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New Zealand’s bowlers kept their disciplines in extreme conditions to keep the match in the balance

The Report by Daniel Brettig12-Dec-2019Stumps A hat-trick of Test hundreds for Marnus Labuschagne, sealed with a straight six, belied an otherwise fascinating battle between Australia’s batting order and New Zealand’s skilful and diligent attack, even as it was shorn of Lockie Ferguson by a calf strain that may cause increasing pain for the visitors the longer the Perth day-night Test goes on.In front of a crowd of 19,084 who huddled in what shaded areas they could find on a day when temperatures hovered near 40C until the sun went down, New Zealand gave an exceptional account of themselves in the absence of Trent Boult and despite the looming threats of David Warner and Steven Smith.Both Warner, before lunch, and Smith in a lengthy partnership with the ebullient Labuschagne, had some influence on proceedings. But in each case the tourists’ discipline, fitness and commitment to the plans hatched by their captain Kane Williamson ensured that neither Warner nor Smith could get away from them. In Smith’s case it meant one of his slowest Test innings, ended in the leg trap that the unstinting Neil Wagner has set for so many international batsmen over a career that has surprised in much the same way Labuschagne’s now is.Marnus Labuschagne celebrates his hundred•Associated Press

Warner had earlier seen a promising start ended by a superlative caught and bowled from Wagner, who alongside Colin de Grandomme, Tim Southee and Ferguson formed a typically diligent New Zealand attack – something all the more admirable in the prevailing conditions.Williamson was unable to pick Trent Boult as he continues his recovery from a side strain suffered against England, meaning a debut for the speedy Ferguson. Australia were unchanged for the third match in a row. They have not lost a series at home to New Zealand since 1985.Warner made his intent known by hustling a single from Tim Southee’s first ball of the match, and while Ferguson neared 150kph in his first over, his lines and lengths were variable enough to allow scoring opportunities for both openers. Southee’s frustration at not finding an early wicket was demonstrated when he hurled a solidly defended ball back at Joe Burns, prompting an exchange with Warner who rebuked him as “you’re supposed to be Mr Nice Guy”.Ferguson’s replacement by Wagner and the introduction of de Grandhomme brought some more pertinent questions for Burns and Warner, as the run-rate was clamped. De Grandhomme’s first ball to Burns was not the away swinger he evidently expected but a nip backer that won an lbw verdict from umpire Aleem Dar, even through ball-tracking would show the ball comfortably missing leg stump as Burns was batting well forward of his crease.Neil Wagner celebrates a stunning caught and bowled•Getty Images

Labuschagne settled in quickly enough, but as tea beckoned, Warner misjudged a Wagner change-up and was on his way, allowing Steven Smith his earliest entry to the Test batting crease this summer. Warner had looked set to maintain his commanding run of form this summer, but six minutes before the interval he scooped back a low full toss to Wagner, who claimed the chance inches from the ground with his right hand as he followed through.Runs did not accrue easily when play resumed, to the extent that both Smith and Labuschagne could be seen trying to force a few shots that did not necessarily lend themselves to the types of questions they were being asked. Wagner’s angles and preference for the short ball posed challenges for both batsmen, while Ferguson had Smith flirting with balls well wide of the off stump, breaking 149kph every now and then and gaining plenty of bounce from the surface also.Labuschagne strode to an eighth score of 50 or more in Test matches this year, but Smith’s inability to turn the scoreboard over ultimately drew an outside edge from Ferguson. Maddeningly for New Zealand, Tom Latham picked up the chance late and could only throw his hands to the left as the ball burst through them. Australia were thus able to get through to the final, floodlit session with eight wickets in the bank and two formidable players at the crease.Lockie Ferguson made his Test debut•Associated Press

