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Clare Connor has described the decision to drop her old friend Charlotte Edwards as “the hardest thing I have ever had to do in my working life”

George Dobell at Lord's11-May-20162:02

Connor praises ‘selfless decision’ from Edwards

Clare Connor has described the decision to drop her old friend Charlotte Edwards as “the hardest thing I have ever had to do in my working life”.Connor, Head of Women’s Cricket at the ECB, played for England U19s with Edwards from the age of 15 – Edwards was just 12 – before they went on to represent the senior team together.But, with recent results disappointing, and the new head coach of the women’s team, Mark Robinson, indicating that he wanted a new direction, it was Connor’s duty to bring down the curtain on a remarkable 20-year international career.”We go back a long way,” Connor said. “We are close and she is very special to me and to the game, so it was immensely difficult.”It was instigated by Mark Robinson. He felt a fresh vision was what the team needed in terms of leadership. She has captained the team for ten years and environments do need to be refreshed. You sometimes need a new voice, almost a disturbance to the dynamics to kick-start a different style of play or culture.”Lottie could see the team is the most important thing.”Connor admitted there had been some concern from the ECB management about recent results, but insisted that the introduction of the Super League and the advent of the professional era will bring improvement.”I was at the ECB AGM yesterday and Colin Graves did mention it has not been as successful a period as people would have liked,” Connor said. “I think everyone recognises we are in a period of change.”I have no doubt Mark will have a huge impact. We will have some wobbles along the way but we do need to disturb the norm. He is perceptive. He has a lovely balance of kindness but also trying to get players to understand the brutality of professional sport.”The challenge is how you harness that passion and innocence and genuine love for the game and keep everything that is special in a new professional era.”If some of those 1.3 million girls who have started to play through Chance to Shine convert into cricketers we will have a more athletic talent pool. Cricket is going to be a viable option and just as normal as picking up a netball or tennis racquet. The professionalism of the game helps us achieve that, but it will not happen immediately.”

In announcing a Test squad that includes Nathan Coulter-Nile despite his total lack of recent Sheffield Shield cricket, Rod Marsh made the startling admission Mitchell Starc may have played his last international match of the seaso

Daniel Brettig30-Nov-20151:42

‘We’ve gone with our gut feeling on Coulter-Nile’ – Rod Marsh

In announcing a Test squad that includes Nathan Coulter-Nile despite his total lack of recent Sheffield Shield cricket, the selection chairman Rod Marsh made the startling admission Mitchell Starc may have played his last international match of the season.Starc’s broken foot and ankle spurs were thought to have a recovery time frame allowing him to make February’s New Zealand tour, but Marsh contended that the left-armer would miss that trip and also be doubtful for the World Twenty20 that follows.”In an ideal world … we’d love to have Mitchell Starc playing against New Zealand in the Test series [in February],” Marsh said. “I don’t think that will happen. In an ideal world we’d like to have him playing in the [Twenty20] world cup. It ‘may’ happen.”If it’s two different lots of surgery then we mightn’t see much of Mitchell for a little while. And you’ve got to think of the kid’s health, and the medical people always keep that in mind. He’ll be back when he’s back. In the meantime we’ve got to get on with it.”I’ve said, I don’t know how many times, that we’ve got to have a battery of 10 fast bowlers. I know everyone out there looks at me as if I’m an idiot when I say that, but I tell you what, we’ve got to have a battery of 10 fast bowlers.”If we come up now with a good attack for this Test match, which we think we have, and for the following two Test matches, and the one after that and the one after that, we’ll have called on a lot of fast bowlers. That’s one thing I can promise you, because they just don’t get through a lot of Test matches in a row.”By way of clarification, Cricket Australia released a statement by the team physio David Beakley, stating that Starc did not require surgery for his current injury: “Given that Mitchell now has a lay-off with his foot injury we will take this opportunity to meet with specialists in Sydney this week to get an opinion on whether or not surgery is required at this point in time for his ongoing ankle issues.”We will look to provide an update later in the week but at this stage we do not have confirmed timeframes for his return to play.”In addition to Coulter-Nile, the Victoria fast bowler Scott Boland has been named as a standby player in case any of the bowlers struggle to recover after the win over New Zealand in Adelaide. James Pattinson has retained his place in the 12-man squad and is the likely replacement in the XI for Starc.Nathan Coulter-Nile has played ODIs and T20s for Australia and is now in the Test squad•Getty Images

