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Champions make short work of small target to get title defence up and running

ECB Reporters Network24-Apr-2022

Dom Sibley helped Warwickshire knock off their target•Getty Images

Warwickshire completed the first victory of their LV=Insurance County Championship title defence by polishing off Essex by ten wickets an hour after lunch on the final day at Edgbaston.Essex resumed on the last morning on 290 for 8, just 73 ahead and needing something special from their last two wickets to stay in the game. But they added only another 33 to be all out for 323 and leave the home side a victory target of 107 in more than two sessions. Both wickets fell to concussion substitute Craig Miles who ended with 4 for 85 while Simon Harmer was left stranded on 75.Openers Alex Davies, who made his first fifty since joining Warwickshire over the winter, and Dom Sibley eased Warwickshire to victory with an unbroken stand of 110 in 37.4 overs. The emphatic win rounded off a strong start to the season for the defending champions after their solid opening-game draw with Surrey.Essex were left to digest their first defeat of the campaign and also the blow of England batter Dan Lawrence’s hamstring injury which is likely to sideline him for several weeks. Tom Westley’s side will also reflect on some careless first innings batting as the root cause of their defeat.Alex Davies made an unbeaten 65 on Warwickshire debut•Getty Images

Miles, who was drafted into the team as concussion sub on Friday afternoon when Liam Norwell took a short ball on the head, proved to have a significant impact on the match. Within minutes of arriving at the ground, summoned from home, he was batting at No. 11 and helped Michael Burgess add 64 for the last wicket.Then he took two important wickets late on the third day and added the final two on the last morning. An inswinger trapped Mark Steketee lbw and an outswinger did for Sam Cook whose edge gave wicketkeeper Burgess his fifth catch of the innings. Harmer ran out of partners, frustratingly as he looked untroubled in the excellent batting conditions.Chasing 107 in a minimum of 85 overs, Davies and Sibley took their time. They acquired eight runs from the first nine overs as Cook and Shane Snater bowled testing new-ball spells, but the true pitch throttled any Essex hopes of triggering the requisite clatter.Warwickshire eased to 50 in the 23rd over after which Davies advanced to a fluent 50 from 107 balls, maintaining his proud record of having scored a half-century in every first-class match he has played at Edgbaston (two for Lancashire and now one for his new county).

Manchester United supporters' group The 1958 have slammed INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe's plans to construct a new 100,000-seater stadium.

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• The 1958 issue scathing statement
• Stadium said to resemble a circus tent
• Ratcliffe under further fire

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  United unveiled plans for a new 100,000-seater stadium on Tuesday, but some fans immediately reacted with immense disappointment. The stadium appears to resemble a circus tent, with three spires that are said to be inspired by the Red Devils' trident that adorns United's badge.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Now, fan group The 1958 have absolutely slammed Ratcliffe and INEOS' plans, insisting that the design is "soulless" and "corporate", and betrays the club's industrial heritage, while resembling a "circus". As per the plans, Old Trafford is set to be demolished.

• WHAT THE 1958 SAID

  A statement from The 1958 reads: "Instead of embodying the gritty, historic essence of Old Trafford…the design resembles a generic, soulless corporate structure, more akin to a modern entertainment venue than a football cathedral.

  "Its circus-like aesthetic disregards the club’s working-class origins and the identity of a fanbase that spans generations. Rather than honoring the past and strengthening the bond with the local community, it prioritises spectacle over substance.

  "Football, dignity and traditions need to be upheld and from what we can see they aren’t. It should be a cathedral for fans to go and worship our team and not a circus like tourist attraction."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  On the pitch, United play Real Sociedad on Thursday in the second leg of their Europa League last-16 clash. The tie is finely poised at 1-1.

Cristiano Ronaldo has been that told he “played the student and the teacher” in GOAT claim, with Fabio Capello ranking Lionel Messi higher.

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• Ronaldo billed himself as most 'complete' player
• Comments have generated lively debate
• Others considered to have stronger GOAT claims

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Portuguese superstar Ronaldo recently claimed to be the most “complete” player of all time, with the qualities that he possesses allowing a standing to be taken up above the likes of Messi, Diego Maradona and Pele.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Said comments have generated lively debate, with prominent figures from across the footballing world offering their take on who deserves the ‘greatest of all-time’ title. Capello, who has managed Real Madrid and England in the past, has added his voice to that discussion.