Things got worse for the visitors when they advised early in the final session that Ferguson had gone to hospital for scans on a calf problem. The mere fact that they were required suggesting he may well be out of the match and perhaps the whole, tightly-packed series also. With Labuschagne quickly closing on a century and Smith straining to break his shackles, this was a moment in which many sides would have flagged, but Williamson was able to conjure further efforts from his men, aided perhaps by cooler evening temperatures.While Labuschagne advanced to loft Mitchell Santner beyond long-on for only the second six of his career to leap from 95 to a joyous 101, Wagner was not deterred from his attempts to corral Smith, and he was ultimately rewarded with a distracted attempt at a hook shot and a miscue lobbing gently to Southee at leg gully. Smith was furious with himself, but the pressure had built over 164 balls – a volume of deliveries by which time he had usually passed three figures in England.Better tidings arrived for New Zealand when Southee took the second new ball and bent an inswinger around Matthew Wade’s front pad to flick the off stump as the left-hander shouldered arms to his immediate regret.Four wickets down with 47 deliveries left in the evening, made for a queasy sort of session as far as Australia were concerned, as underlined by how Labuschagne was troubled more than once to pick up the line of the ball. But Travis Head was able to survive a few nervous moments to keep Labuschagne company up to the close, even if the No. 3 offered Wagner an airy upper cut in the final over that fell slightly short and wide of third man. Australia know they have been in a fight; they have enough batting left to land some major blows on day two.

Chasing a modest 154, the belligerent openers flayed the Thunder attack in an opening stand of 136

The Report by Tristan Lavalette20-Jan-2020Liam Livingstone and Josh Inglis destroyed Sydney Thunder to reignite Perth Scorchers’ push for a home final with a crushing eight-wicket victory on Monday.Chasing a modest 154, the belligerent openers flayed the Thunder attack in an opening stand of 136 as the Scorchers mowed down the target with 27 balls to spare.Liam Livingstone led the Scorchers run chase brilliantly•Getty Images

The Thunder were outplayed after electing to bat and struggled to overcome the Scorchers’ disciplined attack. Only a lone hand from opener Alex Hales (85), who almost batted through the innings, defied the Scorchers’ probing quicks but he lacked support.The Scorchers ended a two-game losing streak and overtook the Thunder into fourth on the ladder amid a logjam mid-table.Thunder recover from slow startRuns have flowed during the Powerplays in Perth this season but the Thunder’s vaunted opening duo failed to fire. Hales survived a strong lbw shout first ball from Jhye Richardson and looked scratchy on the bouncy deck.Usman Khawaja handled the conditions better but felt the pinch of the slow run-rate in the fourth over and hit Mitchell Marsh’s first delivery to mid-on as the Scorchers’ quicks dictated proceedings with accurate short-pitched bowling.After the Thunder could only muster 32 runs in the Powerplay, Marsh wisely used spinner Fawad Ahmed who promptly claimed a desperate Callum Ferguson with his first delivery.An under pressure Hales decided to unleash and he managed successive boundaries in the eighth over, but only through unconvincing outside edges. The Englishman took a liking to Livingstone’s innocuous spin and smashed him down the ground for six with a rare clean strike to ensure the Thunder found momentum at the midpoint at 2 for 72.Chris Jordan picked up wickets at crucial points•Getty Images

Hales ensures competitive Thunder totalMarsh again showed his captaincy nous by discarding Livingstone and turning to Chris Jordan, as Hales and Arjun Nair – who had been promoted to No.5 – settled to rebuild the innings. Jordan repaid the faith in the 12th over with the wicket of Nair followed by Daniel Sams with a menacing bouncer.The Thunder’s momentum ground to a halt with Hales once again going back into his shell. He grew frustrated after repeatedly picking out the fielders, before breathing easier after landing sixes off Marsh and Jordan.Hales’ intent seemed to spark Alex Ross, who had initially looked out of sorts but belligerently attacked Matt Kelly in the 18th over as the partnership sped past fifty. Hales eyed a century after crunching two boundaries in the penultimate over to sour Richardson’s previously miserly figures. He needed 15 runs in the last over to notch a ton but could not add to his total after holing out to compatriot Jordan, who proved a thorn for the Thunder with his eclectic bowling.Inglis and Livingstone destroy ThunderThe Thunder’s total appeared under par reinforced by an aggressive Inglis, who bludgeoned four boundaries off the opening over. Inglis made it look easy marked by an outrageous scooped six off Brendan Doggett to underline his mastery of the stroke.Inglis and Livingstone pounced on wayward Thunder bowling, who were unable to replicate the hostility from their Scorchers counterparts. The pair reached fifty in just the fourth over in a notable juxtaposition to the Thunder’s earlier dawdling in the Powerplay.Alex Hales shored up the Thunder innings with a 59-ball 85•Getty Images

