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Ricky Ponting rates himself “a good chance” to play with his broken little finger on Boxing Day, but won’t be too proud to stand down if he’s not fit

Peter English at the WACA19-Dec-2010Ricky Ponting rates himself “a good chance” to play with his broken little finger on Boxing Day, but won’t be too proud to stand down if he’s not fit. Ponting has learned from last year, when he went into the biggest game of the summer with a serious elbow tendon problem, and expects to wait until the morning of the fourth Test to decide whether he can lead.The injury ensures another bumpy lead-up for Australia and means Michael Clarke will be on standby for his first Test as captain. Greg Chappell, the selector, said yesterday Clarke, the current deputy, was not ready for the top job but changed tack today.Ponting, who will not pick up a bat until later in the week, did not field on the final morning as Australia raced to a 267-run victory that levelled the series at 1-1. “I have to have treatment and look after it for a few days and rest it,” he said. “I think I have a really good chance of playing, it is only a small fracture. It is a bit sore and angry at the moment, but I’ll be right.”He suffered the break when he spilled the edge of Jonathan Trott at second slip on the third afternoon, with the rebound popping up to Brad Haddin. X-rays last night showed a small crack and he spent the morning of his 36th birthday in the dressing room to protect the injury. He walked out after the victory had been secured to congratulate his team-mates while keeping his left hand out of everyone’s way.Ponting was in a similar fitness race this time last year as he battled to be ready for the start of the series against Pakistan. His right elbow had been hit by a Kemar Roach short ball at the WACA, and the problem disrupted his batting for the rest of the summer.He was determined to play on despite the discomfort, but this time he will consider a different approach if the injury hasn’t healed. “I honestly think with it being a little finger on my left hand, I don’t think it’s as significant as being the top elbow last year,” he said”I’m not going to be silly and put myself ahead of the team. If I don’t think I can function well, I won’t play. If I feel like I can function and play somewhere near – I won’t say how I’ve been playing, better than I have been playing – then I will play the game.”Ponting not only has a hurt finger, but he also hasn’t been in form with the bat, scoring 83 runs in six innings in this series, and averaging 38.95 in 24 Tests since the start of last year. The lack of output has resulted in increased pressure on his leadership, although that has eased with the strength of this victory.Clarke, 29, has also struggled for runs and been facing scrutiny as the captain in waiting. Chappell attempted to back-track today after telling Channel 9 yesterday that nobody was in the right frame of mind to step into the captaincy. The comments came before Ponting was hurt.”In that discussion I was being very careful not to make suggestions against Ricky and I didn’t speak clearly to get that message across,” Chappell told the ABC. “Michael is our next captain, whenever that might be. We’re very happy, he’s done the job before, and we have no doubt he’s ready for it.”What I was trying to say was that when the handover comes we’d love him to be in peak form. I’m not trying to suggest there was a problem there.”Yesterday Chappell said: “If we’re going to replace Ricky, we’ve got to make sure we’ve got someone that we’re confident has the right frame of mind who can take over and do a good job,” Chappell said. “And I don’t know that we’ve got somebody that we feel we want to rush Ricky Ponting out the door at this moment. There is nobody absolutely ready for it. I don’t think there are too many other players I’d want to put that pressure on.”Chappell said today that Ponting will be given time to turn around his batting form, just like Michael Hussey was at the start of this series. “In the nets he’s batting well,” Chappell said. “Perhaps the pressure of this series, he built it up as a very important series, perhaps he hasn’t had the mental freedom to bat. Hopefully the win here might give him the freedom in Melbourne.”

An explosive 72-run partnership between Steven Smith and David Warner swept New South Wales to a win over the leaders Queensland in the FR Cup

Cricinfo staff09-Dec-2009New South Wales 6 for 259 (Smith 75*, Rohrer 57) beat Queensland 258 (Kruger 67) by 4 wickets

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Steven Smith’s unbeaten half-century ensured a positive result for the struggling Blues•Getty Images

An explosive 72-run partnership between Steven Smith and David Warner might have sparked New South Wales’ domestic campaign after they swept past the leaders Queensland in the FR Cup. The Blues, who won only one of their opening four games, were wobbling at 5 for 169 when the pair came together and took off.Smith showed his aggressive range in top scoring with 75 from 84 balls, with seven fours, while Warner flexed with 34 off 24 before he was yorked by James Hopes. That ended the stand, which came at nine an over, and left the visitors wanting 18 from 26 deliveries. Smith was joined by Daniel Smith and the victory came with four wickets and 13 balls in hand.The hosts had felt in control after Phil Jaques (8) and Philip Hughes (6) went in Chris Swan’s impressive comeback, and even when Ben Rohrer was creeping towards 57 they had control of the contest. However, the bowlers were unable to keep up the pressure as the innings continued and the result ended a five-game winning streak. They remain on top with an eight-point buffer over Victoria, who have played two fewer matches, while New South Wales moved four points closer to the fourth-placed Tasmania.A hobbling Nick Kruger held together Queensland’s innings after they were shocked to be 3 for 26 having chosen to bat. Kruger needed a runner midway through his innings due to a hip problem suffered hitting a boundary down the ground, but he pushed through the pain to reach his first domestic half-century, finishing with 67 off 103 balls.The partnerships he shared with Nathan Reardon (41) and Craig Philipson (49) were crucial in reviving the Bulls and some late contributions helped them to a competitive total. Stuart Clark, who felt his side eased off at the end of the innings, joined Josh Hazlewood and Moises Henriques in picking up two wickets.

Player-turned-pundit says comments over fitness caused team to give her ‘cold shoulder’

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jan-2025Alex Hartley, England’s former World Cup-winning spinner, has claimed that Sophie Ecclestone “refused” to be interviewed by her on TV and that she has been “given the cold shoulder” by England players since criticising their fitness following their T20 World Cup exit in October.Hartley, who has worked extensively as a broadcaster and pundit since retiring from professional cricket, had said that a handful of players were “letting the team down” with their fitness levels after their shock defeat to West Indies in Dubai. Heather Knight and Jon Lewis, England’s captain and coach, both denied that it had contributed to their group-stage elimination.Following England’s 57-run loss in Monday’s first T20I in Sydney, which put Australia 8-0 up in the Ashes and ensured they will retain the trophy, Hartley said she had been frozen out. “Sophie Ecclestone refused to do a TV interview with me today,” she told the BBC’spodcast. “I’ve been hung out to dry by the England team: none of them will talk to me on the boundary edge.”The reason I said that they were not as fit as Australia is because I want them to compete with Australia, I want them to be better than Australia, and I want them to win Ashes and World Cups. I’m giving my opinion, and I’ve been given the cold shoulder from the England team ever since.Related

