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The seven-ODI series at home against New Zealand, starting October 8, is set to be Dane van Niekerk’s first as South Africa Women’s captain

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Oct-20161:11

‘We are competing against the best’ – van Niekerk

The seven-ODI series at home against New Zealand, starting October 8, is set to be Dane van Niekerk’s first as South Africa Women’s captain.Van Niekerk was announced captain in June, after Mignon du Preez stepped down from the role to focus on her batting.”It’s definitely not going to be an easy task taking on New Zealand, but I’m sure that we have the team to do the job,” Van Niekerk said. “It’s just a question of us doing the right things and sticking to the basics and I’m sure we’ll do well. We want to seal our place in next year’s World Cup and this series is just another step towards that goal.”Neither wicketkeeper Trisha Chetty nor seamer Shabnim Ismail figure in the 15-member squad, as they are currently subject to a CSA disciplinary hearing. CSA is to make an announcement on the matter once the disciplinary process is complete.Seamer Marcia Letsoalo is the other member of the squad from the home ODIs against West Indies Women in February to miss out. In place of the three omitted players, the squad includes batsman Lara Goodall, left-arm seamer Moseline Daniels and wicketkeeper Sinalo Jafta. Jafta, 21, has not played any international cricket so far.The first three ODIs of the series form part of the ICC Women’s Championship, and therefore count towards qualification for the 2017 Women’s World Cup in England next year. South Africa are currently fifth on the points table, behind New Zealand at fourth.South Africa Women squad: Dané van Niekerk (capt.), Laura Wolvaardt, Mignon du Preez, Marizanne Kapp, Lizelle Lee, Suné Luus, Chloe Tryon, Dinesha Devnarain, Odine Kirsten, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Lara Goodall, Sinalo Jafta, Moseline Daniels, Andrie Steyn

PCB also makes substantial changes to domestic set-up, with as many as 16 coaches losing their jobs

Umar Farooq20-Aug-2020Former Pakistan internationals Mohammad Yousuf and Mohammad Zahid have been appointed to the High Performance centre as batting and bowling coaches respectively.Yousuf had a successful playing career for Pakistan, making 9720 runs in ODIs and 7530 runs in Tests, and now his shift to coaching has become a major talking point in the country. This will be his first coaching assignment after he had retired from international cricket in 2010.”My ambitions in making a career in coaching are an open secret but it was all about the timing and a proper roadmap for our future cricket in which I could contribute effectively,” he said. “I believe this is the right time for me to start my second innings as I can sense the intent and optimism in the approach. I am delighted to have been offered this opportunity and I firmly believe I can help young cricketers by transferring my knowledge and experience, which I have acquired after being part of one of the brightest and formidable eras of Pakistan cricket.”The PCB also made substantial changes to the domestic set-up, with as many as 16 coaches losing their jobs, including Azam Khan, Arshad Khan, Ijaz Ahmed Jnr, and Kabir Khan.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Abdul Razzaq will replace Kabir at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while Basit Ali, the former SNGPL coach, takes over the reins from Azam at Sindh. Faisal Iqbal will coach Balochistan while Shahid Anwar will be in charge of Central Punjab. Both Abdur Rehman (Southern Punjab) and Mohammad Wasim (Northern) were retained. All six domestic coaches will also act as national selection committee members to assist Pakistan coach-cum-chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq.”I want to thank all the outgoing coaches for their contributions and urge them to remain involved with this great game as the PCB is optimistic there will be future opportunities in the game, both as coaches and consultants,” Nadeem Khan, PCB’s director of High Performance, said in a statement.”When the PCB had launched the revamped domestic structure last year on 29th August, it had announced it was an evolving process and changes will be made to further strengthen the structure. Due to paucity of time last season, the coaches couldn’t be appointed through a review, analysis and recruitment process, which we have corrected this year.”Razzaq’s appointment, in particular, has raised a few eyebrows as the only coaching experience the former allrounder has is a short stint with Quetta Gladiators in the PSL a few seasons ago. Iqbal, the new Balochistan coach, has had two stints with Karachi Kings in the PSL. Atiq-uz-Zaman, who had been rejected by the PCB less than a year ago for an Under-19 role, has now been appointed fielding and wicketkeeping coach at the High Performance centre.Atiq will assist Yousuf and Zahid and Mushtaq Ahmed, who is currently on tour in the UK with the national team as their spin-bowling coach, at the High Performance centre. Abdul Majeed and Mansoor Rana, who had been part of the High Performance centre, are now the fielding coach and team manager respectively of the Pakistan national side.The new changes will be effective from the upcoming season as the PCB made a decision in principle last month to start domestic cricket this year in a biosecure environment, in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The season is likely to start next month with the national T20 Cup. Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, the premier domestic tournament, is likely to played entirely in Karachi. There will be a 40-man squad for each of the six association teams this year due to concerns around the pandemic. All teams for each association will be re-selected by the newly appointed coaches through a draft process later this month.

