behalf. There has been no announcement on any disciplinary process involving Smith.Related

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Asked by MPs why Boucher and Smith have not been suspended, Naidoo explained that CSA acted on legal advice. “It’s important to state, and this applies to all the legal processes we are involved in, we will follow due process. I can assure the portfolio committee that the board took legal advice on whether that (suspension) was possible and we received the legal opinion from two senior lawyers,” Naidoo said. “They advised us that there was no legal basis to suspend Mark Boucher and Graeme Smith. The board took a unanimous decision not to suspend because it would open us up to unnecessary litigation.”Already, CSA have spent R50 million (US$3.2 million) in legal fees over the last two years. A significant portion of that could have gone into sorting out disciplinary matters. CSA have dismissed former CEO Moroe, former acting CEO Kugandrie Govender, former company secretary Welsh Gwaza, former head of commercial Clive Eksteen and former chief operating officer Naasei Appiah. Most of those cases went to appeals, resulting in a more drawn out process, Eksteen winning against CSA before parting ways and Appiah settling. The sports ministry criticised the costs of ongoing litigation at the organisation. “The department takes a dim view of the money directed away from programs for legal fees,” Vusumuzi Mkhize, the director general of the department of sport said. “We prefer settling outside of court.”Mkize was also asked about the department’s view of the Boucher situation, especially because Boucher is continuing in his role as head coach. “That is not a ministerial responsibility. The minister may not deal with employees of the board unless there has been a clear breakdown of governance,” he said. “We encourage them to move with speed.”The same applies to the CSA’s inability to appoint a permanent CEO, which has dragged on for months. The new board, who were put in place in June, have said it is their “priority,” to fill the role currently occupied by Pholetsi Moseki, but are yet to find a suitable candidate.”In August last year we placed a public advertisement for the CEO and engaged the services of a recruitment company. We received a shortlist of candidates and interviewed them but we were unable to conclude an agreement to appoint anyone at that stage,” Naidoo said. “We have since embarked on a further process with the services of a separate recruitment company. We hope to make an announcement in the next few weeks. We are cognisant that this is the priority of the board. It is a process the board is giving due attention to.”

The centurions both lifted the Player-of-the-Match award after they kept each other company in the middle for over two hours

Annesha Ghosh12-Mar-2022Rarely does the best performer in a game insist on a second Player-of-the-Match award for their team-mate. Rarer are the times they direct a demand of this sort at cricket’s governing body, at a world tournament at that.But Smriti Mandhana said she was aware her 123 would have mattered little against an undefeated West Indian side had fellow centurion Harmanpreet Kaur not done her bit to put India’s 2022 ODI World Cup campaign back on track after a chastening defeat two days ago. So Mandhana had Harmanpreet, who made 109 on the day, by her side at the presentation ceremony where she explained why she felt they both were equally deserving of the honour.Related

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“I think scoring a century and not being a Player of the Match is something which I wouldn’t really want as a player,” Mandhana said after India’s 155-run win at Seddon Park. “I think we both contributed equally for us (India) to score 300. So it’s good for us to share the trophy.” Asked who might eventually keep the award, Mandhana said, “I’m sure ICC will be giving another trophy and I’m sure they have enough budget to do that.”That Mandhana and Harmanpreet both lifted the award at the end of the ceremony and grinned ear-to-ear at the cameras seemed fitting on a day they kept each other company in the middle for over two hours, exchanging notes, smiles, and hugs – in that order – while reaching new milestones, individually and as a pair. After all, their 184-run fourth-wicket stand, the second century stand between them and India’s highest at any ODI World Cup, had propelled the team to a mammoth 317 for 8. That was India’s best-ever score at a 50-over world tournament and the highest so far in this edition of the event.Mandhana’s century was her second at an ODI World Cup and the second against West Indies, too. Harmanpreet’s, meanwhile, made her the first Indian woman to score three hundreds in ODI World Cups. Both knocks proved pivotal in lifting India to the safety of a 300-plus total a week after 310 was nearly chased down at the same venue. Against a West Indies side that had downed hosts New Zealand and defending champions England in their first two outings, it was all the more critical for India to post an imposing total after opting to set one.”As batters, we both prefer chasing and setting the target both together,” Mandhana said of the dynamic of her partnership with Harmanpreet. “Our strengths are really different because she is really good with spin and I like pace on the ball. So when the spinner comes on I give her the strike and when the pacer comes on she gives me the strike.Smriti Mandhana scored her second century against West Indies in World Cups•AFP via Getty Images

