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Teams from Nepal, USA, Italy, Cayman Islands, Argentina and Tanzania will participate in the World Cricket League Division Four, to be held in three venues in Italy in August

Cricinfo staff12-Jul-2010Teams from Nepal, USA, Italy, Cayman Islands, Argentina and Tanzania will participate in the World Cricket League Division Four, to be held in three venues in Italy in August. USA and Nepal secured a promotion to Division Four after finishing in the top two in the WCL Division Five last year, while Cayman Islands and Argentina were relegated after finishing poorly in Division Three in 2008-09.The teams will gear up in the hope of qualifying for the ICC World Cup Qualifiers in 2013, the tournament that will determine which four teams make it to the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in 2015. The top two sides in Division Four will win promotion to WCL Division Three, to be staged in Hong Kong in 2011.The teams arrive on August 12 and the tournament ends on August 21.Itinerary
August 12 – Arrival
August 14 – USA v Nepal (Pianora); Italy v Cayman Islands (Medicina); Tanzania v Argentina (Bologna)
August 15 – Italy v Nepal (Pianora); Argentina v Cayman Islands (Medicina); USA v Tanzania (Bologna)

August 17 – Italy v Argentina (Pianora); Nepal v Tanzania (Medicina); USA v Cayman Islands (Bologna)
August 18 – Cayman Islands v Tanzania (Pianora); Italy v USA (Medicina); Nepal v Argentina (Bologna)
August 20 – USA v Argentina (Pianora); Cayman Islands v Nepal (Medicina); Tanzania v Italy (Bologna)
August 21 – Final (Pianora); third/fourth place play-off (Medicina); fifth/sixth place play-off (Bologna).

We run the rule over all the teams featuring in the inaugural Women’s Hundred

Matt Roller20-Jul-2021

Birmingham Phoenix

Coach: Ben Sawyer
Captain: Amy Jones
Overseas players: Shafali Verma (India), Erin Burns, Katie Mack (both Australia)Significantly weakened by withdrawals of Ellyse Perry, Sophie Devine and Ashleigh Gardner but the signing of Shafali Verma is perhaps the most exciting of the whole competition, on the back of her top-order pyrotechnics against England. Exciting young seam-bowling attack with Central Sparks’ new-ball combination, Issy Wong and Emily Arlott – likely to open the bowling together, while Kirstie Gordon has a point to prove after losing her England central contract.Verdict: Verma can win them games on her own but will need support from the middle order.Possible XI: Shafali Verma, Katie Mack, Amy Jones (capt/wk), Erin Burns, Georgia Elwiss, Evelyn Jones, Marie Kelly, Ria Fackrell/Abtaha Maqsood, Issy Wong, Emily Arlott, Kirstie Gordon

London Spirit

Coach: Trevor Griffin
Captain: Heather Knight
Overseas players: Deandra Dottin (West Indies), Deepti Sharma (India), Chloe Tryon (South Africa)The Knight-Griffin combination that has enjoyed success in both the KSL and the WBBL takes on the Hundred, with a strong top order that should see them score consistent runs throughout. Their bowling attack is a little lighter, with Freya Davies the spearhead, but Knight and overseas players Deepti Sharma and Chloe Tryon offer useful spin options, particularly on slower surfaces, while Charlie Dean is the leading wicket-taker in this season’s Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.Verdict: Strong squad which should be eyeing a top-three finish, especially if the batting line-up clicks.Possible XI: Tammy Beaumont, Deandra Dottin, Heather Knight (capt), Deepti Sharma, Chloe Tryon, Naomi Dattani, Amara Carr (wk), Grace Scrivens/Dani Gibson, Charlie Dean, Freya Davies, Sophie Munro