There seemed no stopping Inglis until he was battered in the helmet by a rearing Gurinder Sandhu delivery and required medical attention. It failed to shake him as he smashed a six upon resumption, as a frazzled Ferguson turned to left-arm spinner Liam Bowe out of desperation in the sixth over.Livingstone promptly smashed another six as the Scorchers reached 0 for 76 after the Powerplay. The Thunder couldn’t take a trick with a diving Doggett dropping Livingstone on 32 in the outfield.Perhaps having learned from Brisbane Heat’s meltdown the night before, the openers batted sensibly by knocking the ball around until Livingstone decided to attack Bowe with consecutive sixes to reach his half-century off just 28 balls.Doggett’s nightmare endsDoggett’s horror night continued when he dropped a return catch that hung in the air to reprieve Livingstone on 57. It got even worse for him next over when he once again reprieved Livingstone much to the mirth of the sparse Scorchers faithful.Doggett breathed a sigh of relief when he finally held on to a diving catch to dismiss Inglis for 58 and emerged from the turf with a wry smile. Livingstone fell for 78 attempting a six for victory but it mattered little.

“Sky is the limit” for talented young batsmen Shaw and Gill, says the India head coach

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Feb-2020The objective in the two-Test series in New Zealand is to “play like the world’s No. 1 Test team” and collect full points – 120 of them – “to be in contention to play at Lord’s” in the World Test Championship final in 2021, according to India head coach Ravi Shastri.India are currently on top of the championship table with a full 360 points after beating West Indies 2-0 away and then South Africa and Bangladesh 3-0 and 2-0 at home respectively. Winning two Tests out of the ones in New Zealand, which starts February 21 in Wellington, or the four in Australia later in the year should put India in a good position to make that trip to Lord’s.”We need 100 points to be in contention to play at Lord’s. Two overseas wins out of six Tests will keep us in good stead. We play six Tests overseas this year (two in NZ and four in Australia). So, that’s one objective,” Shastri was quoted as saying by the . “The other is to play like the world’s No. 1 Test team – because that’s what this team believes in more than anything else. On the Test front, that’s what we’re looking at.”India swept the five-T20I series in New Zealand before being blanked 3-0 in the ODIs, and Shastri called the ODIs “relatively irrelevant” in what is a T20 World Cup year, and that the Tests “matter more right now”.ALSO READ: Hanuma Vihari presents India with left-field choice for openerAs for the Tests, India are without Rohit Sharma with a calf injury, and have Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw and Shubman Gill as the opening options in New Zealand.”Both [Shaw and Gill] are supremely exciting talents,” Shastri said. “Regardless of who gets into the XI in Wellington, the fact of the matter is they’re here, part of India’s national squad, and from here on they should know that the sky remains the limit.”Speaking specifically about Gill, Shastri said, “He’s phenomenally talented. His approach to batting is very clear and he exhibits a very positive mindset. That’s very exciting for a boy who’s just 20 going on 21.”In their first innings of the only three-day tour game before the first Test, Shaw and Agarwal opened and scored 0 and 1 respectively, while Gill, batting at No. 4, scored a duck too, all of them falling to Scott Kuggeleijn.”They’re all from the same school, you know. They love facing the new ball, enjoy a challenge,” Shastri said. “Rohit is unfortunately out so that puts Shubman and Prithvi in contention to open with Mayank. That competition is necessary and that’s what makes a bunch of 15 look strong and stable.”India are also without Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ishant Sharma, who will be undergoing a fitness test in Bengaluru on Saturday to see if he can join the touring party.

