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Redbacks refresh their list after losing Worrell, Mennie and Kane Richardson, while four WNCL sides also announce contract lists

ESPNcricinfo staff10-May-2022South Australia have poached seam-bowling duo Harry Conway and Henry Thornton from interstate as well as offspinner Ben Manenti to bolster their bowling depth ahead of the 2022-23 Australian domestic season.Conway and Thornton were both part of the Adelaide Strikers in the BBL and have joined South Australia for more opportunities in the Sheffield Shield and Marsh Cup.Conway, 29, has played 38 first-class matches – and reached Australia A level – but struggled for continuity in New South Wales playing just five matches last season while Thornton, 25, had left NSW last winter to search for opportunities in Victoria. He played four Marsh Cup games last season and was named Victoria’s Marsh Cup player of the season despite only taking five wickets. But he made his name as a replacement player in the BBL for Strikers taking 14 wickets in nine games in 2021-22 including 4 for 26 against Melbourne Stars.Both men join a South Australia squad that is starting to build fast-bowling depth after the recruitment of Nathan McAndrew and Brendan Doggett last season, which offsets the loss of Daniel Worrall and Joe Mennie, who have both moved to the UK, and Kane Richardson who has moved to Queensland.”It’s so exciting that lads come and spend time at the Strikers and feel South Australia is a great place to be,” South Australia coach Jason Gillespie said. “It’s wonderful to be able to get these guys over. Henry got drafted into the second half of the BBL and I thought he did remarkably well. He fit in so well to the group. He clearly enjoyed himself. The players enjoyed playing with him and it is fantastic to have him here.”Henry brings airspeed. He pitches the ball up and moves it away from the right-handers at pace. Harry is a tall fast bowler with plenty of skills. He can move the ball off the straight but also the height and bounce he can generate is fantastic. He’s also a big personality who aspires to be a leader around the group. He wants to be a leader and that is fantastic.”Ben Manenti celebrates•Getty Images

Manenti, 25, adds to South Australia’s thin spin stocks after making his first-class debut for Tasmania late last season. Manenti, originally from NSW, has been a regular in the Sydney Sixers squad over the last four seasons in the BBL but finally made his List A and first-class for Tasmania.”We’ve had our eye on Ben for a little while now, and what we are really excited about is his competitive nature and how he goes about his work,” Gillespie said. “He is a really competitive guy who plays to win, and we know that energy will add significantly to the squad.”South Australia played their last two Shield games last season without a specialist spinner, with legspinner Lloyd Pope still taking time to develop but he remains on SA’s list. Thomas Kelly and Jordan Buckingham have been upgraded to the main list after making their Shield debuts last season.The Redbacks have recruited some young batters with Australia Under-19 right-hander Aidan Cahill moving from NSW on a rookie deal.In the Scorpions squad, the South Australia women’s team, youngsters Ella Wilson and Paris Hall have been added alongside Strikers batter Madeline Penna who has moved from ACT. Former captain Tegan McPharlin retired from state cricket after 15 season at the end of last summer.Belinda Vakarewa has lost her WNCL deal•Getty Images