• WHAT FABIO CAPELLO SAID

  Asked about Ronaldo’s bold statement, the Italian tactician told : “When someone claims that title, they mark it themselves, they've done their homework, they haven't listened to others, I think they've exaggerated a bit. In short, they've played the student and the teacher, haven't they?

  “A great player, built with desire, with will. But when I talk about phenomena, I say Messi, I say Pele, I say Maradona and I put Ronaldo the 'Gordo', Ronaldo the 'Phenomenon', right next to them. He's a hair below them.”

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Messi and Ronaldo are both still going strong in 2025. They are now on the books of MLS side Inter Miami and Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Nassr respectively. Capello added on big career calls that took two icons away from Europe, with Messi chasing the American dream: “It was a lifestyle choice for him, there were no economic problems.

  “It seems to me, at least from what you read in the newspapers about certain matches, that he has succeeded in raising his profile. Ronaldo raised the profile of Saudi Arabia and Messi raised the profile of the United States.”

Tottenham Hotspur superstar Son Heung-min is set for an internal meeting with Spurs over his future “in the coming days”, as a European club prepare to bid for him when the January transfer window reopens.

Spurs reportedly set to trigger one-year extension clause in Son contract

Reliable media sources have claimed that Son’s one-year extension clause is set to be triggered, which would keep him in north London until the summer of 2026, with his current terms set to expire at the end of this season as things stand.

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The 32-year-old was pivotal for manager Ange Postecoglou last term, scoring 17 goals and assisting 10 more in the Premier League alone, and there is little denying he remains a key man despite the lesser numbers so far this campaign.

The £190,000-per-week forward is a Lilywhites legend, and perhaps one of the best bargain buys in recent history, considering he signed for just £22 million from Bayer Leverkusen nearly 10 years ago.

Man City vs Tottenham

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Tottenham vs Fulham

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Bournemouth vs Tottenham

December 5

Tottenham vs Chelsea

December 8

Southampton vs Tottenham

December 15

Losing Son for nothing would be a bitter blow for Postecoglou and chairman Daniel Levy, resulting in their reported decision to take action as they begin steps to trigger his one-year extension clause.

“I have something to say about Heung-min Son, a top player of Tottenham Hotspur. It’s important to say that, according to my information, Tottenham are prepared to take the option to extend the contract of Son,” said Fabrizio Romano last week (via GiveMeSport).

“So if you check on Son, on all the websites, for example, Transfermarkt, you can see that his contract is expiring in the summer of 2025.

“But Tottenham have an option, they have a clause in the contract to extend the deal for one more season, 25/26, and they are in the process, from what I’m hearing, of extending this contract for one more year.”

While this would appear to cement his future for another year and a half, reports in Turkey now claim that Süper Lig champions Galatasaray could give him something to think about in the winter.

Son set for Tottenham meeting as Galatasaray ready January bid

According to Fanatik, Galatasaray are ready to bid for Son in January, as they’re actively scouring the market for a world-class winger after letting the likes of Wilfried Zaha, Kerem Aktürkoğlu and Tete leave in the summer.

They’re also prepared to offload Hakim Ziyech in January, meaning that they’ll be in need of a proven option in that area.

The report adds that Son is set for internal talks over his Tottenham future “in the coming days”, so it is by no means a certainty he will stay going by this latest bit of information from abroad, regardless of his contract clause.

Of course, it will have to be a very audacious bid from Galatasaray to make Levy and Postecoglou even consider letting Son depart midway through the campaign.

Aiden Markram’s unbeaten 52 off 25 in South Africa’s win against England in their last group match of the T20 World Cup has helped him attain a career-best No. 3 position in the T20I batting rankings. He has also broken into the top 10 allrounders list, rising seven places to No. 7. His team-mate Rassie van der Dussen, who scored an unbeaten 94 in the same match, has also broken into the top 10 rankings for batters, moving six spots up to No. 10.Markram gained 84 points to achieve 794 rating points and climb three spots and is now behind Pakistan’s Babar Azam and England’s Dawid Malan, who are the top two batters in the format. van der Dussen, meanwhile, gained 74 points following his Player-of-the-Match performance against England.Among bowlers, the Australian duo of Adam Zampa and Josh Hazlewood, who have played key roles in Australia’s qualification to the semi-final in the tournament, have climbed up the charts.Zampa, who took a five-for against Bangladesh has moved to No. 5 while Hazlewood, who picked up four wickets against West Indies, gained 11 places to reach No. 8. New Zealand’s Tim Southee, who has picked up seven wickets in the tournament so far, moved three places up to No. 9.In the allrounders’ rankings, Australia’s Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Marsh made gains, with Maxwell jumping three places to No. 4 and Marsh moving from No. 14 to No. 9. Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga achieved a career-high rating of 173 for allrounders and moved to the third position.