“It’s always fun to bat with Harry . We have battled a lot in T20s in last six to seven years I’ve been part [of the Indian team], I’ve had a lot of partnerships with her and we always complement each other really well. We share a really good bond on and off the field.”When she did walk in, the situation was quite tricky, so I didn’t want to get her [to] lose her focus. So I didn’t really joke around at that time. But once she was in 30s and 40s, we both were actually having a lot of fun after that; we started talking a lot more. And I don’t think today I needed to tell her because she was smiling a lot more than she generally does.”Despite India’s attacking start – thanks to opener Yastika Bhatia’s 21-ball 31 – India found themselves precariously placed near the 15th-over mark when No. 5 Harmanpreet joined Mandhana in the middle. Together, they powered India from 78 for 3 to 262 for 3 at a rate of over a run a ball. A standout feature in their stand were their ease at stealing ones and twos, a major part of both their innings built on along-the-ground strokes.”When she came into bat, we were focusing more on singles and doubles because we had lost three quick wickets and we didn’t want to play another [fancy] shot or get out or something and we didn’t want to even stop the run rate,” Mandhana explained. “So our discussion was that we’ll just keep batting and we will get singles and doubles and convert the singles into doubles. That’s something we all spoke in the dressing room after the New Zealand match, where we couldn’t start the momentum and carry it also.”Deputy to Harmanpreet in the T20I side, Mandhana was effusive in her praise for her senior and ODI vice-captain’s work ethic and resilience.”From the outset, I feel when her back is towards the wall, that’s when she comes the best out and that’s something which I’ve seen,” said Mandhana. “Her work ethics are really up there in the whole team. She keeps going even if she does not get the results. That’s something that really gets her going. World Cups are the place where she comes good and comes big.”From the practice game she’s been batting well, so we are really confident that she will be able to score runs in this tournament. I’m happy that she just got back to back score fifties And most importantly I think today’s century will give her a lot of confidence and [to] the whole team as well because we were not in a great place to start with and from there for her to bat and get us out of that situation, I think it was an incredible innings.”During the innings break, Mandhana described her 119-ball knock as “uncharacteristic,” for she scored at a strike rate of under 90 for the best part of her innings. Later, she admitted she “had a little nervous nineties today,” dropped on 94 at deep midwicket by Aaliyah Alleyne and then surviving a bouncer and an appeal for lbw soon after.”I was a little nervous about that ball going up in there and I prayed to two-three gods saying that please let the player drop it and she put it down, so I should thank her actually because otherwise I would have got out on 96,” Mandhana said. “It’s been a long way for me to come [and score the hundred] …”I’ve been getting out on 70s and 80s quite a lot, so something which was consciously I was thinking that if I feel like playing a shot I have I don’t have to stop myself. I’ll just go with the flow and I’ll just play according to the ball. That’s how I started my inning, so that’s something which I was really working on. Hopefully, I will be this kind always on me and I will convert the 60s and 70s into a big score because if I do that India is [usually] in a great position.”Mandhana will likely have to make do with just the one Player-of-the-Match trophy for herself and Harmanpreet from this game. It was fitting, nonetheless, that the third in line for India’s ODI captaincy honours, doffed her hat to Harmanpreet, the captain Mandhana made her limited-overs debuts under, when she could have the spotlight entirely on herself.