Manchester Originals

Coach: Paul Shaw
Captain: Kate Cross
Overseas players: Harmanpreet Kaur (India), Mignon du Preez, Lizelle Lee (both South Africa)Emma Lamb is the in-form allrounder in the country, leading both the runs and wickets charts in the early rounds of the Charlotte Edwards Cup, and could form a powerful opening partnership with Lizelle Lee, while Harmanpreet Kaur and Mignon du Preez add quality to the middle order. The spin attack of Sophie Ecclestone, Alex Hartley and Hannah Jones is strong but Kate Cross carries a heavy burden in the seam department.Verdict: Emirates Old Trafford’s spinning pitches and big boundaries should boost their chances.Possible XI: Lizelle Lee, Emma Lamb, Harmanpreet Kaur, Mignon du Preez, Georgie Boyce, Cordelia Griffith, Ellie Threlkeld (wk), Sophie Ecclestone, Kate Cross (capt), Alex Hartley, Hannah JonesKate Cross will lead Manchester Originals after a successful ODI series against India•Getty Images for ECB

Northern Superchargers

Coach: Dani Hazell
Captain: Lauren Winfield-Hill
Overseas players: Laura Kimmince (Australia), Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa), Jemimah Rodrigues (India)Strong, deep batting line-up but bowling attack looks light on paper and will need either plenty of runs to play with or an unheralded domestic player to step up. Tough calls to make over batting order: should the silky Laura Wolvaardt open or continue at No. 4, where she has batted for South Africa, and will the specialist finisher Laura Kimmince face enough balls to make an impact?Verdict: Batting strength offset by bowling attack’s lack of international quality.Possible XI: Lauren Winfield-Hill (capt), Laura Wolvaardt, Jemimah Rodrigues, Holly Armitage/Sterre Kalis, Laura Kimmince, Alice Davidson-Richards, Beth Langston, Bess Heath (wk), Linsey Smith, Phoebe Graham, Katie Levick

Oval Invincibles

Coach: Jon Batty
Captain: TBC
Overseas players: Shabnim Ismail, Marizanne Kapp, Dane van Niekerk (all South Africa)Different squad composition to the majority of the tournament, with all three overseas players – all South Africans – offering bowling options. Lacking a star-name England player but Tash Farrant, Mady Villiers and Fran Wilson are all regular squad members and Georgia Adams is pressing for inclusion. New-ball attack of Farrant’s left-arm swing and Shabnim Ismail’s genuine pace should be potent.Verdict: Competitive squad that can challenge for a top-three finish, especially if South African core performs.Possible XI: Georgia Adams, Sarah Bryce (wk), Marizanne Kapp, Dane van Niekerk, Fran Wilson, Alice Capsey, Grace Gibbs, Mady Villiers, Tash Farrant, Shabnim Ismail, Dani Gregory

Southern Brave

Coach: Charlotte Edwards
Captain: TBC
Overseas players: Stafanie Taylor (West Indies), Smriti Mandhana (India), Amanda-Jade Wellington (Australia)Destructive opening combination between Smriti Mandhana and Danni Wyatt, and head coach Charlotte Edwards was particularly pleased to secure Sophia Dunkley’s services before her England breakthrough this summer. Versatile seam attack with Lauren Bell’s height, Anya Shrubsole’s swing and Tara Norris’ left-arm angle while Amanda-Jade Wellington’s legbreaks and Charlotte and Stafanie Taylor’s darts are all useful spin options.Verdict: Top three should be the minimum expectation.Possible XI: Smriti Mandhana, Danni Wyatt, Stafanie Taylor, Sophia Dunkley, Maia Bouchier, Carla Rudd (wk), Anya Shrubsole, Amanda-Jade Wellington, Tara Norris, Charlotte Taylor/Fi Morris, Lauren BellSmriti Mandhana forms half of an imposing opening duo with Danni Wyatt•Getty Images

Trent Rockets

Coach: Salliann Beams
Captain: Nat Sciver
Overseas players: Rachel Priest (New Zealand), Sammy-Jo Johnson, Heather Graham (both Australia)Ellyse Villani, Annabel Sutherland and Sophie Molineux’s withdrawals have hit the Rockets hard: veteran keeper-batter Rachel Priest starred in the KSL for Western Storm but Sammy-Jo Johnson and Heather Graham have a single Australia cap between them. But with three of England’s best T20 players in Nat Sciver, Katherine Brunt and Sarah Glenn, they have more than enough talent to overcome those losses and compete for a top-three spot. Expect a fluid batting line-up, with Glenn an option as a pinch-hitting opener.Verdict: Remarkable batting depth and all-round quality of England stars means they should be in contention.Possible XI: Rachel Priest (wk), Nat Sciver (capt), Michaela Kirk, Heather Graham, Sammy-Jo Johnson, Katherine Brunt, Abi Freeborn, Sarah Glenn, Kathryn Bryce, Teresa Graves, Lucy Higham