Coulter-Nile, 28, has been included in the 12 for the Bellerive Test against the West Indies despite not playing any Sheffield Shield matches so far this summer. He played in the Matador Cup but a shoulder injury sidelined him from the start of the Shield season, and he was then suspended from Western Australia’s most recent match after showing dissent at an umpire’s decision during a Futures League game against Queensland last week. Last summer he underwent surgery for a problematic hamstring.”Once Mitchell Starc went down I think everyone’s mind went straight to Nathan Coulter-Nile,” Marsh said. “We’ve had our eye on him for a long time and we’ve been very pleased with the way he’s gone when he has played but as you all know he’s also been a fast bowler who hasn’t been injury free and I guess we’re at a situation now where because of the two Mitchells, one retiring and one being injured that we do need a bit of pace up front.”He comes back well. Fresh. He came back very well, fresh in the Australia A series in India earlier this year so we’re not too concerned about that. In an ideal world yes, it would have been good if he had been playing Shield cricket the whole season and taken 40 wickets, in an ideal world. But we don’t get too many of them so we’ll go with our gut feeling on Coulter-Nile, we like him as a bowler.”Coulter-Nile will come into contention for Hobart if any of the fast men succumb to injury or fitness concerns – Hazlewood’s heavy workload and a back spasm for Peter Siddle in Adelaide makes this a distinct possibility. That would bring Boland, 26, into the squad. A fast bowler with 71 first-class wickets at 30.14, Boland this summer has 12 wickets at 12.58 from three Shield games, and he picked up a career-best 7 for 31 against Western Australia in the last round.”It’s a really good story him I reckon, the fact he’s snuck under the radar,” Marsh said of Boland. “He’s not necessarily a fashionable bowler, but you remember he kept Siddle out of the Matador Cup, so the Victoria coach David Saker thinks a hell of a lot of him, he’s seen a lot of fast bowling in his time. So it’s a very pleasant story for a very pleasant young man.”Boland will play for Victoria in their Sheffield Shield game starting this Sunday unless required in the Test squad. The first Test against West Indies begins on Thursday next week.Test squad David Warner, Joe Burns, Steven Smith (capt), Adam Voges, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Peter Nevill (wk), Peter Siddle, James Pattinson, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland (standby).

After Covid delays the rivalry resumes, but the two teams do not have an ODI series in the FTP from 2023-2027

Andrew McGlashan05-Sep-2022

Big Picture

This series has been a long time coming. Australia and New Zealand started a Chappell-Hadlee contest just days before the world was shut down by the pandemic, the opening game played behind closed doors at the SCG, before New Zealand had to make a hasty journey home with borders shutting.Matches were then on the schedule in both the 2021 and 2022 seasons only for both to fall by the wayside as international travel, even between two close neighbours, remained problematic due to quarantine requirements. So now, in late 2022 as winter turns to spring in Australia, they will finally face each other again.It has the makings of an excellent series. New Zealand have named a full-strength side while Australia, with home advantage, have almost everyone available but need to rebound from the shock loss against Zimbabwe in the final match in Townsville.Related

• Lockie Ferguson 'refreshed and raring to go' in Australia

• Aaron Finch is in a rut, and faces a big week in his ODI career

• Williamson: Cricket's landscape is changing 'so quickly'

When the Chappell-Hadlee Series was first added to the international game it had a reasonably frequent space on the calendar – played six times over six years – but since then it has become far more sporadic with four series in 10 years (alongside two one-off games in ODI World Cups) one of which was the aborted 2020 edition.And it is uncertain when it will be played again after this series. Under the 2023-27 Future Tours Progamme, the two teams are not scheduled to face each other in bilateral ODIs. It seems a massive shame that the neighbours can’t find a week in the calendar more often.On the field over the next few days, the major storyline for Australia will be the form of captain Aaron Finch. It feels his ODI cricket is reaching a vital juncture and a lean week in Cairns will increase the questions ahead of next year’s World Cup. For New Zealand, they will be looking to build on the series victory in the West Indies which continued strong ODI form: they have lost just one of their 12 Super League matches but haven’t won an ODI in Australia since 2009.

Recent form

(last five matches, most recent first)Australia LWWWL
New Zealand WWLWW

In the spotlight

It’s hard to look beyond the Australia captain. Aaron Finch made 21 runs in three innings against Zimbabwe to continue a tough year in ODIs. A strong return in Cairns will quieten the topic, but New Zealand’s pace attack will provide a tough examination. Finch’s record against New Zealand is also his worst in the format with an average of 17.20 from 10 ten matches, although he did make 60 at the SCG back in 2020.Finn Allen has made a very promising start to his ODI career, reaching at least 25 in five of his seven innings and making two half-centuries, including a match-winning 96 on a tricky surface against West Indies in Barbados. That innings, which came off 117 balls, was the surest sign yet that Allen is much more than the top-order dasher that has been seen in T20. However, he certainly has the game to quickly take attacks apart and it will be fascinating to see him against Australia’s strong line-up.Will there be another chance for Sean Abbott?•Getty Images