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“Not all of them have given me the cold shoulder. I don’t want to say that they’ve all been the same, because they haven’t. Some of the players have been absolutely outstanding: I’ve spoken to them in the street, at the ground, wherever. But a few individuals – coaches, players – they literally haven’t looked at me.”England’s fielding has been a problem throughout the Ashes. Beth Mooney was dropped early in her match-winning 75 in Sydney on Monday, while a series of errors contributed to England’s three ODI defeats at the start of the tour. It prompted Hartley to reiterate her view that England have struggled to match Australia’s “athleticism” across the series.”I’ve upset them, clearly,” she said. “Jon Lewis has come out and said there isn’t a problem with fitness in his squad, there isn’t a problem with fitness in the England environment. They obviously think I’m completely wrong in my opinion – which is fine, absolutely fine. I’m entitled to my opinions, and they’re entitled to theirs.”It’s my job to say if I see something that needs to be better, and I did, but the way that I’ve been treated since I think is totally unfair. But they will say that my comments were unfair, so if that’s the way our relationship is going to be moving forwards, then so be it… If fitness isn’t a problem, then it’s athleticism from a few, isn’t it?”An England team spokesperson declined to comment when contacted by ESPNcricinfo.

South Africa record-breaker says “you can sleep a bit better at night knowing you stuck to your strengths”, referring to his move from top-order batter to middle-order power-hitter

Sidharth Monga07-Oct-20231:16

Steyn: Markram played good cricket shots and they travelled a mile

Aiden Markram is not the most expressive person on a cricket field at the best of times. He likes to keep it even. Rassie van der Dussen is not too different. On Saturday in Delhi, though, the duo and Quinton de Kock let their emotion pour out when they celebrated their hundreds. That show of emotion didn’t escape those watching, and for Markram it was not all about having just pulled off the quickest century in World Cups.”Yeah, it’s quite strange because you almost get this thing that just takes over your body at certain moments,” Markram said when asked about the unusual reactions on show. “I think there’s a lot of passion in this team to give our absolute all at this World Cup and see how far it can get us. We’re known to start pretty slowly, be it in a series or maybe world events and things like that, so we put a lot of emphasis on today’s game; to start well and play the same cricket we’ve been playing that’s managed to sneak us into this competition.”So I think it’s all of those emotions sort of mixed up and building up. That sort of just comes out and a lot of pride naturally for the three of us as well. When it’s your day, try to cash in and really make it count. So a mixture of quite a lot of things I would say.”Related

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For a while later in the night, Kusal Mendis threatened to make Markram’s the shortest-held record for the fastest century in World Cups as he blitzed his way to 76 off 42. That is why Markram is not getting ahead of himself and treating this as some sort of warning bugle for the rest of the field.”I’m actually not too sure,” Markram said when asked if they had sent a message to the others. “The way batters are playing nowadays, you wouldn’t be surprised if that record is broken in this competition as well. So it’s nice for us to be able to go through the gears as a unit.”This must be a cherry on top of what has been a satisfying year for him. He has now scored 683 runs at 68.3 at a strike rate of 127.4 in 2023, but what will be most satisfying for him is that he has had to reinvent himself after his promise at the top of the order didn’t quite translate into big runs in international cricket. He has now reinvented himself as arguably the best middle-overs power-hitter in white-ball cricket in the world.”Yeah, I think you do try to evolve as a batter and it’s weird when you bump your head a few times, maybe exploring options that are not your plan A and are not necessarily your strengths,” Markram said of the transformation. “But you try to explore them in the nets, sometimes get confidence from it, try to bring it out in the game and it doesn’t work out and you go back home and you think: ‘Why am I doing that instead of sticking to my strengths?'”But ultimately, that’s what it’s about. You have options as a batter, and each batter’s options will be quite different. But it’s about really committing to those options and backing them. And if it comes off, it’s fantastic. But if it doesn’t come off, at least you can sleep a bit better at night knowing you stuck to your strengths and to your options.”One potential drawback for South Africa was that de Kock didn’t take the field at all during the run chase, seemingly due to cramps after batting in the hot and humid Delhi afternoon. Heinrich Klaasen took the gloves in his absence. But captain Temba Bavuma was certain there was nothing to worry as such. “I think he’ll be fine,” he said at the post-match presentation. “He obviously didn’t take the field today. [But] I think Quinton will be fine.”

Sri Lanka fought back well, adding 89 runs for the last two wickets and then removing the Pakistan openers cheaply

Madushka Balasuriya16-Jul-2022Stumps Sri Lanka dislodged both of Pakistan’s openers in the final hour of play on day one in Galle, as the hosts fought back hard on a day that had largely belonged to the visitors.Kasun Rajitha got one to nip back in from around the wicket to trap the left-handed Imam-ul-Haq lbw – a delivery that’s fast becoming a hallmark of Rajitha’s bowling – while Prabath Jayasuriya accounted for Abdullah Shafique, who was also dismissed leg before, rapped on the pads by one going on with the arm.From that point on, Azhar Ali and Babar Azam shut up shop and looked to bat out the rest of the day, though with the wicket starting to show some assistance for the spinners, Sri Lanka would have no doubt been encouraged.Related

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Pakistan would end the day 198 runs behind, a deficit that could have been significantly less if not for the efforts of Dinesh Chandimal counterattack and Maheesh Theekshana rearguard, who scored 76 and 38 respectively.Chandimal’s counterattack and Theekshana’s resolute rearguard had managed to cajole a respectable total after Pakistan’s bowlers, led by the excellent Shaheen Shah Afridi – who finished with 4 for 58 – had at one point threatened to blow them away; Sri Lanka’s final two wickets added 89 runs as they recovered from an ignominious 133 for 8 to a more respectable 222.Chandimal’s innings was reminiscent at times of the blitzkrieg effort he had mounted against Australia less than a week prior. The battle-worn former skipper cut, pulled, swept and drove his way to a 115-ball 76, even if he was forced to share much of that knock with Theekshana – ostensibly a tail-ender, even if some of his strokeplay at times belied that definition.The zenith of his knock came when Sri Lanka were at their lowest, having just a few overs prior lost their eighth wicket. Chandimal, realising that runs were at a premium, took on the challenge, lacing Naseem Shah for three consecutive boundaries. The first two were short balls disdainfully dispatched in front of square leg, while the final brought up his 22nd Test fifty, a delightful front-foot clip piercing deep square leg and deep fine leg that reached the ropes on the bounce. He saved his best stroke, though, for left-arm spinner Mohammed Nawaz, who he slog-swept for a maximum over square leg.Had Chandimal had his way, though, he probably would have played a more watchful knock on a wicket that needed patience, even if it wasn’t quite the raging turner Galle is known for. The wastefulness of his team-mates, however, had forced his hand.Dinesh Chandimal raises his fifty•SLC