Welsh Fire

Coach: Mark O’Leary
Captain: TBC
Overseas players: Hayley Matthews (West Indies), Piepa Cleary, Georgia Redmayne (both Australia)Perhaps the weakest squad in the competition on paper but with enough talent to cause a few upsets: Georgia Redmayne had a dominant 50-over season in Australia, Hayley Matthews comes into the competition on the back of an ODI hundred, and Sophie Luff and Bryony Smith have been dominant in domestic cricket. Sarah Taylor’s return adds intrigue while Piepa Clearly will lead the seam attack with Katie George’s injury meaning she has played as a specialist batter for most of the summer.Verdict: Bowling attack lacks international quality of other sides, while batting isn’t strong enough to compensate.Possible XI: Georgia Redmayne, Bryony Smith, Hayley Matthews, Sophie Luff, Sarah Taylor (wk), Katie George, Georgia Hennessy, Piepa Cleary, Lissy Macleod, Alex Griffiths, Nicole Harvey

Wade, Tim Paine and Jackson Bird have given Tasmania a chance to pull off a remarkable come-from-behind win over Victoria

Alex Malcolm19-Nov-2018Matthew Wade plays a flick during his half-century•Getty Images

A magnificent 137 from Matthew Wade has given Tasmania a chance to pull off a remarkable come-from-behind win over Victoria at Bellerive Oval in Hobart.Tasmania began the third day five runs behind Victoria with eight wickets in hand after a 170-run opening stand from Jordan Silk and Alex Doolan had all but erased the 201 first innings deficit.Silk moved to 90 but he and Jake Doran both fell with the score at 229 with a lead of just 28. Skipper George Bailey was out just three runs later with Peter Siddle nabbing two of the three.It left Wade and Test skipper Tim Paine to try and build some sort of lead for Tasmania to defend.Paine was the more fluent of the pair in their vital 73-run stand. Wade was 16 runs off 50 balls at one stage while Paine cruised to 40 off 76 with five boundaries. Paine edged the part-time off-spin of Matthew Short to slip. Gurinder Sandhu fell cheaply but Wade and Jackson Bird found another gear adding 88 for the eighth wicket.Bird made his maiden first-class half-century in his 100th innings. He also fell to Short with Wade stuck on 87.Wade farmed the strike to get to 99 before Gabe Bell was trapped infront by Holland to leave Tasmania nine down. But Riley Meredith did not need to face a ball before Wade got to his 13th first-class hundred.Victoria then had men on the fence to try and entice Wade to hand over the strike early in an over but he controlled the situation expertly and was able to add another 43 runs to the total with Meredith, before becoming Siddle’s fourth scalp.It left Victoria needing 276 to win and a tricky six-over period to negotiate before stumps on day three. Travis Dean and Marcus Harris got through without loss to set up a final day chase.

Rain washed out close to four sessions of the second Test, and an entire day’s play in the third. It is likely to interrupt play, by all appearances frequently, in the fourth Test as well