Perry’s injury and the threat of rain both favour South Africa, though they have never beaten Australia in a Women’s T20 World Cup

The Preview by Daniel Brettig04-Mar-2020

Big Picture

Few teams have had more contrasting paths to the semi-finals than Australia and South Africa. The hosts have been a walking news cycle of dramas, unexpected twists and, in the case of Ellyse Perry’s hamstring injury, sporting tragedy, all while dealing with the enormous expectations of fulfilling their favourites tag and making it to the final on Sunday at the MCG. For South Africa it has been a far quieter, smoother path, winning three consecutive matches to breeze into the semi-finals then qualifying first in their group thanks to a washout.That same weather now offers South Africa one of two viable pathways to the tournament decider. As the higher ranked qualifying team, they will make the final if a match cannot be completed at the SCG on Thursday night, an irony that won’t be lost on members of the men’s South African side who were on the wrong side of a rain-shortened World Cup semi-final at the MCG in the 1992 ODI World Cup.Then again, they have the option of simply beating Meg Lanning’s team although this is a rather more complicated assignment for Dane van Niekerk’s side, given that they have never won a T20 World Cup match against Australia in four attempts. So while any team would prefer to win their way through to a tournament final by being victorious in a contest, the damage Australia did to themselves by starting the event with a loss to India, plus the vagaries of the World Cup’s rules around reserve days and the minimum overs required for a result are very much in South Africa’s favour.

Form guide

Australia WWWLW (completed matches, most recent first)
South Africa WWWLW

In the spotlight

Throughout this tournament, Ash Gardner has struggled to impose herself while also looking capable of doing so at a key moment. Against India she was humbugged by the collapse of wickets all around her, and after falling early to the swinging ball in Perth, she made a couple of decent starts against Bangladesh and New Zealand. As critical as her ability to swing freely and powerfully for the fences will be an improvement in Gardner’s offspin bowling, which has looked eminently hittable thus far, and will likely be leaned on further in Perry’s absence.Arguably no individual innings of this World Cup has been better than Laura Wolvaardt‘s slamming 53 from 36 balls against Pakistan, not only as an example of finishing off an innings in resounding and match-winning style, but also as an example of a cricketer finding another level at precisely the right moment. A career strike rate of around a run a ball in T20Is did not suggest that Wolvaardt would have been capable of such a feat, but in doing so she added depth to South Africa’s lineup in a way that Australia have always considered a strength.

Team news

Lacking Perry’s all-round skills and middle-order presence, Australia can either choose an extra bowler, perhaps of the spin-bowling variety, or draft in the vastly experienced Delissa Kimmince who offers sturdy mediums and handy runs too.Australia (possible): 1 Beth Mooney, 2 Alyssa Healy (wk), 3 Meg Lanning (capt), 4 Ashleigh Gardner, 5 Rachael Haynes, 6 Annabel Sutherland, 7 Nicola Carey, 8 Delissa Kimmince, 9 Georgia Wareham, 10 Jess Jonassen 11 Megan SchuttHaving sailed much more comfortably into the semi-finals than Australia, it is hard to see South Africa looking past the XI that beat Pakistan comfortably in Sydney three days ago although they continue to monitor the health of Marizanne Kapp who has been struggling with a respiratory tract infection.South Africa (probable): 1 Lizelle Lee, 2 Dane van Niekerk (capt), 3 Marizanne Kapp, 4 Mignon du Preez, 5 Laura Wolvaardt, 6 Sune Luus, 7 Chloe Tryon, 8 Trisha Chetty (wk), 9 Shabnim Ismail, 10 Ayabonga Khaka, 11 Nonkululeko Mlaba

Pitch and conditions

Sydney’s surfaces typically offer more spin the longer a season goes on, but the amount of rain around the city this week may also bring some moisture and the odd tuft of live grass into play.The weather forecast is for some patches of fine weather amongst the showers, though it remains to be seen whether there will be enough for a game to be completed.

Stats and trivia

• South Africa have never beaten Australia in four previous T20 World Cup meetings, starting in 2009
• The SCG has previously hosted two women’s T20I matches, both won by Australia, in 2009 against New Zealand and in 2016 against India
• Not since the first women’s T20 World Cup in England in 2009 has the host nation reached the final

Zampa made his first-class debut for NSW in 2012 before moving to South Australia in 2013