Team news

The main decision for Australia would appear to be whether to retain the same XI from the last two games in Townsville or replace Ashton Agar with a pace-bowling allrounder option in Sean Abbott. Marnus Labuschagne and Josh Inglis are also part of the squad.Australia (probable) 1 Aaron Finch (capt), 2 David Warner, 3 Steven Smith, 4 Alex Carey (wk), 5 Marcus Stoinis, 6 Cameron Green, 7 Glenn Maxwell, 8 Ashton Agar/Sean Abbott, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Josh HazlewoodFor New Zealand it could be a call whether there is room for either Michael Bracewell as another spin-bowling allrounder or Glenn Phillips as a batter in the middle order. A fit-again Matt Henry will push for inclusion in the pace attack.New Zealand (probable) 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Finn Allen, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Devon Conway, 5 Daryl Mitchell, 6 Tom Latham (wk), 7 Jimmy Neesham, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Lockie Ferguson, 11 Trent Boult

Pitch and conditions

As in Townsville, it is again a little bit of the unknown given the lack of international cricket at the venue. The day-night element will remove the impact of the early-morning starts in the Zimbabwe series, instead it might be whether conditions change under lights. After some recent rain, the forecast is warm and sunny, but the pitch has been under cover a bit which could mean some early life with Finch expecting a challenge against the new ball.

Stats and trivia

• Cairns lasted staged international cricket in 2004 when Australia faced Sri Lanka
• Tim Southee needs three wickets to become the fifth New Zealand bowler to take 200 in ODIs
• Australia have won the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy six times to New Zealand’s four with two series drawn

Quotes

“They are a world-class side…they are a fantastic unit and have been for a long time to be one of the benchmarks in all three formats. The fact they are world No. 1 in the ODI cricket is testament to that.”
Aaron Finch on New Zealand“We know how strong this Australian side is, the quality they have throughout, so for us it’s a great opportunity to play against one of the best teams in the world and for us to execute the things that are important to us so looking forward to the challenge.”

Alastair Cook and James Anderson will be among the high-profile England players to start the season in Specsavers County Championship action

George Dobell04-Apr-20162:19

Butcher: I’m excited by what’s to come from England

Alastair Cook and James Anderson will be among the high-profile England players to start the season in Specsavers County Championship action.The start of the County Championship season is often diluted by international commitments or a desire to rest players but, this year, every member of England’s Test side in South Africa has been made available by the England management over the opening weeks.

England player availability

All the England players who toured over the last six months to UAE, South Africa and India are available for all cricket from the start of the season with the following exceptions (and those at the IPL: Eoin Morgan, Jos Buttler, Sam Billings):

James Anderson: Available for Lancashire’s first three Championship fixtures
Stuart Broad: Available from April 17 (Lancashire v Notts)
Ben Stokes: Available from April 24 (Dur v Midd)
Alex Hales: Available from May 1 (Notts v Yorks)
Moeen Ali: Available from April 24 (Glos v Worcs)
Chris Jordan: Available from May 1 (Sussex v Leics)
Reece Topley: TBC

While a few players – such as Joe Root and Ben Stokes – will be rested from some games, the opening fixtures of the season promise some high-quality clashes between strong-looking county sides. The Championship matches between Warwickshire and Yorkshire at Edgbaston from April 24 and Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire at Trent Bridge from May 1 look especially attractive.Perhaps most intriguing is Alex Hales’ decision to rest until May 1. It leaves him only two games to gain form – and selection – before the team for the first Test of the summer, against Sri Lanka at Leeds from May 19, is named.That might well leave his Test position vulnerable. Nick Compton and Adam Lyth are among those competing for the opener’s spot, while Ian Bell and Gary Ballance join them in pushing for the No. 3 position. If any of them start the season in prolific form, it could put Hales under some pressure.Hales had previously decided against entering the IPL auction in an attempt to concentrate on his red-ball form. He averaged just 17 in the South Africa Test series so cannot be considered to have done enough to have secured his position in the long term.While it is possible he has received assurances about his inclusion in that first Test squad, it seems more likely that after a long and emotionally draining first winter involved in the England squad in all formats of the game, Hales has reasoned that the benefits of a fresh mind outweigh the benefits of early-season batting in England. He will miss two Championship matches.Chris Jordan’s return will also be delayed until May 1 in order to allow him to receive treatment upon his sore right elbow, while Reece Topley’s Hampshire debut may be delayed until their second match of the season.

Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza has stressed on the importance of starting well in the three-match one-day series against Zimbabwe