The Pakistan batting coach said he wished the new players were given “at least two to three series” to establish themselves

Umar Farooq20-Jan-2021Pakistan batting coach Younis Khan appealed for patience, warning people not to heap too much pressure on a young Pakistan squad ahead of the series against South Africa. He said a lot of people had over the years been picked in Test cricket for performances in other formats, but it was necessary to give this side time to adapt their game to the highest level.Pakistan named nine uncapped players in a 20-man squad for a two-match Test series against South Africa following a disastrous New Zealand tour, dropping several Test regulars – Shan Masood, Mohammad Abbas, Imam ul Haq, Haris Sohail and Naseem Shah. A dramatic overhaul saw white-ball specialists Haris Rauf and Abdullah Shafique making into the side alongside with a slew of players from domestic circuit. These included Kamran Ghulam, Salman Agha and Saud Shakeel, prolific run-scorers on the domestic circuit, as well as Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan and Tabish Khan, similarly successful in the wicket-taking department.Since January 2010, Pakistan have had handed Test debuts to 43 cricketers, but of those, only Azhar Ali (83), Asad Shafiq (77) and Sarfaraz Ahmed (48) have played more than 30 Test matches. Babar Azam, with 29 Tests, has showed enough promise to build a successful Test career, but several have faded away after a handful of games. While handing chances to new players hasn’t been an issue, Pakistan have continued to struggle to enable them to last the course once they are promoted to the Test side.”Ideally, a player should have lots of cricket behind them before being selected for the top national team,” Younis said. “When we talk about other players from successful teams, they come with an excess of 100 first-class matches, and we are missing out on this. We have so many players inducted into the team after playing T20I matches and ODIs so, in terms of Test cricket, it takes time to understand your role and transform your game accordingly from one format to another.”There is definitely a lack of cricket behind them when they are picked for the national side. We [Younis, Inzamam etc] used to play a lot of cricket from the top to grade 2 level and had more tough conditions overall. But these days it’s different, with a lot of players picked after one-off performances. But when they are selected too early, they are found out on the international stage, with a lot of weaknesses highlighted that are not apparent on the domestic level.”Pakistan have struggled to find their feet in Test cricket since rising to the top of the rankings in 2016. For much of the past four years, they have dropped back down to the lower half of the table, and currently sit in sixth place in the ICC Test rankings.Since 2016, when the first edition of the PSL took place, a number of players who rose to prominence in the T20 league have made it into the Test side, but Younis insisted he did not want to see the importance of the domestic first-class system erode. That was evident in the number of players plucked from first-class cricket for Pakistan’s series against South Africa, and Younis wanted to see these players get an extended run, confident they would make the grade.”International cricket is all about yourself, how you go about your skills, hone them, and evolve as a player,” Younis said when asked why so many Pakistan players couldn’t stay the course at the international arena. “I won’t say its technique and tactics but it’s more about focus. When I started, I used to play with different styles and techniques and in a few years’ time, I realised I had to stick with what was best for me to survive. So I’m there to help the players but not overwhelm them with too much input. They tend to make mistakes and there will be failures and that is how they will learn. They need to be given the freedom and we have to understand that young players need time and should be given time.”Coaches can identify the problem and tell the players the solution, but then at the end of the day, it all comes down to the players. They themselves have to take initiatives and work hard towards their goals.”I wish that the young lot of players we have selected for the South Africa series should be given at least two to three series. Because when you chop and change, it’s really tough not only for the players but for coaches. It happened in the past and I wish this doesn’t happen again and I get to work with the boys to make a difference. We don’t have to look for their performances right now and we have to show belief and trust in them.”