Elsewhere, former Australia quick Holly Ferling has moved from Queensland to the ACT for the coming WNCL season. Ferling, 26, adds plenty of international experience to the Meteors after the retirement of veteran Erin Osborne.”Whilst she is an extremely accomplished cricketer, having made 34 appearances for Australia across all formats, she is also a wonderful leader and will be a great mentor for some of our younger players,” ACT coach Jono Dean said.Former New Zealand wicketkeeper-batter Rachel Priest and one-time Australia ODI seamer Belinda Vakarewa have not been offered new contracts with WNCL title-holders Tasmania while Corinne Hall has retired. Rachel Trenamen has moved from NSW to Tasmania while Saskia Horley has taken her place on the NSW Breakers’ contract list.South Australia men’s contract list Wes Agar, Jordan Buckingham, Kyle Brazell, Aidan Cahill, Alex Carey (CA), Bailey Capel, Jake Carder, Harry Conway, Brendan Doggett, Daniel Drew, David Grant, Travis Head (CA), Isaac Higgins, Henry Hunt, Spencer Johnson, Thomas Kelly, Ryan King, Jake Lehmann, Nathan McAndrew, Nathan McSweeney, Ben Manenti, Harry Mathias, Harry Nielsen, Lloyd Pope, Liam Scott, Henry Thornton, Jake Weatherald, Nick Winter.In Harry Conway (NSW), Spencer Johnson, Thomas Kelly, Ben Manenti, Henry Thornton | Out Ryan Gibson, Corey Kelly, Sam Kerber, Joe Mennie, Kane Richardson (Queensland), Daniel Worrall (Surrey).South Australia women’s contract list Jemma Barsby, Sam Betts, Darcie Brown (CA), Emma de Broughe, Josie Dooley, Ellie Falconer, Paris Hall, Brooke Harris, Tahlia McGrath (CA), Annie O’Neil, Bridget Patterson, Madeline Penna, Kate Peterson, Megan Schutt (CA), Courtney Webb, Amanda-Jade Wellington, Ella WilsonIn Madeline Penna, Ella Wilson, Paris Hall | Out Tegan McPharlin (retired), Alex Price, Eliza DoddridgeACT women’s contract list: Angela Reakes, Katie Mack, Kayla Burton, Gabrielle Sutcliffe, Chloe Rafferty, Carly Leeson, Matilda Lugg, Olivia Porter, Rebecca Carter, Amy Yates, Zoe Cooke, Holly Ferling, Alisha Bates, Angelina Genford, Annie WikmanIn Holly Ferling (Queensland), Alisha Bates, Annie Wikman, Angelina Genford | Out Erin Osborne (retired), Madeline Penna (South Australia), Nicola Hancock, Erica KershawTasmania women’s contract list: Nicola Carey (CA), Julia Cavanough, Maisy Gibson, Heather Graham, Emma Manix-Geeves, Sasha Moloney, Clare Scott, Hayley Silver-Holmes, Amy Smith, Naomi Stalenberg, Molly Strano, Emma Thompson, Rachel Trenaman, Elyse Villani, Callie Wilson.In Rachel Trenaman (New South Wales), Clare Scott, Callie Wilson, Julia Cavanough | Out Corinne Hall (retired), Chloe Abel, Rachel Priest, Emily Smith, Belinda Vakarewa.NSW Women’s contract list: Jade Allen, Maitlan Brown, Erin Burns, Stella Campbell, Lauren Cheatle, Hannah Darlington, Ashleigh Gardner (CA), Rachael Haynes (CA), Alyssa Healy (CA), Saskia Horley, Emma Hughes, Sammy Jo-Johnson, Anika Learoyd, Phoebe Litchfield, Claire Moore, Lauren Smith, Tahlia Wilson.In Saskia Horley | Out Rachel Trenaman (Tasmania)

Several senior players including Angelo Mathews will return into the Sri Lankan fold in coach Mickey Arthur’s final Test series

Andrew Fidel Fernando20-Nov-2021

Big picture

Chris Gayle made a triple-hundred in Galle, Brian Lara hit 351 runs in one match in Colombo, and 688 in that three-match series, but this has to be one of cricket’s more surprising facts: West Indies have never won a Test in Sri Lanka. Partly this is down to their not having played on the island in their roaring 1980s – Sri Lanka too weak to attract them then perhaps, and too volatile geopolitically to have had a consistent touring schedule anyway. But still, since 1993, these teams have met eleven times in Sri Lanka; they have drawn just four of those games – three on a severely rain-affected tour in late 2010.Related

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On paper, this doesn’t seem like the West Indies team to improve that record, but it is clear this is an improving team. Their batting, for one, looks better than it did in 2016, when they last toured Sri Lanka. On their most-recent trip to South Asia, West Indies had pulled off a chase for the ages, debutant Kyle Mayers hitting 210 not out as West Indies hunted down 385 in Chattogram. They won the second Test, in Dhaka, too. In the next series, against Sri Lanka, in the Caribbean, they established substantial first-innings leads in both matches, even if they would eventually peter out to draws.Sri Lanka aren’t quite ripe for the plucking; Tests are still probably their safest format. But there is a little instability around this outfit that could hypothetically make them vulnerable. This series sees the return of several senior players – including Angelo Mathews – who had felt slighted during the months-long contracts standoff the players were involved in, with the board. This is also Mickey Arthur’s final Test series as coach, and the likes of batting coach Grant Flower, and bowling coach Chaminda Vaas, aren’t guaranteed their positions into next year either.As both matches are due to be played in Galle, spin is likeliest to decide the series. How will these flawed teams use it? How will they play it? On that front, Sri Lanka would seem to have a significant edge, particularly after West Indies’ tour match in Colombo was rained out.