Having won the toss and elected to bat, Sri Lanka got off to an inauspicious start, with skipper Dimuth Karunaratne playing on to his stumps.He became the latest victim of Afridi’s trademark early-overs blitz. Afridi had probed the line outside Karunaratne’s off stump, and having spotted his propensity to push towards cover, got one to nip back just enough to catch the inside edge off the forward defence on to pad and then the off peg.This early blow, however, wouldn’t slow down the Sri Lankans, as Kusal Mendis and Oshada Fernando, who came in for the indisposed Pathum Nissanka, found boundaries with regularity, and the seamers struggled for the most part to keep to consistent lines and lengths.At the height of their 49-run stand – which would be Sri Lanka’s best of the innings – the hosts were going at around four an over. However, they fell in the space of three deliveries after the first drinks break. Kusal was the first to go, getting a faint bottom edge through to Mohammad Rizwan behind the stumps, as he looked to cut one that was pushed through quicker by Yasir. Oshada followed, as a tentative defensive push to one wide outside off from Hasan Ali at the start of the next over found the edge – thicker than Kusal’s – to Rizwan, who had to put in a dive to cling on.Angelo Mathews followed soon after; frustrated after 14 scoreless deliveries, he chipped a simple catch to mid-on off Yasir.Those four wickets came in the morning session alone; Sri Lanka would lose four more post-lunch, a session which had started with Sri Lanka on 80 for 4.Dhananjaya de Silva, back in place of Kamindu Mendis after recovering from Covid-19, fell in the fifth over after the break, chopping on a somewhat casual attempt at a cover drive off Afridi – his second such wicket of the day.Afridi then dismissed Niroshan Dickwella off the first ball of his very next over, angling one into the left hander’s off stump, coaxing the drive, only to seam it away just enough to grab a thick outside edge to gully, where debutant Agha Salman completed an impressive low take.Ramesh Mendis then joined Chandimal at the crease, and the two ground out a 27-run stand before Ramesh gloved a short one from Naseem Shah down leg. It was yet another avoidable dismissal.Pakistan were then on the home stretch, and having been held off for most of the day – largely down to how well the rest of the bowlers did – the left-arm orthodox spin of Nawaz finally came into play, as he trapped Prabath Jayasuriya lbw with one that skidded through.Babar Azam and Azhar Ali have a job to do on the second day•AFP/Getty Images

At that point Sri Lanka were 133 for 8, on the floor, struggling to beat the 10 count. Chandimal and Theekshana though would not be cowed, as they putting on a 44-run stand off just 65 deliveries. And while Chandimal would fall shortly after tea – caught in the covers courtesy an excellent take by Yasir, diving full stretch to his right, off Hasan – Theekshana and last man Kasun Rajitha would continue to frustrate the visitors.On the way to 70-ball 45-run stand, the pair would show defiance some of their more illustrious teammates would do well to take note off. The pair would bat for over an hour, comfortably dealing with the short stuff the seamers threw their way, while also occasionally finding the gaps in the covers. In between the forward defence was frequently employed against the spin of Yasir and Nawaz.Theekshana was very enterprising, his 65-ball 38 including four boundaries and a six, a jaunt down the track and hit over long-off off the bowling of Yasir. The boundaries came mainly square of the wicket on the off side, Theekshana capitalising on Pakistan’s persistence with shorter lengths.Pakistan looked to be growing increasingly vexed, when Rajitha top edged to deep square-leg only to be dropped by Hasan at deep square-leg. Pakistan might have that been feeling a sense of de ja vu, with yet another instance of wagging tail thwarting them. But in the end that drop didn’t prove too costly. Theekshana would fall a few deliveries later, getting a tickle on an attempted uppercut off Afridi.By that time though, his job had been done, as Sri Lanka will feel they now have some sort of foothold in a game that for much of the day looked to have been slipping away.

United’s chase was derailed by the Afridi show but the England allrounder saw them home

Matt Roller21-Feb-2021Lewis Gregory dragged Islamabad United across the line in their season opener against Multan Sultans in Karachi with 49 not out from 31 balls to seal a three-wicket win with six balls to spare.Mohammad Rizwan underpinned the Sultans’ total of 150 after they had been asked to bat, but despite posting the highest score of the season’s opening weekend, they looked short of par, not least having been 92 for 3 after 11 overs. The United’s chase was derailed by the Shahid Afridi show in the middle overs, as they slumped to 74 for 6 after 11.1 overs, but Gregory’s cameo saw them home.Related

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The United had won two of the first three PSL titles but failed to reach the play-offs for the first time in 2020, finishing bottom of the league stage and winning only three of their 10 fixtures. But they have recruited well ahead of this season, with Alex Hales, Gregory and Hasan Ali among the star names to join the squad, and have started with a win despite not quite clicking.Star of the day
Gregory underwhelmed for Brisbane Heat in the BBL, but starred on debut for his new franchise. With the ball, he removed his compatriot James Vince, who slashed him to deep third man, and had Khushdil Shah caught at long-on. His final over, the 17th, cost only six runs as he finished with 2 for 31 from his four overs.But he was the United’s match-winner with the bat, ruthlessly targeting Sohail Tanvir at the death and hitting him for 26 off 11 balls in all. With 20 needed from 11 balls, he hit Tanvir for a six then three fours to finish the job, picking his gaps with strong shots around the ground. Gregory was aided by Faheem Ashraf, who chipped in with a cameo of 22 off 12.Tragic hero of the day
It was a great injustice that Afridi ended up on the losing side after taking 2 for 24 from his four overs. His returns with the bat have dried up as his career has worn on, as evidenced by his first-ball duck, but he shows no sign of age with the ball, continuing to evolve as a bowler. On Sunday night, he mainly bowled from very wide on the crease, looking for his trademark drift at pace, and consistently landed the ball on a good length, attacking the top of the stumps.His first strike was vintage Afridi. The in-form Hales had reached an ominous 28 off 17 in the powerplay, looking like a banker to continue his run-scoring streak from the Big Bash, but he failed to pick up the length as Afridi fired one through at 60.5mph/97.4kph with a characteristic spring in his action. Hales went back when he should have come forward, and was foxed by an in-drifter which pegged back middle stump.Lewis Gregory targeted Sohail Tanvir in the slog overs•AFP/Getty Images