Nathan Lyon’s reprieve during the Adelaide Test appears to have been in direct contravention of the ICC’s directives for umpires using the DRS

Melinda Farrell and Daniel Brettig30-Nov-20151:08

‘Waiting to hear back from the ICC’ – Hesson

Nathan Lyon’s reprieve during the Adelaide Test appears to have been in direct contravention of the ICC’s directives for umpires using the DRS.In a decision New Zealand have lodged a formal protest against, the third umpire Nigel Llong ruled that Lyon was not out despite Hot Spot showing a mark where the ball had passed the back of the bat, before ballooning off Lyon’s shoulder and into the hands of Kane Williamson at slip.Llong’s deliberations were broadcast live on the Nine Network’s television coverage and, while viewing the Hot Spot vision, he stated three times that he could see a mark. He then told the on-field umpire S Ravi: “There’s a mark on the bat but it could come from anywhere.”ESPNcricinfo has confirmed that umpires make their deliberations under instructions that Real-time Snicko (RTS) is only to be used if Hot Spot does not show a mark.”If the umpire gives it out [and it is reviewed], the third umpire will look at the spin-vision replay to start with, then he’ll go to Hot Spot,” Geoff Allardice, the ICC head of cricket operations, had said when explaining the introduction of RTS in 2013. “If there’s a mark on Hot Spot he’ll go straight to out. That’s his conclusive evidence straight away. The only time Snicko will be used is if there’s no mark on Hot Spot.”Allardice’s quotes, however, did not explain the protocol to be followed in the case of not-out decisions.While RTS was introduced as a virtual insurance policy in cases where Hot Spot does not show a mark on the bat, the technology based on stump mic recordings is not infallible.Since deliveries from spinners are slower, and therefore the impact softer, stump mics have more difficulty picking up faint sounds. This is compounded when a player steps forward and increases the distance between the stump mics and the ball, their body shielding the mic further from any faint noise. In this instance, after passing the bat, the ball went on to hit Lyon’s shoulder. At that point of impact, there was also no spike on snicko.There was no spike on snicko at the point of impact on the shoulder

New Zealand’s coach Mike Hesson made his feelings clear with a sarcastic response to a question about Llong’s ruling.”It was excellent, wasn’t it?” he said. “I think everyone at the ground saw what unfolded, and I think it has been spoken about a lot. We’ve certainly made a representation to the ICC, and at present we’re still awaiting an acceptable response. I’ll let you know when I hear it.”If Lyon had been given out, Australia would have been 9 for 118 in the first innings with only the injured Mitchell Starc left to bat. Some may point to the fact New Zealand could still have secured victory with a tighter bowling performance after the Lyon ruling, or by avoiding their first-innings batting collapse, but there is no doubt the decision changed the course of the match.”I guess we’ll never know,” Hesson said. “The game carried on and took a number of other twists and turns after that, so it’s something that I can’t answer. But it certainly had an impact.”Hesson said he has no issue with the technology used in the DRS, but New Zealand clearly believe Llong did not follow the correct procedure in using the information available to make his ruling.”There is a process that needs to be followed within these decisions, and we need to make sure that process was followed correctly,” Hesson said. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the technology at all.”The decision descended from controversy to farce when Llong asked to see the ball tracker, to check for an lbw. By this stage, nearly four and-a-half minutes had elapsed and, as Llong had not previously asked to use the Eagle Eye ball tracker, a scramble among technology operators led to the wrong replay being show, which Llong did not seem to notice. The ball tracker showed a replay in which Lyon swept and the ball went to the leg side off the pad.ICC chief executive David Richardson has indicated in the past that specialist third umpires may be required to implement the DRS more effectively, but even he seemed unsure about the process Llong was required to follow when asked about the incident on the final day of the Test.”No issues (with the process). I was watching it on television when it happened and I think the process was ok,” Richardson told . “Umpiring decisions are mostly up to the umpire’s judgement and you can’t be guaranteed which way it’s going to go in individual instances.”I was interested in a poll Channel Nine ran just after, asking ‘would you have given it out or not out?’ It was pretty much 50-50 the response so it was an extremely difficult decision.”The entire incident suggests that officials, commentators and fans alike require a greater understanding of the correct procedures and the technologies involved, and that umpires need more direct communication with the people who design and operate them.That this all played out live, with Llong’s audio available to viewers, may help in speedier improvements to the DRS system. It may not help New Zealand now. But it would be progress.