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jun-2020Australia legspinner Adam Zampa has returned to his home state New South Wales after seven seasons with South Australia.Zampa made his first-class debut for NSW in 2012 and played three Sheffield Shield matches and four one-day games for them before moving to South Australia in 2013, where he picked up 95 first-class wickets and 51 one-day wickets in 35 and 34 matches respectively.”The prospect of moving back home and being able to play for the state I started with and where I played my junior cricket means a lot to me,” Zampa said. “The thing I’m looking forward to the most is playing with some guys that I was really close with when I was a rookie at NSW. The likes of Sean Abbott, Dan Hughes and Harry Conway. I love pushing guys around me to get better and I think NSW cricket teams have always been a great environment for this.”Zampa fills the gap created by left-arm spinner Steve O’Keefe’s retirement from first-class cricket earlier this year after NSW decided not to offer him a contract.In the last two years, Zampa played only three Shield games for South Australia – where he picked up five wickets – but he is geared up. “I’m looking forward to testing myself in Shield cricket with a team of this calibre and I’m hoping to get the opportunity of playing with Nathan Lyon down the track. My partner Harriet and I will be able to spend a lot more time with both our families.”Zampa is one of seven contracted international players in the NSW side alongside Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc and David Warner.

Captain not fazed by England’s strong bowling attack

Umar Farooq28-Jun-2020Pakistan have England’s “fragile top order” in their sights as captain Azhar Ali said that the hosts’ batsmen haven’t looked confident since Alastair Cook retired in 2018. He called England’s bowling line-up “brilliant” but played down any sense of pressure handling an experienced attack.England have struggled to nail down a regular top three in recent years, not least since Cook’s final Test in September 2018. In their 18 Tests since then, England have used six different opening pairs (five excluding nightwatchman Jack Leach), and no pair has opened together more than nine times. Rory Burns seems to have secured his place but remains inexperienced, with only 15 caps to his name, while Dom Sibley (6 Tests), Joe Denly (14) and Zak Crawley (4) will be fighting it out for the other two spots during their series against West Indies.”Their bowling attack is brilliant in their own conditions and there is no doubt about it,” Azhar said before leaving for England. “Other than Jofra Archer we have faced all of them – Broad, Anderson, Woakes, Stokes and even Wood was there, but we have still won against them. Looking at their batting, their top order has been fragile for some time since Alastair Cook retired. They have tried a lot of combinations lately and might be looking a bit more settled, but they haven’t been really confident with it. So there is something for us in it to look at.”Pakistan have a decent away record in England since 2016, winning three Test out six Tests in two drawn series, which finished 2-2 (in 2016) and 1-1 (2018). In fact, that record in England is among the best for a leading Test side in the last four years: during that time, Australia have won two Tests in England with India, South Africa and West Indies winning one game each since 2016.Azhar said he felt his side had done well on previous tours in England conditions: Pakistan are the only visiting team to score 500+ in a Test in England since 2016, and Azhar suggested that their other successes there – including the 2017 Champions Trophy – could provide them with the belief to succeed again on this tour.ALSO READ: Pakistan ‘made a pact’ to keep fitness levels high – AzharPakistan’s inexperienced fast bowling bowling line-up might be considered as a weaker link as the talented youngsters Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi have no experience playing Test cricket in English conditions. Only Mohammad Abbas, who played two Tests on the 2018 tour and has spent two seasons playing county cricket for Leicestershire, has much in the bank. Yasir Shah, Pakistan’s main spinner, has ample experience but he has had a poor run of late in Tests, averaging 75 with 10 wickets in his five appearances since the beginning of 2019.Rory Burns and Dom Sibley look set to open for England against West Indies•Getty Images

“In terms of number of games, of course England have tons of experience in their bowling,” Azhar said. “But we have the skills: they [our bowlers] are young and have a lot to offer. They can give trouble to any team in the world. In a very short time, they have achieved a lot and that is a good sign.”You can’t buy experience immediately, and for that you obviously have to play more, but then we have a very experienced coaching staff with Waqar Younis and Mushtaq Ahmed. Their expertise and knowledge can be utilised and they will be helping them. So I believe, when this combo of experience and skill is brought together, that we can produce a great result. I am confident about this.”About spinners, we are not really sure about the conditions at the time of the Test series. The weather right now is great there but it changes frequently and suddenly. We don’t know how it will pan out this summer. We will bring our game plan according to the conditions. We have a larger pool of player and have a lot of flexible options in our touring party.”Pakistan’s 20-man advance group lands on Sunday afternoon in Manchester and will undergo a 14-day quarantine period at New Road, Worcestershire before transferring to Derbyshire’s County Ground on July 13. Another batch of players that include Wahab Riaz, Shadab Khan will join the squad in the next 10 days if they receive a second negative result for Covid-19. The tour comprises three Test matches starting in the first week of August and three T20Is stretching into September. All six games will be played behind closed doors.