Kent opener carries his bat as Parkinson leads visitors’ charge at Canterbury

Paul Edwards16-Apr-2022When this Championship season began nine days ago, Ben Compton had played ten first-class matches in his life and had scored two hundreds, both for the Mountaineers in Zimbabwe’s Logan Cup. He was 28 years old. He had been signed on a two-year contract by Kent, whose director of cricket, Paul Downton, praised the new recruit’s tenacity. Fortunately, Downton knew whereof he spoke. Compton had played second-team cricket for Kent in 2019 and had scored 613 Championship runs for Nottinghamshire IIs last season. All the same, he was a bit of a punt and he probably knew he wouldn’t get another chance.Now, if you will, turn your attention to this third afternoon at the Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence. The weather is pure Arthur Ransome but nobody notices it. Kent are in the toils, just as they will be for the rest of the day. Replying to Lancashire’s 506, the home side are 240 for 7 and Compton is unbeaten on 99. Tom Bailey is bowling to him from the Pavilion End and the Lancastrian’s disciplines never waver. Having made 129 in the draw against Essex last week, Compton searches for the single that will take him to his second successive century. It isn’t there. Lancashire’s fielding is unobtrusively outstanding, the product of hours of practice. The cricket is gripping and, please note, .Suddenly, George Balderson, who is bowling from the Nackington Road End, dismisses Matt Milnes and Nathan Gilchrist with successive deliveries. Jackson Bird, Kent’s last man, scores eight runs from his first four balls but Compton is still facing Bailey and tries to drive the 22nd ball he has received when 99. He misses and berates himself. Then Bird plays out a maiden and Lancashire’s skipper, Dane Vilas, brings on Matt Parkinson. Immediately allowed a little width, Compton works the ball through third man and takes a single. He has batted 395 minutes and was on 99 for 28 minutes, 21 seconds. It has been a triumph of desire, concentration and will, much like the rest of Compton’s cricket career.And almost certainly it will not be enough to save the game for his side. Having become the first Kent batsman to carry his bat since Daniel Bell-Drummond at Trent Bridge in 2017, Compton was out there again some twenty minutes later after Vilas had taken the almost unexpected decision to enforce the follow-on. That decision was immediately justified in the fourth over when Zak Crawley edged Balderson to Phil Salt who completed a superb one-handed diving clutch to his left. Eight overs later Bell-Drummond was caught down the leg side by Salt off Danny Lamb for 9 and Kent were 20 for 2.Related

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In the evening session things got worse for them. Tawanda Muyuye, who sometimes seems to have more shots than his temperament can handle, played a short-arm pull to a barely short ball from Bailey, only to see Steven Croft pull off a superb diving catch to his right. Next over, Jordan Cox gallivanted down the wicket and was bowled when trying to hit Parkinson to Chartham.Compton was joined by his captain, Ollie Robinson, and the pair dug in. The flow of runs, which had been a respectable three-an-over in the first innings, became a gentle rivulet. The bounce got lower, too, which was hardly a pleasant augury for Kent’s slim chances. Half an hour before the close, Robinson was lbw for 11 when he couldn’t jab down on a rapid inswinger from Hasan Ali. Darren Stevens arrived and was greeted by a variety of comments. They will have had no effect; Stevens was probably sledged by the Wife of Bath. What mattered more was the straight ball from Parkinson that rapped Stevens on his front dog and left Neil Bainton with a fairly easy judgement.But at least those late wickets allowed one to reflect the collective will of this Lancashire side and a fine day for Hasan, who had taken his first wicket for his new county in the morning session, when Cox played no shot to a ball that nipped back and ripped out his off stump. The bowler’s reactions were also entertaining. Hasan began with a fist pump to the ground, progressed to an arms-aloft bellow of triumph and concluded with another clenched mitt, this time in the direction of the heavens. He was, we may conclude, quite pleased.Lancashire supporters should enjoy Hasan’s celebrations when he plays at Emirates Old Trafford this summer. Then again, one suspects they might enjoy quite a lot of things about their side’s cricket this season. That will be a strange experience for some of them and one hopes they don’t find the adjustment too upsetting.Compton finished the day on 20 not out. He has so far batted nine hours 42 minutes in this match and faced 421 balls for his 121 runs. Nobody has ever carried his bat for Kent in both innings of a first-class match.”I’m just exhausted, so I’m not quite sure how well I’m coming across here,” he said. “But to follow up my innings at Essex with my first century at Canterbury is very important to me. I was just trying to watch the ball as closely as I can.”They aren’t terrible batting conditions and there’ll be other days when you find yourself on the wrong end of things but I’m just grateful I could spend a long time out there and just try to do my job as well as I can. It was a bit weird being stuck on 99. I don’t think that’s happened to me before and they were quite smart about it. They just put the ball there and I had to try to be patient. Thankfully I got there in the end.”