The two have opened 59 times in ODIs, with a tally of 3050 runs, including nine century stands

Vishal Dikshit in Mumbai15-Jan-20202:17

I’m really making the most of my form – Warner

David Warner extended his prolific summer across formats, topping it with an unbeaten century that handed India a drubbing in the opening ODI of the series in Mumbai on Tuesday. Warner’s 18th ODI century was his fourth across formats since the summer started for him back home.Before that Warner had a dismal run during the Ashes in England, putting together all of 95 runs in 10 innings. On Tuesday, Warner said that he was batting well in the nets in England but the runs weren’t coming. Warner then returned home to hit form straightaway, with a T20I century against Sri Lanka, and currently averages 171.57 in 12 international matches this season, with two half-centuries and five centuries – one in T20I cricket, three in Tests and the latest one in ODIs.Warner recalled how he batted for long hours in the nets before the Pakistan Tests, in which he scored consecutive hundreds, including a career-best 335 not out in Adelaide.”Yeah I was hitting them well in England in the nets too and couldn’t get a run on the board,” Warne said at the press conference. “I have a hunger and a desire to score runs all the time. I look back at that little phase there [in England] and it was just a small hiccup. I wasn’t out of form, I was out of runs.”I’m really making the most of it at the moment, my feet are moving well. I’m getting my head over my front leg, my weight is going through the ball. All those small things are coming into play. When you are in that kind of form and touch and everything is going well for you, you have to make sure you are practicing the same and doing all the hard work.”I look back at the beginning against Pakistan, I trained a lot going into the first Test match, JL (Justin Langer) noted to me I had been batting for almost two hours in that session which is unlike me. I didn’t play a Shield game leading in and I felt like I needed to bat time. It put me in real good stead for the summer.”ALSO READ: How Starc and Finch masterminded Australia’s victoryDavid Warner congratulates Aaron Finch on his hundred•BCCI

Warner and Aaron Finch put on a dominating stand like never before against India that was only their second 10-wicket loss at home. Warner said his chemistry with Finch off the field, and their understanding of each other played a crucial role in how they performed on the field. The two have opened 59 times in ODIs, with a tally of 3050 runs, including nine century stands. Against India, they average a staggering 106, having opened 10 times for 954 runs, including three century stands.”The most pleasing thing for me up the other end was seeing Finchy transfer his weight into the ball very well,” Warner said. “He talks about not doing that as consistently, but tonight was probably the best that I’ve ever seen him bat. The way that he played was fantastic. It was great to have that winning partnership and be clinical there and [win] none down.”We complement each other on the field but we’re great mates off the field and I think we know each other’s games so well and personalities that now we can have honest conversations out there. If we’re playing shots that we wouldn’t, we reassure each other about that, it’s purely we complement each other, it’s just great to go out there and play the way that we do. When he’s going, I know what my role is and when I’m going he knows what he’s role is and we communicate that straight away and I think that’s the best thing about our partnership, it works very well.”When asked if Warner saw himself and Finch opening the batting in the next World Cup too, in 2023 in India, Warner brought up a few other factors, apart from form and fitness, into play.”I think we’ll speak to our wives first. We’ll both be 36 or 37, I’ve got three kids – I hope that’s the last one (laughs) – and in that three years you’ve got form, wives, family. Take one step at a time.”

Defending a mere 99, New Zealand’s bowlers stretched the game to its penultimate ball

Hemant Brar29-Jan-2023In a low-scoring thriller in Lucknow, New Zealand almost defended 99, but with three needed from two balls, Suryakumar Yadav swatted Blair Tickner over mid-off to help India level the series 1-1 with one match to go.Before Sunday, the Ekana Stadium had hosted five T20Is, with the team batting first winning on all five occasions. Keeping that in mind, Mitchell Santner opted to bat after winning the toss. With the red-soil pitch at the Ekana Stadium expected to help spinners, India brought in Yuzvendra Chahal for Umran Malik. That gave them four spin-bowling options, including Deepak Hooda.All of them troubled New Zealand and restricted them to a mere 99 for 8. It was New Zealand’s lowest total against India in a full-length T20I. Still, it was far from a cruise for India.New Zealand used five spinners – and eight bowlers in all – and they were as effective as their India counterparts in strangling the scoring rate. India, though, had the advantage of knowing their target. They took the game deep and crossed the line with one ball to spare.In all, spinners bowled 30 overs in the match – the second-most in any T20I, and the most in a game involving Full Member teams.