Sussex wrap up emphatic victory with a day to spare in first round of Bob Willis Trophy

ECB Reporters Network03-Aug-2020Sussex 176 (Salt 68, Garton 54*) and 221 (Salt 80) beat Hampshire 153 (Came 25) and 150 (Robinson 5-29) by 94 runs Ollie Robinson took five wickets, including three in 14 balls, as Sussex beat Hampshire by 94 runs in their Bob Willis Trophy south group opener at Hove.Robinson picked up Joe Weatherley, Felix Organ and Sam Northeast before lunch and claimed Harry Came as his fourth victim early into the afternoon session. He then returned after tea to remove last man Ajeet Singh to finish with 5 for 29 from 13.3 impressive overs.Hampshire lost wickets steadily in their pursuit of a victory target of 245 and were dismissed for 150.Robinson, 26, finished with match figures of 8 for 56 and once again showed the form which brought him 137 Championship wickets in the last two seasons and a place in England’s training squad for the recent Test series against West Indies.He removed both Hampshire openers in near-identical fashion, driving without much foot movement and edging to third slip. George Garton held on at the second attempt to remove Joe Weatherley (2) before taking a low catch offered by Organ for 9.Robinson struck again in his fourth over when Northeast (7), attempting a checked drive, got an inside edge and lost his leg stump and Hampshire had slumped to 38 for four just after lunch when Came was defeated by Robinson’s extra bounce off a good length and edged to Phil Salt at slip for 6. After his new-ball spell Robinson had figures of four for 15 from eight overs.Although Robinson was a handful throughout, there was some poor shot selection by the Hampshire batsmen with no one in either of their innings going past 30.After Robinson had wrecked their top order, debutant off-spinner Jack Carson picked up three wickets as Hampshire’s batsmen continued to show a lack of discipline having seemingly got themselves established.Ian Holland (13) was bowled sweeping as for the second time in the match Carson took a wicket with his second ball before left-hander Tom Alsop, who looked as comfortable as anyone, came down the track and was beaten in the flight, bowled for 27.Lewis McManus was another who got out when seemingly well set, caught off a top-edged pull for 28 the ball after he pulled George Garton over mid-wicket for a flat six.Then James Fuller horribly mis-timed a pull at a short ball from slow left-armer Delray Rawlins which he should have blasted out of the ground and instead gave a catch to Henry Crocombe at wide long-on.Hampshire were 135 for 8 at tea and their resistance lasted for only another 15 minutes after the interval. Mason Crane endured a 14-ball duck, caught off a mis-timed sweep to give Carson his fifth wicket of the match.Fittingly, though, it was left to Robinson – the best bowler on show by some margin – to wrap things up when he had last man Dale caught behind for a duck to claim the 14th five-wicket haul of his first-class career. Keith Barker, who struck some futile blows towards the end, finished unbeaten on 25.Earlier, Sussex had added 66 runs to their overnight 155 for 6 before they were dismissed for 221 in their second innings.Barker made the breakthrough in the second over of the day when Rawlins (11) was caught behind to give the former Warwickshire left-armer his 400th first-class wicket. Off-spinner Organ and leg-spinner Crane combined to finish off the innings.Robinson made a rapid 23 before trying to sweep Organ out of the rough and giving a catch to Holland, running back from slip.Garton (13) was leg before when he missed a sweep off Crane, who finished off the innings when Mitch Claydon (16) slogged across the line after adding 22 runs for the last wicket with Crocombe (10 not out).