Chamari Athapaththu will lead the 15-member squad for the three T20Is and three ODIs

Madushka Balasuriya11-May-2022Sri Lanka have made just two changes to the squad that emerged victors in the Commonwealth Games Qualifiers in January for their upcoming tour of Pakistan, which is set to kickstart the third edition of the ICC Women’s Championship.Tharika Sewwandi, the 21-year-old left-arm seamer, and Vishmi Gunaratne, the 16-year-old allrounder, were omitted from the squad. Imesha Dulani, the 20-year-old batter in search of her first senior cap, came into the team.

Sri Lanka Women Squad

Chamari Athapaththu (capt), Hasini Perera, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Imesha Dulani, Prasadani Weerakkody, Nilakshi de Silva, Kavisha Dilhari, Ama Kanchana, Achini Kulasuriya, Inoka Ranaweera, Udeshika Prabodhani, Sugandika Kumari, Sachini Nisansala, Oshadhi Ranasinghe, Anushka Sanjeewani

The 15-member strong squad otherwise remained unchanged from the side that won the Commonwealth Games Qualifiers. Chamari Athapaththu, who has been in excellent form for Falcons in the ongoing Fairbreak Invitational T20 tournament, will lead the team. Veteran left-arm seamer Udeshika Prabodhani – the only other Sri Lankan to take part in the women’s T20 tournament, also found a place in the side.This means Athapaththu and Prabodhani are the only two members of the squad to have played any sort of competitive cricket since the Commonwealth Games Qualifiers. The rest of the squad has had to make do with the Women’s Inter-Club Division domestic 50-over tournament, which concluded in April.Related

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It is, however, a side brimming with experience, with only five players – batters Dulani, Harshitha Madavi, Hasini Perera, allrounder Kavisha Dilhari and left-arm spinner Sachini Nisansala – less than the age of 30.Athapaththu, 32, having played 84 ODIs and 89 T20Is, has the most cricket under her belt and will lead a batting line-up including fellow seniors Prasadani Weerakkody and Anushka Sanjeewani – who will likely take up the gloves – and the youthful trio of Dulani, Madavi and Perera.The batting unit will further be aided by the likes of Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshi de Silva, Ama Kanchana and Achini Kulasuriya, all of whom are capable with the ball as well.The fast-bowling department will be spearheaded by Prabodhani and Oshadi Ranasinghe. Experienced left-arm spinner Inoka Ranaweera, meanwhile, was one of three left-arm spinners in the squad, the others being Sugandika Kumari and the 20-year-old Nisansala.The tour to Pakistan will be Sri Lanka’s first major series, aside from the qualifiers, since the 2020 T20 World Cup. The Sri Lankan team will arrive in Karachi on May 19 for the three T20Is on May 24, 26 and 28 followed by the ODIs on June 1, 3 and 4.

Lancashire seamer has never played a List A game for current club

Matt Roller15-Jun-2022Luke Wood is set to make his England ODI debut in the Netherlands but has not played a 50-over game for three years. As such, his call-up to Matthew Mott’s first white-ball squad for the three-match series which starts on Friday, squeezed in between the second and third New Zealand Tests, is a revealing moment.Wood, a strapping left-arm seamer, has been on England’s radar for some time – he is a former Under-19 international and was a reserve for January’s T20I series in Barbados – but his involvement highlights the extent to which 50-over cricket has slipped down the list of priorities in English cricket since the 2019 World Cup.”He has been consistent for Lancashire over the past 12 months and we have been monitoring his progression,” Mott said when the squad was announced, but a telling fact was conspicuous by its absence: Wood has never actually played a 50-over game for Lancashire.Since his List A debut in 2016, Wood has played only three more games of professional 50-over cricket, most recently for Nottinghamshire in May 2019. The depth of Notts’ bowling attack and resultant lack of first-team opportunities was a major factor in Wood’s decision to leave for Lancashire at the end of that season and his contract with Trent Rockets in the Hundred means he has only worn the Red Rose in first-class and T20 cricket.In the two full seasons since his move to Old Trafford, none of England’s best white-ball players have played a domestic 50-over game: the Royal London Cup was cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic and clashed with the Hundred in 2021. It will do so again this summer and while the Professional Cricketers Association (PCA) are pushing for a change next year, it will prove hard to find room in a schedule that is already at breaking point.”I know that I haven’t played a 50-over game for three years,” Wood tells ESPNcricinfo. “With the Hundred and the 50-over comp going on at the same time, a lot of people in the frame won’t have played a lot of 50-over cricket recently unless it’s at international level. If you look at the schedule, it’s probably something you’ll see more and more of, unless something changes.”Related