Mohammad Isam in Mirpur06-Nov-2015Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza has stressed on the importance of starting well in the three-match one-day series against Zimbabwe. Mashrafe also said that Bangladesh had found ways to build partnerships even after losing wickets in the last 12 months.”I think all the fans will be expecting [a whitewash] but we the cricketers shouldn’t be doing that,” Mashrafe said. “The first match is going to be important, like it is in every series. In the last Zimbabwe series, we lost four early wickets in the first ODI. In our first match of the World Cup, we were 4 for 119 against Afghanistan. On both occasions Shakib and Mushfiq put together partnerships. People are most tensed in the first match and once it is over, the task becomes easier. At this moment the first match is significant to us.”Bangladesh’s ODI resurgence began with a 5-0 win against Zimbabwe in 2014, and it gained a massive boost when they beat Afghanistan in their World Cup opener earlier this year. Bangladesh have form on their side after having won the last four ODI home series in a row. Their combination, though, oscillates between playing eight batsmen and three specialist bowlers and seven batsmen and four specialist bowlers. In the absence of Taskin Ahmed and Rubel Hossain, coupled with Mashrafe’s own fitness worries, Bangladesh are likely to fit in a three-man pace attack, taking out one of the top-order batsmen. If they go ahead with the two pace bowlers in Mashrafe and Mustafizur Rahman, they will look to Nasir Hossain to bowl ten overs.Pace has reaped reward for Bangladesh this year but spin has always worked well against Zimbabwe in these conditions, and Mashrafe has hinted that Bangladesh will go in with a spin-based attack.”We have to make the team thinking of the opposition’s weakness, as well as our strength,” Mashrafe said. “I like to combine these two factors. Our main goal is definitely to win but I feel right now it will be their weakness that will get more preference. The wicket is also a factor. We will also not like to play away from our strength.”Mashrafe conceded that the team will miss Soumya Sarkar, who was ruled out on Thursday with a side strain, but his absence will open up chances for the likes of Imrul Kayes and Liton Das to make contributions in the top order.”The whole team will miss Soumya, who is not just a good cricketer but also a fine team-mate,” Mashrafe said. “He is a thrilling player, having made 80-odd in our last ODI. It isn’t great news that we are missing him. But Liton and Imrul now have the chance to do well.”

James Anderson has two second-innings wickets so far to help contain hosts’ lead

ECB Reporters Network29-Apr-2022Keith Barker claimed his second LV= Insurance County Championship five-wicket haul of the season as Hampshire and Lancashire continued their close-fought encounter.Left-arm fast bowler Barker is the equal leading wicket-taker in Division One so far this season with 20 scalps, with his 5 for 67 adding to his impressive start to the campaign.The Lancashire-born Barker helped Hampshire secure a nominal six-run first-innings advantage, with Phil Salt and Tom Bailey’s half-centuries keeping the visitors well in the match.Nick Gubbins lead Hampshire’s evening lead builder, while James Anderson added two more wickets to his career tally – with Hampshire closing on 103 for 3, the lead growing to 109.The county champions tend to be the teams who take 20 wickets the easiest each match, and therefore have the best bowling attack. This is the main reason Hampshire and Lancashire are considered to be this year’s main challengers.Anderson, Hasan Ali and Tom Bailey vs Kyle Abbott, Muhammad Abbas and Keith Barker, or in terms of first class wickets 1,547 vs 1,515, back that up. Against other attacks the par on this pitch might be close to 350, rather than 250, such has been the relentlessness of accurate and skilful fast bowling.The helpful morning conditions which had reduced Hampshire to 40 for 5 on the first morning returned to see Lancashire lose six wickets in little over an hour on day two. Nightwatchman Danny Lamb pushed forward to third slip, Josh Bohannon and Dane Vilas were undone by some extra bounce by the impressive Barker and George Balderson nicked behind having been done on the angle by Abbott.Steven Croft attempted to cut with a flourish but instead nailed into the slip cordon and Rob Jones jerked behind – Lancashire 105 for 7, with all seven being caught behind the wicket. Hampshire’s lead would have been closer to three figures had Joe Weatherley held onto misjudgements from Bailey and Salt when there were in single figures.The duo put on 94 with risk-free cricket to as the ball started to age. Bailey dominated the offside with boundaries, while Salt milked either side of the wicket with intelligent running – half-centuries coming in 70 and 68 balls respectively.The stand ended when Bailey strode forward to edge to third slip, but Hasan joined the tail-end fun to take the scores to almost parity with a smart 19 – with Barker eventually ending things by bowling a slogging Salt and having Hasan picking out long-on.First time around, Anderson was forced to wait until his 18th delivery before taking Ian Holland’s outside edge. He needed half the deliveries to persuade Weatherley to prod a wobble ball to Rob Jones’ safe hands at third slip. Holland followed soon after lbw to Hasan.James Vince and Gubbins batted their way out of another sticky situation with their glorious shot-making, putting on 58 carefree runs before the former was adjudged leg before to Anderson – a decision that left Vince seething.Gubbins, who survived a tight lbw appeal, was joined by Liam Dawson and the pair put on an unbeaten 33 under the floodlights before play finished five over short due to bad light.