Big picture

(completed matches, most recent first)West Indies LWLLD
Sri Lanka WDDDL

In the spotlight

Kyle Mayers may have created more buzz this year, but West Indies’ most consistent batter, by a slim margin, has been their captain, Kraigg Brathwaite. In 2021, he has hit 556 runs at 34.75, and given most of his 16 innings have come against the brand new Dukes ball, these are laudable numbers. But does he struggle against spin bowling, on turning tracks? He had one outstanding tour of the UAE in 2016, but even with his 328 from that series, his numbers in Asia (average of 28.87), lags behind his career stats. If he can spend substantial time at the crease (in his trademark shades-and-helmet), West Indies will likely make a bigger impact than they did in 2016, when they lost 2-0.66, 118, 244, 75 – so read Dimuth Karunaratne‘s last four Test knocks. The problem is, the most recent of these came way back in May, so it’s not as if you can say he comes into the series in form. Rarely does a home Test series pass by without a serious contribution from him, however, and he is especially good at Galle, where he has produced exceptional innings on tough pitches. West Indies’ bowlers will be desperate to neutralise him early.Dimuth Karunaratne has been Sri Lanka’s most consistent batter in recent Tests•AFP/Getty Images

Pitch and conditions

The surface is likely to be spin-friendly, but with the amount of rain that’s been around in all parts of the country, the pitch is unlikely to start out very dry. Given the northeast monsoon is still in operation, expect frequent rain interruptions, particularly in the afternoons.

Team news

Sri Lanka had thought about giving Charith Asalanka a debut, but it appears that they will go in with a bowling-heavy side instead, fielding two legspinners – Lasith Embuldeniya and Praveen Jayawickrama, in addition to offspin-bowling allrounder Ramesh Mendis (Dhananjaya de Silva is also there to contribute with his offbreaks).Dinesh Chandimal is likely to keep wickets, with Niroshan Dickwella suspended for a year over breaking Covid protocols in England.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Dimuth Karunaratne (capt.), 2 Pathum Nissanka, 3 Oshada Fernando, 4 Angelo Mathews, 5 Dhananjaya de Silva, 6 Dinesh Chandimal (wk), 7 Ramesh Mendis, 8 Suranga Lakmal, 9 Lasith Embuldeniya, 10 Dushmantha Chameera, 11 Praveen Jayawickrama.Jeremy Solozano, the Trinidad opening batter, could also be in line for a debut, as Brathwaite’s opening partner. With Roston Chase capable of delivering half-decent offspin, West Indies will also have to decide which of their other spin options – offspinner Rahkeem Cornwall, or left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican – plays. They could field them both, but that would mean their only serious seam options are Kemar Roach and Jason Holder.West Indies (possible): 1 Kraigg Brathwaite (capt.), 2 Jeremy Solozano, 3 Nkrumah Bonner, 4 Roston Chase, 5 Jermaine Blackwood, 6 Kyle Mayers, 7 Rahkeem Cornwall, 8 Jason Holder, 9 Joshua da Silva (wk), 10 Kemar Roach, 11 Jomel Warrican/Jayden Seales

Stats and rivia

• This is West Indies’ second World Test Championship series in the new cycle. They had won one Test and lost one against Pakistan in August, giving them 12 points. For Sri Lanka, this is their first series in the new cycle.
  
• Kraigg Brathwaite averages 25.75 in four innings in Sri Lanka – his third worst average in host countries, after India (where he averages 19.91), and Bangladesh (21.16).
  
• Dimuth Karunaratne averages 51.36 in Galle, and averages 47.52 as captain. His career average is 38.62.
  
• Across conditions, West Indies have won just one of the seven most-recent Tests between these sides. Sri Lanka have won three of them.

The BCCI on Monday asked the players to raise invoices to get their share

Annesha Ghosh and Shashank Kishore24-May-2021Nearly 15 months after they finished runners-up in the T20 World Cup, the India Women squad will finally receive its share of the prize money amounting to USD 500,000 (INR 3.5 crore approximately). ESPNcricinfo has learned that the BCCI on Monday asked the players to raise invoices to get their shares.The development comes a day after the UK publication revealed that the squad had not yet been paid its prize money despite other teams including Australia, who won the World Cup, receiving theirs soon after the tournament was over.ESPNcricinfo has learned that the ICC disbursed the prize money to the BCCI last March, around a week after the World Cup final, which was played in front of a record 86,174 spectators on International Women’s Day (March 8) at the MCG.When asked for a comment, BCCI officials told ESPNcricinfo they have no knowledge of the reason behind the delay. ESPNcricinfo confirmed the delay with more than one player and support staff member who were part of the India squad led by Harmanpreet Kaur.The delay raised eyebrows because the BCCI is learned to have disbursed all other payments owed to the players since March 2020. This includes three instalments of their central contracts fee for 2019-20, match fees, and appearance fees for the Women’s T20 Challenge in Sharjah last November. Recently the players are understood to have submitted their invoices for match fees for the limited-overs home series against South Africa in March 2021. The payments are still awaited, though.Incidentally the BCCI is learned to have distributed the prize money allocated by the ICC to the India team that finished runners-up in the 2020 Men’s Under-19 World Cup, which was won by Bangladesh last February in South Africa. The Women’s T20 World Cup took place only a few weeks later. According to , the victorious Australia Women players received their share of the prize money amounting to USD 1.6 million soon after the tournament.