Northern will take on Southern Punjab instead of Balochistan in Wednesday’s evening game

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Oct-2021

Lahore is hosting the second leg of the domestic T20 tournament•Getty Images

Four Balochistan players participating in the ongoing National T20 Cup have tested positive for Covid-19, forcing the PCB to move their October 6 evening game at the Gaddafi Stadium against Northern to October 9. The match will be swapped with the Northern and Southern Punjab game.The players who tested positive are placed in a 10-day quarantine while the remaining squad, who tested negative, will continue to participate in the tournament with a minor tweak in their schedule.The first leg of the National T20 Cup was played in Rawalpindi before the six teams travelled by road to Lahore for the remaining games of the tournament; the final will also be played at the Gaddafi Stadium on October 13.Despite the hiccup, Balochistan will continue to play Thursday’s game against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa according to the original schedule. But the squad led by Imam-ul Haq will have to rebuild their team with new players being picked from their Association Championship three-day tournament side. Players coming in as replacements can move from one bubble to another.”All other participants and their families underwent testing on Tuesday and have returned negative,” the PCB wrote in a statement. “The PCB continues to monitor the situation and is retesting all participants and their families. It has also been decided the frequency of testing will be increased for the remainder of the tournament.”The PCB has created a biosecure bubble for the National T20 Cup but the players selected for the upcoming T20 World Cup won’t play in the domestic tournament from October 8 and will be shifted to a new bubble being set up by the PCB as per the ICC’s regulations. The World Cup squad will depart on October 15 from Lahore.

Namibia might stick with the XI that lost to Sri Lanka but Netherlands could bring in Stephan Myburgh and Timm van der Gugten