A look at the Railways, Delhi and Rajasthan squads in the run-up to Ranji Trophy 2015-16

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Sep-2015

Delhi

Several controversies and three squads later, Gautam Gambhir will lead Delhi•Getty Images

Where they finished last season
Topped Group A with five wins in eight matches, took the first-innings lead in the quarter-final, but then lost the match to MumbaiBig picture
If Delhi were a team the fans still cared about, they would have released a book of jokes about the way the Delhi & Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) has run into a comical controversy at each turn this year. It is hard to remember a time the DDCA was not in controversy, but that has not stopped Delhi from providing more international cricketers than any other state in the recent past. Last year there was no dearth of controversy, but on the field, they were the best team in the league stages.On the field, even this year, write Delhi off at your own peril. They have lost Virender Sehwag and Mithun Manhas to other states, they have left out Rajat Bhatia, which will bring pressure on themselves. They have chosen a largely young side – captain Gautam Gambhir and pace bowler Sumit Narwal are the only ones in their 30s – on the insistence of Gambhir. Coach Ajay Jadeja, former Test cricketer himself, says he has told Gambhir he is the boss. Gambhir is a successful IPL captain, Ranji Trophy is easier to win than the IPL, and should Delhi’s natural feeder system provide him with enough good youngsters Delhi can be solid contenders.The batting will rely on Gambhir and Unmukt Chand. Parvinder Awana, Narwal, Pradeep Sangwan and Pawan Suyal are a solid pace attack by domestic standards. Around them, in five players who have no first-class experience and three who have played under 10 matches, Delhi have an unknown quantity.”For any coach, when you have young players coming in, their mindset or game plans are not set,” Jadeja said. “It is easier to mould someone who is young and does not have set ideas. I think it becomes easier for a coach when you have someone who is 18, 19 or 20, and not too experienced.”Players to watch
Gautam Gambhir has seen many a Delhi player say he has had enough of the administrative mess, but he has chosen to stick with Delhi cricket despite there being an offer from Bengal, where he is loved by the Kolkata Knight Riders fans. He has not shied away from bringing all the pressure upon himself by leaving out the veteran Bhatia. In a state association run by proxy he is not fighting by proxy. If he scores the runs and leads Delhi well, this could be a commendable achievement.In the absence of experience, old warhorse Sumit Narwal becomes a key player. He can be sharp on his day, but more importantly he knows how to take wickets. Last Ranji season he took 24 at 19.83, and also scored 229 runs batting down the order.Coaching staff
Former India and Delhi player Ajay Jadeja, who is yet to retire from first-class cricket, will be the coach, Amit Bhandari will be the assistant coach and Manoj Kapoor will be the manager.Preparation
Delhi’s preparation has been marred by controversy. Three different squads announced, two different mentors to oversee the nets sessions, various complaints about lack of balls to practice, they have seen the works.Squad
Gautam Gambhir (capt), Unmukt Chand (vc), Vaibhav Rawal, Milind Kumar, Nitish Rana, Yogesh Nagar, Dhruv Shourey, Manan Sharma, Pulkit Narang, Mohit Ahlawat (wk), Parvinder Awana, Sumit Narwal, Pradeep Sangwan, Pawan Suyal, Sarang RawatIn their own words
“Whether we win the Ranji Trophy at the end of the season remains to be seen but the only aim of anybody who walks into that dressing room is to win the Ranji Trophy because we are not here to participate, we are here to win.”

Rajasthan

Pankaj Singh will miss at least the first two games with back spasms•Getty Images