For the second season in a row, Nottinghamshire are at the uncomfortable end of the Division One table, looking like a team in need of inspiration. Last season, Peter Moores awakened ambition. This time Imran Tahir might make the difference

Jon Culley03-Jul-2016
ScorecardNotts will hope to see these sort of celebrations from Imran Tahir [file picture]•AFP

For the second season in a row, Nottinghamshire are meandering through midsummer at the uncomfortable end of the Division One table, looking like a team in need of inspiration. Last year, after being bottom at the halfway stage, they seemed to be find it in Peter Moores, the former England coach, whose addition to the staff at Trent Bridge coincided with a revival that saw them finish third.This year, evidently, they need something to spark them again, having won their opening match of the Championship programme against Surrey in April but not one since in an eight-match winless run that began, as it happens, with an eight-wicket defeat by Lancashire at Old Trafford.Perhaps this time the uplifting factor will be Imran Tahir. Back at Trent Bridge for a second spell after his first, last year, was curtailed early by injury, the South Africa leg-spinner began by conceding 13 runs in his first over, six of them before he had bowled a legitimate delivery, but thereafter produced evidence that the skills that have sustained him through an extraordinary career might be just what Nottinghamshire need, even in a summer as damp and miserable as this one.Although Lancashire, the Division One leaders, took a chance with the toss and decided to bat first, it was on a surface that had some grass left on and looked dark in colour after more heavy downpours on Saturday, one that surely had Stuart Broad and Harry Gurney licking their lips.Yet it was Tahir who proved Lancashire’s most troublesome opponent, offering few cheap runs, even when he was attacking, and having enough guile to snare two of his three wickets with his googly.At the heart of his contribution was an engrossing battle with the Lancashire opener, the left-handed Tom Smith, who was 40 from 95 balls as his side reached lunch at 109 for 1 but was thereafter so comprehensively pinned down by Tahir that of the next 46 deliveries he faced from the legspinner he managed to score off just six before he was lured down the pitch and stumped after the ball kicked past the outside edge.It had been the googly, too, that earlier bowled Luke Procter for 48. In between, Steven Croft was possibly unlucky to be given out leg before after taking a long stride forwards but Tahir’s 3 for 78 from 27 overs did not flatter him in any way.After his 7 for 45 against West Indies in Basseterre, in the process of which he became the fourth fastest bowler to reach 100 wickets in one-day internationals, he has arrived with form and confidence high. Nottinghamshire, who have managed thus far to stay out of the relegation places but have played more of their matches than those around them, will have their fingers crossed that it continues.Tahir was one of three changes in the Nottinghamshire bowling compared with the rain-affected draw with Warwickshire last week. He replaced the young off-spinner Matt Carter, with Gurney and Broad coming in for Luke Fletcher and Jake Ball, who is being rested after bearing a heavy workload in recent weeks.Ball, Nottinghamshire’s leading wicket-taker, is strongly tipped to make his Test debut against Pakistan at Lord’s next week and Mick Newell, wearing both his Nottinghamshire and England hats, wants him to be in peak condition should his chance come.Broad bowled a fine spell with the new ball without reward and was then rather fortunate after lunch to see Alviro Petersen given out to a legside strangle when he barely appealed. In the last of his four consistently-disciplined spells he held a brilliant return catch from a full-blooded hit to dismiss Jordan Clark before Liam Livingstone took a mighty swing at him towards midwicket and was caught at backward point off a steepling top edge.There was a scare late on when Neil Wagner ducked into a ball from Harry Gurney and took a blow on the back of the head. Happily, amid obvious concern among the Nottinghamshire players, who summoned help immediately, the New Zealand bowler was able to get to his feet and walk off.As it happened, he was also out, which seemed somewhat unfair, the ball dropping behind him as he dropped to his haunches and rolling on to the stumps with enough force to dislodge a bail and provide the in-form Gurney with a second wicket he deserved, if not by a route he would have chosen.