Afridi was hit for six in his second over, as Hussain Talat top-edged a reverse-sweep, but struck with the first ball of his third, deceiving Asif Ali in the flight as he picked out Vince at long-on. That left the United at 73 for 4, needing a partnership to keep their hopes alive.The champagne moment arrived five balls later. Talat nudged him towards short midwicket and set off for a single, and Afridi pounced in his follow-through. In one smooth motion, he picked up and hurled the ball at the keeper’s end, his direct hit leaving Iftikhar Ahmed stranded a long way short of his ground. Having celebrated in his trademark manner for his two wickets, Afridi could not contain himself, instead setting off on an Imran Tahir-style run and punching the air in celebration.After shelling a straightforward catch at mid-off in the 16th over, he held a similar chance four balls later and hurled the ball into the ground, frustrated at his earlier mistake. He celebrates his 41st birthday in eight days but Afridi’s enthusiasm for the game is unrelenting.Miss of the day
Perhaps an unexpected choice, after he continued from where he had left off in Pakistan’s T20I series against South Africa by racing to a 31-ball half-century, but Rizwan’s deceleration ended up costing his new franchise. Rizwan struggled badly for rhythm at the death, adding only 21 runs off his last 22 balls, and bizarrely decided to play out Shadab Khan’s final over just as he should have been looking to hit out. Multan’s total was 10 or 15 short of what it could and should have been due to his slowdown – though he lacked support from the rest of the top order.Honourable mention
Mohammad Wasim, who was playing for Pakistan at the Under-19 World Cup just over a year ago, made his first professional T20 appearance and was hugely impressive. He conceded a couple of boundaries in his first over, the fourth, but varied his pace well in his second.He picked up his first PSL wicket when Sohaib Maqsood holed out to deep midwicket, but it was his final over that stood out: he ripped through Rizwan with a searing yorker that tailed in to knock out off stump, and dismissed Afridi a ball later as he looked to drag him into the leg side. Overall figures of 3 for 29 were a fair reflection of an excellent debut.