Karthik Krishnaswamy18-Aug-2016In the two days leading up to the fourth Test at the Queen’s Park Oval, rain has hit Port of Spain either before or during India’s practice sessions, sending them into the indoor nets. On Wednesday afternoon, during the second half of West Indies’ practice session on the eve of the match, it rained again, and kept raining for over two hours.Rain washed out close to four sessions of the second Test, and an entire day’s play in the third. It is likely to interrupt play, by all appearances frequently, in the fourth Test as well. The weather isn’t in either team’s control, and Virat Kohli, India’s captain, said his team would need to ensure they didn’t lose their intensity if there are frequent rain interruptions in Port of Spain.”Sometimes when you have too many interruptions, some people tend to think they can relax, but I think you require more concentration in an interrupted game,” he said. “When there are no breaks you can plan according to how the game will go for five or four days. But with breaks your plans and concentration will be disrupted very quickly.”The term that people say – ‘switch off and switch on’ – I think that is the most important factor in an interrupted game. That’s what a cricketer has to master pretty quickly in his career, because these sort of games you don’t want a situation where you’re not 100% into a game if you get interruptions. It’s challenging, but when it happens you have to make sure that you get a hang of this as well, because it does happen quite often, especially in Test cricket.”By the time the Test match gets underway, rain may have affected the preparation of the pitch as well. On Tuesday, two days before the game, it had looked noticeably drier than the surfaces that staged the first three Tests, a pale yellow colour with a smattering of coarse grass and small cracks all over.Ronald Faria, the curator, said this was because he had needed to exercise caution while watering the pitch, mindful that there may not be enough sunshine to permit the regular amount of watering. He said he was keeping a careful eye on the weather, and was watering the surface just enough to ensure it retained the optimum level of moisture – with his key going in about an eighth of an inch and no more – on the first morning.India seldom reveal their line-up on the eve of a Test match, but the team management by then has usually decided the combination they will play. On Wednesday, however, Kohli said they would keep their options open given the uncertainty over what conditions they would find at the toss.”I had a look [at the pitch] yesterday, there were a few damp spots,” he said. “Covers came on pretty quickly today, so I don’t know how much that has dried up. We’re obviously going to name a few more than eleven and take a call tomorrow as to what the best combination is.”Apart from the damp spots, the surface looks pretty dry. [It] Should have turn and bounce, that’s the feeling I got, but if we have rain for the next three days on and off, I’m sure the seamers will get much more assistance. Even in the side nets today, the seamers did get a lot of assistance. So as I said, we’ll have to keep enough players in the squad for us to change last-minute according to what the weather conditions are like and how much the wicket is going to stay under covers.”West Indies played four seamers and used the allrounder Roston Chase as their main spinner in the third Test in St Lucia. The dryness of the surface and the history of spin-friendly pitches at Queen’s Park Oval could prompt them to leave out one of their quicks and recall the legspinner Devendra Bishoo, but their captain Jason Holder said they had not made a decision yet.”Not quite sure yet,” Holder said. “Yesterday, I saw the wicket, looks pretty dry, a bit of grass on it as well, you know, so it’s probably a good possibility that you’d probably see a change in the squad, but I haven’t sat down and met the selectors yet. At the end of the day, they have the final say, and we’ll go and see what happens.”Weather permitting, it will be interesting to see how the teams approach this situation, and the conditions they might encounter – a pitch that looks like it might help the spinners, and atmospheric conditions that could help the seamers.

Fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera’s 3 for 52 and opener Dimuth Karunaratne’s 93 were the highlights in another modest day for the Sri Lankans in their three-day tour match in Queenstown

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Dec-2015
ScorecardFile photo – Dushmantha Chameera was the only Sri Lankan seamer to take a wicket•AFP

Fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera’s 3 for 52 and opener Dimuth Karunaratne’s 93 were the highlights in another modest day for the Sri Lankans in their three-day tour match in Queenstown. The NZC President’s XI took a 95-run lead at the end of day two, having dismissed the Sri Lankans for 193, then hitting 288 for 7 on the back of a brisk 179-run opening stand. Ben Smith struck 81 from 108 balls, and Bharat Popli made 79 from 137.The Sri Lankans began the day on 97 for 5, having lost four wickets for eight runs the previous evening. They quickly resumed losing batsmen, as both Milinda Siriwardana and Kusal Perera were dismissed for 1. A 59-run stand between Rangana Herath (34) and Karunaratne helped push the visitors towards respectability, but the tail fell quickly after Karunaratne’s dismissal for 93.Offspinner Tim Johnston picked up the innings’ best figures, with 4 for 43 from 16 overs, but New Zealand will also be pleased with Neil Wagner’s outing. The left-arm seamer, who is in the New Zealand Test squad, took 3 for 31 from his 16 overs.The President’s XI openers had raced to 179 from 38.3 overs before Chameera made the Sri Lankans’ first breakthrough. He was the only Sri Lankan seamer to take a wicket. Legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay and left-arm spinner Siriwardana took one each, while Kusal Perera claimed two in something of a Sri Lankan resurgence. The visitors took six wickets for 42, but then conceded a 51-run partnership to the seventh-wicket pair, towards the end of the day.