A round-up of the Group B matches in the WICB Regional Super 50 2016-17 played on February 5, 2017

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Feb-2017Barbados pulled off a two-wicket win over Guyana in a low-scoring match at Bridgetown’s Three Ws Oval to seal a semi-final spot in the Regional Super50. Chasing 187, Barbados’ Kevin Stoute (51) and Shai Hope (63) consolidated their chase in a 70-run second-wicket stand but Raymon Reifer’s four wickets kept Guyana in the hunt.Barbados collapsed from 119 for 2 to 180 for 8 and went into the last over needing six runs, before Carlos Brathwaite (11*) and Jomel Warrican (2*) helped them cross the target with three balls to spare. Earlier, Guyana were all out for 186 off the last ball of their innings, failing to recover from a position of 100 for 5 after Ashley Nurse’s three wickets at the top. Six Guyana batsmen scored 18 runs or more but their top score came from Veerasammy Permaul , who scored 32 at no. 9.Jamaica defended 204 against Combined Campuses & Colleges in Bridgetown courtesy a spirited bowling effort led by Nikita Miller, who took 3 for 12 from nine overs. Miller’s haul saw CCC slip from 124 for 5 to 130 for 8, before they folded on 160 to give Jamaica a 44-run win that took them to second place in Group B.Jamaica reached 204 after fifties from Jermaine Blackwood (51) and Andre McCarthy (51), and a late surge from Jerome Taylor (41). Between these knocks, CCC took regular wickets to keep Jamaica in check. They lost their first two wickets for 26 and then slipped from 109 for 2 to be bowled out in the 46th over. Offspinners Mark Deyal and Vikash Mohan took three wickets each.For CCC, their top score came from the extras conceded by Jamaica (30, of which 24 were wides). Cassius Burton (28), Amir Jangoo (24) and Mark Deyal (21) got starts but, with regular wickets falling, Jamaica completed a win in the 42nd over.

Ross Taylor has been cleared by eye specialists to play the Hamilton Test against Pakistan, which is set to begin on November 25

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Nov-2016Ross Taylor has been cleared by eye specialists to play the Hamilton Test against Pakistan, which is set to begin on November 25. However, the batsman needs surgery on his left eye, which will be done after the Test, thereby ruling him out of the ODIs in Australia in December.Taylor has a benign growth on the eye, called a “pterygium”. The growth is currently not obscuring his vision in any way, according to New Zealand’s physiotherapist Tommy Simsek, but will have to be removed before it gets larger.”Ross has a pterygium on his left eye, which is gradually getting bigger,” Simsek said. “Both the specialists he has seen in recent days have advised Ross still has 20/20 vision, and Ross himself feels confident he is ready to play.”But Ross will still need to undergo a medical procedure on his eye to remove the pterygium before it gets any larger. He’ll have surgery following the Test, which rule him out of cricket for approximately four to six weeks.”New Zealand are leading the two-Test series against Pakistan 1-0. After it ends, they travel to Australia to play three ODIs for the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy, between December 4 and 9. Their next international assignment is a visit by Bangladesh, which kicks off with an ODI on Boxing Day in Christchurch.Northern Districts batsman Dean Brownlie had been put on standby by the selectors, as cover for Taylor, when New Zealand Cricket announced the squad for the second Test against Pakistan. Allrounder Mitchell Santner returns to the squad for that Test, having recovered from a wrist fracture.

Cricket Ireland’s new strategic plan launches with focus on qualification for World Cups

Matt Roller09-Apr-2021Cricket Ireland has stressed the need for greater central funding from the ICC and more context for their Test cricket, while launching its strategic plan for 2021-23.Ireland have not played a Test since July 2019, when they bowled England out for 85 at Lord’s, and they will not play another until 2022 at the earliest, following a further postponement to their fixture away in Sri Lanka. They have prioritised white-ball cricket ahead of the three upcoming World Cups – two T20I, one ODI – and the inter-provincial system will not feature any first-class fixtures this summer.Ahead of the publication of the new strategic plan – which aims to “strengthen our sport so that we are in a position to benefit and grow when the new ICC funding cycle begins” – Richard Holdsworth, CI performance director, emphasised the significant costs involved in staging Test cricket and the lack of context outside of the World Test Championship as the main reasons for Ireland’s limited fixture list in the format.Related