All the latest news updates for the 2019-20 Ranji Trophy season

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Dec-2019 after the Karnataka loss. Backing Mumbai to bounce back strongly, Yadav also said, “We will have to sit and see what is going wrong.”Blaming the batting – featuring the likes of Ajinkya Rahane, Siddhesh Lad, Aditya Tare, Sarfaraz Khan and Prithvi Shaw, apart from Yadav – Vengsarkar, former Mumbai and India captain, told the , “I feel some changes need to be made. Nobody can take their place in the team for granted. I am not talking about wholesale changes, but a few players need to be shown the door.””Two back-to-back defeats hurt,” Muzumdar, a former Mumbai captain as well, told the . “If this doesn’t hurt them, then there is something wrong with the players and the system. When you see such scores, you ask what is going on. Something needs to be done.”Mumbai’s next game is away against Tamil Nadu from January 11.January 3Shubman Gill not-out decision sparks Delhi protestPlay was halted for seven to ten minutes in the Ranji Trophy match between Punjab and Delhi in Mohali when Punjab and India batsman Shubman Gill was reinstated as he protested the umpire’s decision to give him out caught at the wicket. While an umpire is entitled to altering his decision if done “promptly”, the rarity of such an event brought about natural displeasure from Delhi players.Law 2.12 says: “An umpire may alter any decision provided that such alteration is made promptly. This apart, an umpire’s decision, once made, is final.”Obviously, the DRS playing conditions don’t apply here.Gill was adjudged caught-behind by the umpire Mohamad Rafi off the bowling of Subodh Bhati but he argued with the umpire, who proceeded to consult with the leg umpire Pashchim Pathak. After consultation he reversed the decision, drawing protests from Delhi. This was Rafi’s first first-class match.A Punjab Cricket Association official confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that Gill communicated to the umpire that he didn’t edge, and that the decision was overturned.The Delhi team gathered near the boundary edge in protest but didn’t want to go off the field. Match referee P Ranganathan had to intervene and get the match resumed. Gill added 13 to his score of 23 before edging behind off the bowling of Simarjeet Singh.DDCA general secretary Vinod Tihara told PTI the Delhi team was not lodging any official complaint. The officiating team will decide at the end of the match if there are any sanctions against Gill or Delhi players for dissent.Shaw taken off the field after injuring shoulder
Mumbai opener Prithvi Shaw was taken off the field after he injured his left shoulder while fielding during the Ranji Trophy match against Karnataka on Friday.The incident happened in the third session at the Bandra Kurla Complex ground when Shaw dived to save an overthrow.Shaw is in the India A squad for the upcoming New Zealand tour and the team is set to leave on January 10. He is also part of the limited-overs series and the four-day matches to be played there.A PTI report quoted Mumbai captain Suryakumar Yadav as saying, “He (Shaw) looks better. Looking at him on the ground, it was not looking good but now I think he is looking good. Later on I will get to know from the physio on what exactly the situation is.”Also, according to PTI, a source from the Mumbai team said that Shaw underwent an MRI scan as a precautionary measure.Earlier, Shaw scored a 57-ball 29 as Karnataka quicks bundled out Mumbai for 194 on the opening day.December 31Mayank Agarwal rested for marquee clashMayank Agarwal, the Karnataka top-order batsman, has been rested from the showpiece clash against Mumbai on January 3 following a BCCI request. Ajinkya Rahane, India’s Test vice-captain, is however likely to play the game along with Prithvi Shaw.Agarwal is part of the India A squad across formats for the shadow tour of New Zealand beginning January 17. The squad will leave for Auckland on January 10. The BCCI made the request as it was mindful of his workload, given Agarwal is also a senior team regular in Test cricket. Rahane is part of the India A squad as well, but is only likely to play the second four-day fixture, in February.Meanwhile, Shaw has also been picked across formats, but is coming off an eight-month backdated suspension for a doping violation that ended in November. He has, however, been in prolific form since his return.The New Zealand A series starts with two one-day tour games, followed by three one-dayers. That will be followed by the two four-day matches. The India A tour precedes the senior team’s tour of the country, starting January 24 with the white-ball formats before the two-Test series in February.In Agarwal’s absence, R Samarth, who has had a lean run across formats recently and had been left out after scoring 4 and 0 in Karnataka’s last match against Himachal Pradesh, has been brought back.December 30Struggling Tamil Nadu get captain Vijay Shankar backVijay Shankar has been cleared to play the upcoming round of the Ranji Trophy after recovering from a viral fever as well as a wrist injury.The allrounder was deemed fit following an assessment at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru and his return – as captain – comes at a time when the side desperately needs momentum heading into the halfway mark of the league stage. The selectors have made just one change, with Vijay replacing the out-of-form medium pacer J Kousik, who has gone wicketless in both his outings so far.Tamil Nadu have a solitary point, from a hard-fought draw against Madhya Pradesh, after three matches. They lost their first two matches to Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh, and will next take on a resurgent Uttar Pradesh, fresh off a bonus-point victory over Saurashtra, last season’s runners-up.December 25‘Indiscipline’ costs Dinda place in Bengal sideAshok Dinda’s name was surprisingly missing from the Bengal squad list for their Ranji Trophy match against Andhra in Kolkata. It later emerged that he had been axed for “indiscipline”.More than one member of the Bengal set-up confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that Dinda had hurled abuse – without any apparent provocation – at bowling coach Ranadeb Bose on the eve of the match, when Bose was speaking to captain Abhimanyu Easwaran during a training session. Arun Lal, the team’s mentor and coach, was not present at the scene at the time.Dinda’s name was in the original squad sheet, but it was removed following the incident. It is understood that he was given a chance to apologise to Bose, but refused. And, as things stand, Dinda “is not a part of the team, at least for this match” and could well be forced to sit out for longer, depending on how discussions on the matter at Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) go.The senior-most member of the Bengal bowling unit, Dinda was left out of the squad for the 2019-20 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and picked up three wickets in Bengal’s win over Kerala in their Ranji season opener. Overall, the quick has played 116 first-class matches in a 14-year career, picking up 420 wickets.Ishant, Dhawan in Delhi squadDelhi, who have just one point so far following a draw against Kerala and a loss to Andhra, will be bolstered by the return of Ishant Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan for their next game, against Hyderabad at home at the Feroz Shah Kotla.Ishant was rested for Delhi’s earlier games as part of the BCCI’s workload-management programme for premier fast bowlers, while Dhawan had been out of action after picking up an injury at the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in November. Dhawan has also been picked in India’s squads for the limited-overs series against Sri Lanka and Australia at home early next year.Like Dhawan, Jasprit Bumrah, who was out with a stress fracture of the back since the end of India’s tour of the West Indies in August, was picked in the India limited-overs squads and will also feature in Gujarat’s next game, against Kerala in Surat. However, Bumrah eventually sat out of the game. Gujarat currently have six points after their eight-wicket win against Hyderabad.”Ishant and Shikhar will be playing for Delhi. My colleague Sarandeep Singh will be watching that match,” MSK Prasad, the chief selector, was quoted as saying by PTI. Prasad also said he will be travelling to Surat to watch Bumrah’s comeback match.Injury crisis for Tamil NaduR Ashwin’s absence is not the only blow for Tamil Nadu ahead of their match against Madhya Pradesh. Senior opener Abhinav Mukund is not available for the match due to personal reasons. And the hard-hitting Shahrukh Khan, who has hurt his little finger, is not a part of the squad either.The trio has been replaced with Kaushik Gandhi, Hari Nishaanth and L Suryapprakash, all top-order batsmen.Washington Sundar returns for Tamil Nadu
Washington Sundar, after being a part of all three games in India’s 2-1 T20I series win over West Indies, has returned to link up with Tamil Nadu for their next Ranji Trophy game, against Himachal Pradesh in Dindigul, from December 17.Making way for Washington is the uncapped medium pacer K Mukunth, who was among the reserves for Tamil Nadu’s first-round match, against Karnataka in Dindigul, which ended up being a thriller. Karnataka eventually won it by 26 runs after K Gowtham, the offspin-bowling allrounder, put on a stellar show with a 14-wicket match haul, along with a half-century in the Karnataka first innings.K Gowtham out of round two with hairline fracture