Firdose Moonda19-Oct-2021Big pictureThe cruelty of the big time will catch up with one of Namibia and Netherlands on Wednesday, with the T20 World Cup dream taking a major hit for the team that is defeated. Such is the first round of the T20 World Cup, where two losses are often too many, and the pressure of rising from an early stumble ever greater.Both Namibia and Netherlands had poor starts to the competition. Namibia were bowled out for their joint-lowest score in a T20I and Sri Lanka then finished the small target inside 14 overs. Netherlands were rocked by a Curtis Campher hat-trick – four wickets in four balls – which took out their middle order and allowed Ireland to chase down a modest score with 29 balls to spare. The margins there also mean their net run-rates aren’t great.The expectations from the Dutch, who won the qualifying event two years ago and have significant major tournament experience in their squad, would be more. But Namibia expect a lot of themselves, and would have been disappointed with the way they performed in their first World Cup match in 18 years, especially after their intense preparatory period.The big-picture aside there are also a few sub-plots – of the South African kind – here. Namibia’s David Wiese and Netherlands’ Roelof van der Merwe used to play for the same South African domestic side, the Titans, for example, so expect some fireworks and plenty of familiarity amid the desperation to prolong their T20 World Cup stay.Form guide
Namibia LWLWW
Netherlands: LLTWW
In the spotlight Craig Williams was Namibia’s best batter in their match against Sri Lanka after coming into this tournament on the back of an impressive run. Williams has scored four half-centuries in his last five T20I innings, against Uganda, UAE, Scotland and PNG, and averages 41.14 in the format this year. If Namibia are to improve on their batting performance, they need Williams to do well and at least one other batter to support him. A middle order which includes captain Gerhard Erasmus and Wiese has enough to post a big score, but the proof will be in the pudding.Between Ryan ten Doeschate and van der Merwe, Netherlands have 638 T20 caps but neither of the veterans had the opening match they wanted. They both recorded ducks after becoming the second and fourth victims of Campher’s four-wicket burst, while van der Merwe was the most expensive bowler for Netherlands on the day. With ten Doeschate set to retire after this tournament and van der Merwe likely to be contemplating similar before the next event, the focus will be on them to see if they can lift their team.Netherlands will be tempted to give Stephan Myburgh a go•ICC via GettyTeam news Despite the poor batting in the opening match, Namibia are likely to go in with the same XI.Namibia: 1 Stephan Baard, 2 Zane Green (wk), 3 Craig Williams, 4 Gerhard Erasmus (capt), 5 David Wiese, 6 JJ Smit, 7 Jan Frylinck, 8 Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, 9 Ruben Trumpelmann, 10 Pikky Ya France, 11 Bernard ScholtzNetherlands have former Northerns player Stephan Myburgh in the squad and while they might want to call on his experience, they will have a tricky time making room for him. Netherlands may gamble with leaving out Ben Cooper or Bas de Leede in favour of Myburgh, who has not played a T20 since August 2019. They may also consider replacing Brandon Glover with Timm van der Gugten in the attack.Netherlands: 1 Max O’Dowd, 2 Ben Cooper/Stephan Myburgh, 3 Bas de Leede, 4 Colin Ackermann, 5 Ryan ten Doeschate, 6 Scott Edwards (wk), 7 Roelof van der Merwe, 8 Pieter Seelar (capt), 9 Logan van Beek, 10 Fred Klaasen, 11 Brandon GloverPitch and conditions Monday’s Group A matches were low-scoring, but that is more a reflection of the line-ups than the conditions in Abu Dhabi, known to be usually good for batting. We could now be in for a close contest, whether low-scoring or in a run fest. The surface will, however, still be low and slow. And it will be another scorcher.Stats and trivia Namibia and Netherlands have only played one T20I against each other, in the qualifier for this tournament in 2019. Netherlands won by 44 runs then. Namibia have been bowled out for under 100 twice in their T20I history, first against Netherlands in the match above, and then again on Monday, when they lost to Sri Lanka.Quotes”We don’t necessarily have to go back to the drawing board. We have a very good game plan. We back ourselves in strike rotation and play spin well, which we just didn’t execute tonight. The spirit in the camp is extremely high. We back ourselves obviously against the Netherlands, we back ourselves against Ireland, and let’s see where those games take us.””Two must-win games. We’ve got Namibia, who we’ve played before, and we know their strengths, we know their weaknesses, and we’re going to have to go out and beat them.”

West Bromwich Albion will aim to get stuck back into Championship action after the long international break with another early season win, potentially making it four victories from five league clashes in the process.

Dependant on results elsewhere this weekend too, the Baggies could head to the very top of the second tier summit with three points versus Portsmouth, as table-toppers Sunderland play the day before West Brom’s trip to Fratton Park.

Carlos Corberan could make a few changes for the tie to come on the South Coast, with Karlan Grant potentially dropped against John Mousinho’s men, despite managing to turn around his fading Baggies career so far this campaign.

Grant's season so far

The former Huddersfield Town man must have preparing to head towards the exit door this summer, having been chucked out on loan to Cardiff City for all of last season after finding his minutes at the Hawthorns had dried up.

However, after accumulating six goals and three assists from 40 games in the Welsh capital, Corberan must have seen enough in Grant to give him more chances to shine back in the West Midlands.

The returning 26-year-old attacker has shone in spurts since coming back, with the rejuvenated Baggies number 18 overjoyed with his headed goal against Stoke City late last month, which helped his side pick up a narrow 2-1 away win at the Potters.

Grant has also impressed in the three other league contests his side have faced off in, with three key passes registered last time out in a slim 1-0 victory against Swansea City, but he could now be dropped regardless.

It will be touch and go in the build-up to Sunday’s clash with Pompey, but if Grady Diangana passes all his late fitness tests and is deemed ready to be launched into action, he could get the nod over Grant, with the individual quality he possesses on his day far outshining the ex-Bluebirds loanee.

Diangana's season so far

The Congolese forward has had a stop-start time of things so far this campaign, only making two league appearances with a meagre 12 minutes averaged per clash.

However, at this vibrant best for the Baggies in the past, the former West Ham United attacker has proven himself to be a hard-to-contain forward for Championship defenders to keep tabs on.