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“There’s no doubt that we aspire to be a regular Test-playing nation – the board agrees, the coaches agree, and the players are desperate to play more Test cricket,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “But we’re prioritising white-ball cricket in this strategy because what is most important to the business is that we qualify for World Cups. In terms of funding, sponsorship, and commercial stakeholders, it’s important that we’re at the top table when it comes to World Cups.”We don’t want to neglect the red-ball game but the reality is that with the budget we’ll have for the next three years, we have to prioritise in the right areas and we firmly believe that prioritising qualification for those three World Cups over the next three years is paramount, and we are continually challenged by the cost of hosting home Tests.”Ireland’s inaugural – and so far only – home Test, against Pakistan in 2018, cost the board nearly €1m (US$ 1.18 million approx.) to stage, with the ground in Malahide requiring expensive temporary infrastructure to turn it into a major venue. The strategic plan includes a commitment to putting processes in place for the stadium at the National Sports Campus in Abbotstown, three years after the board voted for its development, to be ready.CI is also encouraging the ICC to reduce the minimum broadcast standards required to stage Tests, and is discussing the possibility of a second tier of the World Test Championship to guarantee them more regular fixtures 2023 onwards.”Before we became full members, we were playing our part in putting the Future Tours Programme together and everything that was being discussed was “context, context, context”,” Holdsworth said. “But coming back to Test cricket, we were talking about context in everything – but Ireland, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe are playing Test cricket without any context at all.”We firmly believe that prioritising qualification for those three World Cups over the next three years is paramount”•Abu Dhabi Cricket

“We’ve been communicating with the ICC and we believe that whatever that first division looks like, there needs to be some context for the next division down. I don’t think it helps any of the three of us to promote Test cricket without that context. It’s just one-off Tests here and there.”It’s good to see the ICC’s board taking that seriously. If we don’t promote the three of us playing Test cricket then we’re down to nine teams, and where does that go? If there are only four or five Test teams in ten years’ time, that’d be disastrous for the sport. We can’t let that happen. We have to make sure there is competitive Test cricket out there. Let’s hope we get some context in the next cycle and we can allow for two divisions.”The strategic plan highlights five priorities: qualification for all ICC tournaments, increasing participation at grassroots levels, establishing infrastructure and facilities required of a full member, growing the women’s game, and supporting the continuing development of the provincial unions.Warren Deutrom, CI chief executive, said: “How certain of success can we be with this plan? Just consider the journey and achievements over the last decade – consider that we are now one of only 12 countries seated at the top table of the world’s second largest sport. Consider, too, the immense strength and depth of Irish cricketing heritage and structures within our sport.”We have an innate belief in the ability of the Irish cricket community to endure, to adapt and to grow. We want Ireland to become a cricket island once more. And I hope the Irish cricket community can work with us on creating an increasingly vibrant, engaging and welcoming sport for all.”

Kumar Sangakkara says agreement with ECB means Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer will play “whole tournament”

Andrew Miller19-Feb-2021Kumar Sangakkara says that Rajasthan Royals are confident of getting first refusal on the availability of England’s trio of star players – Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer and Jos Buttler – during this year’s IPL, even if their potential involvement in the play-off phase causes them to miss the Lord’s Test against New Zealand.Although the dates of the IPL have yet to be confirmed, it is anticipated that the final rounds will take place in the first week of June, which means that England’s trio stand to miss the visit of New Zealand – the current World No.1 Test team – for at least for the first Test, between June 2-6, and depending on flights and quarantine periods, the second at Edgbaston as well, from June 10-14.Although the ECB’s attitude towards the IPL has softened in recent years, particularly in light of England’s victory at the 2019 World Cup, the notion of the tournament taking precedence over a Test match is a line in the sand that has not previously been crossed in the 12 years since England’s players were first permitted to take part.Sangakkara, however, is in no doubt where the balance of power lies, following what he described as a “tripartite” discussion between the BCCI, the ECB, and the franchises, the results of which were relayed in an email last week which stated clearly that franchises were “requested” to release non-starting players for Test selection, but that no such obligation existed for core team members such as Stokes, Archer and Buttler.Related