Offspinner Mark Craig has echoed the words of his team-mate BJ Watling, saying the pink ball behaves more like the white ball than the red

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Oct-2015As New Zealand’s pink ball preparations continued in Hamilton in the lead up to the first day-night Test, offspinner Mark Craig has echoed the words of his team-mate BJ Watling, saying this ball behaves more like the white ball than the red. With regards to spin, he said only time would tell if it helps spinners or not, but he found it was easy to grip when new.”I find it’s very similar to the white ball. Once it’s nice and new it’s quite easy to grip and then it’s just like any other ball once it gets a little bit older,” Craig said.Twilight has proved to be one of trickiest times to see the ball, but that was mostly only the case with fielders square of the wicket, Craig said. “I think the side-on guys, guys at point and cover and things like that, for them with the sun setting it was tricky. Behind the wicket wasn’t too much different. Just there the boys on the square… The batsmen, by all accounts they found it not too bad, there weren’t too many complaints in terms of not being able to see it.”New Zealand were training with the pink ball in Hamilton, late in the evening and transitioning into night, trying to replicate the conditions that they will face in Adelaide come November 27. Craig agreed that the conditions are not quite the same as Hamilton is colder than what they would experience in Adelaide, but he said the training was still “crucial”.”I think being the first of its kind, everyone is on an even playing field, so these two days here are crucial building up to what should be an awesome series,” he said. “I think we’ve got some pink-ball practice in Perth, which is also going to be different to Adelaide. But I think any time you get to play with the pink ball and mimic playing under lights and things like that, it’s going to be good for you.”I think this is what these two days are about, about finding out different ways of using it and finding out how it reacts under the lights, changes in the twilight and things like that. So it’s a learning curve for us.”

ESPNcricinfo previews the Champions League match between Mumbai Indians and Cape Cobras in Bangalore

The Preview by Nitin Sundar29-Sep-2011

Match facts

September 30, Bangalore
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)Will Harbhajan Singh feel he has a point to prove after being dropped for the upcoming one-day series against England?•Associated Press

Big Picture

The race for semi-final spots from Group A intensifies as Mumbai Indians and Cape Cobras clash in Bangalore. MI are on top of the table with two scarcely believable wins, while the Cobras are stuck in mid-table traffic after suffering an unlikely defeat at the hands of Dwayne Bravo and Chennai Super Kings. Another win for MI will confirm their passage to the semi-finals with a game to play. A Cobras victory, on the other hand, will open up the group and leave statistics experts fiddling with calculators to figure out the permutations.

The Cobras will have to recover quickly from the defeat but can take heart from their fluent victory against New South Wales in their first game. They won’t mind the true bounce and the quick outfield at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, but will first have to shake off the slow-and-low hangover from Chepauk. Dale Steyn, who got clobbered by Bravo in his final over in Chennai, will look forward to a fresh start at his erstwhile IPL home venue, too.Mumbai Indians have already played a game in Bangalore, the madcap low-scoring thriller against Trinidad & Tobago, and would have picked up valuable lessons from that outing. They will be hard-pressed to explain their position in the points table, given how abysmal their batting has been. In the absence of Sachin Tendulkar, Rohit Sharma and now Davy Jacobs, the top order is bereft of quality and confidence. Their bowling has been incisive, though, with Lasith Malinga and Harbhajan Singh doing the damage, with the support cast doing an adequate job.

Watch out for …

The doosra remains elusive but the floater is back, and there are fleeting signs of the trademark loop too. Harbhajan Singh has bowled well, and has also been proactive with his field placements. This time, however, he will be taking the field on the back of a personal reversal, having been dropped from the Indian team for the first time in years. Can he put the setback behind him and help continue his side’s unbeaten run?