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And yet Wood is not unduly concerned by inexperience as a 50-over bowler: “It’s very similar to T20 in a sense. Your skills are pretty much the same, it’s just a longer period of time. I was away this winter [at the Abu Dhabi T10 and the PSL] and if you take into account the Hundred and the Blast, I’ve probably played more white-ball cricket in the last 12 months than I ever have in the past.”I wouldn’t say it’s an issue. From an outsider’s point of view, you might look at me having played four games and it might seem a bit confusing. But I think you’ve got to take white-ball cricket as a whole now, not just 50-over cricket and T20 cricket.”England have been forced to pick players along those lines, highlighting particular roles in their side and working out who is best-placed to fill them based predominantly on T20 performances. Wood – along with Brydon Carse, who impressed in England’s ODI series against Pakistan last year – has been identified as a potential attacking threat in the middle overs in the Liam Plunkett role, despite the fact he largely bowls with the new ball for Lancashire in the Blast.While less than ideal, England have coped previously with a domestic schedule that does not mirror the international game: between 2010 and 2013, the counties played a 40-over List A tournament rather than a 50-over one, a decision which had long-term benefits for young batters like Jos Buttler and Jason Roy who were still making their way in the game.The shorter format forced that generation to play in a more attacking style, one which happened to mirror the one Eoin Morgan implemented after the 2015 World Cup. Nathan Leamon, England’s white-ball analyst, wrote in his book with Ben Jones that it was “a happy accident” which shaped the development of “the finest collection of white-ball batsmen that England has ever produced”.But the contrast is clearly starker now and while there are transferrable skills in many roles – openers, finishers and new-ball bowlers, for example – the ECB are keen to create opportunities for talented players to play 50-over games: the Lions play two one-day fixtures against South Africa next month and are due to tour this winter, while the return of an annual North vs South series will be discussed as part of Andrew Strauss’ high-performance review.Mo Bobat, England’s performance director, believes that Lions squads are the hardest to select of any and next month’s selection will see short-term needs balanced with longer-term ambitions: some of the country’s best young white-ball players such as Will Smeed and Tom Lammonby remain uncapped in List A cricket and will be considered for the South Africa fixtures.In the short term, the Netherlands tour is likely to see Dawid Malan given an opportunity to bat at No. 3 and pitch his case to be Root’s back-up in a full-strength squad, while Buttler looks set to move up the order – most likely to No. 4 – as England look to get the most out of the world’s in-form white-ball batter.There will also be opportunities for fringe seamers including Carse, Wood, Reece Topley and David Payne to impress the new hierarchy in the absence of several first-choice players due to injuries, with Mott highlighting death bowling as a “really key focus” for the series.For Wood, the goal this week is straightforward: “I just want to try and show everyone what I’m about,” he says. “Hopefully I can make my ODI debut and do well.” If he does, he may be the first England player in the modern era to feature in an ODI with no List A track record to speak of; it seems unlikely that he will be the last.