Where they finished last season

Having suffered a defeat at the hands of Delhi, and played out three draws, Rajasthan were in a must-win situation against a strong Punjab side. Had they lost, Rajasthan would have been relegated. Pankaj Singh, like he has done many times in the past, inspired Rajasthan to victory, but the two-time champions failed to secure a knockout berth, finishing seventh in Group B with two wins.Big picture
What would be the biggest challenge for Rajasthan this year? If you have to believe Pankaj, Rajasthan’s senior-most player and captain last year, there are two: the team has to be united and secondly, the batting department has to be consistent to allow the young but promising fast bowling line-up to stay hungry.Rajasthan managed to score 300 runs in an innings only thrice last year. There were only three centuries in the entire season and one of the batting mainstays in the last five years, Robin Bist, has moved to Himachal Pradesh. That remains a big grey area. “Even to save points and draw matches the bowlers need at least 350 runs on the board,” Pankaj said.The onus is on Vineet Saxena and Ashok Menaria, who is the stand-in captain for the first two matches after Pankaj was ruled out due to injury. Saxena, the opener, is the most senior batsman and has been the team’s best batsman for the past many years. But he needs support from the middle order.According to Pankaj, Menaria needs to rise to the occasion and take the responsibility. In the past Menaria, a former India Under-19 captain, has been overwhelmed and distracted by the responsibility. But Pankaj felt if Menaria can keep his focus and not get bothered by external factors, he has the capability to keep the team united.Rajasthan’s preparation has not been ideal with uncertainty over their participation which was cleared only 10 days before the domestic season started. Sensing the nerves, Amrit Mathur, the co-ordinator appointed by the BCCI to the selections panels, asked former India opener Aakash Chopra to give a motivational chat on the eve of their first match. Chopra was a professional with Rajasthan when the team won their maiden Ranji Trophy title in 2011 and then defended it the following year.Chopra’s message to the players was clear: team bonding leads to team’s success. According to him the main reason behind two successive Ranji titles was Rajasthan’s team spirit – something Chopra had never experienced in the various teams he had been part of.Players to watch out for
Ashok Menaria was Rajasthan’s third-highest run-scorer in the last Ranji season. In the absence of Bist, Rajasthan will need Menaria to be the backbone in the middle order.According to Mathur, no less than former India captain Rahul Dravid was impressed by the 19-year-old Nathu Singh. About six feet tall, Nathu is the latest fast-bowling prospect that has excited the Rajasthan selectors. Saxena rates him as the quickest Rajasthan fast bowler and also one of top five in the country. Other than raw pace, in the range of 135-140 kph, sharpness to attack the stumps have been listed as Nathu’s strengths by his peers. Having performed well for Rajasthan Under-19 last year Nathu played in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament last season and was also part of the NCA development team. Pankaj has one bit of advice for the youngster: stay fast, but make sure you are consistent.Coaching staff
Amit Asawa (coach), Anshu Jain (assistant coach), Pervez Bhati (physiotherapist), Ram Swaroop Singh (trainer).Preparation
The RCA turmoil and the court proceedings did not leave too much time for any well-planned preparatory camp for the players, who also could not participate in the invitational tournaments organised by various state associations in the lead-up to the domestic season. Three two-day trial matches were followed by a short three-day camp and the squad for the first two matches was picked on September 25.Team news
Pankaj is undergoing rehabilitation at the NCA in Bangalore to recover from back spasms that affected him during the final match last season and once again resurfaced a few times in the past month. He will miss at least the first two matches.In their own words
“The main goal should be we need to retain our position in the Elite Group. We need to create and maintain a positive dressing room keeping in mind all the distractions we have had to deal with even before the season has started. So there has to be unity in the team to help build momentum.”
Squad for the first three games
Ashok Menaria (captain), Vineet Saxena, Dishant Yagnik, Pranay Sharma, Rajesh Bishnoi, Puneet Yadav, Arjit Gupta, Ankit Lamba, Ajay Singh Kukna, Aniket Choudhary, Nathu Singh, Deepak Chahar, Manjeet Kumar Choudhary, Madhur Khatri, Surya Prakash Suwalka

Railways

Anureet Singh has had two strong seasons with the ball for Railways and will be targeting another important showing•Abhijit Addya/ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Where they finished last season

Sixth in Group A. Apart from Bengal, Railways were the only team to go without a win in the top two tiers of the last Ranji season.Big picture
Railways’ middling Ranji Trophy performance was sandwiched between a quarter-final finish in the Vijay Hazare Trophy towards the start of the season and a decent outing in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Going into this Ranji season, Railways assistant coach Zakaria Zuffri, also a former player with the side, has stressed on the importance of aggression to push for more wins.The side had managed only two 300-plus scores last season and this is where the solidity of opening batsman Saurabh Wakaskar can prop them up. Wakaskar was the leading run-getter for Baroda last season, striking 578 in 8 matches at 48.16 and has moved to the Railways side. Much will also depend on the experience of their captain Mahesh Rawat and legspinner Karn Sharma.Karn, who was ruled out of the Zimbabwe tour after suffering a finger fracture, will be eager to hit form and send a reminder to the national sections. The pace attack rests mainly with Anureet Singh and Krishnakant Upadhyay while medium-pacers Amit Mishra and Ranjit Mali offer useful back-up options.Players to watch out for
Anureet Singh was one of the central forces behind Railways’ progress to the quarter-final in the 2013-14 season and backed it up with 32 wickets in eight matches at 22.96 last season. Besides being known to bowl long spells, Anureet is also a good exponent of yorker as he showed during the IPL.An offbreak bowler, Arnab Nandi picked up two wickets and marshaled a late rally against Tamil Nadu in Chennai at the close of 2014 but Railways’ victory bid was thwarted by rain. Nandi has shown occasional sparks of brilliance but Railways will want him to step up further and contribute more consistently with the bat and ball.Coaches
Former India pacer, Harvinder Singh, is the head coach of Railways and will be assisted by Zakaria Zuffri. The rest of the support staff includes Azariah Prabhakar, the trainer and Irfan Ullaha, the physio.Preparation
Railways held a 25-day off-season camp in Amritsar to strengthen both the skills and fitness of their players. Anureet Singh also turned out for India A in the T20 against the South Africans in Delhi.Team news
Wakaskar has joined Railways from Baroda. The left-arm spinning pair of Ashish Yadav and Avinash Yadav have been left out of the squad for the first three games.Squad for the first three games
Mahesh Rawat (captain and keeper), Ranjit Mali, Rohan Bhosale, Anureet Singh, Ashish Singh, Prashant Awasthi, V Cheluvaraj, Faiz Ahmed, Arindam Ghosh, Hitesh Kadam, Anustup Majumdar, Amit Mishra, Arnab Nandi, Krishnakant Upadhyay, Karn Sharma, Saurabh WakaskarIn their own words
“We have a balanced squad with a good mix of youth and experience. I am happy with the progress during the training camp and we are definitely looking to go forward this season.”