Twenty20 is the most fickle form of the game. Ask JP Duminy who batted attractively and bowled a crafty spell of offspin to derail CSK’s chase, before shelling a sitter from MS Dhoni in the end overs. The drop did not cost Cobras much – Dhoni exited soon after without doing much damage – but it was the first sign of panic in their camp. Bravo sensed the opening and bulldozed his way through to victory. Duminy will want to shut out all escape routes against Mumbai Indians, coincidentally his one-time IPL side.

Team news

With the exception of Ambati Rayudu, the MI top-order contributed a handsome 21 in the game against T&T, including two ducks. They can only pray for a revival on Friday. T Suman might be shunted down the order, in which case Rayudu could open the innings. The team management hasn’t yet named a replacement for Jacobs, which means Rayudu will continue to keep wicket.

The Cobras didn’t do much wrong against the Super Kings, and will want to stick with their combination. Steyn may not be too keen to bowl in the slog overs, though.

Stats and trivia

• With four wickets apiece, JP Duminy and Vernon Philander are currently Cobras’ highest wicket-takers in the tournament
• Lasith Malinga has been Mumbai Indians’ best bowler with three wickets at 17.00. He has also been their highest run-getter with 52

Quotes

“We hope Malinga doesn’t have to do it with the bat again.”

“I guess it was just my day. I pitched the ball in the right areas and they hit it to the fielders. I’ll take the credit for that.”

Daniel Vettori, the Royal Challengers Bangalore captain, has flown back to New Zealand to see a doctor about his ongoing knee problem

ESPNcricinfo staff14-May-2011Daniel Vettori, the Royal Challengers Bangalore captain, has flown back to New Zealand to see a doctor about his ongoing knee problem. As a result, he will not be playing in Saturday’s game against Kolkata Knight Riders and could be in danger of missing future games as well. Vettori also sat out Bangalore’s last game against Rajasthan Royals on May 11. Virat Kohli, who led the side in that game, will take over as captain in Vettori’s absence.”He’s [Vettori] gone back home to see his surgeon, someone he generally consults,” Kohli told reporters on Thursday. “He will try to get back and be fit for the upcoming games. We will just have to wait and watch what happens with that.”Vettori first hurt his right knee during New Zealand’s World Cup league game against Pakistan back in March. He missed the rest of his side’s league games, before returning to play in the quarter- and semi-final matches. According to the , Vettori had said during the IPL that he was just about able to get through his four overs and hobble around in the field.”Obviously, it’s a loss for us and it’s unfortunate,” Kohli said. “It’s been happening to us for the last two years as well. We have lost important players at important times due to injuries, it’s never a good thing for the team. But we have got reserves in the side who are willing to do well and who are willing to go out there, who are really talented and thinking cricketers. We just need to set a strong combination now and go with that combination throughout the tournament and we will see if Dan comes back, nothing like it [if he does].”If he doesn’t, then we need to form a different combination and be confident going into the game with that combination.”

The first phase of tickets for the 2011 World Cup in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have been put on sale following a meeting of the tournament’s Central Organising Committee in Mumbai

Cricinfo staff01-Jun-2010The first phase of tickets for the 2011 World Cup in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have been put on sale following a meeting of the tournament’s Central Organising Committee in Mumbai. The tickets have been priced affordably, with the cheapest costing 20 cents US in Sri Lanka, the committee said. The tickets are available on the ICC’s website from June 1.”The prices confirm the promise we made that the tickets would be affordable and accessible,” Sharad Pawar, the ICC vice president, said. The committee said that in excess of 100,000 tickets were being released for the first phase of online ticket sales. The move to make tickets cheaper comes after the debacle of the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies, where tickets were expensive and the grounds largely empty as a result.Haroon Lorgat, the ICC chief executive, was happy with the progress of preparations for the competition. “While there is a lot of important operational detail ahead of us, I am pleased at the progress we have made to date,” he said. “For example, in the next few months, safety and security aspects will be dealt with in detail by the security directorate headed by BCCI President Shashank Manohar.”