Diangana’s Championship numbers for West Brom
Season	Games	Goals	Assists
24/25	2	0	0
23/24	38	7	8
22/23	31	4	3
21/22	41	2	1
19/20	30	8	7
Sourced by Transfermarkt

That was seen last season when Diangana picked up seven goals and eight assists in league action, helping his side enter into the Championship play-off picture subsequently.

He will want to get up and running when it comes to his output for this campaign too very shortly, and with West Brom growing in confidence that he could be back fit for this test on the South Coast, he might be unleashed from the get-go instead of Grant.

This could prove to be a risky move, especially if West Brom push Diangana back into the first-team spotlight too soon and aggravate another injury, but switching up the side like this might well give the Baggies an advantage by springing a surprise.

Further, the “unbelievable” attacker, as he was once labelled by Baggies teammate Jed Wallace, will want to make it known that the spot down the left is his rightful spot – even with Mikey Johnston dramatically returning – having played down this wing 59 times in the past for Corberan’s promotion candidates.

Johnston might actually be the more logical choice down the left here, but the Spanish boss could well want to test Diangana out if he’s fit, over any new blood entering the line-up.

Whatever the XI looks like for Sunday’s game, the passionate Corberan will want to see his side battle away as usual to pick up another three points which would further solidify their top start.

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West Bromwich Albion must now regret letting this star go towards the start of his career.

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The Poland international bagged a brace as Hansi Flick's side cruised to a comfortable victory against the minnows

Hansi Flick’s Barcelona avoided a potential upset at fourth tier side Barbastro on Saturday as goals from Eric Garcia and Robert Lewandowski secured safe passage into the fourth round of the Copa del Rey.

There was no Dani Olmo or Pau Victor for the Catalans, as the club's registration problems continued, but the Catalans took control from the off and opened the scoring when Frenkie de Jong’s cross was headed back across goal by the returning Ronald Araujo for Eric Garcia to flick home.

Ten minutes later, Barcelona made it 2-0 through Lewandowski. This time it was young midfielder Pablo Torre with a fine delivery that was nodded home at the far post by the Poland international.

The two players combined again straight after half-time for Barca's third. A neat touch from Torre sent Lewandowski through on goal to fire a low shot past goalkeeper Arnau Fabregas.

Barcelona's fourth then duly arrived and was gift wrapped by Fabregas. The stopper passed the ball straight to Torre who had the simple task of smashing it high into the roof of the net from close range to complete the scoring and secure safe passage into the next round.

GOAL rates Barcelona's players from the Estadio Municipal de Barbastro…

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Wojciech Szczesny (6/10):

  Made his debut for the club and could not really have asked for an easier evening. Had virtually nothing to do, although was nearly embarrassed late on but got away with it.

  Jules Kounde (7/10):

  Had to put up with some hefty challenges but constantly looked to attack down the right.

  Ronald Araujo (7/10):

  First appearance of the season after injury and looked rusty at times but grabbed an assist for the first goal.

  Inigo Martinez (6/10):

  Comfortable at the back and was not really tested.

  Gerard Martin (6/10):

  Has had his critics this season but put in a decent showing at left-back as Alejandro Balde was given the night off.

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  Midfield

  Eric Garcia (7/10):

  Has been linked with a move away in January but showed he can be a useful squad option by heading home the opener.

  Frenkie de Jong (7/10):

  Still not at at his most influential but pinged in a lovely ball for Garcia to score.

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  Attack

  Fermin Lopez (5/10):

  Not really his night. Was lively enough down the left but looks to be lacking in confidence.

  Pedri (7/10):

  Played a superb 45 minutes and was then taken off and wrapped up in cotton wool by Flick.

  Pablo Torre (8/10)

  Doesn't get many chances but impressed once again with two assists and a goal. Is such a threat with his delivery from set-pieces.

  Robert Lewandowski (8/10):

  Ended a mini-goal drought by bagging a brace. Headed home to make it 2-0 and then produced a low finish for Barca's third.

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  Subs & Manager

  Gavi (7/10):

  Took over from Pedri and put in a typically committed performance.

  Pau Cubarsi (6/10):

  Gave Martinez a rest for the last 30 minutes.

  Ansu Fati (5/10):

  Handed the last half an hour but could not impress. Looked hesitant and wasted two decent chances to score.

  Sergi Dominguez (5/10)

  Few shaky moment after coming on. Didn't really convince.