The Richardsons – Jhye and Kane – set up victory by limiting Sri Lanka to 139 for 8

Alex Malcolm18-Feb-2022Australia’s bowlers strangled Sri Lanka with the ball before a middle-overs batting masterclass from Josh Inglis and Glenn Maxwell rescued the home side from a precarious position to post another comfortable six-wicket win at the MCG and go 4-0 up.Sri Lanka lost 6 for 12 in 19 balls in their under par innings of 8 for 139 with Ashton Agar bowling 10 dot balls to claim 1 for 14 from four, while Jhye Richardson picked up 2 for 20 on his international return.Australia slumped to 3 for 49 in the ninth over in the chase before Inglis stroked a masterful 40 off 20 and Maxwell manipulated the chase with a classy 48 not out from 39 balls to steer his side home with 11 balls to spare and claim player of the match honours.Maxwell also produced a stunning direct hit run out to remove the dangerous Kusal Mendis during Sri Lanka’s innings just as he and Pathum Nissanka were laying the visitor’s best platform of the series. Nissanka made 46 from 40 but failed to kick on. Australia managed all this without their big three fast bowlers Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins who were sent home to Sydney to rest for the last two games of the series.Kusal finally arrivesNissanka had been holding up Sri Lanka’s top order in this series but finally he got some support from Mendis. He was one of the few Sri Lankan batters to show some true power-hitting intent in this series. Danushka Gunathilaka struck a powerful six down the ground but fell for a run-a-ball 17 to Ashton Agar. Mendis took a few balls to get off the mark but he opened his account with a sublime piece of timing. He then attacked Maxwell and Kane Richardson with two excellent blows down the ground. Nissanka was busy as well as the pair were intent on facing fewer dot balls in this innings after Sri Lanka absorbed 55 dots in game three in Canberra. They laid the perfect platform moving Sri Lanka to 1 for 73 after 10 with both Mendis and Nissanka well set.Maxwell missile sparks collapseWhile the running intent was admirable it brought about Mendis’ downfall. Nissanka worked a ball to the mid-on circle off Agar and Mendis pushed for two but picked the wrong fielder to take on. Maxwell swooped from the rope with a one-handed pick-up and a rocket throw to produce a direct hit that left Mendis miles short. Agar then put the squeeze on again claiming figures of 1 for 14 from four for the second straight game, including 10 dots and just 14 singles. Adam Zampa also clamped down to pressure Nissanka and Charith Asalanka. The latter cracked, skying Jhye Richardson straight up and Sri Lanka lost 6 for 12 in 19 balls at the end of the innings. The two Richardsons cashed in with two wickets apiece while there was another calamitous run out, although Kane copped some tap in the final over conceding 17. Chamika Karunaratne produced two sensational strikes. He clubbed two length balls over wide long on to leave Kane Richardson with figures of 2 for 44 from four.Glenn Maxwell made a 39-ball 48•Getty Images

Agar out of his depthAustralia trialled Agar at the top again. The theory is similar to the way Melbourne Renegades first used Sunil Narine as an opener, which was eventually adopted with great success by Kolkata Knight Riders. Andrew McDonald was coach of the Renegades at the time and Aaron Finch was captain as they are for Australia now. The idea is to lengthen the middle order and let the lesser skilled Agar bat with just two men out in the powerplay. But the mystery of Maheesh Theekshana and the express pace of Chameera Dushmantha and Lahiru Kumara tied Agar in knots. He faced 14 dots in 31 balls, including four in a row at one point, and struck just two boundaries. It was more dot balls than he bowled. His lack of scoring put pressure on Ben McDermott and Aaron Finch with both succumbing while searching for a boundary. Kumara was rewarded for an exceptional spell of express pace bowling with two wickets. Finch holed out to deep backward square and then Agar miscued to mid-on to end his tortured stay of 26 from 31 and leave Australia in a major hole at 3 for 49 in the 9th over.Ingenuity from Inglis and MaxwellIf there was any pressure built up, Inglis wasn’t feeling it and he released it immediately with a skillful array of strokeplay to take the game away from Sri Lanka. His first ball was a dot ball and then he scored off every ball he faced thereafter until he fell. He struck back-to-back boundaries off Jeffrey Vandersay including a brilliant reverse sweep. He did have a huge slice of luck in Vandersay’s next over when he lofted him to long off and Chameera took the catch but misjudged where the rope was and landed on the wrong side of it with ball still in hand.Inglis was flawless from thereon. He picked off three twos with superb placement and carved Chameera for six over wide third man. He fell trying to dab the next ball for a single and got a thin edge but his job was done. He dragged his more senior partner Maxwell with him. Maxwell didn’t find the rope with the same ease but he struck eight twos using his intimate knowledge of the MCG’s huge dimensions to his advantage. He and Marcus Stoinis struck three boundaries after the fall of Inglis to ice the game with 11 balls to spare.