Lord’s will play host to the start of the Stokes-McCullum era, not to mention a bizarrely out-of-form Williamson

Matt Roller01-Jun-2022

Big picture

The champions are back. One year ago to the day, New Zealand arrived at Lord’s for the first of three seismic Tests: the first two – a draw in London followed by a convincing win in Edgbaston – gave them only their third-ever series win in England and their first since 1999; the third was their crowning moment, beating India at the Ageas Bowl to become the inaugural World Test Champions.For England, that Lord’s Test represented a sliding-doors moment, the first step on the Joe Root-Chris Silverwood era’s gradual, then sudden descent towards self-destruction. With fans back in the stands for the first time since the pandemic, England declined the opportunity to chase 273 in 75 overs, instead grinding their way to 170 for 3; Root defended the move but lost the goodwill of his team’s supporters and never won it back.When selecting the squad for the series – which saw several multi-format players rested after their IPL excursions – Silverwood had created a rod which was used to beat him for the next seven months. “Playing the top two teams in the world […] is perfect preparation for us as we continue to improve and progress towards an Ashes series,” he said, fatefully; one win in six home Tests and a 4-0 drubbing in Australia sealed his fate.Related

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And so 12 months on, England have a new look about them; a snarling, bearded, tattooed one with a distinctly Kiwi flavour, personified by the new captain-coach combination of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum. The pair have spoken at length about positivity, mindsets and brands of cricket since their respective appointments but this week will be the first chance for their side to walk the walk.Unsurprisingly, there have been changes in personnel. Only five members of the side that played the equivalent Test last year are retained in the playing XI which England named on Wednesday and even the survivors have a sense of freshness: Root has been released from the burden of captaincy, Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope have been shuffled into new positions and James Anderson and Stuart Broad are recalled after they were jettisoned in the Caribbean.One of their most pressing tasks is to win back their fan base, a challenge highlighted by the public’s reluctance to shell out extortionate sums for tickets at Lord’s. Of course, there is a fine line between attacking, attractive cricket and recklessness, but McCullum’s track record as a captain suggests he will strike the balance.New Zealand, meanwhile, are entering a new era of their own, with this series representing a benchmark for their succession planning. “We’re quite a different team to even a year ago at the World Test Championship,” Gary Stead, their understated coach, said on Monday while pointing to the retirements of Ross Taylor and BJ Watling. “Those changes are felt within the team but that’s an opportunity for someone else to come up and play the game.”The transition has not been seamless so far: New Zealand have played three two-match series since the WTC final and won none of them, losing 1-0 in India before back-to-back 1-1 draws at home to Bangladesh and South Africa. On the back of a warm-up defeat to a County Select XI at Chelmsford last week, there is just a hint of vulnerability.It is their batting line-up which will come under particular scrutiny. Will Young is yet to nail down his spot at the top of the order while the engine room of Kane Williamson, Devon Conway and Daryl Mitchell have had limited preparation time after their involvement in the IPL. Even still, they will prove tough first opponents for England’s new regime, especially given their main strength – fast bowling – remains unaffected.

Form guide

England: LDDLD
New Zealand: LWWLLKane Williamson will return to Test cricket at Lord’s•PA Images/Getty

In the spotlight

Only seven weeks ago, Joe Root was still England’s Test captain and for a fleeting moment it seemed as though he was determined to cling onto that position despite a run of one win in 17. Instead, he handed the reins to Stokes and has kept a low profile since, warming up for this series with six appearances – three in the Championship, three in the T20 Blast – for Yorkshire. Most ex-captains return to the ranks in the twilight of their career and with a limited shelf-life but at 31 and in the form of his life, Root could press on for many years to come.Kane Williamson‘s persistent elbow injury means he has played a solitary Test since the WTC final and missed New Zealand’s entire home summer. When he has played, he has struggled for form: at the IPL, he finished the season with a glacial strike rate of 93.50 after Sunrisers Hyderabad opted to retain him on a INR 14 crore (USD 1.86 million approx) contract. Following a purple patch, the last 12 months have served a reminder of Williamson’s mortality.