New Zealand lose three to reverse-sweep

Finn Allen looked to take the attack to the opposition straightaway. He was lucky to collect streaky, back-to-back boundaries off Hardik Pandya but was at sea against spin.Introduced in the fourth over, Chahal found turn straightaway. His first delivery pitched on the leg stump, beat Allen’s outside edge, and missed off stump. Allen tried to counter him with the reverse sweep, only to be bowled via a deflection off his right leg.After Chahal’s wicket maiden, Devon Conway attempted a reverse sweep against Washington Sundar in the next over. The ball, though, brushed his wrist and lobbed to Ishan Kishan. Glenn Phillips too found it difficult to score against spin and resorted to the reverse sweep. In the process, he ended up exposing nearly all three stumps to an innocuous Hooda delivery and was bowled, leaving New Zealand 35 for 3 in the seventh over.Yuzvendra Chahal set the tone for India with a wicket maiden inside the powerplay•BCCI

Kuldeep dents New Zealand further

If New Zealand had any hopes of a recovery with Daryl Mitchell, the Player of the Match in the previous game, and Mark Chapman in the middle, Kuldeep Yadav shattered them. The wristspinner got one to turn back in sharply from outside off to breach Mitchell’s defence and hit the off stump.Chapman and Michael Bracewell tried to revive the innings. Their stand was worth 20 when Bracewell reverse-swept Hooda uppishly towards short third. Kuldeep slipped and couldn’t go for the catch but his quick throw to Kishan meant Chapman, who had taken off for a single, couldn’t retrace his steps in time.Till the 17th over, Hardik was the only seamer India had used. In the death overs, he and Arshdeep Singh used the bouncer to good effect to pick up three wickets between them. The New Zealand innings featured only six fours and no six. There would be no six in India’s innings either.

India hobble to the target

It was never going to be a cakewalk for India. Jacob Duffy bowled the first over of the chase but from there till the 18th over, New Zealand bowled only spin from both ends.Shubman Gill fell for 11, top-edging Bracewell to deep square leg. Ishan Kishan struggled and was run out for 19 off 32 balls by an excellent piece of fielding. Kishan got an inside edge towards midwicket against Phillips and looked to collect two. The bowler sprinted towards the ball, put in a slide and fired the throw to the non-striker’s end. In the meantime, Rahul Tripathi had sent Kishan back and his bat was on the crease when Santner broke the stumps.Ish Sodhi dismissed Tripathi soon after, reducing India to 50 for 3 in the 11th over. Suryakumar and Washington, promoted to No. 5, calmed the Indian dugout somewhat. The pair largely dealt in ones and twos to take the side to within 30 runs of the target before a mix-up resulted in Washington sacrificing his wicket.In the end, it came down to 13 required from 12 balls. Lockie Ferguson conceded only seven off the 19th over despite Hardik finding a boundary. Suryakumar, though, ensured Washington’s sacrifice didn’t go in vain.

In his first game this IPL, the express quick dented Sunrisers both in normal time and then the one-over shoot out