Former Pakistan fast bowler Aaqib Javed will arrive in Dhaka on Friday for a short coaching stint at the BCB’s High Performance Unit

Mohammad Isam28-Jul-2016Former Pakistan fast bowler Aaqib Javed will arrive in Dhaka on Friday for a short coaching stint at the BCB’s High Performance Unit. The programme will be held for around a week, according to the board’s CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury.Last week, the BCB had announced an extended high performance squad to take part in a specialised camp. Javed will be the first of the specialist coaches at the camp and will work with the fast bowlers.”He will be arriving tomorrow, and stay for seven-ten days,” Chowdhury told ESPNcricinfo. “He will be coaching fast bowlers from the high performance as well as the national team.”In June, Javed, the former UAE head coach, had turned down the BCB’s offer for the post of Bangladesh’s bowling coach, citing his commitment to Pakistan Super League franchise Lahore Qalandars. The BCB is still seeking a bowling coach for the national side.

Buoyed by a quicker pitch with some live grass on it, West Indies’ three-pronged pace attack made light work of Sri Lanka’s top order before Jomel Warrican claimed four wickets to wrap up the Sri Lankan innings at 200

The Report by Deivarayan Muthu22-Oct-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:00

Warrican fires as Sri Lanka slide

Buoyed by a quicker pitch with some live grass on it, West Indies’ three-pronged pace attack made light work of Sri Lanka’s top order before debutant left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican claimed four wickets to wrap up the Sri Lankan innings at 200, two hours into the final session on the first day at the P Sara Oval.In response, the visitors lost Shai Hope lbw to Dhammika Prasad in the first over but Kraigg Brathwaite and nightwatchman Devendra Bishoo hung around before deteriorating light forced stumps.Jerome Taylor had woken up a groin niggle but passed a fitness test and consistently hit speeds above 140kph. He struck with his fourth ball – a beauty that angled in and curved away, leaving Kaushal Silva prodding and edging to the wicketkeeper. West Indies reviewed and the third umpire Marias Erasmus decided there was enough evidence to overturn umpire Rod Tucker’s on-field decision of not out. Silva was out for a duck and his lean patch was extended – he had failed to build on a start in the first Test against West Indies after managing only 87 in six innings against India.That wicket proved a scene-setter and each of the West Indies’ fast bowlers got extra bounce and zip before Warrican took over. Milinda Siriwardana, playing his second Test, scored his maiden fifty in the format, and Rangana Herath, promoted to vice-captaincy after Lahiru Thirimanne was left out, indulged in hacks and hooks to avoid a total wipe out.The morning session was packed with action, containing as many as five reviews. West Indies’ second review, coming after the Silva wicket, was also successful, and accounted for 20-year old Kusal Mendis for an edgy 13 on Test debut. Mendis had wafted at a Kemar Roach ball that straightened a touch and nicked behind.Jason Holder’s first dismissal – West Indies’ second of the morning – had also involved a review. He had Dimuth Karunaratne lbw for 13 in his second over; Sri Lanka’s review going in vain this time. The quicks rattled the batsmen and beat the outside edge regularly and reduced Sri Lanka to 59 for 4, six minutes before lunch. The session ended with West Indies bowling coach Curtly Ambrose welcoming his bowlers with warm applause.Siriwardana helped Sri Lanka recover briefly, adding 31 and 37 with Dinesh Chandimal and Kusal Perera respectively. With Siriwardana joining hands with another left-handed batsman in Kusal, West Indies’ premier spinner Bishoo was held back. He had come into the attack only after 36 overs in the Galle Test. Today, he came in after 46 overs.Siriwardana was assured in defence and cashed in when fed with width. He carved Holder over covers, eased Taylor past the same region, and slashed Warrican behind point. He pushed on to bring up his fifty off 76 balls by dancing out and launching a straight six. He had a life when he was shelled at square leg on 63 but added only five more to his tally before he miscued Warrican into Taylor’s lap at long-off.Warrican began with a half-tracker, which was dispatched by Angelo Mathews to the point boundary with a strong cut. He settled down quickly, and twirled away in an uninterrupted 14-over spell after lunch. His reward came off a bad ball: Kusal Perera stepped out and spooned a return catch off a full toss, becoming Warrican’s maiden Test victim. Having received his Test cap from Garry Sobers, it turned out to a happy day for Warrican.West Indies, who had spilled five catches to add to a sixth chance that was not attempted in the first Test, lifted themselves significantly on the field, with the only blip being the Siriwardana drop. Marlon Samuels made a diving save at backward point while Holder threw himself around mid-off. Brathwaite, though, produced the best piece of fielding when he bent forward from second slip to grab a sharp, low catch to snaffle Mathews for 14. The catch was deemed legal after being sent to the third umpire.