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“The feedback we got was that they should be available for the whole tournament and we’ve structured our strategy with that in mind,” Sangakkara said.”We did get Liam Livingstone as cover. He’s had a really good Big Bash. He’s improved in leaps and bounds. His spin-playing ability has increased, he can bat in the middle and at the top of the order and he’s going to have a month in India before the IPL starts with the T20 side.”But in terms of availability, at the moment they’re there for the whole tournament. They’re a crucial core in terms of overseas players and we’ve built our strategy around them.”Speaking in the wake of this year’s IPL auction – in which the South Africa allrounder Chris Morris became the highest-paid member of the Royals squad – Sangakkara stressed that he saw the England trio as the central plank of their strategies for the foreseeable future, even when the tournament undergoes its periodic rejig at next year’s mega-auction.Although the details for the 2022 auction are still to be confirmed, with the prospect of extra teams also being added to the mix, it is thought that franchises may be permitted to retain up to three squad members from their existing lists, as well as have the right to match any bids for further key players.”I have no doubt they’re three of the most valuable players in the world,” Sangakkara said. “They’re three players who know how to deal with pressure, who’ve proven time and time again their excellence out in the middle.”Jos Buttler is extremely adaptable in the way he plays. He’s one of the few I have seen, alongside AB de Villiers, who can do that role. Archer is a superstar. He was the most valuable player in the IPL last season. And Stokes, there’s nothing else you can say about Ben Stokes other than that he’s exactly the type of player any side would want.”We’re very happy to have them as our core. They’ve been with Rajasthan for a while now. There is a big auction next year, but they’ll definitely be part of the core that Rajasthan build their strategy around, not just this year but once the big auction comes, there will be a big focus on them remaining here.”0:40

‘We’ve rebalanced our side, Chris Morris fills an important role for us’ – Royals CEO McCrum

Rajasthan’s strategies in the 2020 season varied significantly from match to match, particularly at the top of the order, with Buttler relinquishing his opener’s role to Stokes following the latter’s late arrival at the tournament, a decision that paid off with Stokes’ 59-ball century against Mumbai Indians.And Sangakkara hinted that that approach might continue into the 2021 season, a development that could have knock-on effects for England’s plans leading into the T20 World Cup in November.”Stokes has historically been a player who has been extremely impactful in the middle order and Jos at the top. [But] Buttler is the more adaptable player,” Sangakkara said. “We’re looking at him in the role where he can do either [top or middle] and fit into that core role of being our linchpin batsman around whom we have everyone else.”There is quite a marked difference in terms of strategy and rules when it comes to international cricket, although there are instances where a little move in a franchise might free up a player to do something different,” he added. “But what you need is clarity, in terms of what you’re doing here, and what you’re going to do for England, and enough preparation between the two to get your game in order.”

After two-thirds of play was rendered impossible by the weather for the second day in succession, Kuldeep Yadav ate into India Blue’s gains with a four-wicket burst late in the night

The Report by Arun Venugopal30-Aug-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsFile photo – Mayank Agarwal was dismissed eight runs short of what would have been a second first-class century•Getty Images

After two-thirds of play was rendered impossible by the weather for the second day in succession, Kuldeep Yadav ate into India Blue’s gains with a four-wicket burst late in the night. India Blue went from 188 for 1 to 200 for 5 in four overs, as Kuldeep unleashed a rash of googlies that bored into India Blue’s batting core.Should Mayank Agarwal nurse heartaches over his dismissal, it wouldn’t be out of place: he ventured an inexplicable slog to be stumped after coming within a whisker of his second first-class hundred. The dismissal proved to be costlier than he might have anticipated on a day India Blue had to negotiate a mere 27.4 overs.From the outset, this was a curious day where little of the expected unfolded. With rain in the air, and after the pitch had sweated under the covers for over 24 hours – the grass on the pitch appeared markedly lusher – it was thought the ball would move around crazily. On the evidence of the first few overs, it also seemed that India Red’s wretched luck would continue – they had handed India Blue captain Gautam Gambhir and Agarwal a reprieve each on Monday, and were still atoning for them.The second ball of the day, from left-arm seamer Pradeep Sangwan, caught Gambhir’s outside edge and flew just wide of second slip. On the first ball of the next over, Ishwar Pandey struck Agarwal, who shouldered arms with pad thrust forward, on the back leg, but umpire Virender Sharma made a brave not-out call.Meanwhile, Gambhir continued to slash, steer and edge boundaries behind square. India Red captain Yuvraj Singh even installed an extra slip, but he never came into play. India Blue had scored 40 runs in the first 10.4 overs, and there was neither any mad swing nor significant seam movement.The first spark of action was provided by Nathu Singh, who was evidently quicker than Sangwan and Pandey. He decided to take the pitch and the atmosphere out of the equation, and beat Gambhir with sheer pace: the ball whooshed off a length and crashed into Gambhir’s pad before his bat came around it. While Nathu was looking to blast the batsmen out, in came Kuldeep with his wristy, drifting offerings. After a quiet period, three deliveries changed the course of India Blue’s innings.Agarwal charged out to biff the first ball of the 56th over on the full for a six over the bowler’s head. The next ball was flatter and skidded past the batsman’s attempted cut, before Kuldeep offered a loopy googly. Agarwal dashed out again for a slog across the line, but this time the ball dipped and swerved past him for Srikar Bharat to complete a stumping. The Kuldeep-Bharat combine came together again in the bowler’s next over when Suryakumar Yadav was stumped in an attempted flick. Next ball, nightwatchman Karn Sharma was walking back after being trapped lbw, again by a googly.B Aparajith was, in contrast, untroubled by Kuldeep’s googlies, but edged a drive to gully, where Nitish Rana snapped up a smart, low catch, only two overs later. Till about half an hour earlier, India Red were probably bracing for a long haul in the field. But, like in the first game, it took Kuldeep only a few minutes to make a difference.