Bangladesh’s new batting consultant will be wary of making wholesale changes

Mohammad Isam29-Aug-2020Craig McMillan has said that in his new role as Bangladesh’s batting consultant he would look to build relationships with the players rather than making wholesale changes. McMillan, who was appointed on Bangladesh’s support staff last week for the upcoming three-match Test series against Sri Lanka, will be joining the squad next month during the tour’s preparatory phase.McMillan, who was New Zealand’s batting coach for five years until the 2019 World Cup, said that he would focus on helping batsmen make good decisions for longer periods to bring them success in Tests.”One of the first things that I have to do is develop a relationship with the players,” McMillan told ESPNcricinfo. “I am really looking forward to doing that. I know a few players through New Zealand playing against Bangladesh but not that well. I certainly won’t be coming in and changing any techniques. It won’t be the first thing I do. It will be more about just adding little things to their game plans, and adding those things that will bring success.”I certainly believe that quality Test match batting is about having a solid defence first and foremost, one that you trust and believe in, and then the ability to make good decisions for a long period of time. So if you can do that, you can get in the battle with the bowler and playing the right shots at the right time is key to being successful in Test match cricket.”McMillan said that Bangladesh’s three-week training camp, likely to start in Colombo at the end of September, is necessary given the large amount of time that the players had been out of action due to the pandemic. He said that playing a three-match Test series, Bangladesh’s first in six years, is going to be a “great opportunity” for the team.”It has been a quiet time in cricket being played all over the world, so it is exciting to have a tour coming up,” he said. “Three Test matches is a great opportunity for the Bangladesh side.”I think it’s an excellent idea by the BCB to have a good three-week preparation getting into that [first] Test match. So much downtime and not a lot of cricket being played in the last six or seven months, I think the preparation is going to be important heading into the Sri Lanka series.”McMillan said that Russell Domingo, Bangladesh’s head coach, called him up about the role, and after a bit of thought, he decided to take up the position. He is, however, going to be available only for the Sri Lanka tour, and he said that anything beyond that will require further discussion.”It caught me a little bit by surprise,” McMillan recalled. “I got a call from Russell Domingo, and after I had a week to think about it, I was excited by and looking forward to the challenge. It was one of those things that I wasn’t expecting throughout these times. There isn’t a lot of cricket being played at the moment but once the opportunity came, I decided to take it. I am really excited to be working with the team and coaching staff.”I am not looking any further than the Sri Lanka tour at the moment. I am really looking forward to working with the players, finding out what makes them tick and developing relationships with them. I think it will be key.”I am also excited to be working alongside Russell Domingo who is vastly experienced, and other coaching staff. We will see how this tour goes and then have further discussions and see where it leads.”

Kings XI’s twin legspinners Ravi Bishnoi and M Ashwin exploited a right-hander heavy Royal Challengers line-up to take three wickets apiece

Deivarayan Muthu24-Sep-20201:49

Gambhir: Rahul can be groomed to be the next India captain

An expertly paced 132 not out of 69 balls from KL Rahul – the highest score by an Indian in the IPL and fourth highest overall – formed the centerpiece of the Kings XI Punjab’s 206 for 3, as they flattened the Royal Challengers Bangalore in Dubai.After raising his first fifty off 36 balls, Rahul zipped away to his second off a mere 26 balls. Along the way, he was reprieved twice in the outfield by Virat Kohli in the 17th and 18th overs. After that second drop, Rahul tore into Dale Steyn and Shivam Dube at the death, cracking 42 off nine balls.

Kohli fined INR 12 lakh for slow over-rate

Virat Kohli became the first captain in IPL 2020 to be fined for slow over-rate. He was fined INR 12 lakh as it was his team’s first offence of the season under the IPL’s code of conduct relating to minimum over-rate offences.