  Toni Fernandez (N/A)

  A late sub but a first-team debut for the exciting youngster.

  Hansi Flick (8/10):

  After a turbulent few days for the club due to the Olmo saga he will have been relieved to get back to work on the pitch. Made changes to his team and saw his Barca side completely dominate on a tricky away ground and book safe passage to the next round with no fresh injuries. Job done.

“You never want to get an England cap by default, you want to really earn it”

Valkerie Baynes13-Jun-2021Like all of us emerging from what seems like the longest of winters, Georgia Elwiss is feeling the heat – and loving it.After three rounds of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, competition for places in the England squads ahead of home series against India and New Zealand in September, was keen. Before Saturday’s fourth round, the 17-strong squad for next week’s Test against India in Bristol had been trimmed to 15, with legspinner Sarah Glenn and seamer Freya Davies returning to their domestic teams.Elwiss, the allrounder who is hoping to add to her career tally of three Test when the final XI is decided, has “one hundred percent” noticed an increase in the quality of matches – and therefore the number of players pressing for selection – since the introduction of full-time domestic contracts this season for players outside the ECB’s centrally contracted list.Related

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“I was asked if that brings more pressure and I think yes, it does definitely, but I think it’s a good pressure,” Elwiss said. “You’re always competing with yourself and I think people around you going for your spot playing well means you’ve then got to raise your game.”You never want to get an England cap by default, you want to really earn it, and I think that’s what you’re going to see. You’ve seen already the last couple of games, people have put their hands up and it just makes you be on top of your game, and put in those performances, which is how it should be.”Elwiss, who has retained her central contract, was – on paper – a predictable selection for the longest and, for the women, rarest format, having played all three Ashes Tests from 2015 onwards. But contending with injury for a considerable part of the past two years, she has had limited opportunities to gauge her form at international level.When Elwiss was troubled by back pain on England’s ODI tour of India in February 2019, scans revealed a small stress fracture. She was out of action until the Ashes Test nearly five months later and played the second T20I against Australia 10 days after that.It was her last England cap as a back problem also ruled her out of England’s five hastily arranged T20Is against West Indies last summer and she was an unused member of the white-ball squad which toured New Zealand earlier this year.In the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, Elwiss had a modest start to the season for Southern Vipers with 55 runs and two wickets from three matches. Elwiss has obvious ambitions to remain in the international set-up and, as the domestic 50-over competition is the only indicator of form for any of the players involved, previous experience of Test match conditions will come into consideration. But she has a more pressing aim too.”My main goal this summer is to stay fit and stay on the park,” Elwiss said. “Playing for England is the ultimate goal but I’m under no illusion that I need to be playing well to do that.

“The athleticism of the girls and the fitness levels of the girls have really improved and I think that’ll keep us playing a lot longer as well”Georgia Elwiss

“I’m really pleased that girls around me are doing well and pushing me on because it’s going to make me be a better cricketer as well and I suppose if I can do the best I can do in the games that I’m playing then the selection is sort of irrelevant, it will take care of itself, hopefully. Yeah, that’s the ultimate goal but I think it’s not something that I focus on a lot.”While the new domestic structure has set the stage for someone like Emily Arlott, the 23-year-old Central Sparks seamer who earned a maiden England call-up after four wickets in an over against the Vipers, it has also allowed older players to carry on when they might otherwise have retired.”Just having that step down, if you decided you wanted to retire from international level and still play, you see people like Jenny Gunn doing that and still really enjoying and thriving in her career,” Elwiss said.”Now you can pretty much go for as long as you want to as long as you’re fit and healthy and I think that’s been a thing that’s come in the last few years as well, the athleticism of the girls and the fitness levels of the girls have really improved and I think that’ll keep us playing a lot longer as well.”Having just turned 30, Elwiss describes herself as an “old girl” but, with careful management of her back and another central contract, along with a deal to play for Birmingham Phoenix in the Hundred, she is ready for a big international summer she hopes will start with a place in the Test team from Wednesday.”I love playing Test cricket and I will always want to play Test cricket,” said Elwiss at an event earlier this month to mark 50 days until the Hundred starts on July 21. “It suits my game quite well… all I can do is play well in the games that I’ve got in front of me and hopefully that puts me in a good position.”But for me the most important thing for me is playing cricket and enjoying cricket.”