Team news

England named their playing XI on Wednesday, with Matthew Potts due to make his Test debut after he was preferred to Craig Overton as the third seamer. The reshuffle in the batting line-up sees Pope promoted to No. 3, a position he has never batted in first-class cricket, while Root, Jonny Bairstow and Stokes form the middle-order engine room. Jack Leach plays his first home Test since 2019.England: 1 Alex Lees, 2 Zak Crawley, 3 Ollie Pope, 4 Joe Root, 5 Jonny Bairstow, 6 Ben Stokes (capt), 7 Ben Foakes (wk), 8 Matthew Potts, 9 Jack Leach, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 James Anderson.Trent Boult, who arrived late from the IPL, was under consideration before New Zealand trained on Wednesday but appears to be a major doubt. Henry Nicholls, whose rehabiliation from a calf injury was delayed by a positive Covid test, has been ruled out and Williamson confirmed Daryl Mitchell will bat at No. 5 in his place. The main selection call is whether Ajaz Patel – who has not played a Test since taking 10 wickets in an innings against India in Mumbai – should be included, with Stead hinting that he might earlier this week. If he plays, one of Kyle Jamieson, Neil Wagner or Matt Henry will miss out.New Zealand (possible): 1 Tom Latham, 2 Will Young, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Devon Conway, 5 Daryl Mitchell, 6 Tom Blundell (wk), 7 Colin de Grandhomme, 8 Kyle Jamieson, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Neil Wagner, 11 Matt Henry/Ajaz Patel.Stuart Broad and James Anderson pose in the Long Room•Gareth Copley/Getty Images

Pitch and conditions

After an unseasonably dry spring, the rain has returned in London this week and may cause some delays over the weekend, though the first two days are expected to be clear. Pitches at Lord’s have been significantly better for batters this season with an average of 34.24 runs per wicket in the Championship, compared to 20.76 on the green seamers of 2021. There was still some live grass on the surface 24 hours before the toss, but cut much shorter than New Zealand are used to from their home pitches. Supporters have been encouraged to wear red, white and blue to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubillee but some empty seats are expected after slow ticket sales.

Stats and trivia

• Ben Foakes will play his first Test in England, after five in the Caribbean and three in both India and Sri Lanka. Potts and Alex Lees will also make their home debuts.
• Root needs 111 runs to reach 10,000 in Tests; he would be the 14th player and second Englishman to reach that landmark.
• Stokes is 18 sixes away from overtaking his coach, McCullum, as the leading six-hitter in Test history. Stokes is currently sixth on the all-time list; Tim Southee is 15th.
• New Zealand are unbeaten in their last four Tests in England. They have twice gone five Tests in a row without losing in England, from 1937-49 and from 1986-90.
• Southee needs seven wickets in the match to go clear of Glenn McGrath and Sir Richard Hadlee as the leading overseas wicket-taker in Tests at Lord’s.

Quotes

“There’s been talk around the word reset, which is something that I don’t particularly like. I just see this as a complete and utter blank canvas for this Test team going forward.”
“I’ve seen him a couple of times around the hotel and it is strange to see him in it, but good on him. He’s done exceptionally well in his transition from cricket and to get a job like this shows you the type of person he is, and the coach he is as well.”

Du Preez returns to set up while Brits and Tucker miss out on the trip to Birmingham

Firdose Moonda15-Jul-2022Dane van Niekerk, South Africa’s regular captain, will miss a second major tournament after failing to recover from an ankle injury in time for the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Sune Luus will continue to captain in van Niekerk’s absence with experienced campaigner Mignon du Preez returning after being left out of the group that played against Ireland.Van Niekerk broke her ankle after slipping and falling at her new home in Gqeberha in January, which ruled her out of the ODI World Cup. She returned to training in May but has not regained full fitness yet. She last played competitive cricket at the WBBL in November 2021.Marizanne Kapp, Sinalo Jafta and Masabata Klaas, who were also not part of the T20Is against Ireland, return to the squad for Commonwealth Games, with Tazmin Brits, Raisibe Ntozakhe, Andrie Steyn missing out. Wicketkeeper-batter Delmi Tucker, who has been called up for the last two ODIs against England, has also been left out.SA squad for CWG 2022•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Klaas, who has linked up with the squad in England after an injury, will complete a full-strength pace attack, which also has Kapp, Shabnim Ismail, Ayabonga Khaka, Tumi Sekhukhune and Nadine de Klerk.South Africa have one frontline spinner in their squad – left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba, who will be supported by Luus and Chloe Tryon, and two wicketkeeping options in Trisha Chetty and Sinalo Jafta. Lizelle Lee’s surprise retirement earlier this month has created an opportunity for Anneke Bosch to cement a role in the top order.Women’s cricket will make its debut at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham later this month. South Africa are grouped with New Zealand, England and Sri Lanka. Two teams from each group will progress to the semi-finals.