Facing a steep target, the Royal Challengers rejigged their batting line-up by bumping rookie Josh Phillipe to No. 3, but they crashed to 4 for 3 and then 57 for 5. After left-arm seamer Sheldon Cottrell bounced out Devdutt Padikkal and Kohli for 1 each, Kings XI’s twin legspinners Ravi Bishnoi and M Ashwin exploited a right-hander heavy Royal Challengers line-up to skittle them for 109 in 17 overs.Profligate RCB, prolific Kings XI
On a fresh, true pitch, Umesh Yadav allowed Rahul and Mayank Agarwal to ease themselves in by bowling looseners down the leg side. At the other end, Steyn pushed the ball wide of off and gave up back-to-back to fours to Rahul in the second over of the match. Then, when first-change Navdeep Saini offered a wide full-toss, Agarwal creamed it through extra-cover as the Kings XI surged to 50 for 0 in six overs.Enter Yuzvendra Chahal. Exit Agarwal. The spinner unleashed a quicker wrong ‘un and stormed through the defences of Agarwal to trigger a brief slowdown along with offspinner Washington Sundar. After managing just 11 off 13 balls against the spinners, Nicholas Pooran attempted to line up seam-bowling allrounder Dube, but instead he holed out for 17 off 18 balls.The return of Yadav and Saini, however, loosened the spinners’ grip. Another freebie on the pads, another overpitched delivery outside off meant Rahul could pick up the pace.Rahul hits top gear
After a productive powerplay, ESPNcricinfo’s forecaster reckoned that the Kings XI would finish with 180. Such a tall total seemed unlikely when Dube also tricked Glenn Maxwell with an offcutter, but Rahul, aided by the two drops, ensured his side breached 200.ALSO SEE: Kings XI Punjab vs Royal Challengers Bangalore live score 24th September 2020 He went 6,4,6,6,4 against Steyn and 4,6,6 against Dube to cap the innings for Kings XI and snatch the orange cap – reserved for the tournament’s leading run-scorer – for himself. All up, Kings XI pillaged 74 off their last four overs. Dube had plucked out an injured Mitchell Marsh at the death in the Royal Challengers’ opening win, but, perhaps, it wasn’t a wise option to use him again during this phase, especially against a rampaging Rahul. Saini, who can bowl yorkers at speeds upwards of 140kph and also cut his pace down, ultimately bowled just one over at the death while Sundar sent down only two overs overall for 13 runs.(Leg)spin to win
If the Royal Challengers were to have a proper crack at 207, they needed a strong start from their top order. However, it was not to be, with Cottrell striking twice in his first two overs. The promoted Phillipe shuffled across and missed a straight one from Mohammed Shami before Aaron Finch and AB de Villiers threatened a comeback. Finch kept jumping outside leg to throw Bishnoi off his lines and lengths, but the 20-year-old held his own and knocked him over with a slider. Rahul then matched up Ashwin with de Villiers and had him carving a catch to sweeper cover for 28 off 18 balls. Finch and de Villiers aside, Sundar (30) was the only other Royal Challengers batsman to pass 15 as their middle and lower order came into sharp focus once again. Ashwin and Bishnoi came away with three wickets each, applying the finishing touches.

Adelaide Strikers and Hobart Hurricanes supported Black Lives Matter on the opening day of the tournament

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Oct-2020Sydney Thunder have confirmed they will take the knee throughout the WBBL following discussions among the entire squad.All teams have committed to perform the Indigenous Barefoot Circle ceremony ahead of matches during the tournament, but the decision over whether to take the knee in support of Black Lives Matter was left to individual clubs.On the opening day of the tournament the Adelaide Strikers and Hobart Hurricanes took the knee and the Thunder would have done the same had their match against the Sydney Sixers not been washed out.”It was a team decision,” Thunder captain Rachael Haynes said. “Obviously there has been a little bit of talk leading up to it, in regards to what the competition could possibly do from a playing point of view”And it’s a unique competition in that it’s not just Australian players who play in it. We have players coming from all over the world with different experiences and obviously an opportunity for them to use their platform.””When we realised and had a chat as a team that this was something people felt passionate about, we certainly wanted to have a united front. And to be honest, it was pretty unanimous in our group that it was a way we could show support not only in Australia but around the world.”Ahead of the WBBL England captain Heather Knight, who is one of the Thunder’s overseas players, had pushed for the tournament to include taking the knee after her team supported Black Lives Matter during the recent series against West Indies.”Playing against the West Indies, we wanted to make a gesture and to keep the conversations happening,” Knight told the Sydney Morning Herald. “Being treated differently perhaps hits a bit of a nerve as women cricketers, we’ve had to fight a bit to move towards equality – it’s a similar strength that runs through the BLM movement.”Jason Holder, the West Indies captain, was recently critical that teams had stopped taking the knee in England after the series between the two men’s teams had concluded. They continued to do so during the ODI series against Ireland, but did not against Pakistan or Australia later in the summer.Michael Holding termed the reasoning behind not continuing as “lame” and Australia men’s head coach Justin Langer admitted there should have been more discussion about it ahead of the limited-overs tour to England.