Karnataka will be without the hero of their nail-biting win against Tamil Nadu for the second round of the Ranji Trophy, with K Gowtham having sustained a hairline fracture on his right foot. Gowtham was thus not named in a 15-man squad that will take on Uttar Pradesh in Hubli, from December 17 to 20.It is not yet certain if Gowtham will be out for longer than one round or not.A Karnataka team official said Gowtham had originally injured his foot during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in Surat, but had recovered by the time the Ranji Trophy started. In the first round, Karnataka took on Tamil Nadu – having already beaten them in the Vijay Hazare Trophy final and the Syed Mushtaq Ali final – and Gowtham starred with both bat and ball in a thrilling 26-run win achieved in the final over of the last day.Gowtham, 31, made a 39-ball 51 in the first innings to drag Karnataka to 336. He then took 6 for 110 as Tamil Nadu were bowled out for 307. He contributed 22 as Karnataka were bowled out for just 151. But Gowtham then turned the match Karnataka’s way after Tamil Nadu had motored to 49 without loss in a chase of 181, putting in a lion-hearted performance to take 8 for 60.Those were the best figures of his career, and his match haul of 14 for 170 was also a career-best. However, Gowtham ended up bowling a total of 71 overs across two innings (out of the 173 overs Karnataka bowled overall), which aggravated the injury again.Gowtham’s absence will mean Karnataka will be without two key players who were part of their win against Tamil Nadu, with Mayank Agarwal having been called up to India’s ODI squad, and thus also absent.Assam v Jharkhand game shifted out of Guwahati
Guwahati will not host the upcoming second-round Ranji Trophy fixture between Assam and Jharkhand because of the ongoing political turmoil in the state following the parliamentary approval to India’s Citizenship Amendment Bill. Assam will instead travel to Ranchi, in Jharkhand, for the game.Assam’s first home game against Services was abandoned after three days of play, with the visitors in sight of victory when curfew was imposed in the state. The match, however, was categorised as a draw, the toss having taken place, and Assam earned three points for their first-innings lead, with Services getting one point.An Assam Cricket Association official confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that with “the security of the players” being “the most important thing”, it wasn’t possible to have cricket in the state while the unrest continued.Word from the Jharkhand camp was also that they had been asked to go back home to Ranchi from Agartala – where they beat Tripura in dramatic fashion in their first game – instead of travelling to Guwahati.The Services players, in fact, had to delay their departure from Guwahati because of the curfew. They had originally planned to leave on the evening of the final day, but were only able to depart the following day.Umesh Yadav returns for Vidarbha’s game against RajasthanDefending Champions Vidarbha will be bolstered by the return of Umesh Yadav for their upcoming fixture against Rajasthan at home.
Yadav missed his side’s opening match against Andhra as the India team management wanted him to take a break following his heavy workload across four Tests against South Africa and Bangladesh. But Vidarbha will have his services for the next game, and possibly the one after against Punjab at home as well.”He was rested for the first match because of the heavy schedule [as decided by the India team management], but we have him for the second match,” a Vidarbha Cricket Association official told . We will decide on him match by match, but we are hoping to have him for the next two matches too, because those are also at home.”Umesh was the highest wicket-taker in the home Tests this season, with 23 strikes, that despite missing a Test.No play in Guwahati following political unrest, curfewThe political unrest across Assam following the parliamentary approval to India’s Citizenship Amendment Bill has hit the ongoing Assam v Services Ranji Trophy match, with the final day’s play on Thursday called off because of the indefinite state-wide curfew.Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Debojit Saikia, the vice-president of Assam Cricket Association, said, “Yes, there is no question of the players coming from the hotel to the stadium because of the curfew. There has been a lot of violence in the state, and in Guwahati, already. Their security is our biggest concern. So we had to call off the game today.”The Services players, who were in with a great shot of bagging points for an outright win with Assam 74 for 5 in their second innings, still 161 runs adrift of the victory target, did not fly out as planned.”It’s not safe for them. We will take stock of the situation tomorrow afternoon and decide on the next course of action,” Saikia said.As things stand, the match will be abandoned, and Saikia said that the ACA will speak to the BCCI to see if it can be replayed on a later date.‘I thought it’s a time to grab it’ – Shaw on maiden first-class doublePrithvi Shaw, who has been in excellent run-scoring form since returning to the game after serving a doping ban, led Mumbai’s charge in their second innings against Baroda with 179-ball 202. He had hit 66 in 62 balls in the first innings too.”It [double-century] was never on my mind. I was trying to score runs. That’s it,” Shaw was quoted as saying by after he hit his maiden first-class double. “But as I got closer to 200 runs I thought it’s a time to grab it. People do score hundreds, not that it’s easy to score hundreds, but I felt (I had to do something big).”Since making his comeback, Shaw hit 63, 30, 64, 30 and 53 in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 tournament, before the big runs in the Ranji game in Vadodara.”I waited for this day, I feel this is the best time to show the world what kind of game I have. I believe I can do well and conquer things. To be honest I do think about the India comeback. I wasn’t dropped and I was out of the team. It was not a nice feeling.”M Vijay fined for dissentM Vijay, the Tamil Nadu opening batsman, was fined 10% of his match fee for expressing his displeasure at an on-field decision during the first day of the contest against Karnataka in Dindigul.The Tamil Nadu players were unhappy with more than one decision by umpires Nitin Pandit and Anil Dandekar, and when, in the final session of the day, Pavan Deshpande was adjudged not out after a big appeal from bowler R Ashwin and his team-mates, the Tamil Nadu players all got together near the pitch.With no technology available, the matter ended there, and it emerged after the day’s play that Vijay had been fined for “dissent”.Wanted ‘someone young’ to lead Tamil Nadu – KarthikDinesh Karthik, who led Tamil Nadu to the finals of the Vijay Hazare and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy this year, has explained that his decision to not lead the side at the upcoming Ranji Trophy was down to passing the baton to the younger lot.”I believe for so long we have had various captains, so now it is time to have someone young who can take [Tamil Nadu] forward,” Karthik, 34, was quoted as saying by , the captaincy having been handed to allrounder Vijay Shankar earlier this week. “I think the captaincy should not be for just this year but for the next two-three years.”We have a lot of young talents and it is important for these players to start thinking what’s the way [Tamil Nadu] should play to try to win the Ranji Trophy. If we give time, they will be able to do that.”Tamil Nadu will kick off their campaign against Karnataka, in Dindigul on Monday.Kerala pick Baby over Uthappa for captaincySachin Baby, and not Robin Uthappa, will lead Kerala in the Ranji Trophy. Baby retains the captaincy, having led Kerala to the semi-finals in 2018-19. A season earlier, he had led them to their maiden quarter-final appearance.Uthappa, who led the team during the limited-overs leg of the domestic season, will, however, still be key to the state’s batting fortunes. It is believed his underwhelming returns both as captain and batsman in the white-ball season led to the KCA’s decision of continuing with Baby.Uthappa managed just 112 runs in eight innings at the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20s after that, he managed 139 runs in six innings, with one half-century. Kerala failed to progress to the knockouts in either competition.Goa rope in Smit Patel after CM Gautam’s arrestSmit Patel, the wicketkeeper-batsman, has moved to Goa as a professional after two seasons with Tripura. He replaces CM Gautam, the former Karnataka wicketkeeper, who has been stripped of his contract in the wake of his arrest in the Karnataka Premier League spot-fixing scandal.With Parthiv Patel keeping wickets, Smit moved out of his home state Gujarat before the 2016-17 season because of lack of opportunities with the gloves. In all, Smit, an Under-19 World Cup winner in 2012, has played 45 first-class matches, scoring 2479 runs at an average of 49.66 and effecting 101 dismissals behind the stumps.Suryakumar Yadav is the new Mumbai captainMumbai, Ranji Trophy champions on 41 occasions, will begin the 2019-20 season with a new captain. The Mumbai Cricket Association announced in-form top-order batsman Suryakumar Yadav as the leader of the 15-man squad. He takes over from fast bowler Dhawal Kulkarni, who led the side last season in the red-ball competition when regular captain Shreyas Iyer was away on national duty.Aditya Tare, the wicketkeeper-batsman, was named vice-captain for their first match against Baroda, with star players Ajinkya Rahane, Prithvi Shaw and Shardul Thakur also in the mix.Sarfaraz Khan, the big-hitting middle-order batsman who moved to Mumbai last year from Uttar Pradesh, also found a spot in the squad after recovering from an injury he picked up at the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He did not feature in the 2018-19 Ranji Trophy season after switching because of the mandatory one-year cooling-off period.Siddhesh Lad to miss Mumbai’s first gameBatsman Siddhesh Lad, one of the mainstays of the Mumbai side, will skip the first match of the season, away against Baroda, because of his wedding. He wasn’t named in the original squad of 15, to be led by Suryakumar Yadav, which has a strong batting contingent headlined by the captain, vice-captain Aditya Tare, Ajinkya Rahane, Prithvi Shaw, Jay Bista, Sarfaraz Khan and others.Vijay Shankar to lead Tamil Nadu, M Vijay returnsTamil Nadu allrounder Vijay Shankar has been handed the team’s captaincy for the first time in the Ranji Trophy, following their squad announcement for the first two matches, against Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh.R Ashwin and M Vijay will also turn out for Tamil Nadu, with the latter having recovered from an ankle injury that saw him sidelined from the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Baba Aparajith will be Shankar’s deputy.It is understood that Vijay Shankar pipped Ashwin to the captaincy role since the Test spinner may not be available when India tour New Zealand in January 2020 for a Test series.