Since being dropped from the Indian Test side after a poor run, the opener has stormed back to form

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Dec-20212:27

Rahul: Centurion hundred ‘took a lot of guts’

KL Rahul has learned to enjoy the defensive side of batting all over again. Having been dropped from the Test team after a lean run through 2018 and 2019 – he averaged 22.23 over 15 Tests in that period, mostly played away from home – Rahul has made a strong comeback this year, scoring 461 runs in five Tests at an average of 46.10, including centuries at Lord’s and Centurion that set up memorable India wins. He has credited a change in mindset for this transformation, specifically being able to enjoy leaving the ball outside off stump, an aspect of his game that has undergone a significant upgrade.”It’s something that I’m enjoying doing a lot, to be honest, and that’s the key to Test cricket – you need to enjoy leaving balls outside the off stump,” Rahul said after India wrapped up a 113-run win in Centurion. “I know we play a lot of one-day and T20 cricket and smashing the ball all over the park is exciting and it’s thrilling at the same time, but when you come to Test cricket you’ve got to learn to be disciplined and learn to play the waiting game and try and enjoy that sometimes.Related

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“The mistakes happen when you get bored of doing the same things, but for me I’ve tried to enjoy leaving balls outside off stump, enjoy playing the defensive shots, enjoy tiring the bowlers out at times. That is what is expected out of me as an opening batter for the team.”This year, since I’ve started playing Test matches again, since England, I’ve started enjoying doing those things, and yeah, had a good knock here this game, I’ll have to go back again to Wanderers and try and do the same thing all over again, which is exciting to me.”Rahul now has hundreds in each of the six countries he has played Test cricket in – Australia, England, India, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the West Indies. He rates the one at Centurion among his very best.”I think right up there, in terms of the conditions and the wicket and how challenging it was,” he said. “I think this innings will be right up there for me because it took a lot of guts and a lot of determination and discipline to get this century and get my team to a winning position, so yeah, it’s right up there.”KL Rahul poses with the Player-of-the-Match trophy•AFP/Getty Images

Rahul’s revival has come in a year of triumph for India as a Test team. They began it with a defiant draw in Sydney followed by a barnstorming win with a second-string attack in Brisbane, and they’ve followed it up with Test wins at Lord’s, The Oval and now Centurion, as well as home-series wins over England and New Zealand.”Look, I think it’s a super-super special year for Team India and the kind of achievements we’ve gotten in this year has been truly special and I think it will go down as one of the greatest years in Indian cricket history, especially Test cricket,” Rahul said. “The victories that you just mentioned have taken us a lot of hard work and a lot of discipline and we’ve worked really hard as a team for the last few years, and we’re slowly starting to see results and we’re very happy.”India’s pace attack has been key to the away victories, including at Centurion where Mohammed Shami bagged match figures of 8 for 107. Rahul said he found facing Shami, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj in the nets an even more daunting prospect than facing Test-match attacks in the middle.”Playing them in the nets is a lot more difficult, especially for me or a lot of batters who don’t enjoy [batting in the nets] that much,” he said. “These people put fear in us. They absolutely do not treat us as team-mates when we’re facing them in the nets, they’re very very competitive people and very very competitive athletes and players, so yes, we’ve very lucky to have such quality in our bowling line-up. And 2-3 others are sitting out as well, who have proven themselves and who are terrific fast bowlers, Ishant [Sharma] and Umesh [Yadav]. We have great bench strength as well.”The Centurion pitch – as predicted by many including Rahul himself in the lead-up to the Test match – was slow to start with before it quickened up significantly to enhance the threat of its up-and-down bounce. With this in mind, Rahul said India had won an important toss.”I think it was a really crucial toss for us to win, especially after we saw how the pitch started playing on day three and day four,” he said. “Yeah, I think winning the toss was really really crucial and it was very crucial for us to put a decent total up on board in the first innings, because we knew that the cracks would open up and it would get harder as the game progressed to score runs, so our aim was to get around 350-360 and give our bowlers a chance to go out there and do what they do, so really happy that we could do that.”