With teenager Lhuan-dre Pretorius set to open with him, Rickelton could be thrust into the senior role

Firdose Moonda06-Aug-2025There’s no Quinton de Kock, or Temba Bavuma, or Reeza Hendricks. While it has not been confirmed that the first of those has retired from the T20Is and the other two are completely out of the picture (though Bavuma probably is), South Africa will be looking at a new opening pair for the next T20 World Cup. Enter Ryan Rickelton and Lhuan-dre Pretorius.Both are left-handed and both are wicketkeepers. They have 18 T20I caps, two half-centuries and a decade in age between them. That means Rickelton, who enjoyed a breakthrough summer in Tests and ODIs for South Africa and played in his first IPL, could be thrust into the senior role even as he looks to cement himself in the side. How might that alter his usually aggressive approach to batting? Not at all, he said.”I’m still trying to establish myself in the T20 side but I don’t think there’ll be any expectation for me to change anything that I’ve been doing in these last two years,” Rickelton said from Darwin, where South Africa are set to play a three-match T20Is series against Australia starting Sunday. “It’s just an opportunity for me to hopefully claim that opening spot for this South African side, going into the World Cup and further on past that.”Related

• Markram, Bavuma return for SA's white-ball tour of Australia

• Owen earns ODI call-up to face South Africa, Labuschagne retained

South Africa play three T20Is and will have the experience of regular captain Aiden Markram back in the top order and Rassie van der Dussen in the middle order, which Rickelton believes will allow him to continue to play his natural game. “The way the team is structured fits the mould of how they want me to play too, so I’m pretty comfortable with what’s required,” he said. “I am always looking to land that first punch and get the side off to a good start no matter who’s alongside me at the top.”Rickelton, Markram, as well as other returnees Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada, were all rested from the tri-series tournament in Zimbabwe as South Africa gear up for eight months of almost non-stop cricket. After the Australia tour, they will play white-ball cricket in England before starting their World Test Championship defence in Pakistan. That will be followed by an all-format tour of India, the SA20, a brief home series against West Indies and the T20 World Cup. Those five, and some others, will then go on to play in the IPL which will extend their active time to ten months. For someone like Rickelton, who did not play the MLC this year, the schedule has already provided lessons in workload management which he will draw on as the next busy period looms.”This was my first IPL year and it’s long three months in India which can really stretch you, mentally more than anything,” he said. “I would still like to play leagues when the opportunity comes along and next year there’s a break after the IPL so there’s some space in between.”Once you get to the groove of playing a lot of cricket, it can be really nice when you’re playing quite well but it can also be quite dark if you’re not playing too well. It’s more trying to manage the space mentally. That’s probably the balance that I’m trying to walk at the moment.”Ryan Rickelton opened for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2025•AFP/Getty Images

Rickelton can already see the challenge of that task. Since being part of the squad that won the WTC final at Lord’s in June, Rickelton has had six weeks off while Pretorius made his Test debut against Zimbabwe (and scored a century) and was moved around the T20I batting order from opening to No. 5 and back up.”I haven’t been hitting the ball too well these last couple of days but I’m not too worried. We’ve played a lot of cricket this year already and it’s not something that you just lose full stop. It will take a few more sessions for me to get going,” he said. “But I’m watching the rest of the guys, they’re really hitting the ball quite nicely and you can see the guys that have been playing are moving a lot better than a few of the guys that have taken a little bit of time off.”All of that changes from this week when South Africa press play on what is set to be an important period as they build under all-format coach Shukri Conrad, with two ICC tournaments and a new WTC cycle ahead of them.”If you look at the fixtures lined up for the T20 World Cup, we’ve got some big competition and some big rivals,” Rickelton said. “If we can put a good foot forward and play quite well and match what we want to try and replicate in a few months’ time, especially against quality opposition, that’s really important to the team and the individuals as well. We spoke about it as a group, we have an opportunity to try and win a series in Australia, which doesn’t come around that often, and we’re looking forward to obviously cementing our own places and playing well for South Africa.”