The two players put on a 51-run partnership for the ninth wicket to book a spot in the final against Mumbai on Saturday

The Report by Hemant Brar18-Oct-2018Pawan Negi plays on the leg side•PTI

Navdeep Saini’s four-wicket haul and Pawan Negi’s unbeaten 39 helped Delhi sneak into the final of Vijay Hazare Trophy in a low-scoring thriller against Jharkhand. Chasing 200, Delhi were cruising at 123 for 4 at one stage, but Jharkhand bounced back with quick wickets to make it 149 for 8. Eventually, it took an unbeaten 51-run stand for the ninth wicket between Negi and Saini to secure Delhi’s victory with only two balls to spare.Saini’s 4 for 30 had helped Delhi bowl Jharkhand out for 199. It could have been worse for Jharkhand had Virat Singh not scored a fighting 91-ball 71 to help them recover from 85 for 6. The left-hand batsman stitched two crucial partnerships – 55 with Shahbaz Nadeem for the seventh wicket and 44 with Rahul Shukla for the ninth – as the last four wickets contributed 114.In response, Delhi started positively, with Unmukt Chand hitting Varun Aaron for four boundaries in eight balls, but he fell off the next one, trying to hit out again. Gambhir and Shorey steadied the innings – helped in part by a hamstring injury to Shuka. The new-ball bowler left the field having bowled only six deliveries.Having got past fifty, Delhi were pegged back again as part-time medium-pacer Anand Singh removed Shorey for 15. Then Gambhir was wrongly given out caught-behind down the leg side with replays showing the ball had only brushed the pad. Two overs later, Anand had Himmat Singh stumped, thanks to captain Ishan Kishan’s skill to dislodge the bails just when the batsman lifted his foot. Delhi were suddenly 87 for 4.Rana and Pranshu Vijayran got together and put on a 36-run fifth-wicket stand even as Kishan – with two left-hand batsmen in the middle – held back his left-arm spinners Nadeem and Anukul Roy.However, it was Nadeem who tilted the game in Jharkhand’s favour by having Rana caught at first slip for 39. Wickets kept tumbling after that and when Roy removed Lalit Yadav, Delhi were eight down and they still needed 51 more for victory.What worked in their favour was that there were still 73 balls left in the game, which allowed Negi and Saini to calmly inch them towards the target. With three needed from the last over, Jaskaran Singh gave Jharkhand one last hope by bowling two dot balls. But Negi slogged the third over midwicket for a couple to level the scores before he carved the next over the covers to book Delhi’s spot in the final, against Mumbai, on Saturday.In the morning, Saini and Khejroliya had Jharkhand on the back foot right from the start – literally and figuratively. They used the short ball to good effect, surprising the batsmen regularly with skiddy bounce.Saini dismissed the in-form Kishan for a duck in the first over of the match. The opener came down the track but couldn’t reach to the pitch of the ball and ended up edging it behind.Khejroliya too was rewarded for some disciplined bowling. Shasheem Rathour tried to put him off his length by charging at him, only to sky the ball to extra cover where Himmat back-pedaled to take a comfortable catch.Saini was taken off after a four-over spell but sensing the pressure building up, Gambhir brought him back in the 12th over. The fast bowler repaid his captain’s trust by dismissing Saurabh Tiwary and reduced Jharkhand to 35 for 3. Kumar Deobrat didn’t last long either and feathered a Saini bouncer to the wicketkeeper Chand.Anand tried to hold the innings together and struck some delectable boundaries in between. But it was the lack of strike-rotation that was hurting Jharkhand. And when Anand too departed for an 80-ball 36 – nicking one off Khejroliya – Jharkhand were struggling at 74 for 5.Nadeem then joined hands with Virat and the two started dealing in singles. Khejroliya was reintroduced in the 34th over, but Virat welcomed him with successive fours. He and Nadeem took the side to 140 before Nadeem was bowled by Rana for 29. Virat was the last man dismissed in the penultimate over. However, he could take Jharkhand only to a competitive total, and not a match-winning one.

Surrey condemn “irresponsible act” and promise own investigation as ground evacuated and Championship match against Middlesex abandoned

Vithushan Ehantharajah31-Aug-2017Armed police were called to the final day of Surrey versus Middlesex in the County Championship after a crossbow bolt was fired onto the field, abandoning play on the afternoon of the fourth day.Police believe the 12-inch long metal-tipped bolt travelled around 800 metres before coming to ground about ten yards from the pitch. The incident took place at 4.20pm, during the 69th over of Middlesex’s second innings.The players alerted the umpires, Michael Gough and Paul Baldwin, who acted quickly to take the players off the field – a number of them sprinting towards the changing room.Fifteen minutes later, the Metropolitan police had been made aware of the incident, at which point officers, including firearm officers, made their way to the Kia Oval.It was at this point that an announcement was made across the PA system at the ground for spectators and those in the open to “find cover”. Another announcement followed, urging people to move inside.A full search of the ground was carried out by police and around 30 security staff. The game was abandoned at 5.05pm by which time around 1,000 spectators had been informed that they could leave.The Metropolitan Police believe the bolt was fired from outside the ground, though they are unsure as to whether the bolt was fired deliberately or whether it was targeted at The Oval. They have, at this stage, stated that the incident is not being treated as terrorism related.Richard Gould, Surrey’s chief executive, speaking after play was officially called off, said: “It had a pointed end and stuck in the turf when it crossed the outfield and landed.”We are investigating reports that there was a noise on the roof of the OCS Stand but we haven’t been able to get up there to investigate whether it was the projectile ricocheting off the roof or a separate projectile. It is the sort of thing that could easily have been fired some distance from outside the ground if it came from a crossbow. It could very easily have killed someone.”We may never find out if it was a deliberate act, but in these heightened times these sorts of acts are wholly irresponsible.”People should not feel threatened in this way. If it is more than mischief-making then we need to find the perpetrators. We will review our security arrangements but threats can be so wide-ranging.”There is probably no way of securing against this type of incident if it was fired from outside. We always try and provide the safest type of environment but it can be very difficult to stop this kind of act.”Surrey’s captain Gareth Batty, who was fielding 25-yards away from where the arrow landed, said: “It was a pretty tasty arrow with a proper metal end. I did archery as a kid and that was not a normal archery arrow. The umpires dealt with it very well. There were no questions asked – we went off very quickly.”Someone saw it in flight, there was a noise when it landed but it happened so quick. It is a deadly weapon for sure. If it had hit someone it would have caused some serious damage. It just shows the world we live in.Surrey chief executive Richard Gould promised a full investigation•Getty Images

“You have to be diligent, it would be stupid not to be but if you’re constantly worrying about what is going to happen that is not a great place to be. If it is a crossbow rather than a longbow it is probably someone messing around and not understanding the implications of firing something into the air.”Let’s hope it’s a couple of people who will feel pretty ashamed in the morning when they realise what happened.”The Surrey players were in shock as they waited in the dressing room. Some only heard the bolt through the air before it hit the ground, with one player stating it “would have taken out a drive-man at midwicket”. Surrey vice-captain Rory Burns, stationed at orthodox midwicket, was the closest player to the bolt when it landed. Some players thought it had made its way into the ground from the direction of the Gas CylindersOfficers took statements from the players, before giving them the all clear to leave the ground shortly after six o’clock, as part of what the Metropolitan police described as “a controlled evacuation”.The match itself was abandoned as a draw: Middlesex establishing a second-innings lead of 181 after Sam Curran’s spell of three wickets in 10-balls had threatened to turn the game Surrey’s way, reducing Middlesex to 38 for 3 – a lead of just five.A battling 88 not out from John Simpson kept the defending Champions safe, before the umpires, Surrey County Cricket Club staff and the Metropolitan police were called to ensure the safety of them and everyone else.