Vishal Dikshit18-Oct-20206:22

Tom Moody: Can’t see Lockie Ferguson missing another game

Super Over Two mid-table sides separated by just two points. Two misfiring middle orders. Two squads unable to use their reserve overseas players in the best possible way. Two teams that were neck and neck with three wins each against each other since 2018. What happened when they met on Sunday evening? A Super Over, of course.Lockie Ferguson made that one-over face-off a one-sided affair though. Playing his first match in over seven months, Ferguson, in the space of three balls, first removed David Warner’s off stump to hand him a golden duck and then hit the base of Abdul Samad’s middle stump with a full and slower delivery, with only two runs allowed in between. A single from Eoin Morgan and two leg-byes off Dinesh Karthik’s pads with a fumble at short-fine leg gave the Kolkata Knight Riders two points from the third Super Over of the season to keep them on fourth place on the points table.Ferguson had earlier dented the Sunrisers Hyderabad chase of 164 with a spectacular spell of fast bowling that read 4-0-3-15 without conceding a single boundary. Ferguson did the damage against a tweaked Sunrisers line-up that saw Kane Williamson open with Jonny Bairstow, and Warner push himself down to No. 4. He allowed just seven in the 18th over when the Sunrisers needed 37 from 18. With 30 to win from 12, Samad and Warner targeted Shivam Mavi on the off side for two fours before the former fell off the last ball of the over – another dismissal that featured Ferguson. Samad had clubbed a full toss to deep midwicket where Ferguson pouched the ball right inside the rope before carefully lobbing it to Shubman Gill when he lost balance.Warner had struck only two fours in his 28-ball 33 when the last over started with Andre Russell bowling a big wide outside off to Rashid Khan from around the wicket which was later called a no-ball. Once Warner got strike, he first found the cow-corner boundary, then hammered a length delivery past the bowler and then whipped an innocuous-looking leg-stump delivery for the third four in a row. With four to get off two, Warner took a double but couldn’t get bat on the last ball and settled for one leg-bye when Russell nipped the ball into his pads. It was time for a Super Over.Sunrisers’ Williamson experiment
Slow starts, an inexperienced middle order, and Warner not looking at his best made the Sunrisers change their line-up. Williamson, who was carrying a hamstring niggle, took charge at the top with fluent strokeplay, hitting consecutive fours off Mavi, while Bairstow muscled Varun Chakravarthy off the back foot. The duo also attacked Russell and Pat Cummins together to finish the sixth over on 58, of which 46 came in boundaries, and was the Knight Riders’ fourth consecutive powerplay without a wicket.But then came Ferguson in the seventh over. Williamson upper cut his first ball to third man to end an enterprising 19-ball 29 that saw Priyam Garg come in at No. 3. Garg couldn’t last more than seven balls as Ferguson’s slower delivery rammed into his stumps and, four balls later, Bairstow found long-off against Chakravarthy.The Warner you haven’t seen
Warner has been struggling by his standards this IPL and on Sunday he got a life on the first ball he faced from Kuldeep Yadav when Karthik missed a stumping after a loopy delivery deflected off the batman’s pad. With his team three down and half the innings left, an uncharacteristically watchful Warner relied on ones and two. At the other end, Manish Pandey was removed by a 148kmh Ferguson yorker. On one hand was Ferguson’s express pace, and on the other was Yadav taking pace off the ball – the duo combined for 18 dots from their seven overs together, which featured no boundaries. Warner saw them off and saved his boundaries for the end, which eventually tied the scores.Knight Riders slow off the blocks
In what was a start-stop-start innings, the Knight Riders struggled to get going properly because Shubman Gill couldn’t find the gaps and ate up 17 dots in his 37-ball 36. Apart from his three consecutive fours off Basil Thampi in the fifth over that helped the Knight Riders register their best opening stand this IPL, it was mainly Rahul Tripathi’s attacking strokes that relatively drove up the run rate. However, Tripathi’s dismissal on the last ball of the powerplay, for 23 off 16, slowed them down again as Rashid Khan came on in the eighth over.Vijay Shankar bowls four for the first time in IPL
Before Khan, though, the seventh over was given to Vijay Shankar, who dried up the runs further with his clever use of length and pace variations. The fifth bowler has been an issue for the Sunrisers and this time they used him smartly – bowling from the seventh over onwards, they got three out of him by the 11th over, for just 15 runs. But it was neither Khan nor Shankar who pushed the Knight Riders back as much as Garg. Two excellent running catches – one at the long-off boundary to remove Gill in the 12th over and the other running in from deep midwicket inside the circle when Nitish Rana top-edged Shankar three balls later, left them on 88 for 3 with just under eight overs left.DK and Morgan show
Russell’s poor run with the bat continued. With plenty of overs left on a slow pitch, his short stay ended when he holed out to deep midwicket for 8 against T Natarajan. Khan’s quota was done by then but the slow and dipping yorkers and full tosses of Sandeep Sharma and Natarajan were still not letting the batsmen score freely. Karthik – like he did against the Kings XI Punjab with a half-century – gave his team a late push with deft footwork. He used the crease better than anyone: he first walked down to sweep a low Sharma full toss for six, then stayed back for a Natarajan yorker to drill it down the ground for four, and then went back again to dispatch another Natarajan delivery for a six over long-on.After 19 overs, the Knight Riders were 147 for 4 with Morgan on 18 off 17 and Karthik 29 off 14. Morgan faced the entire last over from Thampi who kept missing his yorkers. Morgan hit him down the ground, smashed him over square leg for a six and ran three doubles before handing a catch to long-off to collect 16 off the over. Knight Riders had taken 52 from the last four to post a challenging total. It proved to be enough.