ESPNcricinfo previews the first ODI of the series between England and Sri Lanka

The Preview by Andrew Miller20-Jun-2016

Match facts

Tuesday, June 21
Start time 2pm local (1300 GMT)3:10

‘Morgan form a bit of a concern’

Big picture

The most recent shot played in contests between England and Sri Lanka was a vast six over midwicket, as Kusal Mendis dispatched Joe Root’s offspin into the Tavern Stand during the soggy last rites of the third Test at Lord’s. An irrelevance in the bigger picture, maybe, after England’s thumping victories in the first two Tests at Headingley and Chester-le-Street, but an indication nonetheless of a squad with renewed confidence.It has taken them several weeks to come to terms with the challenge of English conditions, but as the tour shifts focus from the five-day to the one-day formats, so too has the distance between the sides narrowed. Sri Lanka’s valiant showing in that Lord’s Test has been followed up by a brace of thumping victories over Ireland in Dublin – precisely the sort of challenge for which a demoralised outfit might have struggled to raise itself.Instead, they enter the first ODI against England at Trent Bridge with expectation as well as hope. On the 2014 tour, they picked up the spoils in all three formats and though the Tests have eluded them time around, their draw at Lord’s has at least left the nascent Super Series with the faintest of pulses. Sri Lanka trail 10-2 with 12 points still up for grabs in the coming six matches – therefore a 5-0 clean sweep (as Sri Lanka achieved on the 2006 tour) would leave the fate of the series hanging on next month’s one-off T20.Sri Lanka have, however, suffered another shocking moment of misfortune where their bowling attack is concerned, with the news of Shaminda Eranga’s hospitalisation for an irregular heartbeat. He would have been ruled out of the series anyway, after the ICC confirmed on Sunday that his bowling action – reported as suspect during the Durham Test – has been found to be illegal, but such health concerns make other issues pale into insignificance.With Dhammika Prasad and Dushmantha Chameera already ruled out of the tour with injury, Sri Lanka’s fast-bowling stocks are running alarmingly low. That said, Dasun Shanaka’s wobbly seamers were an incisive threat against Ireland, and with a glut of allrounders in their ranks, Sri Lanka are adept at cobbling together combinations for all conditions. England, who have lost each of their last three ODIs, following the collapse of their resolve against South Africa earlier this year, will be taking little for granted.Eoin Morgan and Angelo Mathews pose with the series trophy•Getty Images

Form guide

England: LLLWW (last five matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka: WWLWL

In the spotlight

From his integral role at the World T20, and then on through his maiden stint with Mumbai Indians in the IPL, Jos Buttler has been both central and peripheral to England’s fortunes in the past few months. Ever since his axing from the Test team in November, Buttler has been regarded as a one-day specialist, but the emphasis where he is concerned is clearly on the “special”. A player of such phenomenal power, poise and technique has been absorbing lesson after lesson during an invaluable sojourn in India, and those are now ripe for translation back into the ODI arena.Kusal Perera was a notable and frustrated absentee from Sri Lanka’s World T20 campaign – the mysteries surrounding his failed drugs test deprived a young player of one of the highlights of his career, and his team of one of their likelier game-changers – how different that seminal group-stage clash against England in Delhi might have been with his explosive qualities at the top of the order. He hinted that he was in a hurry to resume his career with a lively cameo in the Lord’s Test. The coming weeks will surely remind everyone of what Sri Lanka have been missing in recent months.

Team news

Ben Stokes’ absence in England’s middle order creates a minor dilemma for the selectors, who will surely be tempted to unleash Jonny Bairstow’s sky-high batting confidence, albeit at the expense of a modicum of team balance. Moeen Ali can expect to slot in at No.7, Steven Finn is fit to resume his role as the leader of England’s ODI attack, while Chris Woakes and David Willey provide contrasting swing options with right and left-arm respectively. Eoin Morgan, the captain, is somewhat short of runs in recent England outings, but he is set to appear at No. 4.England (possible): 1 Jason Roy, 2 Alex Hales, 3 Joe Root, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Jos Buttler (wk), 6 Jonny Bairstow, 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Chris Jordan, 10 David Willey, 11 Steven Finn.Sri Lanka’s batting order is anyone’s guess, let alone their actual line-up, following the contests in Malahide in which two nominal frontline batsmen, Kusal Mendis and Upul Tharanga, popped in at No. 8 and 9 respectively. Seekkuge Prasanna’s devastating pinch-hitting in the second contest pillaged nine sixes in a thrilling 95 from 46 balls, so he’ll be ripe for another foray up the order if the mood takes him. Eranga’s absence leaves a vacancy in the seam-bowling ranks, so there is potential for a recall for the offspinner, Suraj Randiv.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Kusal Perera, 2 Danushka Gunathilaka, 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Upul Tharanga, 5 Dinesh Chandimal (wk), 6 Angelo Mathews (capt), 7 Dasun Shanaka, 8 Farveez Maharoof, 9 Seekkuge Prasanna, 10 Suraj Randiv / Nuwan Pradeep, 11 Suranga Lakmal

Pitch and conditions

There’s little prospect of Trent Bridge offering the sort of 400 v 400 belter on which Nottinghamshire and Northants went toe-to-toe earlier this month. Since June 10, when the game against Derbyshire was washed out, the groundsman reckons the pitch has had four hours of sun and 100mm of rain.

Stats and trivia

• It’s not the most obvious home from home, but Sri Lanka have a remarkable recent record in ODIs in England. In the past decade, they have beaten their hosts in 11 of their 16 encounters in England, with two series wins out of three, plus a one-off win in the 2013 Champions Trophy.
• However, Sri Lanka won’t recall their last visit to Trent Bridge with much fondness. They were thumped by 10 wickets in 2011 en route to a 3-2 series loss, with Alastair Cook, no less, making 95 from 75 balls.
• Angelo Mathews goes into the match with exactly the same number of runs (4140) in both his Test and ODI careers.
• Alex Hales needs 38 more runs to reach 1000 in ODIs. To judge by his recent record, he should be odds-on. In South Africa, he made five consecutive ODI scores of fifty-plus: 57, 99, 65, 50 and 112. One more would set a new record for an England batsman.

Quotes

“It’s a key summer in that we’re 12 months down the road and we have built a lot of confidence. There’s a bit more expectation on us as a side and it’s important to relish that expectation.”
“We need more guys coming to England and playing a lot of cricket to get used to these conditions. The more you play you more you get used to them so we need more guys coming in, playing league cricket, county cricket, that’ll be very beneficial for us going into the World Cup in 2019.