Joe Denly, Sam Billings join full training session with Premier League club

George Dobell16-Oct-2019England cricketers Joe Denly and Sam Billings joined in a full training session with Crystal Palace FC last week, as the batsmen prepare to travel to New Zealand with the national side for a T20 series and two Test matches.Palace manager Roy Hodgson and right-back Joel Ward also visited Kent County Cricket Club’s indoor Academy after training, with Ward taking on a bowling machine.Both Denly and Billings play for Kent, whose indoor academy facility in Beckenham borders onto the Palace training ground. Denly, who was an integral part of England’s drawn Ashes Series last summer, and Billings, who is Kent captain and an explosive top-order batsman, both have football pedigree with Billings once offered trials at Spurs’ Academy and Denly playing age-group football for Charlton Athletic as a winger.The duo were invited to take part in the Premier League club’s warm-up game of ‘rondos’, where a player is placed in the middle of a group and tasked with intercepting the ball from the outer ring, who are entitled to one touch of the ball only. The pair did enough to impress and were duly invited to take part in most of the the full session led by Hodgson, where they were largely employed to receive long balls from the Palace goalkeepers, before feeding the central midfield players, before attacking play commenced.”We may have passed that [first] test, but I’m not sure we passed when the keeper was pinging it to me,” said Denly. “It makes you realise – I thought I was a decent footballer coming here today – but I go away thinking rather differently!”We play football in the warm-ups, but this is different level. The speed and pace they play the game is phenomenal, it was great to witness.”Billings said: “I enjoyed the session far more than cricket training! It’s great always to see other sports teams train at the top level, there’s always things you can learn from yourself.”The pair were given rare access to Hodgson’s group huddle with the squad, where he outlined his expectations for the upcoming drill. Billings said the manager’s briefing was “very relaxed”.”It was good,” Billings said. “It was exactly how you think it would be. Straight to the point and the detail of what they need to do and get out of it. The lads just crack on.”That’s the similarity with all sports at the top level, the work ethic. He was saying to us that with some of the guys, you need to take down the intensity if you’ve got a game the next day. When we’re training, you can probably put that into some of us as well. It was really interesting. They’re all seriously talented blokes, the speed – and how they move the ball so quickly was the most impressive thing for me.”Hodgson and Ward then walked over to Kent’s indoor net facility, with Hodgson feeding balls to Denly on the bowling machine at around the 78 miles per hour mark – a good 15mph slower than the Australian attack the opening batsman faced during the summer. Denly had a solid season and was tasked with occupying a number of positions in England’s batting line-up, with an undoubted personal highlight his 94 at The Oval in the final Test, which helped secure a drawn Ashes series for the hosts.Hodgson said: “I’m amazed by the courage these guys take – the incredible technique and concentration that they have. I often use cricket as an example to football players – that degree of concentration that they have is nothing compared to the concentration that we have to show – because so many things go on around and protect us. But a cricketer, if you lose concentration for a second your game can be over for a long period of time.”Hodgson recalled that his last game as a cricketer himself was around 1970-71, for Streatham Cricket Club – a club he shared with Palace legend Steve Kember. “I thought I was a batsman, but I wasn’t,” Hodgson joked.Ward strapped the pads on, as well as Denly’s England helmet, with Billings observing his technique whilst feeding the bowling machine. After a few false starts, with Ward poking nervously outside his off stump, Billings ordered: “Just smash it!”That approach appealed to the defender, who proceeded to middle a series of off drives and straight drives. Ward reflected on Billing’s advice: “Just grip it and rip it! It was easier – the tempo of your swing and position you end up, is far better than being defensive and make contact. It’s one of those things, until you’ve faced it – when you’re facing a ball swinging here, or bouncing there – it’s a completely different ball game. The reactions and the speed they can process the ball is phenomenal.”It’s been a good few years since I picked up a cricket bat, so I needed a bit of time to adjust to the ball and the flight. I think I got it towards the end. It was quick. It was only 70-75mph, which isn’t that quick by their standards, but certainly is when you don’t do it on a regular basis – the ball comes at you a lot quicker than you think.”Billings was suitably impressed: “Once he got the hang of it, I just told him to smack it – and he couldn’t miss it after that.”

The former Australia captain’s participation in the tournament had earlier been barred on technical grounds but not anymore

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Dec-2018The BCB has overturned its decision on the participation of Steven Smith in BPL 2018-19, allowing him to play now. It had barred him on December 20 after the other franchises objected to his appearance for Comilla Victorians, but yesterday, a majority of them wrote to the governing council, relaxing their stance.Each team is allowed to sign two players outside of the draft. Comilla brought on Sri Lanka allrounder Asela Gunaratne in this way but he had to be replaced in November. That’s when Smith joined the roster, only his name wasn’t on the draft list either, making the signing against the rules and triggering the protests.However, now that the other franchises have changed their views, the BCB has backtracked on its own as well. So much that it has changed the tournament rules, allowing a side to now replace a maximum of one outside-the-draft player with another.”We could have enforced the clause whereby the BPL can take any decision in the interest of the tournament but we wanted to be democratic,” Jalal Yunus, a BCB director who heads the BPL governing council, said. “The franchises didn’t agree at first but now majority of the franchises have said that Smith’s inclusion can only make the league better, more popular and glamorous. They have given this to us in writing which we conveyed to the BCB. They have agreed too. Now the team can complete his registration.”Such arbitrary tweaks are nothing new to the BPL, which has gone through several of them since 2012, sometimes even in the middle of the season.

On his return to ODI cricket, Steyn top-scored with 60 then took two wickets, before Tahir cleaned up with 6 for 24 to seal the series for South Africa

The Report by Liam Brickhill in Bloemfontein03-Oct-2018Imran Tahir is overjoyed after becoming the fourth South African to take an ODI hat-trick•AFP

Imran Tahir became the fourth South African bowler to take a one-day international hat-trick as Zimbabwe folded for just 78 in the second ODI in Bloemfontein. Tahir removed Sean Williams, Peter Moor and Brandon Mavuta with successive deliveries over two overs to derail Zimbabwe’s chase and finished with a 6 for 24, taking full advantage of a batting line-up softened up by the alarmingly variable bounce extracted by Dale Steyn and Lungi Ngidi earlier in the evening. Steyn provided a particular fearsome challenge, bowling well above 140kph to rattle the top order. He picked up 2 for 19 on his return to ODI cricket, capping a day in which he also top scored with a career-best 60 to boost South Africa to a total of 198.That already looked like it could be enough when Tahir was brought on in the 14th over, thanks in large part to a pitch that misbehaved all day and became particularly capricious when Dale Steyn opened the bowling under lights. The Willow End, in particular, exhibited variable bounce that made the prospect of chasing look very difficult.Craig Ervine was struck on the glove and the grille by consecutive deliveries from Steyn, while both Brendan Taylor and Hamilton Masakadza were made to fend at brutal lifters that reared off a length. With Solomon Mire undone third ball by a full one from Steyn, none of the rest of the top were able to build partnerships and Zimbabwe entered the Powerplay teetering at 28 for 2. The visitors’ last hopes evaporated when Masakadza fell for 27, indecision sewn by the irregular bounce bringing a flat-footed poke to slip off Ngidi.Tahir had, by this point, already started to weave his magic at the other end. Taylor swept a four but then misread a googly to be lbw for 10, Tahir setting off in celebration even as he turned to appeal the wicket. From then on, although the pitch levelled out, Tahir’s variations simply proved too much for Zimbabwe. Williams was drawn out of his crease by one that spun away from him to be stumped off the last ball of Tahir’s third over, while Moor played outside a slider to be lbw to the first of his fourth. The next ball zipped in off a length, right between Mavuta’s bat and pad to spark Tahir’s trademark celebration.Zimbabwe slumped to 59 for 8 with the hat-trick, and the result was now a foregone conclusion. Jarvis slogged across the line at another googly to be bowled for 1, and fittingly it was Steyn who held the final catch to bring the game to an end when Chatara heaved a slider into the deep.The catch completed an almost perfect comeback for Steyn, whose two wickets came after his maiden ODI fifty had carried South Africa out of the depths of 101 for 7. South Africa picked him to bowl, but in his first one-day international in almost two years Steyn’s plucky batting rescued his team. Thirteen years since his ODI debut, and batting for the 48th time in the format, Steyn put on 75 with Andile Phehlukwayo, a new South African record for the eighth wicket against Zimbabwe.South Africa were tottering when Steyn got to the crease, but the mantra being drilled into them is to play positive cricket regardless of the situation and the shots kept coming. Steyn was off the mark with an edge through the vacant second slip, and while he swung merrily Phehlukwayo shrugged off a strong lbw shout to drill Williams over long on for six.An outside edge over slip took Steyn to his highest score in ODIs, and he motored into the 40s with a heave to midwicket – his seventh four. He had scored the bulk of the eighth-wicket stand that rebuilt South Africa’s innings when Zimbabwe finally broke through, Chatara strangling Phehlukwayo down the leg side.Steyn brought up his fifty with a crisp strike down the ground for six off Donald Tiripano, becoming the fourth South African after Lance Klusener, Andrew Hall and Richard Snell to score an ODI half century from no. 9. It was an effort that was desperately needed after three of the top five fell for single figures.Zimbabwe, too, had had some assistance from a pitch that captain Masakadza described as “up and down”, but they had also been rewarded for disciplined application with the ball. The wickets were shared around by their seamers and spinners and Jarvis was particularly probing in his opening spell. Once again, South Africa’s unproven top order stumbled under pressure, and it was left to the two of the oldest men on the field – Steyn and Tahir – to secure the match and the series.